Page 2 of Drop His Mask

Chapter 1

Player 182

Levi

Present Day

“As you all know, this game began on the premise of victims and perpetrators. An hour ago, we secured the perpetrators. If there was more than one victim on their team, they were able to choose who they wished to manipulate. Victims, you are once more at the mercy of those who did you harm. Of those who caused you more pain than you thought imaginable. You are under their control. You are their puppets,” The Host annoyingly sang.

Levi attempted to thrash about, but he couldn’t feelanything. And why was he down here? Shouldn’t he be theperpetrator?

“They will be controlling every action and move you make. They will force you to play this game the way that they want to play it,” The Host continued. “One team perished from the last event. This brought the total down to sixty-five contestants and twenty-three teams. There is one team that won immunity to this game. 195 was the first to secure his victory in thespecialsleepover, and in doing so, his team will be sitting this game out. 194, 195, 196, and 197 will not be joining you all in here today. That brings our total to twenty-two teams.” The Host’s voice broke for a moment. “This game will go in rounds. The Sponsors were the ones to decide which teams would go against each other. The rest of you will dangle on the sideline until it is your turn.”

Levi’s mind spun as he continued listening to The Host.

“There is only one rule to this game. The first to cut all of the other’s strings ends the game.” The Host’s voice echoed around the chamber they hung in.

Only half of them hanging would make it through this game. Half of the teams would perish.

Levi whipped his eyes around as much as he could. He found his darlin’ Raven. His vicious little warrior. There she hung in some latex one piece. Legs, chest, and body on full display for everyone to see, the number twenty stitched across her front.

Anger pulsated through his veins. She didn’t deserve to be in this mess. She was another innocent this country had taken and thrown into a meat grinder, except she had come out stronger. It was one of the things that drew him to her.

Levi tuned out The Host, the alarm ringing, the other players tumbling to their deaths below. Instead his mind whipped through every scenario of how he was down here. How he was the victim. What had Enzo orMaverick ever done to him? He didn’t bother to watch the other rounds as they played out, instead he kept his eyes locked on Raven.

What difference would it make if he watched the other players die? He wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. His life was in the hands of someone else. One of the brothers would be controlling his every move.

He wasn’t sure if he’d rather it be Enzo or Maverick, but it was clear a conversation would be had after this game. Levi had lived with a heavy weight of lead in his gut for too long, but it seemed maybe it should have been a bit lighter.

How was he not the perpetrator?

He was so wrapped up in processing how the fuck he was down here that it took him longer than he cared to admit to realize it was his round.

His body jerked forward, his focus still on Raven.

She moved too. They were the last players.

They would be going against each other.

No.No.

NO!

Levi struggled futilely to move. To function. To stop this. To control his own fate.

He knew one thing with certainty—he was a liar. He promised the brothers he wouldn’t put anyone over them again, but that was a lie. Levi’s heart made him weak.

Levi only had a second to catch Raven’s eyes before they were both being yanked upwards.

The horror in hers was a reflection of his own. He couldn’t kill her. He couldn’t hurt her.

Except they would make him. He knew that the brothers wouldn’t hesitate. Knew that they were both ruthless. Knew that they weren’t good men. Just like he wasn’t.

After a few moments, he could just make out Raven’s body pausing above him before watching a few of his strings start to fall below.

He imagined a phantom pain from the jerkiness of his left arm as it landed against his side.

He tried to move his fingers, but before he could focus any more on it, his other arm was being yanked roughly upwards.

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