Thump. Thump.
Thump. Thump.
Each thump pounding in quick succession.
Kade wraps his strong arms around me and holds me close, resting his lips against the top of my head.
“I’ll go to war for you…” he murmurs, his voice vibrating his chest.
My heart stutters, stops, and then picks back up again. I pull back and glance up at him. Our noses graze and my stomach clenches. He would help me? He would risk everything? Give everything up for my cause?
“Not for me,” I whisper. “For us. If we win, we can raise our children properly. We can show them love and equality…the way it should be.”
“You’d love them?” Emotion swirls in the black pools of his eyes and it sends my heart quivering.
“Unconditionally.”
He moves to glide the back of his hand down my cheek and his fingers tremble against my jaw. I don’t know how long we look at each other. The sun could rise and set a hundred times and I’d be oblivious to it…
…because of the way he looks at me.
Adoringly…
Gratefully…
…like I’m his most treasured possession. I guess in a sick, twisted way, I kind of am.
“You’re real…” he mutters, brushing this thumb along my bottom lip. “I never thought I’d…” He swallows hard. “But you’re real.”
I nod. “I am.”
Leaning in, he kisses me deeply—so deeply I’m lost in it and I stay lost, until he carries me across the room and presses my back against the mattress of my unmade bed. Kade threads his thick fingers with mine and moves between my thighs, his kisses moving from my mouth to my jaw.
From my jaw to my neck.
From my neck to my breast.
Each touch of his lips pays attention to every swell and bruise, every scratch and scar, until there are no more injuries to kiss better.
My heart swells in my chest as he works me over with utmost affection.
And then we are one.
Skin on skin.
Naked. In love.
And he is so gentle. And sweet. And perfect.
Tears leak from the corners of my eyes, and it’s not because I’m sad…or happy.
It’s because I am grateful.
I am thankful to experience such love in a world that doesn’t allow it. Who would have thought the man with the darkest name could cast so much light?
Chapter Twelve
Kade
Kade opened his eyes as the bedroom door clicked shut. Nine thought she was being quiet.
She wasn’t.
Throwing off the blankets, Kade slid from the bed and bent low to grab his clothing. As quickly as he could, he slipped his tired body into the fabric and forced his feet into his leather shoes. Without a second thought, he left the room in pursuit of Nine.
From the top of the staircase, he watched in the shadows as she hugged her bare arms and crept across the foyer before slipping out the front door. Kade clenched his jaw and pattered down the steps, uncaring that his shoes made noise as they slapped angrily against the tiles.
How could she be so stupid? Sneaking out in the middle of the night! He was growing tired of being so lenient with her. How many times did he have to warn her? Soon, for her safety—and his sanity—he was going to have to lock her in a cage.
Kade followed Nine around town. They swirled buildings, jogged over flat pavement, and ducked under trees. After a while, he wondered if maybe she was exploring the places she couldn’t before, but that theory was squashed the moment she turned toward the field and ran across it.
“N—” He clamped his mouth shout, not wanting to alert anyone else.
What was she doing? Panic bubbled to the surface of Kade’s stomach as he stepped off the pavement and onto the grass. Would it be wrong to follow her? He wanted to trust her…he wanted to let her make her own mistakes and learn exactly how this world works, like he did as a boy.
But then he recalled the trauma of his past. The trauma he had to suffer through. He couldn’t sit back and allow her well-meaning spirit to be tarnished by that. She took Thirteen’s death hard…but to Kade that was nothing to bat an eyelid over. It was “humane” compared to the other things he’d seen.
Inhaling through his nose, Kade started across the field, following the white speck of Nine’s dress in the distance.
∞ Nine ∞
“Glad you could make it,” Oliver says, smiling as he hands me a glass bottle of water.
I take it and open the lid. As I drink, I glance at the gigantic fence. Like they promised, the moderator’s lights are pointed away from our small gathering of ten people. We’re safe and hidden in the shadows of the looming trees. I didn’t believe Oliver when he said he already had things in motion or that there are Fortunates and Moderators willing to fight for our cause, but it’s true and the small seed of hope in my stomach blossoms into a sapling.
Metal clinks against glass as I press the bottle of water against my chest to cool my skin. Frowning, I glance down at my neck as Oliver takes the bottle.
And there it is.
The lion necklace I hate so much. He must have put it on me while I was sleeping. I touch it and, well, it isn’t so bad.
“Aw, isn’t that sweet,” he deadpans, closing the lid and dropping the bottle to the ground. “You’re still owned by a Fortunate.”
“It’s a gift,” I say, defending Kade even though Oliver’s words mimic my thoughts. “And he isn’t the monster you think he is.”
Mostly.
Oliver tips his head and pouts his thin lips. “Naivety. How cute.”
“I’m not naïve,” I whisper so the others can’t hear.
“What did they used to call it?” He clicks his long fingers. “Stockholm syndrome.”
“What?”
“It’s when you sympathise with your captor. Or in your case, fall in love.”
Can he hear himself? He’s condemning me for loving Kade, but has his own Unfortunate on the side? That’s hypocrisy at its finest.
“You’re awfully judgmental for a guy who’s in love with an Unfortunate.”
Oliver shrugs his broad shoulders, raking his fingers through his blond hair. “We’re different.”
“How so?” I fold my arms over my chest.
“I’m not a Sario,” he simply says and I flinch. “Mark my words, Anna. He won’t give up this life. He’ll be your enemy soon enough.”
I shoot forward. “That’s not true. He—”
“Well, isn’t this…cosy?”
My blood runs cold, chilling me to the bone. Everyone freezes and the fear in the air is paralysing. Uh-oh.
He stalks out from behind a tree, his hands tucked into the pockets of his slacks.
Kaden.
His pants are crisp and straight, but there’s a crease in his button up shirt from the heap it lay in on my bedroom floor. His cold, dark glare is on me, no one else, and his anger and disappointment cuts at my skin like broken shards of glass.
“Kade…I…” I swallow hard, ending my stutter. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“That much is obvious. So, this is a super-secret meeting for that super-secret war you were talking about, huh?”
Oliver snaps his head in my direction, his eyes widening in fear and anger. Mostly anger. “You told him?”
I step closer to Oliver, knowing very well this could end our plans. What if he sends me away? What if he says I can’t be a part of his revolution anymore? “We can trust him.”
Oliver flinches away from me, stopping me in my tracks. “I trust him about as far as I can throw him.”
I jolt as Kade slips his hand against the small of my back, a clear gesture of possession, and it takes everything I have in me to keep my muscles from trembling underneath his commanding touch.
“Perhaps this conversation would be a little different if you didn’t have the upper body strength of a small child,” Kaden points out.
And he’s r
ather pleased at himself for it too. Oliver scowls, first at Kade and then at me. Kade’s hand tightens on my lower back as Oliver points a finger at my face.
“You swore you wouldn’t tell him,” he hisses, whispering so the others don’t hear.
They watch us, Fortunates and Unfortunates alike, their eyes peeled and their knees bent, ready to run at a moment’s notice.
“He wants to help, Oliver.”
“Oh, does he? When has a Sario ever wanted to help anyone but themselves?” He chuckles under his breath and shakes his head. “Ludicrous. I’m sorry, but I don’t feel comfortable having him here.”
Exhaling, I straighten my shoulders. If I’m going to run this show, I need to assert my authority. I need to learn how to be a leader…and I guess there’s no better place to start than here.
“You need me,” I tell Oliver, my voice calm and assertive. “I will be the one taking all the risks. I’ve let you set this whole thing up so it falls on my shoulders if it fails. I’m allowed a few pardons since I’m the one putting everything on the line.”
His tightens his jaw as I back him into a corner.
“Kade stays or I walk,” I add, nervously rubbing my fingers against my palm. “What’s it going to be?”
Oliver’s angry stare flicks between Kade and I, his jaw ticking with agitation. He might be pissed, but adding Kade boosts our chances tenfold. He’s smart, strong, and has all of the connections Oliver and I don’t. A flicker of light pulls our attention to the moderator on the top of the fence. That’s the signal. They need to light this place up before anyone gets suspicious.
“We’ve run out of time.” Oliver bends low and scoops up the bottle. “I’ll talk to Gerard. He should be able to buy us a few minutes out here next week.”
So…is that a yes to Kade being a part of everything?
“You’re crazy,” Kade states and I peer sideways at him.
Oliver frowns. “I’m crazy?”
“You can’t host these meetings out in the open with half the town in attendance. Give me a few days. I can put a secure communications system in place. That way, meetings can stay intimate, information is still delivered, and the chances of being caught are slim to none.”
“No.” Oliver shakes his head. “I don’t trust you.”
“I do,” I say. “And if Kade says we can do this without risking so many lives then I’m all for it.”
Biting his tongue, Oliver whirls on his heel and storms over to the group. They talk in hushed whispers before dispersing. No one makes eye contact with Kade as they walk by for fear of being recognised. He doesn’t mind it. In fact, he watches them with an amused little glimmer in his eyes. Happy with himself.
When the crowd disappears into the town, dragging their bodies in different directions, the moderators turn their lights on our space and comb the field like they’re supposed to.
My skin crawls and fear bubbles in my belly whenever their lights flick over me. Being allowed to do whatever I want is going to take some getting used to. Kade and I could climb the fence and sit at the top if we really wanted to. No one would do a thing.
“You snuck out,” Kade mutters, dropping his hand from my back and turning in my direction.
I drag my stare up the wide expanse of his chest and along each of his broad shoulders. How does he carry such a stone-like body upright?
“I did.”
He sighs. “This is dangerous, Nine. Meeting in plain sight? You could have been caught.”
“Oliver took all the necessary precautions—”
“Oliver.” Kade spits his name and glares off to the side. “I don’t trust him.”
“And the feeling is mutual on his side.” I reach out and slide my palms up his forearms. “You need to relax.”
“Relax?” He rolls his shoulders. “My future wife is plotting a rebellion, so excuse me if I’m a little on edge.”
Something in my stomach flutters at the term “future wife.” Is that how he sees me? Is that someone I can see myself being? A wife? A mother? With a bit of work it’s possible.
“I know it’s hard and I know how difficult it is for you to let go of your control, but I need you to let me handle this.”
He huffs and pulls back from me, but I launch forward, squeezing his wrists in my hands so he can’t turn away. A spotlight rolls over us, illumining his frustrated frown.
“Let me do this, Kaden. Let me control this…and you won’t have to wait until the future. Give me what I want and I’ll marry you today. I swear I will.”
His frown smooths out and then pulls back in. “Are you bribing me with nuptials?”
A light smile touches the corners of my lips. “What do you say?”
“Is it what you want?”
He swallows hard in anticipation as I slip in close, so close our bodies touch.
“Changing the world and being with you are the only things I want.”
“Do you mean it?”
I nod. Kade and I might have started off on the wrong foot, but there are so many different ways he could have ruined my life. And he didn’t. No one has ever cared for me the way he has. No one has fought for me, defended my rights, or protected me fiercer than Kaden Sario has.
And no one ever will.
We are meant to be. There’s no denying that.
I don’t know how long we stare at each other. The war could have started and finished and we’d have no idea. I’m stuck, lost in him, until he reaches into the pocket of his slacks.
A cool breeze blows my long, auburn hair into my face and I push it away just as he opens the palm of his hand and proudly displays a little gold ring. The spotlight comes back around and the shiny metal reflects it, casting a small sliver of light onto my dress.
“It’s beautiful,” I gasp, holding my hair out of my face. “How long have you—?”
“A few weeks.” He shrugs. “I had it made before the necklace, but I felt it might have been too soon.”
My heart pounds in my chest and my eyes feel like they’re swelling in their sockets as he takes my wrist in his hand and rests my fingers against his. His hand is firm and commanding, but his skin is warm and soft. A mesmerising balance of malice and mercy.
He reaches for the ring and panic ignites in my chest. Instinctively, I tug my hand back to my chest. Kaden’s face darkens. It’s important to me that he realises what’s at stake here.
“Once this war starts, being a Sario will become pointless,” I tell him. “You’ll lose your house and marrying me won’t save it. You gain nothing, but you will lose everything.”
He reaches out and takes my hand again.
“I lost everything the moment my father brought you into my office.” Splaying my fingers over his palm, he slips the ring to the first knuckle. “I’ve fought hard to hold on to it, but you’ve pried it from my fingers.” Sliding the ring the rest of the way, our eyes lock and the pulse of my heart thrums loudly in my ears. “Your happiness is the only thing that matters to me. The only thing.”
Kade cups my face in his large hands and kisses me deeply. My head spins and my nerves are unable to properly react to my heart as it slams itself into my ribs, threatening to shatter each rib. It hurts in the most delightful way.
In a single moment, I’ve gone from being one in one, to one in two. That’s the start of a family, the start of a love so colossal it’d take a miracle to destroy.
That’s what Kade is now. He’s family. My family.
My right hand man.
My partner in crime.
My future husband.
Chapter Thirteen
Nine
I wake up early with nothing to do. Can you believe it? I’m lying in a bed—my bed—and it has blankets and pillows. It’s so soft it just about swallows me up.
Kade left early, claiming he had some business things to take care of. He ordered me to meet him in the backyard for breakfast when the time for eating came. Since my house, the Milano residence, is both mourning a lo
ss and celebrating a new arrival, we are the hosting house for the next month. The other three main houses and everyone that dwells inside them will eat each meal here.
With me.
I’d rather stay in bed, but John Milano has announced his presence at breakfast and I feel I should apologise…or thank him for the room. He should hate me. It’s because of me his wife was shot in front of everyone…but he doesn’t. He still allows me to reside in his house. I wonder why…
Exhaling, I kick off the blankets. I’ve probably left Kaden waiting too long. A second longer and he’ll kick my doors down, raging like the bull he is.
I get dressed quickly. From my cupboard of seemingly endless garments, I choose the one least likely to draw attention. Though the mission seems impossible as I flick past elegant gown after elegant gown, I finally find a hidden gem halfway down the rack.
White. Plain. Unremarkable. Perfect.
I slip into the dress with ease and pull my messy hair around my shoulders. This feel fake. Who would have thought I’d ever miss my battered tunics? Shifting uncomfortably, I adjust the skirt and tug on the dress’s long sleeves, covering the scrapes and bruises along my arms. I analyse myself from head to toe. Every inch of my body is covered in a thin sheet of white cotton, save for my neck, head, and my toes that peep out from underneath the hem. Its fabric is soft and lovely. It’s how I imagine fluffy clouds to feel and it’s nothing like the scratchy tunic I’m used to.
I rake my fingers through my hair a few times, working out tangles and knots that accumulated while I was sleeping. I do everything I can to stall leaving the room. I even contemplate climbing back into bed, but as I turn toward it, there’s a knock at the door.
I freeze.
The knock is soft, yet impatient. The knock has Kaden Sario written all over it. I drag an inhale through my nose and hold it in my chest as I cross the room to the door. Exhaling, I grip the handle and turn it. Creaking, the door opens and Kade’s fresh face is revealed.
His furrowed brow smooths out at the sight of me and I wait in silent panic as his dark stare sweeps over my body. Is the dress too plain? Not plain enough?