Scarlet Springs (Ari Levinson) AU - 18+

19

Margot

I wake, feeling the other side of the bed empty and rolling over to find that Ari isn't there. It's 8am so he's probably gone to open the office.

I get up and make my way out the bedroom, hearing him in the office talking and then heading to the door to see whether he needs any help, however I stop dead as I reach it, the conversation I overhear making my blood run cold.

"So...regardless of our stripper not being sighted, you still on the lookout anyway? Only coz her boyfriend is contacting everyone, upping the reward money by another few thousand...we need to reconsider this". I hear the voice of the man he's talking to now say.

Wait...what?

"It's not worth it - she ran and we know she's hiding. Where? Fuck knows but she's not passed through here. She'd probably be in a city with a load of people where she could blend in - for all we know she may have even left the damn country". Ari replies to him.

There's a sigh from the other guy. "Good point, how can a fucking stripper be the worlds best hide and seek champion? Any other bounty we'd have wrapped up by now, but this one? It's a lot of money and a lot of players wanting that reward. We'd be set, and you could finally move outta this shit pit".

I feel like I might throw up. He is a bounty hunter...and from everything that I've heard, he's after me. I'm confused. Is he keeping me here to bide time for Davy's arrival to drag me back? Has he lied to me about everything else, just so he can get close enough before handing me over.

I feel betrayed. I thought I could trust him, but now it seems like I can trust no one. There has to be a mistake. He just told the other guy I could have got on a plane and left?

I don't understand. I need answers but I need to do it tactfully. Once I have them, I'll run. No matter what. I can't stay in Scarlet Springs no matter how much I thought that I could settle.

"Look, we've got a one in a whatever chance of actually being the ones to find her. In my opinion she's hopped on a plane and made for wherever. It's been so long, and you when cases like this have lasted this long that it's gonna be a needle in a haystack situation. I want the money as much as you do, but I think we need to throw the towel in on this".

He's all but confirmed he wants the money they have for my return, even if he's also saying they need to stop looking. Then again I don't know what Ari's agenda could be when it comes to this guy. He could be trying to throw him off to take the bounty for himself.

The stab in my heart is more painful as the knife twists more and more.

"Guess you're right. I'm gonna head back anyway. There's a couple of other cases I'm gonna look through, see if they're worth something. Probably a hell of a lot easier than stripper girl".

On this I quickly and quietly return to the bedroom. Everything has to be normal, no matter how much I'm hurting.

First I need to see just whether Ari has anything on me, and if he does? That's when I know that I need to run.

**

The next few days I'm on edge, but lie and say that since the diner incident I'm just on high alert. Ari reassures me that no one will hurt me.