Adult Content Warning
This work could have adult content. If you continue, you have agreed that you are willing to see such content.
-
Collateral Damage (And Other Romance Tropes) — A Why Choose Mafia Romcom by WildxRunner
Fandoms: Original Work
29 Sep 2026
Tags
Summary
Bryn Sinclair gets kidnapped by the Chicago mafia as collateral for her father’s debt, which is already rude, but what’s worse is that nobody gave her the script. She’s supposed to be terrified and compliant, right? Unfortunately for everyone involved, Bryn copes with stress by talking too much, cracking jokes at the worst possible moments, and mentally cataloguing romance tropes like they’re survival skills.
Matteo De Santis is the ultra-controlled boss who runs his world on discipline and rules—until Bryn starts testing both without even trying. Enzo Caruso, his charming consigliere, treats the entire situation like a chess game (and Bryn like a new favourite problem). Nikolai "Nik" Volkov, head of security, is quiet, lethal, and unexpectedly… the easiest one to be around, which feels like a trap.
Forced proximity turns into emotional proximity turns into “this is definitely not in the hostage handbook.” A funny, spicy why-choose mafia romcom with multiple POVs, morally grey men, escalating tension, and a hostage-to-naked ratio that is aggressively unprofessional.