Page 89 of Their Reckless Thief (The Below #1)

LUCA

Blood soaked through my shirt, and the relentless, throbbing pain only increased as I struggled to keep my balance.

My knees threatened to buckle with every breath I took.

The Shadow had made his point clear: loyalty wasn’t a choice, but an unrelenting chain I couldn’t sever without consequence.

Celeste’s curse would remain, his mark clinging to her, binding her to his will. Just like he’d bound me.

I cursed, and dizziness washed over me. Each breath was like inhaling broken glass. I pressed my hand to the wall, willing myself upright, using every last shred of strength to hold on.

Veilstepping took the last of my energy, the familiar darkness drawing me forward like a forgotten promise and delivering me to the floor of Celeste’s room.

I had to see her. Pain tore through me as my knees hit the ground, and I put my hand flat on the floor to steady myself.

The room swayed around me, shadows stretching and spinning.

I was barely keeping myself upright, each beat of my heart pounding against my bruised ribs, a brutal reminder of The Shadow’s wrath.

“Luca?” Celeste’s voice broke through the haze of pain.

I raised my head just enough to see her standing by the bed, her jeans halfway up her hips.

The sight of me collapsing on her floor must have shocked her, but she rushed to my side and dropped to her knees.

She gripped my shoulders, her gaze so fierce and unwavering as if she could pull me back from the brink through sheer will alone.

“What the hell happened? You’re bleeding everywhere. ”

I tried to smirk, to offer her some reassurance, but it came out more like a grimace. “Nothing worth worrying about,” I forced out. “Just… hit a snag.”

She frowned, and I could see the fear in her eyes. She leaned closer, as if inspecting each wound. “Luca, this isn’t something you can brush off. Let me go get the guys. We can get you some proper help.”

I shook my head, the effort more draining than I wanted to admit. “No, not yet,” I pleaded. “Just… need a minute here with you.”

She worried her lower lip between her teeth as she studied me, then she nodded. “All right, but don’t you dare pass out on me, okay?”

She steadied me as she rose, then hurried into the bathroom, returning seconds later with a first aid kit.

I leaned back against the wall, each throb a reminder of what had happened, of the reminder the Shadow had burned into my flesh.

Darkness threatened to pull me under, but I forced myself to stay present, to focus on her face.

Celeste knelt beside me and gently guided my shirt off my shoulders. I gritted my teeth as the fabric peeled away, sending fresh jolts of pain through me that ignited every raw nerve. She gasped when she saw the cuts on my back.

“Let me take a look at this.” She uncapped a small jar, dipping her fingers into a cool, silvery salve—the same salve I’d used on her cuts after we’d stolen the key from the Wraith territory.

She applied it to my wounds with a surprising gentleness, her touch so tender it was almost enough to distract me from the fire burning beneath my skin.

Unshed tears shone in her eyes as she took in the damage.

This was her way of dealing with it, healing what she could.

“I’ve had worse.”

She arched a brow, unimpressed, the barest hint of a smile tugging at her mouth despite the worry in her eyes. “Somehow, that doesn’t make me feel any better.” She continued working, each touch more soothing than any balm she could have applied.

“What happened, Luca? This isn’t just a snag .” She searched my face, like she could discover every secret.

She wouldn’t let it go until I told her.

I inhaled shakily. She deserved more, but all the truths I’d kept hidden were simply too vast. I let my head fall back, closing my eyes briefly, gathering the strength to answer.

“Went to visit The Shadow. Tried to convince him to… to take the markings off you.”

A glimmer of surprise crossed her face. She shifted closer, placing her hand on my face, anchoring me to her. “You did that? For me?”

“Didn’t do any good, so let’s just call it what it was. A mistake.”

Anger sparked in her eyes. “Don’t you dare say that. Reckless? Yes. Absolutely reckless, Luca.” She pressed her lips into a thin line. “You risked your life for me without thinking about the consequences for yourself or for me. I can’t lose you.”

Her hand trembled on my face, and I could feel the strain in her grip and could see the war of emotions raging in her gaze: anger, worry, gratitude.

It all twisted together in a way that left me feeling stripped bare.

“You don’t get to throw yourself at The Shadow’s mercy like that.

Not for me. Not for anyone. You think I want to see you hurt?

That I want to be the reason you keep coming back with fresh bruises and new scars? ”

I held her gaze, her anger cutting deeper than any wound The Shadow could inflict upon me. “Celeste, I couldn’t stand by and let you bear this alone. You know that.”

She shook her head and sighed. “No, Luca, I don’t know that.

Because I don’t understand how you could do something so…

so damn careless.” Her hand dropped from my face, her fingers curling into a fist as if she had to physically restrain herself from hitting something.

“Do you have any idea how hurt I would be if you didn’t come back from that?

Or if The Shadow had done something worse to you?

You’re not invincible, Luca. You’re going to get yourself killed. ”

I was speechless. This was the first time I truly saw what I meant to her. I took her hand, squeezing gently. “I didn’t mean to hurt you that way. But I would do it again, Celeste, even if it was reckless, even if it didn’t work.”

She shook her head, her mouth twisting to the side. “You are the most infuriating man I have ever met,” she muttered, but her fingers curled around mine, her grip steady and unbreakable. “I don’t need you to be a hero for me, Luca. I just need you here. In one piece. Safe.”

I gave a small nod, a faint smile tugging at the corners of my mouth despite the pain radiating through me.

“Noted, but you should know I’ll always try to protect you, even if that means doing something stupid.

” I hoped she could see the sincerity in my gaze, know the lengths I would go to for her—even if it meant suffering The Shadow’s wrath.

She gave me a sad, almost defeated smile. “It’s a hell of a thing, Luca. What you did… it means more than I can say. But don’t you ever do it again. Promise me that.”

I squeezed her hand again. “I’ll do my best to keep that promise,” I whispered, meaning every word.

As we sat there, side by side, her fingers still entwined with mine, the tension between us softened. She tilted her head and searched my face. Never before had I felt so exposed. I knew, without a doubt, that I would do anything to protect her, even if it meant risking my own heart in the process.

I let out a slow breath, her words loosening something in me.

She couldn’t see the toll the night had taken, couldn’t see The Shadow had woven my punishment into my very skin.

But the warmth of her touch, her steady presence, made it more bearable…

like, for a brief moment, I didn’t have to carry it alone.

I lay prone on Celeste’s bed as she continued to work the salve into my skin, each touch a gentle reprieve against the rawness.

The balm cooled the fire beneath each lash, and as she traced her fingers carefully along my back, I found the smallest ounce of peace.

Closing my eyes, I let myself sink into it, my breath syncing with hers, the familiar rhythm lulling me into an unexpected calm.

Celeste was here. I could hold onto that, if only for now.

Her fingers stilled above my wrist, right on the dark mark twisting around my wrist and arm. She’d previously mistaken it for a tattoo.

“Luca, your tattoo… it looks like my mark.” She shifted slightly, and her own markings caught the light, the inky, writhing lines nearly alive against her skin. “Is that a coincidence?”

A raw, instinctual pull urged me to finally tell her everything—every hidden truth, every regret, every sacrifice.

It was lodged in my chest, desperate to be freed, a confession woven into every lie and shadow I’d once wrapped myself in.

She deserved to know, deserved to understand the lengths I’d gone to for her and for others.

I wanted her to know every piece of me, even the darkest ones.

I opened my mouth, the words forming like they’d finally been given permission to rise.

Suddenly, invisible chains wrapped around my throat, silencing me before I could utter even a word.

It pulled tight, ruthless, and unyielding.

I struggled to breathe, each inhale scraping against the bond’s hold.

The curse lashed out, enforcing the silence with a vengeance, and I choked, my lungs burning.

“Luca!” Alarm flared in Celeste’s eyes. “What’s happening? Are you okay?”

It took everything to push down the binding magic’s grip, to quell the raw helplessness clawing up from within. I swallowed hard, trying to compose myself, the bitterness of failure heavy on my tongue. I would have to find another way to tell her, a different path to lead her closer to the truth.

“There’s more to it than you know,” I said finally, my voice hoarse.

I lifted my wrist, the markings stark in the dim light.

“This is connected to what’s happening to you.

” I hoped the faint glimmer of truth in my words would be enough for now.

I watched understanding flash in her gaze, her worry bleeding into confusion.

She sighed. “Connected how, Luca? Please, just tell me what this means.”

I searched for words that would skirt the curse’s edges without provoking it.

Everything was tangled, cloaked in shadows I couldn’t peel back.

“Some people… can’t fight certain battles alone,” I said slowly, choosing each word with the care of someone walking a tightrope.

“They need help, but that help often comes with a cost. A steep one.” I gestured between my markings and hers, letting her see the parallel.

“When that cost is paid, it binds you, in ways that can’t always be undone. ”

“You’re talking in riddles, Luca. What are you trying to say?”

I wanted to scream, to rage against the curse that had my throat in a vise grip.

I wanted to demolish the walls that held my words captive, to pour out every secret, every sacrifice, to let her see the scars that ran deeper than any mark the Shadow had left.

Instead, I took a breath, steadying the frustration that churned beneath my skin.

“Celeste, if I could tell you… if I could make you understand, I would,” I said, my voice raw, barely holding back the weight of my helplessness.

“But there are things I can’t say. Things I’ll never be allowed to say.

” I looked deeply into her eyes, hoping she could see the truth I couldn’t speak.

“Just know I’m doing everything I can to keep you safe.

Even if that means there are things you’ll never know. ”

Her hand came up to my cheek, easing the ache inside me. “And you think I wouldn’t understand?”

I managed a small, bitter smile, one that held the sadness I could never quite express. “That’s not it. The truth it’s dark. It’s twisted, and it’s hidden between the words left unsaid.”

She brushed her fingers over my cheek, and the softness in her gaze anchored me in a way I hadn’t known I needed. She understood that I was trying, that every barrier was one I fought against for her. And in that moment, the heaviness in my chest lifted a little so I could breathe.

I put my hand over hers on my cheek and squeezed it gently, everything I couldn’t say lingering between us. It wasn’t enough…not by far. But it was all I could give.