Page 60 of Tyrant (The Villetti Chronicles)

Why the hell would I ever ask her what to do? They were only four years apart in age, sure, but I didn’t need advice on how to handle Ari. She was a fierce little thing. It was part of her appeal, to me, anyway. I respected her forthcoming nature, even if it got her in trouble with me on more than one occasion.

“What? No. What makes you think I’ve done something wrong?”

Remi’s brows rose.

“Because you never talk to me about women, and I figured with her being your girlfriend…”

Excuse me?

“She is not my girlfriend, Remi. I already told you she’s staying with me for the time being.”

She waved a hand around.

“Yeah, yeah, about that. Who is she exactly, Zayn? This whole thing is making me question why you would let some random girl stay with you if she didn’t mean anything.”

I let out a huff. Remi had a knack for being blunt with me. She had that in common with Ari. I appreciated her honesty, but I didn’t need her questioning my life and decisions.

“It’s complicated and none of your business.”

There was a glimpse of hurt in her expression before it cleared, and she looked away. If there was anyone I wanted to confide in other than Arlo, then it would be Remi. I couldn’t when it came to this. There was too much shit on the line right now. I didn’t want her getting pulled into this life any more than she already was. Sometimes I wondered if I’d done the right thing when I’d made a deal with her mother. And sometimes I thought about telling Remi the truth. The need not to tarnish her memory of Roberta any further kept me silent on the matter.

“Then why do you want to talk to me about her?” Remi asked, her brow furrowing with the question.

“I’m worried she’s getting restless, as she’s at home all the time.”

“Well, I can hardly blame her if she has to hang out with you all day.”

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.”

She gave me a wink before her expression fell.

“You’re treating her okay, right, Zayn? I know you wouldn’t hurt a woman, but what I saw when I met her…”

Dropping my arms from my chest, I reached out and took Remi’s hand.

“Why are you so concerned about someone you don’t know?”

She sighed and rubbed her thumb over the back of my hand.

“It’s hard not to be with all the shit the girls here have seen in their pasts. They talk about it to me and it’s disheartening how cruel the world can be.”

“They’re safe now.”

“I know they are. You did that for them, giving them this and the power to take their lives back.” She waved her free hand around the office, indicating the whole building. “Sometimes I’m sad no one gets to see what you’ve done for them.” She looked up at me. “No one sees how kind you are.”

“You know why that is.”

“I do.”

Remi might not know about the inner workings of my family or my life, but she knew enough about the responsibility and burdens I carried as the son of Gennaro Villetti. The life I led wasn’t an easy one by any stretch of the imagination.

I wasn’t sure why she seemed so melancholy, but I resolved to find out after I’d told her why I wanted to see her.

“I’m not treating her badly if it makes you feel any better. In fact, you can ask her yourself because I want you to take her out for the afternoon.”

Remi’s eyes widened.

“You what?”

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