Page 36 of Tyrant (The Villetti Chronicles)

“I still don’t fully understand why you came to me rather than your father with this.”

Ari stood up, clutching the blanket to her chest. This conversation was making her uncomfortable, but I needed her cards out on the table to keep her safe.

“I already told you, I panicked.”

“I don’t think that’s why, Tink.”

She paced away.

“It doesn’t matter why. All that matters is I did.” One of her hands fell to her side and clenched into a fist. “I want to change the terms of our deal.”

I almost scoffed. What a way to change the subject.

“To what, exactly?”

I knew what she wanted, but it didn’t hurt to ask.

“I want you to stop the war before it happens.”

I threw the covers off my legs and stood up.

“That’s an awfully big ask, Arianna. What on earth do you think you have to offer me in return?”

Her frame trembled beneath the blanket. She turned and faced me. Her curls framed her face in the low light. I could see her teeth digging into her bottom lip as if she was contemplating something bad.

“What you keep telling me you don’t want.”

I swallowed when she dropped the blanket, letting it pool at her feet.

“I don’t believe you don’t want me, sir. And before you deny it again, I’ve felt evidence to the contrary.”

For a moment, I didn’t say a single word. No, I just stared at the girl like she’d lost her fucking mind. Then I strode towards her, gripped her by her curly hair and turned her face up towards me.

“You expect me to believe you’d barter your body to stop a war?”

“I’m already yours, so what difference does it make if we take it one step further?”

I leant closer. After everything she’d told me, this didn’t seem like her at all. She didn’t want anyone touching her without her consent. She wanted to choose who had access to her. Giving herself to me like a fucking payment went against everything I knew about this girl.

“Why?”

“I’d do anything to protect my father.”

Her voice shook on her words, leading me to believe she didn’t want this, but she was stupid enough to put her father’s life above her own. This fucking girl would be the death of me.

“You shouldn’t be offering yourself up to anyone like this without a fucking thought for what they might do to you if you did.”

“You won’t hurt me.”

My grip on her hair tightened, making her wince.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that if I were you.”

“I’m not scared of you.”

“So you keep telling me.”

She reached for me, her small hand landing on my chest. I was wearing a t-shirt, but it felt like her touch burnt through it. Like it was on my bare skin. Maybe it was wishful thinking on my part, wanting her naked body pressed to mine. But not like this. I didn’t want it like this. Not to mention I couldn’t touch her intimately. It would be wrong and so fucking forbidden.

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