Page 2 of Vow to Corrupt You
“I am in no need of a wife, and I could have any woman I want in Palermo and beyond.” A smirk of amusement tugs at my usually stone-carved mouth. Paint me impressed because the old man managed to entertain me. “You’re not someone important either, Lucio. You’re a mere pawn in my syndicate. I could wipe out your whole family and leave no trace of your existence. A marriage to your daughter would bring me no benefit.”
Lucio straightens, and a hint of panic flashes across his face. “Mr. Romano…my daughters, they’re all so beautiful—” he panics, but the gunshot to his son’s leg, followed by a sharp cry of pain, silences him. His first instinct is to reach for his son, but a glance at me stops him cold. If not for the furrow in his brow and the anguish in his eyes, one might forget he was the boy’s father.
“Shush,” I raise my fingers to my mouth with a stoic calm. “I told my uncle and you that you have one sentence to convince me to spare your son’s life. You’ve run out of your chances. Speak again, and the next bullet goes through his head.”
A desperate sigh escapes Lucio’s mouth, and his face falls, realizing that there isn’t much hope left for his son’s life. I watch his body shaking. He wants to say something but holds it in, nibbling his lip nervously. I inflict no physical harm, yet inside, he must feel like he’s writhing in the burning flames of Hell. How unfortunate—for Hell is where I thrive.
Dimitris lets out a heavied sigh that I hear behind me. “Niko—” my uncle speaks, but I raise my left hand, signaling he should stop—and of course, he does.
I take a few slow steps toward Lucio and stop just inches away, hovering above him.
“I am in no need of a wife, but having your daughter for the rest of her days will be far better than taking your son’s life in a mere second. I will marry her so you remember, every day, the price you pay for your son’s life.”
My lips twitch up imperceptibly at the idea.Thisis the right punishment. Taking Salvatore’s life would be so easy. Too easy. It’d feel more like a punishment for his father, his family. But having the traitor’s sister as my whim? Making him torture himself over it, blaming himself, fearing for her, feeling constant guilt for the rest of his life? The torment it’ll put him through feels way more satisfying.
And what do I get from it?Fun.
Fun and a beautiful woman.
I heard people talking about Lucio’s daughters. Well, a daughter and stepdaughters since he remarried many years ago. I heard they’re all beautiful, but it doesn’t matter. That’s just a nice addition. Like I told the old man, I could have any woman I want. One with a higher status, or an established position from an allied Mafia. An enemy’s Mafia. Since I turned eighteen, marriage proposals have been offered like bargaining chips to forge new alliances or strengthen old ones. Never interesting enough. As a leader ofThe Gods, a secret society that grants me international influence and enough power to do as I please, I do not need that. I don’t seek love either—never believed in it. Nevertheless, I do have some expectations to meet. The society members have been whispering for quite some time now that I need a wife who will give me an heir. Not interested in that, either. But marrying anobodylike Lucio’s daughter would bethe perfect solution. It would shut their mouths, at least about the marriage part. Plus, a woman from a family like the Contis would obey my will, so no pressure about the heir.
What I do want, though, is merely a little twisted kind of entertainment.
In an instant, Lucio realizes what he’s done. Forging a pact with me is like striking a deal with the Devil. He’s just condemned his daughter’s soul for a lifetime. Once she marries me, she’ll be at my mercy—my personal plaything I will gladly bend and break to suit my own darkness.
His gaze drops to the ground as he’s no longer able to hold back his tears. He grips the bridge of his nose with his fingers and sobs, gagging on his emotion.
“Chin up, Lucio.” With a sharp press of the muzzle, I lift his head up to face me. “We’re going to be family. There’s a wedding coming. It’s time to celebrate,” I mock, a sardonic grin curling up the corner of my lips upward.
Lucio takes a deep breath. His teary eyes dart between mine as he nods. There’s a remaining drop on his wet lashes, and I wait until it drips down.
“Good.” I nod. “You should be proud that you, of all people, will have me as your son-in-law.”
“I am proud, Mr. Romano. It’s a privilege.” His voice falters intermittently, but he strives to conceal his simmering resentment.
I cast a devious sneer, “Don’t worry, Lucio. I’ll make good use of your daughter.”
