Queen of Quarantine (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #4) - Caroline Peckham Page 0,122

just been delivered.

"Tatum's with Niall," I breathed, worried about her now that I knew he hadn’t taken her back to Kyan’s grandpa’s place. But I wasn’t sure what else I’d expected; that girl wasn’t the type to wait somewhere just so that we would feel better about her being safe away from here. Though I seriously would have been happier if she had.

"It's going to take us more than ten minutes to make it to the north fence," Saint said in a low voice. "And that's assuming we’re able to stop hiding like this any time soon."

"You don't think we can make it?" I asked.

"I can't get a message to send back to them," Kyan growled. "So it’s either now or never. Niall won't hold back on the plan unless he is specifically called off."

"And when he goes through with it, all eyes will be drawn in that direction - towards our girl," Nash pointed out, his eyes flaring with determination to make it there before that happened.

"Then let's make sure we get there in time," Saint commanded, like he could make it happen through will alone. And this was Saint Memphis, so he probably could. "And once we are safely out of here, one of you is going to explain the fucking squid emoji to me."

N iall drove like a fucking maniac and I had to press one hand to the door to brace myself as he took turnings at speed. I’d been kinda relieved when he pulled onto the highway so I wasn’t jerked around in my seat anymore. But then he started driving at nearly a hundred miles an hour and I wasn’t sure it was an improvement at all.

“Um, Niall, I know we’re in a rush, but is there any chance you could drive at a speed we won’t fucking die at?” I demanded.

“We won’t die, lass,” he laughed. “The Grim Reaper’s not after me today.”

“That’s not a comforting answer.”

“He’s had more than enough chances to take me,” he assured me. “But he prefers to keep me doing his job for him instead. I haven’t yet decided if it’s because he likes me or if he just enjoys making my suffering go on and on in payment for my failures.”

My lips parted at his words but his smile didn’t falter and he laughed harder as we sped along, eating up the road as we closed in on the location of the camp. My heart beat wildly when Niall finally exited the highway and tore along a winding road surrounded by woodland, hardly slowing for the bends as he raced on, singing Godzilla by Eminem feat. Juice WRLD and knowing every damn word. He was a freaking good rapper too.

“Ah, here we go.” He turned off the road and I yelled in alarm as we practically nose dived down into the trees and the wheels slammed into the mud. He pumped the gas and carved a path through the woods while I winced every time he narrowly missed a tree trunk.

“I’m not gonna crash,” he insisted as he caught sight of my expression. “Do you think I’d let Kyan’s girl get crushed up in this vehicle like a tin can?”

“Watch where you’re going!” I screamed as the car sailed toward a huge oak and he cursed, twisting the wheel hard so we went careening past it and my heart rate went through the roof.

“See?” he laughed. “I could do this with my hands tied behind my back and my eyes shut.” He shut his eyes to make that point and I lunged at him, forcing them open with a snarl.

“You either drive properly or I’m taking over,” I growled.

“Be my guest.” He let go of the wheel and I gasped, unclipping my seatbelt and diving into his lap as I regained control of the vehicle. He slid his feet off of the pedals and I put mine in their place as I slowed the car to a reasonable speed and glanced at the map on Niall’s phone.

When we’d driven nearly a mile through the forest, I switched the headlights off and drove us up as near as I could get to the camp. My boys were close, I could practically sense them here and I wouldn’t be leaving without them.

I glimpsed floodlights beyond the trees, illuminating a fence ringing the camp and the tents filling the whole place. It looked like something from an apocalypse movie and I didn’t like it one bit.

I stopped the car and