Kings of Quarantine (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #1) - Caroline Peckham ,Susanne Valenti Page 0,35

said and Blake stiffened, yanking me around to look at him.

“What?”

The light in his eyes was gone and there was an endless tunnel of darkness awaiting me in them. I peeled his hands off of me as he held on too tight, my heart juddering in my chest. “I wandered into his temple and disturbed his creepy ass workout routine before he sacrificed a goat or whatever he had planned.”

Blake barked a laugh, his posture relaxing in a wave. “You went there? Fuck, you’re lucky you’re still breathing.”

I frowned at him, not really finding his tone all that amusing. He eyed my expression then lowered his voice. “Not that I’d let him lay a finger on you, Tate.”

“I can look after myself,” I said airily.

“Hm,” he grunted like that turned him on and I released a breath of laughter.

“So what does this initiation involve then?” I asked, but just as I spoke all of the lights went off in the entire cabin and we were plunged into darkness.

“You will be weighed,” Saint’s ice-cold voice filled the air and a single beam of light dissected the air above us. He was on the mother-effing roof of the cabin, gazing down at me wearing a crisp white shirt and black slacks. He had a flashlight in his grip and he swung it into my eyes so I winced from the brightness. I felt Blake slipping away from me along with the whole crowd and knew I was gonna have to face this alone.

“You will be measured,” Saint continued in a low purr. He jumped from the roof to a round of gasps, landing in front of me and making the wood beneath my feet tremble as he landed. “But will you be found wanting?”

I lifted my chin to look up at him and a satanic smile pulled at his mouth. “What do you want me to do?”

He took hold of my shoulders, flipping me around to face the water then spoke loud enough for everyone gathered to hear. “Fledglings must prove their worth. Only the most strong of heart can run with the Night Keepers.” He shoved me forward and I braced my hands on the railing, taking in a ragged breath. “Swim to the Everlake flag and back. If you fail, drown or don’t manage it in under fifteen minutes, you will be outcast from our company and from the company of those we keep.”

He pointed out to the flag sticking up from a tiny island several hundred meters out in the lake and cold fingers encircled my heart.

Sure, I could swim. But in a freezing cold lake that looked as deep as the depths of hell itself? Er, no thank you.

I glanced at Blake who nodded keenly in encouragement then to Kyan who was smirking like he knew I was going to back out. And that was it for me. Fickle as it was, being underestimated was my fucking kryptonite. And if that beastly bastard didn’t think I could do it, then he was about to be proved severely wrong. The dark and stormy certainly helped too.

“Go on, Tatum!” Mila’s voice caught my ear and I turned, spotting her in the crowd waving and smiling beside Danny Harper. The sight filled my heart with strength and I turned to face Saint again with a smile tugging at my lips.

“Give a girl a hand?” I turned to show him my zipper and his cool fingers brushed my neck before he took hold of it, making my heart falter for a full second. He ran the zipper smoothly down to the base of my spine and I pushed the dress off of my shoulders, bending down to scoop it up. I looked for Mila again so she could take it for me with my purse, but Blake appeared, pulling them from my hands as his eyes raked over my exposed flesh. Thankfully, I’d gone all out tonight in my Victoria Secret matching black panties and bra and my tan was gleaming even in the dark. I kicked off my stilettos before handing them to Blake too. The lust in his eyes was enough to set my pulse racing. And as I looked to Saint beside him and found his eyes eating me up too, heat gathered between my thighs and sent desire licking down my spine.

I turned my back on them, pulling myself up over the railing and taking a deep breath as everyone at the party started cheering me on. The