Ashleigh was confident in her ability. Her hands were well trained and well practiced. People felt the bump, but they never felt her fingers in their pocket. She'd done it so many times before that it even had lost its thrill. No one was going to catch her. No one ever had since she was a child stealing drug money for her dead beat mother. Silently cursing the bitch, Ashleigh pushed through a wet group of people and headed down one of the side streets where she could count her money in peace, away from prying eyes. Ashleigh was small and slender, built for quickness and not for strength. If someone wanted to steal this money by force, she wouldn't be able to stop them.<br/><br/>Once out of the crowd and in the relative shelter of a dimly lit alleyway that she had grown familiar with over the past two weeks, Ashleigh removed the headphones from her ears and stuffed them into her pocket. No music anyways, and she wasn't trying to fool anybody anymore. Now they were just irritating her ears and impairing her ability to hear anyone approach.<br/><br/>The alley was near a club with music so loud that she could hear the song plain as if she actually did have an iPod to plug her headphones into. Wasn't really her style, but she had nowhere else to go. The main entrance was around the corner, and the side door was a little further down. Nobody had a reason to be in this alley except her and maybe a few other bums. But usually when it was raining like this, the others found somewhere else to stay that provided a little more shelter. Ashleigh liked the rain, though. It was warm and refreshing, like it had the power to wash away all the bad in her life and when it stopped she could start over. Of course that never happened, but it was a pleasant thought. Footsteps.<br/><br/>Ashleigh turned, but it was too late. A strong hand, far stronger than she could fight against, grabbed and violently shoved her against the brick wall of the too loud club. Seriously? The best payout she ever had in one night, and some fuck was going to rob her.<br/><br/>"Get off me, you cunt." She kicked, but to no avail. Ashleigh knew she had no chance. She had her talents, but none of them were going to help her in this situation. That didn't mean she was going to take it lying down., however.<br/><br/>"What the fuck do you want? I don't fucking have anything." She raised her hands compliantly above her head despite her choice words and defiant tone. Ashleigh knew better to argue with someone wielding a knife, and she knew even better than to argue with someone who obviously knew how to use it. Angry as she was, and no small part terrified, a hundred or so dollar wasn't worth dying over. Then she recognized the other woman, and Ashleigh's heart sank. She said nothing, but stared at her, then the knife, then back into those brooding dark eyes, contrasting the terrified bright blue of her own.<br/><br/>"I don't know what you're talking about." She responded finally to the attacker's inquiry. "You're the one who jumped me for no fucking reason."