The Fortunates (Unfortunate #2) - Skyla Madi Page 0,62

The gun kicks back, shooting vibrations up my arms, and I almost drop it.

Unfortunately, I miss him. The bullet enters the wall somewhere behind him. Still, he ducks, pushing his fingers through his hair. “Are you crazy?” he shouts, staying low.

“You think I’m pathetic and I’m going to prove you wrong.” I walk cautiously toward the door, uncaring that my breast is exposed or that my dress is ripped and covered in God only knows what.

I should plant a bullet between his eyes, but I don’t. I want him to see the world as I pull it out from underneath his feet and turn it against him. I want him to be alive long enough to be crushed underneath the heel of the people he’s hurt.

“Take a long, hard look at me, Vincent Sario. This is last time you’ll see me so weak.” When I reach the door, I turn the key and then the handle. “And by the way, Kade and I married yesterday.”

I open the door and run. He shouts after me, but I can’t hear him over the pounding headache between my ears. Clasping the gun to my chest, I pump my legs as hard as I can and I don’t stop. Not until I’m back in my room.

Safe.

Chapter Seventeen

Kade

He swiped the palm of his hands down the front of his shirt as he re-entered Freeport. The job was done. The mine that had caused him so much grief no longer existed. He went in, he planted the bombs…and he told the Unfortunates to grab what they could and to stick it out for seven sunsets. After the seventh sunset, they were to trek east and regroup in the cave by the seaside cliff where Kade would meet them and, hopefully, offer them better living arrangements. He wasn’t sure how, but if everyone thought them dead, no one would search for them.

Nine was going to be happy to hear that and he hoped it made up for abandoning her in bed and not telling her about the mine. It was a terrible way to start their first day of marriage, but he didn’t have a choice. He knew she would never let him leave otherwise.

Kade shut his eyes as he stalked along the footpath lining the manors. He was tired and his muscles ached from all of the hiking he’d done. As he pushed through shrub after shrub, he wondered why the town was still locked behind a barbaric fence. Everything outside it seemed to be in order.

He ran his dirty fingers through his hair and opened his eyes. All he wanted to do was soak in a deep, hot bath and sleep away the rest of the day. Exhaling, he lifted his gaze from his filthy, mud-packed shoes and onto—Nine?

He froze as his heart clenched and dropped into his shoes. She tucked a lock of lovely auburn hair behind her ear with nervous fingers. How long had she been standing there? Was she mad? Kade frowned as she chewed on the inside of her lip and moved her fingers anxiously at her sides. Was she mad? He couldn’t tell. She both furrowed and smoothed her brow and that made analysing her mood impossible. Whatever she was feeling, it wasn’t good. That much was clear.

“I didn’t have a choice,” Kade called out, letting his bag slide off of his shoulder and drop to the ground.

He wanted to say he was sorry, but that was hardly honest. He saved the lives of those Unfortunates by leaving unannounced and he couldn’t apologise for that.

Nine started forward, her bare feet slapping the pavement as she walked. He stayed put, buying himself some more time for his explanation. Truth was, he hadn’t thought it out as extensively as he would have liked.

Nine’s light pink dress swayed around her knees and tightened around her waist. He enjoyed seeing her in different colours. They brought her to life.

As she swallowed the distance, her steps quickening in pace, he noticed the panic she tried to suppress. His mind raced with all of the terrible things that could have happened overnight while he was gone, but he convinced himself that he left her while she was sleeping. Nothing would have happened to her if she stayed in her room.

…but what if she left her room? What if she was stupid enough to try and find me? His stomach twisted at the thought.

When she was within arm’s reach, she dived at him, wrapping her arms around