A DESPERATE THIEF AND FIFTY GOLD COINS

I slammed the bag of jewelry I had stolen hard on the counter as I glared up at Garrett who was busy counting gold coins.

"Hey, Neesa!" Garrett greeted his face morphing into a wild smile, "I didn't think you'd make it but here you are, in one piece!" Garrett's eyes roamed up and down my body checking to see if I sustained any injury.

I rolled my eyes at him, getting angry. "Next time, fetch your goddamn stone yourself!"

"Alright, easy now love," Garrett says raising his hands in mock surrender but then he leans down with a serious look on his face. "So did you get it?"

I scoffed at him in disbelief before I reached for the pouch tied to my waist and brought out the ruby. I handed it to a wide-grinning Garrett who held it up in the light to confirm its authenticity.

"The ruby is real you know." I commented dryly.

Garrett shot me a grin, "Ain't no harm in being cautious love." He says with a wink and I don't bother to reply to him. "So, I'll give you fifty."

My brows went up at his offer. "Just fifty?" I asked still looking at him in disbelief, "May I remind you that I risked my life and went to a place where even you are too scared to go and you are offering me fifty gold pieces for risking my life?"

Garrett chuckled at me shaking his blonde locks. "First of all Neesa, I'm not scared."

"Huh, could have fooled me."

Garrett narrowed his eyes at my comment. "Secondly there were a lot of people who would have happily gone in your place, but because I care about you_" I scoffed at that which Garret ignored again by giving me a pointed stare before he continued. "Because I care about you I gave you the job. Besides, where do you think we got the money to get your equipment? Wolfsbane doesn't come cheap you know."

Of course, it doesn't, I know how expensive the plant is at the black market but still fifty gold pieces just weren't going to cut it. I need more! I thought to myself as I stared up at Garrett my mind already made up.

"Four!"

Garrett let out a loud laugh of disbelief. "Four hundred gold coins? Are you crazy?"

"No, just desperate." I answered him honestly while Garrett let out a frustrated sigh.

"Fuck Neesa, you don't think I know that?"

"Then you should know fifty gold pieces isn't going to do anything!" I fired not backing down.

"But I can't still give you four!" Garrett countered.

I let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, I'll take two hundred!"

"One hundred and fifty!"

"Two hundred, Garrett! Or I'm fucking leaving this place with the ruby and the other jewelry!" I threatened Garrett with a glare on my face.

When he let out a resigned sigh, I knew I had won. "You were always a feisty one," Garrett said but he brought out a pouch which he tossed at me.

I opened it to check the contents inside it a pleased grin formed on my face when I saw it was filled with lots of gold coins.

"What you don't trust me?" Garrett asked arching a brow up at me.

"Ain't no harm in being cautious love." I repeated the same words he told me which he grinned at.

"Alright then, how about I give you fifty more for the other jewelry you stole?"

I smirked at the offer, "You know it's always a pleasure doing business with you Garrett." I say pushing the stolen jewelry toward him while he checks the content before giving me my payment.

"Oh, there's something you should know." Garrett stated when I turned to leave, "You might to skip town for a while."

"And why is that?"

Garrett shrugged at me. "Stealing the king's ruby comes with a price. I'm planning on leaving town with the rest of our friends, you could come with us."

"What about my family?" I asked arching a brow up at him.

Garrett just shook his head at me. "You know in our line of profession, it's best if we don't form any kind of attachment. It only puts us and them in danger."

I scoffed at him. "Thanks for your concern Garrett but I'm sure I'll manage to do just fine."

"Alright then." Garrett says with a slight nod of his head, "You stay safe out there, Neesa."

"Always." I shot Garrett one last smile before I walked out of his store.

~~~

My family all stared at me in bewilderment, as if they had never seen me before. I can't say I blame them though. To be honest I kind of expected that kind of reaction from them since I showed up at the house with foodstuff that was going to last us through the winter and I had also brought home a healer to check on my stepmother.

I could feel their eyes on me even that of Mirabel as Madam Hattie, the healer attended to her. But I ignored them all and chose to keep my gaze on Madam Hattie who was busy feeding herbs to Mirabel.

"So, how is she?" I asked when she had finished feeding Mirabel.

Madam Hattie let out a small sigh. "It's a good thing you chose to call me at the right moment, any moment later, she could have gotten worse." She informed us while we all took a sharp intake of breath at the news, "But she will be alright as long as she uses her medicine daily."

"Daily?" Mirabel asked making a disgusted face, "It tastes like crap."

"Well, you are going to have to drink that crap if you ever want to feel better." Madam Hattie retorted with a stern look on her face.

"She will." I answered and my stepmother arched a brow up at me but I ignored her, "Thank you for your time."

Madam Hattie gave me a slight nod. "Of course child, I'm happy to help." She said and I smiled at her which she returned, "Okay I'll have a good night's rest and I'll be seeing you, Mirabel." She gave my stepmother a pointed look but my stepmother just rolled her eyes at her.

I escorted Madam Hattie to the door and waved her goodbye while thanking her again. When she had left, I turned to find my stepmother and stepsisters looking at me, their arms folded across their chests making them look intimidating.

"You might want to start explaining now Aneesa!" Mirabel stated still giving me that intimidated look and the only thing I could think of was…shit!