Kings of Quarantine (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #1) - Caroline Peckham ,Susanne Valenti Page 0,172

hauled me out of the bath, crushing my back to his chest and holding me so tightly I couldn’t breathe.

He dragged me out of the bathroom into his room, shutting the door quietly behind us.

“Don’t fight me,” he snarled in my ear and I nodded against his palm. He slowly released his hand then turned me around and slapped a line of duct tape over my mouth instead, making my heart falter. He twisted me around again, yanking my hands behind my back and tethering them together with a zip-tie.

He guided me out into the hallway and walked me to the front door as fear collected in my bones. I glanced around, anxious that neither of the other two appeared as he half carried me outside.

Something deep inside me said this was wrong. I didn’t know what he was gonna do, but I was sure if I went with him I’d regret it.

As we made it onto the porch, I slammed my heel down onto his foot as hard as I could. But without a shoe to aid me, he didn’t even flinch. He jerked me against his body once more, not releasing me an inch and my heart thrashed against my ribcage.

“What did I say?” he hissed. “One more move like that and you’ll pay for it, Cinders.”

My breathing became frantic as he led me up the path, the darkness thick around us. When we reached the edge of the woods, he shoved me up a narrow track and released his grip on me, jabbing me in the back.

“Move,” he commanded in a tone that had fear rolling through me.

I marched in front of him, my bare feet pressing to the damp ground as I made a plan in my mind. Every nerve in my body was screaming at me to run. And Dad had always told me to trust my instincts.

The second there was a curve in the path, I fled, racing off into the trees, circling back in the direction we’d come. I knew running to the other Night Keepers was insane, but I was sure this was more than just another way to freak me out. Blake was on a warpath and I was his target.

“Stop!” he barked and a scream ripped through my lungs, unable to get past the duct tape. His heavy footfalls raced after me and panic spread into my limbs as I tore through the trees in the dark. My white nightdress stood out starkly and I knew my only chance was outrunning him and making it back to The Temple.

My heart thundered in my chest as I almost made it to the path.

Blake’s weight collided with me and the full force of his best football tackle took me to the ground. I wheezed beneath his weight, unable to breathe for a second before he dragged me to my feet by the hair. I wished I could scream and claw and bite. But I was at his mercy as he lifted me up and threw me over his shoulder.

I screamed against my gag, tears filling my eyes as terror crawled into my limbs and took me hostage. He strode deeper and deeper into the woods, his breathing growing heavier the further we went until we were so far away from the centre of campus, I was sure even without the gag no one would have heard me scream.

He dropped me onto my back and I winced as my hands were crushed beneath me. The light of the moon spilled over us, giving me just enough light to see by and the shadowy man before me turned my blood to ice.

“I am so fucking sick of looking at you,” he snapped, his voice like a knife slicing through the frigid air. “Get up!”

I pushed my hands into the soft earth, rolling to my knees and standing. Terror ripped into every inch of my body as I found myself gazing down into a six foot deep grave before me.

Blake severed the tie around my wrists then ripped the gag off of my mouth and I yelped in pain.

I swung a fist at him, but he was ready, throwing his palm against my chest so I stumbled backwards. My feet met nothing but air and I screamed as I tumbled down into the hole, landing hard on my back. I spluttered a cough, terror consuming me as I hurried to get to my feet and gazed up at him above me.

“Please don’t do this,” I