A/N: Sorry for the delay dolls! This chapter kicked my ass! I cannot wait to hear all of your thoughts on it and hopefully my one shots kept you entertained in the interim. Looking forward to the next two Negan centric episodes of TWD... And please don't forget to join Negan's Thirst Squad on Tumblr! We'll all help each other through the loooong winter hiatus! A big special thank you to Ashton and Sam for their made beta skills! Xoxo J

Doing "girly shit" with Sherry was an adventure in and of itself. Growing up with brothers, Lila had never really had the experience of a spa day. After hours of scrubbing, plucking and pinning up her hair, Lila felt like she was getting ready for a movie premiere, not an execution. In the apocalypse, the two events were one and the same she supposed. She tried to hold onto the strange sense of normalcy grooming brought-enjoying the mani/pedi she was currently receiving from one of the other wives.

"It's all about red. He fucking loves red. Drives him wild. Like a bull in a china shop," the woman said as she meticulously added a second coat of the blood red polish to Lila's hand.

Sherry snorted. "He's a man. Of course, it drives him wild."

The three women laughed for a moment before Amber walked in, a hand cocked on her hip.

"What's the color for tonight?" she asked.

Sherry looked over to the other woman before meeting Amber's gaze. "Three guesses," she quipped.

Lila looked between them confused before they all chimed in unison. "Red," and then giggled.

"I'll tell the others," Amber said, as she left the room without acknowledging Lila.

Sherry picked up an emery board and began filing her nails.

"Ok so I'm thoroughly confused," Lila said.

Sherry looked up. "Sorry, Lila...sometimes I forget that you're so new. Whenever Negan does a big event where we all gather, he asks that us wives present a united front. He's a showman...so it goes beyond our normal requirement of looking "hot as fuck," as he puts it. He wants us all to wear the same color dresses..and tonight's color of choice is red. As Tami here said earlier, it's his favorite."

"I see. Well, my wardrobe is somewhat limited," she replied.

Sherry touched her forearm and shook her head, her mouth in a rare full smile. "Not anymore. As soon as your nails are dry, we're headed to the vault."

An hour and a half later, after their nails had dried and a light lunch of cucumber and tomato salad was consumed, Sherry escorted Lila outside the main living quarters and down the hall, sort of near where Negan had taken her up on the roof.

"This area is off limits, unless Negan gives permission. He and I are the only ones with keys. As a wife, you'll never want for anything, but he loves to make you ask for things. I think he likes feeling needed," Sherry said.

Lila noticed that it was much easier to see during the day, with several large skylights letting in a liberal amount of natural light.

Sherry produced a set of keys and opened the doors to a very large room- it had to be thirty feet wide, filled to the brim with women's clothing, shoes, makeup, and jewelry. Or, as Negan had put it, "girly shit." It was as if an entire shopping mall had been unloaded in front of them.

"This is insane," Lila whispered.

Sherry answered with a tiny laugh,"This is Negan."

The room had a couch and a couple of chairs in the middle, along with a small, raised platform and full-length mirror. There was a large rectangular skylight, bathing the room in natural light.

Lila ran her fingertips over the intricate beadwork of an evening gown that cost as much as a car in the old world. "This is a beautiful, if not completely unnecessary."

Sherry snorted, trying to suppress her laughter.

"Don't let him hear you say that. He loves this shit. Obviously there's a power to it..I mean look at him, he's always impeccable. Image matters. But this...it's like...not only does he get to show off us, and how we look... but I think deep down...if there is beauty in this world...in whatever form...I think it gives him hope," she mused.

Lila looked at Sherry. For all of the complications of her relationship with Negan, she seemed to understand him, even if she didn't love him or even really like him all that much.

"I get it... It's just overwhelming. Obviously I like feeling feminine, but that was never...a priority, even before. I grew up with older brothers in a greasy garage. My mother died when I was seven...I never really did the whole "girly" thing," she said.

Sherry squeezed her arms, blinking back memories of her tomboyish sister.

"Well, no time like the present. Besides, who wouldn't want to wear a dress that costs more than a Honda Civic?" She laughed, holding up the most garish bedazzled monstrosity in the room.

Lila giggled. "Thank goodness it's not red!"

Sherry had tears streaming down her face from laughing so hard.

"Come on, I know the inventory in here like the back of my hand. Let's find you some actual clothes and something that will piss off Amber because you look so much better than her."

Lila laughed nervously as Sherry began piling clothes onto the couch.

After two hours of raiding the closet, the girls had found Lila several outfits, shoes, some new lingerie, and a red dress that was guaranteed to make a statement. Sherry saw Lila's scars, but didn't say anything. She could only imagine where they were from, and was glad Negan had seen past them. All of the pieces Lila chose covered them up well.

"I have the perfect pair of shoes for that dress in my room," Sherry said. "Besides, we'll probably be back up here tomorrow looking for your wedding dress. You can always find more shoes then."

"Next time we come down here, we need some music," Lila said.

"And alcohol," Sherry said, as they walked back to the apartment with their arms full of clothes.

Lila turned to Sherry just before they were in earshot of the guard. "Thank you for today... for everything."

She responded with a small smile and squeezed Lila's hand before squaring her shoulders. It reminded Lila a little of Negan mentally preparing whenever he stepped out into the sanctuary.

###

Sherry ushered Lila into her room when they returned to the apartment. Negan was still out, and she didn't want to deal with any of the drama that would come from the others seeing that Lila had been living in Negan's suite.

As wife number one, Sherry's room was nearly as spacious as Negan's bedroom, minus the office area. Lila was surprised she had her own en-suite bathroom.

"I have the best room out of all of the wives. The beauty of being first, I guess." Sherry explained as she took Lila's hair out of the pin curls they had set earlier in the day.

Lila nodded. "I'm not sure where I'm supposed to be yet...he said something about moving my stuff up here, not that I have much...but now all this."

"Don't worry. You can leave your stuff in here until we get it sorted. He just keeps building onto the apartment. Pretty soon it will just be the whole damn upper floor," Sherry laughed.

The two women spent the next few minutes picking through their clothes, looking for the perfect lingerie to go under their dresses.

"That. For sure," Sherry said, as Lila held up a black lace push up bra and matching pair of lace panties.

Sherry was wearing a super tight fitted cocktail dress with a low back, so she didn't even bother with a bra.

"Ugh... I can't breathe..." She protested as she shimmed the dress into place. "I can't wait to be back here and in something else."

"But you look fantastic," Lila offered.

"Thanks. It's nice to have someone to get ready with, who doesn't drive me insane. Now, let's get you ready. You're the one who is going to be the center of attention, after all."

Lila frowned at the thought as she changed in the bathroom.

"I need help with the buttons," Lila called out before opening the door.

"I'll help you with the buttons, doll," came the husky reply of Negan as he stepped into the bathroom behind her. He placed a series of kisses across the back of her neck and exposed shoulder blade.

Lila smiled at his reflection in the mirror as his eyes hungrily took in her figure, hugged by the fiery red silk of her gown.

"Oh...my... goodness... You look stunning, sweetheart." He grinned as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I should just throw you over my shoulder right now...and..."

"Negan! I swear to Christ if you wrinkle her..." Sherry barked through the door.

Lila laughed softly as she turned in his arms, running her palms up the wide expanse of his chest. She cupped his stubbled cheek, tracing the outline of his dimples.

"You look pretty damn handsome yourself, sir," she whispered.

Negan was wearing a black fitted dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. It looked like it had been tailored to fit him, along with his grey jeans and boots. She could smell the spicy leather overtones of his scent as she nuzzled the small patch of skin exposed at the base of his neck.

"I'm nervous. To be the center of attention," Lila mumbled.

Negan tipped her face upward, his gaze intense. "You just follow my lead, beautiful. I promise I'll do all the heavy lifting." He smiled softly, placing a quick kiss on her forehead.

Lila smiled. If she focused only on him, she would get through being the center of attention for a couple of days.

###

The wives congregated in the parlor, waiting for Negan to emerge from his office. He had left Lila in Sherry's capable hands after being scolded for messing up her lipstick. He had laughed as Sherry furiously scrubbed at his face, erasing all evidence that he had spent the last fifteen minutes making out with Lila in Sherry's bathroom like a lovesick teenager.

Negan opened the door to his office, holding a red shopping bag from Cartier.

"Ladies, you all look absolutely fucking perfect. I'm a lucky son of a bitch. I can't wait to get out there and make sure everyone sees how goddamn beautiful you all look tonight."

The women immediately cheered and cooed as he called them each by name, handing over a piece of jewelry he had selected personally.

Sherry smiled as she twisted a simple trinity band on her right finger. "I have to admit, he knows me too well."

He saved Lila for last, his eyes hiding emotion he didn't want to share with her in front of everyone else.

"Turn around, doll," he said with a smile.

Lila felt the cool metal of the delicate platinum chain as it circled her neck. The other women gasped as they took in the size of the emerald-cut diamond at the center of the Art Deco design. Amber felt a pang of jealousy as everyone admired Lila. What bothered her most was the way Negan was looking at her. In all the time she had been at the sanctuary, she had never seen him look at anyone like that…with devotion.

Negan turned Lila towards a mirror as he looked over her shoulder. "Knew it would be perfect."

"Thank you," she smiled, as she squeezed his hand. "It's beautiful, overwhelming, and absurd."

He let out a full belly laugh, surprising the other wives.

"Hmm...just like me," he said before offering her his arm, as they walked out into the guarded hallway and onto the elevator.

When they arrived on the mezzanine level, Sherry walked beside Lila, explaining how they would enter the great room. Negan would enter first, and then would announce that the wives were joining everyone tonight. Lila would enter first, so he could announce their engagement, before the others would file in reverse order, with Sherry being the last to enter.

They all had seats around Negan, almost like a royal box at a tournament. Lila would be seated to his left, and Sherry to his right.

"Not that Negan will spend much time in his seat," she added.

Just before they reached the catwalk above the gathered masses, Negan turned to Lila with a grin.

"Almost forgot to give you these," he said, handing her a pristine white pair of opera length gloves.

Lila looked at him, slightly confused. Her outfit was already over the top. She looked like a golden age Hollywood Starlet in the middle of the fucking apocalypse.

"Trust me, doll," he whispered before giving her a wink.

I wonder what he has planned, she thought.

###

Lila and the others were just out of sight, watching as Negan walked out onto the overlook, surveying the crowd with a grin before continuing down the metal staircase with Lucille balanced carefully on his shoulder. It was strange to see him without his signature leather jacket, but in a fitted black dress shirt he looked just as deadly and handsome.

The gathered residents of the factory immediately became silent, falling to their knees as Negan made his grand entrance.

After a moment, he waved his hands, indicating they should rise.

"Alright! Let's get started!" Negan said with a grin.

"This week, was a productive damn week! I want to thank all of you for your hard work. This shit isn't easy. But when we work together, and follow the fucking rules, we all win, and the rules keep us alive!" he said, as he walked in front of the crowd.

"What happens?" he asked.

"We all win!" the crowd chanted back. "The rules keep us alive!"

He paused his pacing, grinning widely at the enthusiastic response.

"Goddamn right!" he barked, as a red metal chair was placed under a spotlight in the center of the large space.

There was a murmur throughout the crowd as speculation filled the room. Sherry ushered Lila to start walking down the metal staircase, which was partially obscured from the crowd. Amber followed her, along with the other wives. Lila stopped and waited for the signal from Negan that she should continue.

"You look really pretty, Lila," Amber whispered in her ear, making her jump. She hadn't realized how close she was.

"Now, we have some business to handle. But first, I want to introduce you to someone. As most of you know, my ass got stuck in the elevator last week. That shit was not cool...not cool. However, there was a silver lining. I met a beautiful little firecracker named Lila. She was stuck with me all night, and well...me being me... I am who I am."

Soft laughter traveled through the crowd as Negan paused to grin and waggle his eyebrows. He made note of a few sour faces, probably the bitches who gave her a hard time at breakfast, he thought.

"Now, Lila also happens to be one of our best mechanics. She is one of the reasons our Saviors have been able to keep traveling further on runs and pickups. So, I want you all to give my newest fiancée a warm welcome!" he said as he walked over to the staircase.

Lila descended the stairs to the sound of applause and cheers, keeping her eyes trained on Negan. She was three steps from the bottom when she felt her ankle catch on something.

There was a collective gasp from the crowd as Negan leapt forward and caught her in his arms before she landed face first against the concrete floor. Lila's could feel her heart pound as she continued staring into his shocked eyes. After a pregnant pause, Negan broke into a huge grin, chuckling to conceal his alarm.

"Well, as you can see, she's positively head over heels for me! Aren't you, babydoll?" He laughed, twirling her around before setting her on her feet.

Nervous laughter echoed through the crowd as Negan kissed her hand and escorted her over to her chair.

Amber held out her hand for Negan as she reached the bottom of the stairs, hiding her disdain when he declined to take it, choosing to move on to expedite the arrival of the others.

When they were all seated, Negan smiled. "Am I not the luckiest man in the world? I have the most beautiful wives left on this planet. And they all chose to be with me. Why? Because I keep my promises. Well, that and my giant fucking monster of a dick."

Lila chuckled and rolled her eyes, grateful that her back was to the crowd.

"But...I almost had someone make a liar out of me. And as you all know, I may be a lot of things, but I am not a goddamn liar! Bring him out!" he yelled as he paced towards the red chair in the center of the floor.

Lila watched as Simon and one of the other Saviors dragged a bound and gagged Gino into the hall, throwing him down onto the red metal chair. They made quick work of tying his legs to the chair before backing away, leaving him alone in the center of the room.

Gino's eyes widened as he took in the gathered crowd.

Negan's eyes were wild as he pointed at Gino with Lucille. "This motherfucker right here...tried to make a LIAR out of me by breaking the rules. The rules here are pretty fucking simple. You don't touch anyone without their permission. THIS FUCKER got drunk on the job and decided to assault his co-worker...who also happens to be my SUPER HOT fiancée! Now...Lila, being the firecracker that she is, shut that shit down and beat the ever loving shit out of him. Didn't you, darlin?"

"Yes, sir!" she replied, unable to control her smile as Negan looked at her with darkened eyes.

Gino's gaze narrowed when he saw Lila all dolled up, sitting pretty with Negan's wives.

Negan closed the distance between him and Gino in seconds. "How does it feel to be beat to shit by a super hot girl who happens to be an infinitely better mechanic than you?"

Gino struggled and murmured against the gag in his mouth.

"It was a rhetorical question, numb nuts." Negan rolled his eyes. "Heh, you're gonna wish your nuts were numb in a minute..."

Lila watched with fascination as Negan pantomimed a couple of practice swings with Lucille. Gino's eyes bugged out of his head as he realized what was about to transpire. He began screaming and hyperventilating against the gag, pleading with his eyes.

"Jesus.." Negan muttered before removing Gino's gag.

"Get ahold of yourself and breathe, fucker..."

Gino gulped and gasped as he stared at Lila.

"I think you owe the lady an apology." Negan leaned over. "Lila! Get up here doll! I think Gino's gonna finally man up."

Lila exhaled a shaky breath as she stood from her chair and walked to the center of the room, taking Negan's offered hand. Gino looked up at her, standing there like some Hollywood starlet.

"I'm sorry, Lila...I'm sorry I didn't kill you the other day!" he barked. There was a gasp from the crowd. "I'm sorry you think you're too good for everyone else, I'm sorry you couldn't keep your mouth shut like the others-"

Her gloved fist connected furiously with his face before he could continue his tirade. Blood flew from his nose and splattered across the concrete as she hit him over and over. Lila grabbed his face, crushing his cheeks between her gloved fingers.

"The others? What others?! You piece of shit!" Lila turned to look at the assembled crowd, her eyes wild.

"Who else was violated by this fucker?!" Negan's voice bellowed. "Come forward now!"

Three women tentatively walked forward, shaking and frightened. They were from different work groups, all lower on the pay scale.

Negan was absolutely fuming inside, but carefully schooled his features so as not to cause further damage to these women.

Gino spit in their direction, sending Lila into a rage. She slapped him across the face before pushing the chair backwards.

"Get him up..." Negan motioned to Simon. Gino's mouth was gagged again as they repositioned the chair.

The three women looked at the ground as Negan paced around the scene, the tendons in his arms flexing as his grip on Lucille, and his temper, tightened.

He closed his eyes as he exhaled slowly.

When his eyes opened again, Gino gasped at the look of serenity on Negan's face. He had figured he was a dead man before, but now he knew whatever Negan had in store for him was so much worse than death.

Negan stepped forward, addressing the three women.

"Well, this certainly has been an illuminating evening. Ladies, I am terribly sorry that you were violated by this piece of shit here. I truly am. But I have to ask...did you report what happened to you to anyone?"

Two of the women shook their heads silently. The third looked at Negan, with tears in her eyes.

"I reported it to my section leader, Martin. They moved me to another sleeping area," she said softly.

Negan put his hand on her shoulder. "Thank you."

With a single glance at Simon, two saviors grabbed Martin and pulled him forward, dropping him on his knees next to Gino.

"Negan...I'm sorry... I didn't want to bother you...I..." Martin blubbered.

"BOTHER ME? You think reporting a rapist in our midst would have been an inconvenience to my day, Martin? I want you to look very carefully. I see four women here who were most certainly BOTHERED by your lack of action, Martin. Lucille though, Lucille is downright furious!"

Negan cracked him across the temple, the blow sending blood and teeth skirting across the floor. His breath quickened as he beat Martin's head in, splatter landing on Gino as he watched on in horror.

Lila had moved to stand out of the way with the other women. They flinched as each blow landed on Negan's former housing supervisor. She could see the burden written on Negan's face as he turned to address the crowd.

"Let me be clear. . ! You do not touch someone without their consent! If you see someone taking advantage of someone else...you report that shit immediately! The rules keep us alive! The rules keep us safe. You fail to act, you endanger others! Gino here is going to be a prime fucking example of what not to do. But, before we promote him to his new position as a cautionary tale, I'd like to give each of these women here a free swing with Lucille."

Negan bowed slightly as he held out his prized bat to one of the women standing behind Lila.

"Just don't hit him in the head," he muttered.

Lila watched as the petite woman swung Lucille with all her might, hitting Gino directly in the groin. He yowled in pain against his gag. Consider yourself lucky it isn't Negan swinging, she thought.

The other two women repeated the action, before handing her the weapon. Lila chocked up on the bat, just like her brothers had taught her, and let out a yell as she swung hard. The blow landed in his lap, adding to the bloody mess in his pants. She fought tears as she hit him again twice in the chest.

"Lila..." Negan's voice pulled her back before she could swing again.

She froze before landing another blow, handing Lucille back to him.

"Tell Carson to cauterize the wound before stringing him up. And make sure he's high up on that fence. I want him alive for as long as possible." Negan ordered as Simon and the others dragged Gino away.

"Ladies... If you ever feel unsafe... I want you to come to me, or to Simon or to Dwight. We will shut that shit down, no exceptions! Now, how about a round of applause for my bad ass fiancée here?" he said as he held up Lila's gloved hand. The white of her gloves was covered in blood, dripping like an abstract painting off the fabric.

Lila blushed as the community cheered for her enthusiastically.

"Now that shit is settled... Tomorrow we'll have ourselves a good ol time, after Lila and I make it official. Work hard so we call all play hard! I'll see you all here tomorrow," he drawled, dismissing the crowd.

Amber watched as Negan lead Lila back up towards the penthouse. Amber, Sherry, and the rest of the wives followed behind silently. Negan's eyes didn't leave Lila as they exited the elevator and walked into the parlor. It was as if nothing or no one else existed, as the palm of his hand rested on the small of her back. Her attempt to trip Lila on the stairs had backfired horribly. She could only hope Lila had thought it was the long train of her dress or her own clumsiness.

Negan cared for Lila in a way Amber had never seen, perhaps except for how he treated Lucille.

Breaking them up was going to be more difficult than she had originally thought. But this new information could be exploited. If Amber could convince Negan that Lila didn't feel the same way, he would go back to mindlessly fucking all of them. She would just have to wait for her moment.

The last thing she saw, before Negan's office door shut, was Negan, carefully pulling off Lila's bloodied gloves before sucking on each of Lila's fingers tenderly.

"Leave them alone," Sherry's voice startled her.

Amber turned around and looked at Sherry pointedly.

"I have no idea what you mean," she said, before stalking away to her room.

###

Lila's breath hitched as Negan looked at her hungrily. She stood frozen as he tugged off her bloody gloves, his tongue circling each finger with precision.

"You were magnificent, sweetheart," he whispered. "I really had no idea how all of that was going to play out…it was certainly more fucked up of a situation than I had originally thought."

Lila felt her heart swell as Negan continued to remove her gloves. When he had completed his task, he clasped her hands at the level of his chest and bent down to kiss the inside of her wrists.

She smiled as she broke his grip, resting his jaw in the palms of her hands. He closed his eyes as she stroked her thumbs across his cheeks, playing with the soft hair that hid faint smile lines near his mouth. Lila thought he looked beautiful, if not physically and mentally exhausted.

His public mask had slipped away as soon as they were behind closed doors.

"I know I promised you a negotiation..." he began.

Lila stood on her tiptoes and interrupted him with a swift kiss to his lips.

"We'll take care of it tomorrow. Tonight, let me take care of you," she said as she pulled him back into the bedroom.

Her fingers deftly unbuttoned his dress shirt, revealing the warm, muscular expanse of his chest as she pulled the fabric apart. She trailed open mouthed kisses down the center of his torso, looking up with a coy smile when she reached his belt line.

"Let's take a shower, doll," he purred.

Lila hummed in agreement as he slipped one of the straps of her dress off the slope of her shoulder, his lips trailing across her collarbone.

He smirked as he repeated the action on the other side, his lip curling in amusement. "You aren't ever going to wear this dress again, right?"

Lila laughed as she shook her head. "It's not very practical."

Negan grinned with delight as he roughly tugged at the back of her dress, popping all of the buttons as the red silk tore beneath his grip. His breath hitched as the dress fell away, revealing a sheer black lace bra and panties.

"Mmm, all wrapped up like the perfect gift, sweetheart."

Lila couldn't help but giggle as his eyes twinkled. She loved how Negan seemed to shed his burdens as more of their clothing fell to the floor. He pulled her against his naked frame, letting his fingers trace along the curve of her spine.

"Negan!" Lila squealed as he suddenly pulled her into a bear-hug and lifted her off he ground, carrying her into the bathroom.

He set her down, unhooking her strapless bra with one hand. Lila blushed as he looked her up and down, licking his lips while reaching in to turn on the shower.

"I still can't believe you have hot water..."

Negan chuckled. "You know I've got everything you need, sugar."

Lila stroked the length of his hardened shaft, earning a deep growl from Negan. He buried his mouth against the column of her neck as they stepped into the warm cascade of water. She moaned as he ran his fingers across her slit, nudging her open until he found her clit, swollen and aching.

"Mmmm…Negan. Take what you need," she muttered against his chest.

He smiled as he pressed her against the cool tile wall, hitching her legs around his ass.

"Fuckity fuck, fuck, you feel so damn good wrapped around my cock," his face contorted with pleasure as he pushed into her wet heat. Their bodies slid against the slick tile, with Negan bracing his forearm against the wall for support. Lila arched against him, her arms tightening around his neck as she came apart.

"Negan! Fuck me…" Lila gasped.

He grunted as he pulled out abruptly, the evidence of his release trailing down her legs.

Lila wrapped her arms around his waist, listening to his heart as they came down from their high.

"Come on, doll, let's soap up and rinse off before the water goes cold," he said, kissing the top of her head. It would seem he was breaking every self imposed rule with her now, yet all he could think about was falling asleep with her curled around him.

###

Negan woke up in a cold sweat with his heart beating out of his chest. After their shower, Lila had remained true to her word, taking care of him two more times before he had passed out, boneless and breathless from their intense lovemaking.

Lovemaking. Not fucking, he mused as he rubbed his hand across his face.

He couldn't remember much of the nightmare that had roused him, other than he was chasing Lucille through a foggy mist, and she kept repeating, "I told you so…"

Lila was curled around his side, her face pressed into his chest. Her dark hair fell in waves across his arm, her cheeks were flushed, and her lips were swollen from his kisses. She looked like snow fucking white. During the meeting, she had been so brave, and fierce. He couldn't believe how she had handled Gino, and the look in her eyes when Gino had revealed there were others was something to behold. She seemed determined to seek justice for them as much as for herself.

"I told you so."

Lucille's words filled his head. He had broken his last promise to her. Lila had found her way into his heart, and it scared the ever loving shit out of him.

Just as he began to drift back to sleep, the loud crackle of his walkie talkie broke the silence.

"…Operation alpha is in play…"

"Simon…what is it?" His voice was full of sleep.

"We have the targets in sight, sir. We should have full custody by day's end." The transmission was full of static but the message was clear. Negan would finally be able to bring the fuckers who raided his outpost to task.

Negan gently moved Lila off his chest and sat up.

"I'll meet you at the primary waypoint. Tell Dwight not to fuck this up."

"Copy that, boss." Simon replied.

Negan got dressed as quickly as possible, stepping into the bathroom to comb his hair and fold his scarf. First impressions were important. He had to be every ounce of the intimidating leader these people believed to be the monster under their bed.

When he returned to the bedroom, Lila was still fast asleep. He didn't have the heart to wake her, and he wasn't sure how she would feel about the delay in their negotiations or wedding plans.

He stepped into the office and scrawled a quick note to her, leaving it on the pillow.

Lila:

I'm sorry to run out on you, doll. Had to leave to attend to some urgent business.

Nothing to worry about. Sorry for wedding delay. Perhaps you can use today to draft your terms and conditions? Sherry will help you find a dress and anything else you need. Do not go work in the garage. I'll make it up to you when I get back. Be ready for me, baby.

Negan

The sky showed slivers of pre-dawn light as he grabbed Lucille and silently exited the apartment. Today would be a long ass day, but it's what he was built for and why he was in charge.

###