Page 114 of Allegiant

I cut him off by throwing a hand up, not looking away from Adi. “Keep going.”

“I was desperate,” she whispered. “I wanted you dead. I thought that might help. Fuck, I was so wrong.”

A keen awareness trickles over my skin, like my body knows what’s coming before my brain does. “What did you do, Adi?”

“I went to The Firm,” she sobs, pointing a finger at Samson. “His family. Him.”

Samson closes his eyes.

Like that, I know. I know what she asked. But, fool that I am, I need her to confirm it. That Samson’s joke about his profession wasn’t a joke at all.

Which meant he was going to…

He was going to…

My voice is surprisingly calm as I ask the question. “What did you request of The Firm?”

“I asked them to kill you,” she whispers. “I’m so sorry. Oh my god, I’m so fucking sorry…”

The wave finally makes landfall.

Obliterating my heart and soul.

29

SAMSON

I have no idea how I manage to persuade both Rowan and Adriana into my car. Especially given I just tried to murder one of them.

And the other discovered how I intended to kill him…once.

I think shock is playing a big part. I don’t have to ask for directions—I know where Adriana lives, have known for some time now. We’ve been watching her for a while too, but not tonight. Tonight, we were all preoccupied with the news we received.

That Dalton captured Adam’s murderer.

The news about Scott Johnson is fresh. Neo and Ansel have been working around the clock with Wylder, trying to narrow the suspects down for Adam’s real murderer. My brother pulled me out of the theater to show me the evidence they’d gathered proving it was Johnson. I wouldn’t have left for anything less.

Now, I wish I hadn’t left at all.

I look in the rearview mirror at the two of them. They’re huddled together on the back seat, exchanging whispers like Adriana didn’t just have a fucking gun to Rowan’s head less than twenty minutes before.

Fuck. I’ve never known fear like I did in that moment. Not until Rowan lifted that same gun to his own temple.

I think that was the precise second my heart shattered.

Stopping outside Adriana’s house, I let the engine idle. My hands white-knuckled on the steering wheel as Rowan wipes the tears from under Adi’s eyes, saying something to make her chuckle.

How can he be so forgiving? Did he forget what she was going to do to him?

My rage is a palpable thing. I would’ve killed her just for daring to threaten Rowan. Never expected he’d threaten himself in the process.

Rowan is smart. I wouldn’t have spared her for anything less.

But maybe this bodes well for me. If he can forgive her…then maybe….

When she finally exits the car, Rowan doesn’t move to the front seat like he should. Doesn’t speak either. It’s deathly silent, a wound on my shattering heart. I wait a few minutes to see if he’s going to demand I take him home, to his own place, to be alone.

But when he doesn’t, I drive us to the mansion.