Page 69 of Tyrant (The Villetti Chronicles)

Arianna

The van came to a stop. I didn’t know how long we’d been driving. It felt like forever, but who really knew. The door opened. I was dragged along the floor and hauled over someone’s shoulder. No one spoke. I could hear gravel crunching under their feet and the sound of a metal door being opened. Whoever was carrying me grunted at someone. Then I was placed down in a chair a few minutes later.

I breathed in and out through my nose, fearing what would come next, but knowing I had to keep myself together. There were low voices near me, but my heart was hammering so hard, I couldn’t make out what they were saying above the noise.

Keep your shit straight, Ari.

How did anyone stay calm when they’d been kidnapped by unknown people?

I didn’t have a knife or anything to defend myself with. Not like I had done with Uncle Justin. Reminding myself of that night wouldn’t help matters. I should have told Zayn I needed one, but I’d put all my trust in him to keep me safe. To protect me from outside threats. I didn’t think I’d need it. Turns out, I really fucking did.

“Did you hurt her?” came a voice from my left. One that sent a chill running down my spine.

“No, we fuckin’ didn’t, boss man.”

The hood on my head was pulled off. I blinked as the light filled my eyes, almost blinding me with its intensity. The room came into focus a moment later. I was surrounded by men, but it was the one in the middle that had me wanting to throw up.

“Hello, Ari,” Derek McGovern said with a sinister smile on his face. “Nice to see you again.”

He wasn’t a tall man. His men towered over him, but he was intimidating all the same. A deep scar was etched into his left cheek. It gave him a crooked smile. His brown hair was slicked back, and he wore a suit with an overcoat. The surrounding men were in less formal attire. Tracksuits and Reeboks. One of them had a cap on backwards, rubbing his hands together before he cracked his knuckles.

My eyes darted around the room. We were in some sort of warehouse. It was cold and my skin had broken out in goosebumps, but I figured it might also have something to do with the fear seeping into my veins.

The one person I wanted to stay as far away from as possible had a hold of me.

“Take that shit out her mouth.”

Derek waved at me. Someone stepped up behind me and tore the gag from my mouth. I hadn’t realised they were there. I coughed, spitting out the cloth fibres stuck to my tongue and the roof of my mouth.

“That’s better. Now we can have a little chat, can’t we?”

I might be scared shitless, but his words pissed me off. This whole situation made me angry. Angry at the fact the moment I’d been away from Zayn, this had happened. Angry that I’d been taken against my will. I was just plain fucking angry the person who’d done it was Derek McGovern. Anyone who knew me was well aware of my temper and how I didn’t take shit lying down. I let the rage fill me, allowing it to overtake my fear. I was not weak. I was Bennett Jerome Michaelson’s daughter, raised to be strong as fuck, and no one, not even McGovern, was going to take that away from me.

“What the fuck? Are you fucking crazy?” I ground out a moment later, not caring to heed my language. “Kidnapping me in broad daylight? Real fucking smart.”

Derek’s smile fell. I might have only met him a few times, but I’d never mouthed off to the man before. Perhaps it wasn’t real smart of me either, but I was too pissed off to care. Too worked up to stay calm any longer.

He took a step towards me, his brown eyes narrowing on my face.

“Watch your tone with me.”

I snorted and shook my head.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did you think I was a meek little girl or something? Is that why you want me?”

His eyes widened.

“Yeah, I fucking know, Dezza. Justin told me what you wanted.”

I watched his hand flex at his side. He definitely didn’t like me calling him that, but who gave a fuck? He was the one who had his men hustle me into a van, tie me up, and bring me here.

“Did he, huh? And where the fuck is your uncle, Ari, hmm? He’s been missing just like you. Makes me think you had something to do with that.”

I shrugged and arched an eyebrow at him. He didn’t deserve to know what I’d done to Justin, nor would I admit it to a room full of people.

Derek looked around at his men, a dark expression settling across his face. Then he waved a hand at them.

“All of you, out.”

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