Page 76 of Their Reckless Thief (The Below #1)

DORIAN

I was in the kitchen before dawn. The mansion was still quiet, the only sound that of my careful footsteps. The staff hadn’t shown up yet, so I had the kitchen to myself. It felt surreal, moving through the motions of making breakfast, but I needed to do something with my hands.

She’d fucking kissed me. I could still feel the ghost of her lips on mine, the warmth and softness, the sweetness I’d half-convinced myself I’d never get to experience in anything other than my dreams.

Celeste… my Celeste. I’d been content to love her, to be whatever she needed, without ever asking for anything in return.

She’d made it clear in words and actions that there were to be no strings, no hearts on the line, no need for love.

And I’d understood. I’d accepted that. Yet she’d come to me, kissed me, stayed with me.

I made sure everything was perfect on the tray—coffee, fresh fruit, bacon, and toast. I’d made breakfast for her several times, but this time, I had a lightness in my heart, a fullness I didn’t know what to do with.

I couldn’t shake the fear that I’d somehow stumbled into a dream, and any second now, I’d wake up to find her still keeping that safe distance.

I padded up the stairs and to my door, nudging it open with my elbow. Celeste was still curled up in bed, a soft ray of morning light casting a warm glow on her face. She stirred, blinking when she saw me, and I swear, watching her face light up made my spirit soar all over again.

I grinned like an idiot as I placed the tray on her lap. “Good morning, love.”

She smiled sleepily, sitting up and pulling the covers tighter around her, a faint blush warming her cheeks. “You didn’t have to?—”

“I wanted to.” I sat down on the edge of the bed. “Besides, I wanted another excuse to kiss your lips again.” The words slipped out, so honest I could feel my cheeks heat, but Celeste’s smile widened, making my chest tighten with that familiar ache.

I poured the coffee, and we sat in companionable silence, sipping the warm brew, exchanging glances that said more than words ever could. She looked at me like she was memorizing my face, taking in every detail. And damn it, I could have sat there for hours, watching her.

“No one’s ever looked out for me the way you do,” Celeste said. “You go out of your way to make sure I’m okay, that everything’s okay. I don’t think I ever realized how much that mattered, having someone who’s… there. Someone who chooses to make me a priority.”

I reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, my fingers lingering a second longer than necessary. “It’s easy to be there for you, Celeste. And if I can make even a single part of your day better, then it’s worth it. You’re worth it.”

She set her coffee down, her gaze meeting mine, unwavering and intense. “Dorian, I…” She hesitated, as if gathering the strength for whatever she was about to say, and I held my breath. “I love you.”

My heart stopped, then started up again, hammering so hard I thought she could probably hear it. I had hoped, had dreamed, but hearing it… Gods, it was so much better than anything I could have imagined.

She took my hand, her fingers warm against mine, her eyes blazing with a vulnerability I hadn’t seen from her before. “You see me, Dorian. No, you don’t just see me… You make me feel like I am worthy of love. Like I don’t have to hide.”

I swallowed, my throat suddenly tight. “You don’t, Celeste. You don’t have to hide anything with me. I’ll always be here, whatever you need, whatever you want.”

She looked down, a small, almost shy smile touching her lips. “I’ve never been loved the way you love me. No one’s ever cared enough to do the things you do, to think of me like you do. And I want you to know, I see it. I see every bit of it.”

Her words settled around us like a soft, warm blanket. She loved me.

She loves me .

I let out a shaky breath and set the tray aside. I needed to feel her in my arms, to reassure myself that this was real. Pulling her close, I said, “I’d move mountains for you, Celeste. I’d do anything.”

We stayed like that, wrapped up in each other, and in that moment, nothing else mattered. She was here, with me, and she loved me. And for the first time in a long time, I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be.

We sprawled around the living area in a haphazard circle, maps and blueprints covering nearly every surface. Intricate diagrams and handwritten notes detailed every possible security bypass and route for the heist. Vivian was getting everyone up to date on the specs.

Vincenzo’s sharp eyes followed each path sketched on the blueprints.

Luca was seated next to him, meticulously scanning every security point.

Celeste had taken over one of the plush chairs, leaning over the armrest as she made notes.

I was sprawled on the couch, alternating between reviewing my part and sneaking glances at her.

Whenever she caught me looking, her lips twitched.

A sudden knock broke the intense focus, and we all went silent, trading glances to make sure everyone was present.

“Who the fuck is knocking on the door?” I muttered, barely keeping the surprise out of my voice. We never got surprise guests.

Vincenzo stared over his shoulder, suspicion clouding his gaze.

A few seconds later, a staff member showed up with Carl, the man who guarded the tear in the Veil. He nodded at Vincenzo, then his gaze slid over all of us gathered there. He gave a warm, almost fatherly smile as he waved to Celeste. “Celeste, always good to see you.”

She flashed him that gorgeous smile of hers, which, sure enough, made Carl’s face turn a faint shade of pink.

I bit back a grin.

Vincenzo’s stance shifted as he addressed Carl. “What’s going on, Carl?”

Carl’s friendly demeanor vanished. “I need to speak to you, Vincenzo. It’s about one of my coworkers in the Veil Guard.”

Vincenzo crossed his arms. “You can speak in front of my team. What the fuck’s going on?”

Carl cleared his throat. “He’s been spying on you and selling information to The Shadow.”

I saw the barely suppressed fury in Vincenzo’s countenance. “Who is it?”

Carl shifted slightly. “His name’s Roderick. He guards one of the tears in the Veil, several miles north from my post.”

“How did you obtain this information?” Vincenzo asked, his hands balled into fists at his side.

“People talk, and word spreads. Unfortunately, Roderick decided to spill his guts to me. And you know I’m loyal to you, Vincenzo. I wasn’t about to let that asshole get away with it.”

“Do you have any idea how long it’s been going on?”

Carl shrugged. “He didn’t say exactly, but he made it sound like it’s been going on for a while.”

Vincenzo’s jaw tightened, and he turned to us. “Load up. We’re going to get him.”

Carl, catching Celeste’s gaze again, gave her a respectful nod.

She responded with a playful look, tilting her head with that flirtatious spark she had mastered. “Be careful out there, Carl. Don’t let anyone give you a hard time.”

He blushed, appearing half-amused and half-stunned as he glanced at her one last time before heading out.

The look on Carl’s face—bewildered admiration—was one I knew well.

Celeste had a gift for making everyone feel like they had something worth offering.

A glance, a word, and she made you believe she meant it all.

I didn’t even think she was aware of it.

As we moved toward the garage, Vincenzo pulled Vivian aside with Alessandro and Camilla in tow. “You three stay here and keep working on the specs for the heist. I want updates on anything you find that might be useful by the time we get back. We’re running out of time to make final preparations.”

Vivian gave a sharp nod, and the three of them instantly turned back to their stations.

As I slid into the driver’s seat, I glanced at Celeste in the rearview mirror. Her face was fierce, focused.

We tore down the road, our minds on the mission. For me, this wasn’t only about loyalty to Vincenzo or settling some score with a traitor. It was about protecting what mattered most.

Her.

We pulled up to the tear’s location—a desolate edge of the forest, dense with an unsettling quiet that even Celeste noticed.

She leaned forward, glancing out the window. “I’ve never passed through this particular tear. It feels different than Carl’s spot, less… I don’t know, public.”

I nodded. “That’s the point. It’s smaller, not well-known, so you don’t get people lined up like they do at Carl’s. It’s more VIP, as you humans would say.”

Vincenzo shifted in his seat, his gaze cold and steady. “Luca. Pull him in.”

Luca’s shadows flared to life, twisting and darkening as they seeped out of him like thick smoke, weaving their way out of the SUV toward the traitor lurking around the tear’s edge.

The guy didn’t even have time to react before Luca’s shadows wrapped around him, slithering up his arms and over his chest. One thick tendril shoved itself into his mouth, cutting off any chance of a scream.

He thrashed, panicked eyes wide, but the shadows only tightened, silencing his pathetic attempts to break free.

“Get him in here.” Vincenzo’s voice was ice.

The shadows dragged the guy into the SUV, dumping him into the middle seat.

I glanced over at Celeste, who was watching with a cold fascination.

She was getting used to this, and that surprised me.

It was a testament to how much she’d adapted.

Or to how shitty her life before us was.

There’s so much we still don’t know about her life in the human world.

Her gaze met mine briefly, and I caught that slight nod, a flash of steel in her expression. She wasn’t going to look away. She wanted this traitor to pay as much as we did.

Good. I turned my attention back to the man, who was pinned in place by Luca’s shadows, squirming uselessly against the grip that held him in a vice.

Vincenzo leaned over from the front passenger seat, his expression cold and calculating.

“Hello, Roderick. You’re going to tell me everything I want to know.

Or you’re going to suffer. Understand?” He nodded to Luca, who withdrew the shadow from the man’s mouth, letting him gasp for air.

“Do you deny selling me out to The Shadow?”

The man spat blood, giving a wry, defeated smile. “No point in denying it. You’ve already made up your mind.”

The muscles in Vincenzo’s jaw twitched. “Dorian.”

I glanced at Celeste once more, expecting her to turn away. But she held my gaze, that subtle nod telling me everything I needed. She was in this with us. This was her family too.

With her silent approval fueling me, I turned to the man, my fist connecting solidly with his face. The impact jarred up my arm, and he slumped forward, momentarily unconscious. When he came to, groggy and disoriented, Vincenzo wasted no time, leaning forward with a knife glinting in his hand.

“You’re going to answer my questions,” Vincenzo hissed, his voice lethal, his fangs flashing menacingly. “And maybe, if you’re smart, you’ll keep what’s left of your fingers.” He held the knife a little closer to the man’s face, letting him see just how sharp it was.

“Tell me,” Vincenzo continued, “what The Shadow wants with the information you’re feeding him. What’s he planning?”

The man sneered, feigning bravado, but fear lurked in his expression. “Fuck if I know. I just feed him what he wants. I’m not part of his strategy team.”

Vincenzo tilted his head, a twisted smile curling his lips. “Fair enough.”

He seized the man’s hand, pressing it against the leather seat as he lined the knife up against his middle finger. The man’s eyes widened, panic finally setting in.

“No—” His scream filled the SUV as the blade came down, severing the finger cleanly. Blood spurted, splattering across the seat, and he let out a strangled cry, clutching his hand as Vincenzo picked up the severed digit.

The metallic scent of blood permeated the air. Vincenzo leaned forward, pressing the bloody finger into the man’s chest, his expression merciless. “Deliver this to The Shadow. Let him know he’s fucking with the wrong drug lord.”

The man was pale, shivering with pain and fear. His good hand clutched the bleeding stump, blood dripping from between his fingers, but he nodded, too afraid to defy Vincenzo’s command.

Luca’s shadows dragged the shaking man from the car and dropped him in a heap on the road.

Celeste’s face was still calm, almost detached. Pride surged through me. She didn’t flinch, didn’t balk. I knew, at that moment, she was one of us. No one else but her could handle this kind of world, this level of loyalty and brutality. She was stronger than she realized.

As Vincenzo signaled for us to drive off, I leaned back, watching the man shrink in the rearview mirror, still clutching his hand, fear etched into every line of his face.