Page 71 of Bitter Queen (Advantage Play 4)

“Turning you away that day was his biggest regret—”

“Bullshit.”

“I’m not kidding, Dex. He even tried to buy you back from Burlone when he realized he’d screwed up, but Burlone wouldn’t do it.”

The earpiece chirps with Q thanking the bartender for her order, but Dex remains paralyzed from my insight, oblivious to our interruption.

“I uh, I didn’t know that,” he mutters a little while later while picking at a random sticker that’s plastered on the brick wall next to us.

“Figured that much. But he wanted you, Dex. I promise. It was just too late. He might’ve been an asshole in some ways, but he was a good dad. Especially in this line of business,” I add with a dark laugh. “Good dads are hard to come by.”

“Yeah. Yeah, they are.”

“Speaking of which,”—I look over at him—“how’s it going with Will?”

He sighs. “I have no idea. I don’t really have anyone to look up to in that department, but I guess I’m figuring it out? I don’t know? He’s a good kid, despite his shitty dad. I think that might have something to do with Q’s help, though. Will idolizes her.”

Eyeing Q through the scope again, I murmur, “She’s something else, isn’t she?”

“Yeah. How’s she doing?”

“It’s a slow process, but I think she’s getting better.”

His voice is pained and filled with regret as he apologizes, “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect her.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“It is,” he argues. The self-deprecation in his admission is staggering. “I’ve done a lot of messed-up shit in my past that I have to live with, and not being able to protect Q is one of them. Letting Sei get away is another.”

“We’ll find him.”

“Yeah. We will.”

Glancing in my scope again, I cock my head to the side. “Do you see that?”

“What?”

“The guy in the back corner booth with the hoodie.”

Dex’s eyes form tiny slits before he inspects the stranger in question through his scope. “I…I can’t see well enough.”

“I’m gonna head down,” I announce, setting my rifle aside.

“Wait—”

“I won’t go in. I just need to be closer.”

His jaw tightens as he assesses me for a few beats before giving me a nod. “Okay. But don’t go in unless we can confirm it’s him.”

“I know the rules, Dex.” Then I take the stairs two at a time. My breathing is ragged when the fresh air swirls around me at the entrance of the building. Tucking my hands into my front pockets, I pull out my phone and pretend to text someone while looking out of the corner of my eye. But I can’t see shit.

A dark figure approaches Q at the bar, and my adrenaline shoots through the damn roof. I press my finger to the earpiece and try to ignore the bustling street that’s drowning out Q’s conversation.

“Are you lost?” the deep voice challenges.

Q glances over her shoulder but doesn’t whisper her safe word as she scans the unfamiliar face. “Umm…nope? Just passing through.”

“Let me buy you a drink then. I can keep you company,” he offers.