Chapter 33: Chapter 34

Beck

My claws began to emerge as Negan pleaded through the constriction of my hand at his throat.

“I’m not your enemy, I swear it!”

I glanced at Misty, but it was clear she was spiraling. I held my claws back but put more pressure on his neck.

“You’d say anything to save your pathetic life,” I snarled at Negan, as my claws itched to dispose of the threat.

“I… wouldn’t… wish… that… fate… on… anyone… my… sister,” he forced out as the color began draining from his face from lack of oxygen.

“Let him go,” Donnie’s voice called as a gun cocked.

I looked behind me in rage as Donnie stood, halfway down the stairs, in nothing but his boxers with a gun trained on me. In my peripheral I saw Misty compartmentalize in an instant and spin as she pulled her own gun out of her purse, her aim on Donnie.

“Drop it,” she insisted but if Donnie heard her, he had chosen not to listen. She cocked it. I didn’t even know she had a gun, let alone how well she knew how to use one.

This situation was spiraling out of control.

“I can disembowel your leader in an instant. You can shoot me but then she will shoot you. Are you willing to gamble on how good of a shot she is, Donnie boy?”

“I’m a damn good shot,” Misty announced and through my peripheral I could see the solid stance and wager that was a very good possibility.

"Doesn't bother me one bit, in the end she walks out of here unscathed and disappears," I said, digging my fingers that threatened to end Negan into his belly over his white T-shirt.

“Put…it…down,” Negan’s voice garbled the order. Donnie clicked on the safety and dropped it over the rail of the stairs, before raising his hands to prove them empty.

I released my hold on Negan’s throat exchanging it for the collar of his T-shirt and yanked him up. I turned, placing him in front of me in case Donnie had any more bright ideas.

“Get your ass down here,” I ordered Donnie as Negan coughed and sputtered and Misty, to her credit, maintained her sights on him as he descended the stairs, arms out to his sides, hands open in supplication.

“Answer her question,” I growled in Negan’s ear.

“You… had… a…” His voice was strained from the hold I had on him earlier. He wheezed before he continued. “Kid… with… him,” he choked out.

Well, this meeting was going from bad to worse, all doubts aside and I should just kill them both to keep my girls safe. I yanked him back against my chest, my hands resuming their previous threats to his throat and gut.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t end you right now. We both know what happens to women in our world who are unprotected. This is your service announcement. I am their protection, one wrong move and you are both dead.” I kept my hand loose enough on his throat so he could answer.

“I… killed my father to… protect my sister from that fate… I’m not… that kind of male,” Negan rasped out.

A man would say anything to save his ass.

Donnie now stood at the foot of the stairs but his expression had shifted. He had finally put the pieces together of the situation before him. He somehow softened.

“You’re not going to like the fact I can’t take your word for it, but you can suck it up if you want to live,” I growled, dragging him across the garage grabbing some duct tape off a shelf as I did. “Keep your gun on him,” I instructed Misty as I hit the button for the garage door, forcing it closed. I pulled Negan into the office, chucking him into the chair there and began restraining him with the duct tape. After he was secured to the chair by his hands and feet I began wrapping it around his head avoiding his mouth so the fucker can breathe.

“You better hope he has the story straight or you are both dead,” I tell Negan before I wrap the duck tape multiple times around his ears, cutting off his sense of hearing. I pulled the office chair out with me checking that Misty was still doing her job. The fascination I had I pocketed for later inspection as I turned the chair to the wall flipping on a radio and placing it next to his chair. I wanted an eye on the motherfucker at all times.

“Now, Donnie boy, it’s time to sing. What is your stance on this “sister” and what is your sleuth’s stance on the subject at hand. Tell me the truth and you live. Lie and you both die tonight. It's simple really,” I said, cocking my head at him.

“Cora, Negan’s sister, his dad tried to sell her, he killed him, he put her in hiding but she resisted and found the sleuth that now protects her, thank goddess. She’s got three kids now. He will kill us all before anyone gets to her. That’s why he hates the blacks, they are so desperate to continue their dying line that they will destroy any woman they can get their hands on and profit off anything she produced that could gain a dollar. He smelled the cub on her the first day he brought her home. That's why he never called her again. He was trying to keep her away, but when she contacted him he figured she might want the protection the sleuth could give her, since we don’t have a woman that can produce. He wanted to see what happened. He doesn't condone that side of our world, I swear he has no ill will for Misty or the cub,” Donnie promised. He sounded desperate but sincere, however I’ve been wrong before and that cost me. Better to be safe than sorry.

I growled at his intentions even if it was just him testing if she wanted it. The idea of it rubbed me in all the wrong ways but also confused me, maybe a situation like this was just what they needed, however I didn’t like it. I walked over to Negan, kicking the radio aside, cutting off the music. I grabbed the end of the duct tape and began unwinding, ripping skin and hair as I went as Negan protested. Misty’s gun was still trained on Donnie.

“Your turn,” I said, snatching him out of his seat by his throat.

“Tell me about your sister and why I shouldn’t end you both right now for what you know,” I pressed.

“The kid is a cub, isn’t she?”

“You don’t get to ask the questions,” I said, shaking him. My bear was a heartbeat away from complete loss of humanity. Misty and Cricket were his girls, I realized. He was seeing red just like I was.

“My father tried to sell my sister, I killed him for it, tried to hide her away but she slipped away from my controlling ass and found her mate and a sleuth of her own. She has three kids now. I get to see them a few times a year, she is safe, and that's all I ever wanted for her. I swear, I didn’t pursue you for a reason, no woman deserves the dangers of our world. If you came willingly though, I can’t say that I would have said no,” Negan admitted, his voice gruff with the trauma I inflicted on his throat. I met Misty’s eyes, letting her decide, she lowered the weapon clicking off the safety as she released a breath.. I grabbed Negan up and shoved him away.

“What collateral did you gain,” Misty asked. Her jaw was tight, still not trusting as she processed the information.

“I have his cousin locked up in the basement,” Negan admitted.

Misty glanced down at the floor as if suddenly panicked by being so close. I found myself in front of her forgetting the previously conceived enemy amongst us. I tilted her chin up forcing her eyes to mine. Pure unfiltered fear stared back at me.

“I’ve got you,” I promised. She bit her lip and her eyelids fluttered before her eyes focused back on mine and she nodded, stepping out of my hold. I turned to Negan.

“Seems you got what you wanted. But I want something else from you.” My voice was still gravely, my bear still waiting under my skin, ready and willing to do whatever it took to keep Misty and Cricket safe. This wasn’t like my other charges, he was always aloof but willing to fight if it came down to it. Right now our instincts were aligned and I realized it was something I had been lacking for such a long time. So much so that it made me wonder about his change of demeanor.

“I want to know every fucking thing you learn from the bastard,” I insisted with a snarl.

“Easy, koda.” he said, referring to the breed of bear I am out of respect. I had forgotten that meant something to me. “He’s in the the first 72 hours of no contact but rest assured, he will be singing like he knows opera by Friday,” Donnie promised. “You’re welcome to join us,” he prompted, crossing his arms over his bare chest. He was overstepping his leader, probably because he knew that was best for him in this situation

“I have more important things to do, I shouldn’t have to say this but keep your mouths shut about Misty’s business or I will be paying you a visit. There will be no coming back from that,” I vowed.

“Give me my fucking keys, we are done here,” Misty ordered.

“In the visor,” Negan informed her, pointing at her car. She shut the passenger doors and I followed her around as she shut the trunk and the rear door. She slid in, adjusted the seat and leaned her head back against the headrest with a sigh. I crouched down next to her and her gaze met mine. The emotions swirling through her were hard to read.

“You gonna be okay to drive?” I asked. She nodded in response.

I pulled out the earbud she had given me last time and stuck it in my ear. “Call me when you pull out of here. I didn’t want her to feel anymore alone then she had to be right now. “I’ve got you, baby girl,” I promised her and she nodded numbly.