Page 220 of The Invite
“Debolina is hiding here.”
Paralyzing terror grips my bones at the mention of her. The vilest and one of the FBI’s most wanted serial killers, she didn’t succeed in making me her victim, but still managed to destroy me completely. The reason I had to uproot my entire life when I was sixteen and became a ghost. One of my captors.
I can still hear her angelic voice calling melove. Yet there was nothing sweet about her actions.
“How long has she been in Fallthorne?” I choke out.
Michael hesitates, concealing his expression completely.
“Michael?” I demand. “How. Long?”
“Six months or so.”
Six months!
But I… I’ve been here for less than one. The betrayal that courses through my veins at the realization I was in the same town as my kidnapper brings a wave of fury. I yell at Michael, “You knew she was here and yet you sent me into the lion’s den?”
“Nessa—”
“How could you!”
“I’m sorry, but it is the only way to draw her out.”
His callous words are a slap to my face. “So, you put my life in danger?”
“You and I both know she isn’t going to stop coming after you. Her attack on you last year is proof enough.”
I block the memory out while hating that he’s right.
I’m the reason she’s on the run. If there’s one thing serial killers hate the most, it’s leaving their victims alive. She will kill me if she gets her hands on me.
Except, this time I have a whole lot at stake.
“Look at the bright side,” Michael says, a strange glee in his eyes. “It worked. You’re the key to bringing her down and we’re closer than ever. It’s what I came here to tell you.”
I’m finally seeing Michael for who he is.
A power-hungry man masquerading as my guardian angel. I’m nothing but bait to him to use in his mission and to earn all the glory of catching the FBI’s most wanted serial killer. Whether I live or die, it is inconsequential to him.
I can’t believe I’ve been lying to Augustus for this man.
“We have reason to believe she already has her eyes on you and the attack on Amber was to send you a message.” This comes from Arjun. “The confession on the wall was to distract us.”
I want to laugh at his theory. He’s so far off the mark, it’s not even hilarious.
Meanwhile, I’m struggling to inhale oxygen. I’m surrounded by danger from every direction.
I jerk my chin at Arjun. “I thought the local cops weren’t involved.”
“We need their help,” replies Michael. “With your face everywhere, it won’t be long before Debolina figures out your new identity and where you live. The local police will be able to keep a closer eye on you and stay alert.”
“You’re using me as bait,” I state, clutching the desk behind me to stay upright. Hysterical laughter bubbles out of me, and I whisper to myself, “It wasn’t supposed to come to this.”
Michael tries pleading—no, manipulating—to my empathetic side. “She hasn’t stopped, Ty—Nessa. We’ve connected four more murders to her. We can’t let her slip away. Don’t you want justice for yourself and to save innocent lives?”
He’s preaching about justice, but we both know the truth. He’s using me as a ladder to climb the ranks in the FBI. Nevertheless, I want to stop have to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life.
“What’s the course of action here?” I humorlessly demand. “Am I supposed to wait like a sitting duck?”
