Page 64 of Allegiant

“Fuck off,” Samson growls.

My eyes widen. “A dancing shed?”

“Yep,” Neo says, finishing off his mug and filling it once more. He doesn’t even bother with the orange juice this time. “Has his axes and everything. It’s great. I have video too, if you want to see it.”

Samson growls, the chair he’s sitting on scraping against the floor as he moves.

Cade places a hand on his brother’s shoulder, stopping him from getting up. “Careful, brother. You know Wylder would lose his shit if Neo ever got hurt. It’s harmless.”

Samson narrows his eyes at Neo, who smiles back at him.

It makes a laugh erupt out of me before I sip from my full mug to stifle it.

Samson’s not done. “I won’t hurt him. But who says I can’t scare him?”

Neo rolls his eyes. “Like you could scare me, you big butthole.”

Samson growls, and Cade lets out a loud laugh. “All right, we have to go to a meeting. Butterfly, you take care of him?” Ansel nods and then Cade points to Neo. “You’re coming with me.”

“Ugh, do I have to?”

“Yeah, Wylder’s orders.”

“He’s such a bossy bitch.”

Ansel lets out a small laugh and then nods toward the door leading into the hallway. “Shall we?”

I can do nothing but follow, turning my gaze over my shoulder and catching Samson watching me. Nervous flutters erupt in my stomach as I turn and can no longer see him.

As we walk through the hallways, I take it all in—the warm paintings on the walls, the flowers sitting in vases on different hall tables.

Ansel shoots me an apologetic glance. “Sorry about Neo. He likes to antagonize everyone. He’s a world-class troll.”

I think of how Adam and I used to tease each other, the banter that probably sounded bitchy from the outside, but showed the level of trust we had in one another.

I suspect Ansel and Neo are the same.

It makes my chest ache more than I’ll ever admit.

“I like him,” I reply finally.

“I do too.” Ansel smiles softly. “Neo’s my best friend. A troll, like I said, but my best friend.”

The darkness pinches at my edges again.

“What’s the meeting about?” I ask, trying to distract myself as we turn into yet another hallway.

“Oh, just family stuff. Neo’s right; it is boring.” He makes his way up the winding stairs, and I follow, slightly lost when he arrives at the landing and makes several more turns. “You want to see where Samson sleeps when he’s here?”

I nod my head. “Yeah. I’d actually love that.” I’d love to see where this guy sleeps, where he spends some of his time. He’s a little bit of a mystery to me.

I really don’t understand him at all. Maybe this will help give me a little glimpse into his life.

“Figured you’d like that. It’s the first place I’d want to go if I were you. And when we’re done looking around, I’ll show you his dance shed.”

I’m so intrigued by this. “Does he really dance in a shed?”

“Yeah. We had no idea he enjoyed doing that until Neo took a video of it. He doesn’t look like the type.”