Kings of Quarantine: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep Book 1)

by Caroline Peckham

  My laughter died away at the intensity of his gaze and I shook my head, my lips firmly sealed.

  “It was me, wasn’t it?” he asked in a low growl and I continued my silence.

  He reared over me, capturing my wrists and pinning them down to the mat. “I can always force you tell me.”

  My breathing became shallow, my cheeks burning as he stared down at me, exuding power. The scent of pine sailed from his flesh and I longed to rear up and see if he tasted as good as he smelled.

  Headmaster Brown’s voice burst over the tannoy and Monroe lurched away from me like he’d just been caught leaning over a murder victim.

  “The quarantine period is now over. Thank you for your cooperation. You can now return to your daily routines and classes will resume as usual on Monday morning. You will be relieved to hear that no cases of the Hades Virus emerged during this time. So Everlake Prep is a safe haven once again.” The line cut and I drew myself up to sit, my heart sinking in my chest.

  Everlake might have been a safe haven to the rest of the school, but my greatest fear lived beyond these walls.

  Monroe gathered up his bag and tossed the empty Jack Daniel’s bottle inside before frowning over at me. He opened his mouth to say something when a loud knocking came from the front of the gym.

  My blood chilled as I rose to my feet, grabbing my gym bag and hooking it over my shoulder.

  “I’d better give you my number,” Monroe said in a serious tone and I took out my cellphone with a nod. He took it, keying it in and forwarding himself a text so he had my number too. He passed it back and I read the name he’d saved it under.

  “Nash?” I looked up.

  “That’s me.” He shrugged and a smile hooked up my lips. I like it.

  “Shouldn’t I give you a code name like Daddy Bear or something?” I teased and he smirked at me, sending a bolt of electricity through my body.

  “I’m not gonna dignify that with an answer,” he said, trying to fight away his smile and appear professional, but I didn’t buy it.

  More knocking came from outside and I sighed as the air became fraught with tension once more.

  “Do what we discussed.” He schooled his expression and I nodded firmly. I could screw with these assholes until their little unit fell apart. I just hated to leave the sanctuary of this place and face reality.

  We headed out of the pool room and the air grew colder as we approached the front doors. Saint, Kyan and Blake stood beyond the glass, scowling in at me like reapers come to collect a soul. And I guessed in a way, they had.

  Monroe unlocked the door, yanking it open and heading outside.

  “Thank fuck for that,” he said, heading past them and striding off in the direction of Maple Lodge where the staff resided.

  Saint stalked forward with a menacing look, raising his palm beneath my mouth. “Spit,” he commanded and I half considered actually spitting at him instead of what he wanted. But I didn’t think he’d believe there’d been a miscommunication. I spat my gum into his hand and he tossed it into the bushes, his eyes remaining on me the whole time. “I don’t like gum,” he said simply. “It makes you look like a prom queen from some eighties chick flick.” He turned his back on me, striding away and I glared at his back with venom in my eyes.

  Blake’s gaze skipped up and down me then he sneered and headed away. Kyan took my arm like he thought I might run, but there was no point in that. Besides, I was armed with tactics now. Going along with these bastards was just a means to an end. And the end was going to be seriously juicy. I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into it.

  “How was your time with Monroe?” Kyan asked and I felt his eyes on me. It was damn lucky I was a good actress or this plot would have fallen apart already.

  I released a sigh of annoyance. “Not much better than living with you assholes. He had me training for most of it. Said something about me competing, though he probably just wants the shiny achievement badge on his own CV.”

  Kyan frowned. “If you’re competition level, why not?”

  I glanced at him, surprised by him saying that. Then I shook my head. “Nah. I’d have to train with him at least another day a week. Probably at the weekend. And though I thought it would be a break from you jackasses, it’s like being with another freaking Night Keeper.”

  Kyan chuckled in a low tone. “Well maybe you should take on that extra day then, baby.”

  A smile niggled at the edges of my lips, but I fought it away, hitching on a frown instead and falling quiet.

  “You should spar with me one time. If Monroe thinks you’re good, you must be,” he said thoughtfully. Monroe had worked hard to earn the Night Keepers’ respect, and I wondered if his douchebaggery was an act to befriend them or if he was as coldblooded as them sometimes.

  “Sure, any excuse to put you on your ass, Kyan.” I fluttered my lashes at him and he smirked.

  “The day you put me on my ass is the day you’re riding my cock like a cowgirl.”

  I slapped on a look of disgust although I wasn’t wholly offended by that image. The idea of him beneath me moaning my name while I made him beg for release was enough to make my mouth water.

  “One Night Keeper was enough for me,” I said airily. “Besides, I doubt you could top Blake if you tried. That guy might be a mean piece of shit, but he fucks like he was put here on earth to do it.”

  I swear Kyan actually snarled like an animal as he yanked me against him, throwing his arm over my shoulders in his usual possessive way. He dropped his mouth to my ear, sending a ripple of heat down my spine. “I thought you said you faked it.”

  A blush rose in my cheeks and I laughed lightly. “Guess you caught me out. Blake’s got a way with his dick. Some guys have it, some don’t.” I shrugged, knowing the insinuation pissed him off as he tightened his grip on me.

  “You can’t compare the three of us, baby. If Blake’s sugar, I’m spice. And Saint is…fucking arsenic.”

  I fought a laugh but it escaped me, serving me with a glare from Saint up ahead. He glanced between us with a scowl and I knew he didn’t like it when me and Kyan flirted. Which was all the more reason to do it.

  “Have you been practising on each other then?” I asked and Kyan snorted a laugh. Asshole that he was, he at least had a sense of humour. Unlike Lord Coldemort and Sir Hates-a-lot. Although the latter used to have one, but it must have fled his body when he turned into an ice cold prick.

  “I don’t fuck guys – but if I did I’d be excellent at it by the way. I could probably share a girl with the other Night Keepers though if the occasion called for it.”

  “Right, because there’s always a scenario which calls for that,” I taunted and he smirked, making my mind conjure a lot of images I didn’t wanna let in. I may have had my fair share of one night stands and heated flings, but I couldn’t say I’d done much beyond the standard. I’d had a few outdoor trysts and even one guy who’d liked to give me a little light choking, but I’d never had group sex or used anything more than a vibrator in the bedroom. It hit me that the Night Keepers had probably pushed all the boundaries to try and liven up the monotony of their dull-ass, rich kid lifestyles. Boys like them needed constant entertainment. And they had undeniably gotten some of that entertainment through girls.

  “Well you don’t screw girls at school so I guess you’d have trouble finding one you all wanted,” I said lightly like I didn’t care. And I didn’t. Obviously.

  Though I tried to ignore the prickling in my skin at the image of them all fucking one girl. Or taking turns with her. Or maybe there’d be several girls and they’d all defile a bedroom together. Or a lounge, or a kitchen, or a hot tub. Or maybe you need to stop picturing that shit this second, Tatum.

  “We’re not always on campus, baby. The summers get real long and real fucking boring, not to mention the wildness of spring break next year.”

  The image of them all sharing some flashy villa down in Mexico made me grimace. God help the cleaning staff…<
br />
  “Well I hope you get paid top dollar to satisfy multiple dusty vag at once, Kyan,” I taunted, not letting on that this conversation was weirdly unsettling to me.

  His grip around my shoulders firmed, but a low chuckle escaped him. “I could satisfy at least ten dusty vages at once if I wanted. But that would be at the premium rate.”

  Another laugh escaped me just as we reached The Temple. Saint and Blake had already headed inside. The cool air was whipping around my bare legs and my skirt fluttered in the breeze.

  I lifted my gaze to Kyan’s, slipping out of his hold and giving him a mock curtesy. “Good night, master.” I bit my lower lip and his eyes darkened at the word.

  “Don’t call me that. Call me a fuck-up or a piece of shit,” he demanded and I laughed lightly.

  “That’s not nearly personal enough for you though, Kyan,” I purred. “You’re a thrill-seeking manwhore who dresses like he’s a roughneck, but he’s really just as fancy as his rich kid friends.”

  Kyan looked seriously turned on and half a second away from grabbing me again.

  I backed up to the door of The Temple, resting my spine to it and taking hold of the handle behind me.

  “Did you miss me?” I whispered in case anyone was listening inside.

  His throat bobbed as his gaze roamed down to my cleavage and back up again. He stepped closer, taking his time as he eye fucked me so hard I swear I nearly came. I was panting by the time he got close, pressing one hand to the door and the other lowering to rest on my waist. The scent of gasoline and power danced in the air and intoxicated me like a drug.

  I was just about to celebrate my victory in successfully luring him in, when he clucked his tongue and shoved me out of his way.

  “Naw,” he said easily. “I could never miss you, baby. I missed torturing you though.” He winked before stepping inside and I scowled at his back as he went. Asshole.

  ***

  I woke in the bathtub to an alarm on my phone. It was silent, just buzzing enough to pull me from sleep. And though getting up at the butt crack of dawn was about as appealing to me as dropping onto my knees in front of Saint and licking his shoes clean, I’d made sure I was up at a quarter to six every day since I’d been returned to their clutches. Those fifteen minutes were mine. A time when no one was going to walk in to the bathroom and take a piss or a shower or, so help me, a shit.

  I at least had a blanket and a pillow in the tub now, but it still didn’t make for a good night’s sleep. I climbed out of it, keeping on my tip-toes to try and put some space between me and the cold tiles. Then I grabbed my backpack from where I’d stuffed it beneath the bath. I was sure they could find it easily enough if they wanted it, but keeping it out of sight at least meant they wouldn’t get any spontaneous ideas about looking through it again.

  I took out a piece of paper and a pen before grabbing my pillow out of the bath and dropping to the floor so I could write. I couldn’t be totally honest with my sister about what was going on here, about my plans with Monroe. Just in case they found it. But I needed to get some stuff off of my chest anyway.

  Dear Jessica,

  I hate it here. I hate the three boys keeping me captive and I’m starting to hate this school too. It’s so beautiful here, Jess. If it wasn’t for the Night Keepers, I think I’d really love it. But they’re like poison, spilling into the atmosphere and tainting everything around them. I can’t let them taint me though. I have to be strong, weather out this bullshit until I can see the light again. It just seems impossible right now.

  I wish I knew where Dad was. I wish I could call him and know he was okay. Sometimes I have these awful dreams of him lying in a bed, coughing and coughing, burning up in a blazing fever. But then I wake and I remember he’s a survivor. Wherever he is, I know he’s living on the outskirts somewhere. He could last forever in hiding. I just hope he’s biding his time to reach out to me. But what if he’s not? What if he’s cut me off and has no intention of ever coming back?

  I know you’d have all the right answers. You’d know exactly what to do. I’m doing my best. I just hope it’s enough.

  Love, Tatty x

  I took in a shaky breath before folding the letter up and placing it in the bag with the others. My heart was knotted and pain was dancing through my body. I missed Dad. I missed Jess. I missed being okay.

  I thumbed through the pile of letters stashed in that pocket and tugged one free. A reply from Jess from years ago. It was crinkled and worn, the page read by me a thousand times.

  Dear Tatty,

  You are so freaking awesome! That photo you sent is hilarious. I could never climb trees as good as you, but hanging upside down from a branch like a monkey? You’re crazy! Maybe California is taming me too much. I miss the woods, camping, Dad’s crazy adventures. Do you remember when he made us hike up to Finnick Rock at four am in the middle of winter? I don’t think I’ll ever forget the feel of that snow seeping under my collar. Or the way your nose turned bright red. You looked like Rudolph haha!

  Anyway, all is well here. I’ve been learning to surf. And it’s definitely not because of the hot as shit instructor by the way. Alright, maybe it’s ten percent because of him. But I’m actually pretty good at it. Don’t tell Dad though. You know what he’ll say. ‘No sport is worth learning unless it can double as a survival skill’. I could totally surf my way out of a zombie hoard though, right? Definitely worth it. Especially if we face a zombie fish plague.

  I miss you tons. And I’ll continue to badger Dad about letting you come visit soon. I told him most fifteen year old girls can’t kneecap a dude before finishing them with a roundhouse, so you’d be completely able to look out for yourself. But he says you need to focus on your training. Sigh! I hope he’s not pushing you too hard.

  Love you sis,

  Jess x

  I folded the letter up, taking a shaky breath as my heart started to splinter. About her, about my situation. Everything. I put it back in the bag and pressed my hands to my eyes, holding back tears as they threatened to fall.

  I had to keep it together. Had to take this day by day and chip away at the Night Keepers inch by inch. It was the only thing I had to hold onto right now and it helped ease the pain in my chest. I’d turn the foundations of their empire into rubble and by the time they realised what I’d done, it would be too late to stop their downfall.

  I put the backpack away and headed to the sink, brushing my teeth, washing my face and combing my hair. By the time I was done, my mask was back in place and my breathing was even. I’d slept in the silky white nightdress Saint had given me and my nipples were pebbling through the material from how cold it was in here.

  I checked my phone with a sigh before lifting up my nightdress and tucking it into the right side of my panties to hold it against my thigh and heading to Kyan’s door. He always left it open for me to get out in the mornings considering it would take a tsunami to wake him up. I slipped into his room, my eyes drawn to the muscles of his back as he slept. It was too dark to see the interconnecting tattoos that covered it clearly, and I vaguely wondered what this boy cared about enough to get inked onto his skin. Aside from the brand of the Night Keepers on the back of his neck.

  I realised I was still standing there like a creeper and shook my head at myself as I walked to his door and exited into the hall. Right on cue at six am, Saint’s freaky music filled my ears and I hurried along to the top of the stairs that led down to the crypt and knelt beside them. Like a fucking dog. I would have thought sticking to Saint’s routine would have gotten less degrading as time went on, but no, it definitely became more so. This kneeling part was the worst of it. I had to stay here for an hour and a half before that asshole finished his workout. And for what? I was gonna get freaking chilblains from these ice-cold flagstones. And then his precious little doll would be tarnished.

  Saint’s silhouette appeared up on the balcony as he gazed down to check I was where he expected me to be.

  “Good
morning, master!” I called cheerily, slapping on a fake ass smile.

  He ignored me, stretching his arms above his head before heading down the stairs. He was in his workout gear. Black T-shirt and black sweatpants. I didn’t know why he bothered with the shirt. He always came out with it stuffed in the back of his pants when he was done. But I guessed he just couldn’t bear to break his routine.

  He strode toward me as the music grew to a crescendo and I tilted my head back to look up at him. He sailed past me, placing his hand on my head and shoving hard so I was forced to look down, then continued jogging down the stairs. The second the door shut, I cursed him under my breath and moved to sit on my ass cross-legged.

  I took my phone from my panties and started playing Donut Dash, soon setting a new high score. If I kept this up, I was gonna make it onto the Donut Dash leaderboard. And judging by the fact that I was gonna be here every morning doing this bullshit for the foreseeable future, that was more of a foregone conclusion than a possibility. Saint would pop his head out occasionally to check I was still here, but the door creaked so I always got a two second warning to hide my phone and get back on my knees.

  After half an hour, I got bored of the game and brought up the news instead. The Hades Virus death toll had risen to twenty six thousand overnight and my skin prickled as I read about the overwhelmed hospitals and the shortages of essential personal protective equipment the staff needed. There was also an article about my father, naming him as a terrorist. There was even a reward on his head for over five hundred thousand dollars and that made me feel sick to my core. At the bottom of the article were a list of Facebook comments and though I tried not to look, only a short glance showed me the words, asshole, murderer, and traitor.

  My heart clammed up in my throat and tears came for me for the second time this morning. But they couldn’t have me now. I was never going to let these bastards see me cry again.