Page 72 of Little Bird (Advantage Play 3)

“You were definitely eavesdropping,” I conclude before noticing her forehead creased with worry lines. The sight causes me to sober instantly. “You okay, Little Bird?”

Shaking her head, she whispers, “Not really, no.”

“What’s wrong?” I take a step closer, unable to help myself.

“When I heard Burlone’s name….” Her voice catches in her throat before her white teeth bite into her lower lip.

“Shh….” I wrap my arms around her and pull her into my chest. “He’s gone, Little Bird. I won’t let anyone ever hurt you again. I promise.”

“I know,” she whimpers. “I know you won’t. I just…I thought this was over. I thought we’d be left alone. That we could just live our lives in peace. But since I’ve been home, all I’ve felt is…a sense of unease. Does that make sense?”

“Shh…,” I repeat, rubbing my hand up and down her back. “It’s going to be okay.”

“I don’t know if it is. I was naive to our world before I was taken. I mean, I knew my family were technically the bad guys, don’t get me wrong, but they weren’t really the bad guys to me. They were keeping me locked up in my room under the guise of protecting me, and I always thought they were full of shit. But after everything that’s happened, I feel like the blinders have been ripped away from me and that my entire world could come crashing down at any minute. What if I don’t have time to be patient? What if we keep waiting for Kingston to give his blessing so that we can live happily ever after, but that day never comes, and we’ve wasted all this time that we could be together, only for it to never happen? What if—”

My mouth slams down on hers, turning her fears into a soft whimper. Cupping each side of her face with my hands, I angle her head up a little farther, giving myself access to devour her the way I desperately need to. My tongue slides along the seam of her lips before she opens it to grant me entry. Her taste explodes along my tastebuds, dancing along them to give me the perfect combination of sweetness and sass. With a groan, I glide my hand further into her hair until my fingers tangle into her long, dark locks.

“I love you, Dex,” she murmurs against my mouth. “I love you so damn much that it hurts.”

“I love you too, Little—”

“I gave you one rule,” a dark voice rumbles from the hall. I’d recognize it anywhere.

Shiiiiit.

Dropping my hands from Regina’s face, I shove her behind me to protect her from the inevitable fallout. It’s not like I think Kingston or any of his men would hurt her, but I can’t push aside my protective instincts, either. And who knows? This might be the last moment I get to show them to her.

Kingston’s pounding footsteps cease once he’s a few feet away, but it’s easy to see he witnessed me touching someone he specifically told me not to touch.

“One rule, Dex. One.” He raises his pointer finger toward the ceiling while his face reddens with barely restrained rage.

Regina pleads behind me, “Kingston, please—”

“Not now, Regina,” Kingston growls. “Stefan!” he shouts at the top of his lungs.

“It was just a kiss,” my Little Bird continues, ignoring her brother’s order.

With an icy stare, he looks at the spitfire I fell in love with. “I said, not now.”

Footsteps thunder down the stairs before slapping against the hardwood floors in the hallway as Stefan races closer. When he sees Regina cowering behind me and my chest puffed up in defense, his shoulders hunch.

Fists clenched at his sides, he addresses Kingston. “Yeah, Boss?”

“Take Dex out to the shed. It seems he’s forgotten what happens when a soldier disobeys a direct order.” Then he storms out, leaving his little sister a sobbing mess in his wake.

Clinging to me, she cries, “No, Stefan. No. Don’t take him. Please, you can’t do this to him. I love him. I’m begging you. Please—”

Stefan’s face loses its color as he takes a deliberate step closer to us. Lifting my finger, I mutter, “I’ll go quietly, just…give me a second.”

The need to comfort Regina is overwhelming as I give Stefan my back and face her fully.

“Hey, Little Bird.” I brush aside some strands of her hair that are sticking to her damp cheeks, but the tears continue to stream down them. “It’s okay, baby. It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay,” she argues, shaking her head back and forth. “He’s going to kill you, Dex. I know what happens in that shed. You can’t go in there. Don’t let Stefan take you there. Please! I never should’ve kissed you. I never should’ve met you. If I hadn’t, you’d be safe. You never would’ve broken Kingston’s orders. You never would’ve—”

“Shh…,” I repeat. “It’s going to be okay. I don’t regret a single moment I’ve shared with you, Little Bird. Even if I never walk out of that shed, I will never regret what we have. But you need to let Stefan take me, okay? You need to stay strong.”

“Dex—”

---