Page 32 of Little Bird (Advantage Play 3)

Regina

I can feel him stalking closer as I walk up the steps to the back entrance. It takes everything inside of me to keep my spine straight instead of cowering away from him. Hands shaking, I reach for the door handle and twist.

I didn’t want to leave Dex’s side. It almost killed me. But I could tell that the other girl needed him more than I did in that moment, and I wasn’t about to leave her alone with Sei. Not when she was already so broken.

A hand pushes me from behind, and I fall to my knees.

Gasping in pain, I look over my shoulder to see an amused Sei staring down at me. “So this is what you look like on your knees,” he notes. His eyes darken at the prospect. “Interesting.”

“Don’t we have somewhere we need to be?” I return, barely keeping the trembling from my voice.

His hand comes out of nowhere, smacking me across the face. My head swings to the side as a sharp ache explodes across my cheekbone. My mouth opens wide in pain, but I don’t say anything in an attempt to keep him from snapping a second time.

“Good girl,” he praises. “You’re learning.”

Squeezing my eyes shut, I clutch at my bruised cheek that’s tender as hell.

“Get up and put your hands out. We have some special jewelry for you this evening.”

I do as I’m told and watch him cuff my wrists together before placing another piece of metal around my neck. It’s so tight, I feel like I’m suffocating. When I look into his dark, beady eyes, I realize that’s exactly what he’s hoping for.

And I hate him even more for it.

“Beautiful,” he mutters under his breath, dragging his finger against the column of my throat while admiring his handiwork. The sound of the backdoor squeaking grabs his attention, and I swallow thickly. When my gaze connects with Dex’s, I want to cry and run into his strong arms, but I try to stay strong.

“You touched her,” Dex growls, assessing my bruised cheek.

“I had to remind her of her place. Seems she’s forgotten while under your supervision.”

Dex takes a step forward when Burlone walks in and interrupts, “What the hell is taking you both so long? Dex, get the fruit upstairs. Now. Sei, we’re still waiting on our guest of honor. Greet them at the door and make sure he knows our standard protocol. Understand?”

I watch both men nod, though Dex’s is much more jerky than Sei’s.

Satisfied, Burlone exits the room just as quickly as he’d entered. There’s so much tension remaining from his absence that I’m afraid I’ll drown in it.

“Sure you don’t need any more help?” Sei offers condescendingly.

Ignoring him, Dex quips, “Better run along, Sei. Wouldn’t want to keep the guest of honor waiting.”

Sei gives him a final glare then disappears through a second doorway that I assume leads to the entrance. Once he’s gone, Dex’s hand gently caresses my throbbing cheek.

“You okay?”

I nod. “I’ll be fine once this is over.”

Dropping his hand from my face, he gives me a somber look then cuffs the second girl before guiding us upstairs through a back stairwell. The opulence in the open room is staggering, but I’m too distracted by the filth in the space camouflaged in black tuxedos and silk ties to appreciate it fully.

Jaw tight, Dex tugs on the cuffs and leads me to an old man with salt and pepper hair before urging me to place my hand on his shoulder. My brows furrow in confusion.

“Look around, Little Bird,” he mutters under his breath. “Follow their lead. Blend in. And do anything they ask you to do without question. If you don’t, there’ll be consequences.”

It’s the last line that makes me pause until I remember there are witnesses here, and the cool, indifferent Dex is back with a vengeance.

Digging my teeth into my lower lip, I nod. “Yes, sir.”

“Good girl.”

Then he’s gone, and I’m left standing around a poker table like a little piece of fruit while the despicable men leer at me from all sides.

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