Saved

XXIII

"Riley! Come on, he's waiting for you." Gavin called down the hall, obviously spotting me dropping Dale off at the daycare run by Negan's wives Amber and Sherry. All of Negan's wives were given easy jobs, things they could probably do in their sleep. Such as Amber and Sherry taking care of four young children. One of them could probably have done it, but Negan said that both of them would be better. 

Speaking of Negan's wives, I bet that's what he wants me for. He's been asking me to become one of his wives for the past two months I've been here, never wanting to let it go. I always say no of course, because while I'm currently not with Daryl, obviously, if I became one of Negan's wives he'd never let me go. And it pains me to imagine a world where Daryl and I could never be together. 

After a short walk from the daycare to Negan's war room, where he usually asked for me to meet him, I found Negan, along with Gavin, Simon, and Regina all sitting around the large table that Negan had installed in the room a few weeks ago. 

"You called me for me?" I asked, standing in the doorway, not sure if I should enter, but when I spoke all of their eyes snapped up to meet mine. Negan was smirking up at me, and I instantly put my guard up. 

"Ah, Riley, how you doing beautiful?" Negan asked, standing up and walking over to pull me into a hug, which I allowed, because honestly I don't think Negan's a bad person. I just think he is desperately trying to keep the six-hundred or so residents here safe. And to do that... sometimes you have to do bad things now. 

"I'm good, thank you. What can I help you with?" I asked when he pulled away, putting his giant, catcher's mitt hands on my shoulder and grinning down at me. 

"Well, why don't you take a seat?" He said, moving away and pulling out the chair between Simon and Gavin, which would sit me directly across from him. But I didn't question it, I just nodded and moved into the seat, and waiting while he moved back around the table to his seat. 

"So you know about our outposts, yes? The Satellite, the Chemical Plant, the Shepherd Office? And you know that Simon, Gavin and Regina run those for me?" He paused, and I nodded my head. Of course I knew about the outposts, it was common knowledge here, Negan had outposts so he could keep an eye on the other communities who supplied us. And of course he couldn't run them all by himself, so he had his Lieutenants, Simon, Gavin, and Regina, who did it for him. 

"Of course." I simply answered, and he nodded, and continued his spiel. 

"Well, since Simon is going to be gone a lot, working with The Hilltop since their quotas are down, I've decided to make you my right-hand woman. Since you won't marry me and all." Negan said, a ginormous grin on his face, and I couldn't help but shoot my eyes to my left where Simon was sitting. He had a horrible glare across his face, and it was directed squarely at me. 

"I'm sorry, what? Negan, thank you for the offer, but I've only been here two months. And I haven't gone on any runs, or done anything really to deserve this. Aren't there others here who deserve this more than I do?" I asked frantically, trying to back out of the offer, but Negan had lost his smile and I knew that there was no getting out of this. 

"Sorry Riley, but I said it. That makes it law. Now if Simon has a problem with this, then he can take it up with me. You're perfect for this job. You're a nice woman, and you don't mind calling me on my shit, do I need to remind you of what you called me last week in the cafeteria? But we're the Saviors. And we're called that for a reason. I think we all need a reminder of that. Especially after what happened last month." Negan said, a glare firmly on his face as he turned to look at Simon, a glare written across his face and I immediately knew what he was talking about. 

Last month, Simon was sent to handle some unrest in one of the smaller communities, Oceanside. He was supposed to do Negan's normal punishment for misbehavior, one death. Instead, he killed all the males above the age of ten in the group. Leaving them in ruins, and currently unable to help bring in any kind of resource. But Negan is leaving them alone for now. Letting them rebuild, since he was so pissed about Simon breaking his rules. 

I guess, pissed enough to name me his right-hand. 

"If you'll excuse me." Simon said angrily, shoving himself out of the chair before Negan could dismiss him, and was practically through the door when Negan spoke. 

"The next time I see you, you better have a shit ton of shit from the Hilltop Simon. Or you'll be the death that pays for their crimes." Simon hesitated in the doorway, and then practically fled down the hallway. 

"Now, Riley. You, of course will take over all of Simon's responsibilities, except for watch over the Satellite outpost. But you will ride with me if needed to take control of a community, and you'll be the one they meet first if necessary. You'll also be in charge here if I'm gone, and when I'm here, you'll still run the day-to-day bullshit. And of course you'll help me with anything I need help with. Sound good?" Negan asked, standing up and I nodded, standing as well, along with Gavin and Regina.

"Right. Dismissed." Negan said turning to get a drink from the small bar near the back wall, and Gavin and Regina hustled from the room, probably to go back to their outposts, but I lingered, and Negan seemed to expect that since he turned to face me once he heard their footsteps fade down the hall. 

"Do you need something?" Negan asked softly, sitting back down in his chair with his drink, and I took my seat across from him again. 

"Why'd you pick me?" 

"I told you. You're good. I need someone good, to balance out all the shit that's been happening here lately. Killing kids, mutilating bodies, torturing people just because they can. It's unnecessary and unhelpful. I need someone to help me keep them in line. And you keep me in line. I've been thinking about this for awhile, so I promise it wasn't just some rash thing. You're gonna be good at this." He explained, taking a long drag of the bourbon in his hand, and I couldn't help but relax. He's easy to be around, when he's not posturing to try and scare someone else off. 

"Right... well... can Dale and I have a new room? Not that I'm not grateful, for where we are now... but sharing a common area with thirty other women and three other kids, and sharing one bed on a bunkbed, isn't the greatest. That kid has the sharpest little elbows." I said aloofly, silently begging for him to agree. I looked up at him from my hands, and he was smirking at me, but he didn't look upset which was good. 

"Yeah, I suppose my right-hand shouldn't be sleeping in the common room. I'll get you a room. Actually, you can have Simon's. It's right across the hall from mine. Has it's own bathroom and everything. Keep what you want, throw the rest out. And if you need something just write it on a list, and I'll get someone to get it for you." Negan said, slamming back the rest of his drink, and abruptly standing up from his chair. 

"Right, well, I have stuff to do. And so do you. I'll see you later beautiful." Negan called, walking briskly out the door, without a second glance. I let out a huff, staring after the strange man, wondering what in the world had happened to make him so... him. 

A/N: For those of you that are gonna be like, 'Where the fuck's Dwight?' This is before he gets a seat on the council, when he's simply a lowly gun in the Savior's group. AKA before he leaves and comes back to get his face burned off.