BETTY POV
~Two Weeks Later~
"No, absolutely not, have you lost your damn mind? That's the worst fucking idea you've come up with yet and that's putting it lightly. It would be way too dangerous Sweets, there is no way I can let her get that close to any of the Ghoulies, but especially not Malachi. He's a fucking psycho and he already made personal threats towards her more than once," Jughead and I sat in our conference room surrounded by our most trusted Serpent companions in order to go over ideas for the trap to catch the Ghoulies and stop them for good. We were all a bit on edge about this plan but it seemed like the best option we had, even if Jug thought it way too risky.
I just want this to be over with so we can finally have some peace, I thought to myself, trying to squash this constant nausea that seemed to be coursing through my body lately. I don't have time to think about that right now, I just needed to get the planning taken care of first and then I could call to see if my doctor could prescribe something safe to help with nausea.
"Look J, I know that you're worried about Betty but we will be right there to keep her safe. And even if they somehow grab her, the Ghoulies won't be able to get far before we intercept them. Besides you and I have both seen how she handles herself, she can take whatever bullshit they throw at her. Honestly, I almost pity the Ghoulie that lays a finger on our Queen," I could see from his defensive body language that - no matter what he came up with - Sweet Pea wasn't going to get through to Jug. I needed to step in quickly to reassure him before Jughead vetoed this plan altogether and put us back at square one.
"Juggie, Sweets is right. This is a solid plan and I trust you guys to have my back to make sure nothing happens to me," I cupped his face in my hands, forcing him to look into my eyes. "Jug, it's gonna work. We already made sure to leak intel to Malachi that I'm going to be in Greendale late Friday night signing the papers to finalize the alimony payments. We know he has been waiting for an opportunity like this and he'll try to have his guys snatch me outside Kevin's office. Once they get close to me, we grab them and take care of these assholes once and for all," I waited patiently, watching him mull it over in his head, knowing good and well that he was still too afraid to think straight. My heart broke seeing the look of angst that crossed his features.
"But what if he hurts you, baby? I couldn't take it if something-," Jughead choked out, turning his head away from the group. I knew he was scared for me but I had to do this now before it was too late. I couldn't live in fear anymore, not now. I have spent too long hiding from ghosts of my past that I was only able to live halfway in my future. I could see that he was about to break so I pulled Jughead to the far corner of the room where we could talk more privately.
"Listen to me, baby. Nothing's going to happen to me, I promise. Fangs told me today that he already had a guy put a tracker in my jacket and my bracelet so you could have a constant eye on me. It's a good plan baby and, right now, it's the only way we know to keep me safe," I whispered, turning his face so I could see his eyes, laying my forehead against his. I felt his breath fanning my face, giving me a sense of peace. "Believe me, baby, this will work out. And if - God forbid - he does get his hands on me, I know you'll save me," he nodded slowly in a silent agreement before dropping a light kiss to my temple, hugging me to him tightly. He rubbed his hand along my spine and sighed before turning back to the group.
"Ok, fine. We do this. But, the first sign of trouble, we abort. I won't have Betty out there taking all the risks. Sweets, Fangs: I need you guys running point on this with me. Make sure we take every precaution to make sure nothing happens to Betts. Toni, get ahold of Syd and have him meet Joaquin at Kevin's office. Joaquin, I want you to take a couple of our tech guys over there so they can help Syd tap into the security system and CCTV cameras in the area. I can't have us going in blind, not when our Queen is playing bait. Dakota, this is your shot buddy. I want you on the inside with Betty acting as her bodyguard. You're still relatively new and I don't think any of the Ghoulies have ever seen your face so this shouldn't raise suspicion. You'll be acting as my inside man in case shit goes sideways. Whatever happens, I need you to protect Betty at all costs. Do you hear me? Okay, that should be all for now. Serpents, let's get to it," Jughead waved his hand in dismissal and everyone scattered to start putting the plan in motion.
I already knew this was going to be a difficult thing for him to do but we both understood that this was the best way to stop Malachi. Jughead's hands trembled as he picked up his cigarette that I had to take his zippo from him to light it. He nodded his thanks, slumping down in his chair and taking a long drag while scratching the back of his neck. I stepped behind him, placing my hands on his shoulder and massaged the knots I bent down and dropped little kisses to the side of his face. His muscles loosened and with a moan, he rolled his head back and forth while blowing his smoke away from me.
"Juggie, it's gonna be okay. I'm gonna be okay. You gotta remember that baby," he huffed and pulled me from behind him and into his lap, engulfing me in his arms. I grabbed his cigarette and placed it into the ashtray on the table, wrapping my arms around him before sighing against my neck. The anxiety was rolling off of him in waves as I trailed light kisses along his jawline and his cheeks. I moved my way up to his ear, adding gentle nips with my kisses and felt his pulse beginning to race while his breathing quickened. I grinned against his ear, running my tongue along the lobe and panted into his ear.
"What do you say we have some alone time for a bit? Maybe grab some food and just relax upstairs, just the two of us? JB is going to be at her shift at Pop's so we can have the apartment to ourselves. I have a surprise for you and I want you all to myself tonight, baby," I whispered suggestively, Jughead pulling back to smirk at me.
"You know what, I think that's a great idea, Princess," Jughead bent down to run his tongue along the column of my neck, suckling at my pulse point leaving a faint bruise. "I need to take care of a few things down here first but how 'bout I see if Dakota will run to pick up our order from Pop's while you go upstairs and get ready for me. I shouldn't be more than a few hours so that'll give you time to get in one of those power naps you're so fond of. Frankly, for what I have in mind, you're gonna need it," Jughead whispered against my skin sending a thunderbolt of heat straight down to my core.
"How about I go with him so he can drop me at Ronnie's on his way to Pop's? I need to pick up some things I had delivered to her place anyway and she wanted me to visit for a little bit," he pulled back, narrowing his eyes and giving me a questioning look as if to say 'What are you up to?'. I shook my head at him before capturing his lip with my own.
"Sorry Juggie, it's part of the surprise. You'll just have to find out tonight," I said as I licked my lips, winking at him. I giggled at his low growl, the action sending shivers down my spine and before I knew it his lips and his hands are on me again, burning my skin in the most delicious way.
"You are definitely going to be punished for that later, Princess," he said while biting my collarbone to produce more moans from me. I threw my legs over his hips to straddle him before grinding down on his growing arousal, running my fingers into his hair as he ravages my neck.
"Promise?" I gasped. He worked his way back up to my lips and chuckled against them at my eagerness.
"You can count on it," he said teasingly, pulling himself further away from my lips before finally letting me capture them in another rough, desire filled kiss.
"I'm just running inside for a little bit so if you could swing by and pick me up after running those errands Jug needs taken care of and grabbing my order from Pop's, that would be awesome!" I yelled over my shoulder through the open passenger window to Dakota while crossing the street to The Pembrooke.
"You got it, boss lady. See you in a few hours!" Dakota gave me a quick mock salute that had me chuckling before he drove off in the direction of downtown. As soon as he was out of sight I ran into the building, excited to pick up the special gift for Jughead that Veronica helped me put together. I could hardly wait to see how it all turned out once she got it all finished. The exhaustion has been wearing on me already so Veronica took it upon herself to design the gifts and order them from her vendors. I could already feel that I would need that nap that Juggie suggested when I get back. I stepped off the elevator but before I even got a chance to knock, the door swung open and I felt Veronica gather me into a bear hug.
"Hiya Hot Momma, how goes it? Morning sickness still a bitch?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows while rocking me back and forth playfully. I cringed at her nickname, not really wanting the entire building to hear.
"Shh, Ronnie, I would prefer that Jug find out before Reggie and half the residents of The Pembrooke do. You know how the rumor mill in this town is!" I whisper yelled, looking around to see if we were alone. I knew that she was just as excited about this situation as much as I was but some discretion would be nice.
"Don't be so jumpy, B," Veronica laughed. "Reg's at the gym right now and I doubt anyone here cares that you're preg-," I threw my hand over her mouth and backed her into the apartment, shushing her.
"Jesus Veronica, watch it with the P-word okay? I'm serious when I say no one else knows about this right now and I'd love to keep it that way, at least till after tonight," I shook my head, releasing her from my grip. "Now, try not to use that word again until after I tell Juggie, okay?"
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, B. I'm just so excited! I have wanted to be a Tía my whole life and now I finally get to! Don't take this from me just yet. For now, we can celebrate in secret, just the two of us," Veronica chuckled. "Really though, I promise I'll keep my mouth shut from here on out until you tell him. Although... I do have to ask B, are you sure about doing this tonight? I know you guys have some hair-brained scheme cooked up to use you as live bait or something but is it really wise to tell him about the mini-serpent beforehand? Because Jughead Jones doesn't seem like the kind of man who would willing put not only his girl at risk but also his unborn child," I sighed, knowing that she was spot on with her question.
While she did have a point on how this would affect the plan, I knew that if I didn't tell him it would be so much worse when he found out. This may throw all our best-laid plans out the window but I knew I couldn't keep this from him. I knew how important family was to him and I just couldn't find it in my heart to lie to him, even if this would raise his stress level through the roof.
"Ronnie, I have to tell him now. If he finds out that I hid it from him, knowing full well how dangerous it could be, he would never forgive me. I already feel horrible that I had my first appointment without him. At least if I tell him about the baby beforehand he'll make sure to take even more precautions to ensure our safety," I laid my hand on my stomach, lowering my eyes to the teddy bear clutching the framed picture of the sonogram and felt a twinge of guilt that he wasn't with me when I had my appointment earlier this week.
"Hello Miss Cooper, how are you doing this afternoon?" Dr. Patel asked while checking my chart.
"Please, call me Betty. Honestly, I'm not doing great. I think I may be coming down with the flu or something. I've felt really run down and I haven't been able to really hold much down the last few weeks. I just wanted to come in to see about getting some Tamiflu or something to try to get me through the last of this," I haven't felt this horrible since waking up with a massive hangover after all those college frat parties that my roommate would drag me to.
"Well, unfortunately, Miss Coop- I mean Betty, I don't think that Tamiflu is going to help with what you have going on," Dr. Patel smiled at me, placing the chart down on the countertop.
"What do you mean? Is something else wrong?" My heart began to pound, my mind racing at the possibilities.
"Let me be the first to congratulate you, seems your test results came back positive. You're pregnant," I froze. Could it be possible? I mean sure, we were careful but these things happen all the time, right? Especially with the kinds of stress we've been under and switching birth control, I may have missed a pill or two. Dr. Patel continued chatting while I stayed lost in my thoughts. "How about we go ahead and do a sonogram, that way we can measure the fetus and see how many weeks you are?"
"Yes, please," I looked at my flat stomach with tears in my eyes and smiled.
"Look, Betty, don't feel bad. How could you have known that Dr. Patel was going to do a pregnancy test that would come back positive? Especially when you only went to him for a sick visit? It's not like you guys were trying and given that you were still on birth control, he just wanted to make sure everything was progressing. You're only 6 weeks, you will have plenty more appointments and ultrasounds that Jug can go to before this little one is born," Veronica said, laying her hand over mine and giving me a reassuring smile.
"I know you're right, V. I'm just so scared, what if he freaks out about the baby? What if this is too much too fast? I mean, shit my divorce just got finalized and now I'm pregnant. What if... what if he doesn't want this? I have wanted a baby for so long and I don't know what I'll do if he doesn't want this," I could feel my eyes stinging with hot tears. Fucking hormones, I thought, clinging to my non-existent baby bump.
"Are you kidding me, Betty? That boy is over the moon for you and I'm fairly certain that he will feel the exact same way about your little one when you tell him," Veronica pulled me into another hug, her words causing all the tension I felt to be released from my body. She was right, of course, she always was. Jughead and I may not have planned for a family just yet but I knew I wanted him to be my forever and that was all that mattered to me. I chuckled as a few tears slipped down my cheeks before feeling my phone vibrate in my pocket. It was Dakota texting me to let me know that something came up and he was downstairs to get me early.
"Dammit. Kota is back already, have you got everything together for Jug's present?" I asked, wiping the remaining tears off my face. Veronica instantly looked panicked and started running around gathering things up.
"Shit! I thought we had a few more hours to do all that, B?! I still have a few finishing touches to put on the bear and Reggie isn't back yet so I can't go get the rest of the supplies for the scrapbook. I didn't think you'd be leaving so soon or I would've had it all ready before now." Veronica said in a rush. She was starting to freak out when it wasn't that dire of a situation.
"V. V, stop! It's okay, don't freak out on me. It's only 5 o'clock and Jug probably still has a few more hours of paperwork to do anyway, so why don't you get everything finished up here and drop it off to me around 8 pm? That way I can go home, take a nice nap, and then get the apartment ready. You think that'll give you enough time to get it all together?" I asked calmly. Veronica placed her hand over her heart and blew out a huge breath.
"Yeah, that's perfect! I'm sorry it wasn't ready for you now, I just really thought Reggie would be home sooner than this and I could have finished it all," she apologized.
"Ronnie, it's okay. There's no rush, take your time. I'll see you in a few hours, okay?" I said, hugging her before heading back downstairs to meet Dakota. I noticed that he was staring out the driver's window not paying me any mind so I slid in the passenger seat quickly, jarring him from his thoughts. I started to fiddle with the radio dials trying to find a good station when I felt his eyes boring holes through me. I looked up at him, puzzled.
"Kota, you good? You look like someone kicked a puppy in front of you or something," his eyebrows were drawn together and his lips pressed into a hard line, sadness written in his expression. That's when I realized that there were no take out bags, no smell of greasy burgers or sweet milkshakes. A sudden chill shot through me and I had a terrible feeling that something had happened to one of the Serpents. "Dakota? What happened? Is Jug okay? Please, please tell me that Jug's okay," I pleaded, my voice straining against the panic. I could feel it in my bones, something wasn't right. Dakota shook his head and paused, seeming to attempt to gather up the courage for whatever he had to say.
"I'm sorry Betty, I really am," Dakota stated sadly before he looked away from me again, visibly shaken. My blood ran cold at his words.
"Sorry? Sorry for what? Tell me, please Dakota. What is there to be sorry for? " I begged him to answer, furrowing my brow in confusion.
"For this..." A rough voice from behind me whispered in my ear just as I felt a sharp pinch in my neck. I tried to struggle against this unseen assailant but my limbs began to sag further and further into the seat cushion. I just barely had time to make out the figure of a dark-haired man laughing in my ear as I faded deeper and deeper into the darkness.
JUGHEAD POV
"Toni, can you check in the back and tell me what our bourbon stock is looking like? I swear we go through this shit like water," I yelled to Toni from the booth next to the stockroom, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration. I understood that running a bar meant going through a lot of liquor but this shit was ridiculous. I was really going to have to discuss these tabs with a few of my regulars who haven't paid up in awhile before I ended up in debt up to my eyeballs. The inventory and the purchase order were the last things few I had to do before I was officially free for the night and I just wanted to get it done. All I could think about all afternoon was spending the rest of my night snuggled up in front of the TV with my girl, eating greasy junk food. And if she wasn't too tired, maybe a little exercise to burn off the calories from those burgers and wear her out.
"Sure thing, Boss!" Toni called back, counting a few more things before walking out a few minutes later. "Looks like we got about two cases left so you might need to order more, just to be safe. You know how the boys get," Toni said as she started to hang the clean wine glasses above the bar then stacking the shot glasses.
"Alright. I swear, I'm so ready for this night to be over. Hell, I'm ready for this fucking week to be over so we can get the Ghoulies off our backs once and for all," I sighed, dragging my hands through my hair. I tugged lightly, the slight pain grounding me.
"Has she caught on to what you've got planned yet?" Toni shot me a knowing smile and I instantly felt my nerves return. These last few months have been some of the longest, most stress-filled months of my entire life and all I wanted was for them to be over so Betty and I could start our lives together, the right way.
It was about a month ago when she signed her divorce papers that I made the decision that could potentially change everything between us. That day I had to make an emergency run over to Seaside to pick up a shipment of craft beers from one of our distributors because their truck had broken down. I had gotten there a bit early so I decided to grab some lunch and then come back at the pick-up time.
I walked past a few locally owned shops when I saw it. Inside a quaint little jeweler, tucked into a corner, was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. It was an oval-cut peach sapphire surrounded by a halo of tiny, round diamonds in a rose gold setting with a matching diamond and rose gold wedding band. It shone brightest out of all the jewels in the window and something about it screamed Betty's name. It was soft but bright. Radiant, just like her smile. I didn't even think- hell, I'm pretty sure I was running on impulse the entire time, but somehow I walked out of the store with a brand new engagement ring and a plan. I was going to make her my wife, if she would have me. I knew I loved her when I was 4 years old and nothing would ever change how I felt about her.
"No, I've been keeping the ring in my secret hiding spot so she hasn't stumbled on anything yet. And, I would appreciate it if you kept your voice down. You are the only person I've told. Don't make me regret it, Topaz," I narrowed my eyes at her playfully. Toni had been my best friend since I came back to Riverdale, I couldn't not tell her.
"Hey, I ain't gonna say anything Jones. I just wanted to know if she has seen through your terrible lying skills yet?" Toni laughed.
"Well if she suspected anything then she hasn't said anything about it. She's been sick the last few weeks though so I think that's worked in my favor, even if I hate that she has been sick," I shrugged. I hated seeing her so sick but she assured me that Dr. Patel hadn't found anything wrong and that she should be better soon. I'm pulled from my thoughts when I realized Toni was still talking to me.
"Earth to Jones?" She said, waving her hand in my face.
"Yeah? Sorry, I was just thinking-," I started.
"Yeah, yeah. About Betty, I know. What I asked was if you had a plan on how you would do it?" Toni came and joined me at my booth so I could relay all my plans to her in a whisper, away from the more gossipy Serpents.
It wasn't until much later when I checked the clock that I realized it had been several hours since I'd heard anything from Betty, save for when Dakota called to let me know she had requested a little extra girl time with Veronica. I couldn't really begrudge her that much, not with everything that she's had going on lately.
She hadn't gotten to spend hardly anytime away from the bar unless it was to go on grocery runs with Toni and Cheryl or on her outing to her doctor's appointment. And given how sick she was, I somehow doubted that she enjoyed that visit very much. I just wished she would have called and let me know when she'd be back so I knew if I had time to shower beforehand.
Just as I was finishing up my paperwork, I noticed Veronica walking through the door with a giant gift box in her arms but oddly there was no Betty insight. I thought it was strange since they were together all day but waved her over to where I was currently hunkered down.
"Howdy Jones, B still sleeping?" I looked at her in confusion. Had Betty come home without telling me?
"What do you mean, Ronnie? I thought she was still with you? Dakota said you were bringing her back after your visit," her smile dropped at my statement and she looked just as confused as I felt. Could she have she snuck in without me noticing? Kota said he had some stuff to take care of at his mom's place so he wouldn't be back tonight. Maybe he dropped her off anyway and I just didn't see her come in?
"No Jug, that Dakota guy picked her up hours ago. She said she wanted to come home and take a nap before your plans tonight," my heart started to race as I jumped up, running upstairs and checking everywhere in the apartment but finding no trace of her. In my panic, I pulled out my cell to dial both Dakota and Betty's numbers but both just kept going straight to voicemail. Fear started to seep into my bones as I ran back downstairs to a frightened-looking Veronica. I dialed the number to Pop's to see if, by some chance, Jellybean had seen them today.
"Thanks for calling Pop's, this is JB. May I take your order?" Jellybean answered in her well-practiced waitressing voice.
"Jelly, it's Jug. You haven't seen Betty today have you?" I knew my voice was coming out frantic but I couldn't shake the feeling that something had happened to Betty.
"Jug? No, of course not. I haven't seen her all night. Is everything okay, did something happen to Betty?" Jellybean replied, concern evident in her voice as well. I could feel my heart pounding outside my chest. Where are you, baby? I wondered.
"I-I don't know, Dakota said she was at Veronica's but Ronnie said she left hours ago. Wait- JB hold on a sec, Veronica is trying to tell me something," I pulled the phone away from my ear to hear Veronica better. She had a strange, far off look on her face that I couldn't place. "Yeah?"
"Betty said he went to pick up food from Pop's, has she seen him at all today?" Veronica asked, still deep in thought and not meeting my gaze.
"Hey Jel, has Kota been in at all today? Maybe around- um- around 4:30 or 5? Ronnie just said that he went there around that time to pick up our food," I asked. Something told me that I already knew the answer and it wasn't a good one.
"No Jug, he hasn't been in here at all. Sweet Pea and I thought we saw him drive past around the time I was on my break but I couldn't tell if it was him or not. Besides, there was another dude in the backseat, not Betty, so I don't think that was him," the dread I felt only built more hearing that Dakota had lied about where he was this afternoon. Something wasn't right, I could feel it in my bones.
"Jelly, I'm gonna make a few more calls but let me know if you hear from her? Okay?" Jellybean agreed quickly and hang up. I looked over and noticed Veronica was clutching the gift box in her hands for dear life. Just as I was about to ask her about the box, my phone rang, startling me but causing me to blow out a sigh of relief when I saw Betty's picture flashing across my screen.
"Jesus Princess, where are you? You had me and V worried sic-," a deep voice chuckled on the line, one that definitely was not Betty's, cutting off my thoughts.
"Now, now Jonesy-Boy. Why on earth would I tell you where we are? Me and your little blonde bitch haven't even had any time to play yet." Malachi. How the fuck did this happen? I clenched my teeth as I spat out his name.
"Malachi! How in the hell did you get her phone?" Veronica stumbled back in fear when she heard his name drop from my lips. I heard his sinister chuckle taunting me once again.
"Well, 'cause I got your girl here, of course. If I can give you a little tip, next time you assign someone a bodyguard, make sure they aren't one of mine," I felt my fist tightening and my jaw clenched before I saw red.
"What?!" I growled, slamming my fist on the table beside me. Dakota was a mole, this whole time? How could I not have known that for the last two years I had a Ghoulie spy in my ranks? I am going to find that son of a bitch and skin him alive.' I seethed.
"Wow Jones, I thought you were smarter than this. It was so easy to plant one of my guys among that sorry excuse for a gang you have there. Jacoby, or well Dakota as you all called him, really does deserve a fucking Oscar for his acting skills. He really had you fucking convinced that you could trust him, huh? You just handed your little bitch right over to him, lucky for me I should say. So here's how it's gonna go Jonesy-Boy, I am gonna give you 24 hours to clear out of Riverdale. All of you. We get your land, your bar, and all the cash in the safes. If you don't give us what we want, well, then things might get pretty ugly for Blondie over here," He said as he sucked his teeth. I knew exactly what he was insinuating.
"I swear to Christ Malachi, if you touch her I will rip your fucking heart out and feed it to you, you son of a bitch," I growled. I knew we didn't have much time to get her out of there before he would start making good on his threats.
"Well, you better hurry up then, huh? Cause after 24 hours, me and the guys are gonna play a little game with your girl to see who can make her scream the loudest. If you're really lucky, Jones, there will be enough left for an open casket... but don't count on it," I dropped the phone as I heard the click of the line going dead.
"Jug?" Veronica asked in a shaky voice, Toni standing beside her to keep her upright. I felt myself trembling in anger. I couldn't even begin to process the feelings running through my body at this moment.
"The Ghoulies have Betty. We had a spy. A FUCKING SPY!" I screamed, grabbing the nearest bottle and throwing it against the wall. Everyone in the room fell dead silent, completely aghast at what just happened. "Dakota was a Ghoulie plant. I'm going to kill that motherfucker!" I roared, the hatred rising and making my blood boil.
"We'll get her back, man. I swear we will get her back." Fangs said, trying to calm me but all I could focus on was the terror on Veronica's face. She was trembling but still had yet to drop the box in her hands. She looked up at me and I could see that she wanted to say something but she was having trouble finding the words. Finally, when she couldn't get any to form, she reached her arms out, handing me the box. I sat it down on the table of the booth she had collapsed into and opened it.
"Ronnie, what is this?" I asked, confused by the contents of the box. Staring back up at me was a graining, framed black and white photo being held by a teddy bear. I watched the tears stream down Veronica's cheeks as she mustered up the courage to speak.
"It was supposed to be Betty's surprise, Jug. She was going to tell you tonight and I was supposed to help her put this together. Jug, Betty's pregnant."
"Yeah Dad, call all the guys. I don't fucking care if they're retired! This is their Queen and your soon to be daughter-in-law for fuck's sake. I need you to have Alice drive you down here. We have some stuff we need to discuss and she should be here for that. It's important, okay? Alright, I love you too Dad," I hit the end call button so hard I was surprised my screen didn't crack. I needed every available Serpent out there looking for Betty but I just didn't have the heart to tell Dad and Alice that she was pregnant yet, at least not over the phone.
I walked out back into the bar from my office to Veronica still sitting in the corner booth sobbing, arms wrapped around herself. I knew she blamed herself but I knew that there was nothing she could have done to stop this from happening. As soon as I found out that Betty was missing, I had the guys out searching for any sign of her or Dakota. I wasn't really sure what had transpired but I was certain of one thing, Dakota betrayed us and he was going to pay dearly for it. Especially if something happened to Betty or our baby.
Jesus, our baby. Betty is having my baby. I promise Betty, I'm coming for you, Princess, I thought to myself. I walked over to the distraught brunette and hugged her to my chest while she sobbed.
"V, we're gonna find her, okay? I promise. But I need you to keep a clear head. You are the last person who saw her so it's important that we have all the facts so we know where to find her," I crouched down in front of Veronica as she sat back down, meeting her eyes with determination. "Believe me, I'm fucking terrified too but I have to keep my head on straight so we can kill these bastards," Veronica's eyes widened but she nodded her head in understanding.
"Would you really k-kill them, Jug?" She asked through a hiccup. I could see she was afraid of the answer that she already knew was coming.
"Yeah Ronnie, I would. If they hurt her, even just a little bit, I will kill every last one of those motherfuckers," I said flatly. And I meant every damned word of it, they were going to pay for this.
"Good," she nodded her head again before she aggressively wiped the tears from her cheeks. She stood up straighter and held my gaze. Something in her body language shifted, almost sinisterly. "I know some places where we can dump a body if the need arises."
BETTY POV
The first thing I noticed was the smell, like the stench of rotting wood and dirt. Where am I? What the hell happened to me? Where's Dakota? I had no memory of what happened to me after slipping into Dakota's car and him apologizing, then it was nothing but blackness. I just needed to think about everything leading up to my blackout and figure out where I was so I could get the hell out of here.
I slowly opened my eyes but all I could see was darkness, save for one sliver of light coming from the small window to my left. No other lights, no breeze, no clear indication of where I was other than what sounded to be a busy bar - or club - or something above me. I was laying on my side on a dusty old mattress, my head pounding and my neck cramping. I couldn't seem to get past the fog in my brain but I knew that I had to use my head if I ever wanted to get out of this. I struggled to stand up, still having my hands and feet bound, but this only served to make the zip ties around my wrists and ankles dig painfully into my flesh.
I could at least tell from the position of the window that I was being held in a basement of some sort and that it was night time. I felt my breathing begin to get ragged as I tried to remember what my survivalist handbook said about situations like this. "There has to be some way out of here. Think Betty, think. If I can just get out of these restraints I might be able to get help..." I whispered to myself.
"I wouldn't count on it, Blondie. No one's gonna save you now. You're all mine," a chilling voice echoed in the darkness. He stepped forward slowly and I stiffened, remembering his voice in my ears before I passed out. It was the man from the diner that had been making threats on my life, that much I could tell for sure.
"Don't worry your pretty little head, sweetie. You and I are gonna have lots of fun together before that boyfriend of you even arrives. But I gotta warn you, once me and my boys are through with you, you're gonna beg for death to take you," I felt my gut-clenching and my heart dropped as he lowered his head down to ran his tongue up my cheek, licking up the tears I didn't realize I was shedding.
Please find us Juggie... Please...