Page 61 of Vow to Corrupt You
“My father mentioned your conversation.” Right, his father—the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. They’re both equally intrusive. “And people have said that you didn’t marry for love.” He brushes the back of his fingers down my cheek. His touch is as unsettling as it is paralyzing. “We could run away together. Leave everything behind. We could even leave the country.”
“What are you talking about? You’re clearly drunk.” I go to push him away, but he leans closer, gripping my arms with a hold so strong it hurts. “Let me go! You’re hurting me.”
“I know you want this.” He presses me into the wall, leaving me no room to escape, no matter how hard I try to yank away. “I can help you escape your husband,” he whispers against my lips, attempting to kiss me.
“Stop!” I writhe against him.
Suddenly, all the alcohol in me evaporates, and I’m sobered by fear. My pulse races as I feel trapped and scared. I can’t even bear to think of the possible outcomes—they’re all dark and dangerous in my mind.
Raffaele grips my chin tightly, his thumb pressing hard on one side, his index finger digging into the other, forcing my lips to part. A wave of panic crashes over me like a tidal wave. His eyes are ominous, devoid of the kindness I once knew. Now, all I see is an oppressor I desperately want to escape from. Except I can’t. He’s too strong.
“I waited for you while you wasted your time on that dumbass boyfriend who didn’t even respect you,” he snarls, his voice dripping with such venom that suffocates me with fear. “But I was waiting, giving you the chance to notice me, but you never did. Instead, you married a ruthless psycho, a murderer who has power only because he slaughters people.”
“That’s true,” a dark yet familiar voice rumbles in my ears, “and you’ve just jumped to the top of my list of people I’m going to kill.”
CHAPTER 32
Nikos
My chin rests heavily on my fingers as I sit in one of the meeting rooms at Olympus. We need to finally discuss the exclusion of the Castro family. After their direct attack against me, all members now agree they’re out. A betrayal against one member is a betrayal against us all. He’s brought this upon himself and has no one else to blame.
Heavy smoke hangs in the air as we plot our next move. The vendetta is brewing, and we need a new channel to smuggle the drugs. South America’s out—the Castro cartel’s got that locked down. But there’s one more possibility that, until now, was off the table. Monsera. A small but influential country in North Africa. Leandro Jamal Almaviri, who has a grip on the underground there, wanted to join The Gods for many years. But there’s one slight issue. He’s the king’s brother. A fucking member of royalty. And while such an influential network, all hidden behind the façade of royalty, is tempting, it’s also dangerous. A man with that much control may be a threat, and in our world, such a man is either an ally or an enemy—there’s no in-between.
Vidar Vold, Aric’s father, leans forward. “We need to vote.” The room goes still. The older man rarely attends meetings anymore. His declining health keeps him in Norway. While some meetings occur in other regions of The Gods, including Norway, Olympus is the headquarters, and most meetings are held here. That’s why we accepted his son, Aric, into The Gods because the frequent travel had become a burden for Vidar, just like Rodrigo Castro, who took his seat because his father’s got one foot in the grave already.
However, Aric is far more mature than Rodrigo ever was. He couldn’t handle half the weight Aric already carried. That’s the difference. Aric is steady and calculating, a man with a good head on his shoulders. And yet, despite everything, Vidar insisted on showing up today.
Vidar methodically scans the room, scrutinizing each of us. The vote begins. One by one, hands rise—every man in favor of Almaviri joining. Everyone except Vidar. His hand stays down. The decision is dead, just like that. Every member must agree unanimously for a decision to pass—no exceptions. The room falls silent, jaws tightening as all eyes turn to Vold.
“Then there’s only one way to solve the issue,” Thorne breaks the silence.
“And what would that be, Thorne?” Vold drawls.
“An alliance between the Volds and the Almaviris.”
Vidar’s expression darkens. “You mean to suggest?”
“A marriage,” Thorne states, as if proposing a simple business deal. Nothing unusual in our world. The word is that Barry Thorne himself is planning an arranged marriage for his heir with a Polish mafia princess. “Aric and Leandro’s daughter. It ends the war and forges the alliance we need.”
The room erupts into murmurs, half the men nodding, the other half whispering, but I can’t bring myself to focus. My fingers absentmindedly tap against the marble surface, and since I occupy a head seat as the leading chief, it draws attention. But then my phone starts ringing.
“Excuse me.” I grab my phone, which won’t stop vibrating and distracting the hell out of me.
“Where are you going, Nikos?” Hyunseok yells after me as I’m heading out of the meeting room. “We were supposed to discuss the joining of the Vergoossens to our society. Their leader, Chris—”
“Not today,” I bark before closing the door behind me.
My soldiers know better than to interrupt me during these meetings, so I assume something serious might’ve happened.
I dial the last incoming number and press the phone to my ear, looking through the glass wall in the hallway. “What is it, Remo?”
“I’m sorry to bother you, boss, but it’s about your wife.”
A sudden tension seizes me, every instinct on high alert. “What about her?”
“She hasn’t returned home yet.”
“What do you mean my wife hasn’t returned home yet? And where is she?”
