Page 90 of Their Reckless Thief
Luca’s silver eyes caught the light as he watched me sink into the chair across the room from him. The silence stretched between us, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Not really.
“I don’t sleep much,” he finally said in a low, gravelly voice, as though the admission cost him something.
“Nightmares?” I asked, keeping my tone casual even though I was curious as hell.
Luca’s jaw tightened, then he nodded before staring into the fire again. “Memories. They come back when I close my eyes. Every night.”
I swallowed, unsure if I should push or stay silent. Luca wasn’t the type to open up easily, but something about the quiet of the night seemed to have loosened the grip he had on his own demons.
Luca’s eyes drifted to my breasts, and I was suddenly very aware that I was not wearing a bra under my oversized T-shirt. The woodstove was doing very little to negate the chill, but I warmed under his gaze.
“What kind of memories?”
Luca didn’t move. He stayed completely still, his shadows curling lightly at the edges of the room, as if they too were hesitant. When he spoke, his voice was rough around the edges, like broken glass. “My family.”
I leaned forward slightly, resting my arms on my knees. Luca’s family was a mystery to me. I knew they were powerful fae, which was part of the reason why he was so skilled with shadows, but I didn’t know much beyond that.
“They betrayed me,” he continued, his voice sharp. “They disowned me after I aligned myself with the wrong side in a political power play. I was left to fend for myself, barely surviving on the streets of The Below. That’s where Vincenzo found me.”
I felt a twinge of… empathy? Understanding? Luca was always so cold and controlled. It was strange to think of him as someone who had been abandoned, left to struggle in a world that had once been his home.
“I’m sorry.” It felt insufficient, but it was all I had to offer.
Luca’s lips twitched into something that might have been a smile if it weren’t so bitter. “Don’t be. It made me stronger. But the nightmares... they don’t go away. Every night, it’s the same thing. Their faces. Their voices.”
I leaned back, letting his words settle between us. The flames from the fireplace crackled softly, casting warm, flickering shadows across Luca’s face. He looked tired, more tired than I’d ever seen him.
“That’s why you don’t sleep,” I said, more of a realization than a question.
“Why would I want to?” His voice was barely above a whisper.
I studied him for a while longer, then, without really thinking about it, I moved across the room and stood beside him. He tensed at first, and I almost stepped back. Almost. Instead, I put my hand on his arm. I wasn’t sure he’d accept the gesture of comfort.
To my surprise, Luca didn’t pull away. He looked surprised, almost as if he didn’t expect this kind of warmth from me—or anyone for that matter.
I brushed my thumb over his forearm. “I’m used to dealing with nightmares.”
Luca’s expression softened a fraction. A quiet understanding passed between us, a moment of shared vulnerability. The tension was almost palpable, but it was different this time. Less hostile. More charged.
My pulse quickened, and I wondered if he was feeling the same magnetic pull I was. Then, Luca’s expression changed, his walls slamming back into place.
“It’s better not to sleep,” he said in his usual guarded tone.
I pulled my hand back, my pulse still racing. “You’d rather avoid it altogether? That can’t be healthy.”
“Nightmares are only dangerous if you let them consume you. I won’t let that happen.”
I nodded, understanding more than I let on. “I get that.”
Luca’s gaze lingered on my eyes, then he looked away, staring back into the fire. “You should get some rest. We have a long day tomorrow.”
“Yeah,” I said, though I knew sleep wouldn’t come easily again. Not with everything swimming around in my mind.
I started to walk away, but I stopped when I reached the door. “If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here.”
Luca didn’t respond, but the way his eyes followed me as I left the room told me more than words ever could.
As I wandered back to my room, I thought about the calming—thenumbing—effects Phantomine had on me. It allowed me to sleep at night. Tonight, though, after hearing that snippet of Luca’s story? Maybe I needed to feel it all. Maybe I needed to stay awake and let the thoughts come.
