Con With Me

by Laura Greenwood

  Chapter 3

  I had no doubts I was in the right place. The neon sign outside the door even said John's, not to mention the place matched the co-ordinates scribbled on the inside of the folder Carl had given.

  Nerves fluttered in my stomach as I approached the double doors to enter the bar. As much as I wanted the thrill of doing this, a small part of me didn't want to break the rules again. On the other hand, I'd done it once, what difference would doing it a second time matter? It wasn't like Andrew Wellesley didn't deserve it. I'd seen the information in the file. Not only had he, allegedly, tried to usurp the queen, but he'd also tax dodged, left a string of broken hearts in his wake, and done a lot of other dodgy deeds. Paying off a pregnant housekeeper was among those.

  I sucked in a deep breath and pushed open the doors, striding into the bar and projecting a fake confidence I definitely wasn't feeling.

  Carl raised a hand and waved me over to a table he sat at with two other men, each of them no older than he was, each of them well dressed. Just like Carl himself. I briefly wondered if their sense of style was financed by hustling but decided it didn't matter. Just by being here, I'd decided to join them. It didn't matter if this was the norm for them, it just mattered what it meant for me.

  "Good evening, gentlemen." I nodded to each of them in turn, hoping that was the right thing to do. I was always torn in social situations. It was safe to say that not wanting to get anyone else into trouble was only half the reason I'd pulled my con alone.

  "Katerina, I presume?" A blond man with five o'clock shadow that could have made a nun drool held out his hand.

  Gingerly, I took it. "I prefer Katie."

  "Katie, then," he purred.

  A shiver ran through me as his voice warmed my entire body.

  "I'm Dean," the third man put in.

  "Samuel," the blond added. "I don't use Sam."

  I nodded. I could understand that. I hated people using my full name, it felt too unnecessary formal, but he probably worked the other way. Only people who earned it got the pleasure of calling him Sam.

  "And you've already met me," Carl said, leaning back in his chair just like he'd done while in the conference room. That must have been one of his personal habits then.

  Conscious of his eyes on me, I dropped Samuel's hand.

  "Would you like a drink?" Dean asked.

  "Dry white wine, please," I answered. A part of me wanted something stronger, but I doubted knocking one back in front of them would have gone down well.

  "I take it you're agreeing to be part of our plan," Samuel said.

  "Carl didn't really give me a choice." I threw him a look that I hoped screamed of disapproval.

  He chuckled low in his throat. "That file I gave you had more than enough information to use against us. Don't blame me for wanting to be here."

  We all stayed silent for a moment.

  "Alright, I want to be here," I responded. "I find the idea thrilling."

  "Would you like to know a secret?" Samuel half-whispered.

  I nodded, nervous to find out what it was.

  "We all like the thrill too."

  "It's the best bit," Dean added, setting down a large glass of wine in front of me, followed by beers for the others.

  "You've done this before, then?"

  The three of them exchanged glances.

  "We do this all the time," Dean answered. "Always with marks with questionable morals."

  "Not that we're doing it for that reason," Samuel put in. "They're just less likely to report things as stolen if they don't risk getting caught out themselves."

  "Understandable." I wasn't too sure what to make of that. A part of me liked the idea of becoming justice of some kind, but it didn't make what we were going to do right by any stretch of the imagination. And yet, I still wanted to go through with it. "So, do I get to know the plan?"

  "Kind of," Carl responded. "We don't fully have one yet. We were waiting to see if you were on board."

  "Me?" I squeaked. Reaching for my glass of wine, I took a sip to try and cover up my nervousness.

  "There are some things that run a lot smoother if a woman is involved."

  "How have you managed that before?" I asked, mostly through curiosity. I had no idea how a crew of conmen worked. Maybe they had some women on the side that would do the dirty for them. But if that was the case, why would they need me? Unless it was just about toying with me because they could.

  "Mostly we've just found ways to avoid it. We're resourceful and we don't take on cons we know we can't do," Samuel answered.

  "What's different this time?" If I hadn't asked, I would have regretted it. I also probably deserved to know. It wasn't like I was just doing this completely risk-free. If we failed, the consequences for me were just the same as for the rest of them and I wasn't about to forget that.

  The three men exchanged glances and for a moment, I thought they might not tell me.

  "This time it's a bit more personal," Carl answered eventually. "We need to take revenge on him and this is the best way to do it."

  "There isn't a better way than conning him? You have evidence of some of his own wrongdoing, could you not hand that over to the authorities and let them handle it?"

  "And where would be the fun in that?" Dean smirked as he finished asking.

  "I suppose there isn't any. It just seems less risky to you than inviting someone unknown to the group." I had no idea why I was playing devil's advocate. I wanted to be part of this and feel the same thrill I had on Saturday again. So why was I trying to stop that from happening with questions like that? It just made no sense.

  "We considered it," Carl responded, leaning forward so the candlelight flickered over his face. I was sure some people would find the move intimidating but all I could think about was how sensual the light looked as it cast sultry shadows across his skin.

  "But?" I whispered.

  "We weren't sure how much of it would actually stick," Samuel answered. "There was a chance he'd make it all go away and we'd be left with even less than we have now."

  I nodded. It was the same reason I'd decided to con Walter instead of just going to the police with what I knew about his tax fraud.

  "And what he did..." Carl bunched his hand into a fist, a quick look of anger darting through his eyes, unmistakable even in the dim light of the bar.

  I took another sip of wine, using it to steady my hand again. I'd have to be careful not to get used to using a wine glass to centre myself. I didn't want to end up on the slippery slope down to alcoholism if I could help it. I'd seen what that reduced people to and held no desire to be seen like that myself.

  "So what ideas do you have?" I asked, looking around the table as all three of them relaxed. I filed that information away. It wasn't in my best interests to push on why they wanted to get revenge on this way. Though I was certain it would come out eventually if I kept my eyes and ears open. At least, that was my theory. I'd have to see how it actually played out.

  "You don't have a boyfriend, do you?" A flirtatious smile flitted across Dean's face and sent my stomach into knots. It looked like I might need to be careful with more than just my questions at this rate. Nothing could be more dangerous than me falling for one of them while we needed to work together.

  "I don't, no. Why?"

  "How do you feel about going on a date?" Samuel asked.

  "With who?" Somehow I knew that despite the current thoughts whizzing around my head, it wasn't going to be one of the three men in the room. More was the pity. All three of them were attractive in their own way and I wouldn't kick any of them out of bed. Not that I'd be getting the opportunity to do that.

  "Earl Andrew's business advisor." Dean's smiled turned from flirty to devious in a split second.

  "And just what am I supposed to be doing on this date with the Earl's business advisor?" I leaned in, waiting for them to fill me in on what I needed to know.

  "That depends on how well you think it's going.
It might take a couple of dates to get him to the place we want," Samuel whispered.

  I nodded. That made sense. If we needed him to trust me then it wasn't going to happen instantly.

  "I have one condition." I held up my finger as if to drive home my point.

  "Yes?" Carl prompted.

  "I won't sleep with him. Even for the con."

  "Agreed," Dean blurted as the other two nodded along beside him.

  Good. At least I wasn't going to end up feeling like I was selling myself. Even if it was for a good cause.

  Chapter 4

  I smoothed down my dress, trying not to let my nerves get the better of me. It wasn't every day I got set up on a blind date, with no actual interest in dating. Hubert wasn't even my type. And by that, I meant I didn't normally go for men more than twenty years my senior. I couldn't believe he'd agreed to the date in the first place. Surely he knew it was creepy to go out with such a younger woman.

  Then again, it was a good thing he did. It meant our plan was in motion. His sleaze would make it easier to trick him into giving us the information we needed. Or more realistically, accept the information we needed him to believe. Only then would we be able to trick him out of Andrew's money.

  "Trina?" a handsome older man asked.

  "That's me," I responded, pasting a smile on my face that could power a small city no matter how fake it was.

  "I was worried you wouldn't show up." He visibly relaxed.

  "Do woman often stand you up, Hubert?" I asked, batting my eyelashes and hoping he fell for it.

  He chuckled. "More often than I'd like."

  "More fool them."

  He held out his arm and I slipped mine through it, resting my hand on the sleeve of his jacket. He steered me into the restaurant and nodded towards the server. No doubt we'd be getting a great table. That was one advantage of this situation at least.

  "Have you been here before?"

  "This is the first time," I answered honestly. This restaurant was well out of my league and he probably realised it. There was no covering that fact but we didn't think we'd need to. At the end of the day, he wasn't interested in me for any wealth of my own. Nor in my education or worldliness. Far from it. All he needed to know was that I was pretty and interested in actually going on a date with him. I didn't want to admit it but I actually found it kind of sad that he couldn't find someone who really wanted him for him.

  Then again, he probably didn't want the women who'd be interested in him. I'd come across his type before. Never interested in anything more than just how young a woman they could catch and using them to show off to their friends. It was a little repulsive and no one was ever going to deny that. At least, I hoped they wouldn't.

  "You're going to love it. Make sure you try the oysters, they're amazing."

  I repressed a shudder. Everyone knew the rumours about oysters being aphrodisiacs. Maybe I should make it clear that wasn't how this date was going to end?

  "Just so you know, I'm not the kind to fall into bed on the first date," I blurted out, hoping I wasn't going to damage any chance we had of catching him in our trap.

  "Oh no, of course not, I'd never expect that of a young woman."

  I could tell he was lying, but at this point, it hardly mattered. I was about to lie about every part of myself. Who was I to begrudge him one mistruth?

  "More like the fourth date." I used a suggestive tone that I hoped got the message across to him. I didn't want him running away quite yet. And it seemed a safe enough thing to promise. I didn't see us needing more than four dates to seal the deal. And if we did...

  I repressed another shiver. I didn't want to think about those consequences. The longer this took, the more danger we were in and from what the guys had said, there was next to no chance we'd be giving up on this. I still wasn't sure exactly what this was about but it was definitely personal. That muddied things sometimes.

  "May I take your coat?" Hubert asked as we reached our table.

  "Thank you." I slipped it off and handed it to him, hoping he didn't know the difference between real and faux fur. I doubted he would but the worry wouldn't disappear.

  I smoothed down my dress again and took a seat, flipping my hair behind my shoulders and hoping what the guys had said I wasn't recognisable beneath the makeup was correct. This suddenly felt far more dangerous than before. And yet I couldn't deny the thrill shooting through me.

  "So, Trina, what do you do?" Hubert asked as he sat himself down.

  "A little of this and that," I responded. Somehow, I didn't think admitting I worked in a call centre was a good idea. And not just because it could potentially have identified me. "I'm more interested in finding out about you." I leaned forward, ensuring he got a good view of my breasts through the low cut of my dress. Maybe I shouldn't be using my body to get the job done, and yet...

  No. This was going to work. It wasn't my fault he was gullible enough to fall for it.

  He gave me a killer smile, just about hiding the leer in his eyes. "I'm a business advisor."

  "Oh, that sounds interesting. Tell me more?"

  The waiter came over and poured wine into our glasses. I eyed it, wondering if it would be impolite to ask for a glass of water. It wasn't that the wine wouldn't be nice, I just didn't want to risk drinking too much while I was on the job.

  "I guess it is, sometimes. My client has a lot of money to spend and invest, which means I can look into a lot of different possibilities."

  "Oh, like?" I leaned forward and touched his hand, only wondering briefly if I was overdoing it.

  From the look on Hubert's face, I doubted it. He was fully engrossed in the conversation.

  "You name it, I've looked into it."

  "Adult entertainment?"

  He chuckled. "Oh yes. Though we didn't go for that one."

  "That's a shame, it could have saved you a fortune."

  "Not with the rise of the internet. We don't make money by being reckless. Industries like that one are unstable because of the accessibility of things online."

  "So you don't invest in the arts at all?" I asked, my eyes widening and only half as an act. I hated the idea of so many great businesses being overlooked like that.

  "In pieces of art, definitely. Just last week we bought a Monet. Those paintings increase in value every day."

  "A Monet?" I gasped, not faking at all now. "Was it one of the water lily paintings? Or one of the ones after his cataracts started to make themselves known?"

  "I have no idea." He shrugged. "It just looked like splodges of colour on a canvas to me."

  I held back a frown. If this had been a real date, there wouldn't have been a second. I couldn't be with someone who felt that way about a Monet. I'd loved his paintings since I was a little girl, even if I didn't really understand a thing about art except that it was pretty.

  "That's a shame. I love Monet. Seeing one in the flesh would be a dream come true." I sighed wistfully.

  "There are museums around the world where you can see them," he pointed out.

  "That's not the same as seeing one up close though. The colours, the atmosphere. Ah, it must be amazing." I leaned back in my chair and squeezed my arms together to make my breasts more prominent. His gaze slipped down to them. Bingo. That was just what I needed him to do.

  "Of course." He took a sip ofo his wine and I followed suit. It wouldn't do to be caught not drinking.

  "What else have you invested in?" I asked. We didn't actually have that part of the con set up yet. We hoped he'd reveal what he was currently looking for over dinner and we'd be able to make things happen. At least, that was the theory.

  "Anything that will make me money."

  The waiter arrived back to ask for our food order, breaking the conversation and stopping me from prying further. I held back a scowl. I was doing a lot of holding back tonight but so long as I pulled it off, we'd be fine.

  Before I could open my mouth to order, Hubert had done it for both of us. I didn'
t like that. I was a person in my own right and deserved to choose my own food. And yet here I was just accepting what was happening and going with it. All for the good of the con.

  Internally, I gave a sharp laugh, not letting the fake smile on the outside drop. My life had gone a little insane recently and I couldn't even explain how it had happened.

  "Oh, and a bottle of champagne with caviar on the side," Hubert finished the order.

  "Very well, sir. I'll have that right over," the waiter responded with a short bow.

  "I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty of ordering for you. I wanted you to taste the best they have to offer."

  I forced a smile to my lips. "Thank you, I look forward to trying it all." At least that bit was true. I did love good food and this place had stellar reviews online.

  The champagne arrived along with the caviar, our glasses filled once more. I had to be very careful. Though getting Hubert drinking wouldn't hurt. Quite the opposite, if it loosened his tongue and he started to tell me some of his secrets.

  I took a sip from one of my multitude of glasses, hoping he'd do the same. The more he drank, the better my chances would be. Maybe not the most ethical of plans but I'd go with it for now.

  The whole meal followed the same way. Lots of food, lots of drinking and not a lot of information. I wasn't sure what I'd be able to take back to the guys at this rate. They expected something from this and I needed to provide it or everything we'd set into motion would be in vain.

  "This is me." I indicated towards the door of the flat we were renting for the duration of this con. In cash, naturally. We didn't want to leave any paper trails that could lead back to us.

  "I've had a lovely evening tonight, Trina." He leaned in, his hot breath fanning against my cheek and making me want to pull away.

  "Me too. Can I see you again?" I fluttered my eyelashes and hoped he'd say yes. If not, we needed to come up with another plan. As exciting as all this was, it also felt kind of dangerous to have so much riding on each step of the journey.