Page 63 of Tyrant (The Villetti Chronicles)

Zayn

No matter what Arianna thought, my relationship with Remi was purely platonic. I wasn’t going to make my little sister feel shit or that we’d done anything wrong, so I turned my attention back to her and smiled, giving her a wink. Then I released her, letting her step back from me. Her head turned, and she spied Arlo and Ari. I’d made him take Ari on a tour of the club to give me time to talk to Enzo and Remi.

“Oh, hey,” Remi said, giving Ari a wave.

I could tell Arianna was struggling to keep the jealousy off her face, but she managed it and gave Remi a tight smile.

“Hi.”

Remi looked at me again.

“Does she know about today?”

I shook my head. I hadn’t informed Ari beforehand, but now I was in for one hell of a conversation with her.

“Go get Enzo to bring the car around and she’ll meet you by the back door, okay?”

Remi reached out and squeezed my arm before giving Ari another smile.

“See you in a bit, I guess.”

She flounced out of the room with a spring in her step. Arlo looked between me and Ari, whose expression had darkened, and hastily retreated from the room, closing the door behind him.

Coward.

When she didn’t speak, I almost sighed. Sometimes Ari let her emotions rule her, but that was fine. I could allow her to have her angry kitten moment and then we could get on with the real reason I needed to speak with her.

“I have a surprise for you.”

Ari didn’t respond. She gave me daggers and crossed her arms over her chest. I dug my hands into my pockets and took a step towards her.

“You don’t want to know what it is?”

“I don’t care what it is.”

“Tinkerbell.”

“Don’t you ‘Tinkerbell’ me when I walked in here and found you touching another woman.”

How adorable. Such a jealous little thing you are.

I took my hand out of my pocket and rubbed my chin.

“I see. So when I told you Remi is a friend, you chose to ignore that and jump to the worst possible conclusion when you walked in here and now, you’re jealous.”

Her expression soured even further.

“I’m not jealous!”

“I would say the look on your face and the fact you’re refusing to come over here says otherwise, Ari.”

She was about to open her mouth when I put my hand up, stopping her. There was no point in us having a stupid argument like this. Remi was in my life. Ari had to deal with it. She could hash it out with Remi this afternoon if she wanted to.

“Listen, this is very cute and all, but you have nothing to be jealous over. Remi is like a little sister to me.” I took another step towards her, cocking my head to the side. “She’s certainly not the one I like to collar, bend over my desk and fuck until she’s begging for a reprieve now, is she?”

The way Ari’s face coloured up at my words had me smiling.

“Come here.”

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