Author's note: This was written for Klaroline Bingo klaroline-events. Prompt: Mafia AU. So what if she got mugged and her mother's ring was stolen? Caroline's never been one to back down, and she heard the local mob boss might be an honorable criminal...

Warning: Some violence.


"Judges, lawyers and politicians have a license to steal. We don't need one."

— Carlo Gambino


There should be a special place in hell for morning people. Unfortunately, the best time to take advantage of the natural beauty found within the golden hour was the brief period immediately after sunrise. Caroline grumbled as she set up her phone camera, finding the perfect angle nestled in the elbow of the bronze statue. She was in Jackson Square to capture her new workout routine for Sassy Sunshine, her positivity blog, and as much as she disliked mornings, she knew her subscribers would appreciate seeing the beauty of New Orleans at first light.

A noise startled her, but she only spared a casual glance around the empty park before resuming her warmup. Putting on a smile, she opened her mouth to begin her monologue with her signature phrase, 'sunshine starts with you,' when an arm unexpectedly shot out, choking her. Heart hammering in her chest, she gasped, trying to catch her breath. Blue eyes wide and fearful, she couldn't help but notice the edge of a ferocious-looking wolf tattoo winding its way along the pale forearm that grabbed her.

She stopped struggling as she realized it was the signature mark of the most notorious mafia in the south. "What do you want," Caroline asked, hating how her voice wavered.

"Your ring, to start," he rasped, the cold, emotionless tone making her shiver.

He roughly spun her around, and she quickly lashed out with her sneaker, catching him in the balls. "Bitch," he grunted, doubling over briefly. Unfortunately, he still managed to catch her as she tried to run away, his fist glancing off of her cheek.

Caroline cried out as fire exploded across her face, and she understood why after she spied the gaudy silver ring on his finger. He reached for her, brown eyes glittering with malice, and in an instant, she was frozen. The darkness she read in his gaze. His intentions.

Fortunately, several joggers came into the park, and her assailant cursed as whatever terrible things he'd planned had been foiled. Lunging forward, he grabbed her hand, wrenching off her ring as painfully as possible. Her mother's ring! "No, stop," she screamed as he ran off, holding her hand to her chest as the knuckle throbbed and bled. The joggers uselessly stared, then resumed their morning workout as though nothing had happened.

Seriously?! Caroline was furious and frightened and practically vibrating in her skin as she started throwing all of her gear back into her tote bag. It was when she grabbed her phone that she realized the video had been recording the entire attack. Got him. She briefly considered rushing it to the police and filing a report, but that idea lost its luster when she reminded herself of who she was dealing with. Klaus Mikaelson.

As the formidable mob boss of the notorious Mikaelsons, he ran the south, and everyone knew that he'd made New Orleans his personal playground. He had the cops in his pocket, and all but the worst of criminals dared to cross him and his family. However, there were whispers that despite his fearsome reputation, at times he could be honorable. Attacking an unarmed woman didn't seem like something Klaus would sanction. Normally, she'd never behave so recklessly, but she didn't have a choice. She was getting back her mother's ring.

Despite the rumors she'd indulged in over the years, she had no idea what Klaus looked like, and only a vague idea of how to find him. Lightly touching her cheek, she winced, hoping the black eye that bastard probably gave her wouldn't be more than her concealer could handle — the last thing she wanted to do was answer awkward questions from her blog followers. Although a run-in with the mafia might do wonders for her blog stats. She hopped on her bike, pleased that at this time of day, Decatur Street was nearly deserted and she could take it most of the way to the Port of New Orleans.

Everyone knew that the Mikaelsons controlled the port — nothing got in or out of this city without their approval. Klaus' people always could be found there in the heart of his territory. She smartly steered her bike past the shadowy stacks of enormous industrial containers, knowing better than to attract the attention of some sleazy wharf rat lurking in a dark corner. Once she arrived at the more populated (and slightly safer) cruise terminal, she chained her bike to a rack and casually glanced around.

She noticed the dealer before he saw her, and she rolled her eyes at his incompetence. Isn't that part of their job to be hyperaware of what's going on around them? She wondered how the entire Mikaelson organization ran on such poor hiring practices. She kept her eye contact to a minimum, not wanting to draw too much attention in case she scared him off. She didn't have time to chase down a dealer all morning. The kid couldn't be more than 18 or 19, and he looked ready to bolt the second she got to him. She didn't blame him — she was completely out of her element in this situation.

"Um..." Caroline began uncertainly, "I need to see Klaus."

"Don't know what you're talking about."

Nope. She did not ride her bike all the way down to the docks just to be stopped by some clueless middleman. "Seriously?! I'm betting underneath that dirty hoodie you're wearing there's a Mikaelson wolf tattoo on your forearm." She snidely added, "And now for the bonus round — on the other arm, you've got some tacky barbed wire, right?"

"Bitch," he spat, fists curling at his sides.

An accented voice interrupted them, a hint of reproach in his tone as he said, "Jeremy, that's no way to talk to a lady." He tilted his dark head as he studied her, mouth curving into a half-smile as he asked, "What can I do for you, gorgeous?"

"You're Klaus Mikaelson." At his brief nod, she explained, "I have business to discuss."

He wordlessly led her to an office perched over the docks, overlooking the river. As he gestured for her to sit down, he asked in an amused voice, "Would you care for a cafe au lait or perhaps some beignets, Miss...?"

She observed him carefully, taking in his neatly tailored suit with the iridescent lapels and chunky gold cufflinks and his brash, almost charming demeanor. "I'm Caroline. But you aren't Klaus Mikaelson. You're too flashy and clearly overcompensating. A man like Klaus Mikaelson doesn't need to show off. Now, tell me where I can find him."

"Right here, sweetheart."

Caroline turned, blue eyes widening as she took him in. The man before her was unexpectedly beautiful. Sculpted cheekbones, dirty blonde curls carelessly tousled, and a dimpled smirk that whispered lewd promises. "There you are. Finally," she said irritably.

Klaus' gray eyes twinkled as he wryly observed, "Normally, Enzo performs quite admirably as a stand-in. Tell me, how did you see through him?"

"Please. Real power radiates. Enzo barely sparks."

Klaus let out a delighted chuckle, waving a grumbling Enzo out of the office and took the black leather chair across from Caroline. "You don't belong here. You must want to speak with me very badly, love," he said shrewdly.

She stiffened a bit at his words, trying to decide whether to be insulted. "I like to think I can fit in anywhere." She glanced down, reddening a bit as she realized she was still wearing her lilac sports bra and cropped pants. One of her sponsorships was with a luxury brand boutique, so at least her outfit was attractive, but she felt distinctly underdressed while sitting across from an impossibly gorgeous man in a ten-thousand-dollar suit. A dangerous man, she sternly reminded herself as she fought back a flicker of interest. "I'm here because I was robbed in Jackson Square just now. By one of yours."

He eyed her speculatively, but remained frustratingly silent. She had the distinct feeling she was watching a jungle cat patiently wait for its meal to make a foolish mistake. Her hand shook as she unlocked her phone, and she hurriedly explained, "He interrupted me while I was filming for my blog and I caught everything on video. Word is you're an honorable man...sort of, and I don't think you'd allow your men to just go around attacking unarmed women."

"I'm curious as to why you didn't immediately turn this evidence over to the police. You seem the type to find great comfort in law enforcement."

"Seriously?! You are the police! And anyone who thinks differently is either a tourist or a clueless idiot," Caroline retorted, mentally berating herself for losing her temper. You're here to get help from this criminal. Stop yelling at the scary criminal, dumbass.

His lips twitched as though he was fighting back a smile. "And how do you know I'm a 'sort of honorable man', as you so generously put it?"

"You bought the building Sheila Bennett's tea shop was in after her jackass landlord kept raising the rent and you reinstated her rental agreement from a decade ago," she told him, secretly pleased that she seemed to have surprised him. "I grew up with her granddaughter."

"When you compare that simple act with my endless string of horrifying misdeeds, it hardly qualifies me as a saint, sweetheart. Perhaps I just enjoy tea."

With an annoyed huff, she realized Klaus was more than content to continue this weird flirtation, but she was on a mission and didn't have time for dangerous criminal murder flirting. "Look, I'm here because your employee stole my mother's ring. It's all I have left from her and I need it back. Please." She tacked on the please at the last minute, hating how just the thought of her mother still almost brought her to tears. "See for yourself."

Klaus noticed her wince as her knuckle grazed her phone case, and his voice became low and dangerous as he growled, "Did my employee injure your hand? What about that black eye?"

"Yes." Not bothering to elaborate, Caroline held up her phone and played the video. Together, they watched her attack, but she kept finding her gaze strayed to the enigmatic man before her, surprised to see anger flash across his face.

There was a strained silence between them once the video stopped, and the room felt heavy with...something. "Right. It seems I know the lad responsible and will handle this personally. You have my word, love."

"Um...so should I meet you back here or..." she trailed off uncertainly, still shocked that her plan worked. She was getting back her mother's ring. Because she trusted Klaus.

Klaus favored her with an impish wink, telling her, "I'll just follow the sunshine. After all, it starts with you."


The package came by messenger later that evening. Caroline still was trying to wrap her head around the fact that notorious mob boss Klaus Mikaelson apparently subscribed to her positivity blog. She had so many questions. She eagerly tore into the first box, relieved to see that it contained her mother's ring. It unexpectedly had been polished until the small sapphires swirling across the middle gleamed. Klaus had her ring cleaned.

But what truly put a smile on her face was the second box that contained the gaudy silver ring that had belonged to her assailant, faint smears of blood along one edge.

Along with a note in exquisite calligraphy that asked, "Dinner tomorrow?"