Page 36 of Vow to Corrupt You (Gods of Corruption #1)

Nikos

“Please, stay.” Her eyes are pleading as she grabs my hand. I can’t feel her touch because of the leather fabric between us, but somehow, the warmth seeps through.

A fucking weird sensation courses through me, something I haven’t felt since… ever.

I settle beside her on the bed, and she collapses against my chest. I’m still seething that she didn’t follow the rules and disobeyed my orders, but now she’s so vulnerable that all I can think about is how to piece her back together.

No one else has the right to break her—no one but me.

She’s mine to bend and shape, and I’ll destroy anyone who dares to lay a finger on her like a tornado tearing through everything in its path.

Somehow, my fingers weave into her hair.

Her thick, onyx hair, scented with a blend of vanilla and orange blossom, intoxicating me with every inhale.

I don’t know how much time has passed, but her body relaxes, and I know she has fallen asleep.

It’s odd how right it feels to have her so close to me, in my arms.

I ease away carefully, trying not to wake her up.

She’s so beautiful when she sleeps. Innocent.

This is what draws me to her. I want to bring darkness to her light.

I want her sanity to match my insanity. Unleash chaos upon her serenity.

That’s the only way a pure being like herself can survive in this world of corruption and death.

I should know. I could do nothing to save my mother from destruction.

I failed to save my past girlfriend from ruin.

Now, I know the only way to evade destruction is to unleash havoc.

To preserve sanity is to let the insanity reign, and to survive darkness is to embrace its demons.

Become the danger you fear. I wasn’t born a villain. I was made a villain.

My footsteps echo through the steely walls of the warehouse—the very same one where it all started.

It is where I kept Salvatore. The riot he tried to stir against me was a blessing in disguise.

Had it not been for the boy’s betrayal, his father wouldn’t have offered me her—my possession, my obsession, my wife.

Hands clasped at the back of my trench coat, I circle the metal chair bolted to the floor before I stop in front of it. My lethal gaze contrasts against his frightened eyes.

He tries to scream something, but his words are just a mumble, gagged by the cloth in his mouth. I signal to Remo, who removes the piece of fabric from his mouth and wraps it around his neck.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know she was your wife,” he cries.

I thought he’d have a little more dignity, but once again, he’s just a whining liar who tries to save his ass. I bet if I told him to eat his own shit, he would, then claim he wanted to do it anyway.

“Yes, you knew. If the ring on her finger wasn’t bold enough, my name inked on her collarbone was.”

“I didn’t see it, please...”

“Didn’t you?” A scoff rumbles in my throat. “You know why it’s on her collarbone?”

He shakes his head no.

“It’s one of my favorite parts of her body. It’s so prominent, so beautiful. It draws the eye.”

“I already told you, I did not see it, I swear,” he lets out a hideous wail.

“You swear?”

His eyes waver between mine, betraying his hesitation.

“What game are you playing, dude?” His voice cracks, and his body shakes uncontrollably. No longer a fucking macho man forcing himself on a defenseless woman, are we?

“Here’s what we’re gonna do.” The edge of my lips lifts in a malevolent curve. “If you give me the correct answer, I’ll let you go.”

“The correct answer?” The lines of concern paint on his forehead. “How the hell am I supposed to know what you want to hear?”

“You’ll know,” I growl. “Did you want to fuck her?”

Panic forces his eyes into wide, unblinking orbs.

“Did you want to fuck my wife?” I repeat, stoic and cold, despite the fury raging inside me.

His body trembles to such an extent that I wonder if, without the chains around his chest, he could sit in place. His pupils bounce between mine like he’s searching for the correct answer.

Truth or lie?

Both lead to damnation.

Truth, because he wanted to touch what’s mine , force himself on a woman. Even worse, not just any other woman, but my wife.

Lie, because he had already dared to touch her.

Either way, the bastard is doomed to die. I merely want to see if he has the balls, some dignity, a sense of honor to confess the truth, or if he tries to save his already dead ass.

“Yes,” he cries.

“Yes, what?” I insist, betraying zero emotion that’s swirling inside me like a tsunami.

“Yes, I wanted to fuck her,” he whimpers, tears streaming down his cheeks as his body convulses with terror. He’s nothing but a sniveling mess. “Half the university would want to fuck her.”

A cold laugh rumbles in my throat. “Half the university, huh?” I say, tilting my head, the amusement barely masking the darkness brewing within me. “Then I have half the university to slaughter.”

The color drains from his face, his lips trembling as he tries to form words. “No, please! You said—”

I cut him off, resting both hands on the metal armrests of the chair as I lean toward his face. “I vowed to my wife that anyone who dared to even think of fucking her would end up cockless.”

He squirms against his restraints, every frantic motion betraying a terror he can’t contain. What a delightful sight. “What?” he chokes out. “You can’t be serious—”

“Oh, I’m serious,” I lean closer, my smirk turning razor-sharp. “But I’m feeling generous today, so I’ll give you a choice. Do you want to lose your cock or your life?”

“You must be kidding, dude,” his cries like music to my ears, fueling the sick, twisted satisfaction of watching him break down into pieces.

The fear in his eyes, the same kind I saw in Serena’s gaze, glistening with tears after he tried to force himself on her.

Now he knows what she felt like. The difference is the piece of shit has me as his enemy, not his protector.

“Dude…” He studies my face, as if searching for any humanity left in me. He finds none.

“I mean,” I drawl, my tone laced with mockery. “I’d rather lose my life.”

“You’re seriously fucked up,” he mutters, and I chuckle darkly in response.

“Oh, I am. And you should’ve known better than to mess with me, let alone my wife.”

“Please, man, please, have mercy. I’m begging you. I didn’t know—”

“There’s no mercy,” I hiss, “not after what you tried to do to my wife.”

I pull away, turning toward the metal table with my favorite toys designed to break a man down, piece by piece. I pick up a pair of pliers and fix him with a look sharp enough to flay.

“First, I’m going to cut your cock off and feed it to my dogs. They’ve been craving something fresh.”

His face goes pale. “No, please! I’ll do anything—anything!” he cries, but his words are just noise now.

I scoff, almost pitying the pathetic creature in front of me.

I signal to two of my men, who approach and drag his pants down, taking his cock out before stepping back.

The pliers feel cool against my fingers as I approach, the bastard’s screams rising into frantic wails as he struggles against his chains.

He’s shouting something, but I don’t hear it anymore.

The steel clamps around his flesh, and I don’t hesitate—one move, and it’s cut.

A loud scream fills the warehouse, echoing through the impenetrable walls as the crimson stain splatters my gloves, dripping onto the floor.

But then I look at him, and it’s not enough.

It’s not punishment enough for what he’s tried to do.

I think of what could’ve happened if I hadn’t reached Serena in time.

The images of him assaulting her cross my mind, and before I realize it, my hands—my bare hands—dig deep into his neck, suffocating him.

I don’t even know when I took off my gloves.

All I know are my fingers digging in until the skin splits beneath them, feeling the slick warmth of blood over my hands.

The sensation sends a shockwave of familiarity through me, a flash of memory searing my mind.

My father’s lifeless body. The blood on my hands.

The same crimson that coats them now. Then Serena’s face flickers in my mind, her eyes wide with fear after everything this asshole put her through.

This is the only way to protect her. I had no choice then, just like I have no choice now.

If I hadn’t done it—if I hadn’t killed this bastard—she wouldn’t be safe.

I’ve learned from my past mistakes. When I believed in humanity, when I thought mercy was an option, I failed.

I failed to save the two most important women in my life once.

But this time, I won’t repeat those mistakes.

I won’t fail Serena. I’ll keep her safe at all costs and eliminate any threat.

This time, there’s no room for failure. This time, I won’t seek redemption. No more.