Page 17 of Allegiant

“It’s more complicated than I initially thought,” I say slowly. “I need a few more days.”

Across from me, Matthias looks confused. “Why? I gave you his location, his schedule, everything. It should have been taken care of by now.”

I scratch at my beard. “He’s more slippery than expected.”

“Why didn’t you say you needed help?” Neo asks, already opening his laptop. “It’ll take me less than a minute to find him.”

“No,” I bark. My hand shoots out and slams Neo’s laptop shut. “I’ve got it.”

Neo isn’t the only one gaping at me now. Every one of my brothers, plus Ansel and Wyatt, is staring. Scratch that, Wylder isn’t. He’s watching Neo carefully, probably trying to see if he’s upset about how I treated his laptop.

He must decide it’s fine, because he doesn’t throw a dagger or anything else at me. Wylder loses his mind where Neo is concerned.

Just like you with Rowan, you mean?

I scowl. No. This is just a temporary setback—a distraction from the job at hand.

A job I’m perfectly capable of completing.

And I will complete it.

Just after I enjoy my prey a little longer.

“Okay, I’ll ask, then.” Matthias sighs. “Samson, something’s obviously going on. Care to share with the class?”

“Nope,” I say, popping the P. “Everything’s fucking dandy.”

“Dandy,” Dalton repeats slowly. “Did you take up English diction lessons at the same time as dancing?”

I wrench the dagger from the table and flick it between my fingers.

“We don’t talk about the dancing.”

“No, we just rewatch the video.” Cade snickers. “Repeatedly.”

“He’s not lying,” Ansel adds. “He has a screenshot of it as the wallpaper on his phone and laptop.”

Fan-fucking-tastic. They always fucking mock me. Assholes.

“There is no problem,” I growl. “I just need a few more days.”

“Oh, there’s a problem all right,” Neo says in a sing-song voice. His laptop is open again, the screen illuminating the smirk on his face. “Watch this.”

He hits a button, and the screen on the wall lights up with Rowan’s face. Just the sight of it has my breaths coming out in quick succession.

“I don’t understand,” Matthias says. “He’s pretty, obviously. But Samson’s never been distracted by a mark before.”

Something rolls through me at that word. It’s vicious and deadly. Mark. Rowan’s face flashes up to meet it. His lips open on a desperate groan. Hands sliding over his torso as he dances. Hips pressed to mine as he tries to guide me with the beat.

Rowan is so much more than a mark.

That, right there. That’s the problem.

Fuck.

It doesn’t matter, I tell myself. I just need a few more days to get him out of my system. To make him show the evil he must be hiding. The evil that led to him brutally murdering his best friend.

Once I have that, I’ll be able to end him.