Damaged Goods

Chapter 6- Not So Clean Getaway

Aria didn't know what to do, what to say; this entire situation was a disaster. Colin was involved in making and selling drugs, burglary, murder, possibly stalking her AND this Mason guy was going to send cronies out to kidnap and do God knows what with her?! Soap operas didn't even write shit this deep. She was sitting in the visitor's chair in Jason's room trying to come up with something intelligent to say. The more information she had the better she assumed, unless it was one of those "can't-tell-ya-or-I'd-have-to-kill-you" deals. Then she'd be screwed.

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Aria asked sceptically. If Colin was his friend, what would be his reasoning behind telling her all the juicy details? Maybe he's just trying to scare her. Maybe he is jacked up on too much morphine.

Jason sighed, "Because you don't deserve this, Aria. I tried to keep you out of this life while you were with Colin, but he thinks he's invincible and he's bringing innocent peoples' lives into this, I can't handle that. I'm telling you Aria because I don't want to wake up one morning and see you on a missing persons bulletin somewhere across town, knowing it could've been prevented." He paused momentarily to take a few deep breaths and take small sips of his water. "I understand it's overwhelming and you probably don't trust me for not telling you any of this until now, but please just be grateful I did. Check my tox screen, I was completely sober driving my bike. I was on my way over here to warn you after I heard Colin talking about it on the phone. Someone caught on and ran me off the road. Don't you see Aria?! Word is already getting out. You need to get the hell away from here. Just take all the money you can and run. Nothing traceable like cell phones, credit cards or bank accounts."

The severity of the situation was beginning to set in. Aria couldn't bring herself to do much other than stare blankly at the wall ahead of her. Safety. She had to get to safety. Where could she go? When she thought of being safe she thought of Marcus. No, she couldn't bring him into this. She would have to figure this out on her own... put on her big girl panties and grow up.

"I don't blame you, Jason. I'm thankful you told me at all. But why would they want anything to do with me? Colin I get, he's a bipolar asshole whose ego doesn't know the meaning of the word "rejection" but why the Mason guy? Who is he and why me?" Aria pondered aloud. It wasn't clicking in her mind why she'd be the target for such animosity. She was a nurse for Christ's sake!

"That's just it, Aria! Colin is infatuated with you, which causes enough problems of its own, but add Mason into the ordeal and you're in for a world of hurt. Gregory Mason is his actual name and he's the king-pen if you will. He funds all the manufacturing and manages the business, Colin's boss of sorts. I don't know why he felt the need to steal money from his own boss, but it wasn't smart; even less so killing Alexis. Mason wants you alive is the word on the street. Whether that's for ransom, payback, I'm not sure but you've got a target lit up on your forehead brighter than Time Square. He's got more resources than God himself and you're wasting time here rambling, you need to move!" Jason insisted.

Thanking Jason for the warning, Aria took off, running through the corridors to get to her SUV. This was all too real for her and she began second-guessing every shadow, every security camera on the way to the parking garage. She wasted no time running and jumping in the door to her car, just in case there was someone hiding in the garage or under her vehicle. Fumbling with the lock and keys in her ignition she yanked the car into gear and sped off through town to Matt's house to gather her things.

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She rushed around the small bedroom, throwing anything of significance into a suitcase, only keeping the necessities. Toothbrush, a few photos, clean clothes, everything was shoved into her bag. There was apparently no time for anything but the mandatory.