Kings of Lockdown: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep Book 2)

by Caroline Peckham

  I helped her gather all the plates and deliver them to the table where we placed them all in the middle and Saint actually flinched as he realised he wasn’t getting his own plate.

  “I’m not eating with my hands like a dog,” he snarled, shoving away from the table to gather a plate and looking wistfully into the cutlery drawer at the knives and forks.

  Tatum followed him, chewing him out about having to stick to her rules tonight and I grabbed myself a beer before mixing her a dark and stormy and taking my seat at the table.

  “You said we had to eat it, not that I couldn’t use a fucking plate,” Saint growled as Tatum grabbed the other side of the plate he’d retrieved and tried to tug it out of his hands.

  “This is my night and my rules,” she insisted. “And we eat pizza with our goddamn hands like normal people, you don’t need a plate for that!”

  Monroe chuckled but Kyan just continued to glower as he grabbed himself a slice and started eating without waiting for them to finish their spat, tearing into his food like a beast.

  “Barbie, if I’m forced to eat like a savage, I can’t be responsible for the way I get. My rules and routines are the only things that-”

  “Keep the monster inside you chained up, blah, blah, blah,” Tatum interrupted, rolling her eyes. “You know, I think you just hide behind that crap because you’re a coward and you can’t bear to try something new. Any little change to the status quo and you lose your shit. You need to grow up and eat the pizza, Saint.”

  She yanked on the plate so hard that it flew out of both of their hands and smashed on the flagstones. Silence followed the sound of it shattering and Saint’s nostrils flared as he stared her down.

  “You’re new,” he pointed out in a low voice just for her. “And I’ve adjusted just fine to having you here.”

  “No. You’re only making my point more thoroughly. How many times have you let your monster loose on me?” she demanded.

  “Not as many as you think,” he hissed. “Because the real darkness in me can’t be sated by these petty games we play. It needs to feast on blood to satisfy it.”

  “Well, tonight, it’s feasting on pizza,” she replied, grabbing his hand and dragging him back to the table and to my surprise, he gave in, not even making her clean up the broken plate.

  She pushed down on his shoulders to make him sit and he complied before she dropped into her spot beside him. Monroe watched the entire thing play out with hungry attention in his eyes and I was willing to bet he was surprised to see Tatum wielding that power. But I wasn’t. That girl was fast becoming Saint’s weakness. Hell, she was becoming all of our weaknesses. And sometimes it showed.

  I decided to be a real prince and cleared up the broken plate, winking at her as she looked my way before depositing the shards in the trash and joining the rest of them at the table to eat.

  We tucked in to our food and the conversation turned to football as Tatum zoned out. Saint joined in the discussion just fine, but I noticed he hadn’t taken a single slice of pizza. And the longer the conversation went on, the more certain I became that he’d decided not to eat at all.

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Tatum huffed, snatching a slice from a plate and holding it out to Saint in offering.

  Strings of gooey cheese hung off the sides of it, making my mouth water, but Saint looked more inclined to puke.

  “There’s fucking pineapple on that,” he growled. “Who the hell thinks cooking fruit is a good-”

  Tatum shoved the end of the pizza into his mouth while it was open and we all fell still in shock as we waited for Saint to explode.

  Instead, he ripped the bite off with his teeth and slowly started chewing. Tatum reached out with her free hand and wiped a speck of food from the corner of his lips and I swear my mouth fell open in surprise as he just let her touch him like that.

  “Good?” she asked brightly.

  Saint looked at her like what he really wanted to devour was the girl before him then nodded once and she smirked in triumph as she offered him another bite. Which he took.

  The table fell silent all around them, but the way they were looking at each other said that no one was invited to interrupt this game.

  She lifted the slice to her own lips and took a bite before offering it to him for the third time. He didn’t even hesitate at the idea of sharing food with her. Nothing. His gaze was riveted to her like he didn’t know what to do with her, but was desperate to figure it out. My heart pounded as I wondered if she’d ever given me her undivided attention like that in a room full of people.

  We slowly fell back into conversation as she continued to eat with him, alternating between feeding him and taking her own bites of food as we lamented the fact that all broadcasted sports had been suspended in light of the Hades Virus.

  When we finished eating, we all sat around the table, discussing everything from football to classes, to the other students. Saint gloated about the way Bait had been since he’d had the mask glued to his face and we all laughed about how fucking broken he seemed while Tatum frowned. She didn’t say anything in his defence though, the way she normally spoke up for the Unspeakables. She clearly didn’t like the way we ran this school, but as far I was concerned, Bait fully deserved every shitty thing that had happened to him. Not least the fucking mask. Especially after he’d put her life at risk the way he had.

  The more beers Monroe sank, the more he joined in with us, laughing and joking and tossing warm smiles Tatum’s way. Kyan was most definitely taking the angry drunk route tonight and the way his hands kept balling into fists told me he’d be out for blood later.

  He tossed provocative comments and insults Tatum’s way repeatedly and she met each and every one with a blow of her own, scowling at him like she hated his fucking guts while her eyes flared with passion at the words she hurled his way. It might have been uncomfortable if it wasn’t so damn funny to watch them rile each other up.

  When we finally got fed up of sitting around the dining table, the other guys headed over to the couch and left Tatum to clear the plates, though the frown on Monroe’s face said he wasn’t too happy about doing that to her.

  I took the opportunity to fall back into my Prince Charming role and gathered plates for her, carrying them across the room and earning myself a cocked eyebrow.

  “You’re still playing nice then?” she mocked as she set the water running in the sink and added a dollop of detergent which got it all bubbling.

  “It’s not midnight yet.” I pointed at the clock across the room which said it was half eleven and she grinned at me as she tossed me a cloth.

  “You can dry then, my handsome prince.”

  I gave her my most heartbreaking smile as I shifted closer to her and her gaze dipped to my bare chest, making me wonder if she was remembering our night together too. Had I entirely spoiled the memory of that night for her by doing everything I had since then, or could she smile at the memory of me playing her body like a fiddle and making her come so hard she saw stars?

  She started washing and I diligently accepted the first wet plate, our fingers brushing for a moment and making my dick twitch. I dried it with the cloth, wiping the suds away and shifting behind her so that I could reach up to put it back in the cupboard on her other side. The kitchenette technically had everything we needed, but it was pretty damn small.

  I brushed against her lightly as I moved back to accept the next plate and she looked up at me beneath her lashes.

  “You’re kinda cute when you’re playing house,” she teased. “I could almost forget you’re a fucking psychopath.”

  “Do you wanna domesticate me, Tate?” I asked, making sure our fingers touched again as I accepted the next plate.

  “Well, every dog needs house training,” she agreed and I chuckled.

  “Good luck breaking me in.” This time as I moved behind her to put the plate away, I leaned forward an inch so that my chest brushed against her back.

  She stilled for a
moment, but before I could move away again, she pushed her ass back against me so that it pressed across my hips and more blood flowed to my dick.

  I took the next plate, brushing fingers and drying it fast so that I could lean around her once more. She pushed back into me again and I leaned down to speak into her ear as I prolonged the contact between our bodies.

  “Are you trying to tempt the beast in me, Cinders?”

  “I thought you were my prince tonight? It’s not midnight yet.”

  I grinned and moved back to accept the next plate. “The clock’s ticking. I can feel the darkness in me preparing to break through the spell.”

  She rolled her eyes then pressed her ass against my crotch again, inhaling sharply as I ground my hips forward, letting her feel how hard I was.

  The next plate was the last and as I put it away, I stayed behind her, placing my hands either side of her hips as I curled my fingers around the edge of the sink.

  “A real Prince Charming would make sure you finish the night with a smile on your face,” I murmured suggestively as she rocked her hips against me.

  “Well, a real princess would wait for her wedding night,” she quipped, turning in my arms so that she was looking up at me.

  Before I could reply, she blew a hand full of bubbles into my face and I barked a laugh as I stumbled back.

  “Watch it, Cinders,” I warned. “If you start a fight with me then you know I’ll win.”

  “Is that so?” she asked, dipping her hand back into the suds and raising it between us.

  “Don’t,” I warned, my heart pounding at the dare in her eyes.

  She smiled wickedly before blowing the bubbles straight in my face again and I pounced forward with a growl.

  She squealed as I wrapped her in my arms, twisting her around and lowering her face towards the bubbly water as she flailed against me.

  “Blake!” she yelled through a laugh and I laughed too as she wriggled to get away from me, grinding right up against my boner.

  The smile on my face didn’t have an inch of falseness to it as we play wrestled and I let her get away from me before snatching up the dishcloth and whipping it against her ass as she tried to run.

  “Ah! You’re gonna pay for that!” she swore, darting back to the sink and splashing me with some of the water so that my chest was flecked with soapy droplets.

  I stalked towards her with a laugh tumbling from my throat but Saint suddenly appeared, stepping between us and ending our game.

  “Time for bed, Barbie,” he commanded, his jaw ticking as he glanced at me accusingly. But we’d never said we couldn’t have fun with her so he could fuck off if he was going to try and get pissed at me over it.

  He held out his hand to her and she took it without question, the smile from our game lingering on her lips.

  She didn’t even say anything to me before walking away with him, teasing him about eating the pizza after all of his complaints and he made a joke about only doing it because she was feeding him like a temptress.

  My smile slipped off of my face as I watched her head up to his room with him, my pounding heart sinking like a stone in my gut. She didn’t even look back. I was probably a fucking idiot for thinking she’d really been enjoying herself anyway. She’d made it clear she hated all of us, for good reason too. She was just making the best of a bad situation.

  “I’m going out,” Kyan snapped, slamming the near empty bottle of Jack down on the table before grabbing his leather jacket and striding out of The Temple with no further explanation. He didn’t need to explain anyway. He was obviously hungering for a fight, needing to wet his fists in blood before his rage would settle enough to let him sleep tonight. I almost felt bad for whichever unlucky fucker ended up on the receiving end of his temper. I doubted they’d be in great shape come morning. If he left them breathing at all.

  Monroe was looking up at the balcony where we could just hear Saint and Tatum talking and as her tinkling laughter rang out, he got to his feet abruptly too.

  “Thanks for the pizza,” he muttered. “I’m gonna head to bed.”

  “Night,” I agreed, leaning back against the sink as the cold chill of my grief crept in on me again.

  I was an idiot if I thought Tatum Rivers would ever want to be any kind of balm to that pain in me. She was only here because we’d caught her, chained her and forced her into submission. But one day she’d leave us. I knew it. She’d run as far and as fast as she could and if she was lucky she’d manage to hide beyond our reaches for the rest of her days. Because being bound to us would only ever be a curse. But I was too selfish to give her up now. So all I could do was hope that she never managed to escape. Or even better, that one day she’d decide she didn’t even want to.

  Winter started to take a grip in Everlake and it rained more often than not as November arrived. My routine with the Night Keepers had become a habit and though I pushed back at them as often as I could, I knew I needed to do more. It had been a couple of weeks since Kyan had broken the last rule and there hadn’t been one infraction from any of them since. It was infuriating. He didn’t even sleep in a bed with me anymore when it was my time to share with him; he just left me alone while he slept on the couch in the lounge. It hurt me in a way I couldn’t explain and didn’t want to explore. Curled up in his sheets with the scent of him everywhere made me long for him and hate him in equal measures. My revenge on him had obviously broken the fragile relationship we’d formed and I had to accept that. It certainly wasn’t going to stop me from seeking the blood I was owed for everything they’d done to me. They’d probably all despise me in the end, hypocrites that they were.

  I got back at the three of them in small ways whenever I could, but there was nothing like the juicy excuse of a full punishment to make them pay. I even left the door open to the bathroom a couple of times as I showered, hoping one of them might wander in and earn themselves a dose of revenge. But no. Blake and Kyan were being as diligent as Saint. And Saint was living up to his name for once.

  Since Kyan was still hating on me and Blake didn’t seem interested in provoking my wrath, I wasn’t sure how to get to them next. So as I sat watching the two of them play Xbox, keeping a tally of how many of each of their players the other killed – upon request – I shot a text to Monroe who was currently sitting in the armchair opposite me watching them play.

  Tatum:

  I need more excuses to punish these assholes.

  Monroe’s phone buzzed and he took it out of his pocket, his eyes flicking to me as a smile pulled at his mouth.

  Monroe:

  Maybe we can cause a few ‘accidents’ around the house.

  I rolled my eyes, sinking lower in my chair. It wasn’t good enough. We had to strike at them where it hurt most. I was getting the sneaking feeling that Monroe was trying to stop me from doing anything too reckless. He never had any great ideas about how I should fight them and I had a strong inkling that that was because he didn’t want me facing the punishment I’d get for it in return. The harder I hit them, the harder they’d hit back. But I didn’t care about that. We were supposed to be bringing them to their knees, but so far all I’d achieved was icing Blake’s balls and turning Kyan into an insufferable asshole. I couldn’t exactly call it a win.

  I sighed, pushing out of my seat. “I’m going to the library.”

  Blake gave me a thumbs up while Kyan ignored my existence. Monroe got up too, yawning broadly. “I’m gonna call it a night so I’ll walk you to the library, princess.”

  “I don’t need an escort,” I said sharply, though it was just a show for the others.

  “Well I’m not asking, I’m telling,” Monroe growled and despite it being an act, I kinda liked his bossy tone. Tingles. “Let’s go.”

  I huffed, heading to the door and pulling on a coat over my cream sweater, kicking on my boots before heading outside.

  Monroe followed me and we didn’t speak a word to each other until we were a hundred feet away from The
Temple.

  “We need to up our game,” I said in frustration.

  He sighed, clawing a hand through his hair and I couldn’t help but perve over his muscular bicep as I glanced his way.

  “It’s not that simple, I didn’t realise how bad things were. I didn’t know they treated you so…” He grunted in anger, kicking a rock on the path and sending it shooting away into the bushes like it had offended his manhood.

  “I can take it,” I said firmly. “I was always going to get punished for fighting back, I knew that when I started down this road.”

  “Well, maybe I don’t want you to deal with that,” he muttered, unable to look at me as my gaze burned into the side of his head.

  “Nash, please,” I breathed, my voice full of desperation.

  He still didn’t look at me, his fingers still knotted in his hair and I reached out to touch him. He finally looked at me as he dropped his arm, the two of us falling still on the quiet path as darkness cloaked the world beyond the single lantern illuminating us. His features pinched in anger, but softened as I frowned.

  “No,” he rasped. “I want to hurt them, but I won’t let you sacrifice yourself for revenge.”

  “It’s not up to you,” I hissed, stepping closer to him and breathing in his scent of pine and safety. What I wouldn’t give to run away with him tonight, to slip out of the chains binding me and fall into the promise in his eyes that said he would always protect me. But I couldn’t do that. And neither could he. We were bound by the Night Keepers, joined in our ache for vengeance. Neither of us would ever be content until we got it. So we had to keep marching down this dangerous trail and face the consequences of that choice.

  Monroe reached out, grazing a thumb over my cheek, a V forming between his eyes. “It’s not in my nature to let you.”

  “It’s not a request.” I batted his hand away. “You’re supposed to be helping me destroy them. Don’t you want that?”

  “Of course I do,” he said fiercely and I knew I shouldn’t have questioned him. He had more reason to hate Saint than I did. “But I didn’t realise I’d have to watch them hurt you every time you step a toe out of line. It’s torture.”