Kings of Quarantine (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #1) - Caroline Peckham ,Susanne Valenti Page 0,111

firmly, praying on everything I was that this was gonna work. Dad had taught me to always bet on myself. Because if I didn’t have faith in me, then no one else would. And this was the ultimate test.

“Okay,” Bait breathed then he moved forward and wrapped me in a hug. “Thank you for this, Tatum.”

The use of my name brought a smile to my lips and I drew away with a nod. “No worries. You can pay me back in the free world.”

He chuckled and I bobbed on my heels, readying to run the moment I had to.

The seconds ticked by and Sneak glanced back in our direction from time to time, though I wasn’t sure she could actually see us here in the shadows.

Headlights flashed along the drive beyond the gate and I pressed back against the wall, holding my breath. A shiny silver car pulled up to the gate and I could just make out a guard leaning down to the window to talk to the driver.

I bit my lip as he moved forward to unlock the gate and let Sneak leave.

I ran, not wasting another second as I powered across the dark lawn, making a beeline for the wall. I clutched the fire crackers in one hand and the lighter in the other, feeling more alive than I had in days.

I reached the wall, clicked the lighter and held the flame up to the fuses.

One more click, two.

Come on you piece of shit!

They caught in a burst of sparks.

One glance to my right told me Sneak was buying us time, dropping down to tie her shoelace.

I gazed up at the top of the spiked wall and launched the firecrackers beyond it. Then I turned towards the gate as Sneak stood and started tugging her suitcase out of it.

Bang bang bang bang!

The firecrackers went off like a rattle of gunfire and a guard shouted beyond the wall. The pounding of footsteps on the gravel told me they’d fallen for it and I raced along the wall towards the open, unmanned gate. Hope bloomed in my chest like a garden of wildflowers. I was so close. So freaking close.

Bait was tearing down the drive, throwing caution to the wind and his shoulder brushed mine as we made it through the iron gates together.

Sneak was already in the car. Her mom was turning it around, but then she took one look at my muddy clothes and the apocalyptic look on my face and her foot hit the gas. I saw Sneak shout something as her mom tore off down the drive in her flashy Audi and my throat locked up.

Every single fibre of my being screamed no!

“Hey!” a man barked behind me and I grabbed Bait’s sleeve, tugging him along, having no other choice but to run. The drive out of here was flanked by the wall on one side and a huge hedge on the other. The only way was forward, but we were in plain sight.

“Faster!” I commanded Bait and we tore down the gravel at a tremendous pace.

The thundering of two sets of footfalls pounded after us and my heart screamed at me to move quicker.

“Stop! You can’t leave!” a guard barked.

“Fuck you!” I cried, pushing my legs harder. Bait was panting heavily, falling a few steps behind me, but I could still hear him following.

We made it to the end of the drive and found ourselves at a T-junction as we reached the road. Opposite was a thick woodland rising up a hill and I knew our only chance was to get ourselves lost.

“We have to split up,” I shot at Bait.

“What? Where the hell are we even gonna go?” he panted.

“Anywhere,” I tossed back, determined to escape this place. Once the guards gave up on us, we could hitchhike to Murkwell. I’d fucking walk if I had to.

The sound of dogs barking made my heart freeze over. We couldn’t waste another second.

I dragged Bait into the woodland and shoved him to the left.

“Go that way!” I demanded and he gave me a look of horror before sprinting away into the darkness.

Fuck fuck fuck!

My mind reeled as I thought over everything my dad had taught me. But against dogs, my only hope was laying a false trail. And I didn’t have the time for it.

My muscles burned and my legs ached as I climbed the hill as fast as possible, the sound of the dogs growing ever closer. Flashlights whipped through the trees and I