Page 50 of Corrupt Vows

“Watch your tone, Serenity.”

The urge to pull my hair and scream in frustration nearly wins.

“That’s not important right now, Mamma. Camilla needs help and—”

“Is this because you’re engaged to a Russo now? Do you really think you can speak to me this way without consequences?”

I stand my ground despite every cell in my body demanding I flee as she steps toward me.

“Put your hand on the table,” she demands.

Fear closes my throat.

“Camilla is fine,” she lies as she scoots her steaming coffee across the table and steps closer. “You’re still a Vivaldi.” She grabs my wrist and jerks me toward the table. “You’ll always be a Vivaldi.”

With my paralysis broken, I push at her arm and try to tug free, but she tightens her grip on my wrist and forces my palm flat onto the table.

“Mamma, stop. I’m sorry, I—”

“You spent one night away, and you’ve forgotten everything, haven’t you?”

I watch in horror as she lifts the coffee cup over my spread fingers.

“Get your hands off my fiancée,” Nico snarls from the doorway.

I sag in relief, then remember his callous words and stiffen in anger over my instinctual trust in him. I jerk my arm out of my mother’s grasp. She screams as she spills the coffee on herself. I hiss as pain steaks up my arm.

Thick hands wrap around my shoulders and yank me away so fast I lose my footing. My back collides with Nico’s solid chest. An arm as hard as an iron bar closes around my front and pins me to him by my waist.

He weaves his fingers into mine and lifts my hand up to inspect it over my shoulder.

I stare in shock as my mother’s expression changes. I never in a million years thought I’d see the Vivaldi queen show fear, but she holds her scalded hand to her chest and stares at Nico with pure terror twisting her features.

I curl my fingers into Nico’s much larger digits and cling to his arm, silently begging him to hold me tighter as I lean into him.

I don’t know why I choose him over my mother. He could crush me so much more thoroughly and easily than my mother ever could, but with the visions of my sister’s abused body and mental anguish fresh in my mind, I want to get as far away from my mother as possible.

I want to take Camilla with me, though. She can’t stay here.

My father’s voice comes from the doorway, and I flinch before I can stop myself.

Nico pulls me tighter to him.

I love him as much as I hate him, and I need him as much as I despise him, and with his arms wrapped protectively around me, I put my life—and my sister’s life—in his hands.

His strong, capable, and ruthless hands.

Chapter 14

Nico Russo

Matteo Vivaldi takes one lookat the scene before him and knows exactly what the situation is, but he opens his mouth and asks anyway.

“What happened?”

Serenity flinches. Fury sharpens my senses.

“Your wife scalded my betrothed,” I snarl.

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