Queen of Quarantine (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #4) - Caroline Peckham Page 0,248

any illegal activities you insist on taking part in. He has already accepted that we are going to be living here and knows exactly who he will be dealing with if any of his lackeys try to cause us trouble. Suffice to say, we have struck an accord, and I don't think the local criminals will cause us any issues."

"You're such a psycho. I’ve heard all about the Harlequin Crew, they’re a bunch of lawless savages, suspected of putting more bodies in the ocean than the police can keep track of. And you just stroll on up to one of their most notorious members and ‘strike an accord,’" Blake laughed and Saint smiled like that was the greatest compliment he'd ever received.

“Yes, well, I suppose Fox Harlequin scented another shark in the water and realised it would serve him better to befriend us than make us his enemies. Needless to say, he is aware of what I am able to achieve if he has a need for any such services and I now have a bunch of cutthroats to call on in a pinch. Everyone wins.”

I shook my head at his back in disbelief as he shrugged that insanity off like it was nothing while Tatum grinned at me as she clearly agreed.

Saint continued to lead us through the countless rooms in the church, pointing out a studio for Kyan, an office for him, a dining room, home cinema room, games room and a huge pool which was in a courtyard to the side of the building complete with hot tub, sauna and steam room. The place was insane. It was The Temple on fucking speed. More than anyone could ever want or need and yet I couldn't take the fucking grin off of my face while we explored it, finding most of our stuff already here, packed away in closets as if we'd been living here for years rather than minutes.

When we headed upstairs, Saint showed us four individual bedrooms which ran along the rear of the church and at first I thought we all had our own rooms. But when he opened the final door to a massive room that ran the whole length of the house, that idea crashed and burned.

In the centre of the space, set up with a view looking right out over the ocean was an enormous bed. Even bigger than the one we’d had at the frat house. It must have been custom made and fuck knew how the hell the sheets were changed because it looked bigger than two super kings bolted together, and I had to believe he'd had everything about it made to order.

Tatum squealed as she kicked her shoes off and raced towards the bed, leaping up onto it and jumping excitedly.

"Do you like it?" Saint asked, looking between her and all of us, a flash of vulnerability in his gaze that halted any mocking comments on the tip of my tongue. He may have been socially lacking a lot of the time, but he really did care, and I couldn't imagine the amount of time and effort he'd put into this place and organising everything that came along with it. "There's a property close to town which would be perfect for you to hold your classes in, siren. And I've lined up football try-outs for you locally, Blake. There's a potential art studio I've seen as well and there are promising job prospects here for-"

"Shit, you really do think of everything, don't you?" I asked and he shrugged as if he wasn't well aware that he was insane.

"I try," he admitted.

"Sun, sea and sex? Yeah, it gets my vote," Kyan agreed with a laugh.

"Me too," Blake added. "But I'm gonna want a closer look at that gym you mentioned."

"I'll show you now," Saint agreed, glancing over at me and I couldn't keep him hanging any longer.

"You know I would have been happy in a two-bed apartment somewhere half decent," I said slowly and his face fell a fraction. "But, if I have to live in an obnoxiously big church with way too much space and more shit than I could ever need, then I can't imagine one that was any more perfect than this."

“Good,” Saint said, his chest puffing out a little. “And call me affected by the pandemic, but I’ve also taken care to stock a secure section of the crypt with all the food we’ll ever need if the world goes to hell again.”

“Toilet paper throne