Page 97 of Tyrant (The Villetti Chronicles)

He pulled away and wiped under my eyes with his thumb before checking his phone.

“Not now. I got to meet Jamal. You going to be okay here?”

“Yeah. I’ll be okay.”

He nodded.

“Talk at dinner, okay?”

“I’ll make us something.”

He gave me a smile and left me standing there. When I heard the front door slam, I picked up my handbag from the sofa and trudged upstairs. I sat down on the bed of my childhood bedroom and wiped my face with my coat sleeve. Then I dug my hands in the pockets. Frowning, I felt a piece of paper. I pulled it out and looked down at the yellow post-it note that hadn’t been there before.

He promises he’ll come for you soon.

There was no signature. I knew immediately it was Arlo who’d put it in my pocket before he’d left earlier. It gave me so much fucking hope seeing it there in writing. Zayn wasn’t going to abandon me. My trust wasn’t unfounded. I could survive this time away from him, knowing he cared and wanted me still. I laid back against the sheets, staring up at the ceiling, and knew I had to hold on tight to that hope. It would see me through the further difficult conversations I’d have with my dad. The difficult conversation I would have to have with Kaylee because I’d disappeared. It would allow me to endure.

I’ll wait for you, Zayn. I’ll wait forever if I have to. I promise.

Thirty Two

Arianna

My eyes were fixed on the ceiling in the living room. Dad had just left. Talking about my uncle with him over the past three days was tough. He’d wanted to know everything. What Justin said. What Derek had told me. How I’d killed his brother. He didn’t, however, ask me any questions about Zayn. Didn’t want to know about my forbidden relationship with the mafia prince. I couldn’t blame him. What father would want their twenty-two-year-old daughter with a man who was almost their own age? Who was the son of the most powerful mafia kingpin in London. I didn’t know if he would ever approve, even if he’d said he wouldn’t stop me.

My soul hurt when I thought about how much I missed Zayn. How much I needed him. Three days wasn’t even that long. It felt like an eternity when I’d been by Zayn’s side for weeks. When every waking moment had been consumed by his presence.

Kaylee had come over yesterday. I hadn’t wanted to leave the house in case Zayn got in contact with me. She hadn’t minded dropping in after work. Kaylee had just landed herself a modelling contract. I’d taken the photographs for her portfolio as a favour. Legs for miles and willowy, Kaylee Grant was beautiful and loved the attention. I was a behind the camera girl, but I had no interest in being a fashion photographer no matter how much Kaylee bugged me about it.

It’d been nice to catch up and bring back some normality into my life. Only it didn’t make me feel normal. It made it all the more obvious this wasn’t me any longer. I had changed. I wanted to be the woman who stood beside Zayn. To be in his world. To be his.

I miss you. I hate not waking up next to you. I hate not hearing your voice. I hate everything.

I put my hand over my eyes and groaned. It was ridiculous, me sitting here pining for him, but I hadn’t heard a single thing. Arlo’s post-it note was stuck on the mirror in my room, reminding me not to fret and worry. To have faith.

The doorbell rang. I dropped my hand from my face. Who the fuck could that be? I didn’t think we’d have any visitors since Dad was out with his men.

Hauling myself up off the sofa, I trudged into the hallway and opened the front door. My hand shook when I saw Arlo standing there. I knew it was him, even if he had a hoodie on. He was dressed like he belonged on the estate.

“Arlo? Is… is everything okay? Is he okay?”

Arlo gave me a slight nod.

“Can I come in?”

I wasn’t sure if I should let him. The neighbours would notice. They were nosey as fuck around here. However, if I left him outside and they overheard what we were saying, it would be worse for me. Hopefully, they’d think Arlo was one of Dad’s men. They were often in and out of here.

“Yeah, okay, probably a good idea.”

I stepped back, opening the door wider. Arlo shoved his hands in his pockets and walked in. Before I even had a chance to start shutting the door, another hand belonging to someone else slammed down on it. They walked in after Arlo, tugged the door from my grasp, forcing me to back up before they closed it behind them.

“What’s going on? Who are—”

I couldn’t speak, my voice shutting off the moment Arlo’s companion flipped his own hood down.

“Tinkerbell.”

My knees almost buckled at the sound of his deep voice saying my nickname. The onehe’dgiven me.

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