Page 75 of Little Bird (Advantage Play 3)

“Eight.”

Doing the math, I realize I’ve been sitting here for almost four hours, and I haven’t slept in almost thirty-six.

“Did he say when he was coming?” I ask.

“Nope.”

“Have you heard from him?”

“Nope,” he repeats.

After another beat of silence, Stefan lets out a groan before rubbing the palm of his hand across his face. “Why’d you do it, man? I told you to be patient.”

“I know. But keeping my distance from her was….” I pause to search for a word that accurately describes how unbearable it is. Then I realize there isn’t one that’s powerful enough to do my feelings justice. With a shrug, I continue, “It was impossible, man. It was like Kingston told me to stop breathing. I could only do it for so long before instinct would take over, and I’d lose the battle.”

She’s my air.

With a somber nod, his eyes glaze over, and he stares into the distance as if processing my remark.

Convinced he’s going to drop it, I replay my last moments with Regina, wishing I’d savored her kiss a little longer. That I’d threaded my fingers through her silky hair one more time. That I’d told her I’d loved her from the moment I saw her caged away in that basement.

“Do you regret it?” Stefan inquires, pulling me from my reverie.

I shake my head. “I regret a lot of shit in my life, but I’ll never regret a single minute that I shared with her.”

“Even if King follows through with your punishment?” he presses.

“My only regret will be that I tried to keep my distance from her in the first place. If I knew my days were numbered, I would’ve spent every single one of them with her in my arms.”

“I’m sorry, Dex.”

“Don’t be. If our roles were swapped, I’d be following orders too. Family first. Always.” I snort, shocking myself that I could find any of this messed up situation amusing. “Well, except when Regina’s in the mix.”

Laughing, he points out, “Yeah, I’m not sure that’ll get you a free pass even if she’s Kingston’s little sister.”

“I’m not asking for a free pass,” I admit. “I know the screwed up situation I put Kingston in. If he doesn’t follow through with his threat, he’ll lose respect from every single one of his men. And if that happens, the family falls apart, and the Romano name is spoiled. He’d be a fool to let me get away with touching Regina.”

“And he isn’t a fool.”

My throat feels like sandpaper as I mutter, “No. He definitely isn’t.”

* * *

The loud scraping of metal on metal rouses me from my restless sleep. Head snapping up, I look over my shoulder at the door behind me. Kingston walks through, followed by nearly twenty men who crowd the small shed until they’re standing shoulder to shoulder, leaving less than a yard of space between the center of the room where I’m currently chained to a chair, and their stiff bodies.

Curious, I scan each of their faces and place most of them from the gathering the night before. Funny. They were here to welcome me with open arms only a few hours ago. Now, they’re here to witness my death. When my gaze lands on Diece, my half-brother, my chest aches.

Sorry, brother, I want to say. Sorry I screwed up and wasted what little time I had left on this earth instead of reaching out to you sooner.

His expression is somber. Guarded. Strained. He’s here to witness his brother’s execution for disobeying orders, and even though our relationship is practically non-existent, it’s easy to see the potential of it slipping through our fingers like sand.

The silence is deafening as I wait to hear the click of a gun being cocked. Or maybe it’ll be a knife that exacts Kingston’s justice. I’ve heard he enjoys proving a point, but maybe he’ll show a bit of mercy to protect his sister’s feelings. Or maybe he won’t. I can never tell with him.

At least she’s not here to witness my demise. I think that would break me more than any torture ever could. Searching for my executioner, I find Kingston near the exit of the shed, waiting patiently for…something. Or at least that’s what I assume he’s doing. Why else would he be hovering near the door instead of getting this shit over with? Or maybe he likes watching his prisoners squirm. I hold his gaze when he feels my stare and turns to me. That same cool indifference that he’s known for is all I get in return.

Rushing footsteps against the gravel path outside grab my attention.

Shit.

---