It been three hours since, with not even a word from either of the men holding her, Blake was shoved roughly forwards back into the dank and gloomy cell, the door clanging shut behind her.

And since then she had sat here, cold, alone and thirsty…wondering if she would ever get out.

She still didn't understand how she had got here?

Had the Saviours captured both her AND David?

But whereas she had been out of Alexandria at the time, a little way into the woods, David had, as far as he had been aware, back at the house they shared.

What were the odds of the Saviours picking up both of them like that?

Had David agreed to make a deal with them then they had gone into the woods and found her? Was that it?

But Blake frowned to herself, here in the darkness.

Did any of that even seem likely?

She worried at her lip with her teeth.

She had nothing for them…no intel they probably didn't already know on Rick and his group. So was her fate to sit in this cell and starve? And then turn into one of those creatures she had been running from this whole time?

Her cheek still stung where David had hit her. But at least for a second that had reminded her that she was indeed still alive…for now.

She was used to it….the bruises and the welts…. but that was the first time David had ever hit her in front of other people before…

Blake remembered back to all those years ago. They had had an apartment together in the city, above a coffee shop.

The place constantly smelled of sour milk, Blake had always been convinced of that…but David had always cuddled her and promised that once day they would buy somewhere out of town…not even in the suburbs….a little place of their own…just the two of them. They had been happy. But that felt like a long time ago now.

Life obviously wasn't destined to turn out the way either of them had wanted…

Blake's green eyes drifted over her lap…just as there came the sudden loud sound of a bolt getting pulled across….

She turned her shadowed face upwards, just as the heavy door was tugged open and in stepped a figure…

Blake half-expected it to be David…

But despite the fact she had never seen the man standing in front of her before, silhouetted in the light streaming out from behind him, she still knew who he was…

He was a person of grotesque legend amongst the people of Alexandria. Some had seen him kill Glen and Abraham…..some had seen him kill Spencer….but everyone knew his name…

He was taller than she had imagined, standing there in a leather jacket tossed haphazardly over a white t-shirt, with his signature baseball bat covered in barbed wire, slung over his shoulder as if it were the most casual thing in the world.

Blake pursed her lips, staring up into the face of the face of the man before her.

His features were long and tanned, and he grinned down at her with a line of straight, white teeth.

At this moment she could feel her heart pounding inside her ribcage, but she didn't want to admit fear. Not to him.

A second passed, as his dark eyes made their way over her features, before he finally, after what felt like an eternity, opened his mouth to speak.

"Do you know who I am?" he said in a low drawl, arching his back with every syllable he spoke.

He lowered the baseball bat from his shoulder and let it fall beside him, swinging it a mere foot or two from her skull.

Blake looked up at him. This man who had caused so much hurt and pain to the people she now knew as her family.

"Yeah, I figured," she said with contempt in her voice.

At her words, Negan's grin seemed to widen. He glanced at a man with straggly blonde hair and a goatee to his side for a moment, before staring back down at her.

"Glad to know my reputation precedes me," he said, with a slight chuckle. "And you are….Blake, isn't it? Well aren't you a beauty."

He narrowed his chocolate eyes at her as he spoke.

Blake's own eyes flickered down to her knees momentarily. She gave a nod, before staring up at Negan once again.

He was intimidating, she'd give him that, and none of that even had anything to do with the weapon in his hand….or the knife at his hip.

"I just thought I'd call in on you," he said after another second had passed. "See if you'd prefer to bunk up with your fi-an-ce for the night, instead of sitting in here, peeing into a bucket? Might make your stay a little more comfortable?"

Blake stared up at him, her eyes dark. But she didn't give an answer.

She knew that this couldn't be that easy.

"Or maybe," Negan continued. "After that right hook ol' lover boy gave you, you'd rather not be sharing a bed? Hmmmm?"

He had seen that.

Blake's stomach twisted into knots. She knew how David's act of power and dominance over her must have made him look….like a fucking hero. And her? Like a little mouse, that needed to be stamped on.

But that wasn't who she was. That was never who she was.

Before all this, she had had a great career. Been earning a good amount of money. More that David anyway…and yet now look at her. Locked up in a cell with a stinging cheek and a bruised ego.

Blake raised a single eyebrow up towards Negan defiantly, she gave a measured smirk.

"Is this our Beauty and the Beast moment?" she said in a mocking tone, titling her head to the side, her green eyes never leaving his chocolate ones. "Offering me a better room? You'll be breaking into song and asking me to dance with you soon."

She half expected this to be the end for her. Her stupid words being the last thing she heard as a baseball bat collided with her skull…

But it wasn't.

Instead to her surprise, she saw Negan's eyes light up, as he gave a chuckle.

"Fuck me, you've got a smart mouth," he said biting on his lip, almost approvingly. "Anything else I should know about you? You got an AK47 stashed down that blouse of yours too?"

Blake gave a scowl, a sniff and went back to staring at her knees once again.

The need for his approval of her was not high on her bucket list right now.

"Fine," he said after a long, drawn out moment. "I mean, you are more than welcome to stay in here," Negan said giving a short sigh. "But I just thought you might like a walk. See what kind of facilities we have here, at-"

But he hadn't eve finished his sentence when Blake cut across him before she could stop herself.

"What are you? The hotel concierge?" he bit at him, baring her teeth.

God, at this rate she was bound to get herself killed.

Negan's lips twitched up into another half-smile, but between his brows the slightest of frowns shifted its way onto his face.

He took a step forwards, dangling his baseball bat precariously in front of her face like a pendulum, tolling the mere moments she was likely to have left to live.

"Y'know I like you much better than your boyfriend," he said in a gruff tone.

Blake continued to stare into her lap.

"Fiancé," she corrected with a murmur.

She almost heard Negan smile at this one.

"Ooh, fiancé. I do apologise," he said in a simpering tone. "But you do realise that fiancé of yours has sold you the hell out. He's told us that you can give us some information on Rick and the rest of his group of pussies. So either you cooperate, or I'm gonna have to start crackin' skulls."

Negan gripped his bat menacingly.

Blake gave a hard gulp. Her throat was so dry not having had anything to drink since first thing this morning.

She didn't want to die. But David had now put her in this terrible position. If she admitted that she had nothing to tell them about the folks from Alexandria, Negan and his men would likely kill both of them…

So Blake knew that she had to play along….for now at least…

Until she could find a way to escape….

Blake gazed up finally into Negan's dark eyes.

"So what do you say, Doll?" he said, as he took in her nervous features.

The tall man held out his free hand for her to take.

Blake gave a nervous gulp, her heart thudding in her chest. Her mind was whirring at a mile a second.

But what other choice did she have right now. She had to play for time…

And so, making up her mind, without taking Negan's hand, Blake pulled herself to her feet and stared directly up at the menacing man before her.

Even fully standing, the imposing figure of Negan was still a few inches taller than her, and peered down at her with a bemused smirk plastered across his long features.

"After you …" he muttered standing aside and holding a hand out for her to pass him.

There was something about him….this Negan….

Despite the fact she'd only just met him…it felt like she'd known him for years. She could read him pretty well. She knew what type of man he was.

Blake gave a slight huff, a frown line lingering between her brows…she was nervous alright, but she did not want to show him that.

And so she obeyed. Shoving past him and leaving the cell….

Out in the corridor were three armed men, as well as the blonde guy with long straggly blonde hair that hung about his face. But none of them said a word to her.

In was only a second before Negan was at her side once again. She could feel his eyes looking her up and down, and she breathed in his musky scent at this close proximity.

Almost immediately, one of the men behind her gave her a shove, forcing her to fall into the step with their dark-haired leader.

And with that, they began to walk…..

Blake was surprised that none of them could hear her heart hammering inside her chest. To her, it felt like it was almost deafening.

Oh, how she longed for the days when it was simple. They would kill the 'dead', find shelter…find other people. Good people, who were out for exactly the same as they were.

Survival.

But nowadays this was a different kind of survival. It was the survival of the Saviours above everyone else. That was obvious here.

They turned a sharp corner, the only noise that could be heard being the sound of boots on the concrete corridor floor as Negan led Blake through a door and out into the fresh air, that hit her like a well-deserved wall of pleasure.

She found herself on a balcony of sorts, overlooking a large compound. This place must have been a factory in its day and several pieces of disused equipment still littered the pathways that were obviously once parking-lots.

It was early evening now, with floodlights throwing a stark illumination onto fences-upon-fences of walkers, caged up, tied up, emaciated and snarling….as they always seemed to be.

"So…" said Negan suddenly appearing at Blake's side, making her jump slightly. He leant against the railing beside them, turning to face her fully, a wide smile thrown across his stubbly features. "…as the Beast said to his Beauty….welcome to my castle."

He gestured to the large compound with his baseball bat.

Blake rolled her eyes.

"It's not exactly a fairy-tale library, in a fucking enchanted palace, now is it?" she said, flashing him a steely look.

But Negan continued to grin.

He gave a warm chuckle, as his eyes flitted across her face.

"No," he said arching an eyebrow at her. "But I do have a huge stack of pornos you can read, if you're inclined."

Blake tutted, but didn't gratify him with an answer.

"We're not the monsters that Rick has made us out to be y'know..." Negan continued after a second, turning away from her and staring out across the lot. "I've been very nice to you and your fiancé, and agreed to make a deal. And if you come good on said deal, I think you'll find I can be very accommodating…."

The tall, dark-haired leader of the Saviours turned back to face her.

"…and you might just find there's a place for you here…..with us," he finished.

Blake glanced down at her feet, her long caramel blonde hair dancing over her shoulders in the warm breeze.

"I wasn't the one who agreed to make that deal…." she said suddenly, with bitterness in her voice. "David was."

As soon as she had said it, she felt her heart plummet into her stomach.

From the corner of her eyes she saw Negan frown suddenly, his face becoming grim.

He pushed himself off of the railing, coming to stand just an inch away from her.

"Sleep on it," he uttered with a low growl. His lips lingering near to her ear. "You might find you'll change your mind after a night in that cell."

And with that, he walked away, leaving Blake alone, staring out at the darkening night's sky.

She knew what was coming….

….and as soon as she heard the sound of the door slamming shut behind her and Negan's footfalls retreating swiftly away, she was grabbed roughly by the arms and pulled back inside.

This was going to be a long, long night…she knew that for certain.

Thanks so much to Shadowlover1222, blackcat711 and Guest for reviewing the first chapter.

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