Page 99 of Allegiant

“Those are Wylder’s new pillows. Fuck. You go this way, and I’ll go the other,” Harley shouts with a laugh, moving down a small hallway and into a small seating area to try and subvert Nugget’s escape. It works momentarily, but Nugget manages to wriggle out of Harley’s grasp and flings himself onto a couch, his long body knocking against an end table, the lamp and decorative vase wobbling precariously.

I gasp, shouting at Nugget to come.

It only makes him vibrate with excitement, the thought of being a bad boy even more exciting than a scrap of food on the kitchen floor. He starts to bark, his tail wagging violently.

As I approach, he steps back, and that’s when it happens.

I watch it in slow motion, the vase tipping to the right and then to the left. I lunge for it, and Nugget does the same, only he hastens the process, the most assuredly expensive antique tumbling to the floor with a crash.

Harley and I freeze, and Nugget eyes the mess and then rolls onto his back, smiling happily.

“What did you do?” Dottie says, rounding a corner, spray bottle in hand. She sees Harley and promptly squirts him before stepping past me and right to Nugget. “Did you hurt your wittle paws? Did the mean, bad men chase you?” she asks, making me frown.

“Dottie,” I begin softly, “Nugget’s the one who broke the vase.”

“He would never,” she says, turning toward me and looking appalled. “I expect that from him, but not from you.”

“But it’s the truth,” I say, and she rolls her eyes, scooping Nugget up and cradling him to her chest.

“It is not. He’s innocent. Now grab a broom, Harley, and clean up your mess.”

Then she storms out of the room, Nugget smiling happily at me as he goes.

“Well, fuck,” Harley sighs. “That’s…insane.”

“It is. I thought he got away with murder with me, but Dottie is something else.”

“I mean, he is cute, but he’d be cuter with some training. But at least Dottie has him now. He’ll be distracted for a while. After I clean this up, you want to show me some of your moves? I think training Nugget will have to be for another day.”

“What kind of moves?” I ask.

He laughs again. “I mean dance moves. You know, so I can connect with Samson a little more. I’m pretty sure I’m good at it, but I could use some pointers.”

“Maybe I should have the entire Buckingham family gather, and I can teach you all together.”

It’s a joke, but Harley’s eyes light up. “Oh. Oh yes. Let’s.”

“Wait—” I begin, but Harley is already rushing to grab a broom from a hidden closet, sweeping up the vase hurriedly, and then dumping it into the nearest trashcan.

“Was that expensive?” I ask anxiously, mentally tallying what’s in my bank accounts. The figure is depressingly low.

It’s a reminder of how much I don’t belong here with the Buckinghams.

Even if I’m starting to feel like maybe I should.

“Fuck knows,” Harley says breezily. “Don’t care either. Come on.”

I protest as he drags me out into the hallway. “But I need to know so I can pay Wylder back for it.”

Harley scoffs. “He wouldn’t accept your money. If he did, Samson would murder him.”

“Oh god,” I groan as I’m flung around a corner. I have to push off the wall not to crash through it, and as I do, we run into Ansel and Cade walking down the stairs.

“We’re having a dance lesson,” Harley says excitedly. “Get everyone else down here.”

“What kind of dancing?” Cade asks, his lips turning up in a grin. “I love a dance. Can it be erotic?”

Ansel shakes his head and then meets my gaze. “Why are we all getting dance lessons again? Did something happen?”