The Fortunates (Unfortunate #2) - Skyla Madi Page 0,34
the trigger on her behalf, all of his hopes and dreams that were finally realised when Nine became a Fortunate would diminish.
And he’d be empty once again…and cold…and angry.
On the plus side, tonight was the perfect example of why Nine absolutely could not fight a war. She wasn’t a killer. If he put a gun in her hand and told her to shoot Vince, Kade was absolutely certain that she could never bring herself to do it. If she stayed with Kade and lived her life with him like he so desperately wanted from her, she’d never have to pull the trigger on anybody. He would smear his hands in blood—he’d fucking drown in it—if it meant keeping hers clean.
All he wanted was to protect her, to keep her from being torn apart by the monsters who crave blood and death…and he did.
For the moment.
It was no secret that her humanity was her weakness.
Nine wasn’t weak. He knew that better than anybody, but she wasn’t strong, either. Nine was…she was brave. She was compassionate. Nine was all of the things this world could not stand in a person like her and Kade knew in his heart that her war would never make it past day one.
She would die…
And if that happened…he’d die.
Kade trailed along behind Nine as she marched toward her room, her bare feet slapping against the hard floor. He couldn’t help the twitch at the corner of his lips, urging him to smile. She was unlike anyone else. A beautiful butterfly with her own pattern. An undeniable force of bewildering individuality. She was the love of his life.
Kade sauntered to a stop, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his slacks as Nine plucked a key from the breast section of her dress. He was going to comment on it, then changed his mind. He doubted she was in any mood for inappropriate playfulness. Guilt flared in his stomach again, reminding him that a person died only minutes ago. The dead Unfortunate’s memory should last longer than two minutes.
He waited patiently as Nine’s shaking hands struggled to get the key in. He gave her time, despite the irritation that pricked underneath his collar.
Five seconds stretched into ten. Ten stretched into fifteen. Nine cursed under her breath as the tip of the key scratched against the metal lock and the stutter in her hand prevented it from seamlessly slipping in.
Freeing his hands from his pockets, Kaden stepped around Nine and removed the key from her trembling grasp, her warm skin sending tingles up the length of his arm.
Swallowing hard, Nine glanced sideways at him as he gently brushed her hand away, his light touch absorbing all of her shudders and shakes. As Kade unlocked the door and held it open for her, Nine slipped inside without a glance in his direction.
Something grave twisted in his stomach and Kade hesitated. He wasn’t afraid of much, but the auburn-haired, violet-eyed woman in the other room terrified him when she was mad…
Because she was the only one who could rip his heart from his chest.
Because she was the only one that could tear him to shreds.
∞ Nine ∞
My body hurts…It’s the strangest sensation. Though my own wounds are well on the way to being healed, I feel as though I’ve been crushed under the weight of a large tree.
That Unfortunate…his face…it wasn’t twisted in fear. I think that’s what terrifies me the most. The fact he accepted that this was his life is what lingers in my mind…not the blood or the pieces of brain and skull that splattered the pristine tiles. He wasn’t shocked. He wasn’t sad. He was…expecting.
I hold the palm of my hand against my stomach and drag myself across the room, settling only when my thighs brush against the low window ledge. Behind me, the door clicks shut and Kade slips the lock into place.
It’s dark outside. White glowing lanterns light up a path that leads to a large, white gazebo. Fortunates mingle inside it while the Unfortunates stand and watch, their stares downcast to the floor as they hold trays of drinks.
What a waste of life…catering to those who think they’re better than you. I can’t stand it.
“How do you do it?” I ask, swiping at a tear I didn’t feel until it rolled down my cheek.
Close by, glass clinks together. Curious, I turn around just as Kade removes the cap on a bottle of alcohol and pours its contents into two bottom heavy glasses.