Page 43 of Drop His Mask

Enzo didn’t move, didn’t falter, instead he took a few calming breaths as the large and incredibly angry Levi stomped to him.

“Levi,” I whispered. “Please. Just listen to him. I know this is hard and painful, but please don’t hurt him.”

Levi twisted to me, and for a heartbreaking moment I thought he might snap at me too, but then his face relaxed, his brows pulled together, a glassiness formed in his eyes.

He kept his gaze firmly on my face. “What happened next?”

I wasn’t sure who he was asking the question to, but to my shock, it was Jayce that answered.

“You gave her false intel, didn’t you? Did they kill her because of it?” His chest vibrated against my back as he spoke.

“They took her. And then—” Enzo stopped abruptly.

“And then Levi sold out our brother, George, because of it,” Maverick supplied emotionlessly.

The stinging on my thigh intensified as his nails broke the skin and drew blood, but I didn’t react.

This pain was nothing compared to how he must feel.

“I—” Enzo hung his head in his hands, “Yes. I am the reason Violet is dead, and in the same vein, I am the reason George died too.” His voice broke around a sob. “I’m sorry.”

Levi let loose an animalistic growl before storming out of the room and banging his bedroom door shut. The unmistakable sound of crashes and smashing came from the other side.

I tapped Jayce’s arms that still enveloped around my stomach and this time he released me. Untangling myself, I swayed on unstable legs to Enzo.

Wrapping my arms around him, I half expected him to throw me to the ground, but instead, he allowed me to comfort him as he broke apart and the sobs intensified.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he repeated over and over again as I patted him soothingly on the back.

“I know. But you didn’t kill them. That was this country. Our Government.”

My goals solidified.

Maybe, justmaybewe could be the difference this country needed to change.

So friends, families,loverswouldn’t be forced to turn against each other.

I don’t know how long we stood like that, but eventually Enzo returned my embrace, wrenching me tightly to him.

“I miss George.” He shook around the words. “He wouldn’t have made these mistakes; he would have known what to do.”

I understood what Enzo had done wasn’t okay, that he probably could have gone an alternate route, but I wasn’t sure I would have done any differently.

When we finally drew apart, I half-expected the room to be empty, but Jayce and Maverick still sat side-by-side in silence.

“Thank you,” Enzo murmured, escaping my hold. “Maverick?”

Maverick’s lips tightened, his jaw ticking, as he stood up abruptly. “This is a lot to process. I will be burying it until after we escape.” He marched away to his bedroom, slamming the door shut.

Enzo offered one last sad smile before he retreated to his own room.

“Just you and me now,” Jayce commented. “That was heavy. You okay?”

“I guess.” I shrugged, wobbling a bit.

“Raven,”Jayce reprimanded as he got up and gathered me in his arms, lifting me carefully off the ground. “You’re overdoing yourself. You’re going to open your stitches.”

“I–” A breath rattled out of me. “You know I love you, right? My heart may hold space in it for others, but you know I will always run back to you, don’t you? That you’re my home.”

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