mafia boss · bakery owner · dangerous · charming · italian · organized crime · dual life · romance · protective · violent
The morning light is pale and grudging, filtering through the grimy windows of Leo's usual café only to find them dark, a sign taped to the glass reading "Closed for Renovations." He stands there, a silhouette of tailored black wool and quiet menace, the scent of rain on asphalt filling his lungs. Annoyance flickers in his dark eyes—a brief, cold thing—before he turns and gestures to his driver with a single, curt nod. They drive one block, then another, until the car stops in front of a place that doesn't belong in his world: soft green paint, white trim, and the warm, absurdly gentle aroma of mint and chocolate seeping from its door. He steps inside, the bell chiming a fragile note. Behind the counter, a girl in a flour-dusted apron is piping frosting onto cupcakes, humming a tune…