Page 63 of The Invite (The Massacre Ball #1)

Nessa

Augustus didn’t lie.

This is nothing like the seedy basement or dungeon I was picturing. I won’t lie, I was a ball of nerves as we came down the ancient circular staircase. Augustus’s solid presence gave me the strength to push past my bubbling anxiety.

One glance and I know this studio-slash-man-cave belongs to Augustus.

This is just as swanky and lavish as his bedroom. In fact, this space fits his personality more than the room upstairs.

There’s no room for bad memories to enter my mind as I become mesmerized by my surroundings.

A thrill courses through my veins as I stare at the various high-tech equipment in one corner. The expensive desktop and cameras sitting on a desk with a gamer chair in front of it. To the side, there are two ring lights attached to a tripod, meant to capture scenes from different angles.

What steals my breath away is the wide array of masks attached to the hooks on one wall. Scary, sexy, and gritty. A flashback comes of the first night Augustus broke into my house wearing the red skull mask and how hard I came staring right at it.

Beside it is the ski mask from the second night. It stirs a wicked throb between my legs, which I pointedly ignore.

Walking farther, I twirl on the spot as I take in the dark gray walls. The pool table and a set of comfy beanbags sitting in another corner.

A shiver dances down my spine at Augustus’s body heat behind me. With an arm around my waist, he pulls me against his chest and dips his lips to my ear. “Time for your reward for being brave.”

Spinning me around, his mouth lands on mine, making all my thoughts scatter.

Hiking my legs up to wrap around his hips, he slams me against the nearest wall and delivers a hot and wild kiss. I feel owned and possessed. Kissing has opened up a level of intimacy that neither of us can get enough of.

Thrusting his cock against my core, he invades my mouth with his tongue and licks the roof. I moan, yanking at his hair at the base of his neck. The fire he left simmering upstairs burns hotter and licks my skin.

A distraught whine escapes from me when he pulls back.

“It’s midnight, little prey,” he says apologetically.

It’s like a bucket of cold water on the flames of my lust. I let him put me down. As we approach his computer desk in the corner, his phone pings. Pulling it out, he reads the text. I recall his conversation with Scarlett earlier and assume the message must be from Maverick.

I wonder if Augustus’s best friend has forgiven me for getting him suspended. It honestly feels like such a long time ago. Even though it’s only been a few weeks.

Augustus clicks on a button on his desktop, making the screen light up.

Sitting down on the chair opposite it, he tugs me onto his lap.

While opening up a browser and logging into the fake account, he says to me, “You’ll post Nightcrawler is none other than Maverick behind the mask, along with a video capturing his face as proof. ”

“What?” I jerk back. “He isn’t even a target.”

“Exactly. Anonymous will become suspicious if we only post fake lies about each other. You need to play by his rules. The plan will work regardless, and this way, you’ll be safe from his wrath.”

“What about you?” I demand, rising from his lap in anger and panic.

He doesn’t let me go far and grasps my wrist. “I can handle him.”

“You don’t know that. No one is untouchable.”

“I’ll be ready when he comes after me. I hope he does.”

“I… No!” I jerk free of his hold and pace back and forth. “This wasn’t the plan, Augustus.”

“If you don’t do it, then I will.”

I screech to a halt at his unyielding tone and whip in his direction. “I won’t let you,” I challenge.

A cunning smirk lights up his face, and he leans forward.

“It won’t matter even if you succeed. I’ve sent Maverick to your place and he’s left a card for Anonymous to find with the dirty secret he’s desperate for.

So how about you save that fire of yours for something far more pleasant for both of us, hmm? ”

My hands fist and I hate the damn pulse of lust that flares to life at his seductive insinuation. Unless I manage to go to my house and remove the stupid card, he’s got me backed into a corner. Too bad, I have no clue where he lives, let alone the way to his front door.

When he sees me come to the conclusion he’s won this battle, he orders, “Come here.”

I jut my chin out defiantly even as I do his bidding. He arches a brow when I don’t sit. “I’d rather stand.”

“Either you perch your sweet ass down on my lap or I make you get on your knees.”

We lock into a staring contest. When he sighs, letting me know he’s making good on his threat, I scramble onto his lap.

“Good girl.”

My temper turns to mush at the praise paired with a kiss to my head. I focus on the screen and notice that it’s a few minutes after midnight as per the clock in the corner. I read as he rapidly types.

Who knew our resident nerd Kenny Wick had two daddies? No wonder he loves to suck Harper’s dick. Don’t believe me? Maybe a picture will.

“Is this true? It’ll destroy Kenny if he’s hiding being gay.”

After attaching a grainy picture where you can make out two guys with one on his knees sucking off the one wearing a football jersey, Augustus answers, “No.”

“Who’s in the picture then?” I squint at the image, trying to figure out if it’s Kenny kneeling.

“It’s an old photo of the football captain, Jake Harper, and one of the players from the rival team in the locker room. It floated around the school two years ago. I edited it a bit so it will take others time to recognize it’s not Kenny.”

I digest the information, impressed by his cleverness. Logging out, he signs into another fake account—guess I shouldn’t have wasted time creating one myself—and begins to type his best friend’s secret. Guilt eats at me, and I whisper, “We don’t have to do this, August.”

“I told you I’m not compromising with your safety,” he retorts darkly. “Especially not after what you went through. Maverick doesn’t care if it gets out. So, relax. The bastard will probably like the fanfare and the easy pussy he’ll get.”

My nose scrunches at his crude words but I’m relieved that Maverick won’t be hurt.

Once Augustus is finished posting it, he turns off the computer.

I still can’t help worrying about tomorrow.

I become jittery thinking about the mayhem that’s to come.

Noticing the tension in my limbs, Augustus runs his palms up and down my thighs soothingly.

Nuzzling my neck, he says, “It’s done now.

There’s nothing we can do until tomorrow. ”

“Promise me you’ll stay safe and not go anywhere alone.”

The tangible concern in my tone freezes him.

Turning me sideways, he brings my face to his and brushes his lips over mine.

“I’m nothing like Johnny, honey. Violence and blood aren’t new to me.

Even if I’m bruised and beaten, I’ll never leave your side.

I’m your devil. Not even God has the power to take me away from you. ”

Crushing my mouth with his, he eviscerates all my doubts. The earth tilts as he rises and carries us somewhere without breaking the rough kiss. I lick his top lip and bite down, earning a soft hiss.

Lord! I love kissing him.

The second my feet hit the ground, impatient hands yank down my leggings until the only thing separating my naked body from him is the flimsy shirt. I wait for him to rip it off next but instead, his touch completely vanishes.

I blink my eyes open to the breathtaking vision of his cut torso as he whips off his shirt. I brush my palm down the valley of his toned abs. His body is a work of art, with not an ounce of fat.

I get to admire him for a second before he turns around and walks across the room. The back muscles shifting damn temptingly. How often does he work out?

My heart hammers when he grabs a black ski mask and the creepy Scream mask from the hook. What is he going to do? I’m all hot and bothered by the anticipation. The cruel edging of the last hour has me so wound up that one flick on my clit will make me climax.

He returns after pressing a switch on the wall that instantly dims the lights, adding to the sexual tension and carnal promises swirling in the room.

The electric fear that sparks lust in my blood creeps in. I swallow when he stops to tower over me with a menacing expression. Of their own accord, my feet stumble back until I meet a wall. Augustus crowds me against it with delight shining in his coal eyes and rests one elbow beside my head.

My nipples tighten when he runs the edge of the Scream mask down the middle of my slowly rising chest. “I’m going to ask you questions and you’re going to answer me truthfully.”

A shaky nod of my head follows.

“Did the video I recorded of us make you hot?”

The question makes me crimson and a bit of shame slinks in because the truth is a resounding yes. He was my tormentor. I hated him. It was fucked up and wrong. Yet I got a thrill as I watched it.

“Answer me,” Augustus coaxes by slapping the white-faced mask against my nipple.

It takes me by surprise, and I gasp, “Yes.”

“Did it make your pussy wet when you thought I put it up for the world to see?” The question is asked with a stinging slap on my other nipple.

A lone tear slides down my cheek, causing Augustus’s eyes to zoom on it and flare with thirst. It emboldens me to push past my inhibitions, and admit, “It made me wet. I felt desired.”

It was the combination of the taboo nature, his debauchery and utter lack of regard for my boundaries, and my lack of control that eroded my common sense.

It’s like being kidnapped all those years ago flipped a switch in my brain, altered its chemistry, and wired it into craving darkness. The violence I endured manifested into lusting for the twisted.

“You loved it when I broke into your bedroom and ravaged you while you slept, didn’t you?

” he growls wickedly as he lowers the mask near the hem of my shirt.

“Was it my mask that turned you on or being my helpless prey?” My knees buckle and I trip over my words when he dips it underneath to trail it up my inner thigh. “Maybe it was both.”

My head drops when he presses the edge right against my folds. It’s the perfect blend of smooth and rough, providing delicious friction.

“Answer. Me,” Augustus sharply demands, pulling his hand away.

“Yes!” I cry out, needing the friction back. “Everything about you turns me on.”

Our eyes lock right as he parts my slit with the mask and grounds the edge against my clit. Twisting his wrist, he glides it back and forth on my pussy. Too gently to push me over the cliff.

“Harder,” I beg, humping it aimlessly.

His pace doesn’t change, but he orders, “Lift the shirt and show me how much you’re enjoying it rubbing against your cunt, teach.”

Past the point of being shy, I drag the shirt upward and bunch it around my waist. His gaze locks on my pussy splayed open by the mask. His control wavers, and he grinds it roughly, earning a loud moan from me. “Yes!”

“Ride it.” Running his tongue over his teeth, he thickly says, “Don’t stop until you come all over it.”

He stares between my thighs as I meet each thrust of his wrist. I scream when he removes it, only to bring it down on a smack against my swollen nerves. Bending down, he licks the tear of my pain and hums in the back of his throat.

“You’re such a hot little thing to corrupt.”

I bite my lip, so close to bursting.

“Nah, honey. Let me hear those sounds,” he taunts, alternating between spanking and fucking me with the mask. “I live for them.”

“August…” I moan.

“Come for me.”

Devil help me, I do.

“Ahhh… August!” Stars dance behind my vision as hours of pent-up need and arousal consume every inch of my body. Yet I’m far from satisfied. I blink my eyes open to clash with the ones mirroring my own hunger.

“I’m going to make you a part of my world, Nessa.” Hauling me against his chest by the back of my neck, he bends to rasp in my ear, “The devil and his loyal little demon ruling it together.”