Page 17 of Their Reckless Thief
Celeste’s gaze snapped over to Dorian and Luca, as if weighing her options. I leaned in closer again.
“Talk,dolcezza,” I said softly, the edge of the blade still pressed against her throat.
Her lips curled into a defiant smirk. “I heard something about The Shadow and some mirror. But I don’t give a fuck. Just let me go, and I’ll forget all about it.”
I grinned, but it wasn’t friendly. “Oh, you’ll forget all about it, huh?”
She didn’t waver. That impressed me.
I pressed the knife harder against her throat, drawing another drop of blood. I leaned in and licked it once more, savoring the taste of her, then whispered, “I don’t think you want me to stop.”
Her gasp was like music, her breathing ragged. The pink flush in her cheeks made me feel like I might come just from looking at her. I pulled back and stared at her, my eyes darkening. “Tell me you’re not turned on by this, and I’ll stop.” I pressed my body hard against hers.
Her eyes, full of fire, met mine. “Fuck you.”
She shuddered slightly against me, and her muscles tensed, but it wasn’t out of fear. Her breath quickened, and I could smell her arousal even stronger now. I slid one hand down to the front of her leather leggings, slipping my fingers inside. She was soaked for me, and I couldn’t stop the low groan that escaped my throat.
“Fuck,” I whispered, swiping at her wetness before bringing my fingers to my mouth and sucking the taste of her off them. I gave her a slow, knowing smile as I went back to her neck.
I laughed low in my chest. God, she was fun. I slid my hand down again, but before I could take it further, I stepped back, composing myself. There was a reason she was here, and I needed to remember that. No matter how much my body wanted to forget it.
Someone cleared their throat. Alessandro and Camilla stood at the doorway. “The footage was tampered with, boss. Couldn’t make out a damn thing,” Alessandro said.
Celeste was obviously good at what she did. I could certainly find ways to use her skills—in more ways than one.
I straightened, staring down at her. “You’ve got two options,dolcezza.I can kill you right now, or you can work for me. Be indebted to me, and all thatthatentails.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not fucking scared of you.”
“Oh, but you should be.” I jerked her forward, throwing her into Dorian’s arms. He caught her easily, grinning like a kid with a new toy.
“Lock her up,” I ordered. “I’ll figure out what to do with her tomorrow.”
She struggled against Dorian’s grip. “I can’t stay here. I’ve got people waiting for me. I’ve got a life, work to do.”
I glanced back at her over my shoulder, my voice cold when I spoke. “Not anymore.”
5
CELESTE
Dorian’s fingerswrapped around my wrist as he pulled me forward. His touch was warm and steady, but the moment our skin connected, something ignited in my mind.
The world tilted.
It hit me like a freight train—flashes of a vision pouring into my mind, searingly bright and impossible to ignore.
Suddenly, I was no longer standing in the cold, dim basement. I was somewhere else. A rooftop, maybe? No, a courtyard—huge, sprawling, lined with towering stone walls. Luca and Vincenzo flanked me as I rode on the back of a wolf—Dorian, I assumed. We were in the middle of a heist. Something big. Magic crackled around me, dangerous and unpredictable. Guards swarmed us, their eyes glowing with supernatural power, and an alarm blared from somewhere nearby.
Everything was going wrong.
“Move!” Vincenzo’s voice, sharp and urgent, cut through the chaos. I was running, my feet pounding against the cobblestone as I tried to make sense of what was happening. The plan had been flawless—or so we’d thought. Now, everything was spiraling out of control. I could feel the weight of failure pressingdown on me, suffocating. I seemed to care greatly about the success of this heist.
A blast of magic knocked me off balance, flinging me from Dorian’s back, and I hit the ground hard. Pain shot through my limbs, but before I could recover, Luca was grabbing my arm, pulling me to safety before we were surrounded. I could sense his panic, his desperation to protect me.
Then, as quickly as it had begun, the vision faded, and I was yanked back into the present.
The basement swam back into focus, but everything felt off. Dorian’s hand was still on my wrist, his grip tightening slightly as he leaned down, eyes scanning my face with confusion.
