Page 121 of Their Reckless Thief
I could tell by her tone that she meant it. The harshness of The Below, the mafia life, was hard to shake. But here? This was life before the darkness crept in.
“Come on,” I said, holding out my hand. “Let me introduce you to my family.”
She took my hand, and I led her toward the cabin. The aroma of cooking meat wafted toward us, rich and hearty. My mother was known for her cooking. We walked through the front door, and there they were: my mom, standing in the kitchen, apron tied around her waist; my dad, leaning against the counter, looking proud as ever; my sister, gorgeous as usual, with her husband standing behind her, smiling warmly at us.
“Well, well, well,” my mom called out, her eyes immediately lighting up when she saw Celeste. “And who’s this lovely young woman?”
I grinned. “This is Celeste Callahan.”
Celeste blushed under my mother’s intense scrutiny, and before she could protest, my mom rushed over and enveloped her in a hug.
“Dorian never brings girls home,” she whispered to Celeste, loud enough for everyone to hear. “You must be a very special girl.”
Celeste laughed awkwardly and glanced at me.
I shrugged, grinning like a fool.
“Come, come.” My mom ushered us to the table. “We’re about to have lunch. You must join us.”
As we sat down, the conversation flowed easily. The kids, now settled, regaled us with tales of their latest adventures in the woods. My dad talked about how things had been going with the pack. My sister teased me mercilessly about bringing Celeste here, though there was a warmth to her teasing that I knew came from a good place.
Celeste fit in surprisingly well. She laughed, she listened, she even shared a few stories of her own, carefully avoiding the more dangerous parts of her life. It was light, easy... and a world away from the tension we’d grown accustomed to.
I couldn’t stop glancing at her as the meal went on. The way she smiled. The way she listened to my family like she was genuinely interested. There was something different about this moment. Something good. Something real.
After lunch, I helped her stand, knowing she was still a bit sore. Outside, she gave me a soft smile. “Thank you, Dorian. I needed this.”
I nodded, even though my chest was tight. “Anytime, love.”
As we made our way back to the car, the kids ran after us, waving wildly. “Come back soon, Uncle Dorian! And bring Celeste!”
Laughing, I waved back at them. I couldn’t help noticing the warmth in Celeste’s gaze as she watched them.
Maybe, just maybe, we were finding a little piece of normal amid all the chaos.
As I held the SUV door for Celeste, she asked, “What made you want to leave all of this to work for Vincenzo?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know whether you’ve realized this or not, but Vincenzo is a very powerful man. This place, my people, needs protecting. I can’t do that hiding away in the woods from all danger. Working for Vincenzo gives me control… a way to assert power and have a hand in the decisions that, ultimately, might affect my family.”
I shut the door and went around to the driver’s side. As soon as I sat behind the wheel, Celeste took my hand. “That’s really noble of you, stepping outside an area of comfort to ensure the safety of your loved ones. I admire that.”
I squeezed her hand. “That’s why I wanted to bring you here. To show you that there’s another side of The Below. There are families and people who depend on people like Vincenzo and me to keep things in balance.”
Before I drove us back to Vincenzo’s mansion, I pulled over on the side of the road. Celeste raised an eyebrow. “Is this the part where you drag me into the woods, murder me, and bury my body where no one will ever find it?”
I laughed and kissed the back of her hand. “Not quite. I want to show you something.”
The woods were quiet except for the soft crunch of leaves under our feet. I led Celeste along the familiar path, making sure to take it slow. She winced from time to time, and I didn’t want to rush her when she wasn’t fully healed. She didn’t complain, though. She never did, not even when she was hurting. That was part of what I admired about her. She was strong, sometimes too strong for her own good.
I glanced over at her, the sunlight filtering through the canopy and casting a soft glow on her face. “You’ve been tomy special spot in the human world,” I said, giving her hand a squeeze, “but there’s another place I want to show you. My childhood hideout.”
She raised an eyebrow, a little smile tugging at her lips. “You had a hideout?”
“Damn right I did.” I grinned back at her. “You didn’t think I always spent my time charming my way through life, did you? There once was a time when I, Dorian Voss, spent hours upon hours keeping myself entertained.”
She chuckled softly, and in that moment, I was completely content. The path wound deeper into the forest, and I could feel her relax with each step we took away from the chaos of The Below. This place had always been a sanctuary for me growing up. Even now, I found peace here in a way I didn’t anywhere else.
Finally, we reached the cave. It wasn’t much from the outside, just a small opening in the rock, but it meant something. It was my place, my escape. And now, I was sharing it with her.
