Page 91 of Their Reckless Thief (The Below #1)

CELESTE

I struggled to open my eyes as the comforting haze of sleep refused to let me go. For a moment, I forgot where I was, the familiar tug of fear threatening to pull me under. When my gaze focused, I saw them—Dorian, Luca, and Vincenzo—all sitting around my bed, their attention fixed on me.

They were here. I wasn’t alone.

The memories of my past traumas—nights spent trembling in isolation—threatened to rise, but the sight of them grounded me, like an anchor tethering me to the present. They jumped to their feet when they realized I was awake, their movements sharp, their concern palpable.

“Hey, love,” Dorian said as he came to sit beside me. “You’ve been asleep for ten hours. How do you feel?”

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, marveling at how rested I felt. “Surprisingly refreshed.”

I pushed myself up onto my elbows, glancing at Luca and Vincenzo. They stood at attention, their expressions etched with worry that didn’t quite belong on their faces. Men like them shouldn’t look so vulnerable, but their concern for me was laid bare.

“I swear,” I said with a smile. “That’s the best sleep I’ve had in a very long time. No nightmares.”

“ Dolcezza ,” Vincenzo began, his voice low and filled with regret as he sat on the other side of the bed and took my hand. “I hated to see you like that. The hold that fucking bastard has on you… We will protect you. He won’t get to you.”

There was no hesitation, no doubt in his promise, and that made my heart clench.

Luca climbed onto the foot of the bed, his hand finding my ankle and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“Vincenzo’s right,” he said, his tone steady but edged with quiet fury.

“He can fuck with your mind, but he can’t physically harm you.

Once we’ve got the Mirror of Truths, we’ll take him out.

You just need to hold on a little longer, sweetheart. ”

Sweetheart . The way he said it, so soft, so unguarded, made something in me crack. They were here—strong, unshakable, and wholly devoted to me.

“I know.” I looked at each of them in turn. “I know you’ll protect me.” And I believed it. For the first time in my life, I truly felt safe. “I think I’ll take a shower.”

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, pressing a soft kiss to Dorian’s cheek as I stood. “You guys don’t have to stay.”

They exchanged a look, and I knew what it meant before either of them spoke.

I laughed lightly and shook my head. “Suit yourselves. But I warn you, this might take a while.”

The hot water cascaded over my back, washing away the remnants of sleep and the lingering shadows in my mind.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep, steadying breath.

For so long, showers had been a refuge, a place to cry where no one could hear me, where I could pretend the water on my face wasn’t tears.

But now, that life seemed distant, not mine anymore.

I thought about them—Dorian, Luca, Vincenzo. They were all so different, yet each of them had become my lifeline in different ways. They didn’t only protect me physically, they also healed the parts of me I hadn’t even realized were broken.

I glanced at the dark markings on my skin, reminded of The Shadow’s taunts and the nightmares he’d woven into my mind. He wanted me to feel powerless, but I wasn’t. Not anymore. Not when I had them by my side.

When I emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, I froze at the sight before me. All three of them were lined up neatly on the edge of my bed, like soldiers awaiting orders—or expectant fathers. The image made me laugh.

“You guys really didn’t have to stay,” I said, smirking as I leaned against the doorframe.

Vincenzo was the first to stand, his gaze dragging over me slowly, possessively. “If you want us to leave, then say so, dolcezza .”

The intensity in his eyes stole my breath, and for a moment, I forgot how to speak. My pulse quickened. I wanted them to stay. I wanted them in every sense of the word. I wanted their hands on me, their mouths on me. I wanted all of them, all at once.

“No,” I said, my voice breathier than I intended. “I want you to stay.”

The air in the room shifted, heavy with tension and unspoken promises. Dorian was the first to move as he stood and crossed the room toward me.

“You sure about that, love?” he asked, his voice low and teasing, though his eyes burned with a fire that had heat pooling in my belly.

I nodded, unable to form words as Vincenzo stepped closer, trailing his fingers down my arm with deliberate slowness.

Luca remained seated, his gaze so intense it made my knees weak. “You don’t have to say anything. We’re here, Celeste. For whatever you need.”

In that moment, with them surrounding me, I felt the weight of my past lifting, and something lighter—something brighter—took its place. Love. Safety. Healing. These men were teaching me to trust, to hope, and to believe in something better.

For the first time in years, I didn’t feel broken. I felt whole. And I owed it all to them.

Vincenzo sighed, and his strong arms encircled me. I breathed in his scent—smoky, masculine, and laced with something uniquely him. He placed a featherlight kiss on my ear that sent shivers cascading down my spine.

Dorian and Luca watched me with an intensity that left me off balance. They looked at me like I was something sacred, something to be cherished and protected. And gods, did I crave it. After everything I’d endured, it was almost too much to take in.

But here they were. Dorian, Vincenzo, Luca.

My men. Each so different, so impossibly strong, and yet they all wanted me.

They wanted all of me. Not just my body, but the fractured pieces of my soul that I’d spent years trying to hide.

They cared about the person beneath the barriers, the one who had been broken but refused to crumble entirely.

The thought made my chest tighten. I didn’t just want them—I needed them. And in their own ways, they needed me.

I took a deep breath, my heart pounding as anticipation coiled in my stomach.

Vincenzo’s hand slipped down my side to my waist, and his touch made my skin come alive.

Dorian moved behind me, his hand grazing the small of my back as he leaned in, his breath warm against my neck.

I shivered, unable to suppress the tremor that ran through me.

Luca didn’t move from his perch on the bed. His eyes, molten and unblinking, stayed locked on mine as he licked his lips slowly, hungrily. With his gaze on me, I felt like the only woman in the world.

Vincenzo’s fingers traced the curve of my neck, then moved lower, ghosting over my collarbone. His touch left goosebumps in its wake, and I arched toward him. His other hand slid down my side, pausing above the swell of my breast before pressing firmly.

A soft moan escaped me, and Vincenzo chuckled darkly, the sound vibrating through me as he nuzzled my neck. His lips found the sensitive spot below my ear, nibbling gently, sending ripples of heat through me.

Behind me, Dorian’s hands were firmer, sliding up and down my back in slow, deliberate strokes. He reached the edge of my towel and tugged gently. The fabric slithered down my skin and pooled at my feet, leaving me bare before them.

Dorian wrapped one arm around my waist, pulling me back against him. His erection pressed against me, his lips grazing my ear. “You are the most beautiful creature to ever walk the earth.”

Vincenzo stepped back slightly, his dark eyes roaming over my body with an intensity that made me shiver. “Last chance, dolcezza . If you want us to leave, say so,” he murmured, though the smirk tugging at his lips told me he already knew my answer.

My breath hitched, my chest rising and falling as I struggled to find words. “No,” I finally murmured. “I want you to stay.”

The air grew heavy with desire. Dorian pressed a kiss to my shoulder, his hands sliding lower, teasing the curve of my hips. Vincenzo cupped my cheek, tilting my face up to meet his gaze.

“Good.” Vincenzo’s low voice sent a thrill through me. He brushed his thumb over my lower lip before he leaned in and caught it between his teeth, tugging gently.

I gasped, arching into him, as his other hand traced the line of my jaw, then moved lower, leaving a trail of fire across my skin. He kissed his way down my neck, his tongue flicking out to taste me as he went.

Dorian’s hands continued their exploration, one sliding between my legs, his fingers brushing against my sensitive skin. The touch was light, teasing, sending jolts of electricity through me.

“Fuck, Celeste,” Dorian whispered, his voice rough and full of awe.

I didn’t have time to respond before Vincenzo pulled back, his lips hovering above mine. “Luca, take my place. Keep her warm for me.”

Luca was on his feet and in front of me in an instant.

He framed my face with his hands, his thumbs brushing over my cheeks as he stared into my eyes, searching for an answer to a question he didn’t need to ask.

I nodded, and he surged forward, his mouth crashing against mine.

When his tongue teased mine, I melted into him, my hands tangling in his hair.

Luca’s kiss was different from Vincenzo’s, slower, more deliberate, like he was savoring every second. His hands roamed over my body, his touch reverent and sure.

Behind me, Dorian’s touch grew bolder, sliding lower until his fingers found my clit. He circled it slowly, teasingly, drawing a moan from my lips that Luca swallowed with another kiss.

I felt Luca smile against my mouth before he broke away, his lips moving to my neck, then lower, kissing a trail down my stomach. He nudged me backward onto the bed, following me down and urging my legs apart.

“I want to taste you, Celeste. I’ve been dreaming about you on my tongue ever since last time.”