Page 38 of The Invite (The Massacre Ball #1)

Flipping my phone, I click the picture of the confession. I also snap several shots from around the room. I’ll look at them for a lead once I’m in the right frame of mind. I’m also going to compare the handwriting on today’s note and the wall. It was a rookie mistake Anonymous made.

Nothing left for me to see here, I stroll down the aisle toward the door. I’m halfway there when I think I hear a very faint tap, tap noise.

Am I imagining it?

Is it a mouse?

I take another step when it comes louder and nearer. I gasp and stagger backward when it’s the unmistakable sound of footsteps. Not one, but two.

Oh shit! Did guards finally come to patrol the school?

I rub my mouth and flicker my gaze around. Should I hide underneath a desk? What if I get locked in here?

Shit. Shit. Shit.

My petrified eyes land on a door at the back of the classroom. How strange that I never caught it before. I dart toward it without a second thought. Luckily, it’s open. I push through, praying it doesn’t squeak. I get inside just as the footsteps step into the class one after the other.

I’m too shaken to notice what sort of room it is.

I press my ear against the wooden door and listen.

“Motherfucker…” the voice whispers.

Too faint for me to tell if it’s a guard or somebody else.

One of them keeps circling in the aisles and taps on the desks. Obviously, they’re not worried about getting caught, casually rapping on the surface as if out for a casual walk in the park.

“Don’t touch anything!” the second person snaps.

They don’t sound like the guards. Good Lord! Is it the killer? Are there two of them? Of course nobody would dare to assume two people can be behind the murder.

My heart lurches to my throat.

I can’t let them catch me unless I wish to die.

“This wasn’t a random kill, brother.”

Wait… Why does that voice sound familiar?

“Nor the killer’s first rodeo.”

At the reply, my eyes widen as I recognize the two intruders. It’s Kaid and Wolf.

What the hell are they doing here?

Could they know about Anonymous?

“I shouldn’t have ignored the notes,” says Kaid with remorse.

My jaw drops when my suspicions are proven correct.

He continues to speak. “Capri isn’t going to forgive me.”

They were in on both the sisters’ secret? I can’t believe this. However, it makes sense. They live in the same neighborhood.

“It wasn’t your fault,” consoles Wolf. “We’ll catch this bastard.”

“I thought for sure it was Scarlett stirring shit again,” angrily barks Kaid.

The switch from guilt to seething isso sudden it spins my head. The animosity between him and Scarlett is far deeper than I assumed.

Does Augustus know?

“Did you hear that?” Wolf sharply whispers.

It takes me a beat to become alert as I’m too focused oneavesdropping on them. I can’t hear the sounds outside the classroom in this small room.

“Somebody is coming here.”

“Hide behind the door,” quickly orders Wolf.

“I’ll take cover behind the rear desks.” Kaid’s quiet footsteps come in my direction.

Please don’t let him come in here. I lock the door for good measure.

Pin-drop silence except for my rapid heartbeat ensues. The faint noise of someone approaching travels to my nook. I’m certain it’s the watchman about to catch us all red-handed.

A tearing noise, followed by a loud commotion, startles me. I bite my lip to stop the squeal ready on my tongue.

I blink when Wolf lets out a surprised, “Capri?”

Capri? The real one is here? This whole situation is such a clusterfuck. The last place she should be is here. Then again, grief makes people do crazy things.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Wolf hisses.

A set of feet thump down the aisle angrily. I’m guessing Kaid’s.

“Followed you both,” A new and husky voice replies coldly. Thwack ! “And look who I caught sneaking in and then trying to skip away.”

“Who the fuck are you?” demands Kaid in a menacing tone.

“Let the poor guy breathe before he passes out, Capri,” says Wolf mockingly.

A second later, the stranger coughs.

Their conversation reaching me is muffled. So, I cautiously unlock the doorand nudge it open a tad. Peeking through the tiny crack, I try to make the group out, but it’s too dark. I can only see their silhouettes.

Wolf’s profile is in my direction while Kaid stands with his back to the room. In the small space between them stands a short, lanky guy and Capri.

She’s taller than Amber with an hourglass figure and on the curvier side. Her face is shaded so her features are a blur for me. She’s dressed similarly to me with a hoodie drawn over herhead, hiding her hair.

“I asked you a question, bonehead.”

“I’m K-Kenny,” the boy stutters, close to pissing his pants judging by the tone. “I’m your class… classmate.”

I vaguely remember Kenny from assessing the essays and skimming over his name.

“Seriously?” Wolf snorts. “You attending classes wearing an invisible cloak or some shit?”

Kaid threateningly inches forward. “Why are you here, Kenny? Came looking for the weapon you butchered our classmate with?”

“No!” he gasps, lurching away. Kaid snakes out his arm and twists his fist in Kenny’s collar. “I didn’t hurt her. I swear! I- I just received ra-random notes from the killer. I can show you. They’re in my bag. Please don’t hurt me.”

Kenny’s voice turns high-pitched by the end.

I’m so focused on the quartet that I miss the new arrival until his cocky voice echoes like an amused god around the room.

“Well, well, well… If it isn’t the trash town.”

A voice I recognize all too well—Maverick.

An electric awareness sinks into my bones because if Maverick’s here, it means—

“Care to tell me why your gang is here at the crime scene, Kaid?”

My heart bottoms out at Augustus’s rich and deep baritone. Menacing and emotionless. His intimidating height and aura overshadow the others. Stepping into the room, he and Maverick join the group’s circle.

Nothing is making sense.

So far, it’s confirmed that Amber, Kaid, and Kenny are recipients of the blackmailing notes. Now it seems there are more. But just how many? Why all of us?

Is it also a coincidence that both Augustus and I were chosen? Could he be orchestrating this? Is that why he’s stalking me?To keep tabs on me and watch me spiral from a front-row seat?

No. I’m just going crazy.

If he were behind this, he wouldn’t have looked so shocked and angry when I hallucinated that night. Augustus is clueless about my past. He isn’t Anonymous.

I flick my gaze toward him just as he discreetly scans the room.

Crap .

I duck back inside and close the door a second before those laser-sharp eyes tilt in my direction.