Page 97 of Ruthless God

“Let go! Massimo is going to kill you.”

He laughed. “Yeah? Will he kill me before he’s able to save you? The fucker is always taking shit from me. This house was supposed to be mine. The De Luca empire, mine.”

“If you think you are even half the man as Massimo to be able to rule over the De Luca empire, then you’re fucking delusional,” I gritted out.

He let go of my hair, causing pain to explode over my scalp instantly. I didn’t get the chance to do anything when I felt a sharp sting on my left cheek. I blinked in surprise and looked up at Marco.

He had slapped me.

His face took on an angry red. “You’re supposed to be mine. The marriage to Lombardi’s daughter and uniting the two families. It was supposed to be me and you. You were supposed to be my whore.”

I spat in his face. “I’m nobody’s whore.”

I wasn’t going to outrun him. I knew that now. But I wasn’t going to lie down and take it. I was just so tired of lettingeveryone walk all over me. If Marco wanted to hurt me, I wasn’t going to make it easy for him.

“We’ll see about that.” He pushed me down on the hardwood floor, his hands moving over my body. I struggled against him, my knee going up and hitting him in the groin. He let out a pained grunt but didn’t let me go.

I shook my head when I felt his hand on the waistband of my leggings. I kicked my legs out, trying to throw him off.

He climbed on top of me, resting his weight on my thighs and grabbing both of my wrists, holding them up above my head.

Tears stung my eyes. “Let go.”

He laughed, the sound maniacal and ugly. I wanted to hurt him.

But he was stronger than me. So much stronger.

Why hadn’t I paid more attention when Massimo tried to teach me self-defense? Why was I so fucking scared? And now I was going to pay for my cowardice.

The tears fell when he gathered my wrists in one hand and let his other roam down my body. His hand cupped my breast, squeezing painfully hard.

I let out a scream.

The front door flung open.

Marco and I both turned to it.

“What the fuck?—”

Marco didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence before Massimo pulled him off me and threw him against the wall with a roar.

I didn’t know what I felt as I watched the scene unfold.

Was it relief?

Or terror over what could have happened? Or was it anger that Marco had even had the chance to touch me? Or something worse? Something sinister like satisfaction as I watchedMassimo climb on top of Marco’s body—much as how he had done with me—and start throwing punches?

But why was I shaking so badly?

I let out a startled cry when I felt hands on me and flinched away.

“Hey, sorry. It’s me, Luna. Matteo.”

I looked over to the voice but couldn’t make out his face. Did he say Matteo? Why was he so blurry?

“Matteo?”

“Yes. I’m sorry it took us so long to get here. I’m so fucking sorry, Luna.”