Page 84 of The Invite (The Massacre Ball #1)

Nessa

The Gothic castle is an enchanting maze on the inside.

Creepy.

Misleading.

Haunting.

The low music pulsing inside the walls is like a lullaby, transporting me into another realm. My breathing picks up while a thrill shoots up my spine every time I hear faint screams and wicked laughter coming from the floors below. I wonder what games are happening in there.

My pulse pounds in my ears as I climb the narrow spiral staircase, guided up by Augustus’s hand resting on the small of my back. The higher we ascend, the faster the crowd thins.

There’s a stark familiarity in which Augustus takes the twists and turns in the semi-darkness, making me intrigued. “Have you been here before?”

“Yeah.”

“Last year?”

He tugs me into one of the rooms in the tower and traps my body against the rough wall. Running circles on my hip bones, he dips his head to speak against my mouth. “The castle belongs to Ace, little prey. It was passed down to him after his mother died. We used to sneak in here all the time.”

I blink back in shock. Another mysterious layer adds to Ace’s life.

Augustus smiles. “That’s why this is the safest place for us to get our revenge.”

“How?”

“He has cameras all over the place and will keep an eye out. Maverick and I have an earpiece. If something goes wrong, he’ll warn us.”

The information makes me feel safe and I’m impressed the men have thought of everything to ensure we succeed tonight.

Straightening, Augustus encircles my hand and we cross the room to a hidden door. Nudging it open slightly, he pulls me to stand before him, facing away. His breath gusts over the shell of my ear. “Wolf and Capri are bringing Kaid here any minute. See that door over there?”

He points across from us and I nod, noticing a similar one to ours. “Yeah.”

“Scarlett, Maverick, and Kenny are in there. Once Capri signals, we’ll walk out and trap him.” Gripping my chin, he tilts my head back. “You will stay right here.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want you in the recording Ace is making of us as we confront him, Ness. This will be our leverage over the rest of them. If one of them turns against any of us in the future, we all go down. Except for you.”

“No.” I vehemently shake my head. “There’s no future where you aren’t by my side, Augustus. I’m as much a part of this as you are. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t told the rest of them.”

“Honey,” he sighs, resting his forehead on mine.

“You aren’t keeping me out of this.”

“I’m worried sick as it is, Nessa. I can’t bear the thought of anyone hurting a hair on your head, let alone something fatal occurring to you. If you love me, you’ll listen.”

I twist my fingers in his shirt in displeasure. “That’s not fair.”

“I know. But I’m asking anyway.”

My eyes close in defeat at his ultimatum, almost a plea. “Okay.”

His mouth swoops in for a grateful kiss against mine. I kiss him back in a frenzy, pouring every ounce of love and affection I have for him.

We break apart when we hear multiple footsteps approaching. Quietly, we look outside through the small gap in the door. The multiple glass windows connecting the two towers of the castle illuminate the interior in shimmering lights.

Two tall and hulking figures and a curvy silhouette appear at the landing, before an angry voice hisses, “What the fuck are you doing here, Capri? This isn’t your scene.”

“How would you know? You’ve been ignoring me since I lost Amber,” she accuses, hurt pouring out of her.

The ire vanishes from Kaid’s stoic face. “Not true.”

“I wonder if it’s because it’s too hard, or something else.”

“Something else?” he scoffs in disbelief. “You don’t think I miss her? I’ve been grieving her too. I’m furious at myself for not protecting her like I promised you.” Turning to Wolf, who stands with his back to me and Augustus, Kaid barks, “Why would you bring her here?”

“I’m not her keeper.”

“We’re going home.” Kaid takes a step toward her.

She takes one back. “No.”

While he is stunned, her head turns our way. Looking over my head, she nods.

Gently pushing me aside, Augustus steps out and before I have a chance, he shuts the door behind him. I grab the knob and twist it, but it doesn’t turn.

On the other side, I hear Capri say, “Not until I get what I came here for.”

“The fuck!” roars Kaid.

My gaze lands on the peephole on the door. Stretching on my toes, I look through it but the shapes are all elongated and distorted for me to tell everyone apart. I do notice the others have joined Kaid, Wolf, and Capri.

“What the hell is going on?” demands Kaid. “I told you we’re on our own in Anonymous’s game.”

“We heard you loud and clear,” drawls Augustus. “What all of us want to know is what changed your mind.”

Frustrated and shaking with trepidation, I pivot and fly down the stairs I took earlier, intent on finding another way to them. To hell with the promise I made to Augustus of staying away. This isn’t just his battle.

I’m running at full speed when I’m suddenly lifted off the ground.

“No!” I cry out when I’m yanked inside a room.

“Quiet, sweetness.”

I slump at Ace’s deep voice. When I’m turned away from the door, I blink at the interior of the room.

A security room, to be exact. Multiple screens dominate an entire wall, showing a live feed of all the rooms in the castle.

Upon studying closely, I’m speechless at the activities going on in them. Erotic. Indecent. Fearsome.

“You’re a menace, you know that?” grunts Ace, placing me on my feet. “Augustus told you to stay put.”

I tear my gaze away and round on him. “Let me out. I’m going to him.”

“No.” Taking my elbow, he drags me toward the set of chairs. “You’ll distract him, nothing more.”

“Someone needs to have his back.”

“Maverick’s there.” Dumping me on the chair, he grabs something off the table and presses the rubbery object into my ear. “You can watch and listen from right here with me.”

Taking his seat, he clicks on a button and voices fill my eardrum. I glance up at the screen, my eyes immediately finding Augustus standing toe to toe with a rigid Kaid. Both looking ready for a fight.

“Relax, sweetness,” Ace gently says. “We’re two steps ahead this time.”

I focus on the conversation.

“Amber and I used to sneak in here to the ball every year as kids,” says Capri with a sad smile, her gaze unfocused as though the memory is playing before her.

“Just to visit this castle and pretend we were princesses. While looking down at all these people in costumes, pretending they were monsters who were hunting us. So, we’d hide in one of the towers.

Little did I know that one day, a monster would kill her. ”

“Capri,” whispers Kaid, guilt heavy on his face, making him appear ten years older.

She swipes a stray tear from her cheek, gaze turning hard. “I sent her out to the wolves. It wasn’t her fault she trusted the worst of them all. Unlike her, I see you for who you are, Anonymous.”

“What?” Kaid utters in confusion as Capri doesn’t stray her eyes off him.

“Amber thought you were a friend. She let you in. She told you her dreams and confided her secrets to you. When you called her, she came running to you. So why would you stab her to death for her loyalty… Kenny ?”

Augustus

Kenny jolts violently, like someone run him over. The color drains from his face as he stumbles backward. His head whips all around, as we circle around him.

Nerdy little Kenny had us all fooled with his mousy and quiet act.

He covered his tracks well but he made one huge mistake.

Letting Daisy live.

Until yesterday morning, we still believed Kaid was Anonymous. Then I received the call that Daisy was awake in the hospital. Without wasting any time, Nessa and I went to meet her. A small bribe to a nurse was all it took to be allowed to talk to her privately.

She was still in bad shape but out of danger.

We expected her to out Kaid as her attacker. Instead, she shocked us by revealing it was Kenny who came to her house with an excuse to discuss Anonymous. While they chatted, he accidentally confessed that he was friends with Amber. They hung out together and bonded over being victims of bullying.

The puzzle pieces started to fit together.

Like us, Daisy connected the dots and became suspicious. The moment Kenny felt the change in her, he attacked. All she remembered was passing out after a severe blow to the head.

We had to lure him out.

“What… W-who? Me?” Kenny stammers, limbs quaking uncontrollably while sweat dots on his forehead. “You’re wrong. It’s Kaid. He’s the one who stabbed her.”

“You can drop the act, Kenny,” hisses Capri.

“We have proof,” I say.

“I didn’t kill her,” he heaves in protest.

A livid Kaid grabs his coat and shoves him against the wall, raising him off the ground. Kenny slaps at his wrist wrapped around his throat. “Then why did you hide that she was your friend, Ken? That’s what she called you, didn’t she?”

His eyes go round, realizing we know.

Kaid smiles. There’s nothing friendly about it. “When I’m done with you, you’re going to wish you were never born.”

“Please… I didn’t hurt her. I swear.”

I slowly approach them. “Are you saying you didn’t invite her to school that morning?”

“To study in the library, not to kill her.”

I shake my head disappointedly. “Don’t make it worse. Admit the truth. We might make your death quicker.”

“No!” He sobs, fighting harder against Kaid’s hold.

“Grab his face and keep him still,” I order Maverick. While he does that, I take out the phone belonging to Anonymous from my jacket. Glancing at a panicking Kenny, I wave it in front of him. “This belongs to you, I think. Whether you’re telling the truth, we’re about to find out.”

A flicker of confusion flashes across his flushed face. Maverick captures his jaw until he’s looking ahead. Hovering the phone’s screen in front of him, I tap once. In less than a second, it unlocks with a tick sound.

“No. No. No!” chants Kenny. “It doesn’t mean anything. It’s not mine! I swear. Someone’s setting me up. I didn’t hurt Amber. I didn’t. I didn’t.”

Kaid drops him to the floor. “You’re a dead man.”

“Not before he tells us how he knows our secrets.” Scarlett steps forward. “Or if he told anyone else.”

“This isn’t about protecting your ass from a scandal,” taunts Capri. “It’s about getting justice for Amber and Daisy.”

“I’m not taking any chances.”

“It’s not your ca—”

A ruckus ensues, followed by a grunt, and I watch Kenny slither past us with lightning speed.

“Catch him,” I shout.

Wolf and Maverick dash after him, Scarlett and Capri going through the rooms we came in.

I still when I hear a distorted curse in my ear. I shove into the room that I left Nessa in. Only to find it empty.

“Ace?” I growl. “Where’s Nessa?”

Ace’s cold voice comes through. “She went after Kenny.”