Page 22 of Their Reckless Thief
I leaned back in my chair, my eyes locked on hers. The question wasn’t completely unexpected, but it still caught me a little off guard. Not many people cared to ask. Usually, I was just the muscle, the charming distraction, or the one handling the dirty work no one else wanted to touch.
“My story?” I twirled the dagger in my hand, letting it spin through my fingers before catching it by the blade. “Well, darling, I’m not just a pretty face, though I know you’ve probably noticed that already.”
She rolled her eyes, but a faint smirk played on her lips. “Obviously. But what do youdo? Besides babysitting the people who get thrown into this hellhole?”
I chuckled. “Babysitting? That’s a new one. I like to think of it as... managing security. Keeping the peace. Making sure no one tries anything stupid.” I leaned forward, my smirk slipping into something a bit more serious. “I’m the lord of the nightlife. I run all the clubs, the gambling, and the fighting rings for Vincenzo. You wanna have fun in The Below? You’ll be walking through one of my doors eventually.”
Her eyebrows lifted slightly. “So, you’re in charge of... entertainment.”
“Something like that.” I grinned. “But I’ve got more going on than just the nightlife. If there’s money to be made, I’m in the mix. And let’s just say my role makes me pretty valuable toVincenzo.” I winked at her. “Though tonight, it seems I’ve been demoted tobabysitting.”
She laughed. “I’m sure you love that.”
“Absolutely,” I said with a grin. “It’s my favorite thing in the world—babysitting thieves who break into mafia strongholds.”
She smiled, a flicker of amusement cutting through the tension. “Speaking of strongholds, I was at a casino earlier tonight for a gig. Is it one of yours?”
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Which one?”
“The one with the obnoxiously overpriced drinks and the vampires who look like they’d suck your blood just to avoid a bad hand. I think it was called The Midnight Den or something cheesy like that.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, that sounds about right. That’s one of mine.”
Her lips curved into a wry smile. “Figures.”
“Gotta keep things interesting,” I said with a smirk. “Running a casino’s one way to do that. Keeps the nights lively.”
“Must be hard to keep all that in line.”
I shrugged. “It’s a balancing act. But if anyone tries to pull something, we handle it. Swiftly.”
“So, what happens to me? Do I get handled swiftly?” There was a hint of flirtation in her tone, and something primal churned inside me.
I grinned. “Depends. You planning on cheating me, too, love?”
She smirked. “Maybe.”
“Good,” I said, flashing a wicked smile. “I like a challenge.”
“I’ve heard of you.” Her lips curled into a weak smile. “You’re a wolf shifter. You know, I’ve never seen anyone shift. I mean, I’ve seen plenty of shifters in both of their forms, but I’ve never witnessed the process of them shifting. Why don’t you provide some entertainment for me?”
The audacity of this fucking woman.
I shrugged. “Why the hell not?”
I slowly removed my clothes, picking up on her increasing heart rate. I didn’t actually need to undress. My clothes were stored in a pocket realm when I shifted and returned to my body when I shifted back. But I couldn’t resist performing a striptease for my little prisoner. Maybe she would like what she saw. I ignored the desire coursing through my veins and shifted.
Within seconds, I felt the familiar tingle of my body shifting. My senses were heightened as I stretched into my gray wolf form. I pranced around, my fur grazing the bars of her cell.
She applauded. “Truly fascinating.”
I quickly shifted back and pulled my clothes on. “Glad I could entertain you.”
“Does it hurt?” she asked.
I shrugged. “It’s more of a tingle.”
We sat in silence for a few minutes. She refused to look at me, but I couldn’t tear my gaze from her. Her eyelids drooped as her body finally gave in to the fatigue that must’ve been gnawing at her. After all, she’d been through a hell of a lot. I grabbed the extra blankets and pillows I’d brought down earlier and covered her up.
