Page 6 of Redemption

Beck shrugs. “I don’t mind.”

“Well, I’m gonna be a famous actress.”

“That’s cool. You sure are pretty enough to be in the movies.”

Beck always says nice things to me. “Mama says I can’t stay in Hope if I want to be in movies or on the TV. She said I’d have to move to a big city like Hollywood or New York. I told her I don’t mind ‘cuz I think livin’ in a big city would be fun. You could come with me, too. I bet we’d have lots of fun in the city.”

Beck’s eyebrows pull together. “I like living in Hope.”

“Me too, but I wanna see the whole world.”

“I bet you’ll be super famous, Pres.”

I smile. “I can’t wait to be a grown-up. You just wait and see, Beckett Armstrong. I’ll be a big movie star and make lots of money so I can buy a big ol’ piece of land like this and tons of horses. You can be the rancher and take care of ‘em. Then, you and me can get married.”

Beck holds my hand, ‘cuz we do that sometimes. “Okay.”

Chapter Four

Presley

“Here we are.” My driver shifts the car into park.

He took me to a pawnbroker in the Bronx. I’ve never been to a place like this before—I’m not really sure how this is supposed to work.

Joey seems to sense my hesitancy, so he adds, “Just go in there and ask for Sal. Tell him Joey P sent you.”

I grab the handle to open my door, but before I exit the car, I ask, “Hey, I don’t suppose you’d mind waiting for me, would you? I’d be happy to compensate you after... well, if he gives me any money.”

“Sure thing.”

“Thank you.”

When I step inside the store, I’m surrounded by a mish-mash of items: guitars, bikes, various electronics and sports memorabilia, power tools, etcetera. Taking up the most real estate is a long glass counter filled with assorted jewelry. Geez, I’ve never seen so much stuff in such a small space before. It almost feels like I’m on an episode of Hoarders.

“You lookin’ for something in particular?”

Behind the counter stands a fifty-something man with a big, bushy mustache. Since he seems to be the only person around, I’m guessing he’s the one who spoke.

“Uh... I’m looking for Sal. Joey P sent me.”

The man gives me a warm smile, the gap between his front teeth somehow making it more enchanting. I’m so used to being surrounded by people obsessed with perfection; it’s nice to see someone real for once.

“Well, you’ve got him. Any friend of Joey’s is a friend of mine. What can I do for you?” When I lift my head, Sal’s brown eyes widen as he gets a good look at my face beneath the brim of my borrowed hat. “Whoa. You look like you’ve had better days. Shit. That was insensitive. How can I help you?”

I twist the bands on my finger, trying to focus on anything other than the pity in his eyes. “I have these rings, and... I... uh... I’d like to sell them.”

“C’mon over, let me have a look.” Sal motions me over as he grabs a diamond loupe from a drawer behind him and places it on the counter. He whistles when I drop the rings in his hand. “These real diamonds?” He places my engagement ring—the one with the largest stone—under the lens, not waiting for an answer. “Yep, they sure are. Damn, this is a quality piece. Flawless, if I’m not mistaken. A diamond this size has to retail for at least a hundred-K.”

I fidget while Sal takes his time inspecting each ring thoroughly. When he’s done, he places them on a little velvet-lined tray and looks up. “I gotta be honest with you; there’s no way I can give you even a fraction of what these babies are worth. I just don’t have that kind of cash flow. Have you considered trying to sell them privately?”

Tears prick at my eyes. “I can’t. I don’t have time for that. I need money now.” I lift my gaze and look him directly in the eye. “Please. Whatever you can give me. I need money to get home.”

I tell myself to hold still as his eyes travel over my face.

“The best I can do is ten-K.”

I blow out a breath. Ten thousand dollars will be plenty. I don’t even care that Sal’s offer is significantly below value. I’d donate those rings to a homeless shelter if I didn’t desperately need the cash.

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