The Fortunates (Unfortunate #2) - Skyla Madi Page 0,81

but he tried wherever he could. She was a brave girl, that was obvious, but she was young. Irrational and uncertain. Unlike him, her choices were never set in stone. She made spur of the moment decisions and regretted them later. It wasn’t her nature that forced her to make regrettable mistakes, it was her age. He often forgot that.

Anna pressed the palm of her hand against his bare chest and stretched her neck for a kiss. He gave her one.

And another…

And another…

…until the chair no longer sufficed and the surface of the desk became a more suitable place to continue their display of affection.

It wasn’t easy loving a woman who wanted to change the world, but Kade loved her enough to aid her cause and not get in the way. When she was happy, she would build her new world around him. A world where their love would thrive. Until then, being patient was all he could do.

Chapter

Twenty-Two

Anna

I grab my rifle and hold it in my hands. It feels heavier today…I can’t believe the time is almost upon us and I definitely can’t shake the feeling that something is amiss. It’s heavy in my stomach, a large ball of dread with nowhere to go. We’re going to run to the Unfortunate camp? Why are people going along with that? It’s madness. I’m fucking crazy!

“Twelve minutes,” Kade says, slinging the black bag over his shoulder. “How do those sneakers feel?”

They’re suffocating me. I glance down at the shoes and take a deep breath as I pull my ponytail through the hair tie one last time.

“They’re tight…but they’ll do.”

His face darkens as he lifts his rifle off the bed. “Get out of your own head, Anna. You’re only going to freak yourself out.”

Moving over to the window, I slip my thumb into my mouth and chew my nail. How is he so confident? How is he so content with this when I had to go above and beyond to convince him to do it in the first place? I should be comforting him.

I swallow my nervousness. “I’m fine.”

Twelve minutes and I run for the hills. That’s all I have to do.

Run.

Run.

Run.

And figure the rest out later.

“Kaden…” I utter, leaning closer to the glass as a ball of blackness in the distance catches my attention.

He doesn’t hear me so I take the time to look a little closer, squinting my eyes for a better view. It isn’t until they get closer, two hundred metres away, that I realise who and what it is.

The ball of dread in my stomach explodes, poisoning my blood and sending bile up my throat. I slap my hand over my mouth as heat prickles up my spine and singes my hairline.

Vince…

Vince with eight moderators in tow, each of them holding their rifles, are heading straight for the Milano residence. Where I am. Where we are. Where most of the Secret Ribbon is.

“Kaden,” I hiss, turning around as blood drains from my body.

He’s not paying attention. Instead, he’s toying with his handgun, cleaning the lion head on the handle with his black tee.

“Kaden!”

“Hm?” He lifts his stare and pauses when he sees me.

I force myself to lower my hand. “…something is happening.”

Cautiously, he carries his heavy body over to me and peers through the lace. Kade’s body goes rigid beside me. He hides the panic on his face well, but I can feel it in his muscles.

“What’s he doing?” I ask. “Do you think he knows?”

He shakes his head, but I don’t know who he thinks he’s convincing because it’s certainly not me. We watch, unable to tear our eyes away, as Vince and his goons walk right up to the front step. Vince jokes over his shoulder with them, smoothing his hands down the front of his black hoodie. With a loud laugh, he turns his attention back to the house. Wicked excitement dances over his features as his lips pull wide. I gulp.

“Yoo-hoo!” Vince cups his hands around his mouth. “Anybody home?”

“I think he knows.” I press my hand against my chest, feeling my heart as it slams into my ribs.

“Only one way to find out.” Pushing away from the window, Kade takes my wrist in his hand and slaps the handle of his handgun into my palm. “Use this close range.”

“Close range? What are you—”

“I have seven minutes to keep them busy until all of ours have guns in their hands.”

He turns toward the bed and grabs a rifle. Swinging back to me, he slings