Kings of Anarchy (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #3) - Caroline Peckham Page 0,30

for the Christmas pudding. Of course, I’d only been nine then so my stomach hadn’t been as strong as it was these days. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t even bat an eye at some brain splatter while I ate my meal today unless some of it actually got on my plate. And even then I’d just have to dish up a new one.

"I didn't mean to cause any offence, pretty girl," Dougal said, dipping his head to Tatum and making a joke out of bowing too much. "Will you accept my apologies?"

"I can still beat the shit out of him if you want me to, baby?" I offered. "Or you can do the honours if you prefer?'

Tatum made a show of considering her options, picked up Dougal's dropped cigarette from the table and took her time stubbing it out in the middle of his plate of food.

"That's okay. No harm done," she said and everyone else quickly lost interest in us and went back to eating and drinking.

I dropped back into my seat and Dougal headed off to bandage up his hand.

"I'm glad I didn't have to kill you, lad," Liam said casually, aiming an appreciative smile my way which made my blood run cold. "Because you have a role to fill. As soon as you graduate, I think it would make sense for your daddy to start looking at retirement, don't you? And then you can step up and lead us from the front like you were born to."

His gaze slid from me as I clenched my jaw, to Tatum sitting at my side and I caught the not so subtle threat there. I was going to have to fall into line or she'd be the one paying for my disobedience. But I'd known that when I made that call to Niall and I'd done it anyway. To save Saint. To keep all of us out of prison. I was going to have to give up my freedom and bow to his desires for the rest of my life. Or at least the rest of his. And I knew deep down that that would slowly suffocate me, that I'd be drawn deeper and deeper into their darkness. That I'd be pushed to kill and bleed for them before long. The price always increasing. Because they had me now that they knew about her. And there was nothing I could do to protect her from them aside from bow my head and fall into line.

"Sounds like you've got it all figured out," I said in a flat tone. "You just say jump and I'll ask how high."

The sour taste those words left in my mouth were countered somewhat by the warm hand which took mine beneath the table. She ran her fingers over my scarred knuckles and soothed the beast within me with that touch alone, giving me the strength to bite my tongue and keep the rage locked inside me.

I moved my hand onto her knee and slowly teased the slit in the fabric apart as my fingers slipped over her butter soft skin.

More members of our family spoke with us as we ate and every time they pissed me off, I slid my fingers higher, loving the little gasps that passed her lips for every inch I gained. It was one of the best remedies to my temper that I’d ever come across.

The rest of the meal passed without too many incidents. A few punches were thrown, everyone got louder and louder. More cigarettes and booze were consumed than could easily be counted and Liam continued to lord it over everyone like he thought he was a god or something.

Tatum shifted close to me in her chair and I turned to look at her as her fingertips traced the line of my fly for a moment that didn't last nearly long enough.

The doors banged open and my uncle Niall finally appeared, interrupting us before I could find out if she might have been planning to do it again.

Everyone looked his way as he strode in dressed in jeans and a white t-shirt flecked with blood, his muscular, tattooed arms tensed and gleaming with sweat as if he'd just been working out. His dirty blond hair was pushed out of his eyes and his piercing green gaze dropped on Tatum instantly as a hungry grin captured his lips.

I tensed on instinct as he drew closer to my girl. I wasn't afraid to take on any of my relatives