Man with the Bat || a Negan novel

Chapter 20: Risks and Retributions

"Look, you better get going in case Negan stops by because I don't want to deal with-" Dwight is interrupted by a solid, rhythmic knock on the door. 

"Shit" he mutters, shooting me a noticeable side eye, the fear wafting off of him.

"If you're not guilty, you're fine" I assure him, being kind no matter how rude he was to me.

"I'm guilty, but it ain't gonna look like it with you here."

Without waiting for a second knock, Dwight reluctantly faced the door, his hand trembling as he reached down to open it. As soon as he twisted it ever so slightly, the whole door burst in. Phil socked Dwight in the face, knocking him to my feet at the blow of the punch. I hopped backwards in fear, watching as the Savior's flooded into the room. Continuously issuing blows onto Dwight, Negan ever so casually leaning on the door frame. Lucille slung over his shoulders, a wicked smirk on his lips. 

"Mia, what a surprise sweetcheeks" he comments on my being, but his voice seemed hostile. As if the surprise to find me in here was not at all pleasing.

He continued leaning on the door frame as the "oofs" and cries of pain ring out from Dwight. 

"What're ya doin' in here?" Negan asks of me, his eyes falling onto Dwight, then back to me. I could tell their was some jealousy in his tone, but I chose to look past it. 

"Just came to ask Dwight if he knew anything about Daryl" I honestly confess, Negan eyeing me suspiciously, "He doesn't."

Negan lowered his eyes, keeping his guard up this moment, "Hmm, and you believe that?"

I nod. 

Negan smirks, "It amuses me how you believe everything so easily, my love."

Now it was my turn to lower my gaze, "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means, you don't do any  investigating, you fall victim to the simple words of someone" he tells me, "This world is dog-eats-dog, stop pretending it isn't and being such a naive little girl."

The anger bubbled inside of me, why was he being like this? He never treated me like this, he never belittled me. Now he was. And for what? Because I believed Dwight when he said that he wasn't the one who let Daryl go?

"You're a dick" I mumble, his expression remaining the same. 

"Maybe so, but I'm a dick that get's shit done," he eyed me, I couldn't read his expression but he sure as hell could tell I wasn't please with his attitude this morning. Without another word, I pushed past him, ignoring the cries from Dwight behind me.

"And where the hell are you going?" Negan calls to me, but for the first time, I ignored him. I knew that ought to have pissed him off, but at this point, I didn't care. I marched down the hall, as far away from him as I could get. Negan hadn't treated me like this before, why was he acting like I was...well like everyone else? He had always treated me with a bit of favoritism, but for some reason he was acting as if I was just another girl today.

Most likely, he had to keep his badass appearance in front of his men. He didn't need them thinking he was falling weak because of a girl, that would make him look bad. But he didn't have to be so rude to me.

Shrugging it off, I headed to the cafeteria to get some breakfast. Already the large room was full of workers, filling up for their long work day. When I entered, a few gave me second glances, as if "That's the Negan girl." Others looked past me as if I was just another worker. I didn't know which one I preferred more.

The kitchen was serving bowls of scrambled eggs with apples this morning, which I graciously took and headed towards a table in the corner. Nobody came to sit with me, which I didn't blame them. They most likely feared they would turn out like Nigel if they did. I didn't want that for anybody.