Chapter 32: Chapter 33

Misty

“Considering how many of you want my pussy, you included, how about you go suck your own dick, or maybe Donnie can do it for you? I’m not responsible for whatever they think they want from me,” I shot back.

Negan’s nostrils flared and I watched him hold himself back from getting in my space again. Leary of Beck no doubt.

“There’s something else,” he insisted.

“Like I said, his brother was my ex, he went missing. Maybe it’s revenge because he thinks I had something to do with it or maybe he thinks he should just claim me for the sleuth like his brother intended. Either way, I want nothing to do with them,” I insisted, trying to steer the conversation in a way that wouldn’t trip me up to exposing my secrets. The kind that could get me and Cricket killed or worse—gain us more bears coming for us.

“I know you're lying to me. Unless you really did kill him, there would be no reason for him to drag you into the sleuth,” he shot back.

“I don’t know, maybe he wanted what his brother had, maybe he killed him, to get at me,” I twisted things around trying to mix up the story to confuse him as I attempted to weave something tangible he would hold onto and drop the subject.

“Nice try, Minxy, I’m going to give you one more chance to come clean. Why do ‘The Blacks’ want you?”

What the actual fuck? He knows something. Shit. I glanced up at Beck and could practically see the vein in his neck pulsing. He must be thinking the same thing. What could be collateral—then it occurred to me, we were so screwed. He must have one of The Blacks in his custody. But just in case I tried to throw the ball in his court to see what he would give me.

“I don’t know what the fuck you want me to say, Negan. You think I have some big secret. How about you just tell me whatever imaginary scenario you have come to that makes these deranged bears want me.” I spat.

He responded by picking up the vacuum and pressing the button on the canister to unload dust, dirt, and a pile of cheerios he had sucked out of my seats.

I shrugged. “I like cheerios.” I said, holding my perfect poker face and shrugging.

“Then explain this,” Negan said, reaching into his back pocket.

Everything happened so fast. One moment I thought he was going for a gun and the next Beck had moved so fast my brain couldn’t comprehend what I was witnessing. How Negan got from in front of me to now plastered on the hood of my car. Beck now held him hostage by his throat with one menacing hand. Negan, wasn’t being stupid enough to attempt to struggle from the hold.

“Wrong move,” Beck said, in a menacing growl that sent shivers of pleasure down my spine. The protective, primal thing definitely did something for me I realized, but I’d revisit that thought when we were not in this tense moment.

“I wasn’t going for my gun,” Negan tried to say as Beck leaned into him.

“Check his back pocket,” Beck instructed me as he placed his other hand across Negan’s stomach. All he had to do was let his claws out and Negan would be disemboweled and have his throat ripped out.

I pushed through the shock of the fierce brutality Beck had just shown and forced my feet to move forward. My hands trembled as I forced my hand between Negan's ass and the car only to find a folded piece of paper. I pulled it out and opened it. I didn’t expect to see what was on it, the contents suddenly tilted my world. It was one of Cricket’s drawings. Two females, one with long blonde hair and one with shorter dark hair and a little brown bear between them. A big brown bear taller than any of us sat just beside us, the sun was shining and a picnic was laid out under a big tree. Negan had just uncovered the secret that could kill us all. My heart hammered in my chest as the reality of this information came crashing down around me. Another sleuth knew about us now. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I held it up for Beck to see.

His grey eyes now a molten silver hue seemed to churn. It was then I realized. Beck would do the unthinkable to protect us. His skin rippled with the tell tale sign he was about to shift, his muscles tightening and constricting beneath the surface. My panic was now racing through me for an entirely different reason. He was going to kill him.