Page 72 of The Invite (The Massacre Ball #1)

Nessa

Maverick has made himself at home.

With his feet kicked up on the coffee table, he munches on the turkey sandwich he made for the two of us in my kitchen. Unlike Augustus, he’s untidy as hell and left a big mess for me to clean afterward. He’s also loud, funny, and very nosy.

“Do you have a sister?” he asks after a bite.

“No.”

“Cousin sister?” His tone is hopeful.

“No.”

“Too bad.” Scanning the living room, his lips turn down, and he questions, “Why haven’t you decorated this place? It’s so bland.”

“What’s happening here?”

He pauses at my question and understanding dawns. With a chuckle, he says, “You’re my best friend’s girl, I’m just getting to know you.”

“I’m also your teacher and this is inappropriate.”

“Oh, come on, you have to know it sounds like a double standard.” He chortles at my deadpan expression. “It’ll be awkward as hell to treat you like a teacher if you’re going to date Augustus.”

“Fine.” I pull my knees up and rest my chin on them. “Are you liking your newfound popularity?”

In my bedroom earlier, I had summoned the courage to open my phone. It’s wild out there. Every single secret we posted last night is trending while memes after memes are being shared around.

It’s saddening to see none of them have bothered to confirm whether or not the rumor is true. Just enjoying the humiliation of their peers. It’s the harsh reality of today’s world.

“I was already popular,” Maverick boasts before winking at me. “After last night, I’m having a blast.”

“Aren’t you mad at me?”

“I agreed to it.”

“I’m talking about the suspension, Maverick.”

His face turns closed off. “Let bygones be bygones, Miss Davenport.”

I’m left confused.

The doorbell rings, breaking the tension.

“Must be Grayson,” Maverick murmurs as he pushes to his feet.

I smirk. “He’ll never knock.”

While he goes to check, the letter hidden in my room upstairs burns a hole in my head. Maverick let it slip that he and Augustus think I’m safe because I haven’t heard from Anonymous today unlike the rest of them.

Little do they know that their plan backfired.

The longer Augustus takes to return, the higher my anxiety mounts.

I’m scared about what he’ll find written in his.

As if that’s not enough, I have no clue how to initiate the conversation about Augustus’s uncle, whose existence I didn’t know of until now.

I have newfound hatred for both Detective Arjun and Agent Michael after their ultimatum.

I’m startled from my dilemma when Maverick reenters.

“Someone’s here to see you.”

My eyes widen at Ace following close behind. A deep green shirt molds to his upper body, the sleeves rolled to reveal his veiny forearms and faded blue jeans.

I jump to my feet. “Ace?”

“I came by to check on you when I didn’t get your text.” His baby blue eyes hidden behind the glasses scan the empty dishes and cans of soda on the table before locking on mine. “I see you already have company.”

I feel terrible, and rush to say, “I’m so sorry, Ace. I swear I didn’t get a chance.”

“Can we talk?” His gaze cuts to Maverick. “Privately?”

I nod. “We can go upstairs.”

“Oh no,” jumps in Maverick. “I’ll make myself scarce. Chat right here.”

Bending down, he picks up the plates and leaves the room.

“Are you really with Augustus?” Ace demands as soon as we’re alone.

I meet his stare head-on, daring him to judge me. “I am. I didn’t mean for it to happen, but it did. If you’re here to tell me it’s wrong or I’m making a mistake, then you may as well leave now.”

I’m done with the judgement of the world. It never stands for what’s important. I’m going to tell Augustus the truth when the time is right and fight for him.

For us.

“He’s a complicated man, Nessa,” warns Ace, coming closer. “Are you sure about him?”

I was wrong. Augustus isn’t a heartless monster. It’s those people who parade around as sweet and fool the world. The ones who mask the evil that resides in them.

My Augustus has never hidden who he is.

He’s shown me his darkness, his violence, and his corrupt black heart.

Instead of using them to break me, he’s made me whole.

“He’s complicated, but he’s mine,” I tell Ace.

Pocketing his hands, he smiles softly, and teases, “Are we still going to be friends?”

“Why wouldn’t we be?”

“Men are possessive, Nessa.” Chuckling, he says, “And we don’t believe in guy friends.”

“Oh.”

“I have a feeling you’ll always choose him.”

He’s right. Still, a pang hits my chest at ending my friendship with Ace. I refuse to do that. “We’re not going to stop being friends, Ace.”

His mouth twitches at my fierceness. “Then you may wanna start returning my texts.”

I laugh. “A lot is going on.”

“You know you’re welcome to stay at my place if you need to.”

A snicker sounds from the open doorway of the living room, which Maverick covers up as a cough before diving behind the wall. Of course he’s eavesdropping.

“The offer stands, Nessa,” Ace says, loud enough for Maverick to hear. Then in a low tone, asks, “Why is he here?”

“Giving me company.”

“Next time, call me.” Squeezing my hand, he turns to leave. “School starts on Monday. I’ll see you then.”

“Good night, Mr. Melrose,” Maverick utters as Ace walks past him. The moment the front door shuts, he whips to face me. “He wants in your pants.”

“Who? Ace?” My face scrunches. “No, he doesn’t.”

“Oh, he wants you bad.”

“You’re wrong,” I singsong.

“No man shows up just to check on a friend.”

“Whatever. I’m going upstairs until Augustus returns.”

I freshen up in the bathroom and change into my pajamas.

Morbid curiosity leads me to my purse. I grab it and return to the privacy of the bathroom.

I haven’t forgotten that Augustus has cameras set up.

Yanking out the crumpled letter, I lean against the sink and read it objectively, hoping to catch a clue.

If we can’t narrow down who it could be, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. The arrogance in his message is staggering.

I’m like the wind … No one is untouchable.

I’m halfway into reading it a second time when faint footsteps enter my bedroom. Hastily, I throw the letter back in my purse and step outside just as a shadow appears in my doorway.

“Oh god!” My heart thuds as I stare at Augustus with a white bandage around his throat. I run toward him. “What happened to you? Did you get hurt?”

He catches me around the waist and silently carries me to the bed.

“I’m fine,” he grunts low after dumping me on it. “Clothes off.”

I gape at him. “Not until you explain yourself.”

Wordlessly, he peels the bandage off. It takes my brain several seconds to process what I’m seeing. Once I do, I’m bursting into tears and gasping, “You… did it.”

My name is tattooed in capital letters on his neck.

The skin is raw and pink yet there’s no taking away the beauty of the ink.

Its meaning.

He brushes the wetness away from my cheeks, murmuring, “I told you I would, honey. Any woman who sees me will know I’m yours.”

God! This man!

My heart pounds so loud, I’m afraid it’ll burst outside of my ribs.

I can’t imagine how much it must’ve hurt.

Never in a million years did I think he’ll pick this spot to tattoo me. I’m so tempted to reciprocate.

“I’m so tempted to touch it,” I whisper. But I have to wait until it heals.

He gives me the next best thing.

Curling his hands around my wrist, he lifts it to his throat and presses my fingers right below the swollen flesh. I ghost my fingertips over the letters one by one. Possessiveness and lust flaring to life.

Grasping his shoulders, I kneel on the bed and crush my mouth against his. I thank him with a kiss, the words feeling too small. The shirt and shorts are torn from my body until I’m naked both physically and emotionally.

“I want you tattooed on my skin too, August,” I tell him breathlessly as his mouth licks and bites its way down my neck. I arch my chest as his lips close around one nipple, nibbling on it with his teeth until it hardens painfully. “Anywhere you want.”

He climbs back up and hovers over my face, cupping it. “I will. You’ll wear my mark in every way that exists. A tattoo claiming you as my woman. A ring marking you as my wife, and a collar marking you as my little prey.”

“I want it all.”

Kissing me hard, he straightens and tugs me up. “Did you eat?”

“Maverick made me a sandwich.” I bite my lip, wondering if he’s downstairs.

“He left, Ness.”

“Am I that easy to read?”

“I know you inside out.”

I push down the guilt at all the secrets I’m keeping from him. I’m soon distracted as he whips off his black tee.

“I heard you had an uninvited guest.” He hums casually.

I lean back on my elbows, my nipples pebbling under his hot gaze, and nonchalantly retort, “Maverick, you mean?”

A sharp pinch twists my thigh and I yelp.

“Ace is a friend, August,” I huff. “He came to check on me. That’s all.”

His gaze sharpens. “And offered you to stay at his place.”

“That’s what friends do.”

“If I wasn’t in the picture, would you fuck him?”

“What?” I wheeze, taken aback by the out-of-field question. “Of course not.”

“He’s handsome.”

“Still no.”

“You’re not denying he’s handsome.”

“August!” I groan at his jealous tone, and sit up. “I find you handsome. You’re the one who makes my heart race. My body is a damn slave for you and I pretty much told you to ink your name on me, even though needles scare the shit out of me.”

His lips stretch wide in a full-blown smile that he seldom offers.

While I’m panting hard after my little speech.

Shoving me back on the mattress, he straddles my waist and cages me in with his hands on either side of my head. “I am in love with you.”

A choking noise escapes my mouth and I blink at him.