Babysitting the Mafia’s Heir
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Chapter 4: A moral decision to make
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Later that night, Joaquin comes and picks him up for a meeting, which sounds so ominous that it makes Jesse’s skin crawl.
There's still a chance that the big boss man might decide he doesn't like him, and Jesse knows he wouldn't feel too bad.
He's stayed clear of his brother's line of work for the last three years. Though it's not like Wallace’s ever been too keen on him being a part of it, either. He's never best pleased when Joaquin brings up anything involving work. Jesse doesn't want to know. He saw his brother come over with blood on his clothes one night and no scratches and he vowed never to ask about it.
See no evil, hear no evil.
"My brother is gonna kick your ass," Jesse sighs as they drive through the city, scrolling through his texts.
"He'll get over it," Joaquin waves off with a shake of his head, and the younger turns to look at him with a raise of eyebrows.
"Do you even know Wallace? Like, at all? I accidentally rolled onto a pair of his sunglasses one time and he's never let me live it down. That was fifteen years ago."
Joaquin inhales deeply and drums his thumb against the steering wheel. "It'll be fine. Maybe we don't even have to tell him."
"Yeah. Because that always works. Let's definitely do that." Jesse shakes his head, going back to his phone and replying back to Momo with the G****e Drive presentation from class today. He eventually heaves a deep breath and tucks his phone away, looking out of the window. "Are we in the fucking city?"
Joaquin hums. "Predictable?"
"Pretty much." He pauses. "You know there's a chance I could get turned away, right? I have no experience in caring for a kid that isn't one of my siblings. Wouldn't it be better to hire someone who, I don't know, actually knows what they're doing?"
Joaquin pulls a face. "Tried that in the pass. Never went well. It's too risky."
Jesse doesn't even want to know what the means. "Aren't I risky? He doesn't know me."
"No, but he knows you're Wallace’s brother. I know you. I trust you. That's the important thing."
It makes sense. But still, this guy only knows of him, doesn't actually know him as a person.
The drive is a little ways out, away from the district area, going up through a couple of back roads and up an incline and it makes Jesse feel a little uneasy at the fact that the cities lights get further and further away the longer they drive.
Joaquin must pick up on his unease. "Getting spooked?" And the smirk on his face has Jesse swatting at his ribs. "Driving here. A gentle reminder."
"Don't pick fun. Why is the place so far out?"
The elder sighs, settling a look on his face that says that the answer should be obvious. "Don't be dense, Jesse. I know you know just how high ranked Ivanov is."
"Ivanov?"
"The boss."
Jesse nods. "Well, I don't, actually. Me and Wallace don't talk about it, you know that. The less I know, the better I sleep at night."
Joaquin chuckles, taking one last turn and Jesse sees the faint shine of a house in the distance. "Never been curious?"
"It's bad enough knowing that you guys aren't being good citizens and abiding the law. That's enough for me."
It seems to trigger something in Joaquin, his face settling into something more serious. "I know I probably don't have to say it, but - but you know whatever you hear or see, you can't mention it to anyone. Right?"
Jesse rolls his eyes, scratching under his chin. "I'm not that ignorant, please. The less I know, the better," he repeats to get his point across.
"Good. Keep it that way."
He shoots a look over at Joaquin at the portentous tone, reaching over and nudging him until his face splits into a grin.
They slow at the approaching gates, and Jesse watches with attentive anticipation realizing the place looked somewhat familiar as Joaquin leans out of the window and thumbs at a button.
"It's me," he says before anyone even says anything on the other side.
There's a muted buzz and the gates creak with the sound of a locking mechanism being unlatched before they're parting and exposing a long driveway, leading up to a house that's all glass and dim neon lighting around the borders.
It's a pretty sight, soft glows of blue lighting up the immaculately trimmed bushes lining the driveway, and greens and purples hitting the sides of the house, bouncing off the white plaster and grey stone. It's definitely an ultra modern house, parts elevated up higher, formed in blocks, all sharp edges.
Cars litter around the garage, all sleek and expensive looking.
It makes something unpleasant settle in Jesse’s stomach, realizing that this was the house of this morning.
The house of Ivanov. The man he had a one night stand with. It aches him that he really is stepping into the lions den.
He feels a nervous itch at his skin, having been preventing moments like this for the last few years, but now he's being pulled right into the middle of it.
Even if nothing comes from tonight, he's getting another insight of his brother's line of work. One way or the other, Ivanov is going to meet him again.
And he'd rather not. He'd really rather not.
"Hey," Joaquin speaks up, pulling him out of his daze. There's a line between his eyebrows, hesitance behind his eyes. "Listen, Jesse. I know I said you'd be doing me a favour, but I don't want you to be uncomfortable. I can take you home if you want, no harm."
Jesse seriously considers it, thinks about how he could agree and after this make even more of an effort to block out this side of Wallace.
But he really could use the money and he hates - hates with a capital H - relying on his brother for income. Not that he's not grateful, but he's a grown man. He should be able to fend for himself, be able to pay his own rent like every other kid his age attending uni. Jesse knows Wallace has more money than he knows what to do with, and he already feels guilty enough that he let him get him an apartment in the nicer part of town, closer to campus.
Wallace knows better than anyone that he doesn't like being indebted to anyone, doesn't like feeling like he owes anyone anything - his brother is the same. But it always seems to be a double standard when it comes to him.
"No, no. It's fine," Jesse decides with a nod, shooting a smile over to Joaquin, giving his knee a pat before he climbs out of the car. He takes a deep breath, the air seemingly cleaner and thicker up here, away from the city and closer to the hills.
Less pollution, he supposes.
His eyes scan the cars parked up around Joaquin’s and he clicks his tongue at the familiar license plate. "Ruh roh," he mocks, twisting to look at the older. When Joaquin gives him a look of confusion, Jesse points over his shoulder with a thumb and a phony look of sympathy.
Joaquin groans upon spotting Wallace’s car, head dropping back as he rests his arm up on the roof of his car, seemingly debating with himself. All the while Jesse rocks on his heels, eyes filled with mirth.
Buckets of mirth. "Shit."
"Maybe you wanna go home now."
Jesse really considers it.
His best friend is on the hospital bed fighting for her life because of the man whose house he's standing in front of now.
Although it isn't confirmed if Ivanov is the prime suspect but still...
He doesn’t want to babysit the kid of the man he almost slept with.
He doesn’t want to babysit his brother’s boss’s child.
He doesn’t want to be dragged into the criminal world all because he’s babysitting the Mafia’s heir.
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TBC
Babysitting the Mafia’s Heir.Chapter 5: meeting the Mafia’s Heir . Joaquin fixes Jesse with a narrowed look, mocking a silent laugh before shaking his head. "No, c'mon. It's fine. It'll be fine. He loves me enough that he won't kill me."Jesse hums, patting Joaquin’s arm as he passes him around the hood of the car, climbing the steps to stand in front of large, grey double doors. "After you," he insists and doesn't miss the eye roll he gets as Joaquin lets himself in.Needless to say, the house on the outside has nothing on the inside. High ceilings and tall walls, covered in modern art and photographs of skylines. The floors are marble, the odd block coloured rug spread out here and there. And that's just the foyer alone. Two sets of black marble stairs start in the middle of the room, glass banisters, curving up to meet at the top in the shape of sideways eye. Couches and arm chairs hug the curves of the wall in the middle, styled like a waiting room, showing a fireplace right
Babysitting the Mafia’s Heir.Chapter 6: don't get us killed. "Oh, right. Yeah! Yeah, of course. I'd love to meet him. How old is he?" Jesse hears his own voice softening and he wonders if this is why Joaquin thought of him to look after his boss' kid. It's been a while since he's been able to dote on his younger siblings, but when he does, nothing makes him happier than playing with them. He's always had the biggest soft spot for children."Seventeen," Ivanov tells him with a blank face and Jesse is a little bit rattled, stunned from where he was midway to standing up. “I'm kidding," the man laughs, amusement curling at his lips. "He's six." And Jesse can hear the softness to his voice."Great age." Ivanov’s eyebrows raise in silent question as he leads him out of his office. “You know, it's when they're at their softest. They think you're the funniest and most entertaining person ever, like you know the answers to the universe."Ivanov seems to get it, going off the way his fa
Babysitting the Mafia’s Heir.Chapter 7: babysitting for the weekend. .Jesse picks him up that Friday, and he can see by the look on his face that he's pensive, clearly second guessing this."Come on," Jesse says as his brother drives them over to Ivanov’s. "It's gonna be fine. I've already had a long talk with Ivanov--" he stops at the look Wallace sends him. "I've already had a long talk with Mr. Javier, alright? I know the rules. No answering the door, put the alarm on at night, in by seven. I even made my own list. You know how serious I am about things if I bother to make a list."Wallace sighs, giving a nod, running his hand through his hair as they stop at a red light. "Just don't fuck up, Jesse. I'm your brother, but I can't be held accountable for your actions this time. Okay?"Jesse frowns, lips pushing into a sulk. "I can handle my own, thank you. It'll be fine," he repeats, this time a little more assertively. His brother just nods, not saying anything else on the matt
Babysitting the Mafia’s Heir.Chapter 8: Anger, fear, anguish, confusion. .By seven, they're both full from their dinner - and what a dinner it was. Jesse is not sure he's eaten that good in a long time. All the food was already prepped or plated, and all he had to do was heat it up or follow the last few instructions, which actually proved to be a little difficult in such a high tech kitchen. So many knobs, so many buttons. But he managed to figure it out with the help of Indor and a couple of texts to Ivanov, who was actually almost as clueless as him, considering they had a chef. A chef. Jesse eventually ousted Ivanov away and got it sorted. He's got his arm stretched over the back of the couch behind Iandor, the TV playing an animated movie that neither are all that interested in, and Jesse has got one popsicle in his mouth, and the other in the hand behind Iandor as the kid draws lines onto the tablet. They've been at it for the last forty-five minutes, Iandor creating a
Babysitting the Mafia’s Heir.Chapter 9.He struggles to fall asleep.Iandor has been in bed for almost six hours now, and Jesse for two. He stayed up a while to clean up and try and watch a movie, bring some type of normality back to him. But to no avail. He still feels the tumult inside him, thinking about that file in Ivanov’s office. The file on him. The more he thinks about it, the more the apprehension sizzles into animosity. That fucker. Jesse would have had no problem giving him all the information he needed, would have given it to him willingly. So the fact that he dug - and boy, he dug deep - into Jesse’s life without consent, it bothers him like none other. He's close to foaming at the mouth as he lies there in sheets too soft to ignore, still thinking of a way he can accidentally step on Ivanov’s toes and have a knife recede from the heel of his shoe. Jesse’s plans are disturbed, though, when he hears a noise from downstairs. He strains his ears, because he's heard the
Babysitting the Mafia’s Heir.Chapter 10."Jesse."It's such a soft, sweet sentiment, and it has Jesse waking up with a smile.Iandor called him when waking up. He sees him as a big brother. But his smile soon slips at the sight of the worried frown between Iandor’s eyebrows, immediately curling a protective arm around him. "What's wrong, bug?" He whispers, voice grainy with sleep."Bad dream," the kid replies just as quietly as he curls up into the space of his chest and Jesse can't help but internally croon at how soft of a gesture it is."Did I forget to turn your nightlight on? Oh, gosh, I'm sorry, Ian, I--"Ian shakes his head against his collarbone. "No, you didn't forget. I just had a bad dream anyway. Can I stay with you?"Jesse feels his shoulders go a little more slack, pulling the covers up around them both, giving Iandor all of his body heat. "Of course you can. I feel safer with you in here too," he confesses, hoping to ease Iandor as much as possible.It seems to work
Babysitting the Mafia’s Heir.Chapter 11: what a billionaire mafia jerk.After getting the earful of a lifetime from his brother regarding respect and just not being an asshole to someone like Ivanov, life goes back to normal for him. Jesse still insists on not knowing anything, though it seems Joaquin is very careful not to slip up anymore, whether it be from Jesse’s attitude towards Ivanov, or Wallace’s wrath, he doesn't know or care.He keeps on chugging through school life, keeps getting his work done and even combines Iandor’s drawings into one of his projects. The project is entirely customised to him personally, and Jesse bases it on creativity through the years and how it can become morphed by society and reused ideas. The only time Jesse thinks about Ivanov is the one night he dreams of him. Dreams of him coming into his room late at night and wrapping a hand around his neck and squeezing and squeezing until Jesse’s choking for breath and clawing at his wrists. He wakes u
Babysitting the Mafia’s Heir.Chapter 12: fucking beautiful bastard .Jesse is emotionally exhausted.He's just finished all of the exams he has for the week, and he didn't think he'd seen the end of them. Friday couldn't come soon enough, it was a blessing. With how much time he's spent holed in his apartment, or the graphics department at school, he's raring to go when Momo and Cassie ask him to come clubbing with him. It feels like it's been too long since he's been able to go out and just have fun now that his exams are behind him. For now at least.He breaks out the leather pants, poor things. They've been catching dust in his drawer for a while now, so it only seems fitting that he wears them. He pairs them with a DIY black sleeveless tee and a thin choker, all with his pink and white silk bomber jacket. He knows he looks good, because he feels good.Jesse goes and meets the girls at theirs, considering they live closer to the district, and they pile into a cab and head to th