Page 71 of Little Bird (Advantage Play 3)

“We need to figure out why he wants her, and why he chose this moment to frame you,” Kingston orders.

I shrug. “I have no idea.”

“Then it looks like we have some work to do. Did you kill either of the Feds who came to arrest you?”

“What?” I practically screech in outrage. “Of course not.”

“Then how did you escape?”

“There was a…tussle?” I shrug for lack of a better word. “I knocked one out then pinned the other to the ground before cutting off his oxygen supply until he passed out too.”

“Could they possibly find any evidence at your place that connects you to the Romano family?”

I shake my head. “No.”

“Is there any chance you were followed here?”

Again, I shake my head. “No.”

Satisfied, Kingston addresses the man on his right. “Stefan.”

“Yeah, Boss?”

“Take Jack to one of the guest rooms. Get him a change of clothes. He’ll be staying with us until we can figure out what’s going on. Once you’re finished, grab Dominic from the shed and take him down to the cellars. He’ll be staying with us a bit longer too.”

Standing to his full height, Stefan tilts his head to the stairs I’d been inspecting when I first arrived. “Follow me.”

Chapter Forty-Three

Dex

“What do you think?” Kingston’s voice is sharp and to the point after Stefan and Jack disappear up the stairs.

“You tell me,” I return. “You’re the lie detector, right?”

With a smirk, he pushes himself up from the couch on the opposite side of the room and strides toward me. “I want to know your impression of him. I’m afraid my judgment might be a little clouded, given our history.”

Scratching the scruff on my jaw, I recount the previous conversation before coming to a conclusion.

“I think he’s telling the truth. He looked spooked when we opened the door, and I was checking his pulse when my hand was on his shoulder. It was steady. Elevated,” I add. “But steady.”

“Okay. I need to call D and make sure he keeps a close eye on Q. They need to be discreet, but they need to get here as soon as possible. I have a feeling too many people are looking for Q right now. If they find her, we’ll be screwed by the men I promised that I’d make her disappear from, as well as any cops who will be able to piece together she’s been missing, yet was found in the mob’s custody.”

“Do you need anything from me?”

“Not yet, but I will. Be ready.”

“I will be.”

With a slap on the back, Kingston disappears down the hall to his office. My stomach grumbles at that same instant, and I realize how damn hungry I am. Rounding the corner to the kitchen, I find Regina pacing back and forth in a pair of sleep shorts and a white tank top while wringing her hands in front of her.

“What are you doing here?” I murmur in a quiet voice before glancing over my shoulder to confirm we’re alone.

Her head snaps up as her eyes connect with mine. “I couldn’t sleep, so I came down here for a snack or something. Then there was a loud knock at the door. Then you guys came and answered it. And then I heard low voices and––”

“And you were eavesdropping,” I finish for her, trying to hide my amusement.

“I wasn’t eavesdropping!”

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