I think I liked you better when you didn't have a knife in your hand, Peaches

Flashes before your eyes

It had started to rain heavily, the sound of raindrops crashing down onto the leafy undergrowth beneath Negan's feet, almost deafening out here in the bleak fall afternoon.

Visibility was poor out here and it hadn't taken long for the dark-haired Saviour to figure out that leaving Blake on her own, was not a good idea.

Fine, he of course knew that she would be pissed-as-hell for him turning back on himself and not doing as she requested. But at this moment in time, Blake's safety was his priority, whether she fucking liked it or not.

Negan did not trust Rick or his people one tiny bit, and despite ordering half of his men to stand guard at the gates and half of his men to search, not only the houses, but the space immediately outside the small gated community, he had made sure hs higher up lieutenants knew to keep an eye out for any signs that this entire fucking thing might be some big trap.

For he wouldn't put it past them to try something like that.

But nevertheless, the kid was still missing and he seen that determined look in Blake's eye that told him she was not about to back down on this one. So Negan had let her do her shit. Let her go off on her own. All because she goddamn loved that kid.

All this panic, all this risk....all in search of one tiny girl.

But at the end of the day Negan knew as well as Blake had, that this wasn't just some kid. For despite only being with them for a few days, Mia had turned Negan and Blake's entire lives on its head.

Although Negan, of course, knew of someone who had done that to him as well, not so long ago...

A blonde woman with long legs and a smart fucking mouth.....who had strolled into his life like a goddamn hurricane, and since then nothing had been the same again for him.

For Negan would do anything for her. Anything.

But despite her request for him to search the far side of the road...Negan had been barking orders to Dwight when he had heard it...

....the gunshot....

And he had almost instantly felt himself go white as a sheet, clenching his jaw tightly together, before lowering his chin darkly and stalking back off in the direction he had come in.....

...going to find her.

For hell, if he fucking lost her....Negan wasn't quite sure what he would be capable of.

For even he didn't want to think about it.

Sheer anger bubbling inside him remembering what had happened when he had thought he had lost her for good once before, when she had been taken by the Wolves...tied up...almost raped and cut open....

....he had felt like a wolf that night...ready to tear the throat out of anyone who hurt even a single hair on her head.

He loved her with very fibre of his body now, barley caring, as he stalked back through the dense trees, trying to spot the route she had taken, that he was soaked through to the skin.

For all Negan was concerned with now ,was finding her and making sure she was safe.

But he had barely gone even forty feet when he heard them again. Gunshots coming from a little way away from him now.

He counted three in quick succession.

Shit.

This was not good, a lump appearing inside his throat and his blood running utterly cold.

He picked up his pace, heading of in the direction of the carrying noise, becoming a little disoriented with the rain and the crashing of the thunderstorm above his head.