Page 45 of Drop His Mask

Levi sat on his bed with his head in his hands as he tried to get his emotions under control.

His knuckles were bruised and bloody, but it was better than the alternative outcome. Levi wanted to direct all of his anger towards Enzo.

But he couldn’t. Enzohadtold him Violet was straying, that she was up to something. Enzo’s explanation solidified the doubt that had slowly built over the years.

After Violet had been taken, Levi had upturned their house looking for her. He had found her “notes” on all the parties in town. On all the men that had gone missing. He had cast it aside as coincidence, that she hadbeen bored and nosey. He buried his head for so long, but he needed to face it now.

Violet wasn’t the innocent, dutiful wife he thought her to be.

A knock sounded at his door, soft and gentle.

“Raven, you don’t want to see me like this.”

“She’s asleep, let me in,” Jayce spoke instead.

Levi heaved a sigh before getting up to unlock the door.

“What do you—”

“Shh. She’s asleep.”

Sure enough, Raven snored softly in Jayce’s arms. Her long hair streaked across her porcelain face, her eyelashes ghosting her cheeks.

She was beautiful. Everything Levi had ever wanted in life.

And that was another reason Levi was so angry at himself and the world. He didn’t evenmissViolet. He just feltguilt. Nothing more and nothing less.

Raven exhaled heavily in her sleep, some of the strands of her hair falling into her mouth.

Levi’s heart softened, he reached a hand up to push it away, but paused at the sight of crimson coating it. “Let me go clean up, you can put her in the middle of the bed.”

“Are you sure?” Jayce appraised him. “Does this change anything for you, truly?”

Levi returned the man’s look before quirking his lips. Levi hadn’t been too sure about Jayce in the beginning, but he could see it now. Why Raven had fallen for the man. He was stable,dogmatic.

“No. It doesn’t. It just confirmed years of doubts if nothing else.” Levi didn’t wait for his reply before marching off to wash away the evidence of his outburst.

Levi returned back to his room to find Raven fast asleep in his bed, but Jayce was still up, sitting against the headboard on her other side.

I never thought I would share a bed as a grown man with another grown man.

“You think they’ll make us kill each other?”

Jayce’s question caught him off guard and he paused.

He let it process through, settling onto the free side of the bed.

“Yes.”

Jayce hummed, reaching out to stroke Raven’s face. “She won’t survive it, not if she is made to do it. She will need someone to keep her together. I don’t want her to turn back into who she was when she first got here.”

“Maybe that won’t happen. Maybe we will all make it through this, maybe we can still be the five winners.” The words tasted bitter. Levi didn’t believe the lie and by Jayce’s face he could tell the other man didn’t either.

“Yea,maybe.”Jayce lowered his voice, he checked to make sure Raven was still fast asleep before continuing, “Levi, I just need you to promise me you’ll do whatever you can to stay alive and keep Raven by your side. She can’t lose us both.”

“You know I will. I love her. Too much.”

Jayce chuckled softly, “Yeah, I gathered that much. First you, then Enzo, and now Maverick. I wonder who our girl is going to add to her little harem next.”

---