Page 268 of The Invite
“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.”
