Page 61 of Their Reckless Thief (The Below #1)

Her lips parted like she wanted to say something, but she stopped herself, her face hardening. She nodded, closing the laptop and setting it down, her body language screaming that I’d shut her out.

The distance I’d created between us solidified into something permanent. It was better this way. Safer for her. Safer for me.

“Get some rest,” I said, turning away before I could see the expression on her face. “You’ll need it.”

I walked away from her, from the part of me that wanted nothing more than to stay. To let her in.

I couldn’t. Not now. Not ever.

Vivian had laid out the vault’s blueprints over the massive mahogany table in the center of Vincenzo’s war room.

Her confidence had shifted into overdrive, and I couldn’t help but notice how every detail had been planned down to the last contingency.

She was good… no, brilliant. If anyone could get us into that vault and back out without triggering every magical and physical security measure in place, it was her.

We circled around the table, a mixture of tension and determination hanging around us.

Dorian leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, but I knew that look.

He was dialed in. Vincenzo sat in the corner, listening but not saying anything.

Camilla and Alessandro were off to the side, carefully absorbing the information so they’d be ready to support Vivian during the heist.

I’d kept my distance from Celeste whenever I could. It was safer for both of us. I didn’t trust myself around her anymore, not after what had happened. Not after I’d let my walls crack, if only for a moment.

Now, though, she was so close, it was unavoidable. She shifted beside me, her arm lightly brushing against mine, and it sent a spark through me. I stepped away, and her eyes locked with mine, something sharp and slightly playful behind them.

“Don’t worry,” she muttered under her breath, her lips barely moving. “I’m not going to infect you with a deadly disease.”

I shot her a look but said nothing, choosing instead to focus back on the plan. We couldn’t afford distractions, not with this heist. But fuck if she didn’t make it difficult.

Vivian was in full command now, pointing out the tech gear she’d meticulously assembled, laying out the network she’d set up to get us past the magical barriers. She was talking about how she’d modified the mics we’d be using, giving us all a direct line to her, Alessandro, and Camilla.

Vivian’s voice was steady, filled with that calm authority that came from knowing exactly what she was doing.

“You’ll all have mics,” she said, glancing at Celeste with a small smile.

“Usually, I have a two-way feed between myself and Celeste, but given the complexity of this heist, I need to hear from all of you. This is going to be a lot more coordinated than anything we’ve done before. ”

She took a seat and continued. “Vincenzo secured tickets for you all to attend the auction that will be occurring on the same night. You’ll slip in as guests. This will give you easier access to the vault underneath the auction hall.”

Celeste, standing across from me now, had slipped effortlessly back into her element.

She fired off questions about the vault’s security systems, the timing of the patrols, and the exact specifications of the magical wards.

It was like watching an expert at work. Her intensity was palpable, her mind racing ahead, preparing for every scenario.

And, holy fuck, it was sexy as hell.

I forced myself to look away, locking my focus on the blueprint instead. I couldn’t afford to dwell on how she moved through this world so easily, how she drew me in even when I knew I had no right to feel anything for her. Not now. Not ever.

“Alessandro, you’ll be handling the network feeds for me,” Vivian said, passing him a tablet. “I’ve set up multiple feeds that need to be monitored at all times. If anything, even blips, you let me know immediately.”

Alessandro nodded, his face serious. He knew how high the stakes were, how much we all had to lose if this went south.

Camilla, sharp-eyed and silent, was already making notes of her own. She was always like that—focused, deadly, but never drawing attention to herself unless she had to. She’d be backing us up from the outside, helping Vivian with anything she needed during the operation. A solid team, no doubt.

Celeste was still firing off more questions. “When you say we’ll each have mics, will they all be two-way communication? What if I need to hear instructions, but it might be a distraction for Dorian?” There was an intensity to her now, a spark in her eyes.

It was messing with my head.

I tried not to think about the fact that, despite everything, she was still the best at this. She could slip into her role like she’d never left it. Her fire, her drive, her intelligence—they were part of what made her so damn captivating.

“I’ve reconfigured the frequencies on the mics,” Vivian said.

“You’ll all be connected to each other, but I’ll also be able to listen in from my end.

If anything goes wrong, you’ll hear from me immediately.

I can pinpoint who I’m talking to, Celeste, whether it be one individual or the whole group. ”

Dorian smirked. “Sounds like you’ve thought of everything, Viv.”

She shot him a quick, confident grin. “Of course I have.”

I cleared my throat. “Celeste, Vivian, you need to realize that we’ll be moving through the Wraith Lord’s territory, which means we’ll likely encounter spirits, ghosts, and the undead. Just because Ciro’s letting us in doesn’t mean we won’t have our work cut out for us.”

Dorian raised his hand like a child. “Wait a second. What about the vision Celeste had when she first broke into Vincenzo’s? She said something about seeing a failed heist with us. Should we be worried?”

Celeste’s brow furrowed. “I don’t remember the details, but we were in a courtyard.”

Camilla turned to Vivian. “Will we be in a courtyard at any point during this heist?”

Vivian frowned as she pulled up map images on her screen. “I’ve not seen any courtyards. Like I said, you’ll be inside the black-market auction house, and then underneath it at the vault.”

“Courtyards aren’t exactly the type of thing you see in the Wraith territory,” I assured everyone.

Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. We were ready, as ready as we were ever going to be. Anxiety built in my chest, adrenaline starting to pump through my veins. This was it. The plan was set. We were about to step into the unknown, and I needed to stay focused.

No distractions. No getting too close to Celeste.

I forced myself to push her from my mind, but when she asked one final question, that fiery determination in her voice sent a shiver through me.

It didn’t matter how hard I tried.

I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

After Vincenzo adjourned the meeting, he walked straight to my side.

“I need you to take some time today and train Celeste. She’s a good fighter—we all saw that when she tried to defend herself against us—but she doesn’t know how to fight against the type of beings we may encounter in the Wraith territory. ”

I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. “I’m not sure that’s the best idea.”

“Are you telling me I’ve had a fucking bad idea? That I don’t know what needs to happen?”

I instinctively took a step backward. “No, not at all. If you think training Celeste is best, I’ll do it.”

“Good.” He turned and walked away without another word.

What the fuck was he thinking? There was no way in hell this was a good idea.

Celeste was reckless, stubborn, and entirely too confident.

Apart from that, training required being in close proximity to each other.

Warning bells went off in my head, and tension knotted in my gut, as I felt that familiar pull I had spent entirely too long trying to ignore.

But the thought of leaving her training in someone else’s hands?

No. I was the best person to prepare her for the kind of danger she was going to face, no matter how much it gnawed at me.

I couldn’t let anyone else handle this. Not when I knew her weaknesses better than anyone.

Not when I’d been watching her like a hawk, even when I shouldn’t have been.

So, there we were. Just the two of us in the private gym. The fluorescent lights buzzed above us, casting a sterile glow over the room. It felt like a cage, one I couldn’t escape from.

I tossed Celeste a pair of boxing gloves and watched her carefully as she strapped them on. Her eyes—defiant, challenging—met mine. She was too damn confident. Too independent. At some point in her life, she’d have to realize that people were not reliable enough for her to rely on.

“We’re starting with combat training. And don’t get any ideas. I’m not going easy on you.”

“I didn’t ask you to,” she shot back, stepping into the center of the mat. Her body was taut, muscles coiled, ready. Her form was sloppy, her footwork too loose. She was going to get hurt if she wasn’t careful.

“You’re holding your stance too wide,” I snapped, stepping closer, my shadows swirling restlessly around me. “You’ll be thrown off balance.”

She huffed but adjusted anyway, muttering something under her breath.

“What was that?” I asked, stepping closer, pushing her.

“I said I don’t need your fucking micromanagement.” She growled at me. “I can handle myself.”

“Handle yourself?” I scoffed, circling her like a predator. “That’s why you nearly got killed on your job last week, right? Because you can handle yourself?”

Her jaw tightened, eyes flashing with anger. Good. Let her be angry. I needed her to fight me. She needed to know this wasn’t some game she could win on pure guts alone.

“You don’t know what it’s like out there, Celeste. Not like I do. You think you’ve seen danger? You haven’t seen a fraction of what I have. You don’t know how far this world can go to break you.”

She stepped forward, her fists raised, her body trembling with frustration. “You think I don’t know danger, Luca? I’ve been living with it my whole fucking life. I’m not some fragile little thing you need to protect.”

“Is that so?” I stepped into her space, so close I could see the way her chest rose and fell rapidly. I could feel the heat radiating from her skin. “Prove it.”

She lunged.

Her fists flew, but I was ready. I deflected the blows with ease, letting her swing and tire herself out.

Her punches were fast, and she was skilled for a human, but she was relying too much on brute strength and not enough on precision.

I let her get close enough to think she had me, then sidestepped, twisting her arm behind her back in a fluid motion.

She gasped and struggled in my grip. The way her body pressed against mine sent a wave of heat through me that I shoved down hard.

“Too slow,” I muttered against her ear, releasing her and stepping back before she could catch her breath. “Again.”

Her frustration was palpable, but it fueled her.

She came at me harder and faster this time, but she was still reckless.

I dodged her easily, catching her wrist and spinning her around, pinning her to the mat beneath me in one swift motion.

Her breath was ragged, her face inches from mine, eyes blazing with fury.

“You’re not invincible, princess,” I growled, my hand pressing her wrists to the mat. “You keep fighting like this, and someone’s going to put you down for good.”

She glared at me, refusing to submit, her chest heaving against mine. “You won’t hurt me. I’ve been around you long enough to know that you’d go to great lengths to keep me from getting hurt. I’m not afraid of you, Luca. You won’t hurt me.”

I froze, something dark twisting inside me at her words. “You don’t know that.”

“I do,” she whispered, her gaze unwavering. “You won’t hurt me.”

My grip tightened on her wrists, my shadows curling around us both like a vice. “You think you know me?” I hissed, leaning closer until my breath fanned her cheek. “You have no idea what I’m capable of. You think I wouldn’t hurt you, princess? I absolutely would.”

Her lips parted slightly, her eyes locked on mine. She didn’t back down, didn’t flinch. “No, you wouldn’t.”

My blood roared in my ears, every instinct telling me to push her away, to keep her at arm’s length. The scent of her, the heat of her body beneath mine… it was driving me insane. Graphic, dark thoughts surged through me, and I battled them back with everything I had.

I wanted to tear her clothes from her body and fuck her until she begged me to stop. I wanted my shadows to enter her from behind, while I pounded my cock into her sweet, wet pussy. I wanted to tie her down and force my dick down her throat.

She was too close. I was too close.

My grip on her wrists loosened, just slightly, but the tension between us crackled, thick and dangerous. Her gaze didn’t waver, and I realized in that moment, she wasn’t even a little scared of me.

That fucking terrified me.

“You should be scared of me,” I whispered.

Celeste’s lips curled into a small, knowing smile. “I’m not.”

For a long, agonizing moment, neither of us moved. The space between us became electric with desire. With a growl of frustration, I pushed off her and stood abruptly.

I turned away, refusing to look at her again. “We’re done for today.”

As I walked away, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were far from done. This dangerous, twisted pull between us was only going to get worse.

And that scared the hell out of me.