Page 112 of Ruthless God

“Lina—Lina is here.”

“I can see that. Why is she here, sweetheart?” I asked, though I already knew.

“Her husband is mean to her.”

I pulled back and looked at her. Her face twisted, and I couldn’t exactly figure out what that expression meant.

“It’s not an uncommon thing.”

Her bottom lip trembled, confusing me further. “I know,” she said.

“I’m sorry your sister doesn’t have a good marriage, but do you think it’s smart for her to come here? To her husband’s enemy?”

“You’re not…”

I shot her a look. Luna wasn’t naïve. She knew we were not ongood termswith the Bratva.

“Her coming here is a death sentence for her. She can never return to New York.”

Luna cupped my cheek. “She doesn’t want to. And I can’t turn her away. She’s my sister.”

“Some sister she’s been to you. No one would blame you if you did.”

“I know. It’s just… she was supposed to marry you. I think I was supposed to marry Boris, but Lina?—”

“Didn’t want to be married toLo Spietato. And now you feel guilty about this? Thinking this is somehow your fault?”

She didn’t answer me, but her silence was enough. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her in close. “Listen to me and listen well. You are not responsible for other people’s actions. If you want to blame someone for your sister’s situation, blame her dad for setting up the arranged marriage to Boris, even after knowing his reputation. Or blame Boris himself for laying his hands on his wife. But not you. Do you understand me?”

“I understand,” she whispered, though I wasn’t fully convinced she did.

I let out a small sigh. “You are entirely too sweet… too fucking innocent for this world.”

And how I fucking yearned for her soul. She made me feel like I was drowning… dying.

“I’m sorry.”

I shook my head. “Don’t be. It just means I have to work even harder to protect you.”

She smiled a little at my words, making the pinch in my heart tighten.

I fucking love you.

Fuck.

I loved her.

“Are you okay?” she asked. I tried to keep my expression neutral, not knowing how to answer her.

No, I wasn’t fucking okay. I loved her. How the fuck was I supposed to protect her from everything bad in this world? And how the fuck was I supposed to protect myself from her?

No, this wouldn’t do.

I wasn’t going to be the only one to feel this…

This weak. This heavy. This terrible.

She was going to love me back. And love me with everything good in her. She was going to willingly hand over her heart and soul to me just as easily as she had given her body to me. Thatwas the only fair way, considering she already owned my heart, body, and soul.