The Unfortunates(71)

I snuggle down under the blankets and chew my nails, going over everything Kade’s father said. What an evil man… to kill your wife and shoot your son requires a soul so black and dense, not even light can penetrate it. I see where Vince gets it. He is Fortunate to the core, but Kade… he’s different. He has his moments, moments that have his father written all over it, but then I see someone else, his mother maybe? He has these tiny threads of compassion and kindness and I wonder what would happen if I pull them. Would they snap and be nothing, or would they unravel Kaden Sario, revealing to me his true nature piece by piece? I’m lost in my thoughts until the bathroom door opens once again. I remain quiet and don’t move. Instead, I watch him make his way around the bedroom, wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants. It seems they’re his ‘go to’ bed attire. He saunters over to his computer and touches the screen. No reactions register on his face as he flicks through various panels. While he’s occupied, I let my gaze roll down his clean form. From his chest to his hard stomach right down to the captivating ‘v’ shape that leads into his pants. It’s not fair, really. Fortunates have everything—from large houses and nourishing foods, to soft hair and beautiful bodies. To be stuck with a Fortunate as different and striking as mine is dangerous for me. He switches the computer off and I shift on the bed as he crosses the room and shuts off my lamp. In the darkness, my heart thumps painfully against my ribcage. I become acutely aware how hard my body hurts. The mattress beside me lowers as Kade climbs under the covers and lies down beside me. Instantly, I feel his warmth waft onto me, followed by a sweet cherry smell. Despite the warmth of his body and the smell of his skin, it isn’t enough to ease my growing fear of the dark. In the dark, I swear I can hear them hiding in the corners of the room… I can feeling them grinning at me.

I shuffle closer to Kade, until my knees touch his thighs. “It’s too dark,” I whisper, afraid someone will hear me.

“I like the dark.” He exhales softly. “Are you scared?”

“Yes…”

“Would you like me to move closer to you?”

His question puts steel in my spine. The last thing I want is to be put in another unwanted situation, but then again, if Kade were to kiss me, to be gentle and kind to me… would it be an unwanted situation? I’m not sure, my body isn’t sure.

“Yes.”

He shuffles closer, until his torso is pressed softly against mine. My hands rest against my stomach, sandwiched between our bodies.

“You can relax,” he says, sounding a lot more tired than I feel. “I’m not going to touch you. Not tonight.”

A tired silence falls and with every second I remain untouched by him, my body relaxes more and more into the mattress.

“You and your dad don’t get along, do you?” I mumble, unable to stop myself. I’m stating the obvious, but I’ll do just about anything to learn more about my Fortunate.

“No.”

“How can you live like this?” I say, nervously shifting my feet. “Knowing he killed your mother, how can you—”

“I’ll get my revenge,” he states matter of factly, and strangely, eagerness comes to life deep inside me. “Will you help me?”

I freeze. It’s a question I wasn’t expecting. To help him hurt his father for killing his mother seems like a personal thing, one no one else should be involved in, but as sick as it sounds, I want to be. I want to be Kade’s right hand man when it happens. I want to see the look of vengeance on his face when he finally puts his father down and I want to be the person who helps him dig the grave. He’s giving me freedom, to walk around in his house like it’s my own and I’ll do anything to get there.

“What about Albert and the mine?” I ask, inwardly cringing as I recall his face in the hungry crowd tonight.

“Fuck Albert. I don’t want his business. Once I’m head of the Sario house and move into the city, I’ll take the mine from him.”

Relief washes over me. No longer will thoughts of his penis in my mouth plague me. Fuck Albert.

“I asked you if you’d help me, Nine.” He pauses for a brief moment. “You’re the only person I trust.”

A new determination settles inside me. If we kill Michael, Kade moves into the city and he’ll take me, too. In the city, there is no Vince. There is no one waiting in the shadows, just watching, praying that Kade leaves me alone even for a second. That alone is enough to convince me that I need to do this. Survival. I need to survive. “I’ll help you, Master Kade.”