The Fortunates (Unfortunate #2) - Skyla Madi Page 0,9

agree with their way of life.

Unwrapping his arms from Nine, he pulled them back and shrugged out of his black jacket. Kade draped the warm fabric over her shoulders before pulling her arms free and wrapping them around his neck. She moved, burying her face just above his collarbone as he bent low, scooping her up into his arms. Repeatedly, he planted soft kisses on her head and weighed her in his arms as he moved off the stage. She was lighter than usual—even lighter than she was when he first held her.

People whispered, and pointed, and gossiped between themselves, but Kade didn’t care. All he cared about was getting Nine somewhere warm where he could take care of her and pretend the past few weeks never happened—even if it was only for a short while.

He moved quickly with the hopes of spending a small amount of time with her before the Moderators came to take her to her new home. He didn’t want her to leave, but she was a Milano now, and unless he married her, she would never reside in his house again.

Kade’s skin became damp as her tears soaked through the fabric of his shirt. He couldn’t wait to shower her, to make her feel somewhat human again. From there he could work to rebuild their relationship again. The irony wasn’t lost on Kade. Once upon a time he wanted money and power. He wanted to strike fear in everyone he met…now he found himself wanting companionship, comfort, and a love unlike any else. He thought his father beat those wants and needs out of him, but Nine breathed them into him again. He couldn’t bear to go back to living without them.

Not now, not ever.

∞

Her tears stopped flowing and her chest relaxed as he carried her up the stairs toward his bedroom. When they were inside, he locked the door and carried her to the bathroom. Kade didn’t say anything as he placed her, feet first, on the white tiles and she released his neck to pull the jacket tighter around her. He looked over his shoulder at her before bending down to turn on the tap. Dark circles surrounded swollen, red eyes. Her cheeks were hollow, her lips cracked. He wished he could heal her instantly, but it wasn’t possible. The healing she needed would take time, and although he knew he wasn’t the patient type, he had to be…for her.

Hot water splashed against the pristine porcelain as he reached to the other edge of the bath to retrieve the plug. When he plugged it in the drain, the water began to fill the tub. Steam rose, getting thicker and thicker the longer the tap ran. Afraid to burn her already sensitive skin, he adjusted the cold tap, until the billowing steam became faint.

Kade straightened his spine and turned to face Nine. She swallowed hard before dragging her stare to his. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel uncomfortable, and if he admitted it to himself, he was kind of hurt that she felt uncomfortable in front of him. He’d seen every inch of her. He’d admired her from every angle. Surely she had to know by now that he’d never put her in a situation she didn’t want to be in.

He cleared his throat and rubbed a nervous sweat off the back of his neck. Her lips parted as he stepped closer and he wondered if her heart pounded as hard as his did. Was her heart slamming into her ribs too? Was it threatening to shatter them into a million pieces, like his was?

He reached out to her.

“Do you mind?” he asked, happy that his voice sounded calm and in control.

But he was far from in control. If she studied him close enough, she’d notice the tremble in his hands and the tightness of his chest. She winced as she shook her head, pushing his jacket off of her shoulders and exposing the long expanse of her arms. There wasn’t a single inch of her that wasn’t tainted with dirt and God knows what else. Kade didn’t care. Her dirtiness was a symbol of the past—a past they overcame. Together. The sooner he washed it off, the sooner they could start over.

Kade stepped even closer. Strangely, he felt nervous as he pushed the straps of her stained, torn tunic off her shoulders, and when her gaze flickered to his lips for the briefest second, his stomach flipped and slammed