Page 6 of Vow to Corrupt You (Gods of Corruption #1)

Serena

“Do you need anything else before sleep, signorina Serena?” Ottavia asks, preparing my bed for sleep.

If I’m honest, I could never understand why my Papà was so hell-bent on hiring a maid.

My father isn’t one of “the big men,” and my family isn’t part of the elite, far from it.

Back in Cefalù, we used to be an ordinary family—well, as ordinary as someone involved in the mafia can—living paycheck to paycheck like so many others in our neighborhood.

About fifteen years ago, everything changed.

We moved to Palermo because Papà became close friends with Dimitris, who, at that time, had moved from Greece to Italy after his nephew was orphaned.

Then, two years ago, my father swore the Omertà Oath, which meant he climbed the mafia hierarchy and committed to their code of silence and absolute loyalty.

After that, he became the caporegime of one of the Romano’s operating units.

This position afforded him a new lifestyle that I believe Papà has grown too fond of.

Or perhaps, a lifestyle Caterina has always wanted.

A lifestyle he can afford only because of his ties with the Romanos, because of the dirty money made on corruption and blood.

“No, thank you, Ottavia. Have a good night,” I dismiss her.

“Thank you, signorina. Sleep well.” Ottavia nods and leaves.

As soon as the faint thud of the door closing fills the room, Gianna peeks through the partially open door of my en-suite bathroom.

“Did she leave yet?” Gianna whispers, her eyes wide as she looks at me with excitement, teeth sinking into her bottom lip.

“Yes, it’s safe now. You can come out.” I giggle.

Gianna comes out of the bathroom and walks closer. “Have you talked to Lorenzo? Did he agree to drive you to meet Claudio?”

I nod. “Yes. Though it wasn’t easy to persuade him. He thought it was too dangerous, but eventually, he relented.”

Lorenzo has been working as an errand boy for my father for about four years now.

I was seventeen at the time, while Lorenzo was eighteen.

He got involved with the Mafia after his father was shot and killed during one of their operations.

Lorenzo took over his father’s responsibilities and became the man of the house.

I know he’s done the best he could to provide and care for his mother and younger siblings.

We found common ground pretty fast, bonding and becoming friends almost instantly.

This is why he agreed to help me meet Claudio despite the risks involved. Lorenzo truly has a heart of gold.

“Are you sure you want to go through with this, Serena?” Gianna’s concerned tone snaps me out of my reverie.

I take a deep breath. “I need to meet with Claudio. I want closure, and I think he deserves it, too. We were both robbed of a chance to be together. We deserve this one last meeting.” My forehead narrows as I grasp Gianna’s hands and hold them tightly.

“Besides, I want to make my own choices for once, Gianna. If I marry Nikos, I may never get to decide for myself again.”

Gianna nods faintly before she smiles broadly, squeezing my hands now, too. “Well, then. Let’s make you the sexiest you’ve ever been.”

“Thank you, G.” I pull my stepsister in for a tight hug.

For the next half hour, Gianna quickly applies my makeup, highlighting my eyes with sleek cat-eye liner and mascara.

My lips—which I usually only brush with a nude gloss—are now painted a deep shade of red.

I leave my hair loose, falling down my shoulders.

I slip into a tight, black leather dress, wrapped over one shoulder, with a daring V-cut neckline and a slender belt with silver accents cinched around my waist.

“Where did you get that dress from?” I stare at my reflection in the mirror. The dress hugs my body in all the right places.

“I might’ve borrowed it from Valeria’s closet,” Gianna says in a dodging tone, and my brow raises. “Without her knowing about it.” She shrugs, making a funny face, and I can’t help but chuckle. “Now go. Enjoy your night.”

She offers me a reassuring hug before I saunter over to the window and open it.

Lorenzo is already there, waiting for me.

With his help, I climb out of the window, and he gently assists me down to the ground.

Thankfully, our house is only one story, making things much easier.

He leads the way to his car, which he left outside our property to avoid making any noise that might draw attention.

I settle into the back seat of Lorenzo’s black Alfa Romeo with my nerves coiled tight like springs. Lorenzo starts the engine and eases onto the pavement, gradually accelerating as we enter the main road.

“Are you sure about this, Serena?”

Though I keep staring out at the passing landscape, I sense his glances in the rearview mirror.

“We can still turn back.”

I adjust myself in the seat and try to steady my trembling voice. “I need to see Claudio. This one last time.”

Lorenzo’s fingers tighten around the steering wheel, and a heavy sigh escapes his lungs. “You’re playing with fire,” he cautions, his tone one of warning. “If Nikos catches wind of this…”

“I know,” I state, all the possible consequences crossing my mind, but I brush them away with a shake of my head. “Nikos will never find out. How could he possibly know of this?”

I hear another heavy sigh followed by the deafening silence that’s muffled by the running car engine.

“Lorenzo,” I pause, gathering my thoughts. “It’s my last chance to say goodbye. To Claudio, to the life I once knew…”

“I understand.” His eyes shift to the rearview mirror and meet mine. “Just be careful. Claudio’s not the only one whose life is at stake here.”

I merely nod, aware far too well of the risks involved. My only hope is that Nikos will never find out. He cannot ever find out.

“We’re here,” Lorenzo announces as he pulls up outside a secluded house that once belonged to Claudio’s late grandparents. Claudio is now taking care of the home. It serves as our secret hideout whenever we want to spend some time alone. “I’ll be waiting right here if you need me.”

“Thank you, Lorenzo.” I offer him a faint smile.

I step out into the cool night air and make my way to the front door.

My heart races with anticipation and dread.

I’m shaking, and I feel like a bad hunch has followed me all the way here that has caused my belly to tie in a knot.

With trembling hands, I grab the doorknob and turn it, pushing on the door that cracks open just enough. As soon as it does, my blood runs cold.

It can’t be.

“Hello, wicked one.”

Time stutters the moment I lock onto him—the reason for my feeling of doom—lounging in a chair across the entrance.

One leg bent over the other, he casually takes a puff of his expensive cigar.

He fixes me with the kind of piercing gaze that makes my spine tingle.

The smoke curls around him, and his commanding, imposing presence makes me suffocate.

“Oh God…” I gasp for air, choking on my own fear.

Where’s Claudio?

Did Nikos… kill him because of my rebellion?

Dread slithers through my veins like liquid ice as all these questions race through my mind.

What have I done? I should’ve seen that coming, and now it might be too late…

Nikos scoffs, puts the cigar in the ashtray on an old wooden coffee table, and rises from the chair.

With a few calculated steps, he closes the distance between us.

Instinctively, I shrink back, but he inches even closer.

Hovering over me, he places his fingers under my chin and slowly tilts my head back so I’m forced to look into his deadly eyes.

His thumb tracing a path along my jawline sends another wave of fear.

“God’s not here, wicked one.” He leans down, his nose brushing mine as if stealing all the air from my lungs. “He abandoned you the moment my gaze landed on you.”