Page 18 of Tyrant (The Villetti Chronicles)

“Mmm?”

“If I asked you to hold me, would you?”

“Say please.”

“Please, sir.”

The way her voice shook on her words was disconcerting. I straightened, which made her eyes turn sad as if she thought I was going to deny her request. Taking a seat on the sofa, I indicated my lap with my hand. It took her a few moments of hesitation before she crawled into it. I pressed her head against my shoulder and curled my arms around her. She was stiff for a few seconds, then her breath whooshed out of her. Her hand wrapped around my neck and her body went slack in my hold.

I had things to do, but I could take half an hour of my day to make sure Ari got through hers. There were aspects of me people would call cruel and strict, but they didn’t get to see who I really was. You had to be cruel and unforgiving in my world. It was the only way to survive.

If she was going to be with me for the foreseeable future, Ari might as well get used to all sides of me. She would be meeting them sooner rather than later. And I was absolutely certain she wouldn’t appreciate some of the parts that made up the mafia kingpin’s prodigal son.

You don’t become feared and revered by being nice. You do it with threats and bloodshed. I bowed to no one… not even my father. Ari would learn and I would enjoy teaching her in whatever way I saw fit. Even if it made her hate me in the end.

Eight

Arianna

Fiddling with my new coat, I stared out of the car window. Outside it was drizzling, which wasn’t helping with my nerves at all. We were on the way to Desecration. Zayn was quiet. It suited me just fine after yesterday. I was embarrassed about crying in front of him, but he’d been nice to me. In fact, I’d all but melted into him when he let me sit in his lap and held me.

You have got to get a grip.

Apparently, one comforting moment from him had me swooning and forgetting I was, for all intents and purposes, his possession. It was stupid. I was stupid for showing him my vulnerable side, even if I couldn’t help it. My soul burnt with the knowledge I’d taken a life, even if it was in self-defence. Even if my uncle had deserved it. It didn’t stop it from hurting.

It took me the rest of the day to regain my composure. Zayn left me to watch TV with an icepack for my bruised jaw so he could work in his office. We’d shared a quiet lunch and dinner together before he’d sent me to bed. I didn’t ask him for anything else. I might be thankful he’d comforted me, but I couldn’t afford to let my guard down. If I did, I’d be fucked.

The car pulled up by the curb to let both of us out. Zayn opened my door and helped me out, then tucked my hand under his arm as he led me down to the back door of the club. I didn’t pull away. It wouldn’t do me any good.

When we were inside the club, he took us down to his office, making me strip off my coat so he could hang it up with his on the stand. I fidgeted by the door as he sat down behind his desk.

“Arianna.”

“Yes, sir?”

“Come here.”

I moved around to his side. He hadn’t told me why he wanted me here. I could have stayed alone at the house. Not like I would have gone snooping.

Zayn looked up at me, his brow furrowed.

“Are you forgetting the rules already?”

He pointed at the floor.

Rules? Wait, he doesn’t expect me to kneel all day while he works, does he?

My hand curled at my side. Kneeling on his office floor somehow felt far more degrading than doing it in the privacy of his house. It was bad enough I’d done it in front of Arlo.

“The kneeling applies here?”

His lip curled up and his eyes darkened.

“Are you questioning me?”

My heart pounded in my ears, knowing I fucked up. Instead of rectifying the situation, I stood there staring at him. The dryness of my mouth prevented a response from forming on my lips.

Zayn rose from his chair, looking down at me with a stern expression on his face.

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