Page 81 of Their Reckless Thief
“You deserve the world, Celeste,” I said softly. “And I’ll give it to you. Even if it kills me.”
I guided her to the bed, laying her down with the gentleness she deserved. Her eyes fluttered shut, her breath evened out, and I stayed there, watching over her. My own desire was nothing compared to the satisfaction of seeing her safe, cared for, and utterly sated. For once, I could give her somethingwithout taking anything in return. And I would do it again and again.
24
VINCENZO
I lay in bed,staring down at Celeste asleep on my chest. Her breathing had calmed, a drastic contrast to the storm brewing inside me. My arm was wrapped around her, keeping her close, as if letting go would allow all the chaos to slip back into the room. As she slept, I counted every bruise that marked her body like a tally of pain she never should’ve endured.
Every inch of her skin told a story, stories I’d rip out of Roberto’s fucking throat when I got my hands on him. The purple bloom on her side, the welt at the edge of her ribs, the discolored skin at her neck. Roberto had done that. He had touched what was mine, left his filthy marks on her. I was going to make sure that the last thing he felt on this earth was pain, and I would drag out every second of his misery until there was nothing left of him.
I brushed my thumb gently over the bruise on her neck. It was the one that made my blood boil the most. It felt like chains were coiled around my chest and wrapping tighter with every breath. I couldn’t remember the last time I was this angry. No, I knew when. I could feel that dangerous heat rising again, the same kind of rage I hadn’t allowed myself to feel since?—
No. I wouldn’t think aboutthatnow. That was a different life, hundreds of years ago. What had happened was out of my control, though it didn’t hurt any less.
This? This was personal.
I held Celeste closer, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, breathing in her scent to calm the beast inside me. It didn’t work.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand, the vibration a low hum in the quiet room. I carefully shifted, trying not to wake her, and grabbed it.
Dorian:Got Roberto’s address.
I stared at the text for a long moment, feeling the fire in my veins flare even hotter. Game on. I thumbed the reply quickly, fingers tightening around the phone.
Vincenzo:What about the mirror?
Dorian:It’s too much to text. I’ll fill you in tomorrow.
Fine by me. Tomorrow was still too far away to care about anything other than the blood I was about to spill.
Vincenzo:That’s fine. I’ve got something else to handle tonight.
My thumb hovered over the screen for a second before I hit send. I glanced down at Celeste again. She was still asleep, still unaware of the storm brewing. For her sake, I’d get this over with fast, but Roberto wouldn’t get a quick death. Not after what he’d done.
My phone vibrated again.
Dorian:Went by to check on Celeste after seeing Fred. She wasn’t there. Any ideas?
I smirked slightly, the tension in me easing for a brief moment.
Vincenzo:She’s lying next to me.
I watched as the three dots popped up on the screen, then it stopped. The dots reappeared, then disappeared again. Then… nothing.
I could imagine the look on his face. The confusion, maybe a bit of surprise. Dorian was good at keeping his cards close, but this time he likely had no clue what was going on. I didn’t blame him. Hell, I didn’t know how the fuck I’d ended up with Celeste in my arms, our lives so tangled up together that I couldn’t see a way out. Not that I wanted one.
Now, it was about more than just her. It was aboutus. She was an obsession, a drug I wasn’t interested in giving up. Ever.
Anyone who tried to tear that apart would learn what it meant to cross the Lord of the Night.
I dropped the phone back on the nightstand and looked down at Celeste one last time before I slipped out of bed. She stirred slightly, her hand instinctively reaching out for me in her sleep, but she didn’t wake. Good.
I grabbed my jacket, putting it on as silently as I could. My heart pounded with the anticipation of what was about to come. The thought of facing Roberto, of ending his hold on her, made the rage easier to control.
I moved toward the door, glancing back at Celeste one more time. The room was dark, but the moonlight streaming in through the window cast a soft glow over her. She looked peaceful, like the world wasn’t trying to tear her apart every second of the day.
“I’ll be back,” I murmured under my breath, knowing full well she couldn’t hear me, but it was a promise all the same.
