Page 104 of Their Reckless Thief
The healer nodded as he felt for her pulse on her wrist. His brow furrowed as he closed his eyes, sensing something beyond the physical. I waited, holding my breath as the tension mounted.
After what felt like an eternity, he opened his eyes and looked up at me, his expression serious.
“She’s been drugged,” he said, his voice low. “This is the typical physical response I would expect from someone who hasbeen given a date rape drug. If your men can get me a sample of her drink, we can be sure.”
My fists clenched at my sides, rage boiling in my veins. “Who the fuck would dare drug her right under my nose?”
The healer stood, his gaze steady. “This isn’t something common in your territory, but it happens. I need time to analyze exactly what it is. She’s stable for now. She should wake up soon, but she’ll be tired for a while. I’ll need to brew a few potions to cleanse whatever this is from her system.”
“Do it. I don’t care what it takes, just fix her.”
The healer bowed slightly before hurrying out of the room, leaving me standing there, staring at Celeste’s pale face. My rage threatened to boil over. Someone had done this to her. Someone had dared to harm what was mine.
I sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand. Her fingers twitched slightly, but she didn’t wake up. I brought her hand to my lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles, my gut burning with anger and something else I didn’t want to name.
“Whoever did this is going to pay. I swear it.”
As I sat there, watching over her, my mind raced with possibilities. Whoever had done this, whoever thought they could get away with hurting Celeste, had no idea what hell I was about to unleash.
31
LUCA
The room designatedfor torture in Vincenzo’s basement was drenched in shadows. Only faint light from a single, bare bulb hanging overhead illuminated the otherwise dim basement that smelled of sweat, blood, and fear.
The man in the chair slumped forward. The only reason he was still on the chair was because his wrists were bound behind it. He was barely conscious, a thin line of blood dribbling from his split lip and onto his shirt, already darkened with stains from the hours of punishment I’d put him through.
I leaned against the far wall, watching him. My hands itched, shadows coiling at my feet, crawling up the walls like living creatures, waiting for my command. I’d spent hours questioning him, torturing him in ways he didn’t even think were possible. He had given me nothing useful. Just excuses and pleas for mercy.
Pathetic.
“Wake up.” I wasn’t in a rush. Torture was a game of patience, a slow descent into madness that broke a man not just physically, but mentally. This piece of shit was nearly there.
The man groaned and raised his head slightly. One of his eyes was swollen shut, his face a mess of bruises and cuts. He blinked,trying to focus on me, but the terror was already there, lingering in his gaze.
“Please… I didn’t know… I didn’t…”
I stepped forward, shadows gathering around me. “Save it. I don’t care what you didn’t know.”
The man trembled, his body twitching against the restraints. I could hear his heartbeat—pounding, erratic, frantic. He was terrified. Good. He should be.
But fear wasn’t enough. Not after what he’d done.
“You drugged her,” I said, my voice steady, but the darkness in my tone was unmistakable. “You put something in her drink. That was your first mistake.”
“I... I didn’t mean to. She was so fucking hot, and someone slipped me a hundred to drug her,” he whimpered, his words stumbling over themselves, desperate for forgiveness he was never going to get. “I didn’t think it would turn into anything.”
I tilted my head, studying him with cold indifference. “Who slipped you the money?”
The shadows around me stirred, responding to my growing anger, slithering across the floor like snakes closing in on their prey. The man flinched, his breathing becoming shallow, as if he could sense what was coming.
“I swear,” he babbled, his voice cracking with terror. “I didn’t know she was connected to you or?—”
“Doesn’t matter, you fuckwit. That type of behavior is strictly forbidden in this territory.” I crouched in front of him, meeting his gaze. “I’m starting to realize that girl actually means something to me. Which makes this personal. You drugged the wrong fucking girl. And now you’re going to pay for it.”
The man’s face paled, panic setting in as he realized there was no escape. No amount of begging or pleading was going to save him.
“I swear, I don’t even know who paid me. I’m… I was just looking for a good time!”
