Page 42 of Their Reckless Thief (The Below #1)

I let out a shaky breath, their concern adding to the pressure in my chest. “It’s fine,” I muttered, dropping my bag on the floor. I barely had the energy to keep standing, let alone deal with the emotional fallout. “Just… Roberto being Roberto.”

“Fine?” Will snapped, his voice rising. “You call this fine ? I can’t believe he put his fucking hands on you again.” His body was practically vibrating with anger, and before I could stop him, he was pulling on his jacket. “I’m gonna rip his fucking head off.”

“No!” I grabbed his arm, the sudden movement sending a sharp pain through my ribs. I winced but tightened my grip on him. “Will, don’t be stupid. He’d kill you before you even got close.”

“I don’t give a shit! He can’t keep doing this to you.” Will’s eyes were wild, his breath coming in short, furious bursts.

“You have to give a shit,” I snapped back, my voice sharper than I intended.

“You still have an apartment, a life. Don’t throw that away because of me.

Roberto will rip you apart if you go after him.

” I cleared my throat and turned to Viv.

There would never be a good time to break the news to her, so I might as well just get it out.

“Roberto is kicking us out of the apartment. We have twenty-four hours to pack and be out of here.”

Will stared at me, his face tight with frustration. “I’m not gonna just stand here and do nothing, Celeste.”

“You don’t have a choice,” Vivian said quietly, stepping between us. She was calm, but her fury was like a silent storm building in the room. “This isn’t on you, Will. It’s on Roberto.”

Will let out a low, frustrated growl as he paced to the window, running a hand through his messy hair. “Fuck,” he muttered.

Vivian turned back to me, her expression softening as she guided me to the couch. “Sit down, Celeste. Let me check you over.”

I collapsed onto the cushions, wincing as every movement sent pain shooting through my body. “It’s fine, Viv,” I mumbled, trying to downplay the severity of my injuries. “I’ll be okay.”

Vivian knelt beside me, her fingers ghosting over my bruises, her eyes narrowed and teeth grinding together. “You’re not okay. He could’ve broken your neck.”

“I know,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “I’m sorry, Viv. I’ve fucked everything up. It’s my fault we’re homeless.”

Vivian shook her head sharply. “Don’t you dare apologize. This isn’t your fault. Roberto did this, not you. You’ve done nothing but work your ass off for him. And this is how he repays you?”

Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them away. “I never should’ve?—”

“Stop. We’ve been through worse. We’ll get through this. You and me, remember? We always figure it out.”

Will had finally stopped pacing, his back to us as he stared out the window. “We’ve gotta take him down, Viv,” he said quietly, his voice full of restrained fury. “He can’t keep getting away with this.”

Vivian stood up and got ice packs out of the freezer. “Oh, we will. But not yet. He’s too powerful. We need to be smart about this.”

I took the ice packs from Vivian and let them numb the ache in my ribs. As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. Going after Roberto right now would be suicide, but the thought of him getting away with what he’d done made my blood boil.

“One day,” I muttered, closing my eyes as the painkillers I’d taken earlier started to kick in. “One day, he’ll pay.”

Vivian’s eyes softened as she knelt beside me again, her hand resting on mine. “And we’ll be the ones to make sure of it. Get some rest. I’m going to start packing.”

Roberto had stripped everything from us—our home, our security, our dignity—but he hadn’t taken our resolve.

I was bruised, beaten, and tired as hell. But I wasn’t broken. Not yet. And if Vivian and Will had anything to say about it, I never would be.

We would figure this out. We had to.

I closed my eyes, letting the exhaustion wash over me, but Roberto’s voice still echoed in my mind, reminding me of the harsh reality of our situation.

“You are mine.”

Not for long, you son of a bitch. Not for long.

My aching body protested with every move as I packed. The apartment felt different now since Vivian had packed a lot over the past few hours. Boxes stood all over the floor, drawers were pulled open, and closets held nothing but empty hangers on the rods.

I hated it. I hated that Roberto had the power to uproot everything I’d built with Vivian.

Vivian had gone ahead to scout the hostel we’d crash at for a few nights.

It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.

She’d already packed her bags, her anger fueling the frenzy.

Me? I was dragging. Every inch of my body ached from Roberto’s rough handling, and I was moving slower than I wanted to admit.

I was so fucking tired, but I wasn’t broken. Not yet.

I decided I’d enjoy one last night in my bed before we left this place behind forever. I would stuff the final pieces of my life into worn duffel bags, but before that, all I wanted to do was collapse onto the mattress and forget for a few hours that my life was unraveling.

I stepped into the darkened bedroom, my hand brushing against the cool wall as I made my way toward the bed. Something felt off… It was too still, too quiet. My skin prickled with unease.

That’s when I noticed a figure sitting in the shadows by the window.

My breath caught in my throat, my pulse spiking as fear surged through me. I froze in place, adrenaline flooding my veins as I instinctively reached for my knife, but I was dressed in pajamas, and my weapons were packed. I opened my mouth, ready to scream?—

“ Dolcezza .”

That voice.

It was deep, commanding, and unmistakable. The smooth, lethal sound of it cut through the darkness like a blade.

Vincenzo.