His Serpent Queen || Sweet Pea

Chapter 25

"I don't like this. I genuinely don't think this is a good idea Andy. Malachi is a shifty ass guy that can't be trusted," Sweet Pea gripped my hand a little bit harder as he opened the door to Pop's.

I rolled my eyes as I pulled him to a free booth, "Your overreacting and besides, there's loads of people at our school that think the same thing as you. That you're just a gang banger with a bad track record."

"Ouch, couldn't have been a tad bit nicer. I thought that I was a delight that was blessing everyone's presence honestly," he sat next to me as he placed a hand on my thigh, " But Andy, I have no reason to trust him and neither do you."

"Do you trust me," I leaned my head towards him as I saw him slacking his shoulders back as he slouched further into the seat.

He sighed as he looked past me to see Malachi rolling up on his motorcycle, "Of course I do. He just can't be trusted."

"All I'm asking is for you to listen to him."

I knew that bringing Sweet Pea meant that he was going to be iffy with the whole Serpents versus Ghoulies, and with the fact that the Ghoulies kicked Serpents ass on Riot Night, and also because Malachi shivved me.

"Oh and also my mom wants you over for dinner some time this week."

His eyes widened, "What-"

"Malachi, hi," I said as the curly haired man walked over to us nervously, perfect timing so Pea couldn't immediately say no to dinner with my mom.

His hands were in his studded jacket as he bit his lip and sat across from Sweet Pea and I, "Hey. How are you?"

"I'm good. Thanks for asking," I smiled. From the corner of my eye, I could see Pea's jaw clenched.

Malachi nodded his head slowly, "T-That's good. Uh, um you look good today Andriette-"

Sweet Pea cleared his throat as he brought his arm around my shoulder. Marking his territory.

Malachi's eyes stayed on the arm around me, seeing Pea's fingers play with the bare skin of my shoulder that my Serpent jacket fell off of.

Pea's eyes shot daggers at the man, "Malachi why the fuck are we here?"

The man across from us licked his bottom lip ring, "There's rumors circling around in the gangs down on the Southside. Someone in one of the gangs paid whoever the Gargoyle King is, a shit ton of money to kill angel here."

"Do you have any idea who," I said as a chill ran down my spine.

He shook his head.

"Okay then what the fuck was the point of this. We already know someone wants her dead, the least you could've done was figure who it was," Pea put his elbows on the table as he clasped his hands together.

"Pea-"

"No Andy," he cut me off, anger laced in his tone, "This piece of shit hasn't said anything useful, except he just waited our time."

"Hey man," Malachi put his hands up, "I didn't come here to start shit. I came here because I don't want anything to happen to her."

Sweet Pea scoffed. "You've got to be shitting me. I mean seriously, Andy you can't believe that load of bullshit," he turned his head to me.

I rolled my eyes at him, "What does he get out of lying to me? Huh? If anything whoever has it out for me will probably kill him just like Joaquin for opening their mouths in the first place."

"She's right," Malachi leaned forward to the table, "Just me being here with you guys already puts me in a hard place and you Sweet Pea know that. Ghoulies and Serpents do not get along, but I truly don't want her to get hurt."

"You don't want her to get hurt huh," Sweet Pea rubbed his stubbly jaw, "Then why the fuck did you try killing her. Doesn't go along with this whole shit of you not wanting her to get hurt."

Malachi cracked his neck, irritated with Sweet Pea. "Don't go there-"

"No I am going there. You," Pea pointed to him, "stabbed my girlfriend like she was nothing. You had your gang beat her to a damn pulp and left her there to die in a pool of her own blood. What kind of sick fuck agrees to something like that?"

You stabbed my girlfriend like she was nothing. You had your gang beat her to a damn pulp and left her there to die in a pool of her own blood.

Pea's words rang in my head like wind chimes on a windy day. I felt myself grow quiet, not wanting to even speak. It has taken everything in me to try and forget of what happened to me that night right here at Pop's. I glanced outside the window next to me, remembering me walking out that door with a handful of food bags.... only to be stopped by the man that sits before me now. I closed my eyes for what felt like eternity, memories of his Ghoulies walking towards me. It was like I could feel the beating all over again. The way the brass knuckles felt like a ton of bricks hitting me all over my body as there had to be 4 men punching me. The way the wooden bat felt as it hit me in my shoulder and legs.

But most of all....

I remembered Malachi from that night. The first time I ever met him.

He stabbed in my stomach. The blood pouring out in what seemed like gallons. I remembering me turning over on the ground in that parking lot that I was in a pool of my own blood.

My hand instinctively went to my scar on my stomach that was covered by my black maxi dress.

"Malachi you are the reason why I almost lost my girl that night and why my whole entire gang was kicked out of our home on the Southside, so give me one damn good ass reason why I should believe you because to be frank with you, I hate your fucking guts."

I brought my eyes slowing to meet the hazel eyes across from me. I saw nothing but pain in his eyes.

"Yeah I did all of those thing and I don't blame you for hating me for what I've done. If our roles were reversed, I would feel the same exact way bro," Malachi spoke only to me, "But like I've told her before, I regret it all. I knew I was going to regret it the moment I agreed to Hiram to do the job."

"Then why do it at all?"

Malachi rubbed his face with his hand, "Not that it's any of your business Sweet Pea, but I had no other choice. My mom has schizophrenia. She's had it for my whole life, so I remember her going in and out of hospitals and mental institutions after having manic episodes. But the last time, a month before Hiram came to me, she tried to hang herself. She said she needed to do it because she needed to quiet the voices."

His eyes were glistening as tears welled in them, but they never came down as he bit his lip, "Was almost dead, but I was the one that found her in her room hanging from the ceiling fan and I'm the one that got her down. I had to make the choice to put her in assisted living for the rest of her life because I wasn't enough to take care of my own mother anymore, but it also meant that it came at a huge price point that I knew I wouldn't be able to pay for. It was just my mom and I, and we've been in debt for as long as I can remember and when Hiram caught wave of the situation I was in, he knew I couldn't back down from his offer. He agreed to pay off all our debt and the rest of the assisted living, I couldn't say no."

Pea took in a deep breath as he slouched back into the booth.

"You just did what you had to for your mom," I whispered.

Malachi nodded, "And I'm going to have to pay for that when I die." He looked at Pea, "I just want her to be safe. I care about Andy, hell if I didn't do what I did, then to tell you the truth, I would've swooped in and made a move on her once I heard you broke up with her. Which by the way, dick as move and a stupid one."

Pea sighed as he nodded his head, "Find me the person who wants her dead."

"I will. I swear on my life that I'll figure it out, I owe Andriette that much."