Page 79 of Vow to Corrupt You
“You knew he was scheming with Valeria?” I focus on his wound, dabbing carefully around it.
“I did.”
I glance up. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Would you have believed me if I did?” His gaze bores into mine so deeply, it feels like it can penetrate straight into my soul. “Would you have believed me if I told you your own sister was plotting against your back, risking your brother’s life?”
My head bows, unable to face him. He’s right. I wouldn’t have believed him. Not before. But now… Now, I will never have any doubts. His word will be sacred to me because this man has proven his loyalty. Something I’ll never find again. He’s never lied to me. Never betrayed. He’s always been protecting me.
He grabs my wrist, firm but not harsh. The pad slips from my fingers as he pulls me closer. Our eyes lock again, and when they do, it’s like everything else fades. Like there’s an invisible bond between us. I don’t speak. I don’t ask any more questions. Right now, I know no words could possibly erase the pain we’ve both experienced. But together we’ll endure just another one of life’s traumas.
His other hand rises to cup my face, and before I know it, his lips are on mine. It starts slow, like he’s testing the waters, but the second I lean into him, it becomes raw, all-consuming. His hands slide from my face down to my waist, pulling me onto his lap as if I belong there. I do. Now, more than ever. The ridges of his muscles flex with every movement as my hands move on their own, tracing the hard lines of his toned chest, his shoulders, everywhere I can reach. I can’t get enough. I want to feel every inch of him under my fingertips. My lips trail down his jaw, his neck, and I feel his fingers dig into my hips. His head tilts back slightly, his hands now roaming my back, and I swear I can feel him shudder under me. Eventually, his lips find mine again, hungrier this time, and I lose myself in him. His hands tug at my shirt, and I let him pull it over my head, my bare skin pressing against his. His touch is everywhere. My sides, back, thighs, and I can’t get enough. I guide him back, his body sinking into the chair as I straddle him fully. His hands are on my hips, sliding down to grip my thighs, and I feel the heat between us building. This isn’t gentle, and it isn’t soft. It’s desperate, raw. It’s a way to drown out everything else.
For once, I feel like we’re the same. Two people trying to bury the pain in each other. We’re both broken in ways neither of us wants to admit, but right now, none of that matters. Nothing matters. Just us.
I move against him, and he groans low in his throat. The sound is like music to my ears. His head drops forward to rest against mine, and his hands grip me tighter, guiding me as I find my rhythm. The raw lust between us deepens with every touch, every kiss, every ragged breath, but so does our bond.
Hot water streams down on my face and body as if it could wash away the remnants of past events. The floral scent fills my nose, but it does nothing to soothe the pain. Nikos is downstairs, talking with Remo, who claimed to have intel on Valeria. I try to push the thought of her out of my mind, but I can’t shake the nagging feeling that this isn’t over yet. And now, I know she’s dangerous, unpredictable.
I step out of the bath. The air feels colder against my damp skin. I wrap a white towel around my body, the soft fabric clinging to me as I move toward the bedroom. My hair is still dripping, water trickling down my back.
I open the door to the bedroom, but before I can even take a full step inside, a hand clamps over my mouth, muffling the scream that starts to rise in my throat. My body goes stiff with terror, and a beat passes before I can react. I try to twist away, but I feel something cold and sharp pressing against my throat—a knife. I freeze. My heart pounds in my chest, and I can barely breathe. I can’t move. Then, a voice. A low whisper, and far too familiar.
“If you want to live,” the man whispers in my ear, pressing the knife even tighter, “don’t make a sound.”
My blood runs cold, and my heart skips a beat. I know that voice.
It’s him.
Chapter 43
Serena
His breath against my ear makes me sick. I tremble at the feeling of the sharp, cold blade pressing deeper against my neck, but I force myself to stay still. To remain calm, keep a clear mind.
“Now be a good girl and nod if you understand me,” he sneers, and I nod stiffly, trying not to break in front of him. “Good.”
Still pressing the knife against my throat, he removes his other hand from my mouth.
“What are you doing here?” I breathe out. “How did you get in here?”
“Dimitris let me in a couple of hours ago,” he whispers, his body clinging tighter to mine as if to make sure I have no chance of escaping. “I hid in the closet, had to watch you rail your jailer.”
My stomach churns. The idea of him watching Nikos and me having sex while hidden in the closet sickens me.
“The way you never let me,” he continues, the malice in his tone growing with each word. “And now, the way I never will because your sick husband cut off my dick, so now, I’ll have my revenge on you.”
“What are you going to do?” My voice cracks, but I try to mask it. “You’re all alone now. Rodrigo is dead, Dimitris captured, and Nikos’s men are searching for Valeria. You’re on your own, Claudio.”
“This is why I’m here, sweetheart,” he murmurs sharply. The edge of the knife grazes my throat, forcing my head to tilt farther back. “Dimitris said it’d be good to have a backup plan in case things go sideways. Seeing your dear husband in one piece, guess I’m the backup plan now.”
My chest tightens. Dimitris. The one person who was supposed to be family. Whom I thought I could trust unconditionally, Nikos could trust unconditionally.
“So here’s how this is going to go,” Claudio continues, “I’ll hide behind the door to the bedroom, and you’re going to call for your husband, so when he comes inside, I can kill him. Don’t try any tricks so he doesn’t suspect anything. If you so much as whisper the wrong word, I’ll slit your throat, and Castro’s people will burn your house down, your family inside. Understood?”
Fear grips me. My mind races. I can’t let him kill Nikos. I also can’t die and let him slaughter my family. Adrenaline. Terror. Wrath. It consumes me all at once. My gaze wanders around the room, searching for any kind of salvation. The scissors. They’re right beside me, within arm’s reach, sitting on the table where I left them, next to the first-aid kit. I take a deep, heavy breath, and my eyes close for a fraction. This ends now. One way or another.
In a flash, I grab the scissors, swing them upward with every ounce of strength I have, and drive them into the side of his neck. I hear a choking sound followed by the thud of a knife hitting the floor. Claudio’s body jerks back instinctively, but I don’t look back. I sprint for the door, my bare feet slapping against the hardwood floor. My ragged breaths fill my ears as I race down the stairs.
