Page 24 of Tyrant (The Villetti Chronicles)

“Father.”

Enzo and Gil called himpapà. Not me. He wasn’t a man I felt much affection for. Not when I knew what kind of person he really was.

Gennaro steepled his fingers. His two bodyguards remained close to him. They knew I wasn’t a risk, but my father was a careful man. He didn’t like to be left unprotected.

Arlo stood next to the door, fading into the background. Enzo threw himself down on the sofa in the corner, crossing his arms over his chest, and glared at my father. He’d recently returned from travelling. No doubt he’d been causing our father trouble since he’d been back. He had a habit of breaking the rules and being a nuisance.

Gil came around and stood close to me. My brother was the silent type who never put a foot wrong. He looked up to me. Fuck knows why. Not like I was the role model of the century. I’d disappointed our father countless times, but I’d got away with it being the eldest and the heir.

“What can I do for you?” I asked my father when he didn’t say another word.

Gennaro regarded me with eyes matching my own deep brown ones. His hair was greying at the temples, but he was attractive for a man in his late fifties. Unsurprisingly, women threw themselves at him as they did me. His inability to remain faithful had driven our mother to abandon us when Enzo was fifteen. I hadn’t forgiven him for what he’d done in response. I never would.

“A family meeting.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Right now?”

“Yes.”

He nodded to his bodyguards. They walked towards the door and stepped out, glaring at Arlo as if he shouldn’t be included in these discussions either. I wasn’t going to send him out of my office, no matter what my father said. We had nothing to hide from him.

When the door closed behind Fiore and Stefano, my father leant forward in his chair.

“You haven’t been answering my calls.”

“I’ve been busy.”

It wasn’t strictly true. I didn’t want to speak to him unless it was necessary. Besides, I wanted to get this over with. Leaving Ari alone for too long didn’t sit well with me. Not after she’d cried over killing her uncle yesterday. I might be strict with her, but it didn’t mean I wasn’t going to look after her if she needed it. If she fell apart over what she’d done.

“You make time for family, Zayn. That is non-negotiable.”

I almost rolled my eyes and caught Enzo’s scowl deepening. He’d obviously been lectured before they came here, judging by his dark mood. Giving my father a nod, I sat back and traced the tattoos on my fingers with my other hand.

“Your brother has been causing trouble since he returned home.”

I almost scoffed. When was Enzo not being a pain in the arse?

“Nothing I do gets through to him. I want you to deal with him. Put him to work here if you have to. I don’t care, just make him understand his behaviour isn’t acceptable within this family.”

Did my father actually think I could get through to my brother? He had to be joking. Enzo didn’t listen to anyone. I didn’t need his shit when I had my own to deal with.

“I don’t need a babysitter,Papà,” Enzo grumbled. “Especially not him.” He waved at me.

“Silenzio, Enzo. You will do as your brother says.”

My father’s hand curled around the arm of the chair, showing his displeasure with my brother. Honestly, I wished Enzo would stop pushing his buttons. It would make our lives a whole lot easier.

“You want me to give him a job?” I asked, waving at my brother. “He’ll have to pull his weight, something he’s incapable of doing.”

I wasn’t going to tell my father no, even though I had no interest in babysitting my brother and his wild ways. There would be no point. He’d tell me family took care of family. You couldn’t argue with him about it. His idea of family was as fucked up as they came.

“He will if he knows what’s good for him,” Gennaro replied, sparing Enzo a glance. “He has no other choice if he wants to keep his allowance.”

My father threatening to take away Enzo’s funds was probably the only way to keep the damn boy in line.

I stood up and walked over to my brother. Enzo rolled his eyes at me. I leant closer and flicked his ear. He rubbed it and slapped my hand away.

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