Page 46 of Vow to Corrupt You (Gods of Corruption #1)

Serena

His breath against my ear makes me sick. I tremble at the feeling of the sharp, cold blade pressing deeper against my neck, but I force myself to stay still. To remain calm, keep a clear mind.

“Now be a good girl and nod if you understand me,” he sneers, and I nod stiffly, trying not to break in front of him. “Good.”

Still pressing the knife against my throat, he removes his other hand from my mouth.

“What are you doing here?” I breathe out. “How did you get in here?”

“Dimitris let me in a couple of hours ago,” he whispers, his body clinging tighter to mine as if to make sure I have no chance of escaping. “I hid in the closet, had to watch you rail your jailer.”

My stomach churns. The idea of him watching Nikos and me having sex while hidden in the closet sickens me.

“The way you never let me,” he continues, the malice in his tone growing with each word. “And now, the way I never will because your sick husband cut off my dick, so now, I’ll have my revenge on you.”

“What are you going to do?” My voice cracks, but I try to mask it. “You’re all alone now. Rodrigo is dead, Dimitris captured, and Nikos’s men are searching for Valeria. You’re on your own, Claudio.”

“This is why I’m here, sweetheart,” he murmurs sharply. The edge of the knife grazes my throat, forcing my head to tilt farther back. “Dimitris said it’d be good to have a backup plan in case things go sideways. Seeing your dear husband in one piece, guess I’m the backup plan now.”

My chest tightens. Dimitris. The one person who was supposed to be family. Whom I thought I could trust unconditionally, Nikos could trust unconditionally.

“So here’s how this is going to go,” Claudio continues, “I’ll hide behind the door to the bedroom, and you’re going to call for your husband, so when he comes inside, I can kill him.

Don’t try any tricks so he doesn’t suspect anything.

If you so much as whisper the wrong word, I’ll slit your throat, and Castro’s people will burn your house down, your family inside. Understood?”

Fear grips me. My mind races. I can’t let him kill Nikos.

I also can’t die and let him slaughter my family.

Adrenaline. Terror. Wrath. It consumes me all at once.

My gaze wanders around the room, searching for any kind of salvation.

The scissors. They’re right beside me, within arm’s reach, sitting on the table where I left them, next to the first-aid kit.

I take a deep, heavy breath, and my eyes close for a fraction. This ends now. One way or another.

In a flash, I grab the scissors, swing them upward with every ounce of strength I have, and drive them into the side of his neck.

I hear a choking sound followed by the thud of a knife hitting the floor.

Claudio’s body jerks back instinctively, but I don’t look back.

I sprint for the door, my bare feet slapping against the hardwood floor.

My ragged breaths fill my ears as I race down the stairs.

“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.