Page 60 of Bitter Queen (Advantage Play 4)

“And the nanny,” Kingston quips. “But I don’t think she’ll be able to help him right now. What are your thoughts, D?”

A headache threatens to spread from the base of my skull before I pinch the bridge of my nose. “She’ll kill me for saying this, but she needs to figure out her own shit before she can take on a kid.”

Not a chance in Hell could she take care of anyone right now. She can barely take care of herself. She was doing so much better at Matteo’s estate. But now, I’m not sure of anything, let alone her mental health.

My attention shifts to the staircase as I half-expect to see my broken Blue watching me from the top of it, shaking like a leaf, but it’s empty.

“I orphaned him,” Dex mutters, distracting me. “And thanks to Sei, he wears my mark. So what do you think, Little Bird? Any chance you’d be willing to help me keep an eye on him for the time being? He seemed taken with you.”

“We can watch him. At least until we figure out our next step,” she agrees without thought, but I’m not exactly surprised. The girl has always been a sucker for taking people under her wing.

Nodding, Kingston divulges, “I don’t think he’ll try to run. He has nowhere else to go, but he’s seen too much shit to be trusted. We also don’t know how long it’ll be before someone reports him missing. I’ll have Lou find him a new social, birth certificate, all that shit once we figure out a long-term solution. But for now, keep an eye on him.”

Dex looks down at Regina beside him before they both turn to Kingston. “We will.”

“Good.” Massaging his temples and likely fighting off a massive headache, Kingston moves on to the next bullet point of today’s family meeting. “Now, we need to figure out how we’re going to catch Sei. Any suggestions?”

“Use me as bait,” Dex offers. “He wants a fight. Might as well give it to him.”

Kingston shakes his head. “No.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because if he really wanted you, all he’d have to do is knock on our door. He knows you’re here and that you switched sides. You’re not the prize he’s looking for. And neither is Regina.” All eyes turn to me before Kingston finishes, “Q is.”

“Are you suggesting we use Q as bait?” I grit out, convinced I’ve heard him wrong.

“Listen—”

“No. Not a chance in Hell will I let you put her in danger.”

“And I don’t give a shit what you want,” Kingston counters with a dry laugh, but I don’t find much humor in the situation. “She won’t be safe until Sei is off the streets. You said so yourself. He's obsessed with her.”

“But that doesn’t mean I’d be willing to let him get within ten fucking miles of her—”

“What would you prefer, D? We just wait for him to strike when we least expect it? Or create a plan and execute it on our terms?”

And even though the truth is glaring at me, I look him in the eye and argue, “He doesn’t know where she is.”

“We don’t know that,” a somber Dex interjects. “Sei knows how to track people. It’s why he was such an asset to Burlone.”

“No.” I shake my head back and forth. “No.”

“Why don’t you ask Q what she thinks about it?” Regina suggests in a quiet voice before resting her head on Dex’s shoulder. “You might be surprised by the risk she’d be willing to take if it were to keep Sei away from her.”

“But this wouldn’t be keeping them separated. This would be me offering her to the wolf on a silver platter.”

“Give me a little more credit, D,” Kingston mutters as he rolls his eyes. “Have I ever let you down?”

My lips pull into a thin line.

“Have I?” he pushes.

With all eyes on me, I grit out, “What’s the plan?”

Kingston hesitates before cracking his neck as if he’s getting ready for war. “Dex, you know Sei better than anyone. Any suggestions?”

“Let me think about it, and I’ll get back to you.”

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