Kings of Anarchy (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #3) - Caroline Peckham Page 0,226

jog down the path. I'd go have some fun, keep myself on a high until Tatum was ready to leave the library, then take her back to my room and show her all the reasons why she should have let me finish what we'd started in the stacks.

By the time I made it to the boathouse, night had officially fallen and the dark water called out to me with the swift promise of exhilaration. Technically no one was supposed to take any of the boats out onto the water after dark, but as I was confident Monroe wasn't going to be expelling me, I didn't waste any time worrying about that.

I didn't bother heading inside the main building but just went straight down to the covered area at the water's edge and moved along the row of boats which were bobbing beside the narrow jetty until I reached a blue and white jet ski which purred my name.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket to check for messages from the others. Chad hadn't seen my message and Danny had replied to say it was date night for him and Mila but that he could try and rearrange if I really wanted him to. In all honesty date night seemed to be every night for those two recently but I felt like douche for cock blocking him, so I declined and told him to have fun before texting Chad to tell him to meet me on the water if he got my messages.

I tossed my phone and keys in one of the lockers provided alongside the boats then took the key for the jet ski from the hook. There was a ledger sitting there too which I should have written in to keep a record of the fact that I was taking the vessel out, but I didn't bother.

My feet thumped along the jetty and I quickly untethered the jet ski from its position before hopping onto it and starting up the engine. The throaty purr had a smile on my face before I'd even begun to get going and I kicked off of the jetty as I floated out of the line up before tugging on the throttle and speeding out onto the lake.

The inky water seemed to spread out for miles in the dark and I laughed as I raced out onto it, whooping as I pushed the machine to move faster and sweeping it around in wide circles that had my stomach dipping and the adrenaline flowing freely through my limbs.

I sped up and down the water, pushing the jet ski to its limits as I weaved back and forth, almost tipping it up more than once and soaking myself with spray as I went.

My heart felt lighter with the pounding of my pulse and the grin on my face was full and wide as I kept pushing the jet ski harder, making sharper turns and riding the waves created in my wake.

After around half an hour, the sound of another engine approaching on the water caught my attention and I looked up to see a bright light drawing closer.

"You made it!" I called in excitement, though I doubted Chad would be able to hear me over the engine of the speedboat he'd selected.

I drew the throttle back and whipped the jet ski around as I shot across the water to meet him in the middle of the lake. But as I came up on the brightly lit boat, my heart skipped a beat as instead of Chad, I found a hooded figure wearing a white mask looking directly at me as they turned the speedboat my way.

I cursed as I changed direction, cutting to the left and crashing over several big waves that I'd managed to cause with the doughnuts I'd just been doing in the water and my progress was slowed.

I looked over my shoulder as the roar of the speedboat's engine chased after me and a spike of fear flooded me half a second before the boat crashed into the rear end of my jet ski.

I yelled as I was catapulted off of it, my arms cartwheeling as I was thrown through the air before I came crashing down into the ice cold water.

I kicked for the surface with my heart racing and sucked down a breath the moment my head breached the waves.

I cried out in alarm as I found the speedboat racing straight for me and I dove beneath the surface again,