Page 143 of Allegiant

“I’m just here in case Samson decides to let me be the one to enjoy taking Scott’s life.” Dalton sighs happily, like it’s a sunny day at the beach he’s anticipating, not murder. “I’m not needed, just love the violence.”

A lump forms in my throat. “Really? Either one of you could kill him?”

Samson tilts his head. “Rowan, are you okay? What’s going on?”

I take a deep breath, but it’s like there’s a heavy weight on my chest. How can I articulate what I’m thinking when I can’t even fill my own lungs?

“Breathe, baby,” Samson murmurs, gently pushing the top of my back until my head is level with my knees. “Just keep breathing.”

He holds me there until I stop hyperventilating, his arm moving to my waist when I finally straighten. The concern in his eyes has some of my fear ebbing away.

“Are you okay?”

“No,” I answer honestly. “If the man behind those doors is so little of a threat, how was he able to kill so many? How was he able to kill Adam?”

Adam wasn’t a fighter, but he was brave. He would’ve gone down swinging.

Oh god, I miss him.

“Oh,” Samson says softly, twisting until we’re face to face. “We haven’t explained ourselves properly. Scott’s not a threat to us. We have been trained since a young age. We’re literal assassins.”

“Even those of us who aren’t official Buckinghams undergo basic self-defense training,” Dalton adds. “You’ll be given the same lessons now that you’re one of us.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Samson’s thumbs rub soothing circles on my sides. “You can choose your teacher. Whoever you feel most comfortable with.”

“You,” I say immediately. “I want you.”

Samson’s smile is small, but powerful enough to illuminate even the darkest room. “Maybe we can do an exchange. Dance lessons for self-defense ones.”

Despite the circumstances, I find myself returning his smile. “I’d love that.”

“But going back to the cunt behind that door…” Samson steps aside with a sigh. “He’s very much a threat. Adam wouldn’t have stood a chance against him.”

“Okay.” I swallow once. Twice. My throat stays as dry as before. “I hate that, but okay. I’m ready. Let’s do this.”

I turn to face the final door in the corridor and blink in surprise. “The Hospitality Suite?”

“For our most special guests.” Dalton flashes his teeth and opens the door with a flourish. “After you.”

It takes a minute for my eyes to adjust to the bright light. When they do, I’m surprised by what I see. The room is clean and orderly. There’s not a single weapon to be seen.

The only hints that this room has a more sinister function are two metal tables that appear to be bolted down, the smell of bleach, and the drain in the center of the floor.

I shiver lightly. Yeah, I’ll be happy to never come back down here again.

Seated directly over the drain is a man. He’s bound to a chair, a strip of gray tape over his mouth.

At first glance, he appears deceptively normal. He’s around fifty, I’d say, judging by the lines on his face and silver at his temples. His clothes, albeit rumpled and dirty, are smart. All in all, he looks like a normal middle-aged guy.

Until you look into his eyes.

They’re a shade of brown that’s nearing black. Or perhaps it’s just the cold evil lingering within making them seem that way. He hasn’t looked away from me since I entered the room.

I know in my bones that this is Adam’s killer.

“Can you remove the tape?” I ask Samson, not taking my eyes off the man. I won’t call him by his name, not even in my head. He doesn’t deserve it. “I have a question for him.”