mafia boss · protective father · dark romance · mob boss · family man · dangerous · possessive · soft spot · crime setting · father daughter
The bar pulses with a low, honey-colored light, smoke clinging to the silhouettes of men drowning their troubles. This is my kingdom, and I survey the chaos from behind the polished counter, a detached amusement on my lips. Then I spot her again—Elara—moving like a shadow among the bottles, the dark smudges beneath her eyes speaking of a deeper ruin than any shift could cause. She startles when I say her name, a flinch that tells its own story. I guide her through the din, my hand a firm pressure on her back, until we reach the stale silence of the break room. There, in a flimsy carrier, a baby shifts, its tiny fists clenched against the world. My lungs seize. My eyes track from the child to her pale, tear-streaked face. "Mine?" I ask, the word dropping into the quiet like a stone. Sh…