Queen of Quarantine (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #4) - Caroline Peckham Page 0,83

sprawled out in every direction towards floor length windows. The place screamed man cave with no-fuss furnishings that were in a range of neutral tones, broken up by the maroon colours of the Redwood Rattlesnakes memorabilia that was everywhere I looked. There was a wall dividing the lounge from the kitchen and it was covered in photos of Blake with his mom and dad, plus him with the Rattlesnakes team. Surrounding all the photos were little shelves filled with sparkling trophies. It was like a shrine to Blake and all of his achievements and I freaking loved it.

“Hey, Dad!” Blake called and a man leapt out of the kitchen, his eyes wide in surprise.

“Blake?” he gasped. He was as tall and as broad as his son, his hair had a sprinkling of salt and pepper and his eyes were warm and inviting. They were blue instead of green like Blake’s, but apart from that he was the image of his son. He wore a Rattlesnakes jersey and some expensive looking sweatpants, the scent of lasagne carrying after him from the kitchen.

“My boy,” he breathed in shock, striding forward and wrapping Blake in a fierce hug, clapping him on the back. “What the hell are you doing here? And who’s this?” He stepped back, taking me in and I smiled, offering my hand.

“I’m Tatum,” I said.

“Tatum…why does that sound familiar?” he chuckled, looking to Blake.

“She’s my girl,” Blake said, lifting his chin and his father grabbed my hand, pulling me into his chest and hugging me tight.

I stilled in his hold for a moment, overwhelmed by being embraced by a man who wasn’t my father yet who felt so paternal to me instantly that it brought tears to my eyes. I drove them back as he released me, his mouth splitting into a wide grin.

“I’m Cooper, nice to meet you Tatum. Shit, I haven’t had a hug in too damn long. I think I just broke a lot of fucking rules, but you’ve been isolating at Everlake, so it’s all good right?” He scored his hand down the back of his neck.

“Yeah, it’s all good, Dad,” Blake promised. “But um, can I chat to you quick in private?” He threw me a furtive glance and I frowned.

Cooper’s brows raised in surprise then he nodded, letting Blake lead him out of the kitchen and I stood there like an awkward duck at a chicken party, unsure what to do with myself.

The low din of Blake’s voice carried to me but I couldn’t catch what he was saying. I had the creeping feeling it was me they were discussing though. Why else leave the damn kitchen?

“Rivers!?” Cooper suddenly roared and I swear the whole apartment shook.

Oh fuck.

Heavy footsteps pounded back this way and Cooper reappeared looking nothing like the friendly-faced Dad he’d just been as his features contorted with fury.

“Dad!” Blake barked as he came running up behind him. “Listen to me, she’s not-”

“I’ll tell you what she is,” Cooper snarled, pointing a finger at me and I took a step away, my heart racing as the tension in the room made my body go into high alert. “She’s the daughter of the man who killed your mother.”

“Mr Bowman,” I gasped in horror. “Please, if I can just explain-”

“Explain?” he spat, taking an aggressive step toward me as Blake caught his arm, yanking him back. “Explain what? That my son just brought a rat into my home?”

Blake threw himself in front of his dad, shoving him back and squaring his shoulders at him. “Don’t you talk about her like that!”

“She’s the terrorist’s kid!” Cooper snapped, his eyes full of grief and pain as they landed on me. To him, I was his enemy. I represented the pain of losing his wife. But he didn’t know the truth and we had to explain it.

“He wasn’t a terrorist,” I snarled, my blood heating at that word. “He was set up. And then he was murdered to hide the truth.”

Cooper gaped at me in disbelief then gripped Blake’s arm, trying to draw him away from me like I was diseased.

Blake shook him off, stepping back to join my side. “She’s telling the truth. I was there when he died, Dad.”

“What?” Cooper blurted, his face twisting as he tried to grapple with that information.

“Everything the people on the news are saying about her dad is a lie,” Blake said passionately and my heart swelled at hearing him defend my father like that.

“Bullshit,” Cooper growled. “What the hell