Page 80 of Vow to Corrupt You
“Nikos!” My voice breaks as I run. “Nikos!”
I stumble into his office, trying to catch my breath. My hands tremble as I clutch the towel still wrapped around me. Nikos’s gaze snaps to me the moment I appear, and the next thing I know, he’s already in front of me. The men in the background are a blur. I don’t even register their faces.
“Who did this to you?” Nikos demands, his focus darting to the thin cut on my neck that must’ve started to drip with blood.
I try to speak, but the words don’t come. An ache spreads across my ribs, and I can’t draw in air. My whole body quivers erratically, but the name finally comes out. “Claudio.”
Nikos’s gaze darkens into something terrifying. Jaw clenches, entire body going rigid. Before I can say another word, he’s gone. I want to follow, but my legs don’t move. I feel like I’m about to fall, but Remo catches me just in time. He positions me on one of the leather chairs, and I clutch the towel tighter around my chest as if it could protect me from the mayhem surrounding me. I hear something shattering coming from upstairs, then a crash. And another one. Then Nikos’s roar, guttural and raw, followed by a sickening thud, and I can only imagine the massacre he’s unleashing on Claudio’s body.
Minutes later, he stands in the doorway. His shoulders rise with every strained inhale, his knuckles—his whole hands—smeared with blood. His lethal gaze softens slightly once it lands on me.
“It’s done,” he breathes heavily. “He’s dead. You’re safe now.”
Tears spill down my face involuntarily. “I killed him,” I barely manage. “I killed a man.”
Nikos is at my side in an instant, taking my quaking hands in his bloodied ones. “No.” His rough voice seems quieter now, soothing. “That blood is on my hands, not yours.”
I shake my head, now sobbing hard. “He… Claudio, he said Castro’s people will burn my father’s house. My family…” I choke on the words.
Nikos’s jaw tightens, but he cups my face. “I promise that your family is safe. Castro’s people won’t do anything, not without their leader, not in my territory. They know better than to cross into society’s turf. It would mean their entire cartel gets wiped off the map.”
“Are you sure?” I can’t help but cry.
“I am.” He caresses my cheek gently with his bloodied thumb. “I have your family protected. I promise.”
I nod, and he pulls me into his arms. I cling to him as if he’s the only thing keeping me from falling apart.
Because in this moment, he is.
Chapter 44
Serena
Nikos stands in the doorway of our bedroom the following day, his dark expression telling me he’s got something to tell me. I adjust myself in the bed, resting against its frame. The night was pretty restless. Pretty haunting. I couldn’t sleep because whenever I drifted into slumber, the images of Claudio flashed before me. And the screams in my head… as if the demons were trying to take over my mind.
“We’ve captured Valeria,” he says firmly.
I sit up straighter, my heart skipping a beat, and clear my throat. It feels dry. “Where is she?”
“The warehouse.” Nikos pauses as if he’s weighing his words. “We have her there with Dimitris, chained to the ceiling, the same way they kept you.”
A shiver runs down my back at the memory, but I nod.
“I’m going to end it with Dimitris,” Nikos says. Though his tone doesn’t waver, I can see the strain beneath his thick armor. I know it isn’t easy for him either. Dimitris wasn’t just anyone. He was his only family. His uncle. His most trusted friend. “Do you want to go with me? Deal with your sister, or shall I do it for you?”
Another quiver sweeps across my spine. I know what he means by ‘deal with her.’ But I feel like I have to do it alone. I have to face her this one last time.
The drive to the warehouse is quiet. I focus my gaze on the blurring landscape outside the car window, and the sound of raindrops pattering against the windshield muffles my thoughts.
When we arrive, two guards open the heavy metal door for us. Nikos leads me inside, his hand resting on the small of my back protectively, reminding me I’m not alone. That he’s here for me. And I want to be here for him.
Finally, we reach Valeria and Dimitris, chained just like I was only a day ago. My stepsister glares at me with poisonous venom in her eyes, while Dimitris glances at Nikos with something almost like regret.
Nikos turns to me, sliding his hand down my neck, and our gazes meet as I look up at him.
“Your sister crossed a line that usually means death. If she weren’t your family, she’d be gone by now.” His gloved thumb caresses my jaw. “But you are my queen, Serena, and I leave her fate in your hands. She’s all yours.”
I look at my stepsister before signaling one of Nikos’s soldiers to remove the tape from her mouth. The moment they do, she spits at me, but it misses. I’m too far away. The next second, she starts crying, apologizing, and pleading for her life.
