Page 72 of Corrupt Vows

But maybe it isn’t. If Nico heard me scream, he probably hit mute. He’s smart. And fast.

If anyone can save me, it’s him. He’s the most ruthless, powerful man in New York City. He’ll come for me. I’ll be okay.

Even as part of me demands I stay awake, I slip into oblivion.

Chapter 20

Nico Russo

My tires squealas I slam on my brakes. I throw the car in park, jump out, and run the rest of the way to the accident.

Past and present collide as I skid to a stop beside the upside-down car. With my muted phone plastered to my ear, I drop to my knees knowing Serenity isn’t here, but terrified I’ll find Natalie’s tiny arms dangling from her car seat.

The empty back bench both sends relief through me and fills me with terror. I yell for Serenity even as I confirm she’s gone.

She has her phone. It’s still on a call with mine. I refuse to lift my phone from my ear as muffled sounds filter through the speaker.

As I stumble away, my foot tangles in the strap of her purse. The brown bag hanging halfway out of the top spills its contents. I stare in disbelief before dropping into a crouch and snatching the white sticks off the ground.

She’s pregnant.Mia principessais carrying my baby.

Serenity will give birth to my child.

The woman I love is in the hands of my enemies while she’s the most vulnerable.

Cold fury wipes away my panic.

I turn and stalk back to my car. Ermanno matches my stride as he joins me halfway.

“Track her phone. I’m on a call with her, but I can’t make anything out,” I say as I drop into the driver’s seat.

He pulls out his phone as he crams himself into the passenger seat and slams his door.

“Double security onmia famiglia. Keep this quiet.”

His fingers fly over his phone screen. I put the call through the car’s speakers and hit the gas so hard the tires skip on the asphalt.

“Get our top twenty soldiers on our tail. Gather another hundred as backup.”

He pulls a second phone out of his pocket, puts the first in the cupholder where I can see the red dot indicating Serenity’s location, and starts coordinating our attack on the phone in his hands. I work my arms out of my suit jacket and toss it in the backseat as I weave through the busy streets. After yanking the center console open, I rip off the faux bottom.

“Bring my bride home at all costs,” I say as I pull the slim chest harness with two fully loaded pistols from the secret compartment.

“Kill them all,” I snarl as I dodge a box truck and jump the curb to go around on the sidewalk. Pedestrians scramble out of the way. I swerve back onto the road and thread my arms into the harness.

“We will, boss,” Ermanno promises.

I gesture to the glove box. He opens it and pops the back panel off before handing me the knives. I add them to the collection already hidden on my body.

The little red dot continues to move. I snarl and speed up as they reach the less crowded outer portion of the city. The harsh sound of fabric shifting over her phone’s mouthpiece blares through my car speakers. Serenity whimpers. My senses sharpen.

I run a traffic light and narrowly miss hitting a minivan. No guilt rises. Nothing matters beyond saving Serenity. A taxi pulls out in front of me. I swerve and thread the car between two motorcycles before barreling through another light and skidding around a corner.

A pack of police exiting a coffee shop do a comical double take, but none rush to their car after they read my license plate.

I close the distance between us and the little red dot, slowly gaining ground as I leave the busy streets behind. They turn off the main road. I curse as three black SUVs pop out of the woodwork and box me in.

Ermanno rolls down his window, sticks his arm out, and takes out the guy in the backseat before the piece of shit even fires his weapon. With a quick shift of aim, he flattens the front driver’s side tire with a few well-placed bullets. I mash the gas pedal to the floor and avoid the vehicle as the driver loses control.

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