Too Good to be Bad | Negan |

3 - Time to meet the boss

Simon and another rough-looking guy untie us from the van, but our wrists stay tied at our backs. They lead us into the building in front of us. It's some sort of huge old factory and we're led through several grey hallways, until we stop at a door. Simon grins at us while he knocks.

'Time to meet the boss.'

'Come on in', a voice sounds from inside the room. I recognize it quickly as the voice from the radio.

Simon pushes the door open and grabs my arm again. He pulls me into the room and I catch a glimpse of a tall man in a leather jacket before Simon kicks me hard against the back of my legs. It makes me fall to my knees. When I try to get up, he pushes me further down by the back of my neck.

'Keep your eyes on the ground until you get permission to look up.'

Fine, I won't look up. I look sideways though, and I notice Kieran is forced to the ground as well. His face is turned to me.

'Now, that is no way to treat a lady is it, Simon?'

Heavy footsteps approach me and soon I'm looking at a pair of black boots in front of me. I recoil when a bat wrapped in barbwire suddenly enters my field of vision.

'Tsk, tsk, take it easy', he says. 'Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself.'

He places the top of the bat gently underneath my chin and slowly tilts my head up. I'm not sure if I should keep staring at his boots or not, but I can't help myself. I look up. A tall, lean man is looking down at me. He has dark hair and dark eyes and dimples in his cheeks from smiling. Why is he smiling? These people are really enjoying torturing us. He's wearing a black leather jacket over a white shirt and he's got a greying stubble beard. I estimate he must be somewhere in his forties. By the way he carries himself, he's very clearly the one in charge. This must be Negan. He stares at me for a little before he speaks again.

'You were right, Simon', his grin widens some more. 'Not bad-looking at all.'

'Don't touch her.' My breath catches when I hear Kieran call out. I'm afraid to move my head so close to this barbed bat, so I keep my eyes on the man in front of me.

'Please', he continues. 'This is all my fault. She didn't even want to be here. She tried to talk me out of it, she had nothing to do with it.'

Negan finally breaks eye contact and lazily pulls his bat away. He walks over to Kieran and leans over to him, swinging his bat to his back.

'But she didn't, did she? And I wouldn't say she had nothing to do with it, I hear she shot arrows through two of my guys!'

'She was just trying to protect me.' He's breathing hard. I still don't know where he got shot and how serious the wound is, but it can't be good. 'Do whatever you want with me, just let her go. Please.'

'You're a real gentleman, I appreciate that. Not a lot of that left in this world.'

He points his bat in my direction.

'Is this your girlfriend? Wife?'

Kieran looks at me and nods.

'My girlfriend. It's just us.'

'Well, then I think congratulations are in order.' He smiles maliciously and takes a few steps back in my direction, swinging his bat around carelessly. Neither of us responds. I don't know what he could possibly be congratulating us on in our current position.

'Judging by the stuff you tried to steal from me, the happy couple is expecting, right?'

Shit. I forgot about that.