Page 9 of Vow to Corrupt You
Nikos stares at me with amusement. His brow slightly twitches. “Perhaps, one day, you might bring me to my knees for another reason besides feasting on that pussy that’s now mine.”
I swallow. Hard. A surge of heat courses through me, my heart hammering in my chest so fiercely its frantic rhythm rings in my ears. No one has ever talked like this to me before. So dirty. So absolutely filthy.
“But first,” he places his hand on my neck. “You will be on your knees for me.”
My throat constricts, and a tangled mass of nerves twists in the pit of my stomach as I picture his words. Vividly. I’ve never… been intimate with a man before. Now, it seems I’ll serve as a sex slave to a man who’s obviously had more whores than I can count, doing all sorts of things at his command that I’m scared to imagine.
He moves back and sets his intense, piercing gaze on mine. A smirk of amusement and satisfaction tugs his lips.
“Next time I see you, you will be saying your vows to me at the altar.”
His steady tone rings in my ears, making my heart pound more forcefully again. He casually turns on his heel and walks out of the bathroom. The moment he disappears from my sight, I turn around and support myself on the countertop, panting, gasping for air, as if I was finally given oxygen after being almost choked to death.
CHAPTER 5
Serena
My gaze moves across the living room, realizing the Romanos have left. Nikos has left. What a relief. It feels as if the weight of a mountain has been lifted from my chest, and now I can draw breath as though tasting the sweet air of freedom once more that he’s not here. He and his suffocating presence.
“What were you doing with him alone in the bathroom?” Valeria furrows her brows, and her tone sounds so… accusatory.
I shake my head in disbelief. “What are you implying, Valeria? He followed me. I didn’t want to be alone with him, not even for a second. It was torture.”
Valeria lets out that sharp, dismissive snort she always does when things don’t go her way. “Please. Stop playing innocent, Serena.”
My brows knit together in confusion. “What are you implying?”
“The Romano Mafia is the most influential syndicate in Sicily. Don’t pretend you’re not happy you’re going to marry its boss, someone like Nikos Romano, the most powerful man around here,” her tone is bitter.
“And the most ruthless!” Does she not understand this isn’t a game? Does she really not understand the gravity of the situation? “This man is dangerous, Valeria. He’s a violent, twisted psychopath who wanted to kill our brother. Maybe you’ve forgotten that he’s still holding Salvatore captive!” My gaze flickers between hers, hoping she will realize what is truly going on. It’s not about the position that I’ve been elevated to. It is about our life. Well, now my life.
Valeria makes that sound again, but this time, her deep sea-blue eyes roll back into her head. “If you’re so unhappy about marrying him, then why did you agree?” Is she really questioning that? Did she not see what happened a few minutes ago?
“You were here. You witnessed the whole situation!” I don’t know if I’m more frustrated or confused.
My stepsister looks at me with resentment before her gaze drops to the enormous black diamond ring I nervously fiddle with on my finger. I’m not used to wearing rings. I don’t wear jewelry and the ring… It feels heavy, with more than just its weight. It’s an obligation. Burning my skin.
“What is it?” She moves abruptly toward me, seizing my hand. “I was supposed to marry him! You took my chance away from me!” she shouts, and I can’t believe her words. “What does he even see in you?” Ouch.
That hurt. Her being irrational is one thing, but trying to shrink my sense of self-worth is another. She is my sister, well, stepsister, but we grew up together, and I’ve always seen her and Gianna as family, even if not related by blood. So the fact that she would choose a brute who wanted to wipe out our family—blood or not—hurts like a thousand needles puncturing my heart.
“I didn’t want any of this,” I tell her, completely flabbergasted. Angry at myself, I should shout in her face how unreasonable she is and how she should thank me for sacrificing my life for Salvatore’s life. For their lives. Instead, I lose my voice again. I’m apologetic about something I should never have had to be apologetic about. “I would trade with you in a heartbeat if I could. If it was up to me…”
I was raised this way. Very strict. I was taught to respect my parents and my siblings. Valeria, on the contrary, was spoiled by her mother. Despite my father treating Caterina’s daughters as his own, she didn’t do the same for us. Salvatore and I. We always felt the distance, the barrier reminding us she was not our birth mother. It’s a shame Papà has never really done anything about it. He let her rule in this house… A house that once used to be ours.
“Whatever!” Valeria pushes past me. She’s such a diva. I, in contrast, am this grey mouse who lacks any confidence.
A loud thud of a door slamming echoes through the living room, which, without the Romanos inside, seems so spacious again.
“Serena…” Gianna comes nearer, placing her hand on my arm. The relationship Gianna has with Salvatore and me is the polar opposite of what we have with Valeria. She’s like a real sister to us, and I couldn’t love her more. “Apparently, Valeria doesn’t understand what it means to marry someone like Nikos Romano. She’s either stupid or blinded by this idea of a life of luxury that she expects with someone like him.” Gianna continues, “She’s blinded by the desire for power, wealth, and position, but she doesn’t seem to understand that this marriage would bring her anything but that. Nikos would never treat a wife with the respect that she deserves. Instead, she would be his captive, forced to bend to his will without any regard for her own desires or boundaries, shackled by this psycho control freak.” She nearly spits as she speaks, every muscle in her tensing with her hatred for the Romano clan. For him. My future husband.
“Yeah.” I glance down at the ring, my fingers still fidgeting with it. “That would be me now.”
“Oh my God, I—” Gianna hesitates, realizing everything she’s said is true—and that now everything applies to me. “I’m so sorry, Serena. I didn’t mean to…”
“You said nothing but the truth, Gianna,” I exhale, the air leaving my lungs muffling my voice.
I look over at my parents sitting on the couch by the window that’s adorned with lilac curtains, watching the entire scene in silence. My gaze shifts to Caterina, who’s visibly irritated. Her lips painted a bold crimson red—as always—press together, and her tan, slim fingers run through her black hair. I can’t help but wonder how my birth mother would have reacted in such a situation. Would she shed a tear at the loss of her only daughter? Would she hug me so tight that all of the worries would fade away?
