Page 37 of Tyrant (The Villetti Chronicles)

“Why would I put my life and my safety into your hands if I thought you were going to hurt me? I’m not stupid, even if you think I am.”

“I never said you were stupid, but this shit right here? This is stupidity at its finest. I don’t make deals involving sex. I’m not going to fuck you in exchange for making sure your father doesn’t get himself killed.”

Tears filled those chestnut eyes. I was angry over her demand, but this didn’t require anger or rage. Ari’s fragility was punching a fucking hole in my chest. I had to be delicate with her.

“I understand you’re scared for him, Tinkerbell, but this… this is not the way to go about asking me for something.” My grip on her hair loosened and I placed my other hand on top of hers on my chest. “I don’t want a war any more than you do. It’s bad for business.”

Her lip trembled and tears streaked down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry, sir. I’m so sorry,” she whispered, choking out the words.

I tugged her against my chest and held her close, allowing her to purge her emotions.

“Shh, it’s okay, my little fairy. It’s okay.”

She clung to me, sobbing silently into my t-shirt. I don’t know how long the two of us stood there. Didn’t matter as long as she felt better after crying all over me.

“I’m so scared,” she murmured after she’d settled down. “He’s all I have. I just want him to be safe, but he can’t be… not in this world.”

She rubbed her face against my t-shirt. I didn’t ask her to stop. It was already damp from her tears. She might as well use it as her tissue at this point. Ari pulled away and stared up at me.

“I don’t know how to stop disobeying you.”

I almost smiled at her statement. Instead, I reached up and stroked her curls.

“Fear makes funny creatures of us all.”

“Even you?”

“I’d be lying if I said there’s nothing in this world for me to be afraid of. Everyone fears something.”

Images of my mother laying in a bed on a fucking ventilator because she couldn’t breathe on her own flitted across my mind. My father had a lot to answer for. Too much. And my inability to go against him was the only thing plaguing me in this world.

Ari nodded before extracting herself from my embrace. I watched her lower herself to her knees in front of me. My breath caught when she planted her hands on the floor and bent her head, exhaling when she kissed the top of my foot.

“I’m sorry for everything, sir. Please forgive me.”

When she straightened, I put my hand out to her. She took it, allowing me to pull her to her feet before I swept her up in my arms. She let out a squeak when I carried her over to my bed and set her down on it. I pulled tissues from the box on my bedside table and mopped up her face. Discarding them in the bin, I then pulled my t-shirt off and got into bed next to her, yanking the covers over both of us.

“What are you doing?” she whispered when I tugged her into my arms, tucking her up against my chest.

“Taking care of you.”

I think she was stumped because she didn’t say another word. I smiled to myself as her breathing evened out over the next few minutes and she fell asleep. If I was a sensible man, I wouldn’t have put her in bed with me, but I didn’t care. Every part of me wanted her close, where I could keep an eye on the damn girl. She was giving me whiplash with her ever-changing moods and demeanour.

I liked it… even though I shouldn’t.

I shouldn’t like her at all.

Yet… I did.

Too fucking much.

It was the only way I could explain why I’d let her get away with so much right now. And why I’d forgiven her for it all already. The most fucked up part of it all was… I think I always would.

I’d forgive her.

Every. Single. Time.

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