Eight years ago, Francis Giordano offered his heart to his father's enforcer and got it shattered in return.
Now 26, Francis has built a life outside the family's violent legacy—he's a successful gallery owner, a respected artist, and determinedly single. He's everything a mafia prince shouldn't be: gentle, gay, and uninterested in the family business.
But when assassins destroy his gallery and try to end his life, there's only one man his father trusts to protect him: Joseph De Luca. The same man who rejected him. The same man who called him a "spoiled prince" and sent him running to art school. The same man who's been secretly buying Francis's paintings for years.
Joseph is no longer the conflicted young soldier who broke Francis's heart. He's become the family's most feared enforcer—cold, lethal, and impossibly beautiful in a Tom Ford suit. As Francis's new 24/7 bodyguard, he's also inescapable.
Forced into close quarters while hunting whoever wants Francis dead, their careful control begins to crack. Joseph's rejection years ago wasn't cruel—it was protection. He's been in love with Francis all along, believing himself too bloodstained for the Don's artistic son.
But Francis isn't the soft boy he once was. He's learned to paint beauty from pain, strength from survival. And he's done letting Joseph decide what he deserves.
When their enemy turns out to be a ghost from Francis's past seeking twisted revenge, they'll have to trust each other with more than just their lives. They'll have to risk their hearts.
In a world where love is weakness and violence is currency, Francis and Joseph must decide: Is what they have worth fighting the entire world for?
A scorching MM mafia romance about second chances, chosen family, and the dangerous men who love too fiercely to let go.
Tropes:
Now 26, Francis has built a life outside the family's violent legacy—he's a successful gallery owner, a respected artist, and determinedly single. He's everything a mafia prince shouldn't be: gentle, gay, and uninterested in the family business.
But when assassins destroy his gallery and try to end his life, there's only one man his father trusts to protect him: Joseph De Luca. The same man who rejected him. The same man who called him a "spoiled prince" and sent him running to art school. The same man who's been secretly buying Francis's paintings for years.
Joseph is no longer the conflicted young soldier who broke Francis's heart. He's become the family's most feared enforcer—cold, lethal, and impossibly beautiful in a Tom Ford suit. As Francis's new 24/7 bodyguard, he's also inescapable.
Forced into close quarters while hunting whoever wants Francis dead, their careful control begins to crack. Joseph's rejection years ago wasn't cruel—it was protection. He's been in love with Francis all along, believing himself too bloodstained for the Don's artistic son.
But Francis isn't the soft boy he once was. He's learned to paint beauty from pain, strength from survival. And he's done letting Joseph decide what he deserves.
When their enemy turns out to be a ghost from Francis's past seeking twisted revenge, they'll have to trust each other with more than just their lives. They'll have to risk their hearts.
In a world where love is weakness and violence is currency, Francis and Joseph must decide: Is what they have worth fighting the entire world for?
A scorching MM mafia romance about second chances, chosen family, and the dangerous men who love too fiercely to let go.
Tropes:
- Enemies to Lovers
Bodyguard Romance
Second Chance Romance
Forced Proximity
Hurt/Comfort
Mafia Prince x Enforcer
Eight-Year Pining
Touch Him and Die Energy
Content Warning: This book contains violence, explicit sexual content, and themes related to organized crime.
Genre: Gay Romance
Used availability for Marian Black's Guarded Heart