𝐍𝐎 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 ➳ 𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝟐

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟰𝟭

"What?" Arthur questioned. Ruth was unsure whether he didn't hear her or if she was confused.

"It was Micah," she repeated but Arthur shook his head. The man removed himself from her, sitting up in confusion. Ruth sat up with him.

"No I heard you," Arthur explained. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"Micah was the one who killed David and attacked me," Ruth explained, lowering her voice. Ruth observed the anger that built up in his eyes. Ruth immediately grabbed his arm when he went to stand up from the cot. "No," she hissed at him. Arthur looked at her in disbelief.

"No? The bastard could have killed you!" Arthur argued back through his teeth, remembering to keep his voice low. "I'm going to kill him."

"No, you can't!" Ruth stopped him from going any further. "He said I can't tell anyone, he can't know that you know otherwise..." Ruth paused, hesitating to continue. She looked at Arthur and the look he had in his eyes was enough to know that he knew.

"He'll kill you," Arthur sighed, finishing her sentence. Arthur swung his legs over the edge of the cot, a foot tapping the floor as he held his head in his hands. Ruth stared at him for a moment before shuffling over to him, moving next to him.

"Arthur, I hate to say it but I think Dutch set Micah up to do it," Arthur immediately sat upright and shook his head at her, dismissing the idea from her.

"No, Dutch would never do something like that," Arthur corrected her, despite being wrong. Ruth's lips tugged down into a frown at the man who clearly didn't want to believe her. His head sunk back into his hands, his fingers sliding between strands of his brown hair.

"Really? He would never do something like that?" Ruth scoffed lightly, being careful not to make matters worse. "Did he not just kill Bronte in a fit of rage?" Ruth pointed out to him. "The look on his face when he walked in behind you Arthur... I know you didn't see it but you'll have to take my word. He had a look of superiority in his eyes. This will be because of what I said to him," She shook her head slowly, everything made sense. All of it. Dutch was pushing Cornwall further and further away because he wanted Ruth on his side for as long as possible in fear she would still turn him in. She confronted him about it and now he was attempting his revenge. Dutch believes she is going to turn Arthur against him.

"Just... stop. Please," Arthur grumbled. "I don't want to hear it," Ruth felt rage fill her by Arthur's ignorance. She understood it was hard for him but even Charles could see Dutch is changing.

"What do you want to hear? That Dutch is a good man?" Ruth hissed, sarcasm in her voice. Arthur looked at her in recoil at her remark. "He is responsible for this, Arthur," Ruth pointed to her head. "For David. He did all of that."

"We don't know that," Arthur tried to compromise. Ruth turned fully around to face him direct, causing the man to look up knowing he was going to get his head ripped in.

"We? No, you don't know that. I do!" Ruth argued with him. "This is just the first of what he's going to do to me! I worked him out faster than he could work himself out and that intimidates him."

"What did you tell Hosea?" Arthur asked, stopping her from her debate. Ruth blinked a few times.

"That it was a strange man wearing a hood," Ruth answered him briefly, not wanting to give him the full fake story.

"Then it'll stay as that, for now at least. Now, we don't talk about what happened again," Arthur grunted. He finally looked at her, his eyes fierce. "Okay? It's for the best," he noted. Ruth was reluctant to nod but eventually agreed. "Come here," he muttered, opening his arms to her. Ruth wiggled over to him, accepting his hug. Ruth felt his hand stroke the back of her head comfortingly. The man sighed before speaking again. "It's been rough few days for you. But tomorrow one of those issues are going to be put to an end. Javier told me when I got back," Arthur explained quietly.