Kings of Quarantine (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #1) - Caroline Peckham ,Susanne Valenti Page 0,181

to bruise.

My gaze was on her lips and she licked them in a way designed to keep those filthy words that had spilled from them on my mind. I really wanted to put that claim to the test.

Denise slammed two glasses down on the bar to remind us she was still there and Tatum’s hand slid from my cock as if it had never been there in the first place.

I growled hungrily as I looked back at Denise as she poured two measures of Jack into shot glasses for us. There were two things on the menu here. Cheap beer and whiskey. The choice had blown Saint’s mind when he’d come. Not in a good way.

She slid the glasses towards us but as Tatum reached for her drink, Denise leaned forward and spat in it.

My hand fisted in her hair before Tatum even got her gasp all the way out. I yanked Denise around and slammed her head back on the bar so that she was staring up at the barn roof and struggling to get free. I picked up the tainted shot and spat in it myself before holding it out for Tatum.

Her eyes lifted to mine and whatever she found there was enough to make her spit too. I grinned at her as my heart pounded for that.

“Hold the shot, baby,” I encouraged and she took it from me without question.

Denise continued to struggle against my hold on her, cursing my name and growling plenty of other colourful things at me, but I ignored her as I grabbed her jaw and forced her mouth open.

I didn’t even have to say a word before Tatum poured the spit filled shot straight into Denise’s mouth and I slammed her jaw closed again as I forced her to swallow.

“No one insults my girl,” I snarled in my deadliest tone and Denise shivered beneath me as several more punters backed away from us.

“And let’s be honest, sweety,” Tatum said in a tone almost as dangerous as my own. “That’s not the dirtiest thing you’ve had in your mouth tonight. But you might wanna take the hint – Kyan is mine. So back the fuck off before I’m forced to really hurt you.”

I knew it was just the part she was playing, but fuck me, I actually liked the way it sounded when she claimed me like that.

Tatum reached out for the shot intended for me and knocked it back with a savage look in her eyes which I wanted to bottle.

“I thought we were meant to be having fun tonight, baby?” she asked, mocking me. “Can we get on with it?”

“Fuck yes.” I dropped my hold on Denise and left her to scramble upright behind us as I took Tatum’s hand again and we dove into the crowd.

Sweaty bodies in plaid shirts and leather jackets surrounded us and we carved a path between them, sometimes having to shove them aside as we went and even throwing the odd punch to make sure they moved. There were a lot of people wearing masks and latex gloves and I wondered if that shit would really be of any use to people who were packed together like sardines. I was just hoping that no one here was infected or I was pretty sure we were already fucked.

Tatum took it all in her stride, looking just as at home here as any of these fuckers, though her skin was certainly cleaner and her clothes more expensive. But she didn’t look rattled. Didn’t even look disgusted. In fact, she was lit up from the inside out and riding on the same high that I was always chasing by coming here.

“Hey, sweet thing, how much for a ride on your merry-go-round?” a rough voice drew my attention and I turned to look just as Tatum threw a punch into the throat of the big motherfucker who’d spoken.

He dropped like a sack of shit as she snarled at him. “Keep your hands to yourself, asshole!”

“Did you just touch my girl, Merl?” I snarled, dragging Tatum behind me as Merl tried to push his way to his feet. I threw my boot into his chest with a brutal kick to knock him back down.

“Fuck!” Merl cursed. “I didn’t see you there, Kyan. I was only checking out the goods.”

“He grabbed my ass,” Tatum hissed and I kicked him again as rage spilled through me like a vat of acid.

“No one touches what’s mine,” I growled, kicking him again and again