Chapter 0363

Jerome, Daniel, and I are all pretty much exhausted as we pull up to the bar the next day around noon, when it opens. Jerome and I stayed up pretty

late explaining the details of the plan to Daniel, and then telling him what we need him to do next

and then a couple more hours patting his back when he hyperventilated, convincing him not to runs away from us screaming.

Because...yeah, it’s a little crazy. But it's going to work!

“I can't believe this is how I'm spending my Saturday,” Daniel murmurs as Jerome turns the car off in the nearly-empty parking lot of a very, very

crappy bar. “You know that we could just go have brunch, right? Somewhere nice?

“I bet they can rustle up some brunch here,” I say from the back seat, leaning forward to pat Daniel on the shoulder.

“At least some peanuts,” Jerome adds, glancing at me and laughing a little.

“Seriously, why are we here?” Daniel asks, frowning at us. Because while we told him pretty much everything else...we kept this one a secret.

‘It's a surprise, Danny,” I say, opening the car door and hopping out. smoothing down my black dress as I smile towards the door. I'm actually excited

for this one too. I haven't seen her in a long time, and I miss her.

Daniel sighs as he stands by my side and we wait for Jerome to come around the car. “I don't like this Danny thing. by the way,” he says, frowning

down at me.

“Yes, that's my nickname for him,” Jerome says, grinning at me as we start for the door. “You can't get it on it now — it’s very personal.”

“I can do as I please,” I say, flicking my hair back over my shoulder and lifting my chin. “lam a very powerful mafiosa, after all.

“That remains to be seen,” Daniel murmurs, a little smirk on his face.

But as soon as he ducks into the bar, and sees who is standing by the counter?

That smirk falls away, completely replaced by shock.

“Hey, sugar,” Fiona says, laughing as she comes out from behind the bar and walking over to Daniel with open arms. “I missed you too, kid.

“Oh my god,” Daniel murmurs, wrapping Fiona tight against him and lowering his dark head to press against hers. “Oh my god — Fiona — I...I honestly

thought you were dead —*

“Dead!?” she laughs, pulling away. “Honestly, he was mad at me, Daniel — and rightly, I betrayed him big time. But he likes me too much to kill me —"

“I didn’t think he liked anyone too much te kill them,” Daniel replies, staring down at Fiona in awe, “not even me —*

“Yeah well,” she laughs, giving him a wink, “I did some really weird shit in bed. I earned some respect.

Daniel blushes scarlet as Fiona pats him on the cheek and gives Jerome a hug and a quick greeting before she turns her attention to me.

“Well well well, baby Fay,” she says, wrinkling her nose and giving me a grin as she takes my hands and looks down at my stomach. “Looks like

someone got you inte some trouble.”

And then, before I can respond, she

steps forward and wraps me in a

warm hug as well. “I missed you;

little cousin, “she murmurs in my

ear, tim so glad you came. Me been

war ried about you.” Cont

to“ “

“I've been worried about you too,” I

murmur, holding her close and

closing my'eyes. Fiona — she was .

SO, SO gqod to me, the entire times

that wewere in that house together

And jthile she, too, betrayed Kent...

just.can't bring myself to bemad

aout it. Because she never

betrayed me.

After a long-moment Fiona pulls

away from me. “Looks like Kent Has

been buy,” she says, and I go alittle

pale as she looks down at my~

stomach with a wink. Anxiow8, my

haads instantly go to my belly.