Chicago, IL

Jax

Every morning, I panic when I reach for Sam, but I can't find her beside me. I hate it here without her. It takes me ten minutes to sit and stare at the wall every day before I put on my "act" and join my father's family.

They have breakfast every morning in the formal dining room. How fucking weird is that for a mafia family?

I can't believe it's been two weeks already. Time is slipping by so fast, and I haven't accomplished anything yet.

Vinny is biding his time stalling on giving me the money and sending me off, and I'm still playing at that being all I want, but it's all kind of a moot point. Vinny doesn't believe my story. On night one, I overheard him talking to his wife, Meredith, about it.

She was stunned, and not in a good way, when she walked in and saw me in her beautiful gold and white living room.

It didn't help that she walked into a tense moment with her daughter...

"Holy shit, this place looks like a fucking museum." We step off the elevator right into the penthouse, well, the entryway of the penthouse, which has marble floors and a huge chandelier lighting up the space.

Vinny leads us into a living room, where the shiny hard floors transition into a soft and fluffy white carpet. I am horrified to realize I'm standing in my dirty boots. Neither Vinny or Tori took theirs off, but they both have dressy, clean shoes on.

I kick my boots off quickly, but then I'm unsure of what to do with them, so I find myself awkwardly holding them.

"I can take those," Tori offers with a friendly smile.

"Uh, thanks," I mumble as I hand them off to her. She nods and shuffles back out towards the entryway with them.

I hear the dinging noise of the elevator and then muffled voices.

"That's probably your other sister Gina and her boyfriend Mikey." As Vinny says it, they emerge with Tori. 

Gina looks a lot different than Tori. I can see each girl must take after the opposite parent. Tori has thick dark hair like Vinny's, and she shares a lot of his and ironically my sharp facial features. Whereas Gina has golden blonde hair and much more delicate features, but she has those blueish-grey eyes that me and Vinny both have. Smoky eyes are what Sam always called them.

I notice Gina is really tall as she takes another step closer, almost the same height as me. She's wearing a knee-length skirt with a tucked-in blouse. The look ages her quite a bit. I assume it's intentional. Her boyfriend, standing rigidly behind her, his eyes trained on me, looks much older than her, just like Franky had said.

He looks like a Vinny want-to-be in his grey slacks, button-down shirt, and lame-looking tie. He's got his hair all slicked back and shiny like a douche too. I already know I don't like him, and it's clear the feeling is mutual based on the vibes I'm getting.

"Dad?" Gina looks from me to Vinny, who steps closer and gives her a relaxed smile.

"It's alright, Gina." He chuckles just slightly as he looks at the guy behind her. "Ease up, Mikey."

Mike does relax somewhat, but I still feel the tension coming off him and even more so from Gina.

"I suppose it's time to make official introductions," Vinny continues. "This is my son and your brother, Jackson. I've told you both about him many times."

Tori nods, and Gina crosses her arms and narrows her eyes at me.

"Jackson, these are your sisters. Gina here is almost nineteen, close to your age. That's her boyfriend, Mikey, behind her."

"Hey," I mumble.

"Nice to meet you," Mikey offers, looking slightly more friendly while Gina is still standing there as cold as an ice cube.

"And you already met Victoria. We call her Tori for short," Vinny says.

"It's nice to meet you, Jackson," Tori says politely. "Do you ever go by Jack?"

A wave of anger hits me. Really? Fucking really? Do I go by the name of the uncle your oh so loving dad killed?

"No, and don't ever call me that again," I snap.

"Don't talk to my sister like that!" Gina finally speaks or rather snarls at me. "Who do you think you are just showing up here like this, and then you're going to be rude? I don't know what you want from us, but you can–"

"Gina, enough," Vinny's deep voice rings through the room, silencing the older sister. 

Tori looks to be blinking back tears, and my anger quickly gives way to guilt. She has no fucking clue who Jack is or what happened to him. None of it's her fault. Sam would tell me not to take it out on her. 

"It's been a long day, and I think Jackson is exhausted and hungry. Let's all calm down, and we'll have the cook get some snacks ready while we wait for dinner. Maria, can you please?" Vinny looks at someone I didn't see before a lady standing near a door. She's wearing a discreet grey pants suit.

"Yes, sir," she says and ducks into the room behind her.  He has servants to order around his servants?

"I think Jackson owes Tori an apology and all of us an explanation first," Gina demands in a hotly tone.

Vinny tenses, his jaw tightening. "I said enough, Gina."

"But Dad–"

He gives her a look, and she stops arguing, but the scowl remains on her face.

"What in the world is going on here?" A voice calls, and heels click across the marble floor, coming closer. I didn't even hear the elevator with everything going on.

"Meredith... it's Jackson, my son. He's....here," Vinny says, and I hear a flicker of emotion in his voice but remind myself not to buy into it.

His wife gapes at me, and I'm ashamed to admit I find myself gawking at her for a second, too.   I've never seen anyone that looks so.... rich and fancy. She looks like a Hollywood actress or something; she's tall and graceful, with her shiny golden hair pulled back in some fancy twist. She's wearing a silky gown that falls to the floor. I wonder where she came from dressed like that? Maybe some ball or something.  

I thought the Mancini's were well off growing up, but this is... a whole other level.

I can see the worry and fear in Meredith's eyes as she takes in my appearance, and I get it. This place is so pristine. I've probably already stained it just standing in it.

"Why don't we all make our way to the dining room?" Vinny suggests.

**

What followed was probably the world's most awkward dinner. I'd prefer an encounter with the wolves before I'd relieve that night again. It was so hard to keep up my act while Gina glared at me and Meredith kept side-eying me as if I might walk off with her silver at any moment.

I found out later that Meredith did sort of think that. I overheard her and Vinny talking about me that night after Vinny 'convinced' me to stay over. She was worried about me being off the streets, and it was a legitimate fear. What if I was on drugs or stole from them—these were her main points.  

I assumed Vinny'd maybe agree, tell her he was watching me close or something. Instead, he shocked me again.

"I don't know where my son has been, but he's lying about being from the streets. That I know for sure." 

"How can you possibly know something like that for sure, though, Vin?" 

"Well, for one, his clothes are all ripped up, but his socks are brand new."

He didn't elaborate further; he just kept telling her to trust him, and I high-tailed it away from their door before I got caught eavesdropping. 

The weird thing is Vinny doesn't seem bothered by the fact that he knows I'm lying.

He's playing his game well and letting me think he believes my lie. He makes statements like, "Vegas isn't a great place to set up a permanent residence." Or, "I just want you to be sure." And my favorite, "that kind of money could get you killed out there if you don't know what to do with it." 

He then pushes me to stick around a little longer. His last suggestion was maybe he could teach me a few things first, and then we could talk about the money. Of course, I play my role well, too, pretending to be angry that he won't just give it to me but always begrudgingly agreeing.

It's a weird dance, especially given that we're both playing each other, and we both know it, but I'm getting by day by day.

I wish there was a way to speed this shit up. I miss my girl so much it fucking hurts. I'm constantly wondering what she's doing and how she's doing. It's probably getting warmer there. I wonder if she moved to the creek cabin like she promised. I hope so. She better not be playing with the bears.

I can't let myself go down that rabbit hole today. Sam would tell me to keep my head in the game. I grab my clothes and head to my ensuite bathroom to get ready for the day. In an attempt to appear accepting of my being here, Meredith insisted I use her card to get some clothes a few days ago, and Tori happily came along for the trip.

I refused to get any dressy crap like Mikey and Vinny wear, but I now own a bunch of pairs of overpriced designer jeans, various tee shirts, and some new shoes. It feels nice to have clothes that actually fit my body, but it feels weird to be so... clean. 

I step into the dining room, where everyone is gathering around a table full of food, everything from rolls to fruit, a few different preparations of eggs, pancakes, and, of course, bacon. There are also always a few different jugs of juice and coffee to choose from.

Every time we sit at this table for these lavish feasts, I think of Sam, and it's hard to eat without feeling guilty.

I raise an eyebrow as I notice an empty chair at the table.

"Where's Mikey?"

Mikey is here most days, he shows up in the morning, eats breakfast with Gina, and then takes off with Vinny for the day. Later, whenever they come back, he usually takes Gina out somewhere she'll get all dressed up for. But there are some days he isn't here, and Gina always looks extra scowly over it. I assume dear old dad has him out doing Russo things. I wonder how much she knows? From what I've observed, she seems superficial, probably not much. 

"It's Mike to you. You two aren't buddies," Gina says in her usual huffy tone.

"Gina, must we always start the day with snippy comments?" Meredith asks tiredly, but I don't think it's just Gina she's sick of. I think she'd love for me to leave and her house to return to normal, but she's far too polite to say it.

"Whatever." Gina slinks down in her chair.

"Mikey's mom is sick, cancer," Vinny says to me, ignoring Gina's dark look in his direction as he continues. "Sometimes the treatment hits her hard, and she'll need his help for a day or so."

"Oh, um, I see that sucks." I look at Gina and offer her a sympathetic look, but she ignores me.

"What if you came with me today, Jackson?" Vinny asks.

"What?" Gina looks up sharply, as does Meredith.

"Since Mikey isn't here, why not?" Vinny says with a shrug. "It'll give you a little glimpse into some opportunities you might have here with me. No pressure; just come along for the ride."

This is the in I so badly needed. Maybe he'll even take me to that club, but I have to be careful. I cannot seem eager.

"I told you I didn't come here to work for you," I mutter.

Gina scoffs, and Meredith gives her a look that makes the blonde push her plate away, stand up, and storm off.

"Drama queen." Tori rolls her eyes, grabs her sister's plate, pulls it towards her, and then gobbles down the pancake Gina didn't even touch. I nearly laugh but remind myself I am not here to bond with her.

It is best to stay indifferent to both my sisters. I'm finding that more complicated than I thought it would be. Tori is genuine and kind, and so young. I worry about how this might affect her life. And then, there's Gina... she might be a prickly thing to me, but I still find myself worried about her with this older guy.

"You're a drama king too, Jackson." Tori says after gulping down her juice. "Just go with Dad for the day. It'll be fine, it's not like he's taking you to the dentist."

I can't help it  I crack a smile and let out a short laugh at that. 

"But maybe he should!" she adds and the smile fades fast as I shut my crooked mouth, the embarrassment flooding my cheeks.

"Sorry! Oh no I didn't mean that to be rude." She senses my mood shift, and I can see from how her eyes droop that I've hurt her feelings... again. I seem to be good at that.

"I'm okay, Tori. You're not wrong," I glance at Vinny to see a hopeful look highlighting his face. "I'll go with you today if you give me some of the money I need."

"We talked about this, Jackson. I need to feel right about giving you it, and I don't yet." Vinny rarely uses a stern tone with me, it feels weird. I stiffen up defensively but remain silent.

Meredith motions for Tori to get up with her, and they leave Vinny and me alone at the table.

"If I'm going to work with you for the day, I should get paid."

"That's a good point, but I'm not putting you to work... today."

"Today?" I question.

"I am a fair man, son," Vinny says. "Hopefully, in time, you'll come to see that. While we're out today, we can discuss ways you could earn some money. How does that sound?"

"We can talk about it," I agree with a gulp.

"Good." Vinny stands up. "Then get yourself ready. We'll leave in about ten."

He heads off to his den, leaving me alone in the big fancy dining room, but not for long.

"I know why you're here," Gina says as she strolls back in, her eyes zeroing in on me as she draws closer. I remain seated as I calmly look up at her.

"And why is that?"

"Oh, come off it. You want the legacy you think you're owed just because you're a guy and you were born first, but guess what? You aren't owed anything. You chose to stay away, and that's on you. You have no claim to it now."

"I'm not here for –"

"Of course you are. You think I'm some clueless mafia heiress with no idea what goes on?"

I blanch slightly. I mean, I did think that about her, but...

"Well, you're wrong. I am a lot smarter than you realize, and Mikey has been working hard for a long time. We are not just going to sit back and let you ruin everything-"

"You think you're so smart?" I cut her off. "You're getting played by that guy. He's using you to stay close to Vinny."

"Wrong," she says in a cold tone. "He was working for Dad long before we started dating. I was the one who sought him out, and I was the one that convinced my parents to allow it."

 "You convinced Vinny to let you date someone who worked for him?"

She gives me a smug grin. "I know how this stupid world works and how my dad thinks. Better than anyone in some ways. He never minded me hanging out in his office. I was always well-behaved, as I'd sit pretty and play quietly, but I was always listening. The funny thing is no one seemed to worry about what I'd overhear." 

"They assumed you wouldn't understand," I say, kicking myself for underestimating her. 

"Of course they did, and sometimes you just let them believe what they want." She twirls a lock of hair around her finger, then lets it fall. "I always knew I would need a husband to secure my legacy, and it would need to be someone already in the business. Someone Dad trusted and valued. But more importantly, I needed someone like Mikey."

"What does that mean, like Mikey?" 

She lets out a cruel-sounding laugh. "It means he may be loyal and strong, but I'm smarter.  Mikey might work for our dad, but he does everything for me."

Damn... she is Vinny's daughter, alright. I guess I didn't need to be worried about her being taken advantage of... 

She places her hand on the table and leans down a bit. Her eyes, so much like mine, narrow in on me, unflinching.

"I've been envisioning my future as the head of this empire for a long time, and I am not letting anyone take that away from me." She stands up, smoothing out her blouse, and then gives me a cold smile. "Especially you, Jack." 

*Thank you so much to anyone who returned to read the sequel. I hope you're enjoying it so far! 

Any thoughts/theories?

(I will not confirm or deny anything hehe) 

*** 

Book rec: 

I will occasionally do little recs at the end of chaps for you all I think it's great to support each other! 

Definitely check out A New Reflection by @UnbalancedMom333 It has the coming to age vibes we got from both Sam and Jax in FOTF, but wrapped up in an amazing story about a shy girl who during her senior year gets into a little flirty (or is it?) thing with her volleyball coach Alex. We follow Nataila through this and many more milestones as she journies into adult hood. And Alex.. *swoons* 

*If you have a rec for me, please leave it here. I will try and check it out when I can!