Page 130 of Tyrant (The Villetti Chronicles)

Arlo tried to call me back, but I ignored it. He would only tell me to wait for him again. I couldn’t. Ari was in danger right now. Nothing would stop me from going after her.

I opted to phone the other person I was pissed off at instead of dealing with my right-hand man.

“Ah, Z, I was wondering when you’d call. Do you like the studio?” Penn said when he answered. “Not my usual gig, mind, but I did good, didn’t I?”

“Did I like it? What the fuck, Penn! You told me the building was secure. You fucking told me it was safe,” I all but shouted at him, unable to hold it in.

“Whoa, okay, hold on a minute. I told you it could be secured. I mean, it’s not yours, so it’s not like I could outfit it with the right stuff yet.”

I slammed my hand into the back of the passenger seat. He had to be kidding me.

“I specifically told you to find me a secure building, not one that had the fucking potential to be secure. Jesus fucking Christ, do you realise what you just cost me?”

“Well, I would if you told me why you’re losing it right now.”

I sucked in a breath. He didn’t know who I was buying the building for. I hadn’t told him.

“The studio is for Ari. For my fucking woman. I took her with me and you know the fuck what? She got fucking taken. You failed to tell me someone could quite easily get in the back with no issues and someone fucking took her. So excuse me if I’m trying to find a reason I shouldn’t hunt you the fuck down and put a bullet in your brain. She’s in fucking danger because of you.”

For a moment Penn said nothing, clearly processing my words. I wanted to drown the fucker. If Ari got hurt or died because of him, I would kill him. No fucking hesitation.

“Hey now, you can’t put that shit on me, Zayn. I didn’t know you were going to take her with you. I didn’t realise—”

I hung up without letting him finish as Lewis pulled up outside my father’s house.

“Give me my gun,” I barked at him, stuffing my phone back in my pocket.

Lewis fumbled with the glove compartment, ripping it open and pulling out the weapon I kept in there. He handed it to me.

“Stay here.”

I got out of the car without shutting the door and strode off. Lewis would be useless at defending me. He was my driver and had never been in a life or death situation. This was personal, anyway. I was going to deal with my fucking father once and for all. Him taking Arianna was the final straw. I had no choice now. None at all.

As soon as I reached the front door, I slammed my hand down on it repeatedly.

“Open the fuck up.”

I kept hammering my fist on the door until it was wrenched open by a rather irate looking Fiore. Before he had a chance to say a word, I shoved him backwards into the house with me and kicked the door shut behind us.

“Where the fuck is she?”

Fiore blinked, looked down at the gun in my hand, then he launched himself at me, pressing me back against the door. He gripped my wrist and slammed my hand against the wood, trying to dislodge the gun from my fingers. In response, I kneed the fuck in the groin and pushed him off me. Raising my hand, I shot him in the head at point-blank range as his hands went to his dick. He died instantly, dropping to the floor in a heap.

The noise brought Stefano out of the living room. He stared at the crumpled heap that was his friend. Then he was fumbling to grab the weapon he kept on him. I aimed my gun at his head.

“Where is she?”

Stefano froze, his eyes going to my gun.

“As if I’m going to tell you.”

I smiled at him despite the anger simmering in my veins, consuming every part of me.

“Wrong answer.”

Aiming lower, I shot him in the knee. He cried out, dropping the gun he’d pulled from its holster. Blood seeped into his trousers. I stepped over Fiore’s body, aiming my gun at Stefano’s hand that was inching towards his leg.

“Where. Is. She?”

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