Page 15 of Little Bird (Advantage Play 3)

I shove him harder, praying I bruise his windpipe. “Bullshit. Burlone said you couldn’t touch the girls.”

With a shake of his head, I release the pressure slightly, and an amused Sei argues, “Who said I touched her? Maybe I just let her watch.”

“Back. The fuck. Up.” I give him another firm shove before twisting the handle to check on the girl whose room Sei just left.

What I see would break any other man if he weren’t raised in this hellhole. Unfortunately for me, it’s just another day of the week. And I hate myself a little more for it.

The other virgin, the one I’ve been ordered to keep innocent, is curled into a ball on the mattress. I approach her slowly and look for any bruising or swelling that marks her exposed skin. But the room is dimly lit, so I’m not sure I’d see it even if it were there.

“Hey,” I mutter, inspecting her a little more closely.

Shiiiiit.

Even though I already know the answer, I can’t help but ask, “You okay?”

Her eyes are dull and lifeless as she looks up at me from the mattress. She doesn’t say a word.

“Answer me, darlin’.”

“When’s the tournament?” Her voice is quiet. Broken. But not naive.

“Less than a week. Did he touch you?”

She scoffs, tucking her knees closer to her chest as she lays in the fetal position. “You mean, did he take my precious virginity? Nope.”

“I asked if he touched you,” I push, finally noticing the angry purple discoloration on her thighs and neck. Marks like these are a dime a dozen at Sin. I’ve never liked seeing them, and I’ve never been one to dole them out, either. But ever since my Little Bird landed in my lap, it’s opened my eyes to the brutality that is happening right in front of me. Turning a blind eye on the matter and pretending my hands are clean in the process is a bunch of bullshit, but I don’t know what I can do to stop it.

“If you have to ask that, then you’re dumber than you look,” she spits coldly. “Can you go now? I’d like to be alone.”

My fists clench at my sides, but I do as she asks and softly close the door behind me. After the hell she’s been through, she deserves at least that much. Resting my head against her door, I stare at the one across from me that holds my Little Bird.

If they touched her too….

I’m still pent up with anxiety when I enter, squeezing the doorknob with so much force that I’m positive it’ll leave tiny indentations where my fingers were. I know she can feel the tension rolling off me in waves by the way she stands and rushes toward me.

She never rushes toward me.

“Are you okay?” The concern clearly written across her face makes my chest ache.

Me? Okay? Did she really just ask that?

I’m her fucking guard, and she cares how I’m doing?

“Yeah.” The lie sounds wrong, and I know she can hear it.

“Talk to me. What’s going on?” She fidgets with one of the buttons on the fresh shirt I’d dropped off. My shirt. The sight only makes me feel sicker.

I couldn’t even give the other girl that much?

Sei’s right. I’m a selfish bastard. I picked a favorite. Now, I have to see if I was able to keep her safe when I know I didn’t do the same for the other girl.

“Has anyone come in here since I last saw you?” I ask, trying to keep my tone even when I’m seconds away from hunting down Sei and pressing my Glock to his forehead.

With pinched brows, she replies, “No. No one has come in here except you.”

“Good.” I breathe a sigh of relief and run my hands through my hair as the image from only moments ago haunts me.

“What’s wrong?” she presses.

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