Page 66 of Ruthless God

I bit the inside of my cheek. “You expect honesty from me?” I asked.

He nodded.

“Can I expect the same from you?”

He didn’t answer right away. His finger tapped once, twice on the table. “You know there are certain aspects about my job that I can’t disclose.”

I shook my head. “I know that. You could just say you can’t say. But when it comes to everything else… When it comes to us… can I expect you to be honest?”

A slight twist of his lips told me he was amused. Problem was, I didn’t know if he was laughing at me—at my own naivety for even suggesting something like that to him—or something else.

“Not so meek,” he said softly, so softly, I almost didn’t hear him. I frowned. Did he think I was meek before? I supposed I had been acting meek in front of him, though I hadn’t wanted to think of myself as such. It was just what I did to survive. And survived I had, with little lasting damage, so I thought I had been doing a pretty good job. But to hear Massimo thinking of me as meek… something heavy settled in the pit of my stomach. The server chose that moment to come by.

I hadn’t even had the chance to see what was on the menu. I looked at Massimo helplessly, feeling a little better when he started to order for us—salmon on toasted bagels for me, a classic omelet for him, and two glasses of orange juice.

Massimo turned his attention back to me once the server left.

“Yes,” he said. “You can expect the same from me—as honest as I can be.”

I blinked. I hadn’t expected him to say that.

His smile widened. “You seem surprised.”

“Most men in your position wouldn’t have agreed.”

“Most men? You have it on good authority what other men in my position would and wouldn’t do?”

I blushed. He had me there. He was the first andonlyman I would know like this.

“Andre—”

“Perhaps you shouldn’t compare me to Andre Lombardi.” There was almost a curl of his lips to show his disgust over the fact.

I shut my mouth. Had I been doing that? Not out loud, but perhaps in thought?

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly.

He waved my apology away.

I shifted in my seat, feeling uneasy. I had been unfair to Massimo. He was nothing like the men I grew up seeing.

“We will be honest with each other,” I said.

He nodded, satisfied. “Now tell me what’s wrong.”

It wasn’t a question but a demand. But after our conversation, I felt silly bringing up my insecurity.

“I—” I took a deep breath. “What do you think this marriage will be like?”

He tilted his head off to the side slightly.

“I mean, what you said outside… about not letting other men touch me because I’m yours?—”

“You are mine. And let’s get something straight. I don’t share,principessa. If you don’t want the blood of other men on your hands, don’t ever go near any of them.”

Don’t go near any other men?

That sounded ridiculous. Surely, he was kidding. But then I got a good look at his face. He looked dead serious.