The Unfortunates (Unfortunate #1) (5 page)

“Courtesy of my father
,” Kade replied, smiling a little.

“Twenty five already? Gone are the boy years.”

Kade nodded. “I’ll be twenty five in a few days.”

“Ah, I trust there’ll be a large party in your honour?”

Master Kade knew exactly what Henry was fishing for. Free alcohol. The thought made his lips twitch.

“Bigger than large
,” he replied. “I’ll have to make extra room for your stomach.”

Henry stepped forward and playfully jabbed Kade in the stomach. “You’re still funny, boy. It’s good to see that hasn’t disappeared with age.”

“It has only increased, I assure you.”

Henry laughed, his neck f
at jiggling along with his stomach. When he recovered, Henry asked, “Well, are you going to show her off?”

Kade’s jaw clenched. He’
d never been one to flaunt his possessions. That was more his brother’s forte. Besides, Henry had hands that liked to wander and Kade couldn’t formulate the sentence ‘
touch her again and I’ll fucking kill you
’ politer than that.

“You know me better than that, Henry.
Vince is the show off.”

Henry looked over his shoulder. “I can’t see your brother anywhere.” He smiled wolfishly. “I won’t touch. I know how you feel about fingerprints on your
things.”

Kade analys
ed him before giving in. It wouldn’t hurt to allow himself to become the envy of another Fortunate for a little while. He turned to Nine. She looked up at him before he called for her, like she sensed his eyes on her. He flicked his head in his own direction and she swallowed hard before stepping down from her pedestal. Kade watched her bunch her dress up at her knees as she lifted the fabric so she could see her feet as she walked down the steps. Beside him, he heard Henry rub his fat hands together. Nine lowered her dress and approached them with as much discipline and grace as she was meant to. It actually shocked Kade. He hadn’t seen her do anything right since she got here and he was worried he was going to have to punish her in front of Henry. Not that he could bring himself to hurt her or any female, for that matter. He’d never hit her. He was much stronger than she was, he knew that, and her face was too pretty to mark. Kade didn’t care much for bruised slaves representing his house, anyway. Everyone in his house needed to be perfect. Nine’s behaviour wasn’t perfect, but her looks were damn near close.

Pride surged in Kade’s chest as H
enry’s gaze raped her from head to toe. Nine kept her head down, ignoring his prying eyes.

“Perfection
,” he mumbled.

It occurred to Kade, as he watched the fat, lust-filled Fortunate, that he could
forfeit Nine for himself and use her to gain power instead. He saw the way the Fortunates watched her, licking their lips like the air that surrounded her was delicious. Using her as bait, he could probably make any powerful man do whatever he wanted—like Albert Knowle, for example. Kade didn’t need her, it’s not like sex was hard to come by—but power, on the other hand, that was a rare treat for a Sario these days. If he was going to use her, he needed to protect her and then present her to the one person who could offer the Sario family the most. It wasn’t a bad idea, he thought.

“What I wouldn’t
give—” Henry groaned under his breath.

And then he reached out and
fucking touched her.

Chapter Four

Nine

I stood still as Master Kade’s friend ran his chubby fingers up my arm. They’re warm and soft, unlike his cold, rough eyes, and I clench my jaw as his green and brown irises send large quantities of uneasiness through me.

“Fingerprints
,” Kade says through gritted teeth, tightening his grip on his glass.

Henry pulls his hands back and threads them together
in front of him. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”

“
I forgive you,” Kade says, taking a quick sip of his drink. “Do it again, though, and I’ll break your fingers.”

Henry laughs, shrugging Master Kade’s words off and treating them like a joke. I glance at Kade and
the look on his face is anything but humorous.

“Eighteen
years young?” he asks me, raking his fingers through his grey hair.

I nod
and fight the urge to cringe. I don’t like how excited I’m getting him. You’d think he’s never seen an Unfortunate before.

“
Virgin?”

I open my mouth to speak, but Kade cuts me off
. “Those questions and the information they draw are best reserved for her owner.”

“Of course, sorry.” Henry’s beady eyes survey me for a few minutes longer before he
finally turns back to Kade. “I don’t suppose you’re going to put her in the Black House?”

I tense.
Black House?

“Absolutely not.”

“That’s a shame… you could make a lot of money off of her.” He clicks his tongue against his teeth. I hate being talked about like I’m not here. “She seems so… alive, doesn’t she? I know a lot of people that would pay top dollar for her.”

Kade slams back the rest of his drink and I lift my eyes long enough to see his finger
s whiten around the glass. “She’s not for casual use outside of my house.”

Henry chuckles a deep, throaty chuckle. “You lucky son of a bitch.”

I drop my eyes in fear of Kade seeing me cringe. The reaction I’ve received since my arrival is off-putting and I worry what’ll happen to me if Master Kade leaves my side for a second. I hate that I, suddenly, never want Kade to leave my side.

“More whiskey
,” Kade demands, extending his cup to me.

With a nod,
I take the cup and stroll away. As I walk, I feel Henry’s seedy gaze stick to me like sweat on a hot summer’s night. I don’t like him… not one little bit.

I detour off the path and press the bottoms of my
feet against the grass. It welcomes my feet like fluffy clouds and I fight the urge to reach down and touch the blades with my fingers.
Whiskey.
I remind myself,
Get the Whiskey and touch the grass later.
I stroll into the mansion, turn left down a narrow corridor, and then right into a kitchen. Unfortunates work hard, cooking food and filling drinks. As I reach the door frame, three Unfortunates dressed in elegant white tunics push past, carrying large trays of drinks. I step into the chaotic kitchen and set Master Kade’s empty glass down on the bench. The entire bench seems dedicated to various drinks and it occurs to me that I don’t know what Whiskey is… let alone what it looks like.

“Need help?”
a womanly voice asks.

I glance over my shoulder at another Unfortunate. She pulls her frizzy hair up into a messy bun and saunters closer.
I notice her tunic is worn, like she’s been wearing it for years.

“Master Kade
…” I mutter, turning back to the dizzying variation of bottles. “I don’t suppose you know which one of these he drinks?”

She reaches across and plucks a
gold and black bottle from the centre of the counter. “Here’s a tip, Master Kade’s drink matches his personality, cold and rough.” She hums a catchy tune. “Black and gold for callous and cold.” She chuckles to herself. “Linking things to Fortunates with rhymes usually helps me keep on top of things.”

“You think Kade is callous and cold?”

The colour drains from the woman’s face. “No! Absolutely not. You’re not going to tell him, are you?”

As if I’d ever put one of my own in harm
’s way. I flash her the palms of my hands. “No, no. I would never.”

“Oh
.” Her tiny frame relaxes as she sighs. “You had me worried for a second.” She reaches for the glass and knocks over the bottle of whiskey, spilling it on the counter. I step back to avoid getting the strong smelling liquid on my dress as she dives for it, setting it back upright before its entire contents are lost.

“Go down the hall and fetch some towels. I’ll pour his drink while you’re gone.”

I whirl on my heel and flee the kitchen. I walk quickly, worried I’ve already taken too long to get his drink. I hope he isn’t mad
.

I approach the only cupboard in the hall and yank it open. It’s filled with towels, towels and more towels. All are the same creamy
colour, so I grab a handful and slam the doors behind me. I manage to take one step before a strange moaning draws my attention. I still and my fingers instinctively tighten around the fabrics.

“Yes, oh, please,” a
feminine voice sighs.

A
very distinct male groan reverberates around my skull, followed closely by a crude command. “Spread your legs wider. Fuck yes, just like that.”

My curiosity piques again and I find myself stepping closer to the sound.
Curiosity is bad. Curiosity is wrong. It’s going to get you killed!

It seems to be filtering from the crack in the door across from the
towel cupboard. I get closer and closer until I’m right at the door. I peer through the crack. My vision is bombarded with a female’s flushed cheeks, her face twisted into an expression of pure pleasure. She’s facedown on the bed, her ass sticking up for all to see. My gaze travels down her body, over her slim hips and creamy skin to her backside. The skin covering that area is red, like it’s been slapped a hundred times. I watch as large, manly hands grip her flesh, forcing her to move harder and faster onto him. The girl’s mouth parts as quick pants of air escape her and my own breath picks up as she grips the sheets until her knuckles turn white. Between my legs, I feel an unfamiliar tingle and I squeeze my thighs shut.
This is wrong,
I tell myself, but I don’t dare look away. I couldn’t, even if I tried. I look at the man, the cause of her pleasure, and to my astonishment he’s still fully dressed, suit jacket and all. He looks familiar but I can’t pinpoint it. The sound of the female’s moan forces my attention from the clothed man back to her.

“Yes,”
she breathes. “Harder.”

He crouches over her and grabs a fistful of her hair, forcing her neck back
on an almost painful angle. She whimpers in delight as his groans become more pronounced. Out of nowhere, the girl begins to scream and I watch completely mesmerised by her body as her muscles ripple and shudder under the weight of the man. He made her come… which means she can’t possibly be an Unfortunate. Unfortunates aren’t allowed to experience the same pleasure as Fortunates. With one last guttural moan, the man collapses on top of the woman, his body suddenly limp and tired. With a heavy sigh, his strained expression smooths out and glazes over with complete satisfaction.

Time to go.
I pivot too quickly on my heel and accidently knock one of the towels out of my own hand. My heart leaps into my throat and I swing at the cloth as it falls. It’s too late and my fingers graze the edge of the fabric and connect with the heavy, wooden door. The door is thrown open and it slams against the wall, startling the two lovers. My wide stare flicks to the young man and the way his dark, amused gaze lingers scares the hell out of me. His eyes are as dark as oil, lined with perfect thick, black lashes—much like Kade’s. Then it hits me, he was the Fortunate who slapped Thirteen on the pedestal.

“I’m so sorry
,” I breathe, feeling my lungs inflate to maximum levels in my chest. “I didn’t mean—I mean, I-I did mean to see, but I d-didn’t mean to interrupt.”

He straightens
his posture, pulling himself out of the girl and exposing his long, still-semi-erect penis. My muscles clench uncomfortably and I drop my gaze to the floor. I hear the girl giggle and sigh as she makes herself more comfortable on the bed. Painful tendrils of anxiousness burrow in my chest and I cringe, taking an unintentional step back. I look back to the Fortunate and his eyes narrow. My heart stops cold and I panic. I crouch and pick up the towel before whipping around on my heel and fleeing from the man. Tears threaten my eyes as I realise what I’ve done. I spoke to a Fortunate without reason, invaded personal space and turned my back on him, leaving without being dismissed. I’m screwed.

I dive into the kitchen and throw the towels at the Unfortunate I met earlier. She opens her mouth to tal
k, but I snag the drink and ditch her instead. I can lose the Fortunate in the crowd…
I hope
.

I march
over the grass, my eyes desperately scanning the crowd for Kade. I spot him immediately talking to a blonde female Fortunate. I take another step closer and a warm hand surrounds my elbow and yanks me backwards. I gasp as a few drops of Kade’s drink hits my skin.

“Easy now,
Sugar.” The voice is smooth and kind. I glance over my shoulder.

My heart sinks into the pit of my stomach when I see the same dark eyes I met less than a minute ago. He circles me, leaving little space between us. Tear
s threaten the rims of my eyes and I push my tongue to the roof of my mouth, breathing only out of my nose to prevent the dams from bursting. The unknown Unfortunate glides a finger up my neck and under my chin, tilting my face towards his.

“Y
ou’re Master Kade’s Unfortunate?” he inquires.

I nod.
“Yes, sir.”

I stand still as his hands glide down the length of my body and over my hips.
My organs move slowly, as if his toxic touch is seeping in through my pores and poisoning my insides.

“Did you like the show?”
he asks, his full lips twitching slightly.

“Please, don’t—”

“—I asked you a question.”

I rake
my teeth over my trembling bottom lip. “I’m not sure.”

He chuckles and the sound chills me to my core. Don’t ask me why. It just does.

“You know, the city is abuzz with gossip about Kade and his new,
beautiful
Unfortunate.” He lets me go and takes a step back, giving me space. “You look innocent with your big violet eyes and your light pink lips.” He reaches out and twirls a lock of my hair around his long finger. “But I don’t think you’re innocent. No, I think all you want is a good, long, hard fuc—”

“Vince.”
I jump as Master Kade’s voice rings loud and clear. “If you value your hands, you’ll stop touching her.”

I hear the smile on Vince’s lips as he ponders Kade’s words. A few seconds pass
before he laughs under his breath.

“I think she wants to be touched.”
He grips my shoulders and slowly turns me around. I keep my eyes on the light green grass. I see his shoes first… black and shiny, tied up with thin laces. I lift my gaze, following his black suit up his long, strong legs, over his slim hips and waist before looking him in the eyes. As we make eye contact, I feel Vince move closer, pressing the entire length of his body into my back. “Perhaps you and I can strike a deal?”

Kade smirks
, shifting his eyes to Vince. “If I wanted to share Unfortunates with you,
brother
, I’d use the ones that already linger around the house.”

Oh,
god. I feel like vomiting. Vince is Master Kade’s brother? He couldn’t have been a random Fortunate from another household? He just
had
to be directly affiliated with my Fortunate. What are the odds? Maybe the universe hates me… though I can’t imagine why. It’s not like I’ve provoked it.