Mafia Daddy: An Older Man & A Virgin Romance

by Piper Sullivan

  Agent Halloran paled and stepped outside to make a call.

  Fiona blew out a long breath and fell against her chair. “I don’t know how long they’ll need me here, so if you have things to do I’ll call you when I’m ready to leave.”

  I watched the screen with a shit eating grin on my face. I had never been so proud of anybody for any fucking thing in my life, in that moment I wanted to grab her in my arms and apologize for doubting her. Shit! That’s probably why she’s been so pissed off at me.

  Pulling out my phone I sent her a text.

  I’ll wait. Sorry for being an asshole the other day.-K

  She smiled. I knew we would be all right. Whatever the fuck that meant.

  Moments later Agent Halloran entered the room with a dark-haired woman wearing a severe bun. “Ms. O’Malley I hear you have something for us.”

  Fiona looked up at the agents with an impassive look on her face. “If you’re willing to listen I do.”

  I smiled again at the shocked looks on both agent’s faces and I wished Seamus would check in so I could give him the good news. Where the fuck are you Seamus?

  ***

  “So what happens next?” We sat in a corner booth inside a small Italian restaurant in the North End, enjoying a celebratory dinner. Of sorts.

  Fiona shrugged, her manner had been subdued since we left Cerulean Shipping and I couldn’t figure it out. “Agent Blackstone said they would independently verify my information and once they did, Dad would be off the hook. Too bad about Maeve though,” she said not sounding sorry at all.

  One side of my mouth curled in amusement. “You don’t sound like you believe that.”

  “Of course I don’t. That bitch tried to get Dad put in prison. Not to mention you, the truck driver, possibly me and most of Cearul. She got what she had coming.”

  Damn when she was fierce at defending people she cared about, it was sexy as hell. My cock took notice and I was happy for the long tablecloths. “I just can’t believe it was Maeve.” I’d assessed and judged her as a middle-aged mother type who loved her job and was loyal to her bosses. I’d been wrong.

  “I knew you wouldn’t believe it, that’s exactly why I didn’t tell you.” Each word shot out of her mouth like a poison tipped dart that hit with military precision.

  “You have to admit that you aren’t her biggest fan.” She’d been ragging on the woman for at least two years, maybe more.

  She sat back and crossed her arms. “Of course I’m not. Everyone in the company got their jobs because of their loyalty to Dad or one of his men, which is fine, but none of them are qualified and they do a crap job. But me, I had to go above and beyond just to get a temp job there, and I still get no respect because it’s Dad’s company. Even you doubt me, just like everyone else.” Her voice pitched higher and she rolled her eyes. “Oh good job Fiona you filed some folders and made a few appointments. I fucking saved that company and you all act like I’m just playing the role of a businesswoman.”

  “Shit Fiona.” What could I say to that? She was right and her performance today had made it more than clear that everyone underestimated her. Including, or especially, me. “I’m sorry.”

  Rolling her neck and shoulders, she waited a beat and crossed her arms again. “Doesn’t matter. It’s done, or it will be in a few days and then you can tell Dad he can come back.” When the waiter sat the lobster risotto in front of her, she dug in quietly. She’d been reserved since leaving Cerulean but I’d chalked it up to nerves. Obviously I was wrong. When a woman got all quiet and pensive it spelled trouble for every man in shouting distance.

  I fucking hated it. I wished she would just yell at me. It was the Irish way goddammit. Yell, scream and get it all out so we could all move forward. “It matters to me,” I told her when we pulled into the garage of the penthouse.

  “Right.” That one word dripped with disbelief and I had to bite back my anger. I understood why she saw it that way, but it didn’t mean I had to like it.

  More silence greeted me as we entered the penthouse. I scanned the room and waited for her to say something. To do something. But all she did was walk through the living room and down the hall, straight to her room. All without a fucking word.

  I sat and stared off, not seeing a damn thing but the hurt in Fiona’s eyes as she told me how we’d all looked down on her. Underappreciated her. Belittled her. I heard the shower go on and I tried like hell not to see miles of smooth pale flesh, wet with water dripping down her body. I wanted to join her in that shower, apologize to her the best way I knew how. But now wasn’t the time.

  She was pissed and hurt. And it was my own damn fault. Minutes after the shower shut off she padded through the living room and into the kitchen for a glass of water. The chill from her cold shoulder dropped the room temperature by at least fifteen degrees.

  “Fiona, talk to me.”

  Her footsteps stopped. “I’m tired Keane, and tomorrow I need to try to catch up on school. Good night.”

  I stayed up for hours after she’d gone to sleep trying to figure out how I could make this right for her. Dammit I didn’t want things to be this way between us, maybe I never should have fucking touched her. Now things were more complicated than when I just had to fight my attraction for her, than when I had to pretend she was just my buddy’s little girl.

  She’d saved us all, yet I had a feeling we—me especially—were going to lose her.

  Dammit Seamus where the hell are you?

  Fiona

  Life had started to get back to normal, or as normal as they possibly could given who my father was. Who I was. Last week the FBI officially cleared Seamus O’Malley of any wrongdoing and took Maeve into custody before issuing several arrest warrants for members of the Red Shamrocks. The way things were shaping up it looked like Agent Halloran would actually get that promotion. The Red ‘Rocks weren’t Cearul or my dad, but they were still a pretty big feather in his cap.

  Sometimes I wondered if he secretly credited me with the promotion he would likely get after this. It was funny, but somehow I doubted he would ever think of me again. Like most people I met.

  Thinking of Agent Halloran got my mind off the thing that really had me worried. Dad. He hadn’t called or surfaced and now all I could do was picture the most god-awful scenarios. And Keane, well he’d been no help in calming my nerves.

  Not that he owed me any soothing or anything really, but it was my dad after all. But things between us had gotten so strained that I couldn’t even be in the same room as him without wanting to scream. Or smack his annoying, beautiful face.

  But ever since I left Cerulean Shipping that day, Agent Blackstone had said five simple words to me that had completely changed my outlook.

  “They’re lucky to have you.”

  Yeah, they were lucky to have me and none of the bastards knew it. I’d stewed in the elevator down to meet Keane, my anger simmered and boiled when he flashed that sexy smile and heaped praise on me. Surprised praise and that shit stung. Bad.

  He’d kept his distance and I hated it. I also appreciated it. Though after he returned to the penthouse at four in the morning the next day I realized that it had been really easy for him to keep his distance. Probably because he was already fucking someone else. Plenty of women wanted him. He was sexy and powerful and dangerous. A lethal combination that few women could resist. Including me, apparently.

  “How long are you going to give me the silent treatment Fi?”

  I wanted to tell him the truth. That I’d give him the silent treatment until I stopped loving him. Or until the end of time. “I’ve been busy Keane. With school. Because I’m a child, remember?”

  “Goddammit Fiona, would I have fucked you if I thought you were a kid?”

  I laughed bitterly because that was seriously not the way to make his point. “Obviously, because you fucked me while also believing that I couldn’t possibly have anything to add with helping Dad and Cerulean.”

  “How fucking
long will I have to pay for that? I’ve apologized!”

  “Really? When was that? Because I must’ve been asleep!” The man had sent a text in the middle of what amounted to a sting operation to ‘apologize for being an asshole.’ I rolled my eyes because it had to be the laziest apology known to man. “It doesn’t matter Keane.”

  “Of course it does. I never want to hurt you, don’t you know that?” He moved towards me and I took a step back, knowing if he touched me all would be lost.

  “Sure I do Keane. You’ll keep me safe. Always.” Of that much I was sure, and I had to accept that was all I was going to get from him. “It’s fine okay? I need to catch up on my reading. Have you gotten in touch with Dad yet?”

  “No. He still hasn’t checked in.”

  “Then you should probably find him. I’ll be fine on my own.” I’ve spent years on my own and another few days wouldn’t do any harm. Especially since being around him now was hard. Damn hard. A few days’ distance would help me get my head on straight so I could be normal when he returned. Hopefully with Dad.

  “I’m not leaving you Fi.”

  He would eventually, and we both knew it.

  ***

  “We’re heading out today, so pack your bags.” Keane towered over me, casting a shadow over my laptop which held an article for class.

  “No thanks. I’m good here.” The last time I went on the road with him I lost my virginity and my heart. “Just leave me locked in here like you always do. No big deal.”

  “Not this time Fi. You’re coming with me because I don’t know if we’ll be back or when.” His jaw was set in that firm line that made him look like he walked right off the pages of Hot Gangster’s Digest, his green eyes were laced with steel and his body poised for attack.

  I wanted to argue and fight with him. Tell Keane that he wasn’t the boss of me and couldn’t just order me around. But just because I didn’t trust him with my heart, didn’t mean I would not or could not trust him with my safety. “Fine.” I stood, slamming my laptop closed and shoving it into my bag. “When are we leaving?”

  “As soon as you get packed. Don’t bring a lot of shit, we’ll be bouncing around.”

  His words were short and icy but that’s just how things were between us lately so I shrugged. “Why are we…you can’t find Dad?”

  “I will find him Fiona.” His insistence was nice but unnecessary.

  “You haven’t ever spared my feelings before Keane, don’t start now.”

  He sighed and raked a hand over his beard. “I don’t know where he is or why he hasn’t checked in, but it can’t be good. So we’re going to find him.”

  “And if we don’t?”

  “We’ll worry about that if it happens. For now, the goal is to find him. I have a few ideas of where he might be, so go on and pack a bag.”

  I trudged back to the guest room and tossed a few jeans, t-shirts and sweaters into a small bag along with underwear for a week and toiletries. If we were gone longer I’d just stop and get some along the way. “I’m ready,” I told him and put my phone and tablet plus chargers in with the laptop.

  The elevator ride was silent and tense and as much as I wanted to lean into him, to smile and chat with him like I used to do, I couldn’t let myself get sucked into Keane again. I still loved him and I still wanted him to love me, but I knew he wouldn’t.

  “Where are we starting?”

  “A few places in the city first,” he said, placing his big roughened hand on my lower back and guiding me back to the truck.

  “Not the Charger,” I teased.

  His lips twitched and he shook his head. “Nah, figured we needed something new. Something no one knows about.”

  “What are all the not awful reasons he could be out of touch?” We were headed to Cearul territory first to check one of the many safe houses stashed around Boston.

  “He could be hurt and out of burner phones. He could be too far out for cell service. Or he could be keeping a low profile in case we’re being watched, trailed or bugged.”

  I let out a long frustrated sigh. “So chances are good that he’s hurt. Or worse.” Turning away from Keane I looked out the window and tried to prepare myself for the fact that I could very well be all alone in the world. Mom had been gone for years now, and though Dad was always there technically, he’d been lost to me for almost as many y ears. But if he were truly gone…wouldn’t I notice? Wouldn’t I feel different, more alone now than ever before? It was a silly thought, but one that gave me comfort.

  People always talk about how they felt a part of them was missing and they go on to find out they had a twin walking around on the other side of the country, or a child they thought died at birth was alive and living well ten miles away. That had to mean something, didn’t it?

  “Don’t add extra problems to worry about Fi. We’ll find him, and then you can have the first punch for scaring the hell out of us.” He flashed that trademark smile and I wanted it to work. I wanted that smile to make everything seem better, like it always had. Only now, I don’t know. Maybe the smile wasn’t as powerful as I’d always thought.

  Or maybe shit was just too real for a dazzling smile to have any real impact.

  Keane

  I didn’t know what to tell Fiona. She said she wanted the truth, but no one really wants to hear that a parent might be dead somewhere. My heart broke for her and whether she let me or not, I will be there for her.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah,” she sighed heavily, her voice shaky and emotional. “I just…saw those legs and thought it was him.” She spoke so softly I could barely hear over the purr of the engine, but the terror in her voice was palpable.

  “I know. But it wasn’t, and that’s good news.” I put a hand on her thigh and squeezed, offering what comfort I could as we made our way to another safe house.

  “You called some guys to clean him up?”

  “Yeah, that was a Red ‘Rock who thought he might find something interesting here. They’ve been staking us out a lot lately, but ever since you saved our asses they’re desperate.”

  She looked up at me with those big, unblinking blue eyes that still trusted me, despite our current tension.

  “You think they’ve picked up Callahan and his boys yet?”

  “I don’t know.” They wouldn’t ever pick up Callahan because we had him. He had to fucking pay for sending those assholes after Fiona and we were making sure his debt was paid before we let him go. If we let him go. “Either way he’ll get the justice he deserves.”

  “Do you know where Dad was last time you spoke?”

  “Nah. We kept it vague on purpose. Never know who’s listening.” Now I fucking regretted that I didn’t at least get an idea of his location because I had no idea where to start. “We’ll look at all the places he could be even if it takes weeks, Fiona. I promise.”

  “I believe you.” Her words were sincere but she wouldn’t look at me.

  “Talk to me, Fiona. Something is wrong other than Seamus and I’m right here. Ready to listen.”

  She was restless, and I wasn’t sure if it had to do with me or her missing father. “I don’t know Keane. It’s kind of everything, you know?” Blowing out another breath, she twisted the hem of her shirt in her hands. “I’m thinking of leaving Boston.”

  “What? Why would you do that?” I couldn’t let her leave the city. Not now while Seamus was still missing, and not ever if I could help it.

  “Because I need to be away from here Keane. I need to be someone besides Seamus O’Malley’s little girl.”

  “Can we talk about this after we find your dad?”

  “Sure. You asked.”

  “I can’t think about you leaving right now Fiona. I just…I fucking can’t, alright?” I couldn’t lie to myself any longer about Fiona. I hated that she was pissed off at me, I hated that she thought I saw her as a little kid. I hated that she thought I didn’t have any faith in her, because I did.

  “Don
’t think about it at all, Keane.”

  “Shit, get down!” A red car had been following us for six blocks now.

  “Why?”

  “Because I think we’ve got a tail. Just hang on, and don’t look back.” We didn’t make it this fucking far just to have some asshole run us off the road. Or shoot us off. I made a sharp left down a one-way street and turned right through an alley. When I came back onto the main street that fucker was still there. “Shit.”

  “Who is it?”

  “I have no fucking idea, but judging by the color of that Mustang, it’s the Red ‘Rock assholes.” It’s a good thing I’ve been driving these streets since me and Seamus stole our first car at thirteen. They couldn’t keep up with me if they tried, and by the time we hit South Boston they were still stuck in traffic.

  “Shit Keane, where’d you learn how to drive like that?” Her face was flushed pink, either from excitement or fear.

  “Around.”

  She laughed and the sound echoed in the car. It felt nice to hear her laughing again. “Vague answer.”

  “I’ll teach you some time if you want.”

  She laughed again. “I think that was more excitement than I can handle. But you might have a second career as a stunt driver.”

  “You think?”

  “Of course. I mean if this whole ganster-ing thing doesn’t work out for you.” Her smile sobered as her words became a reality. “Shit you know what I mean.”

  “Yeah I know. I wanted to be a stunt driver when I was a kid. Seamus and I used to tear up the streets, racing and turning on two wheels all through the city.” I laughed at the memory. “Seamus wore that same ‘oh shit’ expression you did.”

  She grinned and shook her head, running one hand through her silky red hair. “Dad always said you drove like a bat out of hell.”

  “More like a mick out of hell, but the need for speed is real,” I told her with a deadpan expression that sent her into a fit of giggles.