"Speak no evil" - Mafia!Billy Russo x Reader
[TW: violence, mob/mafia themes]
🫀REQUESTS ARE OPEN🫀
SUMMARY: When one of his men steps out of the line, Billy wastes no time putting him in his place. Remember for the future that when it comes to his wife, you should speak no evil.
WORDCOUNT: ~ 1.3k
The fact that Billy made your house an open office for his business affairs made you occasionally not as furious. That day, however, it seemed as if every one of his underbosses and their closest subordinates came over. What was once your house suddenly became a get-together for criminals.
Billy knew that you disliked those events mainly because they were hardly interesting to you - it was, basically, very specific business talk weaved with cryptic slang that was only partially understandable to you. Because of that, you'd leave Billy and his men on the ground floor, doing their business, while you were sitting on the first floor, catching up with the responsibilities of owning a small business. You've lost count of how many times Billy offered to employ an assistant who would manage the coffee shop for you. As a prolific 'business owner' himself, your husband sure did miss the point of having something to do.
The only reason you were trespassing that invisible border between the ground floor and the first floor was that one file Billy seemed to misplace and asked you to retrieve from his actual office. It was supposed to be a short trip: get the documents, give them to Billy, exchange polite greetings and be on your merry way back upstairs. You had no interest in learning the intricate workings of the underworld, even if you were part of it, simply for your own peace of mind.
Walking through the door leading to the dining room, the Pentagon for New York's criminals for the day, you noticed a young guy, maybe in his twenties, smoking a cigarette by the garden screen door. The gap between the door and their frame was narrow enough that only his arm and the cigarette smoke could fit through. The first time Billy's subordinates came to your house, you made it very clear that you wanted no cigarettes indoors and, technically, that young guy by the garden door was abiding by the rule. Seeing the scar above his eyebrow, you thought you recognized him:
It was Jamie - someone whom you knew only from stories and passing glances during some big events. Anytime someone said something about him, it painted Jamie as a sheepish, maybe a little awkward guy, who didn't quite grasp social cues.
His eyes were focused on the floor as he smoked the cigarette and clearly thought hard about something. Among the dress shoes, your furry slippers looked at least amusing. They must have caught his attention as he tore his eyes away from the hardwood floor and looked up at you.
Jamie recognized you immediately, which was probably why he frantically threw away the half-smoked cigarette. He took a step towards you, effectively blocking your way.
"Sorry, sweetheart, no entry. This is now gentlemen's club, talkin' 'bout business n' stuff. Nothin' you should worry your pretty little head about."
Before you could answer him and remind him whose house he was in, somebody else interrupted the conversation:
"Something you want to share with everyone?"
The room fell silent. You turned to look at Billy, standing with his hands in his pockets. His eyes were slightly squinted and you could just tell he was irate.
"No, nothing, sir," Jamie frantically answered. He was quickly shaking his head.
"Weird, I thought I heard you being disrespectful to my wife."
The rest of the gathered men weren't willing to step in, they didn't even dare look anywhere else than each other or the floor. There really was no use in playing a hero - nothing good could come from it. Standing up to one's boss was always risky but it became downright moronic when the hierarchy in question was a gang. The other thing was that none of the other men thought Jamie was no longer salvageable: even among the demimonde, the wives were granted a certain amount of irrefutable respect regardless of what kind of men they were married to.
"No, I swear to God, boss, I didn't mean anything by what I said." It seemed ridiculously hard to believe that it was the same man that was gatekeeping your own dining room just minutes ago. "I was just being stupid, sir."
"You do seem really good at that," Billy answered with a mocking smile on his face. He appeared to be... enjoying that whole lark.
"I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean to offend," Jamie reassured. His eyes wandered everywhere but Billy's face - he simply lacked the courage to look his boss in the eye.
"Don't apologize to me, you idiot," Billy spat out. If the dining table was any shorter, you were sure he would vault over it and strangle that man with bare hands. "Apologize to the lady you dared to talk shit to."
This wasn't the first time Billy got slightly overprotective. Although you did find his attitude tiring at times, you knew it came from a good place - he loved you a little too much to bear seeing you being pushed around. In his mind, you were nothing short of a queen and he was going to demand others treat you the same way.
Jamie turned back to you. His face was pale, his hands were shaking and tears began pooling in his eyes - if that man was anything, it was terrified. It was such a sudden change of demeanour you couldn't quite wrap your head around it.
"I'm sorry ma'am, it wasn't my intention to offend, I swear," he said rushing his words.
"Don't sweat it, Jamie," you reassured him while slightly shaking your head. Truth be told, he did anger you but it wasn't something worth escalating - judging by his sudden fear, he probably learned his lesson already. Although you were still talking to the blond man, your eyes wandered to meet Billy's. You wanted to make sure you got your point across. "We're all good."
Billy's eyes remained squinted as he continued to stare at Jamie with vivid contempt. He was unconsciously tapping his fingers against the surface of the table. You could tell that he wasn't over the situation just yet, despite your sincere assurance.
"Come on, Jamie." Billy gestured at the younger man to come closer. His voice was suddenly softer - something that made very little sense given the situation and his obvious anger. "Let me give you some advice."
Reluctantly, Jamie began walking towards Billy while all the other men took a step back to let him pass. Although their daily lives were filled with life-endangering situations, they withheld their breaths while Billy Russo was quite clearly upset with someone. Only once did you wonder what tactics got Billy's subordinates so docile towards him but you quickly realized that the truth could be, most probably, fairly horrifying or at least deeply unsettling, so you never paid it much thought anymore - for your own peace of mind.
When Jamie was within reach, Billy suddenly grabbed his jacket and forcefully pushed him against the wall. Not letting go of the poor man, he hit the wall with his head a few times before leaning in and whispering a promise he was surely going to keep:
"If you ever talk to her like that again, I will kill you."
Billy hit the man against the wall once more before letting go of his clothes. The man fell to his knees, his body swaying due to dizziness. He seemed to have a fair amount of trouble aiming his sleeve at his nose to wipe the blood that was running out of it. Billy sat back down at the top of the table and casually looked around at the silent, anxious men:
"So, where have we left off?"
