Page 80 of Ruthless God

His eyes softened, and he turned me until I faced him fully. “Yes, I will always protect you. But there will be times when I’m not there.”

I looked off to the side. I wasn’t naïve. I knew Massimo couldn’t be by my side twenty-four seven, but I didn’t go anywhere. I was mostly at home. And…

I didn’t want to get close to his brothers.

Especially in a boxing ring.

He must have read that on my face because he said, “Is it my brothers?”

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

“You know they won’t hurt you, right?”

I didn’t know that. It wasn’t like I knew his siblings well, not even Giulia. I was just more comfortable with her because she was probably the least intimidating person I knew, and we were about the same size.

But his brothers? They weren’t as tall as Massimo, but they were taller than most men I’d seen. They could crush me.

“They would never hurt you,” he said. “And in case I would ever have to leave, they would be the ones I entrusted with your protection.” He cupped my cheeks with his big hands. “So I need you to get comfortable with them, okay,principessa?”

He looked so earnest, I found it hard to deny him anything. I nodded.

“Good girl. Now come on,” he said softly, turning my head back until I was looking at him.

I nodded, not knowing what else I could say to get out of this situation.

We approached the ring slowly, mostly because I was dragging my feet. Massimo looked back at me. I tried to put on a brave face, but I was sure it came across as a grimace.

He helped me into the ring, and I tried to stay as close to the ropes as possible.

“Don’t look so nervous, little sister. We promised to be nice,” Matteo said with an easy grin. I wasn’t sure if that was supposedto make me feel better or not, so I said nothing. Elio frowned a little.

“We’ll just start with some basics. I know it’s more likely you’ll be facing an opponent bigger and stronger than you. I’m not going to show you how to fight them. That’s not realistic. But I want to show a few techniques you can use that will hopefully give you enough time to allow you to escape until help comes,” Massimo said, grasping my chin gently with his thumb and forefinger and tilting my head back so that I was looking directly at him. “Okay, baby?”

I nodded, even if it wasn’t okay. It didn’t feel okay. My eyes moved to his brothers. They were watching us intently.

He pulled away, and I had to stop myself from following him, from moving in close to his side where I would at least feel safe. But that sounded a little unhinged, a little clingy, even for me. I stayed where I was as Massimo signaled for Matteo to come closer to him.

“I’ll show you a few things to do when you’re grabbed…”

Massimo kept talking, but it was like there was a roar in my ears. Not many of his words registered as he used Matteo to stand in for me. He grabbed Matteo from behind, and I watched as the other man effortlessly maneuvered out of Massimo’s hold, and then when Massimo grabbed Matteo’s wrist, the same thing.

Did he expect me to be able to do that?

“Luna?”

I blinked when I realized Massimo had called for me.

He frowned. “Do you think you can do that?”

“I…”

I nodded, even if that was the last thing I thought I would be able to do.

I didn’t know how it happened. One moment, I was watching Massimo and Matteo; the next, I was standing in front of Matteo while Massimo and Elio watched, taking in the spectacle as ifthey were in the audience at the Colosseum, watching a lion fight off a human.

I felt like I was facing off with a lion, even if Matteo was the easygoing brother.

“Go,” Massimo called out before I could really prepare myself.