Page 146 of Allegiant

With him.

37

SAMSON

Rowan is more excited than not to attend game night again. I eye him where he’s bouncing along the corridor. “You’ve been to one before, you know.”

“Yes, but now I’m an official boyfriend and not just some casual fuck,” he says as he links his hand with mine.

“You were never a casual fuck,” I tell him. And it’s true, aside from our very first time together. Even then, I think I saw the signs that this would be something more. That Rowan was someone who’d make me want more. “Besides, you might not want to be an official boyfriend after this.”

He scoffs and rolls his eyes, but I see the twinkle in his gaze as we enter the large room where my family has gathered.

It’s Monopoly night again.

I know what that means.

Harley is going to swallow my iron, shit it out, and then make me play with it again.

I fucking hate when he does that.

Doesn’t help that Nugget is in attendance. I see him the moment I open the door. Ansel has him on his lap, and the little shit is looking way too enticed by the pieces on the table. He wants to eat them for a treat.

I’ve seen him eat his poop more than once; tokens are nothing to him.

Just like with Harley.

“They’re finally here. What the hell were you doing?” Dalton asks and then holds up a hand with a wince. “Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.”

Rowan’s cheeks flush as he takes a seat. “I was just finishing some class plans for Rhythm, if you must know. Nothing too wild or crazy.”

“Yeah, save that for tonight,” Harley says with a waggle of his eyebrows.

I grab my iron and place it in my palm. I know it’s been through his digestive tract, but still. I bleached it, blessed it with sage. It’s mine. He’ll get it over my dead body.

“Don’t fucking swallow this,” I growl at him. “Or I’ll cut it out with my dagger.”

He just grins wider.

“I still can’t believe you swallowed that.” Rowan shakes his head at Harley in disbelief. All the stories about game night have been shared with him over the past few weeks. Now that he’s officially one of us, there are no secrets, not even about trivial shit.

I won’t allow it.

Harley smirks. “It’s fun to fuck with him.”

I swat him on the back of his head, and he grunts, rubbing at his skull for a moment as Wylder attempts to get us to quiet down. It eventually works, and everyone is left blinking at him.

“Everyone has their money?” he asks, and I see everyone pull out envelopes, setting them on the table. Rowan squeaks next to me as I slide one under the table. His fingers clasp it, and he stares down at it.

“I don’t want your money. That’s not why I’m here.”

“I know that, but you need this if you want to play.”

He flips it open and his mouth parts. I see the pretty blush he gives, and I can’t help but lean over and press my lips to his earlobe. “It’s yours. All of it. Enjoy it. I have plenty to go around.”

His lips pinch as he sets it on the table with a trembling hand. “Fine, but just for game night. Everything else we split fifty-fifty.”

“Yeah, all right.”