Page 121 of Tyrant (The Villetti Chronicles)

Zayn

I wasn’t planning on having it out with my father this evening, but apparently, he had other ideas. No part of me cared that we had an audience. It was high fucking time he learnt I wasn’t going to bow down to him any longer.

It was time he bowed to me.

“Is that the best you can do? Tell me she’s a whore and she’ll never be family?” I scoffed. “I thought petty insults were below you, but apparently, I was mistaken. It’s a shame you can’t see past your own bullshit because if you did, you’d know why I’ve chosen her. I don’t need her to befamiglia. Who the fuck wants to be a part of this family, anyway? I certainly don’t after the shit you’ve put me through, after the shit you’ve put my brothers through, and let’s not mention what you did to our mother.”

Gennaro’s expression turned dark at my words. I no longer cared if Enzo found out the real reason our mother was in a vegetative state. I didn’t care about anything other than sticking it to my father.

“Watch your mouth.”

“You don’t get to tell me what to do any longer. If anything, you should be taking orders from me. After all, I’m the fucking king of this city.”

My father took another step towards me, his face going an ugly shade of puce.

“What did you just say?”

“Oh, hadn’t you heard? All those petty criminals you didn’t have any time for, the ones who were below you? They belong to me now. All of them do. And your little drug trade? Well, it’s mine too. Bennett didn’t want to anger the man who will take care of his daughter for the rest of her life. Nor did he want to be turfed off the land he uses. I’d introduce myself as the new king of the underworld if I thought you’d recognise it.”

I spread my hands.

“It’s about time someone took away your toys, Father. I just didn’t think it would be me who rose above the great Gennaro fucking Villetti to take the crown.”

I swear I’d never seen my father look so angry in his entire life. While I knew he was still a formidable threat to me and Ari, it felt fucking good to put him in his place.

“You think this changes anything?” he spat.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m not an idiot. I know it’ll take some getting used to… knowing your son bested you. I don’t expect you to bow to me or anything, just accept what I’ve been trying to make clear to you for years.”

He gritted his teeth.

“And what’s that?”

“You have more than enough loyal servants willing to take over from you. I’m not your fucking heir. I’m not going to get married to some mafia princess you deem worthy of me. I don’t answer to you.”

I watched his hands curl into fists at his sides and smiled at him.

“And you were right earlier. I have no intention of getting married to Arianna or anyone else. The idea of marriage makes me sick. And the person I have to blame for that? Well, it’s you. Seeing the way you treatedMamálike she was less than fucking human cemented my thoughts on the matter. I have no interest in an institution that has a history of forcing ownership of women by men. People like you perpetuate that fucking misery. And before you ask, yes, Arianna is perfectly aware of my feelings on the matter and, unlike you, doesn’t seek to force me into a life I don’t want to lead. That’s what a partnership is, Father. Something you clearly don’t understand.”

Gennaro didn’t immediately respond, clearly weighing what I’d said in his mind. I didn’t care what he thought nor what he said. If it burned my bridges with my family, so fucking be it. I didn’t want to be a part of it if he was going to remain in charge. I had Arianna. She was enough for me. We were enough for each other.

“You think by bringing all of that scum under your thumb you were going to force me into letting you go?” He laughed, the sound ugly and demeaning. “Such a foolish, foolish boy.” He glared at me. “It doesn’t matter if you insist on shacking up with that girl. You’ll get bored soon enough. You always do.”

He rubbed a hand over his mouth.

“The thing you fail to understand, Zayn, is you’re always going to belong to me. You, Gilberto and Enzo, you’re all mine. And you will fall in line once you’ve worn yourself out with these little games you love to play.”

I wanted to laugh in his fucking face. Instead, I shook my head. This time was different. This time I had a reason to spit at his feet and tell him to go to hell.

“Your arrogance will be your downfall, Father.”

Turning on my heel, I took hold of Arianna’s hand and tugged her towards the front door. I didn’t want to hear another word out of his fucking mouth. It would only be poison. It’s all he did. Spread toxicity.

I stopped by Enzo, who was staring at my father like he was seeing an entirely new person.

“If you knew what was good for you, you’d move out of this place and away from him,” I told him, looking back at our father with disgust. “He’s only going to continue to make your life hell, just like he’s always done to me.”

Enzo turned to me, his eyes widening.

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