The night had been quiet. Surprising, considering there had been so few. Most nights were spent huddling in hopes the dead wouldn't bust down the door and devour them all. Tonight, for some reason, had been different. From outside the abandoned apartment complex, the dead could be heard from every angle, clawing and snarling in pure hunger. However, it didn't seem to phase the group of four young adults, who had all been seated on their couch, huddled into their living room.
Jared, the self proclaimed leader of the group, sat next to his childhood friend Daniel. Daniel had been strumming on his guitar lightly as Jared trilled on in a soft tune. Before the world had turned, the two had united together as a band with the intention of rising to stardom. Rose, Jared's wife, had been cuddled with their cat, stroking her gently while listening to the music and occasionally glancing at her husband. In the corner of the couch, with a book clutched in her grip, had been Jared's sister, and youngest of the group, Jamie. Through the dim light, she tried to focus on the words across the pages, attempting to disappear almost completely, forgetting about the world for however long her brain would allow her to.
Humanity had gone to complete shit, or so it had seemed, and it all happened so rapidly. The pandemic hadn't gotten better, it mutated into something far worse than anyone could have predicted or let alone handled. The dead walked the Earth. There hadn't been any other way to describe it. It was a sickness that infected from the inside out.
The day it all happened had become a blur to Jamie. She could remember watching the news report as it repeated it self throughout the day, footage she never thought she would see. Many heated arguments happened that day, debates on if they should have run or stayed. Glancing over at her brother, she released a tremulous breath, forcing to look back down at her book to desperately distract herself. Yet no matter how hard she tried, her mind strayed back, attempting to make her unwillingly recall the day.
She had lost the battle, and the majority consensus was to stay. So, the group had done their best to hide, to fight. For a year and a half they managed. Their city, Richmond, had now seemed so lifeless. Abandoned. Despite it all, they remained faithful to their home. In their old abandoned apartment complex, they stayed together, surviving. There hadn't been much left, and it certainly hadn't been as cozy as it once was. Yet it was the little things that gave them hope.
It took some time, but a few months into the mess they managed to find a way to get the generators going, so the limited energy had been nice. Being on the third floor made it so they had been less susceptible to the corpses below. It hadn't been ideal, and truthfully it had made Jamie restless, but she wouldn't complain. She had been lucky to still have the people she cared about when most likely so many others had been torn apart, figuratively and literally. They had been safe.
At least up until a month ago.
A month ago, almost exactly, a group had come upon the complex, and the four had been discovered.
By a group called the Saviors. Led by their fearless leader.
Negan.
A charismatic maniac with a bat wrapped in barbed wire that he dubbed, Lucille. Their initial meeting had been a blur, at least so Jamie had been told. She had never personally met the man, for she and her sister-in-law had been out the time it happened, searching for food and supplies. The discussion between Negan, Jared, and Daniel during their first meeting hadn't even been much of a discussion at all. Negan tended to do most of the talking. At first, the man was keen on bringing her brother and friend back with him to his place, a place he called the Sanctuary. However, though she hadn't been told how, Jared had managed to convince Negan otherwise, somehow without revealing he had two other people in his group to look after. In the end, he ended up telling them that he had owned forty percent of the stuff they had managed to scour up. When her brother had argued with him, Daniel had been struck in the shoulder with Lucille as punishment. The wound still hadn't healed properly. For fear of his friend dying at the man's hands, Jared begrudgingly agreed to Negan's terms, who seemed to think it had been overly generous.
And so they waited. Waited for him to return. It only made things all the more difficult. To attempt to scrounge up enough that would be suitable for him to take took it's toll on all of them as they had to work harder, yet it was the only way they could all stay together. He came once a week, and every time he did, Jamie and Rose had been instructed to head to their rooms to hide, a strategy Jamie despised. She didn't want to appear as a coward, despite knowing well enough she would be outmatched against a man like Negan. The thought alone of her facing him seemed ridiculous to her, and had been the reason that she continued to follow her brother's orders, for his sanity and her safety. They had been coming up on week five in just a few days, which had put them all a little on edge.
Daniel shifted the guitar, grunting lightly at the pain that surged down his arm, causing Jared to glance at him with a twinge of guilt. The group remained silent for a few minutes longer, the stale quiet air beginning to take it's toll as Jamie finally looked up from her book.
"We're going to need to go on another scavenge tomorrow, to get more food before Friday." Jared had stopped singing to glance at her as the strumming faded, the stillness of the room held for a moment.
"Do we have enough?" Rose asked softly, trying her best not to let the worry tremble her voice. Her husband had been prompt to answer, eager to calm her nerves as soon as possible. He adjusted in his spot, sitting up straight.
"We will. It'll be fine, this'll go the same way as the other times." Jamie could see through her brother's lie, she knew anything could go wrong in the blink of an eye. Despite never meeting Negan, she could tell he had been sporadic, and made his choices solely based on his emotions. So their fate had been determined based on how the man had been feeling that day. Yet she remained mute, for the sake of her sister-in-law's fear of what was to come. The young woman closed her book, setting it down to the side as she stood from her spot, heading over to the sliding glass door of the balcony. Through the glass she could see the street down below, where a hoard of the dead had been stalking about, occasionally brushing by the other, not seeming to be aware of their surroundings.
It almost didn't seem real. She'd rather it have all been a terrible dream that eventually she would wake up from and things would be back to normal. As much as she had yearned for that to be true, she knew it hadn't been the case. This had been their world now, their reality, and it pained her. It changed everyone in their own way, more than she could ever imagine, and she would give everything to have it go back.
Her brother had become the one to keep them calm in times of stress, and he had been the one to strategize and use everyone's strengths to their advantage. Her roommate had turned into their navigator, picking out the best routes to take when they needed supplies. Her sister-in-law turned into a mother figure, always making sure the others had their meals and had been healthy and unharmed. As for herself, Jamie couldn't quite think on how the whole thing had changed her. For the most part, she still felt like herself, despite bits of her being chipped away more so everyday. She supposed she believed herself to be the one who did what needed to be done to survive. She had been the first to kill a walker, and the first to recommend scourging through the abandoned apartments in search of supplies. Despite all that, the dependency on her group hadn't changed, that was something she was almost certain never would, even though she had been able to handle things by herself if the situation called for it. Regardless, she was stronger with her family, and it had been the drive to keep her going through the hell that had been unleashed on the Earth.
Before she could dwell more on it, she perked up a bit in attention, hearing something drifting through the air. Whistling. Her body froze as she turned to the foyer, along with the rest of her roommates just as three loud bangs came from the front door.
"Little pig, little pig! Let, me, in!"
Jared turned back to the group, the ever growing fear evident on his face as he spoke in a hushed tone.
"It's Negan. He's early." He sprung to his feet, scurrying to put away their things as Rose stood, holding her cat close to her in comfort. Jamie's nerves began to panic as she hurried over to her brother, determined to help him gather up all of the stuff. However, he had been quick to stop her as he looked at her with a hard stare.
"No, you and Rose get to the rooms, stay quiet." At the order given, she locked eyes with him for a tense moment as Rose gave him a kiss on the cheek and hurried into their room, quietly closing the door behind her. They hadn't the time to argue, despite it going against her better judgment. Finally, with a dry swallow, she nodded reluctantly and grabbed her book, retreating to her own room and shutting the door. Jared, having finished clearing the room, hesitantly went to the door and opened it, clearing his throat to calm his nerves.
Negan had no hesitation in stepping past him into the apartment, making himself at home while resting Lucille against his shoulder in her usual position.
"Well, good evening Jared! Daniel! Nice to see you boys." He grinned, as two of his top guys had followed him in, Simon and Dwight. The rest of the saviors Negan had brought, thankfully, stayed outside awaiting further orders. The two young men had stayed quiet, obviously tense as Negan simply stared at them with that same grin on his face.
"Don't be rude, assholes, say hello." This caused Jared to clear his throat once again, nodding a bit in compliance.
"Hello." He knew better than to try Negan, pushing anything with the man had been basically the same as writing his own suicide note, for himself and his group. Negan's grin widened as he leaned back on his heels, a chuckle escaping as his eyes scanned over the apartment.
"You're early." Daniel let slip out, causing the man to snap his attention to him as he stomped his foot and spread his arms out in somewhat of a flourish.
"What can I say? I missed this place." He chuckled again, brushing past the men as he walked into the living room.
"Besides, I'm sure you two can afford forty percent, can't ya?" He asked nonchalantly, not expecting an answer, seeing as how he would take it either way. Negan had always been the kind of man to get what he wanted, and he never took no for an answer. So much to the point where he had been entirely used to it, used to everyone kneeling before him whenever he walked by. With a gesture of his hand, the remainder of the group had marched into the apartment, beginning to take what they were able to.
On the other side of the door, nestled in her room with the lights off, Jamie listened. The whistling came again, along with the sound of heavy boots stalking around against the hard wood floor. She bit her lip, nervous that her heart pounding so heavily would give her away. He chatted away casually, as if they had all been long times friends, and it was only then the question crossed her mind as to why Negan hadn't searched her and Rose's room before.
As if fate had heard her, or perhaps Negan himself, she heard him declare.
"You know, boys, I gotta say, I have been awfully kind to you two since we've met. I've been lenient, way more than I fucking should, no matter how much you have the tendency to piss me off. So! I think it's time you gave me something in return, because god damn it, I deserve it." She tensed, moving closer to the door and placing her ear against it, attempting to silence her heavy breathing as she listened.
"I think it's time we open these mystery rooms that I've let you keep closed, hm?" A wave of nausea washed over her as she heard the footsteps fade for a moment, guessing they were most likely heading towards Jared's room. She could hear her brother scrambling in an attempt to stop Negan, explaining that there hadn't been anything of interest to show him, and then silence. Suddenly, she heard Jared exclaim.
"My wife's in there!" It had been hard for Jamie to make out what was said next, but she did hear the familiar squeak of the door and some scuffing of shoes.
"Ain't that sweet, what a husband will do for a wife. But, seriously, she is out of your god damn league." Negan teased, the sporadic raise in his voice making Jamie flinch lightly.
"Relax, you look like you're gonna piss yourself, I won't take her from you. Married women...well, they're just not as fucking exciting, unless they're married to me. Besides, it looks like she's had enough men fawning over her already." Jamie's body only relaxed for a moment at the notion she wouldn't hurt her sister-in-law, before heating back up when she heard him continue.
"But, that is just rude as shit of you to hide her from me, and I do not fucking appreciate that." Her heart began to pound heavily again when she heard his voice grow louder, closer, as he approached her room. She held her breath and scanned her surroundings in a panic, eventually sliding open her closet and slipping in, shutting it behind her.
"Lets see what's behind door number two!" The handle turned and the door swung open, hitting the wall gently as Jamie stepped deeper into her closet. Negan took a few steps in, observing his surroundings. A small mattress with black sheets, a desk, a bookshelf, and some Knick knacks here and there.
"Well," He drawled on as he surveyed the room closer, meandering around it a bit.
"What do we have here? It seems a little lady lives in this room." An amused smirk graced his face as he made his way over to a little nook. Laying there had been one of her thongs and a vibrator, this caused him to chuckle in amusement.
"Oh, a little bit of a dirty girl!" A big grin stretched over his face, showing his perfect white teeth as he licked his bottom lip, looking back at the doorway where Jared stood.
"I would very much like to meet her. Where is she?" Noticing that his sister had hid, he was quick to come up with a lie, despite knowing it could have it's consequences.
"She's not here." It had been evident that Negan didn't seem to be buying into his answer as he simply gave a carefree shrug and sat down on the bed, his grin not faltering.
"I'll wait." His eyes met Jared's, a warning hidden within them as he urged for the boy to continue testing him, causing his mouth to go dry. He knew well enough that he had gotten lucky in hiding his wife, but if Negan had found his sister, someone could have gotten hurt or much worse.
"I don't know when she'll be back." Slowly, and ever so silently, Jamie cracked open her closet just as Negan had stood from the bed, the grip on his bat tightening as his gloved hand flexed.
"That's two fucking people you've hidden from me." What little she had seen had disappeared for a moment, out of her view.
"I'm ashamed and disappointed. Just know that the punishment...well you brought it upon yourself. It's sixty percent now."
"W- sixty!? But we're struggling with forty!" Jared shouted in desperation, and it had come out too fast for him to stop it.
"Hey! You do not raise your voice to me!" Negan's voice boomed in anger, and she could see her brother take a step back in retreat as she herself flinched, her ears ringing and her eyes wide. Desperately, her brain scrambled to register his words. Sixty percent of what they had, with only forty percent left to themselves they were sure to starve. Attempting to regain her senses, she took in a deep breath and tentatively stepped closer to the door. She saw Simon and Dwight grab Jared's arms, pushing him to his knees, restraining him. In her view stepped Negan, his back to her as he faced her brother, gripping Lucille with both hands. She moved before her brain could stop her. Hastily, she fumbled to open the closest door and stumbled out.
"Wait!" She called out, causing Negan to stop, looking over in her direction. His cold hazel eyes met her dark browns as his grip relaxed, his arms falling back to his sides. For a moment, he had been expressionless as they stared at each other, until finally, his eyes began to move over her and he licked his bottom lip, shining a wolf like grin.
"Well hello there..." He breathed, turning as she now had his full attention, and it had been the first time she had seen him in full. He was tall, and held himself proudly - confidently. His hair was slicked back and he had a chiseled jawline complimented by his beard. In any other circumstance he would be considered attractive, despite it being the last thing on her mind. The thing that mainly had rattled her nerves, however, had been the look in his eyes, a look she couldn't fully place. Suddenly, despite being fully clothed, she felt exposed. She stood up straight, trying her best to hide that she had been shaking. He sauntered over to her, a look of hunger gleaming in his gaze as he glanced down, almost towering over her. Swallowing, her throat dry, she looked up at him with big eyes and she almost thought she heard him let out a breath.
"Holy shit...if those ain't the most beautiful pair of eyes I've ever seen in my god damn life." He gripped her chin gently with his gloved hand and he could feel her tense as he leaned in, getting close to establish immediate dominance.
"Hi..." He breathed, looking her over once more for a reaction.
"I'm Negan." He shined a smile, one that showed his perfect teeth.
"And what is your name, darlin'?"
At first she couldn't find her words, until she glanced at her brother who had still been restrained. Finally, after a few lingering moments, her eyes flickered back to Negan as she took in a deep breath.
"Jamie..." She managed to get out in barely above a whisper, causing his eyebrows to raise in amusement as he leaned in the tiniest bit closer.
"Well...ain't that cute?" He complimented, his voice matching the same volume as hers, and she hadn't been sure if she should have thanked him. She decided to stay silent as he simply continued to stare, holding her chin in a surprisingly gentle grip. After what seemed like hours, he finally released her, moving away as he leaned back, chuckling.
"I do believe Lucille is gettin' a little jealous." He announced to the room, resting the bat against his shoulder as his eyes roamed the young woman again. He bit his tongue gently while failing to hold back a grin as he turned to his group, gesturing an order to them. The two men restraining Jared lifted him back to his feet, forcing him out of the room as Jamie was quick to follow, Negan right behind her.
"Take the other three outside, I'd like to have a minute alone with this young lady." A few of the Saviors had escorted her roommates out, causing a look of panic to strike Jared as he watched his sister disappear from view. She took in a deep breath, watching them go while taking an involuntary step after them. Yet she stopped herself, her eyes falling to Negan who had been watching her the entire time, not even bothering to acknowledge anyone else. The last few of the Saviors had stepped out and the door had shut, leaving it just her and him, alone in the entire apartment.
She swallowed again, meeting his eyes as she stayed silent, wondering if he had been going to say anything. After a few more moments of staring, he grinned and gestured to the couch.
"Well, shall we?" Knowing that she had now been playing a dangerous game, she took his suggestion and sat down, stiff. He took his own seat, thankfully on the other side, and set Lucille next to him. After he had made sure she had been comfortable, he turned back to Jamie, leaning against his knees.
"You look nervous." His tone had caught her off guard, it almost sounded somewhat sincere, and it had been completely serious. She blinked, continuing to watch him, as if he would suddenly spring at her. From what she could tell, the man was completely unpredictable, and being alone with him threw her into pure survival mode.
"You don't have to be nervous, Jamie, I'm not going to hurt you." Again, she almost wondered if she could believe him due to the way his whole demeanor had changed.
"You seemed to have every intention of hurting my brother." She challenged, her voice level as she attempted to keep her nerves in check. The last thing she wanted to do was falter in front of the man, who would most likely revel in it if she had. He breathed out, unable to repress his amused grin as he leaned back, knowing that she had been right despite not understanding his reasoning.
"Your brother broke a rule, he needed punishment. Rules are what keep everything in line, and if someone breaks a rule, they need to be punished. It's the way things need to be run for this future to work." He explained to her, and already, Jamie could get a peek into his philosophy. She could see how highly he saw of himself, and the roll that he had as the leader of his Saviors. His word was god.
"So what is it you want then?" She asked, not wanting to dance around the real reason, the sooner she had gotten him out, the better. He stared at her, eyes gleaming as he sucked his bottom lip for a moment before responding.
"I want to get to know you, because...you are somethin' fucking else." His voice grew soft at the end of his sentence as he leaned back, causing her to shift in her seat, her fists clenching and unclenching.
"I also want you to know who I am, and what I can do." It had almost sounded like a threat, but she hadn't been entirely sure. Deciding to err on the side of caution, she responded softly.
"I'm listening. What do you want to know?"
"How old are you?" He scratched his beard as she hesitated for a moment, wondering if she could get away with saying she had been underaged, but had a feeling he would easily catch her in the lie. The safest way to play the game would have been to answer all of his questions truthfully, without revealing too much to him. Finally, as she noticed Negan beginning to grow impatient, she answered.
"...twenty-five." He breathed out again, leaning back as his eyes studied her.
"Twenty-five...hell of an age." He mused softly to himself, silent for a moment as she looked him over to take in the details. The only gray hairs she could see had been mixed in with his beard, and while his face had a few wrinkles, his eyes still looked young.
"How old does that make you?" She asked carefully, genuinely curious, this made his mouth twitch a bit in a smirk as a deep chuckle rose in his chest.
"It's rude to ask a gentleman's age, sweetheart."
"I see no gentleman." It had slipped out before she could stop herself, the regret drowning her immediately as soon as the words had left her lips. She tensed and held her breath, waiting for him to explode into a fit of rage. Instead, he chuckled again, louder than the last, as he placed a hand on his chest in feigned affliction.
"Darlin', you wound me to the quick. I think you'll come to see that I am a perfect fucking gentleman." At this he leaned forward, resting his elbows against his legs. His stare hardened as his voice had returned to a serious tone.
"I've spared your group, when I could have killed you all. Up until now you were living as sixty percent kings." She scowled, yet tried her best not to show it. He had been completely blind to the fact that her group had practically been struggling since he had come into their lives. However, what aggravated her more had been the fact that the first half of his statement had been true, he absolutely could have killed them all if he wanted to. Seeing the look scrunched onto her face gave him an easy understanding of how she had felt, and as much as he admired the defiant gleam in her eyes, he knew he needed to shut it down quickly.
"Jamie, there's something you need to understand, something we should get out of they way now. You do not mess with the new world order, and the new world order is this: I own this group, I own this place, and I own you." He could see her whole body tense as her mouth went dry. It had been exactly what her brother had feared, and now it seemed that Negan had tighten his grip rapidly to the point where she could barely keep up.
"This is your way of life now. The more you fight back, the harder it'll be." Suddenly, his promise of not hurting her hardly seemed true, and she had a feeling that he would not only hurt her, but her family too with just a curt whistle.
"So, if someone comes to your door, you fucking let us in, we own that door. You try to stop us, we will fucking knock that fucker down." Jamie could feel herself shaking, hoping desperately that it didn't show. His words rang in her head, and it scared her to know that he had been pissed at her brother hiding them, but was simply holding himself back for the moment.
"We're cooperating with you...we haven't done anything wrong." She attempted to argue, keeping her voice level to prevent from pissing him off further.
"Your people have already fucked up, specifically your bother, when he hid you from me. Now I get it, family is important, people get desperate and emotional when it comes to family. But, he had you here, this whole fucking time. So yes, he did do something wrong, and that's what pisses me off."
"He did it for our safety." She replied sharply, once again having to bite her tongue before she dug her grave too deep. She also tried her best to ignore the fact that he had only been mentioning herself, and not her sister-in-law.
"It was pointless. I know this seems like a threat to you, but I'm not here to be your enemy. I'm here to save you people" He had only been met with silence and a cold stare.
"You don't believe that, do you?" The condescending tone he had only put her more at unease. She wasn't sure how she could believe his statement. Simply sitting alone in a room with him had made her felt as if she had thrown herself into a lion's den, one who had been starving. It was at that moment, that the young woman decided she would do whatever it took to keep her family safe from the man seated across from her.
"I don't." She finally replied, her voice quiet, but not meek. He himself had fallen silent, only humming in contemplation as his eyes wouldn't leave hers. He had only been trying to save them, it was who he was, it was what he stood for. Saving people. It was something he believed he had been very good at.
Eventually, he sighed, standing from his spot while picking up Lucille. Jamie watched him closely as he took a few steps towards the front of the apartment, whistling. When he had caught her looking, his mouth twitched into a smirk as he winked at her. It only took a moment for his men to walk into the room, her roommates thankfully with them, unharmed. At the sight of them she released a shaky sigh of relief as she stood from the couch.
"So!" He addressed the group, swinging Lucille leisurely while strolling about, looking their faces over and ending on Jared's.
"Let me see if I got this straight," Taking a step up to the younger man, who had physically tensed, Negan spoke loudly for show.
"Not only have you been hiding your wife from me, but you've been hiding her too?" Jamie held her breath as he used his bat to point at her, yet he remained focused on Jared. The man, unsure of how to respond, remained silent. It had been evident that he had been physically and mentally preparing for a punishment, one that could very well end his life. Negan, with his stare hard, waited for an answer. When he didn't get one, his brow furrowed.
"I am disappointed, truly disappointed..." His voice trailed off, as if he had more to say, though instead he turned to Jamie. Nothing had been said between the two, a silent exchange, though she still somehow knew what he had been trying to say. Eventually, the grin he had been trying to hold back stretched across his face.
"Buuuuut...I'm feeling generous. So we'll call it sixty and end it there. I think Jamie-girl and I here redefined our understanding." Jared had looked over to his sister, scanning her over to see if any physical harm had been done to her. Negan had been vigilante, however, and was quick to notice as he stepped into her brother's view.
"She's fine. I wasn't hard on her, even though I am very hard in general." He smirked, causing Jamie's face to go red as he glanced at her and winked, before turning back to address the group.
"Not to mention that you people can't provide for me if you're fucking dead." Rose let out a quiet sob at the thought while Jared had grabbed her hand, hushing her gently as Negan chuckled, this time speaking directly to Jamie.
"This is the kinda thing that just...tickles my balls!" He exclaimed happily, stomping his foot while resting Lucille against his shoulder.
"Welcome to a brand new beginning you sorry shits! Lets move out." He ordered with a smile, almost triumphant, as his men had finished gathering the last of their stuff. He turned to the door, looking as if he had been ready to leave, however, he stopped only after a few steps.
"Oh, one more thing before I go." He turned back on his heels, mostly talking to Jared and Daniel but his eyes flickered to Jamie every few moments.
"If for whatever reason, you can't deliver on my sixty percent," He grinned, now turning his full attention to the youngest girl, the same grin the wolf gave to little red riding hood deep in the woods.
"Then I will take my payment another way, and there is a mighty fine chance that this young lady will be coming back with me." It had almost felt like someone had smacked her with a brick at his words, her body falling numb. Again, their eyes danced for a moment in a silent battle as he had just declared victory.
"Because I like her." He huffed, getting himself excited and worked up as he swung back around to Jared, watching a look of distress cross his face. This caused Negan to lean in, his voice dropping low for a moment.
"Now I know, that is a mighty big nasty pill to swallow, but swallow it, you most certainly mother fucking will. I own you all." Those words stung Jamie as he once again glanced over his shoulder at her, that same look gleaming in his eye as he bit his tongue, grinning as he hummed in approval.
"Mmhmm...fuck yeah, I do." For some reason she had a strong feeling he hadn't been referring to them all at that moment.
"Are we in agreement?" He asked aloud, his voice booming in intimidation, causing Jared, Daniel, and Rose to all agree, tears streaming down the woman's cheeks. At Jamie's silence, Negan's eyes hit her again as he strode over, leaning back on his heels before getting close to her, his voice almost a whisper.
"I said...are we in agreement? Do I own you, Jamie?" Her gaze locked with his, and the subtle defiance laced within her eyes sent a shiver of pleasure coursing down his spine. He played it off, however, by arching his brows and cupping a hand to his ear.
"No answer? I'd reconsider, babydoll, because I am not someone you want to piss off." Jamie tensed at how rapidly his tone had hardened, and she went back to the thought of him threatening her and her family. So, begrudgingly, she nodded lightly. This caused him to grin joyously as he chuckled aloud in amusement, resting Lucille against his shoulder while gripping her chin in affection.
"That's my girl!" He stated, turning away and making his way to the door, his men obediently following.
"See you folks in a week!" And with that, he was gone. While normally that had warranted a collective sigh of relief, the room couldn't help but feel heavy with dread.