Kings of Quarantine (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #1) - Caroline Peckham ,Susanne Valenti Page 0,143

boy!”

Kyan and Blake were on their feet in less than a second and the three of them swept forward to intercept the Headmaster.

My heart pounded excitedly in my chest. I was about to see the shady bunch get put in their box at last!

“What can I help you with, sir?” Saint asked, a dangerous edge to his tone that was almost imperceptible.

“You know exactly why I’m here,” Brown snarled.

I drifted closer, drawn by the drama while hoping Brown was about to toss them all in detention for the rest of the year.

Saint folded his arms and the three of them shared looks of confused innocence.

“No, actually,” Saint said icily. “I’m very unclear as to why you barged into my home without an invite, sir.” His tone was totally lacking in respect and as Brown glared between the three of them, I could tell who had the real power in this room. But surely they had to listen to the Headmaster even if they didn’t want to?

“Unclear huh?” Brown growled. “Well let me make this a whole lot clearer. Last night, someone or someones-” He glared between all three guys. “-broke into the storage parlour and took not only most of the food supplies, but all of the toilet paper too.”

“Well I do hope you catch the culprit, sir,” Kyan said, rubbing his thumb against the corner of his mouth to hide his smirk.

“You are the culprits!” Brown roared and not one of them flinched. In fact, Blake even yawned, heading away and leaning back against the couch, clearly done with the conversation.

Brown’s finger swung towards the huge toilet paper throne beside the stained glass window. “What is that then, huh? Are you going to accuse me of being delusional as well as stupid?”

Saint pressed his shoulders back, emphasising the inches of height he had on Brown and to his credit, the Headmaster didn’t even balk. “I’ve had that toilet paper throne for ages, haven’t I guys?”

“Ages,” Kyan and Blake agreed then Saint shot me a look over his shoulder, beckoning me closer.

Kyan circled around to herd me into the conversation, sliding his hand into mine and keeping me close. “Tatum will tell you.”

Brown was turning a nasty shade of red as his eyes swung to me and my throat thickened. Lying straight to the headmaster’s face was just another way for the Night Keepers to control me. They were gonna take me down with them if this went south. But what choice did I have?

“Ages,” I agreed and Brown shook his head with a snarl.

“You’d better put every last item back by the end of the day, or so help me Mr Memphis, I’ll-”

“You’ll what?” Saint strode forward until he was nose to nose with Brown. My heart clenched at the danger in his tone and I instinctively squeezed Kyan’s fingers, drawing his eyes to me. But I couldn’t look away from the headmaster. I could sense Saint’s threat everywhere, my body was alive with it. But Brown didn’t seem to notice. There was a power in the Night Keepers which lingered on the air at all times but when they unleashed it in full force it was totally captivating, enthralling and damn terrifying too.

Brown lifted a finger to point in Saint’s face and a ripple of tension passed through the three of them. They were connected in that moment, unified against him. And I knew the feeling.

“I’ll call your father, how about that?” Brown hissed. “Let’s see what Governor Memphis has to say about his son acting like a spoiled brat who was never taught to share.”

Saint suddenly grabbed hold of Brown’s extended finger, bending it backwards so hard I gasped in horror. Brown roared in anger and pain, stumbling back as he tried to get free of him. “Firstly, never, ever point your grubby little fingers in my face,” Saint snarled, twisting Brown’s finger sharply so he cried out once more. “And secondly, what do you think the most powerful man in the state would do to someone who called his son a liar?”

My jaw dropped as Brown yelped once more, our headmaster sweaty and red as he tried and failed to get his finger free of Saint’s grip.

“I imagine well-paid jobs are going to become really rare soon, sir. And with my mother being on the school board, it wouldn’t be hard for her to tug on a few puppet strings,” Saint hissed. “Which side of the wall do you want to be on when society crumbles?”

“You