Page 116 of The Invite
His face turns pale, mouth opening and closing as he tries to come up with an excuse.
There is none.
“I d-didn’t… You’re right,” he stammers. “I’m sorry. I’ll get it fixed today.”
“Don’t bother. You’re fired.”
“No! Please, Mr. Grayson.”
I ignore his useless begging and go back inside the house. My phone's ringtone alerts me to a call and I pick up once I see Maverick’s name flash across the screen.
“Is it true about Capri?” is the first thing he asks in a groggy voice.
“Yeah,” I confirm. “Are you still in touch with the guy at the station?”
“Yep. What do you want to find?”
“Everything related to Capri’s murder investigation. Get a copy of the crime scene photos too.”
“I’ll get on it.” A beat passes. “What’s going on, Augustus? Why are you interested in her death? Don’t tell me you were fucking her?”
Judging by his incredulous tone, he has no idea, which means he’s not receiving any shady notes. “I’ll tell you everything when we meet.”
“Is Scarlett involved too?” His voice switches to concern. He’s close to us both being our childhood friend.
“Yeah.”
“Fuck,” he curses vehemently. “I’ll get you the info.”
Then he hangs up.
Scarlett isn’t in my room when I go upstairs. I need to keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn’t make any rash decisions that will escalate the situation. It’ll be hard as it is for her with constant worrying about what happened to us.
If our mother got wind of it, it’ll open a can of worms that’ll obliterate our carefully constructed world.
Putting the envelopes in a safe spot, I run into the shower. While I wait for information from Maverick, there’s someone else I need to visit.
My little prey.
She’s been at the back of my mind. I crave to be with her, around her, all the time. If Scarlett hadn’t shown up in my room, I would be with Nessa at this second. I hate not knowing if she’s okay after seeing one of her students dead.
Nessa has a pure heart that cares deeply for others.
Why else would she take care of a monster like me when I got hurt?
Within minutes, I’m on my bike and on the way to her house. When I reach it, the SUV is missing in her driveway.
Has she not returned from school? Pulling out my phone, I check the location of the tracker. Imagine my surprise when the address is in the suburbs where Mr. Melrose lives.
Burning jealousy flares at the idea that she ran to him after a traumatic experience. Then again, I haven't given her a reason to choose me. After the stunt I pulled yesterday, I’m the last person on this earth she’ll come to for comfort.
She isn’t the type of girl one wins over with expensive cars and clothes. However, I gave her both because I didn’t like the thought of her struggling.
She’s mine.
If I want to give her gifts, I’m not asking for permission. It also means if she’s hurting,Iwill take care of her. Not another man. Especially the one I told her to stay away from.
Opening our chat, I send her a text.
