A Secret - Choni

Eighteen

Toni's POV

"I gotta get to work babe, I'll see you when I'm home." I kissed Cheryl's cheek before I released her from the hug. "See you later babe. Have a good shift." She shouted from the kitchen as I walked out of the door and closed it behind me.

Joaquin was waiting outside of my trailer on his bike, holding my helmet in his hand. "Let's go Topaz." He shouted over his engine, throwing my helmet over to me. I hopped on my bike and we rode alongside each other to the Whyte Wyrm.

X

We opened the doors and walked down the rickety steps, leading towards the bar. I threw my serpent jacket on the stool and grabbed a rag to wipe down the bar. "DeSantos, Topaz." Hogeye bellowed from the second floor. "Need you to work an extra hour tonight for me. You can take an extra break though." We each nodded and continued serving people.

"I wanna take a smoke, when's our break T?" Joaquin asked me. "15 minutes, I'll come with you. It's stuffy in here." I tanned myself and poured more drinks for the middle aged men stood in front of me.

X

When the 15 minutes was up, Joaquin and I got Peaches to serve the drinks and we went out back through the break room. "So Topaz how's it going with your girl?" He asked me. "It's good. I think I love her man." I smiled to him. "That's great, I'm glad to see you happy." He chuckled. "Hey thanks man." I shoved his shoulder lightly.

"Coming back in?" He asked me after he threw his cigarette to the ground and stood on it. "I'm gonna stay out here for a couple more minutes, I need the fresh air." I told him. "Sure thing Topaz, break ends in 5 though." He winked and walked back into the bar.

"Well well, if it isn't Antoinette Topaz." I heard a menacing voice from behind me. I turned around swiftly with my switchblade in hand. "You won't need that. Put down the blade." She sighed. "Penny Peabody? What the fuck are you doing here?" I growled.

"I came to find you. I need you to do a job for me, you still owe me a favour remember." She laughed. "I don't owe you shit. I'm no drug runner!" I began to get pissed. "Well you will be. See Toni you were always a tough nut to crack. We never had leverage, you were always strong." She smirked at me. "So?" I questioned.

"Sooo. Imagine my surprise when my boys told me that we finally have something to threaten you with." She chuckled. "You haven't got shit Peabody. Stay the fuck out of Riverdale and leave me alone." I began to turn and walk back into the bar.

"Cheryl Blossom." I heard her say lowly. I stopped in my tracks and turned towards her. "I know for a fact that she's in your trailer alone right now, I have boys surrounding it. Either you do as I say, or my gang will have to pay her a little visit." She smiled innocently.

"Fine! Fine. What do you want me to do?" I gave in. "Ha. Knew you'd crack. Meet me by my usual hangout tonight at 1." I nodded my head. "If I do this, you don't touch Cheryl." I threatened. She held her hands up. "You do the job, your girl is safe." She said. "All snakes have a soft underbelly Topaz. She's yours." She winked and walked away from the bar.

I shook my head and turned back towards the door, reaching for the handle before it opened in front of me. "Joaquin you scared the shit out of me, god." I laughed. "Yeah it's not me you should be scared of Toni." He narrowed his eyes at me. "You heard that?" I questioned. "Every bit of it. I'm coming with you tonight, okay?" I began to protest but realised it was no use, so I just nodded my head and agreed.

X

Once my shift was over, I made my way back to my trailer to see Cheryl for a little while before I had to meet Penny. "Hey baby I'm home." I smiled as I saw her sitting on the couch, completely unharmed. "Hey! I missed you TT." She lunged towards me and wrapped herself around me. "Heh, I missed you too. But..." I began and her bottom lip stuck out a little.

"I need to go somewhere with the boys a little later, it's serpent business. I'll be back by around 4 latest. I promise." I smiled to her. "Fine." She stuck out her bottom lip and crossed her arms. "Hey we can spend all day together tomorrow yeah? How does that sound?" I reasoned. She giggled and nodded her head. "It doesn't mean I'll not miss you tonight though." She kissed my cheek and pulled me onto the couch.

"Can we cuddle before you go?" She asked. I checked my watch and still had another hour before I had to set off to meet Penny, so I agreed and we sat and watched TV together.

X

The clock got to 12:30 and I knew that I'd have to set off soon to get there in time. "Hey princess I need to go." I mumbled into the sleepy girls neck. "Nooo 5 more minutes." She held tighter to me and cuddled in further. "Baby I can't, I'll be here in the morning when you wake up." I smiled to her. She just stared at me, she didn't say a word. She sat there for a good minute just looking into my eyes, so I broke the silence first.

"What's wrong?" I asked gently while caressing her cheek. "I love you Toni." She beamed. "I love you too babygirl." I smiled to her. I pulled her in for a long kiss, her tongue began to move against mine, encouraging me even more to just stay, but I knew I couldn't.

I pulled away hastily. "I need to go now princess. You can wear one of my shirts to bed, leave the lamp on for when I come in yeah?" I smiled as I pressed one last kiss to her soft lips. "Okay baby, see you in the morning." She wrapped her arms around me and smiled before pulling away and walking into my bedroom.

X

I opened my trailer door to once again be met with Joaquin. "Ready to become Penny's bitch?" He rolled his eyes. "Hey I'm doing this to protect my girl." I huffed and threw myself on to my bike. Our bikes rumbling filled all of Sunnyside, so before anyone could question our destination, we set off towards the Ghoulie hangout.

X

Once we arrived, Penny was sitting on a torn up couch, next to an open fire. "Well well well, Topaz definitely has a soft spot. She actually showed." Penny smirked. "What's he doing here?" She questioned, once Joaquin stepped out of the shadows behind me, into the light coming from the fire. "I'm just here to help Topaz on her run." He huffed and played with his rings, while we waited to be assigned whatever illegal activity that Penny had in mind.

"Her run? Oh." Penny began to chuckle. "That's what you think you're here for?" She finished. "Well yeah. What else would I be here for Penny? This is how you do these favours." I rolled my eyes. "Sure, that's how I used to do my favours, howeverrrr..." She dragged out. "It's gonna be a little different this time Pinkie." She snarled.

"What do you mean?" I questioned. "Well Topaz, since the last time we met you helped Jones slice off my Serpent tattoo and then didn't show for your 'favour', I had something else in mind." She smirked. "What? You expecting me to sit and ink you?" I laughed.

"Nope. BOYS GRAB THEM BOTH." She screamed before a bunch of Ghoulies came at Joaquin and I from all angles. "I decided that maybe, I could hurt you and your girlfriend." She smirked again.

"You said you wouldn't lay a fucking finger on Cheryl! I showed didn't I? Leave her the fuck alone!" I screamed while trying to drag my way out of the hands of the Ghoulies. "Oh don't you worry Pinkie, we won't hurt her physically." She chuckled. "But having the love of her young life go missing? God that'll sting won't it." My eyes began to well with tears. "Penny I'll do anything you want, I'll be your drug runner for the next 10 years! Just please let me go back to my girl." I began blubbering, knowing that it was no use and Penny had already made up her mind.

X

Next thing I knew, Malachai shoved a bag over Joaquin's head and I had the same treatment from Penny, before being roughly thrown into the back of the van that was parked next to us.