Paranoia // Third Book To The Lucky Series

Chapter 21

"Do you think giving Fangs a pass was a good idea?" Jug asks me as he tightens his arms around my waist. The long shirt over my frame keeps riding up to show off my nasty scar on my side.

"I don't know," I say honestly, "I mean in his circumstances i understand you don't want to cast him aside but if he rats you out to the others they might just walk over you." He sighs and moves his hand up a bit to make sure not to hit the scar.

"We should get tattoos over our scars," I tell him, "not now but after they have a bit more time to heal. Then we can get a tattoo over them. To show we are moving on from that chapter."

"That sounds great," He smiles at me, "maybe somewhere nicer than Toni giving us tattoos in the trailer?"

"Yeah maybe," I say to him smiling. The sun shines in on us through the window above the couch. Thankfully FP had already headed out for the day so we could be left in peace. But that doesn't stop the rest of the serpents apparently. Someone at the door starts pounding and Jug moves to the door as I collect a pair of jeans from my bag.

"Jughead? Can I come in we need to talk?" I hear Veronica ask as Jug looks out to her through the now open door. He looks over at me and I nod.

"Yeah sure sure come on in," Jug says pushing the door all the way open so she can come in. She closes it behind her as they both make their way into the living room. She gives me a look smirking at my wild hair. Little does she know it's not from sex but from me just waking up. He sits down beside me as Veronica stands above us.

"I have a problem and you two need to fix this," She says to us. She fills us in on how Cheryl and most likely Toni broke into her parents place and stole some fancy egg thing and now Hiram is breathing down her neck to get it back.

"If Cheryl took the egg, why did you come to me?" Jug asks, "Why didn't you just go directly to her?"

"Yeah aren't you and her friends now?" I ask her.

"She's dodging my phone calls," Veronica says emphasizing the point, "Besides, Jughead aren't you her king?"

"As you know Cheryl doesn't have the will power to listen to authority," I tell Veronica, "Besides I'm seeing a more pressing issue with this right Jug?"

"Yeah," He says looking to me then her. He leans back into the couch crossing his arms, "Since when are you and your father aligned?"

"We're not," He's squeezing me, "he's squeezing my business. Now, not only does he have me paying him protection, he's got me on this wild-goose chase to get my mom's stolen egg back."

"I still don't see why this egg is so important," I say to her, "he has the money why not just get another."

"You're paying your father protection money?" Jug asks her.

"Against his very own Gargoyle Gang," She says. Jug stands up to look her in the eye.

"What if you were to pay less money not to be in business with him?" He asks her seriously.

"What are you suggesting?" She asks.

"Let the Serpents come work for you," Jug suggests to her, "You get real protection from your father's goons and the Serpents get jobs with a steady income. This is a win-win."

"Seriously Veronica," I say standing up, "it would mean so much to us. We have kids really struggling out here." She looks off thinking for a second and nods.

"Get me that Glamourge egg back and we have an accord," she says to us offering her hand and Jug shakes it. Once he pulls his hand back she smirks at me.