The Fortunates (Unfortunate #2) - Skyla Madi Page 0,67

Kade on Vince. I want to watch blood drain from his body as Vince begs his brother not to hurt him.

But that’s the easy way out. What I want more than anything is to see his eyes curve in surprise when he realises it’s not his brother that has come for revenge.

It’s me.

When I’m through with him, he’ll wish it was his brother. Kade’s punishment will be a hell of a lot more humane than mine.

“I’ve thought long and hard about it,” I say, sniffling. “I’ve weighed every option, fantasised about his death a million and one different ways…”

“And what did you decide?”

I tilt my head back far enough to finally look Kaden in the eyes. “I want him alive…I want to see the panic on his face as I crush him under my heel.” I sniffle. “Then I’ll rip his heart from his chest.” I turn in to Kade, clenching his shirt in my fists. “Promise you’ll leave him for me.”

His dark, angry eyes scan over my face. His jaw ticks, his teeth gritting together. His black stare flicks between mine and with a hard swallow, he presses his lips to my forehead. “He’s yours.”

Chapter Eighteen

Kade

A cool breeze blew, but it wasn’t enough to ease the angry, prickling heat that crept over his skin. He was mad at himself and furious at Vince. He was even frustrated at her for not staying in bed—not that he’d ever mention it. A sharp pang of guilt washed over him, making him grimace. If he hadn’t left…if he ignored the letter…Vince wouldn’t have had the chance to hurt her.

How could I be so stupid? Falling for a fake letter?

Chewing the tip of an apple stem, Kade dragged his stare from the fence in the distance to his wife, who grazed her palm across the tops of the grass. On occasion, she’d lift her gaze from the ground and watch him instead. He felt her concern, her worry. It emanated from her small body in intense waves. How could he fail her? First day as a married couple and he let her down. A swirling feeling manifested in the pit of his stomach. He hadn’t felt it in a while. The last time he did…Kade swallowed hard, tossing the apple stem away.

The feeling he felt only came about when he knew he’d failed someone. He felt it all the time growing up with Vince. Kade was often punished for being weak, leaving Vince to finish the appalling task, whatever it was. His father thought the shed was punishment enough, but it wasn’t the shed that broke him. It was coming out and seeing a piece of his brother’s soul die each time. How quickly his innocence turned to insolence. His love to rage. By the time Vince was fifteen his humanity was gone, swallowed up by the abyss of privilege, hate, and prejudice.

And it was all my fault…

“Are you thinking about it?”

He jolted back to the present, banishing his childhood trauma to the back of his mind. Her face was close to his, the tips of their noses almost touching. Kade drowned in her swimming eyes, allowing himself to feel the remorse that beat against his chest.

“I’m sorry…” he muttered, unable to choke back his own emotion.

Tears wet his eyes and dampened his eyelashes. He tried to look away from her, but she grabbed his face in her slender hands and held him in place.

“It’s not your fault.”

He scoffed, pulling his face from her hands. “Isn’t it? Maybe not directly, but you follow the string back far enough and you’ll find it tied to me.”

“Kaden…” she whispered, touching his hand. “The string attached to you is tangled with others. You aren’t at fault here.”

Anna shifted on the red rug he laid down specifically for their simple picnic. She tucked her long, slender legs underneath herself and tapped her thighs. He frowned. Sleep? There was no way his brain would power down long enough for him to get some rest.

He started to shake his head when Anna tilted her head to the side, her face mimicking the hurt she felt deep down.

“Please…”

How could he say no to her? How could he turn down her invitation to rest against her legs when she seemed so desperate? He decided he would lie down, but he wouldn’t sleep. Turning around, Kade slowly lowered himself onto his back. Anna guided his head into her lap and stroked his hair once he was comfortable. He glanced up at the