The Unfortunates(98)

“Impossible,” Kade interrupted. “She was with me. I sent her to her room in the early hours of the morning, during the alleged attempted escape, not before.”

I resist the urge to peer up at him. Why is he defending me? I invaded his privacy. He has every right to push me under the rushing stampede.

“Why are you two here?” Albert demands. “Where is Michael?”

“I haven’t seen him since our last meeting,” Kade answers, seemingly bored.

“He’d never miss the chance to punish an Unfortunate for escaping,” Vince adds. “He has his watch on the door which means he doesn’t want us to bother him—for anything. Maybe he’s feeling under the weather. So we’re here in his place. Deal with it.”

“Can we get started? I have other engagements, you know.” Rita, the blonde who looks almost identical to Elizabeth (except older), flicks her hair over her shoulder and scowls at me. I guess she isn’t a big fan, either. Then again, why would she be?

“Unfortunate.” Albert sighs and reaches into his chest pocket. “Have you ever seen this map?” He unfolds the paper and holds it out for me to see. It’s identical to the one I saw on Kade’s computer, but I’m not about to tell him that.

“No, sir.”

“There’s nowhere you could have seen it? Even by accident?”

I shake my head, feeling more and more worthless. “No, sir.”

“Enough with this. If she knows anything, she’s not going to tell us. We have to force it out of her. Bring in the other girl,” Rita orders and my entire body tightens.

“Let Nine go, she doesn’t know anything,” Kathryn protests.

I want to smile at her, to thank her for supporting me, but I don’t dare. I sit and watch, keeping my lips shut unless I’m asked a direct question. I’m not scared of Kade, but I’m absolutely terrified of what they can make him do to me. If I mess up, they’ll make him punish me and he’ll have no choice.

“I agree,” Kade states.

“She’s your Unfortunate, your vote doesn’t count,” Will chimes in.

Vince also takes his turn. “I vote she stays. I’m not finished with her yet.”

“I’m with Vince,” says Rita.

Besides Kathryn and Kade, they all agree to keep me in the room and not a second later, Moderators drag in a beaten and bloodied Thirteen. I surge forward, but Kade’s strong hand grips my shoulder, holding me in place.

“Not a favourable reaction, Unfortunate,” Rita says to me.

“They grew up in the same camp. Nine may be an Unfortunate, but she’s still human,” Kade snaps, subtly caressing me with his thumb.

They talk, but I’m unable to keep my eyes off Thirteen. Her face… I don’t even recognise it anymore. She’s bleeding from her nose, her head—her mouth! How could they? Are their stomachs lined with steel? How can they tolerate such brutality?

The moderators leave and Thirteen lies still on the floor, her chest barely rising and falling. A war of emotions rage within me and clench my heart… they’re going to kill her.

Tears blur my vision as I take in her dirt-covered form. Do I exist only to ruin this poor girl’s life? This… all of it… it’s my fault.

With a pained grunt, she angles her head to face me and offers the faintest smirk. The smirk sends my mind in confusing circles. Why doesn’t she hate me?

Thirteen’s face becomes my entire universe, until the black leather of Vince’s shoe pressing against my knee pulls me back down to Earth. I peer up as Vince extends a nine tailed whip to Kade, but he doesn’t take it.

“Go on, brother,” he insists. “Dad’s not here and you’re the eldest Sario, why don’t you try your hand at whipping? You might enjoy it.”

Kade forces a smile with a light shake of his head. “She’s your problem, not mine. You deal with it.”

Vince sneers, exposing his perfect white teeth. “It’ll be my pleasure.”

He saunters closer to the broken Thirteen, tapping the hard end of the whip in the palm of his hand.

“Don’t!” I scream, heaving forward. “Don’t you touch her!”

Screw sadness. Screw being weak. I’ll defend my own even if it brings death. She deserves someone to care about her, to stand up for her. The Fortunates sitting on the couches gasp as Kade wraps his arms around me and pulls me back. I struggle against him, but he’s too strong for me. I grit my teeth as Vince beams widely at me, excited by my outburst.

“I don’t know who this is going to hurt more.”

Rita gasps. “You’re going to let her talk to us like that?”