Daring Dixon (A Daryl Dixon fanfiction)

Chapter 46

The man stood in front of me, his gun raised. It was only a handgun, a small thing, but it was enough to scare the hell out of me. I noticed the man was missing a hand. He also had a strangely wild look in his eye, and a malicious look in his eyes. Truthfully, it scared the shit out of me.

I put my hands up above my head. "Look, I don't want any trouble. Why don't you put the gun down and I'll take you inside?" I suggested.

"No way, sugar tits," he said. "You got a weapon?" he asked me. I shook my head. That nickname was definitely making my skin crawl.

"Well, ole Merle's gotta make sure, don't he?" said the man. So his name was Merle.

A memory tugged at the back of my mind at the mention of his name. It was something a while ago, something back in Atlanta, but I couldn't quite remember. I knew it would bother me until I figured it out.

Merle stalked towards me, his smirk still upon his face. He patted me down with the one hand he had. The other arm was just a stump, and it sort of grossed me out to see his wrinkled, disgusting flesh. His hand lingered on my waist for a split second longer than it should've, and I took a quick step away. Merle's smirk became wider, and I shuddered. I was glad Daryl was inside because if Merle tried anything-

It hit me like a ton of bricks where I had heard of Merle before. In Atlanta, Daryl was looking for his brother Merle. Daryl's voice ran through my head. Seen any one handed men lately? Could this really have been Daryl's brother Merle? Somehow I knew it was.

"Look, Merle, there's a baby inside, and I don't want you to upset her so why don't I take you to another cabin and you can-" I swung my leg around and kicked the gun from his hand. Daryl's brother or not, I didn't feel safe with him sticking a gun in my face.

The gun fell from his hand, and he lunged for me. I tried to escape his grasp but he grabbed me and put me in a choke hold. I maneuvered my head so I could breathe, but there was no way I would be able to escape from Merle's grasp. He was too strong. I relied to much on a gun. He knew how to fight, hand to hand.

He took me over to the side of the cabin and pushed me against it, placing his forearm against my shoulders and leaning against me. The weight of him was crushing. He wasn't a skinny man.

I heard the door of the cabin open and then slam shut. Merle's head shot over towards the front of the cabin. I heard Daryl's footsteps across the porch but didn't call out. Truthfully, I didn't want him to know Merle was here.

But, of course, Daryl rounded the corner to the cabin. He raised his crossbow at Merle and I. Familiarity flashed in his eyes and then he slowly lowered his crossbow.

"Merle?" Daryl asked slowly.

"Why don't you come over here and give your big brother Merle a good look at ye," Merle said. I was still pressed against the wall and I shifted ever so slightly, trying to become more comfortable with Merle leaning against me, if that was even possible.

"What the hell is going on?" Daryl demanded, taking a step forward. Merle didn't budge, he stood his ground, his eyes locked on Daryl.

"I was just asking the pretty lady if I could get some place to stay," Merle said innocently. But I knew that Daryl would realize that me being pressed up against the cabin wasn't whatever innocent shit Merle was trying to pass it off as.

"Let her go," Daryl insisted. Merle looked a bit taken aback. I got the feeling that Daryl didn't speak up to Merle much.

"What the hell did you just tell me boy? I ain't takin' orders from my baby brother," Merle said.