Ash’s pawnshop knowledge ran deep. Keeping the whiskey flowing was a costly endeavor and made it difficult for her mother to hold down a job, so Faye was always pawning something. Along the way Ash learned some valuable tips. Avoid corporate shops at all costs. They were much more selective and wouldn’t sell to anyone without an ID. The twenty-four-hour pawnshops were also a no-go. They paid much less than the others because they understood you were in a hurry. The smaller, less regulated shops were where they needed to go. If they waited another hour or two until they opened, they could hit up several at a time. The only problem was getting Nate to agree with her plan.

“No way. We’re not separating. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

Ash appreciated the chivalry but she wasn’t going to let it get in the way of making a better profit. “Nate, I’m telling you, if we try to sell this stuff together, these assholes are gonna offer us a bulk rate for everything. We want them to give us a price for each item. You can head downtown, hit up some shops near the bus station while I go to the ones in this area. We’ll cover more ground that way.”

Ash patted the switchblade she had tucked in the pocket of her jeans. “And you know I can handle myself and so can Freud.”

He shifted in his seat, staring down at his coffee. “If something happened to you, I mean, I got you into all this.”

“Fuck that. This isn’t your fault. How could you know Mo was a total psycho?”

Nate winced. “I should’ve known. I should’ve seen it. I was just so lost after we got separated. I thought Mo cared about us. I really thought she did.”

“And then I came along and wrecked it?” Ash said.

“No. You made me see who she really was, who they all were.”

“We know now. We’ll get out before it’s too late. But I need you to trust me.”

Nate leaned forward and kissed her. “We’ll do things your way then,” he said.

Ash wanted to stay right here with him, but the clock was ticking. They had to make that bus, and they needed money. Ash pulled away, and she downed the last of her coffee.

“You’ve got your list of shops, and I’ve got mine. We’ll meet at the bus station downtown when we’re done. The last bus to Taos leaves at four o’clock. Don’t be late and call if something changes,” she said, giving him one last kiss.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you too.” Ash led Freud out before she could change her mind. Ash’s first shop was a bust. Tucked into a back street behind Hollywood Boulevard, the first pawnshop owner was a nosy bitch, staring at Ash’s tattoos with disapproval, wanting to know why she was selling all this jewelry, asking how old she was and where her parents were. Of all the days Ash encountered someone who actually gave a shit, it had to be today.