Kings of Quarantine (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #1) - Caroline Peckham ,Susanne Valenti Page 0,63

I really don’t give a shit. But if you’d taken your head out of your bleached asshole long enough to read the rest of the news, you would know that Sequoia State is now on lockdown and everyone is required to shelter in place until further notice.”

“What?” I gasped, my heart ramming against my ribcage like it was trying to bust through it and make a break for freedom without me.

“I don’t like repeating myself,” he drawled, running a hand over his dark blonde locks. “Listen closely…boarding school students are required to stay in their schools by state law until their parents come to collect them in person. Anyone who isn’t collected will remain here at Everlake until the lockdown is lifted.”

My lungs crushed in my chest as I attempted to draw in air.

“Are you kidding me?” I snarled, trying to step past him, but he placed a hand on my arm.

I jerked away from him, not wanting anyone touching me right now, let alone the guy who was telling me I had to stay in this hell hole.

“I wish it was a fucking joke because I’m stuck here too,” he said dryly. “So go on, head on back to class, princess.”

“And what if I refuse?” I hissed.

“Then the guards are authorised to catch you and put you back in your gilded cage,” he said, pointing at the meatheads in their black uniforms beyond the gates. Two of them even had dogs on chains. They were supposed to be there to protect the rich kids, but now they were being used against them. Against me.

My heart shattered as I stared out at the long driveway that wound out of sight beyond the gates. Freedom was so close and yet so impossible to reach. As far as I knew, it was the only way in or out of campus. An eight foot wall ringed the perimeter with metal spikes on top of it sharp enough to skewer a wildebeest. If they didn’t let me through this gate willingly, I was never getting out.

No. Never say never, Tatum. Remember what Dad taught you.

I turned to Monroe again as I swallowed my pride and let him see just how much I was breaking inside. Just for a second. Just in case he might be swayed to my cause.

“Please,” I breathed, my voice cracking. “I can’t stay here.”

He eyed my expression with a taut frown then shook his head. “Those are the rules, Miss Rivers. We all have to follow them.”

My mask slammed back into place as I snarled at him.

“This is bullshit,” I snapped, turning my back on him and pulling my suitcase back towards the school.

My heart drummed in my ears as the world closed in around me, feeling smaller and smaller by the second.

There was only one glimmer of hope I had to hold onto. Boys like Blake, Kyan and Saint weren’t going to stay here during lockdown. Their parents would surely come running to collect their precious princes. I just hoped they came sooner rather than later, because if I had to spend another second in their company, I was going to scream.

The bell rang to mark the start of class and I headed into our English classroom in Aspen Halls with Blake at my side.

He was unusually quiet, his attention on his Rolex which he’d taken off and kept twisting between his fingers.

We made it to the back of the room and I took my usual seat in the centre of the row as Blake dropped down to my right. Kyan’s spot on my left remained empty and I pursed my lips as I looked at it. There was something up with Kyan Roscoe. Some new darkness in him which he’d been trying to hide. But ever since Blake had woken us up last night to tell us all about our new girl’s real identity, that darkness had only seemed to grow.

When we left breakfast, he’d turned away without a word, heading back down the path towards The Temple. No doubt he’d forgotten his books or something equally disorganised, but I was willing to bet there was something else going on there too. Something I intended to get to the bottom of.

The class filled up before us and Miss Pontus shuffled papers around on her desk. No one took the seats on either end of our row. They knew better than that. Like everything else in life, this school had a ranking system which was upheld religiously. Top dogs