Page 19 of Allegiant

A smart decision. I feel like I’m losing myself when it comes to this dancer.

“I can follow through,” I say quietly. “I just need more time.”

Dalton fixes me with a piercing stare. “Time to do what?”

“I don’t know,” I say honestly, tugging on my beard. “But I need it.”

“Samson, you should let one of us take over.” Matthias sighs. “This isn’t going to end well.”

“Or it could end with Samson coupled up like the rest of us.” We all turn to stare at Cade. He just shrugs. “What? I’m just saying what half of us are thinking.”

I swallow hard. “That’s not what’s happening here. He’s a job.”

“I was a job for Ansel,” he reminds me, reaching out to take his boyfriend’s hand. “Look how that ended up.”

“This is different,” I insist. “This isn’t a case of mistaken identity. Rowan Mitchell murdered Adam Willis. Right?”

The last part of my sentence is directed at Matthias, who nods slowly. “I can look over the evidence again, even get everyone else to take a look, but…it’s pretty damning.”

“Share it,” Wylder says, exchanging a look with Neo. “We’ll all take a look.”

I nod in thanks. If there’s a chance that Rowan isn’t guilty…I can’t risk it. I can’t take his life. It goes against everything we stand for.

He’s a dancer, for fuck’s sake.

One who throws daggers like an assassin and hooks up with guys he believes are dangerous.

“Even if he did kill him, there could have been a reason,” Ansel says quietly, drawing a circle on the table with his finger. “Maybe he didn’t have a choice.”

“We definitely need to look into it further,” Harley adds. “I think Samson should switch to protection detail until we’ve got more information.”

I twist to stare at him. His lips curl in amusement. “What? I like to wind you up, but I’m not a total prick.”

“A request was made of The Firm,” Wylder says, and there’s an uncertainty in his tone that has me on edge. “We’re supposed to honor it.”

“Only if it’s justified,” I shoot back. “What if it’s not?”

Wylder taps his fingers faster, and my heart ticks up in time with it. I need him on my side. If he’s not, if he pushes me to end this now…

“What if this was Neo?” I blurt out. “What if you got a request asking you to hurt him?”

“That argument won’t get you anywhere.” Dalton interrupts whatever Wylder was preparing to say. “Neo and Wylder are together. They’re in love. The same can’t be said for you and this Rowan.”

“Okay.” I grit my teeth as I turn my glare to Dalton. “What if it was Jackson?”

From the corner of my eye, I see Wyatt stiffen. But Matthias quickly grabs his shoulder and shakes his head.

At least some of my brothers have my back.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Dalton blusters. “He doesn’t count either. He’s Wyatt’s brother. He’s practically family.”

“And if he weren’t?” My voice is deceptively calm. “If you’d never met him before and were ordered to kill him, could you do it?”

Dalton’s knuckles crack. He’s quiet for a solid minute. “Yes.”

“Really?” I push. “What if you saw him playing at a basketball game? Scoring the winning basket. Cheering and hugging his teammates, knowing it was his skill that got them there. Could you do it then?”

Jackson lost his leg in a car accident several years ago. Thanks to Wyatt’s deal with The Firm, he landed himself the best physical therapy possible, along with the most cutting-edge prosthesis available. They worked with him to get him in peak health, reigniting his love for basketball. Watching him on a court is like watching Rowan dance.