Bitter Queen (Advantage Play #4) - Kelsie Rae Page 0,45
brown hair is damp with sweat and clings to his forehead, and his brown eyes are pinched in pain while he holds his arm to his chest and cries.
He’s terrified out of his mind. And I have no idea who the hell he is.
Scanning the premises, I search for anything out of place, but everything appears to be normal.
“Lou, are we clear?” I bark.
“Yeah. Not a soul in sight.”
“Who is he?” Kingston demands, stalking toward the kid. He cowers like an abused dog at the pound before Kingston stops short and turns to Lou.
“A dark sedan pulled up near the curb down the street,” Lou explains. “Then this kid stumbled out the passenger side before it drove off.”
“Will?” a feminine voice whispers behind me.
Curious, I glance over my shoulder. Q looks like she’s seen a ghost and collapses on the front steps like a rag doll. Rushing toward her, I push the hair out of her face and force her to look at me. “What did you just say?”
“Will,” she repeats, her voice cracking. “It’s Will.”
“Go upstairs, Q,” I demand.
Motioning to the kid, she argues, “But he needs my help––”
“No.” I shove her inside. “You’re not safe out here. Go to your room and wait for me.”
“D—”
“I’m serious, Queena. I’ll come fill you in as soon as we get him inside and figure out what the hell is going on. Now, go!”
The indecision is clear on her face before she runs up the stairs and disappears inside the house. As soon as she’s out of my line of sight, I rush back out to the shitshow on the driveway and tell King, “It’s Will. Will Johnson.”
His jaw tightens before Kingston lifts his chin and motions to the kid. “Get him inside.”
Having sensed the commotion, Regina and Dex appear in the entryway before Dex asks, “What’s going on?”
I ignore them and watch Lou step closer to the kid, but he scrambles away on his hands and knees before Lou can reach him. With a quiet gasp, Regina lunges between Lou and Will then forces the soldier to freeze. “Stop it, Lou. You’re scaring him.”
“Kingston said to bring him inside.”
“And what? You were gonna drag him?” she challenges with her hands on her hips. “He’s a kid, Lou. Back off.”
Nostrils flaring, he retreats but motions to the kid huddled in a ball. “Then you deal with it.”
She glares at Lou with pursed lips, then raises her hands into the air and inches closer to the little boy Q used to nanny.
“Hey, bud.” She keeps her tone gentle. “You okay?”
The kid shakes his head back and forth over and over again while his chest heaves up and down with sobs.
“Shhh, it’s okay. I’m not gonna hurt you.” She kneels down beside him and tilts her head to get a closer look at the strange kid on our driveway. His face is red, and his eyes are practically drowning in sorrow as he finds the courage to look up at her.
“Hey,” she repeats, her mouth curving up in a soft, reassuring smile. “I’m Regina. Are you hurt?” She drops her chin to his injured arm, and his gaze follows it.
“I-I’m…yeah. I’m hurt.”
“It looks like it. Do you think you could let me take a better look at it and maybe help you feel better?”
His wide gaze makes my gut tighten with pity as he searches her face. Coming to some kind of conclusion, he dives into her arms and loses it. Regina freezes for a split second, her mouth open in shock, before returning his embrace with the determination of a mama bear.
“Shhh,” she coos, running her hands through his sweaty hair. “It’s okay. It’s gonna be okay.”
“What the hell?” Lou breathes with the same stunned expression as the rest of us.
“Get him inside,” Kingston orders a second time before heading to the front door.
I take a seat across from the couch before Regina, Dex, and the kid collapse onto it. Like a little monkey, Will keeps clinging to Regina as if she’s his savior. Depending on how this conversation plays out, he might not be too far off.
Cracking his neck, Kingston sits down in the chair to my right while Lou and Stefan hover behind the couch.
“Hey,” Regina croons with her arm around Will’s shoulder once everyone is situated. “It’s okay. You’re safe now. Can I see your arm?”
Whimpering, he pulls it away and shows her the inside of his forearm before nuzzling back into her side like she’s his damn mama.