Page 25 of Little Bird (Advantage Play 3)

“Thanks,” he slurs, his voice showcasing his embarrassment.

Releasing a sigh, I wait for the call to connect, praying it won’t go to voicemail. When I hear a muffled voice echo through the shitty earpiece, I lean closer and try to ignore the pungent smell clinging to the homeless guy.

He clears his throat before mumbling, “Hey, hey, it’s me. Ya gave me yer card a few days ago, or maybe it was weeks? But I—”

Someone talks on the other end.

“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, ya asked that I give ya a call if that guy showed back up and—”

The voice cuts him off while the homeless guy starts nodding up and down like a bobblehead.

“Yeah, yeah. He’s here. Asked me ta give you a letter. It’s about R-R—” He looks at me. “What was her name again?”

“Regina,” I finish for him.

“Ah, yeah. That’s right. Regina. He’s got a letter about Regina—”

The same brash voice interrupts him again, and I lean even closer while holding my breath in hopes of hearing what’s being said. Unfortunately, I can’t make out what Diece is saying.

Glancing up at me, Ace’s friend replies, “Oh, yeah. Sure. He’s still here.”

After listening to Diece’s response, the homeless guy pulls the phone away from his ear and offers it to me. “He wants ta talk to ya.”

Shit.

This could go one of two ways. I just need to pray that whatever the hell Regina wrote in her letter is enough to convince them that I’m the good guy. I didn’t bother reading it because I assume it’s private, and I respect Regina enough to give her an ounce of the privacy that’s been missing from her life. However, I’m definitely questioning my decision as I wait to talk with my half-brother while praying he’s not going to kill me.

Literally.

Grabbing the phone, I shift it to my other hand before bringing it to my ear. “Yeah?”

“This Dex?” a low voice grumbles.

“Yeah.”

“Why the hell are you using Eddie to contact me?”

I scrub the palm of my hand against my face then admit, “Because it was the only way I could think of.”

“And why are you contacting me?” His tone is cold. Hell, it’s frigid.

Gritting my teeth, I explain, “Because you’re walking into a shitstorm, and I’m trying to keep you all from getting fucked.”

He scoffs, and I don’t blame him in the slightest. “And you expect me to believe that?”

“No, I expect you to believe Regina.”

“Don’t you say her name,” he spits. “After the hell you and your boss are putting her through, I don’t want to ever hear you utter the name Regina again. Do you understand me?”

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I count to ten and pray for patience. “No offense, Diece, but you have no idea what you’re talking about. Read her letter. See what she has to say. And help me get the Romano family––and Regina––out of this mess. That’s all I’m asking for. That’s all she wants. Just…,” I sigh. “Just read the damn letter.”

A beat of silence greets me, and I look down at Eddie to see him curling back into a ball like when I first found him. I could’ve ended up like that. Some nobody on the street who’s only love is found in a liquor bottle. Instead, I found Regina.

I need to get her out of this mess. And I need Diece’s help to do it, which means I need him to listen to me.

“Look—” I start, but he cuts me off.

“If you think I should trust you, then….” He stops to clear his throat—and probably to second guess himself too. “Then stay where you are. I’ll be there in ten.”

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