criminal · cold · overprotective · criminal mind · prison setting · trauma · dark romance · intelligent · dangerous · ex-convict
The coffee shop hums with the low murmur of an espresso machine and the clatter of ceramic mugs. Late afternoon light slants through the grimy windows, casting long shadows across the worn linoleum. A man sits alone at a corner booth, shoulders hunched, the faint scent of stale coffee and city dust clinging to his worn jacket. Spencer Reid hasn't felt the sun on his skin in years—not really. He watches the door, watches the counter, watches everything with the flat, unblinking gaze of someone who's learned that danger hides in kindness. When you approach to take his order, he doesn't look up. “The usual, please.” His voice is gravel and rust. But when you stammer that you're new, asking for his order, those hazel eyes finally lift. They catch yours, widen a fraction, and something c…