||Malfeasance ||John Seed X Reader||

CHAPTER TWO

✞THE ARCHANGEL✞

JOHN/GABRIEL'S POV

Where the hell is she? She should've been here by now! I had unknowingly started pacing, my hand combing my hair back. This was a dumb idea. What if she didn't come? or she got side tracked? I couldn't stay here all day, Joseph would get suspicious.

Just as I was about to give up, the door of my cabin flew open and there she was. Her eyes fell on mine and for a split second, I was scared she recognized me. I was there before, when she first cuffed Joseph, but I was hoping she didn't see me. I held on tightly to the hand gun tucked into the holster behind my back, her eyes staring intently into mine. I didn't want to have to use it, all that planning would've been for nothing.

"Who are you?" she asked, her knuckles turning white as she gripped her gun. I would've breathed a sigh of relief if I didn't know she was watching me for any sign that I couldn't be trusted.

"The name is Gabriel, and I'm your new best friend" I took one of my hands away from the gun and extended it out to her, a smirk resting upon my lips. She noticed my tattoos, her eyes now avoiding mine. I nodded, pulling my hand back and rubbing the back of my neck nervously. "Okay, so here's the deal... I managed to piss of John Seed bad, like... really bad. I've been in hiding for a while now, being this close to Faith's region is the only reason he hasn't gotten to me yet." I lied.

"What did you do?" she asked, taking a step towards me, curiosity in her voice. Oh shit. What did I do? I had to think of something quick. What's something that would piss me off but wouldn't make her hate Gabriel? Dammit!

"None of your business. Look, I asked you here so I could help, not to share my life story. You want my help or not?" I crossed my arms over my chest, the fabric of the new shirt rubbing uncomfortably against my elbows. A smug look plastered on my face. She gave me a look of confusion, people probably didn't usually act like this with her. I was in charge here, Gabriel or not.

"Not with that attitude"

She turned away, walking towards the door almost immediately. The look on my face dissipated and I stumbled out the door after her in a hurry. In my haste I almost fell over, face first. "W-wait! Just hear me out!" I shouted after her, gathering my pride from the floor.

I ran a hand through my hair, it wasn't in the neat slick back like I usually kept it, it was parted down the side. My hair gathered on the side of my face. The new style was strange to me, but the change was necessary.

She stopped, turning to face me with a sigh and a gesture for me to keep talking. "I know where John takes his new shipments of people." shit. Too late now. "I could take you there, we could free some people?" It hurt giving that up. Fuck

"Or, you could tell me where it is and I could go by myself?" she placed her hand on her hip and shifted her weight onto one side, eyeing me intensely.

"Uh no, no way. I'm coming with you or you're not getting the information at all. It's a package deal Dep" I watched her eyes narrow at me. She paused for a moment, seeming to consider the deal.

"Fine." She said her hand slipping onto the walkie talkie that hung from her pocket. She set the dial and pressed a button, bringing it to her face. "Hey, Sharky! Come in. Deputy to Sharky. You there?"

"Uh...yeah! I'm here Dep. Whatcha need?" his voice came through loud and clear. I panicked, my hand grasping her arm. I pushed my body towards hers, my lips inches from her ear. "It'd go better if it was just you and me... Alone." the words trickled off my tongue and I felt her shiver beside me. She lowered the walkie-talkie and took a step away from my grasp. When she spoke next her voice quivered.

"Wh-at? S-Sharky can hel-"

"No...Just us" I cut her off, my voice husky and barely above a whisper. Whoever this Sharky person was, he couldn't see me or even hear my voice. They would tell the deputy who I was and ruin everything. She held my gaze for a few moments, I expected her to argue more about it but she didn't. She simply brought the walkie back to her face.

"Uh...I-" she sighed, her eyes flickering to me then back at the ground "Never mind. I'll catch you later" She placed the walkie back on her belt and shook my hand off of her arm. "Why the hell can't I bring someone else? That seems pretty suspicious." I moved from her, backing away but my eyes not leaving her for a second.

"I'm taking a big enough risk trusting you! Do you know how dangerous it was for me to leave those little clues for you? One stranger is enough for right now." I ran a hand through my hair and reached for the gun in the holster. "Let's go"

"Wait a minute...You're really wearing that?" Her eyes glanced over my outfit, suddenly making me feel self-conscious. The over-sized button up felt baggy at my waist, collar a bit to loose, and the sleeves uncomfortably long for my frame. Perhaps it was too over-sized. I had underestimated the difference between me and my older brother Jacob.

"Come on, it doesn't really matter. Let's just go before I change my mind on the whole helping you thing."

Perhaps I was being too rude. I was acting just like I would with anyone else, maybe that was the problem. Joseph was constantly on me about my temper, about how I couldn't be saved until I had changed that part of me. Maybe this was my shot to try it out. I couldn't with my followers, they were all 'yes men'. The Deputy though? I doubt she would lie to spare my feelings.