Page 45 of The Invite (The Massacre Ball #1)

Augustus

More than the damn note, I’m mad at Anonymous for putting a damper on my plan to cook lunch for Nessa. I know the former was inevitable. It’s the timing that’s taken me off guard.

Nessa hasn’t spoken a word since she read the note herself. Her color going pale by the time she finished. A sight that I never thought I’d equal parts hate and feel torn over. As soon as we stepped inside the house, she excused herself to go upstairs for a shower.

Sensing her urgent need to be alone, I let her be.

I use the time to make some calls.

When I unlock my phone, a foreboding feeling rises in the pit of my stomach when I see several missed calls from Scarlett.

Fuck. I was so absorbed in Nessa that I never turned off my phone from silent mode. Once again neglecting my sister over her.

I immediately call back Scarlett and she answers on the first ring in a high-pitched voice, “Where the hell are you, Augustus?”

I hear the dreadful panic, telling me she received the same demand from Anonymous.

“I’ve been trying to reach you for hours,” she complains angrily.

“I was busy,” I reply. Pretending like I don’t already know, I ask, “What happened?”

She’ll ask questions I will not be able to answer otherwise. I have no intention of revealing Nessa’s involvement to others. I can protect her better this way.

“Anonymous, that’s who,” Scarlett snaps. “He wants us to post a secret tomorrow at midnight.”

“When did he send the note?”

“Some kid delivered it to me two hours ago when I returned from Mae’s place.”

My spine snaps straight at the information. No wonder she sounds so spooked.

If Anonymous is using random people to deliver his messages, it means he’s keeping a close eye on us. How else would he know the exact time Scarlett was returning from her friend’s house?

This doesn’t bode well for any of us, especially me and Nessa.

Yet I can’t muster the urge to keep my distance from her or cancel plans to take her out.

I was certain I would detest or get bored doing a mundane task like shopping, but it turned out to be fun.

Verbally sparring with her is quickly becoming an addiction.

I honestly don’t know when I went from making her hate me to aching to keep her by my side forever.

I haven’t even fucked her and I’m already obsessed.

God only knows what kind of beast she’ll let loose once I do.

“Gus? You there?”

Scarlett’s confused voice pulls me out of my reverie. Just what I need, Nessa making me daydream like an idiot.

“Yeah, I’m here,” I utter, focusing on the next course of action. “Listen, don’t go anywhere else today. I’m going to talk to the others and we’ll plan what to do together.”

“I have to go to the station to give my statement.”

“Then take Maverick with you.”

“I thought you and I would go together.” Suspicion creeps into her tone when she asks, “Where are you if not with Maverick?”

“I had an errand,” I lie.

“I don’t believe you. You’re awfully secretive lately, Augustus,” she accuses softly. “Since when do you hide things from me?”

I glance up at the staircase, picturing Nessa in her bedroom, and contemplate the turn of events my life has taken in the past two weeks. I’m making decisions and doing things against my very nature.

Scarlett is right. Neither of us keeps secrets from one another. It’s a pact we made as kids. Yet I’m breaking it left, right, and center.

All because of a woman.

Not any woman, my goddamn teacher.

“I’m busy looking out for us, Scarlett. Nothing more. Okay?”

A long, heavy pause. “Fine.”

Hanging up, I dial Maverick next.

“What’s up?” he drawls.

I hear loud noises in the background on his end. “I need you to take Scarlett to the station. Take her straight home afterward and keep an eye on her. We received the next envelopes and I don’t want her to do anything rash.”

“Did the guard see him?” The disturbance at his side disappears as though he walked to a quiet spot.

“No.” Frustration is evident in my answer. “He paid a random kid to deliver it directly to Scarlett.”

“Whoever it is, he’s watching you all.”

“I figured.”

“We need to come up with a different plan if we’re going to catch him. Underestimating him is a mistake. He’s too smart.”

“No one’s perfect, Maverick. He’s bound to make a mistake and it’ll be his downfall,” I reply. “Just go to Scarlett.”

“On my way.”

“Text me Kaid’s number. I gotta talk to him.” Unlike me, Maverick frequents Wolf’s circuit for underground fighting matches often. So I know he’ll have their numbers.

“Sent. Let me know what they say.”

Ending the call, I scroll to the messages and find Maverick’s text. Standing near the window in Nessa’s living room from where she used to peek through in attempt to catch me breaking into her home, I dial Kaid’s number.

It almost goes to voicemail before he finally picks up and grunts, “Sup?”

“Tell me one of you saw Anonymous today.”

“Grayson.” He instantly recognizes my voice. “And no. The bastard used our neighbor to pass the envelopes.”

The vein in my temple throbs.

The only ones remaining to check in with are that bookish girl and the nerdy boy. I don’t hold out hope that those two will have fared any better.

Six of us and still none of us manage to catch even a glimpse of him. I’d be impressed with Anonymous if I didn’t want to choke the bastard to death.

“We need a new plan or stall with a stupid secret. I’m not taking a risk ignoring him again.”

Neither do I. “We all need to meet tomorrow to figure out our next step.”

“Where, though? I can sense that creep’s eyes on us,” he points out. “He’s got no clue we’re all working together. Not yet, at least.”

“I’ll arrange a discreet place. You make sure everyone shows up.”

“Why don’t you ask your sister?” he clips out. “Sounds like her dream job, planning a soiree and shit.”

“Shocking you know how to say, let alone know, what soiree means.”

“Blame it on your posh school, Grayson.” He snorts derisively before turning serious. “Tell Scarlett to call the junior chick and the nerd. I’ll let my friends know.”

He hangs up without waiting for my response.

Shaking my head, I pocket the phone.

It’s been over an hour and Nessa still hasn’t shown her face, making me antsy with the need to run upstairs and take her in my arms.

Fuck! I scrub a hand down my face.

I’m behaving like a lovesick fool.

Instead of giving in to the urge, I grab the shopping bags and carry them to the kitchen, busying myself with putting everything away. I’m finished ten minutes later and I become restless when she still doesn’t come down.

What if she slipped in the shower and hit her head?

I scoff inwardly. I’m being paranoid.

She’s fine.

Besides, women take their sweet-ass time pampering themselves.

She’ll probably be hungry. I decide to cook lunch. Looking at the various options, I pick mac and cheese with broccoli on the side. Quick and easy. For dinner, I’ll make her something healthier. Perhaps chicken curry and rice.

Halfway into grabbing the necessary utensils and ingredients, the stupid voice pops up again.

What if she’s not and you’re just down here cooking?

“Motherfuck—”

Dropping everything, I exit the kitchen and take the stairs two at a time.

I’m beginning to see why people hate being emotional. Feelings make them go nuts, imagine fake scenarios, and do stupid shit.

My feet move faster when I hear the shower running through the ajar bedroom door. Shoving it open fully, I briefly scan the unmade bed and storm into the adjoined bathroom.

I stop short.

The tightness in my chest fades.

She’s okay.

Serenity washes over me as I run a possessive gaze down Nessa’s naked form.

She’s a siren incarnate, custom-made to lure in a devil like me. All lush curves, milky fair skin, and long black hair touching the dips in her hips that I want to trace with my tongue.

Her hands brush the wet strands away from her beautiful face as she tips her head back toward the water. Licking her lips, she washes the suds sticking to her hard nipples.

It sends all the blood in my veins rushing south as her palms graze the pink tips and roll them once before letting go. It causes her tits to bounce enticingly and I’m hard as a fucking rock.

Leaning my shoulder against the door, I stare at her.

Never in my life have I wished for the time to slow down until now.

She’s still oblivious to my presence and the growing mixture of hunger and desire that I’m always trying to rein in around her.

I’ve failed each time.

My rapt gaze travels back to her closed eyes as she lowers her head and lets the hot stream rain down on her spine, basking in the heat.

What is she thinking?

What secrets is she hiding?

What brought her to this town?

I crave to know it all and chain her to my side until whatever spell she’s cast on me wears off. I can fantasize all I want about keeping her forever, but nothing long can last between us. She doesn’t fit into my plans.

A hollow fantasy is all it is.

No one will elect me as mayor if I date my teacher or have a history with her. She thinks I’m bad for her, and that is true. However, she’s just as bad for me.

As soon as the threat of Anonymous is gone from our lives, I’m ending this chase once and for all. Until then, I’m going to get her out of my system. Maybe then the infatuation will vanish.

As if she can finally sense my dark thoughts, her eyes blink open and her head turns my way. A shiver jolts her nude body and instinct has her covering her tits and between her thighs.

Every inch of her is seared into my brain from the small freckles on her nose to her little pink-tipped toes.

Straightening from my perch, I close the gap in two quick steps. She wobbles backward, her spine connecting with the tiled wall. Her expression is guarded and sharp on mine, waiting for me to pounce.

It’s what I’ve always done whenever she’s bare and vulnerable.

Not today, though.

The shower spray soaks my arm when I lean forward and turn the knob, shutting it.

“Come here,” I softly order her while snatching the towel from the nearby hook.

“I can dry myself.”

I stay quiet and unmoving.

With an annoyed huff, she does as she’s told and avoids my pleased expression to glare at my chest. I wrap the towel around her shoulders and tug. A gasp slips past her pouty lips and her hands land on my torso.

I wrap one around her waist, holding her flush to me and not caring she’s dampening my clothes. With the other, I tip her chin up.

“Lose the attitude,” I murmur, pulling at her bottom lip. “Or I’ll stop playing nice.”

“Barging into my bathroom while I’m showering isn’t playing nice. Neither is treating me like a hostage in my own house.”

“Will a captor take you shopping and buy you food?”

A strange look flashes in her pupils and she chases it away. “They give a false sense of security. Maybe buying me food was just that.”

“Know a lot about kidnappers, little prey?”

“Thanks to you, I’m learning all about them,” she snipes.

“Shame,” I hum, patting her shoulders and arms. “I was aiming to teach about stalkers. It’s more my speed.”

Her hands ball into fists, trying for patience. I don’t hide my amusement. I’ll take a pissed Nessa any day over the broken girl hiding in the bathroom.

“Arms up.”

She lifts them without realizing and I secure the towel around her, tying it into a knot at the front. Grabbing an extra one, I dry her hair, watching her eyes drift shut as she enjoys the massage.

My gaze drops to her lips.

The memory of her trying to kiss me flares and a pang of lust squeezes my chest.

Kissing is too intimate.

Romantic.

Nothing about it excites me.

Yet I know kissing Nessa will be nothing short of dangerous when the addiction is already high. One shot away from being tipped over the edge. And I don’t even know where I’ll land or what’s waiting on the other side.

Whipping my attention away from her mouth, I step back.

She sways, peering up at me with a tiny pinch between her eyebrows.

“Get dressed and come downstairs,” I tell her coldly. “We need to talk.”

Turning around, I walk out as abruptly as I came earlier and try to get a grip on myself by the time I reach her kitchen.