Page 272 of The Invite
Without waiting for their response, I carry Nessa out of the room. The hallway is deserted. As I reach the main foyer, nobody pays us any mind. Still lost to the wickedness and blind to the violence.
Entering Ace’s security room minutes later, I slide to the floor with Nessa straddling my lap. As I go to pull her back to see her face, she shudders and clutches me tightly.
“Don’t leave me here. Please. Don’t leave me alone.”
“I’m right here,” I whisper back, inhaling her scent. “Never leaving you, Nessa. Come back to me. Please.”
Soft hiccups shake her shoulders. Her grief splitting my chest open.
I kiss her head and massage her back while murmuring to her, “You’re safe. Listen to my voice, little prey.”
Like last time, I grab her wrists and press her cold palms on the sides of my neck. The skin-on-skin contact jolts her. I press harder, letting her feel my pulse. Soon, she begins to roam them all over my neck, up toward my cheekbones. I nuzzle her palms, kissing them softly.
Her head lifts.
I push her hair back, tucking it behind her ear.
“August?” she whispers.
A rough exhale leaves my lungs at my name on her lips. “It’s me.” Desperate, I capture her mouth with mine, needing to taste her. She sighs, stroking her tongue against mine. I gasp, “You’re okay.”
“Why wouldn’t I be…?” Her tone is confused as she trails off. A knit appears between her brows. Clenching her fingers in my hair, she says in a horrified tone, “Oh my god! I stabbed Kenny.”
“Shh… it’s all right.”
“H-he hurt Scarlett.” Lurching away, she demands, “Where is she?”
“Kaid and Maverick took her. She’ll be fine,” I assure her. Though it feels like a lie. I have no clue where they’ve taken her. My gut feeling says they’ll take care of her. “You saved her life.”
“Is Kenny… dead?”
I wipe the tears from her cheekbone. “No. He’s still breathing.”
Not for long, though.
“Oh.” Momentary relief flickers in her pupils before they widen in apprehension. “I don’t think I can do it, August.”
“Shh.” I caress her lips and rest my forehead on hers. “I told you in the beginning, Ness. I’ll slay your demons for you.”
Her worry doesn’t lessen. “You don’t have to. We can still tell the cops.”
“You know we can’t.” I smile sadly. “It has to be this way.”
Her eyes close for the longest moment before opening again with a dark intent. “Then let me be by your side. I know you want to protect me, but it’s already too late.”
“I can’t risk you getting triggered, Ness.”
“I can face anything as long as you’re with me.”
***
Nessa’s hand trembles in mine as we reach the landing.
Yet she doesn’t pull away nor lower her gaze as we join the circle around Kenny. Mouth parted, blood caked on his chin, he takes his last breath.
Capri, Wolf, Kaid, Nessa, and I—all of us stare down at him.
I kept wondering, going over and over in my head, why he was chosen as one of the players. How there was no dirt on him besides his dad having an affair. Once Daisy confirmed he was the attacker and I let the others know, Wolf and Kaid did their background checks on him.
