Kings of Quarantine (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #1) - Caroline Peckham ,Susanne Valenti Page 0,132

to the fridge and drew out a bottle of water so that I could banish the damn roughness in my voice.

Father hesitated and that was enough to make me fall still. That man was the king of the pregnant pause. He could use a simple lull in conversation to make you feel a thousand different emotions at will, but this time I could have sworn that it was a genuine sign that he was unsure about what to say next.

The sound of a door closing came down the line and I fell still, wondering what could possibly be so damn important that he didn’t trust his staff to hear it.

“Listen to me, Saint. This thing, this virus, it’s getting worse before it gets better. A lot worse. I suggest you prepare the means to keep yourself isolated for an extended period of time just in case you need to.”

“I can stock The Temple with everything we need,” I assured him.

“If you plan on letting others join you while you quarantine yourselves, pick carefully. You don’t need to be carrying dead weight through this.”

“I never do.”

“Good.”

“Have the CDC got any news about a vaccine?” I asked him. We’d be on the front line to receive one once it was produced at least. Money could certainly guarantee that much.

“Slowly. Too fucking slowly. Stay safe, Son, the future of our family lies in your blood.”

“You too, Father.”

That was the closest anyone in my family ever came to implying love for each other and we didn’t express even that much all that often. This virus situation really was getting bad.

The line went dead and I pursed my lips as I moved to the drawers beside the front door and pulled out a lighter and a firecracker. I headed down the short corridor to Blake’s room at the back of the building first, pushing his door open and looking in at him where he slept in the middle of his huge bed.

“Wake up,” I snapped. “We have work to do.”

Blake cursed as he pushed himself upright, scrubbing the sleep from his eyes as he called out to ask me what work, but I was already heading down the hall to open Kyan’s door.

I lit the fuse and tossed the firecracker into his room before pulling the door shut again and striding away.

I made it back to the kitchenette before the thing exploded and Kyan’s curses poured through the building.

He burst out of his room and ran at me with the clear intention to beat the living shit out of me for that prank but there was no time for that shit.

“Suck it up, Kyan,” I snarled. “This is important.”

The rage in his eyes flared as the bloodlust called to him but through pure force of will, he managed to fall still. He stood in the centre of the corridor, muscles flexed and hair spilling into his eyes as he panted with the desire to rip me a new one and waited for my explanation.

Blake appeared behind him and I set my water down on the counter. “We need to go and secure supplies in case of a shortage,” I said in a tone that brokered no arguments.

“Now?” Blake asked.

“No. I just woke you up in the middle of the fucking night to say let’s do it tomorrow,” I deadpanned.

“Alright, asshole, I’m just asking. No need to get your cock in a knot over it.”

Kyan snorted a laugh at the joke, I did not.

“Are we locking Tatum in the bathroom while we’re gone or bringing her?” Kyan asked, scrubbing a hand over his face in an attempt to wake himself up more thoroughly.

I hadn’t given much thought to the situation yet, but I guessed it made sense to bring her. “Get her up, tell her she’s coming with us but not why, we’ll need the extra man power and I don’t wanna outsource this. Let her piss herself thinking we’re taking her out to kill her until we get to the kitchens. But do it quickly – we leave in three minutes.”

“Done,” Kyan turned and stalked back to his room and I met Blake’s gaze as he lingered.

“Your dad thinks the Hades Virus is gonna make it all the way out here?” he asked.

“My dad thinks it’s practical to prepare for the worst and be pleasantly surprised if it doesn’t come to pass, rather than hope for the best and be left standing with your jaw wide if everything does go to shit. Now hurry up,