Page 65 of Corrupt Vows

I swallow and try to explain.

“My classmates don’t count, and Ralf was less than scum. He always creeped me out,” I say.

Thick fingers weave into my hair and pull my head back.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Nico snarls.

I grab his shoulders and struggle to breathe.

“What was I supposed to say? He never did anything wrong, he was justweird,” I manage despite the painful angle of my neck.

After a few moments of grinding his teeth, he softens his grip and gentles his hold on my hip.

“Does anyone elsecreep you out?” he asks in a slightly mocking tone. Even though it hurts, I tell myself it’s just because he wants to protect me.

“No,” I say without hesitation.

“So you want me to come with you, but you don’t want me to look at your work?”

“Right. It’s… it’s hard to explain. I’ve never shown my art to anyone. No one. Not my family and none of my friends. I just… I’m not ready.” I stumble through my lame explanation.

After a moment of studying my face, he trails his finger over my cheek and nods.

“Alright, for you,principessa, I’ll try to understand.”

I pull him closer and rise onto tiptoe to give him a kiss.

Never in a million years did I ever think Nico Russo would become my foundation, but not only has he stolen my heart, he’s also earned my trust and devotion.

I love Nico Russo, the most ruthless and powerful man in New York City. I need him in all aspects of my life.

Which makes his refusal to trust me hurt worse. Every time I wake up alone, I die a little more inside.

I need him to love me as fiercely as I do him.

Chapter 18

Nico Russo

I pull into the closest parking spot, which my soldiers cleared for me before we arrived, and pull Serenity to me by her hair for a searing kiss.

My mind screams for me to hightail it out of here, throw her over my shoulder, and tie her to our bed, but she’s been so patient, and as much as I want to protect her, I can’t betray her trust, not when I know her campus is the safest place outside of my building.

Fourteen days should have been plenty of time to root out the little piggy from his hiding spot, but he remains hidden, and that pisses me off beyond belief. Add in the bolder, more obvious attempts to encroach on the Russo territory—with no culprit in sight—and the only thing stopping me from going on a rage-fueled killing spree is Serenity.

She kisses me as though she’ll die if she doesn’t get a deeper taste of me. I revel in her hunger and tease her with shallow flicks of my tongue until she groans in frustration. She pouts when I pull back and nip her bottom lip.

I run my thumb over her swollen lips before releasing her. She sits back, runs her fingers through her hair, and sweeps her gaze over the area before turning to face me.

“I know your minions have scoped the place, but I need to get something from the supply closet before I can start working again. Will you come with me?”

“Yes,” I say.

She flashes me a brilliant smile before opening her door. I wrap my fingers around her wrist and hold her gaze until she concedes. Understanding how close I am to losing my shit, she stays in her seat until I walk around the front of the car and reach into the passenger seat for her. She takes my hand and tugs me slower when my pace proves too fast for her short legs.

Without a word, she follows me through the hall and into the studio. Although I paid the repairmen by donating to the school and adding more under the table for the school’s cooperation and silence, I check the window and supply closet door for damage. The brand new items match the existing décor, so I focus my attention onmia principessa.

She greets a few people before standing in front of the closed supply closet. After a deep breath, she pushes the door open, flicks the light on, and retrieves what she needs without an ounce of fear in her countenance, but as she walks back toward me, the fluorescent lights reveal the lines of stress bracketing her eyes.

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