Page 68 of Allegiant

Wylder growls, but we all know Neo’s right. We’ve all spotted him chasing Neo through the woods at one point or another.

I try to picture Rowan’s lithe form darting between the trees and fail. He doesn’t suit hiding in the darkness for any reason.

Rowan deserves to shine under the spotlight.

“He needs protecting,” I say suddenly. All eyes turn to me. Most are intrigued, some are smug, and all are unsurprised. “I’ll do it.”

“I think you’ll need more than just you on the case,” Matthias says. “Just until we’ve established whether Adriana is a threat to Rowan.”

“I can handle it. I don’t need anyone else’s help.”

Cade squeezes my shoulder. “It’s what we do, Brother.”

That might be true, but I can’t let go of the knowledge that if it hadn’t been for me, Rowan would be dead already. Not one of my brothers would’ve paused for a second. Why would they? And it isn’t like I bothered in the past.

Rowan’s the only person ever to make me hesitate. To make me question.

For that alone, I’ll protect him until the day I die.

“I don’t need help,” I repeat suddenly.

“Fine,” Wylder sighs. “Then Rowan moves in here. Just like Ansel did. He’ll be safer.”

“Then the two of you can play a game of hide the purple sausage.” Neo waggles his brows.

Everyone around the table gapes at Wylder. Harley is the first to recover. “Um, are you basing this on real life? Because, if so, I have more questions. Like, how purple? Are we talking mulberry or lavender? If it’s the latter, we may need to call in a doctor for Wylder.”

Wylder pushes his glasses up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “We are not discussing this.”

“Like this color,” Neo says, spinning his laptop around to show a color wheel. “Eggplant. But only if I get him real excited.”

I stab my dagger into the table as my brothers all groan—all except Harley, who is leaning over to consult with Neo over the damned color wheel.

I keep my hand on the knife until Neo’s mouth stops moving. When they’re finally done, I see Wylder shove his chair back and stand.

“Excuse us,” Wylder says as he glowers at Neo. “We need to go discuss something.”

“Your foreplay needs to wait,” I say, holding up a hand. “There’s something else we need to talk about.”

Wylder grudgingly returns to the table, dragging Neo until his chair is pushed against his own. I try not to focus on where Neo’s hand appears to be. “Make it quick.”

Yeah, not sure that’s going to happen.

“There’s an older guy living next to Rowan,” I start. “He called me yesterday when he realized that Rowan…needed someone.”

Neo straightens, his hand thankfully falling out of Wylder’s lap. “Needed someone? How? Why? What’s wrong?”

Cade growls beside me. “Who we killing? Other than the cunt who stalked and killed Adam, obviously.”

“He’s okay, mostly,” I reply to everyone.

Cade folds his arms across his chest. “Well, I’m happy to take out anyone who falls outside that ‘mostly’ category.”

I can’t help but smile. See, that’s the thing about Rowan. You only need to exchange a few sentences with him to know he’s special. That he’s worth protecting.

He’s not meant to be killed.

Harley stills, his head cocking to the side. “What are you doing?”