Page 47 of Corrupt Vows

But he also made me trust him. I’d rather he show his true colors now instead of waiting until I fall deeper in love with him.

I freeze. My brain stops. I can’t breathe.

I love him? Ilovehim? I lovehim?

Who in their right mind falls in love with their sister’s arranged husband? Who falls in love with the man they hated a week ago but were forced to betroth? Who falls in love after losing their virginity to a mafia kingpin?

Me. I’m the idiot who falls in love with an infuriating, terrifying asshole who is also the most powerful mafia don in New York City.

So of course he’s pissed I’m not aware of my surroundings.

But why is hethisangry?

If he grips the steering wheel any harder, it may break.

“Did your father teach you anything?”

I flinch at his scathing tone. My head pounds and my heart hurts.

Everyone else I ever thought loved me turned their backs on me. My parents gave me away without a second thought. Alfonso ended a lifelong relationship over the phone. Hell, my mother’s primary love language is a swift backhand.

I blink back useless tears but turn my face toward the window when they gather on my lashes anyway.

There’s no way to hide my ragged breaths in the silence, so I clamp my teeth together and regulate my breathing through my nose. When the urge to sob fades away—I don’t even know why I want to cry; he wasn’t particularly cruel—I swallow and cross my arms over my chest.

“Why are you still being loyal to your father when he tossed you away without a second thought?”

I flinch again as he crosses too many lines to count.

“He gave you tome, Serenity. You won’t have the Vivaldi name for much longer. Not even your parents can save you anymore.”

I ball my hands into fists and pretend like I can’t hear him, but his words land like blows.

“Matteo Vivaldi failed to protect his eldest child and sacrificed his youngest daughter to the devil to cover his mistakes. Stop idolizing him and wake up, would you?”

He may not be hissing, cursing, or hitting like mamma, but his scathing tone hurts just as much. Misery fills my bones with lead.

“We live in a dangerous world,principessa, but you have your head up in the clouds instead of on the threats around you. You won’t last much longer if you don’t pay attention.”

I snap.

“And that’s a bad thing? Neither of us wanted this marriage, anyway. Having a threat take me out will be much more convenient, don’t you think?”

His hand weaves into my hair and jerks me toward him.

“Take it back, Serenity. Your safety isnotsomething to joke about,” he snarls.

“I didn’t make a joke,” I say as familiar numbness rises from my toes.

My entire body ices over in anticipation of violence, just like it does before mamma gets physical.

“I willnothave your death on my conscience too, so start paying attention to your goddamn surroundings,” he commands.

My scalp stings as he gives my head a small tug, but he releases me and puts both hands on the wheel.

He slows the car and turns into the driveway for the Vivaldi family home. The guard waves him through.

I open the door as soon as he parks the car and make it halfway up the stairs before he catches up with me. He presses his hand to my lower back and ushers me toward the front door.

---