Closer (Negan X OC)

Chapter 1

I knew it was a dream. His voice in my ear, telling me to let go, to be who I really was, to let the monster be free. His arms around me, stroking me softly, coaxing me to bend to his will, to belong to him entirely. I didn't know this man. I had never seen him in my life. This was just a dream. But as his lips descended onto mine, I couldn't help but marvel at how real this felt, how real his touch felt. If this was just a dream...why not give in to my desire?

I pulled my car swiftly into the spot farthest the entrance of the local liquor store. Although it was barely Tuesday, this would be my third stop this week to purchase yet another round of beers for my older brother, who denied he had a problem with alcohol. I knew I was enabling him, but as his only living family member and his younger sister, I felt it was my duty to make sure he had whatever he wanted.

As I pressed the off button on my car, I let my head fall back against the headrest and sighed. It had been a hell of a day at the office. Although my work was solitary, it had been one of those days where people asked me odd questions and expected me to fulfill requests that they were too lazy to do themselves. I was tired and on edge, both from my day and sitting in rush hour traffic. It was one of those days that I truly hated my decision to leave the life I had behind and pursue an education, accompanied with a monotonous forty hour a week job. I knew that physical exertion wasn't the main cause of my tiredness; rather, it was completely mental, the sort of exhaustion that came from living a mundane life after giving up an extraordinary one. In that moment, I mentally kicked myself for the negativity I was feeling. After everything I had been through and after being able to find some normalcy, albeit mundane, I was here. I was human.

Well, mostly anyway.

I sighed again and raised my head to look in my rearview mirror. Starring back at me was a woman who had been on this earth for thirty-two years, but looked no older than the age she had been when she turned at twenty-one. For a moment, I allowed myself to take in my appearance. My black hair fell past my shoulders, tousled and a bit of a mess from my long day. My blue eyes lacked their normal vibrancy, the light from the dim parking lot reflecting off of them, and I had a bit of mascara smeared under my eyes. My once perfectly glossed lips lacked any sort of shine now. I looked like I had one hell of a day.

Avoiding the inevitable, I finally got out of my car, grabbing a couple of bucks out of my wallet and my keys and made my way across the lot into the liquor store. I lightly scoffed at the fact that I was here so often, carding me was no longer a necessity. I walked through the doors, passing by two biker types, clad in leather, on the way to the refrigerator. I pulled out two beers and made my way to the register, nodding briefly at the same sales person I had been seeing nearly every day for the last two years as I paid. As I grabbed the beers of the counter and tucked them into my arm, I accidentally bumped into something, or more like someone—one of the biker guys. Without making eye contact, I muttered my apology and made a hasty exit, not bothering to look back.

I was nearly at my car when my keys slipped out of my hand and onto the pavement. I made sure the beers were tucked tightly in my arm, and I reached down to pick them up, but another hand reached out in front of me and grabbed them first. I looked up to see it was the same biker guy that I had bumped into. He was wearing a leather jacket and a flimsy button down and it looked like he had greasy hair. Although the parking lot was dimly lit, I could see that much. But what left me feeling a little unnerved was his smile. It wasn't friendly...it was just plain creepy. I gave him a small smile that didn't quite reach my eyes and stood up, held out my cupped palm, ready for my keys.

"Thank you," I said, my palm still open and waiting for my keys to be dropped into my hand. But he held onto them. Tightly.

"Anytime, missy," he said with a twang, raising himself up, standing a few inches taller than me.

"But I really don't think a girl as pretty as you should be out here by yourself."

My eyes rolled at his sexist statement. "Give me my keys," I said, attempting to sound more intimidating. But he just gave me a goofy smile and shrugged.

"Now why would I want to do that? You're gonna get me a hell of a reward."

I opened my mouth to speak, but shut it before any words came out. My grip on the beers loosened completely and they fell to the ground with a resounding thud, rolling away down the lot.

At the base of my neck, near my carotid artery, was a sharp blade. I turned my head enough to see that its wielder was the other biker guy.

"Now let's get something straight," said the first biker guy, moving closer to me. "If you make one noise, Chester here is going to shove that knife into that pretty fucking throat of yours. Got it?"

I nodded once at his statement, not wanting to test Chester behind me.

"Good," he sneered. "Now we're gonna get in that fancy car of yours and go for a drive."

For a moment, I thought about screaming for help. Attempting to run away from my attackers. As my eyes scanned the dimly lit parking lot, I knew that I wouldn't get that far, especially with two men behind me. I played out several different scenarios and potential escape routes in my head, but the fact of the matter was that I was outnumbered. Maybe I could get away from one guy...but not two. The sharp blade at the base of my throat convinced me not to make a move. For now.

I let my capturers lead me to my car and shove me into the backseat, while they piled into the front. The one who took my keys looked at my dash with confusion.

"How the fuck do you start this thing, missy?"

"Press the start button," I replied. The one who had held the knife to my neck, Chester, snickered and pointed to the button.

"Yeah Jay, don't you know how these fancy cars start?" Jay hit Chester in the arm and he winced.

Jay readjusted the mirror and met my eyes. "Damn girl, you are gonna get us one hell of a reward!" he repeated.

I wasn't sure if I was ready to ask what that meant just yet.