Queen of Quarantine (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #4) - Caroline Peckham Page 0,137

on the power of their company, feeling like an empress among emperors. The five of us could face any fate together. We’d defied death itself, looked it in the eye and made it bow to us. And we were fully capable of making life follow suit.

Saint slid his phone out of his pocket beside me, a notification lighting up on the screen for a news report.

He smiled smugly as he clicked on it and he was taken to a website showing the video Kyan had made of the inside of the camp they’d been taken to.

“Troy Memphis refuses to comment on the footage leaked from inside what are being termed Hades Camps,” Saint read the article aloud, his voice filled with victory. “The Governor of State is being asked to answer for the terrible conditions seen in the footage received by an anonymous source and offer an explanation as to the need for such camps when the public could simply continue to isolate at home. The video has sparked more fear among an already fearful nation and protestors have been swarming the streets in Hemlock City to fight the quarantine rules they have been put under. Troy Memphis’s wife has publicly announced their separation this morning in response to the news. She was quoted saying that he had ‘lost his way’ and she asked him to ‘give the people an answer to the questions being asked of him.’ She states she was unaware of any such camps and that she and Mr Memphis have been separated discretely for the past year.”

“Is that true?” I asked in surprise and Saint nodded.

“There’s been no love lost between them for a long time. His usefulness to her has run its course. She’s separating herself from a man she barely knows, let alone desires. She would occasionally ask me to meet up with her in the past, but I’ve been spared that chore since lockdown. Honestly, the woman is mostly harmless, but she also just stood by and allowed that man to raise me with whatever methods he deemed fit. So I feel no great affection for her,” Saint said, no emotion in his voice and I could see in his eyes that he really didn’t care. He smiled wickedly, tucking his phone away. “The fox is on the run,” he said with a grin. “And the hounds of the Devil are coming for him.”

“We’ll catch him,” Kyan growled and the rest of us nodded. “And we’ll end this.”

We made it to the huge dining room where the table was set for six at the far end. Kyan took a seat to the right of the head of the table, pulling me down beside him.

“The rest of you had better sit on the other side,” Kyan instructed, taking my hand and clasping it tight.

They all shared annoyed looks as Kyan leaned back in his seat and rested my hand on his knee.

“She’s my wife and belongs to no one else as far as my grandpa knows,” Kyan said seriously and Saint pushed Blake and Monroe towards the seats beside him as he dropped into the one beside the head of the table.

“We will play along for now,” Saint said, smoothing down his shirt as he undid his blazer button at his waist.

“For now,” Monroe growled, and Blake nodded stiffly.

“Only for Liam,” I said.

“Come on, it’s not just for my grandpa. We all know I’m your favourite, baby,” Kyan purred and I opened my mouth to rebuke him as the others did the same, but then the doors opened and Liam strode in followed by a butler with a tray of drinks.

Liam’s imposing aura filled the room as he moved to the end of the table, ignoring us as he dropped into his seat and the butler placed a crystal glass of whiskey in front of him before placing one in front of each of us. He wore a smart grey suit which matched his hair, perfectly put together just as he’d been every other time I’d seen him. He lifted his glass, taking in the aroma of the alcohol as he swirled it under his nose, still acting oblivious to our presence. And I got the feeling he wouldn’t like it if any of us broke the silence before he did.

“This is the perfect whiskey to make a toast with,” Liam mused in his lilting Irish accent, raising his glass and we all lifted ours in response. “To my nephew, his beautiful wife, and