Exhaling: A Mafia Romance (The O'Keefe Family Collection Book 3) (3 page)

I
t was
three days before Fallyn convinced her husband that it was perfectly safe for her to leave her house. “They kidnapped you, Fal. Who’s to say they won’t try something like that again?”

Fallyn sighed, reminding herself that this was how Vince showed he loved something – by protecting it on pain of death. She pulled the milk out of the fridge and poured a little over her oatmeal. “For the last time, they didn’t kidnap me. They gave me a place to crash while I sorted stuff out in my mind. They made the mistake of not telling you where I was, but they didn’t hold me hostage or something, unlike what you did with Danny.”

“I don’t like it. You can run the business remotely just fine. This is why you hired a store manager.” Vince eyed the orange juice she’d squeezed fresh for him that morning. He knew he should drink it, but he was too anxious to properly digest anything.

Fallyn had another argument on standby, but pocketed it for a rainy day. She sat on the stool next to him at the marble counter and stirred her oatmeal. She placed her hand on his cheek, pulled him in for a softening kiss and said, “You don’t want me without baking. It’s not good for me to sit around all day with no goals and no ambition. I like being in the bakery. It’s good for me.”

Running a comparison between Maria and Fallyn wasn’t a thing Vince did intentionally, but when she said things like that and did things like refuse to take his money for everyday expenses, he realized anew how right she was for him, and how much respect he had for her independence. He didn’t want to be one of her brothers who questioned her every move and babied her to the point of exhaustion. He didn’t want to clip her wings, but there was still a part of him that had a panic attack at the thought of losing her again.

Vince ran his tongue along his teeth before responding. “I get it, and I’m glad you have something that makes you happy. You’re good at running the bakery. I just don’t like it when you might not come home to me. You have no idea how terrifying it all was when you were gone.”

“I’ll check in throughout the day, then. Deal?” She watched Vince debate this. “Honey, you know you’ve got to get back to work, too. I’m sure you’ve got mountains of stuff to catch up on. I’ll be fine.”

“I do, I’m just worried.” He checked his phone, ignoring the omelet she’d cooked him. When he kissed her, warmth he’d thought might be lost to him forever flooded through his body.

“I’ve got to go in and make sure everything’s still good. I left on our honeymoon right after we expanded, doing the desserts for your La Cucina Italia chain. I need to make sure I’m not overlooking anything.”

Vince pocketed his phone and dug into his omelet. “When did you want to start making the desserts for my other restaurants? You’re doing the one chain, and there’ve been no complaints. I think it’s time you expanded to Cesca’s. That chain needs a little fresh blood in it.”

Fallyn blinked at him in shock. “Are you serious?”

“Why not? Your deliveries have been reliable. I checked in with my managers this morning, and our numbers are up since incorporating your desserts. What do you think?”

Fallyn’s eyes were wide as dozens of possibilities sparked through her brain. “I think Cesca’s is upscale, and I’ve been dying for an excuse to do something a little fancier.” Fallyn moved to the junk drawer, pulling out a pen and paper to write down the specifics. “What do you need, and how much of it?”

Vince gave her the details of what he would require on a weekly basis, watching as her mouth fell open at how much he would be willing to pay. “Does that sound fair?”

“You know you’re overpaying because it’s me.” She set her pen down with her eyebrows furrowed. “That’s not good business. Pretend I’m not your wife. What would you pay then?”

Vince scribbled out a number higher than his first offer. “That better?”

“Vince! I’m serious. You can’t overpay me like this.” She watched as he crossed out the first number and wrote up a higher one. “Vince, be serious.”

“Fine. I’ll put my original offer back on the table. Honey, I plan on charging customers top dollar for your desserts, so I’m not going in the hole over this. Don’t you worry. I’m actually good at what I do.”

Fallyn raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh, yeah? Prove it.”

Vince kissed her so hard and so passionately that she nearly forgot what she was doing. “I love you,” he promised her. Twenty minutes later, Vince left the home with a puppy dog expression that told her to beg him not to go.

W
hen Fallyn drove
to her shop, she half expected it to be chaos without her there to tend to it. As Vince predicted, Loretta was a fine shop manager, keeping everything in order and the case stocked with fresh deliciousness. Fallyn set to work balancing the books and started in on checking the inventory, a chore she knew Loretta hated to do. When she finished with that, she started in on the weekly deep clean, pulling out appliances to scrub beneath and behind them while Loretta took her break.

“What do you think you’re doing?” came the voice she’d been missing.

Fallyn was on her hands and knees, her head behind the stove as she scrubbed a particularly hard to reach spot. “I’m having an affair, clearly. Can you come back in half an hour? I’ll be all scrubbed up from my part-time lover by then.” She scooted out and grinned up at Vince, her hair disheveled and her gray capri pants spotted with flour and dust. “Hey, babe. How goes it?”

Vince’s eyes were wide in horror as he reached down to pick her up. “No. Never again. No wife of mine’s going to scrub floors.”

Jen came back to grab another tray of éclairs to bring out front. “Aw. You guys are cute.”

Vince’s expression was stony. “Cute or not, Fallyn’s not scrubbing floors anymore.”

Jen balanced the tray on her hip. “I meant it’s cute you think you can tell her to stop or slow down. Downright precious.”

“I’m alright,” Fallyn insisted. “Honestly, Vince. I’m just cleaning my kitchen. You’ve never cleaned your own restaurant?”

“It’s not the same thing. You’re pregnant! I’ve been reading all sorts of things online, and you shouldn’t be near cleaning chemicals. You definitely don’t need to be on all fours like a dog – baby or not.”

Jen slammed her tray down on the counter and screeched, “You’re pregnant?!”

Fallyn blinked up at Vince, shaking her head at him. “Are you happy now? I wasn’t going to tell anyone until we were further along.”

Jen started jumping up and down, hands clasped under her chin in sheer glee. “You’re pregnant?! You’re having a baby? Oh, Fal! That’s the greatest news ever!” She hopped over to her friend, snatching Fallyn up in a hug as she jumped up and down. “Oh, I’m so happy! A baby! A baby! How far along?”

“Um, I’m not totally sure yet. It’s pretty new. Happened on our honeymoon. I have to go to the doctor still to make everything official.”

“You’re pregnant! Oh, I can’t wait to see your eyes and Vince’s scowl on a baby.”

Fallyn grinned into her friend’s ecstatic embrace. “Thanks, Jen. I’m happy, too. Shocked still. We haven’t told our families yet, so don’t say anything.”

Jen whirled on Vince with dominance she usually wasn’t confident enough in his presence to display. She shoved her finger in his face, feigning authority. “You. How much of a deathtrap is your house? Pregnant women can’t have seafood. Did you know that? And she should go to a doctor, like, yesterday. Get on the ball, man.”

Vince postured, staring down at her as if to ask her who exactly she thought she was talking to. “I put in a call to a company that does baby proofing this morning. I’ll make sure she sees a doctor this week.”

“Good.” She turned back to Fallyn and resumed jumping. “A baby! A baby! Oh, man. Your brothers are going to go ballistic. You think they hover now? Wait until they find out. I know you haven’t told them, otherwise they’d be camped out in the kitchen, making sure you don’t sneeze too many times.”

“They don’t know, and I don’t want them to know anytime soon.” Fallyn picked up the rag and cleaning solution off the floor, but before she could take it to the cupboard, Jen whisked it away from her. “Jen, honestly. I can clean the floors.”

Jen put away the cleaning supplies, a light scolding in her tone. “So can I. In fact, isn’t the point of owning a business not having to do every little thing? Go home. Get a massage. Take a load off.”

Vince shot Jen a look of pure gratitude as his hand rubbed his wife’s spine. “Yes. A massage. That’s a great idea. Pick a salon, and I’ll drive you there.”

“You really don’t even need to come into the shop, hun. We’ve got this. Loretta keeps everyone working hard. Go home and put your feet up.”

Something indignant rose up in Fallyn as the two ganged up on her. She clenched her fists and kept her chin high, her voice shaking in anger. “I am not a kept woman! I have two degrees, and this is
my
business. If I want to clean the floors, I should be able to scrub the floors, dammit! There’s nothing wrong with me working, and I won’t let the two of you take my bakery away from me!”

Jen held up her hands in surrender. “Okay, Fal. Calm down. No one’s taking anything away from you. Just slow down, is all. Vince is right; you shouldn’t be around cleaning chemicals.”

Fallyn inhaled deeply, unsure of where the sudden rage came from. She pressed her hand to her chest, chagrinned. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I shouted at you both! I’m so sorry.”

Jen grinned. “Gotta love those mood swings.”

Vince’s eyes were wide before he broke down in silent giggles. “Say it again.” He raised his fist in vindication. “‘I am not a kept woman!’”

Fallyn shook her head at herself, shoulders deflating. “Oh, I’m so embarrassed.” She tilted her head up at Vince. “Were we supposed to meet up for lunch or something? Did I forget?”

“No. I wanted to make sure your brothers weren’t bothering you. I need you to call me if they stop by.”

Fallyn waved Jen off to go back to the storefront and give them a bit of privacy. She kept her voice quiet. “Vince, I can handle my brothers. I don’t want you to intervene or set anyone straight. If you come to see me, make the reason be that you wanted to give me a kiss, not check in on me.”

Vince smirked at her stubborn streak that matched his own. “I love that you think you can control me. It’s almost cute.”

Fallyn reached up on her toes to kiss him. “I love that you think
you
can control
me
. This’ll be interesting.” She nuzzled her nose to his. “What time are you coming home tonight?”

“Eight. Maybe later. I’ve got a lot to catch up on. I’ll bring home dinner.”

A smile teased her lips. “Look at you saying sexy domestic stuff like ‘I’ll bring home dinner.’ Next thing I know you’ll be asking me to bring you your pipe and newspaper, complaining about the length of the lawn.”

Eyebrows furrowed, Vince wrapped his arms around her waist. “What’s wrong with the length of the lawn? I think it looks nice.”

She chuckled at his confusion, kissing his frown. “You’re a cute old man.”

The backdoor swung open without warning of a knock. Declan strolled in, stopping short when he saw his sister kissing the man he loathed. “Oh! I’ll wait outside.”

Vince turned, drawing his gun from his belt and holding it at his side. In a breath, he mutated from adoring husband to stone cold killer. “You can stand right there and tell me who the hell you think you are, messing with Fallyn and me like you did.”

F
allyn tried
to inch her body between the two bulls, but Vince held his hand out to keep her behind him. “Stop, guys. I’m serious. No guns in my store, and no fighting.”

“Fine by me. Let’s take this out back in the alley,” Declan suggested, his hand on the butt of his gun, stroking the handle. His cropped auburn hair stuck out in the front, making him appear disheveled and unkempt. His cold calculation of Vince as he touched his gun made him look like a mix between a cowboy and a mobster.

Vince nodded once and took a step toward the backdoor, ignoring Fallyn’s pleas until she ran to the door the block them both. “No!” She pointed her finger in accusation at the men. “This isn’t how to settle things.” Her finger shifted to Declan. “You lied to us. We got DNA tested, and after the worst night of my life, the doctor told us we’re not related. How could you do that to me? Did you really think Vince would throw me away without a double-check?” Before Declan could put words to his surprise, her finger shifted to Vince. “And you! I told you I didn’t want you fighting with my brothers. That was this morning, so I know you didn’t forget. I’ll handle Declan. There’s been enough bloodshed between our families.”

Vince stared his wife down, not liking being put in his place, but knowing she was the only one who could do so with any kind of authority. He tucked his gun back into his belt, but the fight never left his eyes. “Handle it, then. I don’t want to see this joker’s face around here ever again.”

Fallyn rubbed her temples. “Declan, tell me why I just saved your life. And I mean, really convince me because I can barely look at you right now.”

Declan stiffened. “I’m not afraid of Vince.” He postured at Vince’s scoff. “Look, I didn’t lie. If I’m wrong, then I’m sorry. Truly. There are so many better ways to break you two up. There really was a year that Mom was gone, not nine months like Mom and Dad tried to make us believe. I really did see Mom kissing Papa D on Christmas Eve before she took off. She was gone for a year with Kill, Fally. Then she came back with you. The math’s not right. Only Kill, Keenan and I were old enough to notice the time gap. The others were too young to care about that sort of thing. Dad told the three of us not to worry about it, and that was that. I swear, I would’ve taken it to my grave but I thought he was your half-brother! Tell me you wouldn’t have done the same thing if the situation were reversed.”

Fallyn reached up and grabbed her brother’s face, bringing him down so she could look him dead in the eye on her own level. He humored her and bent to her will, as he so often had. He had bags under his eyes and his clothes smelled faintly of whiskey. Her eyes bore into his. “Tell me again.”

“For as long as you’ve been alive, I’ve been sure without a doubt that you were half D’Amato. I never told the others about seeing Mama with Papa D, not even Killian or Keenan! Dad told us never to bring up that it was the wrong number of months for you to be his, so we didn’t! I swear, Fal. If Papa D isn’t your biological father, then I’m not sure who is. I know for a fact it isn’t Dad, though.”

Fallyn closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to his, still clutching his chin to keep him close. “Declan, you have no idea what you did when you told me Vince and I were related.” She pounded her fist to her chest. “You broke my heart!”

“I know, hun. I know. I’m so sorry.” His arms went around her, drawing her into his embrace. The two clung to each other, knowing what a treasure they’d almost lost over a lie that didn’t belong to either of them.

Her eyes closed as she tried to evaluate if he felt different to her than he had two weeks ago. “We’re half-siblings?”

“No,” Declan ruled, his chest puffing afresh. “No! Of course not. Even if we didn’t share both parents, you’re still my sister. My best and only.”

Fallyn softened, her icy heart melting around the sweet declaration. “You knew I wasn’t your whole sister this entire time? My entire life? Yet you still treated me as if I was…”

“You are!” Declan clutched her tighter, squeezing her in his arms. “You’re my sister. You always have been. The point of telling you wasn’t to make you question us; it was to make you not marry your other brother! I love you, Fal. I never cared about the paternity stuff. Never looked at you as anything other than the best sister a pack of idiot brothers could ever have. I’m serious. This changes nothing.”

“Okay.” She rubbed his back. “That must’ve been a terrible secret to keep. I’m so sorry you had to live with that all these years.”

“No, I’m sorry I put you through that. I mean, I knew you thought you were in love with Vince, but I’ve never seen you as lost as you were last week. Even after Jeremy and that whole mess, you carried on just fine.” He turned his head toward Vince, who was fuming. “That’s a compliment to you, by the way.”

Vince cursed him in Italian, spitting on the floor Fallyn had just washed. “I don’t need your compliments. I need you to go.”

Declan rolled his eyes and turned back to his sister, holding her close. “I really am sorry, Fal.”

“If you’re sorry, then make it up to me.” Fallyn burrowed her face in his shoulder, making herself at home against his emerald green dress shirt.

“Name it. You want a new phone?”

Fallyn tilted her head up at him. “There’s nothing wrong with my phone.”

“Then answer it when we call! We’ve been going out of our minds not being able to get ahold of you!”

“That’s the thing about not wanting to talk to any of you.” She shook her head. “No. You tried to break up Vince and me. You tried to end my marriage! Make it up to me.”

“I thought it was true, Fal!”

She slunk out of his arms and cast him a deadly glare. “Please! You were all congregated there to break the two of us up! If you hadn’t known about the paternity stuff, you would’ve found another argument to try and end us. You know you would’ve.”

Declan deflated, his hand on his brow. “It’s Vince D’Amato, Fal. You gotta know he’s all kinds of wrong for you.”

“It’s like you want me to murder you where you stand,” Vince seethed.

The passion in her eyes was almost enough to start a fire in the middle of the kitchen. “I’d rather go down in flames with Vince than spend another second pretending I don’t need, that I don’t want, that I don’t love!” She pounded her fist over her heart. “Vince and I are a team now, and you’ll get on board. You’ll make this up to the both of us. You have no idea the state you drove Vince to. You did this to both of us, you know.” In a perfect imitation of her mother, she pointed her finger to the ground and stomped her foot. “Fix what you broke, young man!”

Declan took a step back from her and shivered as if shaking off a ghost. “Whoa. You looked dead like Mom just then. Spooky.” He held up his hands. “Alright. Give me some time to think this over.” He stared at a spot behind his sister as his mind raced. “If Dad’s not your father, and Papa D’s not, then who?”