Dangerous Flower
Series Masterlist
Pairing: Mafia!Joe Burrow x Reader
Chapter 1: We Can Always Run Away to Venice
Please Do Not Repost My Content Anywhere
The day that you were dreading had finally come and you were a bundle of nerves, which was to be expected.
The anxiety was at an all time high and currently was wrecking your brain trying to remember if you had taken your medication earlier that day.
But, why should you care in the first place? Nothing was going to change. It was evident that your fate was sealed.
The music that you were dancing to suddenly stopped and you looked behind you to see who the culprit was.
No one other than Aunt Di who had of course found your hiding spot which you weren't the least bit surprised by.
Because when you kept dancing, there was nothing occupying your mind except for the precise movements of your feet to the sound of the music.
“Fiore? Hiding again?” She asked and you shrugged your shoulders as she walked closer to you.
“No, not hiding. I just…”
“Then what would you call it?”
“Avoiding my responsibilities? I think that sounds better.” You replied as you pressed play on your phone once more and began to twirl around your Aunt in circles.
Dancing was the only constant thing in your life that did not change nor betray you.
Ballet was your escape from the world and ever since you were three years old, you invited the love that you had for it in and never planned on letting go.
You had plans.
Dreams.
Going to Julliard and then dancing for the American Ballet Theater, but life had other ones that didn't line up with that vision, ultimately cutting your dreams short.
One thing that you wouldn't forgive your father for, no matter how many times he apologized.
“The event is in three hours, Y/N. We have to start getting you ready.” Aunt Di pleaded with you as she grabbed your hand, making you stop mid turn to face her.
“Is that really necessary? I'll just show up on the wedding day. It's not like I can say no, anyway.”
“Fiore, please. Don't make this any more difficult than it has to be. You knew that this day was coming.”
“I didn't ask for this.”
“None of us did.”
“So, that's it then?” You sharply asked as you sat down and began unraveling your shoes in order to slide them off.
“If there was something I could do which would end in your happiness, I would. We can always run away to Venice if things go south, but you have to at least try for me…. Try for her.”
“Don't bring her up now because that isn't fair. If she was still alive…”
“If she was still alive, this was one thing that wouldn't have changed. You're going to be a married woman whether we have to drag you down that aisle kicking and screaming. I would prefer it if you simply cooperated so that my job will be easier.”
You said there on the floor in complete silence unable to think of a decent comeback on what to say.
With a deep sigh and wrapping up your shoes to place them back into their respective place, Di held her hand out for you.
“Come on, little one.”
Grabbing it tightly, she pulled you to your feet and wrapped you in a tight hug.
“What color is the dress?” You asked, making her smile in approval at her response.
“A color that I know will look amazing on you.”
–
"This dress is so itchy and could you make this any tighter? Soon I won't be able to breathe." You complained while picking at the red material that was covering your body to your aunt who was making her final adjustments.
You had to admit that it was pretty, and you never passed up an opportunity to dress up but at the moment, All you wanted to do was be in your bed binge watching Netflix and eating yourself into a sugar coma with your two best friends Katerina and Tiana.
If it was in your power, you would be doing absolutely anything but this.
All your Aunt Dionne did was roll her eyes and laugh while adding another pin in order for the dress to fit you better. You thought she was trying to cut off your circulation at this point and if that was the case, you weren't going to make it to the wedding.
"You need to make a good impression, bel fiore. We talked about this.” (lovely flower, beautiful flower)
"And for what? My fate is sealed anyway and it's not like it's ever going to change. All my father sees me as is a business deal." You quietly muttered while rolling your eyes. Even though you knew deep down for a fact that it wasn't true, but right now that's how you felt.
“Y/N! Stop right now, you are more than that. Maybe you'll understand when you're older." She shrugged as she pulled the waist tighter earning a hiccup to escape from your mouth.
"Got damn Didi! Too fucking tight!” You said as you placed a hand on your midsection and jolted back from the motion.
"No cursing!" She loudly scolded before continuing to fix the dress.
"Since when did you get so bossy?" You playfully asked, wishing that she would speed this process up. The sooner this was over with, the better.
"If I was really bossy, you wouldn't get away with half the shit you already do."
"No cursing!" You playfully scolded while mocking her.
"I'm an adult, fiore I can say whatever I want."
"So am I!?"
"By whose standards? Definitely not mine."
"And besides, I'm 25. How much longer will it take for me to understand?"
"To be honest, we're doing this to protect you. Once you're married to him, it will make the bond between our families stronger. It's important to have allies in this type of business and we felt that marrying him will be the best decision for you and us. The first born of both families are due to be married once the both of you reach your early twenties. It really was 23 but your dad pushed it back as much as he could. He knew you weren't ready then, cut him some slack, he gave you an extra two years. It was always supposed to happen like this."
"Somebody needs to cut me some slack and get..." You were immediately cut off by your father Andre coming into the room.
"My bel fiore. You look beautiful." Auntie Di smiled at you admiring her work and nudged you to respond.
"Thanks daddy." You replied putting on your best smile and gave a small twirl as best as you could so he could get the full effect even though it wasn't quite finished yet.
All of you were going to a dinner with all of the elite and wealthy families that basically ran New York, yours included. This happened ever so often and so far Katerina, Tiana, and you had been able to get out of going, but not this time.
Business deals would be made, contracts drawn up, latest news on the street, and so on and so forth. You didn't know too much about the business side of what your father did, but you had a general idea, and came to the conclusion over the years that it was definitely illegal.
You gathered that at the ripe age of ten and simply minded your business ever since.
But, never did you push for more information. The bottom line was that you knew he wouldn't tell you anyway if you had asked. The less you knew, the better is what Aunt Di always told you. That was one thing that you actually did abide by.
Aunt Di is the closest thing that you had to a mother figure. She was your mother's best friend and is your father's sister. Your mother Alyssa was murdered when you were six and no one ever found out who did it.
But let's be serious, someone knows something and they are basically refusing to talk.
You knew it bothered your father to this very day and it's a known fact that he won't stop looking for her killer. That was one day that you couldn't wait to see. To make matters worse, You were in the car as whoever sprayed it with bullets playing with a new Barbie doll. No harm was done to you which you still could not understand how or why, thank God, but talk about having PTSD.
The physical scars weren't there, but the mental aspect of it was.
That's part of the reason why you were on medication.
Had been ever since you turned ten. Those first four years were some of the hardest times that you had to go through.
Watching your mother die in front of you is a pain that you never wish on anyone. Of course you miss her more than anything and know that your father does too.
A lot of times when you were faced with difficult situations, you just wanted your mom to tell you that it's all going to be okay. You remembered vividly crawling into the front seat when the bullets had finally stopped and attempting to shake your mom awake. The police and paramedics had to literally pry you from her body screaming at the top of your lungs to see if they were able to see some sign of life from her.
Tonight was also the night that you would formally meet him. The two of you had met before in passing but the most that was ever said to this man was hello.
Him as in your future husband. Joe Burrow. You already knew that he was someone you didn't want to mess with. When you were thirteen, a contract drawn up between both of your families was found completely by accident.
Blowing a fuse was an understatement as you confronted your father about it and didn't speak to him for a total of two weeks until you needed his credit card to buy something that you had been having your eye on for a while.
As far as Joe goes, people were scared of him and you could say some would shudder as he walked into the room. It was simply the way he carried himself with so much confidence.
Nothing good came out of crossing him and that is why everyone including your father and the other families tried to stay in his good graces.
No one wants a fight if there doesn't have to be one.
That was something that his father established and he's kept up the image. Being in those good graces obviously now included giving you away to him.
"Best behavior tonight and limit the drinks," He stated as he pointed at you.
"I promise daddy." Was the quiet reply you gave to him while batting your eyelashes. Being an only child had its perks and you got absolutely anything you wanted. A lot of it probably has to do with your mother being gone. But tonight, the drinks would be the only thing keeping you calm and Kat and Ti were both convinced that you were an alcoholic.
Even though you had just turned 21, you had been drinking since you were 14 and hid it very well from your father.
You knew how to get your hands on absolutely anything that you wanted.
"Di, 2 hours?" He stated while looking at his younger sister.
"She'll be ready by then."
You made a note to call your best friend since 2 years old, Katerina so that the two of you could get ready together. When you were twelve years old you met your other best friend, Tiana and the three of you had been inseparable ever since.
"Daddy, can Jameson go get Kat and Tiana so we can ride there together?"
"I'll let him know, and mind your manners, bel fiore."
"It'll be fine, daddy. You worry too much."
"The Burrow family is extremely important to this city and to us. We need everything to go smoothly. Now that Joe's father has passed, all of it falls on him. Make a good impression and stay in his good graces. Make me proud."
"Yes, daddy." You quietly replied as you also gave him a nod.
Well if your nerves had been bad before, you had no idea what they were now.
The last thing you needed was for anything involving your family crashing down because of something that you did. Anyone can admit that it was a lot of pressure and you just prayed that something good would come out of this in the end.
Once he finally had left the room, Di turned to you and lifted your chin with her finger.
"Come on, little flower. Let's do your hair and makeup. I have the perfect eyeshadow that will look amazing with that dress, hmm?"
"Di, what if I fail at this? Being a wife, eventually a mother? Can he divorce me if I don't live up to his standards? I'll be looked down upon." Now panic mode was officially upon you.
"No need for that baby girl. You are amazing in your own right and will amount to more than just that. Whatever happens, I'll always be here for you and besides, like I told you earlier we can always run away to Venice. Just you and me."
"Thank you Di. I needed that." You told her as you embraced her as best as the dress would allow with the pins poking your sides.
"Okay, no more sad talk. I have to make my favorite niece into a runway model. Joe will be fawning over you and so will everyone else. Just you wait.”
"I'm your only niece, Didi." An eye roll soon followed after you had told her that and she simply shrugged.
“Still my favorite.”
----
"Kat, I'm so nervous, but at the same time I don't give a shit. It is what it is at this point.” You confessed while throwing another drink back. At this rate, your father was probably livid with the drinking record for the night, but it was clear that you were at the point of no return.
You couldn't help it if you were nervous.
He'll scold you for it later as you spotted him eyeing you with a look of disappointment while speaking to Mr. Esposito.
"Will you relax!?!? You are marrying one of the finest men in the state of New York and did we forget that he is rich?! How bad can it be?" Kat eagerly answered as she snatched your hand away from grabbing another drink.
"Not helping Kat. I'm already rich. What would help is that drink that you just snatched from me."
"Even though I only have eyes for Angelo, Joe is the jackpot, and you are past your limit with the drinks. Your dad looks like he wants to murder you. Didn't he tell you to be on your best behavior?" She asked as you shrugged.
"What if he doesn't like me?" You blurted out trying to weasel your way out of this arrangement. At this point, you might as well run for the exit.
"What's not to like? Everyone likes you." Tiana chimed in and you rolled your eyes so hard that you thought that there was a chance of them getting stuck.
"Ti, you are a TERRIBLE liar." You looked at her and shook your head as you tried to dodge Kat so that you could get another drink.
"First off, I'm not a liar. I only twist the truth when it's convenient and that does not make me a liar. And I am telling the truth! Everyone likes you.”
"Like right now? And that is literally the definition of a liar.”
"Shit, shit, shit, he's here and he is definitely walking over here.” Kat gave you a thumbs up and next thing you knew, you were face to face with the one and only Joe Burrow when you turned around. One of the most powerful men in your city and the East coast for that matter.
He definitely was a looker, you could admit that. The last time you had seen him, his hair was longer and he might have worn glasses although you couldn't exactly remember. You thought he was cute then but talk about a serious glow up.
"Ms. Romano and Ms. Anderson, would it be okay if I borrowed Ms. De Luca from you for a moment?"
Well, it was now or never.
"Hello, Mr. Burrow and of course!" Ti replied while pushing you towards him. All you did was let out a huff as you glared at her.
Joe made a gesture for you to hook your arm with his and the two of you began to make small talk as you made your way taking in the sights around you.
The families didn't get together quite often, but when they did it was a sight to see indeed. You played nice with Angelo as well as his family, but overall something didn't seem quite right with them. You never brought this up to Kat of course, but there was something that you couldn't quite put your finger on.
Maybe you were just paranoid.
"You look stunning, Y/N.”
"Really? This thing is so tight and itchy. I can barely breathe, but thank you. Not that you asked for me to tell you all that. I'm rambling aren't I? I'm sorry that I'm rambling, I'm nervous and I honestly might have already had too much to drink." You replied all in one breath.
Joe suddenly let out a laugh.
“There's no need for you to be nervous around me. I can promise you that. I wanted us to start getting to know each other before the wedding. I apologize for not making myself available sooner to you. Since the wedding is in a matter of weeks. With my father passing away and all, it's been a lot on my shoulders. I haven't even had a lot of time for myself.”
The wedding that was three weeks away, and the contract has been in place for eight years but no biggie.
You could also blame it on him being three years older than you and the two of you not going to the same school.
"I understand that you're a busy man. I'm very sorry to hear about your father. Besides, we literally have a lifetime to get to know each other right?"
"You're exactly right, indeed we do. I wanted to speak with you about buying your dress. Just because it's an arrangement between our families doesn't mean it has to be miserable. I will make sure you're comfortable and well taken care of and that you will want for nothing with me. Your father knows that too. I know how important you are to him."
Well, you couldn't argue with that, maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. It was definitely starting out on the right foot.
"Umm, wow. Thank you, that's very nice of you." You said as you were taken aback. You knew how men in this business were since it was no secret. Basically, your aunt told you to be quiet and mind your manners and not to stick your nose where it doesn't belong. If this is any indication of how you'll be treated for the rest of your life, then you were all for it.
However, the hesitations still remained. Hearing those tales of spousal abuse and men in this line of work. If you could even call it work for that matter.
Not all mafia men were like your father. He was one of a kind and thought the world of you. A lot of them only have a few things on their minds. Business, money, and carrying on their legacy. Your father thought these things as well, but he also had the utmost respect for women and that is not common for others to have in this world.
"We can start to move things over to my house so you won't be overwhelmed with a lot. I already set up the appointment for your dress fitting at The Bridal Boutique off Monroe Street for Tuesday morning at 10. I had a few sent over from Italy and France. If you don't like them we can do something else. You can take Ms. Romano and Ms. Anderson with you if you'd like."
You knew that your face had a look of surprise as Joe waited for the response. All he did was smile as you looked like a deer caught in headlights.
"Okay, um great. I'll let them know."
Just then one of Joe’s men came up to him and whispered something in his ear before turning his attention back to you. This wasn't the first time that you had seen him, and you were almost positive that Aunt Di had told you that his name was Ja'Marr.
He was a little bit shorter than Joe and you could see that his arms were covered in tattoos from the sleeve of his suit jacket riding up.
Aunt Di always knew the tea concerning the families and their associates, so of course you went to her for everything.
"I apologize Y/N, I have to speak with Romano for a moment."
"No worries. I'll go find Katerina and Tiana."
"I'll let your father know the details and we'll go from there."
You nodded towards him as he gently grabbed your hand and brought it to his lips leaving a soft kiss before finally letting you go.
“I'll see you soon.” Was the last thing that he told you before he was soon whisked away towards where Mr. Romano was.
Well that went better than you originally thought that it would.
Looking to your left at the far end of the lounge you saw your father nursing what looked like a dirty martini and his associates surrounding him. He motioned for you to come towards him and of course you started to make your way over.
Once there he gave a small smile and nodded his head.
"Well done my bel fiore. He looks to have taken to you."
"Best behavior as always daddy, now can I drink to celebrate?"
"No, I told every server in here to stop giving you drinks. What number would that be, anyway? Six?"
"You give me too much credit. I can probably make it to four and then I'll need an ambulance." You had already had seven but you damn sure weren't telling him that.
"The answer is still no. Go find Katerina and Tiana and stop trying to get alcohol poisoning." Scrunching up your face and rolling your eyes, you proceeded to do what you were told.
You found Kat and Angelo eating each other's faces in a corner next to the bathroom.
"Not surprised that the two of you were eating each other's faces off.”
"Y/N, you are such a mood killer. Did I ever tell you that?" Angelo rolled his eyes as he looked in your direction.
"Angelo, did I ever tell you how much I don't fucking care? Best friend emergency meeting is needed. Kat has been summoned and you will get her back when I'm finished." You told him while grabbing her hand and pulling her away from him.
Kat was blowing kisses in his direction as you led her down the hallway. Those two had it bad and were quite sickening to be honest. Thank God the contract was between their families for those two to be married to each other. You couldn't imagine how it would have turned out if they were set to marry anyone else.
They would be getting married later this year and Katerina couldn't wait. Tiana wasn't a part of any of the families, but she was an honorary member. Seeing as she had been around everyone since she was twelve.
"Okay so spill! Tell me EVERYTHING."
"He's like really nice. Not what I expected at all."
"Okay? Are we putting your name on the bank account yet or what? I wonder how big his house is. Your kids will probably be shitting gold when they're born, I'll be their godmother right? Just think, two of the most elite families in New York joined together. I just can't wait to hear about the wedding night because whew got damn Mr. Burrow can get.it.all."
All you did was sigh.
"Kat, no. Do you ever think before you speak? Like, at all? But he said I have a wedding dress appointment on Tuesday at The Bridal Boutique on Monroe at 10 and that he got dresses from Italy and France for me to try?" You responded like it was a question.
"Wait, really? Like he's buying it for you? That's a first, I remember my mother telling me she didn't even get a say in what she wore on her wedding day. Everything was picked out for her."
"Yes and he said I could bring you and Ti if I wanted. Also said I would be well taken care of."
"I would think so, Y/N. The dude owns how many establishments? And not just in New York, like I overheard that he has business all around the world in different countries. Besides, your father would not have anyone marrying you unless he approved, contract signed or not."
"I'm still scared, Kat. I just... my dad."
"Your dad will be fine. You can't be up under him forever. Besides, you're 21 and were supposed to be married a year ago. Time to grow up and take your place in all this."
"You sound like Aunt Didi."
"This'll be good for you, Y/N.”
"I just wish my mother was here to see it and help me through it.”
"Whatever happens, I'll always be there for you. You know we can always run away to Venice if things go sour. My dad has a house there and I'm sure he won't mind if we have to lay low for a while. He already sees you like another daughter."
"And once again, you sound like Di."
"Come on, it won't be that bad. Free eye candy every day? I mean if you wanted to switch it up from time to time, Ja'Marr is also a looker and you can't forget about Tee.”
Well, she wasn't making that up.
"What am I going to do with you?" You asked while laughing.
"Absolutely nothing. I'm surprised that I haven't been sent away to Italy yet."
At this rate, all of the children of the families were surprised. Katerina was definitely no angel, but she knew how to wiggle her way out of difficult situations.
"I'll miss you sneaking up to my room all times of the night and all of our sleepovers."
"You act like you're moving to a different country. Instead of being a few houses down, we'll now just be twenty minutes away. Trust and believe, Joe will start to get sick of me too."
"I just pray that I do right by him." You quietly muttered while playing with the hem of the fabric of your dress.
"No, I pray that he does right by you, protects you, and makes sure that no one touches a hair on your head. But most importantly, don't forget who you are, Y/N. You are a force to be reckoned with and don't let him take advantage of you or try to dim your light. Even though your nickname is fiore doesn't mean you can't hold your own. You are special and you belong in this world, no matter how crazy it might be."
"Thank you Kat. Love you more than words can say."
"Love you too. But don't forget, like I said we can always run away to Venice. One call and the private jet will be waiting."
