Page 46 of Drop His Mask

“Doesn’t it bother you?” Levi was curious. He found it truly didn’t perturb him in the slightest, if anything heenjoyedwatching Raven with another man. But he didn’t have the history they did; he didn’tdeserveRaven.

“When we first woke up here and I thought she was the same girl I grew up with, I thought she was being taken advantage of. But I realized…” Jayce’s hands trailed up into her hair. “She’s Raven in all the best ways, but she’s changed. Hardened. She can take care of herself. But that doesn’t mean she should have to.”

“Agreed. I promise you, Jayce, if anything happens, I’ll be here for her until the bitter end.”

“I know,” Jayce agreed, still sitting up. “Get some sleep. I doubt they’re going to allow much rest from here on out. We’re already way behind schedule.”

Levi reached over, flicking off the light next to him before shifting down the bed wrapping around Raven. Allowing her warmth to fill him.

Body and soul.

Chapter 24

Violencia

Player 23

Three Years – Ten Months – Two Weeks Ago

“Congratulations to this year’s winner! Player 23!” The Host flourished his hands dramatically.

Player 23 stood on a podium that slowly raised higher and higher until he was hundreds of feet off the ground. He could do nothing except allow this to play out.

He had somehow, against all odds,won.

“As part of his prize, we will not be showing this year’s winner’s identity!” The Host continued. He was the same man as from the first year, and he seemed to enjoy his role here justa bittoomuch.

Player 23 was inside of a large glass dome that peaked into the sky. The platform he stood on was small and concrete. It was the only separation between him and a deathly fall.

He spun carefully on the small space, taking in the sights around him.

It was the first time he had seen the outside world in weeks, and he imagined it might be awhile before he would again.

In all directions was nothing but the sea, but he knew that his country, his homeland, was in one direction and in all the others? The rest of the world.

One day I will make it out of here. This is just the beginning.

It was nearing sunset and the rays cast eerily through the dome, not a single cloud in sight.

While it was off-putting, in the same stroke it was beautiful. A stark difference to the gore that lay below him.

“Is the camera off?” The Host’s voice brought Player 23 back to the here and now.

The Host was far below him on a balcony that fed from the volcano partially across the dome.

“Fucking finally. Get him down here. Make sure the funds are sent to his Sponsor. And she requested a different position for him.”

Player 23 braced himself as he was lowered back to the ground below. He stopped mid-way, still over a hundred feet in the air, but he was now eye-to-eye with The Host who stood a dozen feet away on the balcony.

The man’s mask was still in place, but Player 23 could make out the cruelty in his eyes.

TheHostclearly didn’t care that forty-nine other players had died in the last two weeks.

“Listen to me, as I will not be repeating myself. Your prize is your life, but this was a one-way ticket. We cannot take you back home and nowhereelse will want you. You will be a part of future games. If you step out of line or cause any issues, your contract will end. Trust me, youdon’twant that to happen. YourSponsorhas decided to request a special role for you. You will be a Game Warden. You’re lucky,trust me. Don’t fuck it up. Your job will be to watch and wait for me. Next we’re going to lower you all the way back down, you will be shown to your new quarters to await your role. You need to train yourself, learn as much as you can. Make sure in eight months you are better than any other Game Warden we have had before you.”

“Eight months?” Player 23 asked. “But isn’t there more time between them?” His game had started over a year after the first one.

Are they speeding it up? Forcing more prisoners to fight to their deaths?

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