The Unfortunates(70)

“Why?”

He slaps his hand over my mouth and brings his mouth to my ear. “This is life or death, Nine. Pretend to be asleep and don’t you dare open your eyes for anything. Understood?”

He pulls his head back to look me in the eyes and I nod. As he turns away, I shut my eyes, but I’m unable to slow my breathing or my erratic pulse. Who is it? Vince? Elizabeth? Moderators? I hear the door open and then the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked. I’ve heard that noise one too many times in the camp.

“You acted too out of character for my liking tonight,” Michael, Kade’s father states.

“I had a bad night so you come ‘round pointing guns?” Kade laughs under his breath. “A little dramatic, don’t you think?”

Silence falls—a deafening silence. One I’m sure betrays the sound of my beating heart. “If you’re going to shoot me, old man, make sure you kill me this time because if you don’t, you’re as good as dead.”

“Why’d you ruin Vince’s birthday?” Michael asks, ignoring Kade.

The sounds of Kade’s shoes occasionally scuffing against the floorboards is the only indication I have that he’s moving about—probably over to his desk. Sure enough, I hear the sound of his whiskey bottle pop and the tinkling of glasses. “I took back what was rightfully mine before he broke it. Whiskey?”

Michael must decline because I don’t hear him move from the door. “If he broke her, I would’ve bought you a new one.”

“I don’t want a new one,” Kade counters. “I prefer her.”

My heart leaps into my throat and I swallow constantly, trying to lessen the dryness in my throat.

“There are plenty more like her, plenty more that do the same thing.”

“Maybe, but I’m a sentimental guy. She’s my first Unfortunate and I’d like to keep her as long as possible.”

Another silence fills the room… and that’s when I hear a floorboard close to me creak. “Why’s she sleeping in your bed?”

“I’ve just finished with her. Not that it’s any of your business,” he lies immediately. He’s been interrogated before by the looks of it and he handles the pressure well. I’d have caved the second I saw the gun.

“Caring for them makes you weak, Kaden, like your mother, and you remember what happened to your mother, don’t you? I won’t be embarrassed by another member of this family.”

My heart stills. Kade’s mother cared for Unfortunates? Kade’s father killed his mother? I feel the cold barrel of his gun press gently to my temple and my heart stops cold. I want to cry, to scream, but I can’t. I’m frozen, locked by Kade’s order not to open my eyes for anything.

“Do it. I’ll let you, if it makes you feel better.”

I’d flinch, if I wasn’t so terrified of having a bullet in my skull. Seconds pass that extend into minutes that I’m sure stretch into hours and all I can think about is not screaming. Then the barrel is removed and it takes all of the energy in me not to sigh aloud.

“I’ll be watching you, Kaden. One more relapse and you’re a dead man. Got it?”

He doesn’t reply, and soon enough, I hear the sound of Kade’s door closing and then I hear it lock. Still, I don’t open my eyes until I feel his hand brush hair out of my face. I open my eyes and almost lose my breath at the sight of his smiling face looking down at me from such a perfect angle.

“You did all right, Unfortunate.”

“He pressed a gun to my head.” I gasp breathlessly as I slap his hand away. “He could’ve shot me and you would’ve let him!”

“If I didn’t play bored, he’d have put a bullet through your head. I saved your life.”

My adrenaline begins to drop and portions of their conversation come back to me. ‘Caring for them makes you weak, Kaden, like your mother, and you remember what happened to your mother, don’t you?’

“He killed your mother?” I ask and Kade stiffens.

He can’t hide it from me and he can’t lie to me, not anymore. “Yes… when I was a child.”

“And she cared for Unfortunates?”

“She did. She looked after the Unfortunates in our house every single day… but she got reckless—stupid—she got stupid and she fell in love.”

I inch closer to him. Here I was thinking it’s not possible for a Fortunate to love anyone but themselves. “And your dad… he shot you. Why?”

Subconsciously, I press my hand to his thigh, right above the scar I know is there. I keep my stare on his face, but Kade drops his to survey my hand against his leg. The silence that fills the air between us feels different, more meaningful than any other silence until he snaps away from me with an exasperated sigh and storms to the bathroom. I watch as he slams the door without a glance over his shoulder and soon after, I hear the water run and the steady stream crash into the tiles. He isn’t going to answer me… he never talks about himself or his life and yet, I feel like I know him almost as well as I know myself.