The Fortunates (Unfortunate #2) - Skyla Madi Page 0,83

his body the longer their exchange dragged on. Kade could see it. All Vince wanted was to ruin a few lives, maybe kill a few people. He wanted to catch them in the act and bask in the recognition of it.

“Or maybe you’re lying through your fucking teeth.”

Kade’s stomach sunk into his shoes as Vince stood to the side and a moderator tossed a familiar face to the dirty ground at the base of the stairs. Fuck. Oliver glanced up at Kade, his mouth swollen, his right eye punched shut. Didn’t Anna tell him to go to bed? Where’d he go? To Vince.

Kade frowned at Vince. “What am I supposed to make of that? I didn’t hit him.”

“I know you didn’t. I did.” Vince reached into the pocket of his hoodie and pulled out a small handgun. “I found him carrying a rifle through the streets asking people what time it is. After a little convincing, he told me quite a story.”

What. An. Idiot. And this whole time he was worried about me ruining the rebellion!

“He’s drunk,” Kade pointed out, digging his fingers into his thigh from inside his pocket.

“And drunk men tell the truth.”

Groaning, Oliver pulled his drunk, tired body onto his knees. Blood dripped from his nose and stained his white shirt. He didn’t bother lifting his head. He knew what he did and he accepted it. There was nothing Kade could do without jeopardising the rest of them.

He breathed through his nose. “They also exaggerate it.”

Vince cocked an eyebrow. “So, you’re not plotting a rebellion?”

“Me? No.” Guns sounded off in the distance. Time’s up. “But she is.”

Right on time, the doors to Milano manor were thrown open and bullets whirled past. The moderators with Vince were caught off guard. Some were shot and dropped dead immediately, others dove for cover. Swearing, Vince dropped low and scurried behind the stone carving of a wolf to his left. Fortunates and Unfortunates alike zipped past him and disappeared into the town, heading for the Unfortunate camp.

“Get up!” As Kade started forward, he grabbed a cowering Oliver by his collar. “You dumb fucker!”

He shoved Oliver forward, glancing regularly over his shoulder as more people poured from the house. None of them were Anna. He had no idea where she was. Kade ran, dragging Oliver behind him. Bullets whirled past, taking down men and women left and right.

He had to focus on getting to the Unfortunate camp, but all he could think about was here. What if she was still in the house? What if she was shot? What if Vince had her? There was so much going on in his head he could barely put one foot in front of the other.

But he had to because there was the chance that his wife was waiting at the other end for him and he had to make it there for her.

∞ Anna ∞

I lost Kaden.

As I rushed out of the house I must have blown past him without seeing. Or maybe he’s ahead of me. A bullet zips past my ear and I squeal as a man in front of me crashes to the ground. Clenching my jaw, I launch myself over his lifeless body, and stumble, dropping to my hands and knees. Adrenaline explodes through my veins, forcing me back to my feet. The muscles in my legs burn as I exit the town and power onto the field. Coming from the town is the easy part. The gate was open and there’s a downhill slope ahead of me. It’s the climb to the Unfortunate camp that I’m worried about. I’m not a runner. Unfortunates aren’t allowed to run so my muscles are completely unprepared for this.

In the distance, our moderators are handing out rifles to those that have reached the halfway point and don’t have guns. It’s our only line of defence if their moderators follow us up the hill.

I can’t believe it happened like this. I can’t believe Oliver would risk everything we’ve worked towards. Vince wasn’t supposed to be at the house. He wasn’t supposed to find Oliver or bring a small army to the door. God knows how many people have been killed already—people that shouldn’t have been. We can’t win this war with only a handful of people. Every one counts.

For the first time since rushing out of the house, I lift my stare in front of me instead of watching my shoes and I lose my breath at the sight of it. It’s unreal…the vision