Page 31 of Clash
The man behind the counter greeted me with a toothless smile, his giant gold ring glinting in the low hanging overhead light. The place was dusty and dirty, and loud rock music played in the background, forcing Alex to cover his ears. Everywhere I looked, there were various pawned items, but the jewelry counter was right in front, manned by the obese man with shifty eyes.
His portly fingers drummed on the counter as I cautiously approached, tugging my ring off as I placed it in front of him.
“How much can I get for this?” I asked, knowing damn well that it was worth at least ten grand.
The man’s smile widened as he took the expensive ring, and he held it up to one of those eyeglasses as he examined the diamond and gold band. A lit cigarette was in his other hand, the red light on the end curling with smoke.
“Divorce?” he asked, coughing as he blew a cloud of white smoke out the side of his mouth after taking a long drag.
“Something like that.” His questions were annoying, and I was in a hurry. “How much will you give me for it?”
He laughed, placing the ring on the counter. “Well, I’m not going to give you what it’s worth, that’s for shit sure.” It was like his hair had never been washed, and a jar of gel had been used to get that raked back look that was loosely holding his dirty blonde locks in place. I could smell the stale smoke and decaying teeth from across the counter, and it took everything in me not to gag when he opened his mouth and the stench hit me.
“Fifteen hundred.”
I laughed in mockery. “Fuck that. It’s worth at least ten grand.”
“A thousand then.”
“Screw you,” I grumbled, grabbing the ring off the counter. “This is the most expensive thing in this store, and you just lost it.” I started to walk off, toting my son behind me. I hadn’t evenmade it to the door before I heard his phone chime and him clear his throat.
“Wait!” he shouted after me. “Fine, I’ll give you seven grand for it, but that’s the best I can do. A man’s got to make some money, and I got a customer looking for an expensive ring that would pay a pretty price for something so hefty.”
Turning around, I couldn’t hide my smile as I pointed at him. “You got yourself a deal.”
He wrote up the receipt and started to grab his check book.
There was no way in hell I could cash a check without Eric finding out. I needed cash, and I needed it now.
“I need cash,” I informed him.
His phone beeped again. I watched as he checked it, the slim smile on his face dwindling. Rolling his eyes, he fished out a few stacks of hundreds from a safe behind the counter, and slapped them on the table. “You’re lucky I haven’t made any deposits today, lady. Hope this gets you where you want to go.”
I counted through the bills, and smiled, knowing damn well it was enough for a plane ticket to Vegas or maybe even a shitty car.
“Thank you for your time. You won’t regret this.”
The man shook his head. “Whatever, lady. Have a nice day.”
The bell over the door chimed as we exited the place, but my happiness dwindled the second I walked out the door, all hope of escape gone.
He crossed his arms, glaring at me the second my eyes met his in defiance.
“Hello, Gina. Leaving so soon?”
12
I wasn’t at all surprised when my phone alerted me that the front door had been opened. Gina was definitely a flight risk; one I was still determined to help. What I didn’t prepare for was her leaving so suddenly. I noticed her admiring her finger, eyes focused on the ring, and if I had to guess, she was finally planning on pawning the damn thing. There was only one pawn shop near me, and Corky wasn’t known for being a standup guy. He was actually quite shady and had the tendency to deal in nefarious things. Not that I blamed him. Our club was notorious for similar ways of life, but I still didn’t trust the guy.
When I peeked in and overheard him trying to lowball her on the ring she was attempting to pawn, I sent him a quick text… one that was definitely for her benefit.
Clash: Stop being a dick, Corky. Buy her ring for a decent price, or be prepared for an impromptu visit from our club.
He didn’t respond, but his quick back track and sudden price increase showed he got the message. Corky was a smart man. He knew better than to cross a Lewd Outlaw. I wasn’t dumb. Thatring was worth a hefty sum, and seven thousand was more than fair for her.
He pulled out his check book, and I saw the panic in her eyes. She needed cash, not some check that was sure to bounce tomorrow.
Clash: Don’t be a dick, Corky. You got the cash, cough it up. Or else…
