Kings of Anarchy (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #3) - Caroline Peckham Page 0,227

kicking as hard as I could moments before the dark shadow of it sped by overhead.

The burn in my lungs forced me back up again and real fear found me as I realised that I was nothing more than a sitting duck out here. If they were determined to take me out, then there wasn't anything that I was going to be able to do about it.

As I thrust my head up out of the water again, my thundering heart leapt at the sight of the boat tearing away across the water once more, heading in the direction of the boathouse and I let out a shaky breath of relief.

I was forced to tread water as I looked all around for any sign of my jet ski and a flash of white above the waves drew my attention to it.

I swam as fast as I could, cursing as I reached the jet ski only to find it upside down and dead in the water. The emergency choke would have been wrenched free to cut the engine when I was knocked off of it, but that didn't really mean anything as the acrid stench of fuel filled the air around me. The tank must have split in the crash which meant that there was no point in me even trying to flip the thing over unless I planned on sitting on it until someone figured out I was missing and came to look for me.

I was right out in the middle of the lake, the lights from the buildings which surrounded the water little more than pinpricks on the horizon.

The thought of that motherfucker in the white mask made my skin crawl as I realised he'd just put me out of commission. And as he hadn't circled back to make sure he finished me off, I had to assume that I wasn't his intended target.

My mind instantly went to Tatum alone in the library and I cursed as I began the long swim back to shore. I knew she wouldn't walk back without me and was certain that one of the other Night Keepers would come to meet her once she realised I wasn't coming and called them. But at this moment in time, no one but me and that Justice Ninja bastard knew that I was stuck out here and that had my blood running even colder than the icy water of the lake.

Fuck.

I couldn't focus on the what ifs right now, I just needed to give everything I had into swimming back to shore. I'd figure the rest out by then. I just hoped my girl stayed safe where she was until I got back. But I had the horrible feeling that ditching me in the middle of the lake was only the beginning of the Justice Ninja's plans tonight.

I’d finished up my Physics paper and was working on an assignment for English, but I couldn't concentrate as I waited for Blake to arrive. I was anxious to see him again, biting on my lip every time I thought of kissing him when he got here, glancing around to see how empty this place was right now and wondering if we really could get away with fooling around down here without the librarian finding us again. I wanted to feel the hard plains of his golden chest against mine, feel him dominating me, holding me down, kissing my throat, my-

Get a grip, Tatum.

I laughed at myself, shaking my head and focusing back on my assignment. I swear I was legit obsessed with the Night Keepers sometimes. The Sacred Stone may have been some bullshit artefact, but it sure did feel like it really had bound me to those boys in some soul-deep way. They were so far under my skin that cutting them out would have been excruciating. And part of me hoped I'd never have to do it. But could this really last forever?

I took a long swig from my water bottle and sighed, leaning back in my seat. I really needed to focus or I was not gonna finish this assignment in time for the deadline tomorrow. Not that Miss Pontus would do anything about it; she’d most likely just give me an extension. But I didn't like playing the Night Bound card. Just because I was one of the little Night Keeper gang now, that didn't mean I wanted to use their sway to get away with stuff. I was way too used to my own