The Fortunates (Unfortunates #2) (9 page)

Chapter Ten

Kade

Kade spent the night without her…another night he slept with empty arms to mark on the calendar. Like all the other nights, he couldn’t sleep. At one point, he managed to talk himself into climbing out of bed and walking the long distance to the Milano house, only to pull out at the last second and stroll empty-handed and heavy hearted the whole way home.

Twice.

He hated feeling so needy. He detested it to the very core of his being, but he couldn’t shake it. Kade half expected to wake up midway through the night and find Nine in his arms, but it didn’t happen. It wasn’t a surprise. He’d always underestimated her courage and strength. Of course she didn’t come running back to him, begging to sleep in his bed. She’d never stoop so low.

“Kade?” Vince boomed, pulling Kaden from his thoughts. Kade snapped his head up, focusing his attention on Vincent’s angry face. “Did you hear what I said? At all?”

Kade tried to recall Vince’s question. He was certain he heard it, but it failed to stick.

“No, but I’ll bet three virgin Unfortunates it’s the usual boring shit you feel the need to dribble.”

Vince rolled his broad shoulders and bit back an aggressive sneer. “I said, the moderators I have investigating Dad’s death found his handkerchief by the river bed this morning. I’m having them sweep the lake tomorrow.”

Hair lifted on the back of Kade’s neck and his stomach quivered. It took every fibre in his being not to react to the news. His first thought was to panic, but then reason kicked in. It had been weeks since Kade dumped his father’s body in the lake and even if they found it, there’d be no evidence to tie Kade or Nine to the murder.

Kade despised Vince’s investigation. It prevented him from entering the city. If Vince found Michael’s body, Sario house would be under investigation for treason. One by one they’d question the Fortunates and whip the Unfortunates, waiting for someone to slip up. Unfortunate eyes were everywhere—moderators too. What if one of them saw something—anything? Kade would be shot.

On second thought, maybe the investigation was a good thing. Kade needed time to work out how he was going convince Nine to marry him. It wouldn’t be easy. He knew there was no way she would agree to marry him as long as Vince still breathed. She’d die before calling him family.

A union between him and Nine would ensure her safety. After they married, he could rest easy for a year before he started to think about having children. Unless Vince found someone who wanted to marry him and birth his devil spawn before Kade’s twenty-fifth birthday in a few years, Kade’s position was safe.

“Have fun with that,” Kade said, plucking a blueberry from his palm and slipping it between his lips.

Vince tilted his head, zeroing his espresso stare in on Kade. “You’re colder than I thought.”

Crushing the berry between his teeth, Kade shifted his weight on to his left leg. “Cold?”

“Your callousness is a dead giveaway. You murder our father in cold blood and don’t even bat an eyelid when I tell you I’m close to finding his body?”

Kade shrugged, bored. He had better things to do than stand here and listen to Vince try to get a confession out of him. “I didn’t murder anybody, Vince.”

“You didn’t murder anybody, huh? The moderator we found in the mud seventy metres south of here. That wasn’t you?”

Killing a moderator wasn’t illegal. Not when it came to protecting a Fortunate.

“I did what needed to be done. Jim was dangerous.”

Vince smirked. “Maybe he was, but you didn’t clear it with the heads of the four families.”

Kade’s stomach turned and he lost his craving for his handful of blueberries. He didn’t have to answer to anybody. Fuck the four families. If Kade had his way, he’d demolish them all. He tossed his berries to the side and watched as a black and blue bird swooped down and snapped one in its short black beak. “I didn’t have to. He was a threat. I was protecting one of our own.”

Vince snorted. “One of
your
own. She’s not one of us. She’s not a
real
Fortunate.”

Kade snapped forward, closing the distance between him and his brother. Blood pounded in his ears as he snatched the neck of Vince’s grey collared shirt and tugged him forward. “You shut the hell up. We’ll see how much of a real Fortunate she is when I make her my wife.”

Vince’s narrow slits widened, his top lip twitching in disgust. “You wouldn’t.”

“Oh, I would.”

He struggled against Kade’s grasp. “You’d disgrace our family? For what? For some filthy Unfortunate? No. I won’t allow it.”

Grunting, Kade shoved Vince. He stumbled backwards, hunching his back to keep himself from falling onto his ass.

“It’s a good thing I’m not asking for your blessing,” Kade stated, flicking his shoulders and straightening his fitted, black jacket.

“We’ll see how you go trying to marry a dead girl.”

Kade shot forward with a snarl, throwing all of his body weight into Vince. They crashed to the ground, Vince trapped underneath the weight of his brother. Vince had never been a fighter. He always preferred to attack his enemies mentally. Kade knew Vince was purposely trying to get under his skin, but he couldn’t help himself. He wouldn’t let his brother get away with it.

“You touch a single hair on her head and I will slaughter you like a pig, do you understand me?”

Kade dropped his forearm against Vince’s throat, making him smirk. “You’re dark as fuck, Kaden,” he rasped out. “It’s like looking in a mirror.”

“I’m nothing like you.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. You’re worse than me. You’ve killed more people in the last few months than I have in my entire life. You can’t stop, can you?” He laughed. “Who’s your next victim? Hm? Is it me? Or maybe it’s Gage, the moderator over there. He was the one who found the handkerchief. Or maybe Oliver is your next target.”

Kade frowned. “Oliver?”

He didn’t know an Oliver. Vince’s eyes flared, his sick amusement flashing brightly at Kade. If he choked his brother out and killed Gage right now, who would know? Who would care?

“Oh, you don’t know?” Vince’s throat tightened with a swallow, then a chuckle. “Oliver is Nine’s new cousin. One of the moderators in the Milano residence told me they were up late last night, chatting in whispers. If I heard correctly, Oliver followed your precious little cunt into her bedroom.”

Kade’s face pinched into a scowl. “You think I’m worried about a cousin? Nine would never.”

Vince struggled against Kade’s grip, but Kade didn’t loosen it.

“You two are on the rocks, are you not?”

“None of your business.”

“You’re telling me she wouldn’t fuck randoms for comfort? For the attention they all crave? As for Oliver, shit. Don’t bank on us all being like you. Even I’d fuck my cousin.”

“It’s against Fortunate laws.”

“But she’s not officially a Fortunate. Not until she’s sworn in by John Milano, her lovely new step-father.” Vince glances at the sky. “Which reminds me, you might want to get off so I can get ready. I’m hosting Nine’s party in a few hours.”

Hosting?
Kade thought.
A party? Nine’s party?
Excitement wound tight in Kade’s stomach at the thought of seeing her again, but then he remembered what he did…and how mad Nine was. Kade lifted himself off his brother, who quickly scurried to his feet.

“Oh, by the way, I’m told Oliver has requested you don’t attend. Ouch. Who knows, maybe she prefers to fuck her relatives.” Vince dusted off his shirt and the knees of his pants. “So much for wedding bells.”

Vince whistled at the moderator and stormed off, leaving Kade standing on the riverbank by himself. Why wouldn’t he be welcome at Nine’s ceremony?
And who the hell does this Oliver guy think he is?

He swiped a frustrated hand over his mouth and started back through the forest. He didn’t want to waste time standing around and wondering why Vince would host a party for a girl he hated.

The whole idea didn’t sit right with him. Vince was planning something. He could feel it in his bones.

Regardless of what Oliver wanted or what Vince and Nine wanted, Kade would attend the party and God help anyone who tried to stop him.

∞ Nine ∞

Fortunates mill about like goldfish in a pond. The women swish and swirl in streaks of bright colour against the black fabric of the men’s suits. They look beautiful, but even I know the more colourful the bug, the deadlier the bite.

Still, I envy them.

They look so comfortable, so at ease. Will I ever fit in with them? Do I want to?

I hide behind a thick, marble column at the top of the stairs, knowing that all of the attention will be on me if I make myself known. I don’t want to go down there. I’ll feel exposed—even with this stupid black lace mask covering most of my face.

“Scared?”

I jump, clenching my fists at my side.

Kaden.

There’s no mistaking that tone, deep and rough, and there’s no ignoring my increasing heart rate. His voice sings to me, to my blood.

I thought I’d have to do this alone. Oliver told me Kade didn’t want to come. He said Kade was preoccupied with more important things, like
Elizabeth
. Whether or not I believe what Oliver said, I don’t know. Kade has a habit of acting irrationally when he’s mad. I made him mad last night. I made him very mad.

I slip my hand onto the marble banister to cool the fires burning in my palms.

“Hardly,” I state, turning around.

Typically, Kade isn’t following the dress code, opting for a steel grey suit instead of the required black, and forgoing the mask all together. I hold my breath as his gaze sweeps over me, admiring me from head to toe, and I lean against the railing. “Couldn’t find a mask in time?”

“I didn’t come for the party, Nine,” he rasps, sounding tired.

My tummy flips and crashes into my inflating heart. Nerves eat at me, inciting a tremble in my hands. To sate them, I run my palms over my hips, straightening the ruffles in my red gown.

“Nine? How do you know you have the right girl?” I ask, avoiding his eyes.

With one hand in his pocket, Kade steps closer, trapping my breath in my throat. He slides his free hand around my waist, spreading it against the small of my back. “I could pick you out of a room full of people blind and handless.”

With slight pressure, he pulls me against his body. I wonder if he can feel my heart slamming into his chest, or feel my nerves as they zip along the surface of my skin. I look up at him as he cranes his neck. The rest of the party falls away, fading into a blur that no longer matters. We’ve never been this close in public. The thought makes me dizzy.

Freeing his hand from his pocket, he reaches for my mask and grips the very edge in his fingers.

“Don’t hide your pretty face behind this mask.”

I attempt to turn away, but he catches my face in his hand, stilling me. He traces the soft tips of his fingers along the outline of my mask. His dark, beautiful eyes flick over my hidden face, down my neck and onto my chest. The briefest twitch pulls at his bottom lip before he flicks his stare back to my face. Kade lifts the mask, pulling it off over my head, and he tosses it to the floor. Locks of my auburn hair fall around my face and I feel vulnerable…like people can now see me for who I truly am.

A fraud.

“People are staring,” I mutter as he lowers his forehead to mine.

“Let them stare. We’re not doing anything wrong.”

Aren’t we? I’ve barely been a Fortunate for forty-eight hours and this is how we act in public? We’re practically screaming that we fell in love before we were allowed to. Surely there has to be some repercussions for that?

“Well, look who decided to show up.”

I stiffen against Kade. His body tightens against mine. It’s good to know the same cruel, sinister voice sets us on edge. We turn our heads in time to see Vince lower his black and white mask, exposing a wry smirk as it stretches over his features. Elizabeth holds on to his arm, wearing a beautiful purple gown. Her sneer burns my skin, but I don’t look at her. I don’t give her the satisfaction.