Chapter 0357

Kent sharply nods, and the judge bangs her gavel. And then it’s done.

Kent turns away from the judge but before he can turn to Daniel, Ivan catches his eye from across

the room, giving him a smirk and a nod that clearly says “I’ll be seeing you soon.”

But Kent gives him nothing, and turns to his son.

Daniel’s there, and Kent quickly reaches for him, despite the rail between them. His wrists are still

pinned together, but Daniel wraps him in a tight, fast hug. Kent knows that they don’t have much

time before the guards pull him away, take him back to prison for the month of interrogations, but

he’s going to take what he can get.

“How are you,” Kent growls, resting his head against his son’s for a moment. “Are you all right?”

“I’m good, we’re good,” Daniel says, pulling back a little bit and giving his dad a real smile. “I

promise. Fay is…she’s getting fat.”

Kent laughs suddenly, surprising even himself. “No, she’s not.”

“No,” Daniel says, grinning at him, and Kent can’t help the surge of love that fills him to see his son

looking so happy, even on such a tough day. “You’re right, dad – she’s not fat. She’s just got this

little belly now. I – um, I wish you could see her.” His eyes flick around, aware that there might be

listening ears.

Kent just nods, understanding. Daniel has to play the role of a husband telling his father about his

wife’s pregnancy. Not updating an imprisoned man on the woman he loves.

“She’s healthy?” Kent asks. He knows it’s dangerous to ask, but he has to know. “The baby too?”

“Yeah,” Daniel says, smiling and running a hand through his hair. “The doctor says they’re doing

great – the baby, he’s making her really nauseous –“

“He?” Kent asks, his breath catching, his eyebrows raising almost to his hairline.

But Daniel’s face suddenly falls. “Oh, god, no, dad –“

Kent frowns, not understanding.

Daniel glances at Jerome, who grimaces, and then looks back at his father. “I’m sorry – it’s kind of

like, an inside joke. We don’t know the sex of the baby yet – not at all. But we have this bet going,

where Janeen and Jerome think it’s a girl, and Fay’s dad and I think it’s a boy, and so we call the

baby he and she – it…it doesn’t sound very funny, does it? But it’s –“

“It’s all right,” Kent says, smiling truly now as he nods to his son. Honestly, it’s the best news Daniel

could have given him – that he and Fay are living in a house with so much joy in it right now, despite

everything, that they have jokes about the baby. That they laugh, and tease each other, and that the

baby is safe and warm.

It’s all he could have wanted. Daniel, without even knowing it, has given him a gift he couldn’t have

thought to ask for.

But still. There’s more he needs to know.

Kent’s eyes flash to the guards moving close towards him now, intent on taking him away, so he

leans close to his son.

“What the hell is she getting into?” Kent says, leaning close and nodding over his shoulder at all of

the lawyer’s notes with Fay’s handwriting all over this. “What is she planning?”

Daniel just shrugs. “She’s a real Lippert now, dad,” he says, sighing a little. “She says when we

need to know, she’ll tell us.”

“God damn it,” Kent growls, glancing away, his mind whirling. The guards come then, taking him by

the arm, pulling him away. He looks back at his son and shakes his head once, sharply.

But Daniel knows his dad well enough to read him, even without the words. Don’t let her get into

anything she can’t handle, Kent had said with that shake.

Daniel just shrugs, apologetic. She’s out of my control, dad.

And Kent sighs, because he knows it’s true.

When Fay is determined to do something, or have something her own way?

Lord help anyone who tries to stop her.

The guards lead Kent out of the courtroom and he lets them without hesitation or protest. He

doesn’t even look back over his shoulder at his kid.

Because he doesn’t need to. Daniel gave him everything he needed – more than that.

The two of them – the only two people who matter to him in the world?

They’re safe, they’re happy.

And they’re fighting for him.

Kent closes his eyes for just a moment, saying a quick prayer, because whatever she’s doing?

Fay’s dabbling in a dangerous world. Kent just hopes to hell she doesn’t get in so deep that she

can’t get herself back out.

Not for me, he thinks, shaking his head. I’m not worth that.

But if it were him on the other side, fighting for her?

He’d turn over heaven and hell to get her out.