Page 56 of Their Reckless Thief (The Below #1)

Dorian leaned back in his seat, his arm draped casually along the back of the couch behind me, but I could feel the tension humming just beneath the surface. He was smiling, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Whiskey for me. Ladies, what do you want?”

I looked over at Vivian, who was still taking it all in.

Her eyes flicked between the glowing orbs above us and the crowd below, and I could tell she was out of her element.

She might have been one of the best at what she did, but this was a different world.

One filled with power and danger, not just money and tech.

“I’ll take a vodka soda with lime,” I said.

Vivian ordered something similar, her voice quieter than usual.

Luca didn’t order anything, staying alert, scanning our surroundings.

We sat in a tense silence for a few moments, waiting for the rival mafia boss to arrive. My heart raced, and I twisted my fingers together. We needed this meeting to go smoothly. A single misstep and the plan would go to hell. Not to mention that blood could be spilled.

I turned to Luca, who hadn’t spoken since we arrived. He stood at the edge of the VIP area, his back straight, gaze fixed on the entrance of the club below. He was always so composed, so unreadable. It was like he was the embodiment of a living shadow.

“Do you think he’ll show?” I asked.

Luca didn’t turn, but I saw the slight movement of his head as he acknowledged my question. “He’ll show. He needs this deal as much as we do, but don’t expect it to be easy.”

I nodded and started fussing with the slit of my dress. Of course, it wouldn’t be easy. Nothing in The Below ever was. I glanced over at the other people seated in the VIP section and wondered if I should worry for their safety if things went south.

Before I could say anything more, Dorian leaned in closer, his breath warm against my ear. “Don’t worry, love. If something goes wrong, we’ll handle it. Vincenzo doesn’t lose. Ever.”

I glanced over at Vincenzo, who was still sitting in silence, his eyes dark and calculating. He was like a coiled snake, ready to strike when the time was right.

Finally, our mystery man walked in. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a predatory gleam in his eye that reminded me of a wolf sizing up its prey. His entourage followed behind him, equally dangerous. The tension in the room immediately spiked.

This was it. The moment we’d been waiting for.

Vincenzo stood, his expression unreadable, and I followed suit, my heart pounding in my chest.

This would either go very well, or very, very wrong.

Vincenzo had barely shifted his gaze when the man was at the foot of the stairs.

Dorian leaned over to me. “That’s Ciro Rossi, the Wraith Lord. He governs the realm of spirits, ghosts, and other undead creatures, trafficking their services for espionage, hauntings, or dark rituals.”

His reputation preceded him—dangerous, ruthless, with ties to the black-market vault we needed access to.

He wore a perfectly tailored suit, but there was a roughness about him.

His eyes were the color of wet cement, cold and unyielding, and his smirk sent an uneasy shudder down my spine.

His entourage radiated the kind of energy that screamed danger.

As Ciro and his men ascended the stairs to our VIP section, the guys moved closer to me and Vivian.

Dorian, who had been all relaxed charm earlier, was now alert, his gaze sharp.

Luca, ever the shadow, was already in place, eyes cold and unreadable as usual.

Vincenzo’s presence grew heavier, darker, like a storm about to break.

Ciro’s eyes scanned the room before settling on Vivian and me. His smirk widened into something almost wolfish as he approached. His steps were slow and deliberate, like a man who already believed the game was his to win.

“Ah, Vincenzo,” Ciro said, his smooth voice dripping with false pleasantries. “I see you’ve brought the finest company tonight.”

I stiffened, every muscle tensing. The way he was looking at us, like we were something on a menu, made my skin crawl. I forced a smile, ready to deal with whatever sleazy comment would come next.

Ciro’s gaze didn’t leave Vivian as he added, “Would you do me the honor of letting me buy the lady a drink?”

Vincenzo’s eyes narrowed. “Watch yourself, Rossi.”

He shrugged and turned his attention to me, a wicked gleam in his eye. “Unless, of course, you lend out your whore to others.” He nodded in my direction. “In that case, I could make it worth your while.”

My pulse spiked. The air in the room changed so fast, the tension snapping like a taut wire. The tension snapped like a taut wire. Before I could open my mouth to spit venom at Ciro, Vincenzo was already making a move.

The force of his presence was enough to silence everything else around us. He grabbed my waist, pulling me against him. His grip was possessive, bordering on punishing. I could feel his rage emanating off him.

“You seem to have forgotten yourself, Rossi.” Vincenzo’s voice was dangerously calm, though the edge in his tone could cut glass. “No one touches her. No one speaks to her without my permission. If you value your life, you won’t make that mistake again.”

Ciro raised an eyebrow. The smirk never left his face, but the tension between them had become suffocating. I could see the glint of violence in Vincenzo’s eyes, the promise of something darker lurking beneath his calm facade.

“Vincenzo, I don’t fucking need—” I started trying to pull back from his grip, but he held me tighter.

“Don’t,” Vincenzo hissed into my ear, low enough for only me to hear. “This is not up for discussion.”

His hand slid up my back, an unmistakable show of dominance. The message was clear: I belonged to him, and anyone who dared challenge that would meet a very unpleasant end.

“I meant no disrespect,” Ciro said, raising his hands in mock surrender, though his smile said otherwise. “If you’re ever willing to share, though, I’m sure we could make a... profitable arrangement.”

Vincenzo’s hold on me tightened. I knew if I didn’t defuse the situation, it would spiral out of control, and we’d lose any chance of negotiation. I placed my hand on his chest, trying to calm the brewing storm.

Just as I opened my mouth, ready to rip Ciro apart with words, a vision hit me—Vincenzo lunging at Ciro, fists swinging, turning our negotiation into a bloody mess. The aftermath was dark and violent; our deal destroyed in a fit of rage.

The vision faded as quickly as it came, and I snapped back to reality just as Vincenzo stood, his face twisted with fury, and reached to grab me. Before he could pull me to him, I stood and yanked him away from the table and the impending catastrophe.

“What the hell are you doing?” he growled, resisting just enough to make it clear he was barely holding himself back.

Ignoring his glare, I tightened my grip on his arm, dragging him around the corner. “You’re about to ruin everything. If you go back there, you’ll blow this deal and turn it into a war. Is that what you want?”

The fire in his eyes was intense. “Did you hear what he said about you? About us?”

“Yes,” I hissed. “But I can handle it. You don’t need to tear him apart for mouthing off.”

His jaw tightened, his fingers digging into my wrist like he couldn’t quite let go, couldn’t loosen the intensity he was holding onto. “I can’t just sit back and let him treat you like that. Not when—” He stopped short, his gaze burning into me with an intensity that stole the breath from my lungs.

The anger in his eyes softened, replaced with something darker, more primal. The pull between us built like a magnet, impossible to resist. With a low growl, he backed me up against the wall, pinning my arms above my head. He pressed himself against me, every inch of him hard and unyielding.

“You have no idea,” he whispered, his breath hot against my skin, “how close I am to ending him for looking at you like that.”

I swallowed hard, my anger melting into a raw need I couldn’t contain. “Don’t ruin this deal for it. Channel that energy somewhere else.”

Cursing under his breath, he pulled me down the hall.

Finally, we reached the women’s bathroom, a luxuriously appointed space with marble counters and mirrors lined with soft golden lights. Vincenzo slammed the door and locked it with a swift turn of his hand, and I suddenly realized just how alone we were.

I glared at him. “What the fuck was that? You can’t just blow up important business deals because the big bad boss guy flirts with your girl and gets your panties all in a wad! I can handle?—”

Vincenzo’s eyes flashed dangerously. He moved so fast I barely had time to register it. One moment I was standing there, furious; the next I was pinned between Vincenzo and the marble counter.

“You think you can handle yourself?” he growled, gripping my hips roughly. “You think you don’t need me to protect you?”

The fire in his eyes was undeniable now. He was furious, but there was something else there, something far more dangerous. Possession. Obsession.

“I don’t need anyone to?—”

“You’re mine ,” he hissed, his mouth suddenly at my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “No one else touches you. No one else gets to look at you like that. Understand?”

My breath caught in my throat. His words sank deep into my core, making it hard to think straight.

“Vincenzo...” I started, but my voice faltered as he pulled the zipper of my dress down slowly. His touch was rough, deliberate, and the heat between us was unbearable.

His lips ghosted over my throat, and every nerve in my body came alive.

“You can try to fight this,” he whispered darkly, his lips grazing my ear, “but you know you belong to me.”

Before I could respond, his mouth crashed against my neck, hungry, claiming, and I felt every ounce of his obsession. His hands moved with a possessiveness that made my head spin. It was rough, frantic, and overwhelming, and I fucking hated how much I wanted him.