The Unfortunates (Unfortunate #1) (15 page)

“Careful, Unfortunate
,” he murmurs against my lips. “Actions like that will get you killed.”

“But you like it
,” I counter, my breath clashing with his. “You like this, don’t you?”

The words tumble from my mouth before I have time to clear it with my brain
and I’d kick myself if I wasn’t so tightly wound. I don’t know what came over me. I wanted to grab him, to crush my body against his and feel his hard muscles against me… so I did and it was the most empowering thing I’ve ever done in my life. Adrenaline is pumping through my veins, spreading like wildfire and I’m unable to stop it. He swallows hard, never dropping his stare from mine. I can see it in his eyes, in the way he looks at me. He’s excited and conflicted all at once.

“What I like doesn’t matter.”

“It could,” I whisper, dragging my bottom lip across his. “I only want to please
you
… you can have me all to yourself.”

His fingers tighten around my hip
s and dig into the flesh. My breath hitches as his tongue slips out and glides across mine. I gasp as he squeezes my hips and twists me around, pressing my back into him.

“
Maybe in another life I’ll keep you and fuck you until your body breaks apart,” he promises in my ear, his gravelly voice shooting straight down to the tips of my toes. “But not in this one, darling.”

Despite his words, I smile. Never
has he called something other than what I am—Nine or Unfortunate. Darling is an affectionate word and whether Master Kade wants to admit it or not, I’ve just buried myself under his skin. My next destination? His heart. I don’t want his love, no. I want his loyalty, I want his protection, and if I can keep getting him to smile and banter with me, that’s exactly what he’ll give me.

I turn, pulling myself from his grip. “It was worth a shot
,” I say, ignoring the way my legs wobble. “Have it your way.”

Subtly, I inhale and let it go,
clasping my hands behind my back. “What do we do now?”

“Oh, we’re not finished here.” He rakes his teeth over his bottom lip
, deep in thought. “Meet me at the lake in twenty minutes.”

“The lake?
” There’s a lake that runs in from the ocean and behind the row of Fortunate manors. I’ve contemplated going down there to have a look. “What for?”

He turns and stalks back to his desk. “I’
m not about to discuss my plans with my brother lingering in the hall. I know a spot at the lake.”

Lingering in the hall? “How do you know he’s in the hall?”

“You can’t feel your happiness being sucked from you?” He smiles again—his perfect lips curving so flawlessly I hold my breath. “Trust me. He’s out there.”

Great. Now I don’t want to leave. I turn to the door and hesitate a moment. Vince wouldn’t hurt me in the hall, not while Master Kade is right here. What about Thirteen? What if I run into Thirteen? I don’
t think I can stomach it.

A heavy guilt settles on my heart, slowing down its pulse. I can’t help but feel as though I’ve betrayed her. Willingly kissing my Fortunate?
What’s wrong with me?
Have I really been so strongly brainwashed that I’m sexually attracted to the very people who force me to live like this? I reach for the handle and open the door.

“It’s not your fault, by the way
,” Kade says, pulling me from my thoughts.

I peer over my shoulder
and watch as he fiddles with papers on his desk, avoiding eye contact. “Thirteen.” His black irises find mine. “It’s not your fault.”

Kade
goes back to what he was doing and all I can do is watch him. Why would he say that? Why would he offer me any kind of comfort? Has this evening changed him? Despite his words, I can’t smile… Because I don’t believe it. If it weren’t for me, Thirteen would still be in the kitchen, not in Vince’s bed.

“I’
ll see you at the lake in twenty minutes,” I mutter and step out of the room, closing the door behind me.

“The lake, huh?”

I squeak as Vince’s voice startles me. With his bent knee, he pushes off of the wall. My spine stiffens, as if a metal pole replaces the bone and my jaw sets, clenching minutely. “Yes.”

His face is still battered, but at least the cuts have scabbed and the bruises have greened.
I twist the handle and push the door open, exposing us to Kade. Kade makes me feel safe. Don’t ask me why, but I know he’ll look after me… he’ll keep me safe. There’s no way in hell I want to be alone with Vince, under
any
circumstance. A wry smile hints at Vince’s lips, but he doesn’t take his eyes off my face, nor I his. Despite my uneasiness, my skin prickles. I know Kade’s relentless stare is on us. I can feel it.

“Isn’
t there another Unfortunate with your name on it?” he asks Vince and finally, he lifts his stare from mine.

“She’s feeling a little
… under the weather, currently. I thought I’d see if yours is being put to good use.”

“
Don’t worry about me,” I snap at Vince.

His eyes darken and his brows narrow, but I don’t regret letting the rough words shoot off my tongue

“Nine, the lake,” Kade orders. “Twenty minutes. Go.”

I attempt to step a
round Vince, but I get nowhere. He presses a heavy hand to my chest, preventing me from stepping further. “Hold on, now. You think I’m going to let your little Unfortunate get away with talking to me like that?”

Kade laughs once. “Do
you
think I’m going to let you do anything about it? Leave her alone. She’s still in need of training.”

Vince doesn’t remove his hand, despite Kade’s words. “It’s not your job to train her. If she’s defective, send her back. I’m sure they can find a pretty bullet with her name on it.”

My whole body tenses, hardening like stone. I lower my head, knowing better than to fall into a panic and fight Vince. With Kade, I get away with it, but with Vince there’s no way he’ll let me.

“Leave,” Kade demands, slapping a stack of paper onto his desk.
“Or I’ll use the bullet I have with
your
name on it.”

Silence falls and it’s the kind of silence that hurts your ears… the one where the only sound you hear is the erratic beat of your heart pounding with
a deafening force in your ears. Finally, Vince’s hand falls from my skin and I fight the urge to slump in relief. Without another word, I rush past him, determined to make it to the lake. Perhaps I can sit along the banks for a little while—alone. I need to gather my thoughts. I need to reassess this situation… and come up with a plan to keep Vince at arm’s length.

∞

The lake flows through the land effortlessly. There are no sounds… no birds or insects, and I don’t know if that makes this spot peaceful or depressing. Facing away from the manors it’s easy to pretend I’m the only one left in the world. How nice would that be? I’d give anything to be alone, to depend on no one and to serve no one. Although I don’t have a watch, I know I’ve been waiting for well over an hour. The late evening sun is gone and the full moon has shifted drastically in its position. A cool breeze blows over my exposed legs, blowing a leaf onto my foot. The dry texture makes my skin itch, but I ignore it and pick up the pretty caramel coloured leaf.

“That’s an oak leaf.” I jump, glancing over my shoulder.
Even in the dim light, I see Kade smirk down at me and imagine his black irises flaring. “In case you wanted to know.”

I drop the leaf and rise to my feet. I shouldn’t sit in his presence, not without being asked to.

“You can sit. No one else is here to see.”

Cautiously, I lower myself back down and cross my legs. I hear leaves crunch under the weight of his body and sole of his shoe
, and butterflies awaken in my tummy, their wings brushing ever so softly against the sensitive lining of my stomach. He stands beside me, refusing to sit.

“For the sake of this conversation, let’s pretend for a second that we’re the same.”

I peer up at him. “Technically, Kade, we
are
exactly the same.”

“Good luck convincing someone else of that.” He sighs, running the palm
s of his hands over his legs and lowers himself to the ground. In this light, as he looks over the lake, he seems so young and vulnerable. I see the peace wash over his features. I see the peace smooth his skin and brighten his eyes, turning them a dark brown. It’s in this moment that I realise he
is
different than the rest. He’s just stuck… like me.

“You believe we’re the same?”
I ask, unable to hide my own astonishment.

“
Even if I did, why would I tell you? Of all people?”

I shrug. “Maybe you feel like you can trust me… like I trust you.”

He stills completely, letting his eyes flick over my face. He’s searching for something, a lie maybe. He can search my face all night if he wants to, but I’m telling the truth. I trust Kade. He’d have hurt me by now if he really wanted to, and to offer me freedom when this is all over is a sign of compassion—whether he sees it or not. He’s not supposed to care what happens to me when he’s finished… and yet he does. He cares if I’m passed down to Vince or shot in the head.

“You trust me?”

I nod and he shakes his head.

“Stupid girl
.”

“You haven’t given me a reason not to.”

“I’m using you. I’m going to take everything that makes you you… and give it to other people.”

I nod again. “But you told me that when you didn’
t have to. You could’ve thrown me in the deep end and had me figure it out for myself.” I pause and drag in a subtle inhale. Am I trying to rationalise something that is completely insane? Am I trying to find redeemable qualities in him in order to make this easier on me?
Fuck
. I’m so confused I have no idea where my imagination ends and my reality starts. “I don’t know what you are yet… but I think I’m slowly working it out.”

“There’s nothing to figure out, Nine.
I’m no different than the others, I was going to force you to suck my—”

He stops and purses his lips together with a small shake of his head.

“I wanted to,” I add, shifting closer to him. Heat stings my cheeks as I recall the night I brushed my lip against his warm flesh. I pray he can’t see it. This is the only chance I’m going to get to show him that I’m not an enemy—that we can work together. If he is truly going to let me be free when this is over, then it’s a cause I want to work towards. If he keeps his end of the deal, then I owe him everything. I survey Kade, taking in all of his darkened features. He doesn’t like himself… recalling his actions kills him. I can see his turmoil displayed so plainly on his face.

“
I wrote my name across your flesh.”

“And you rubbed it off.”

His brows furrow, and frustrated lines carve their way through his face. Regardless of them, he’s still the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. “I was going to lock you in a fireplace.”

“But you didn’t.”
I turn my body, ignoring the way twigs and dry leaves stabbed into the soft flesh on my calf. “If I was assigned to another Fortunate, where would I be?”

An expression flashes briefly across Kade’s face—an expression he doesn’t want me to see. A c
ringe? Pain? Whatever it was, it spoke volumes.

“You’d be hurt
,” he mutters, avoiding my eyes. “Someone else would’ve hurt you by now.”

I nod, feeling my compassion for this man doubling—no—tripling in my chest. “Am I hurt?
Do bruises and cuts paint my body?”

He shakes his head.

“Am I still a virgin?”

He arches a questioning brow and I roll my eyes at him.
The nerve of him.

“The answer is yes, yes I am. I’m trying to make a point here.”

“And what’s your point?”

My fingers twitch against my thigh. I want to touch him, to caress him into trusting me. He’s safe with me, just like I’m safe with him. “
I’m saying you’re different. I know you are.”

I’m barely able to flinch backwards before his hands shoots out and grips my jaw. His thick, long fingers squeeze me until I wince, but I don’t let my eyes drop from his. “You’re wrong.”

I shake my head as much as I can in his iron grip. “No. I’m not.”

He’s breathing deeply through his nose, in a desperate attempt to calm himself. A week ago, I’d be terrified, but
right now (and as insane as it sounds) I feel like I know Kade. At least, I know he’s not capable of causing me pain… because I’m innocent. I’ve never done anything to hurt him—to hurt anyone—and if he hurts me, I’m almost certain he’d destroy himself from the inside out. It’s called humanity. Some would claim he has a soul, but that’s not enough. Anyone can have a soul, but that doesn’t mean it functions properly. Having a soul doesn’t mean someone isn’t evil. I believe only humanity is pure. You can’t falsify humanity.