Queen of Quarantine (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #4) - Caroline Peckham Page 0,114

the tent to call us forward, pausing as she seemed to realise we weren't the people who had been standing here thirty seconds ago before clearly deciding she didn't give a shit and beckoning me forward.

"We stay together," I said firmly as the other Night Keepers stepped up behind me.

"You can wait for them on the other side," she protested and I shook my head.

"No. We're brothers. We stay together," Saint clipped. No room for negotiation.

The soldier frowned, looking like she'd already had altogether too much shit from people today. And though I couldn't see all that much of her face behind the ventilator mask she was wearing, I could tell she was fairly young and I wondered if a different approach might work better on her.

"Look," I said, softening my tone and stepping a little closer to her like I was all reasonable and shit. "We've been through a lot - lost people, I'm sure you understand. It's rough out there and we made a pact not to split up until this whole thing is over. Would it really be the worst thing for us to just go through this...whatever it is in there together?"

Her gaze roamed over my face and the sincere as shit look I was giving her then she sighed as she glanced at the three men at my back. Blake stepped up and gave her his pretty boy flirtatious grin and I could see her giving in as he placed his hands together in gesture of a prayer.

"Come on then. We allow family groups to be processed together anyway, so seeing as you're brothers..." She cut a doubtful glance over our vastly differing features and skin tones before rolling her eyes like she didn't have it in her to call us out on it. "Just don't cause any shit. If I have to, I'll haul your asses down to the detention block myself."

I gave her my best smile while Blake tossed her a wink and I was pretty sure she swooned just a little bit. She led the way into the tent and I punched Blake's shoulder for flirting with her while he gave me a flat look which made it all too clear he had zero interest in anyone other than Tatum. Which I knew, but as her husband I felt it was my duty to keep her boyfriends in line.

We stepped into the white tent and found another soldier waiting there to search us.

"We need to make sure none of you are carrying any weapons," he said, beckoning for one of us to step forward. I did the honours, holding my arms out and everything as he began to run his hands over me. "And we have to confiscate cell phones for a short time too."

My ears pricked up at that casual announcement, like taking people's phones wasn't fucked up at all.

"Why do you want people's phones?" I asked.

"It comes from higher up. You'd have to ask someone more important than me if you want to know that. Don't worry though, we'll bag it up for you and you'll get it back soon."

"I don't have a phone," I replied casually, hoping he didn't wanna check inside my boots. "Broke it a few weeks back and it hasn't exactly been possible to replace it."

"I'll just have to check you for weapons then," he replied, sounding tired. The others were clearly going to lose their phones, but we only needed mine to make sure that I could contact Niall and check up on Tatum.

"What about if I am a weapon myself?" I asked, deciding to leave it at that. "Are you going to confiscate me?"

The female soldier laughed while the guy searching me just muttered something pissy before running his hands up the inside of my legs. His hand got high enough to arguably call it a cavity search and I was a second from slapping him off of me before he stood back and directed me to the other side of the tent where a nurse was waiting.

"We need to take some blood to confirm you definitely have some active antibodies then we will test for how effective those antibodies are. Can I have your ID?" he asked as I took a seat on the little stool beside him.

"Sure."

I tossed him my fake passport and he quickly took a photograph with the iPad beside him and he got me to sign the bottom of the page which I did with a vague squiggle that