Page 144 of Their Reckless Thief
“B-positive.”
She dipped her head and scurried off, moving lithely through the room.
I leaned back and exhaled slowly. I was taking in the familiar surroundings when someone slid into the seat across from me. I looked up at Dante, who wore his usual cocky grin. We went back centuries, he and I. He was the kind of vampire who enjoyed his freedom too much to tie himself down with obligations. Every offer I’d made him to join my ranks had been turned down with a wink and a toast to eternal bachelorhood. He enjoyed the finer things in life and had no intention of complicating that.
“Vincenzo,” he drawled, smirk widening. “I’ve been hearinginterestingthings.”
I didn’t dignify that with a response, merely arched an eyebrow.
“Word is you’ve taken a little human pet. A prisoner, from what I’ve heard. And you’re keeping her all to yourself. What’s the attraction? More importantly, how’s the sex?”
Irritation surged through me. Under any other circumstances, I would’ve brushed off his questions and indulged in the camaraderie. But the insinuation struck a nerve. I leaned forward, my eyes narrowing to slits.
“That’s none of your fucking business, Dante. Mind your own affairs.”
Dante held up his hands, feigning innocence. “Touchy. Didn’t mean to step on your toes. Though I never thought I’d see you sopossessive.” His tone held a subtle mockery that only fueled my irritation.
Before I could respond, the server returned, placing the goblet of blood on the low table in front of me. I lifted it, swirling the thick, dark liquid as it caught the candlelight, the scent rich and grounding. I took a slow, deliberate sip, the metallic tang settling on my tongue.
Dante leaned back, his expression shifting to something more serious. “Relax, Vincenzo. Let’s talk business. Rumor has it you’ve got a bit of a Phantomine problem. Tainted supplies, overdoses plaguing your territory.”
The blood turned bitter on my tongue. “It’s being handled.”
Dante eyed me carefully. “That so? Because from where I’m sitting, it looks like you’re letting things slip. People are talking, saying you’re losing your edge. Maybe you’re not as untouchable as you once were.”
White-hot anger blazed through me. The goblet slipped out of my hand, crashing to the floor as I moved. In a flash, I had one hand around his throat. Dante’s eyes widened in shock, but he didn’t resist, merely held my gaze as I tightened my grip until his pulse fluttered under my fingers.
“Listen closely,” I growled. “You go out there and you tell them that Vincenzo Moretti is more powerful than he’s ever been. I don’t care what they think they’ve heard, but if anyone questions my strength again, they’ll see how fucking wrong they are.”
The den had gone silent. Every eye was on us, fear pulsing in the air. I released him, letting him slump back into his seat. He gave a faint nod as he rubbed his throat. I stood back and turned in a slow circle, addressing the entire room.
“Spread the word,” I called out. “Whoever is fucking with my supply will pay dearly. Anyone with information on this will be rewarded handsomely. My territory is not up for grabs. This city is mine, and anyone who thinks otherwise will meet a very painful end.”
The vampires nodded, a silent agreement rippling through the crowd. None of them would dare ignore my warning. I turned back to the server, who’d watched the entire exchange with wide eyes.
“Blood to go,” I said, my tone colder than ice.
She scrambled to comply, and within seconds, I had a fresh goblet in my hand. I took a long, final sip, letting the taste of power linger before I strode to the exit, my footsteps echoing through the heavy silence.
44
LUCA
The past weekhad been a brutal assault on my senses, memories tearing into me like the jagged edges of broken glass. No matter how much I tried to drown them out, to bury them beneath layers of practiced indifference, the images rose like a relentless tide, flooding my mind, pulling me under. Celeste—vivid, untamed, impossible to ignore. She had burned herself into me. Her voice, her touch, and the rawness of her desire was etched into every corner of my mind. She’d stirred feelings in me, deep, reckless feelings I’d restrained for years.
I forced myself through every motion of my routine, training, pacing, and pouring myself into anything that kept me busy, but she was always present at the edge of my mind, haunting me. I had kept busy the past couple of days with The Shadow’s assignments, but even those were tainted with thoughts of her.
The mansion was too quiet tonight, every shadow sharpened, every distant sound amplified. I stalked the hallway, restless, caught somewhere between frustration and surrender. Then I heard a soft, muffled sound that slid past my defenses. A second later, it came again, and it twisted my gut.
I told myself it was my mind playing tricks, a feverish wish conjured out of this unwanted obsession with Celeste, butI found myself moving toward her room before I could even think to stop. I opened the door, bracing myself to leave if it was nothing, but the sight before me shattered any pretense of indifference.
Celeste was tangled in her sheets, her skin damp with sweat, her breaths shallow and erratic. Dorian and Vincenzo were pacing the room, but when they saw the look in my eyes, they made their exit, leaving me to grapple with whatever this was inside me.
“She’s detoxing from the Phantomine,” Vincenzo explained as he walked past me.
The sight of her hit me like a punch to the gut. She was trapped somewhere between agony and exhaustion, her control splintering.
This wasn’t the strong, sharp-witted woman who could handle whatever was thrown at her. No, right now, she was raw and exposed, and it looked like she was breaking.
