The Con Artist: (Formally Published as Playing The Millionaire)

by Lynn, Sandi

  “Slow down there.” I smiled. “That song you sang. You said your father used to sing it to you?”

  “Yeah.” She held up her finger to grab the waitress’ attention. “He used to sing it to me all the time.”

  “What’s the name of the song?” I asked.

  “‘Run’ by Snow Patrol. Funny thing is that song fit our life so perfectly. It was as if it was written for us.”

  I took a sip of my bourbon while I continued to stare at her as she sipped her drink and watched Caleb’s band on stage. She didn’t say much the rest of the evening, or on the way home, and I could tell something was bothering her.

  “I’m going to go upstairs and change. Any specific lingerie you want me to wear tonight?” she asked.

  “It’s your choice. I’ll meet you in my room when you’re ready.”

  She gave me a small smile as we stepped onto the elevator.

  Chapter 23

  Kate

  I decided to slip into a black halter baby doll piece with the matching v-string panty. Walking into the bathroom, I took my hair down and ran my fingers through it, letting it fall over my shoulders. A sadness that I’d been holding back all night pushed through all my strength and finally broke me. I sat on the edge of the bed with my face in my hands.

  “Kate? Are you okay?” I heard Gabriel ask in a soft voice as he stepped into my bedroom.

  I opened my eyes and looked up at him.

  “My dad would always say, ‘It’s okay, Katie. Remember, we’re on an adventure. Just me and you. Father and daughter. We can conquer the world together and do anything we want.’ Except his conquering the world left me alone a majority of the time. He used to say ‘Light up, baby girl. One day, we’re going to have the life we always dreamed of.’ What he didn’t understand was that I wanted a normal life, with a house, and to stay in one place where I could set down roots and make some friends. Where he had a normal job and made an honest living.”

  He walked over to the bed when he saw the tears fall from my eyes and sat down next to me.

  “He conned people, didn’t he?” I asked.

  I nodded my head and grabbed a tissue from the nightstand.

  “Is that why he’s in prison?”

  “He got involved with some high-powered people. When they found out he conned them, they set him up and made sure he went to prison. The FBI seized all his funds and he lost everything. A couple of days after he was sentenced to Rikers, a man knocked on the door of the hotel room I was staying in and told me that if I wanted to get my father out of prison, all I would have to do is pay them double of what he stole.”

  “How much?” he asked.

  “Ten million dollars.”

  “For fuck sakes, Kate.” He shook his head.

  “They said once his debt is paid off, they would make sure he was released from prison.”

  “And they can just do that?”

  “These people have friends in high places, Gabriel. You wanted to know why I do what I do. That’s the reason. I don’t like it. In fact, I hate it, but I need my father out of prison. He’s the only person I have in this world.” A tear fell from my eye. “Every piece of jewelry, designer clothes, handbags, and anything else those men gave me of great value, I sold. And whatever I take from them, I pay it towards my father’s debt. That’s the reason I don’t have thirty thousand dollars to give you.”

  “How much of that debt did you already pay off?”

  “Five million dollars. Samuel Coldwater was going to be my last job.”

  “How certain are you that these people would get your father out of prison after you paid them? People like that never keep their word.”

  “We signed a contract. I agreed to pay ten million dollars and they agreed to get him out of prison.”

  “I see.”

  He got up from the bed and paced around the room.

  “He ruined your life, Kate. You have to know that.”

  “He did what he had to do to support us. He told me that I was the only thing in his life that he’d done right. He quit conning after he met my mother and they got married. He sold used cars and they still had trouble making ends meet. Then I was born, she died, and I was all he had left. In his mind, he was doing what was best for us and doing the only thing he knew how.”

  Gabriel sat down on the bed and cupped his hands in his face. There were a few moments of silence and then he stood up.

  “Get some rest. Tonight is off.”

  I quickly grabbed hold of his hand before he had the chance to walk away.

  “No. Please. I need you.”

  He turned and looked at me for a moment with hesitation in his eyes. Then he got down on his knees in front of me and brushed his lips against mine.

  * * *

  Gabriel

  After I fucked her, I walked out of the bedroom and headed downstairs to the bar, where I poured myself a bourbon. She was upset and I probably shouldn’t have slept with her, but she wanted it. Maybe I should have stayed with her, but I couldn’t. Her story. Was it true? Or was it all a lie? She was good at what she did, and I couldn’t tell if she was playing me or not, which was infuriating. I threw back the rest of my bourbon and slammed the glass down on the bar. What was she up to? Was she telling me that story to make me feel sorry for her? To try and understand why she did what she did? Was she trying to con me into giving her money? Perhaps using me to get what she needed to pay off her father’s debt? I wasn’t buying the debt part. She did what she did because it was all she knew. It was how she grew up. She never had any structure, and she certainly was never taught right from wrong.

  The next morning, I grabbed a cup of coffee to go and headed straight to the office. I didn’t want to be home when she woke up. I couldn’t even look at her after what she had told me last night. As I took a seat behind my desk, Thaddeus walked in.

  “I need you to look over these contracts and sign them for the Chicago property. Once that’s done, we can start construction,” he spoke.

  “Hand them over.” I held out my hand.

  “Everything okay?” he asked as he took a seat across from me.

  “Everything’s fine. Why?” I looked at him.

  “You seem unusually tense this morning.”

  “It’s nothing. I just had a rough night.”

  “Greta’s not back in the picture. Is she?” he asked.

  “No,” I replied as I signed the contracts and handed them over. “Are we all set for Hawaii? Is there anything I need to know about before I get there?”

  “No. Everything is smoothed out and the grand opening is set.”

  “Good. I expect there to be no problems.” I arched my brow.

  “There won’t be. I’ll talk to you later.”

  As he walked out of my office, I heard him say hello to someone. When I looked up, Kate was standing in the doorway.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I was out and about, and I wanted to see where the great Gabriel Quinn spends most of his day.” She smiled. “May I come in?”

  “I’m really busy right now, Kate.” I looked at my watch. “It’s only ten o’clock. How are you out and about already?”

  “This was my first stop.”

  “Where’s Edmond?”

  “He’s behind me. I’m sorry to have bothered you. I’ll see you later.”

  As she turned away and began to close the door, I spoke, “Kate.”

  She turned and looked at me.

  “We’re leaving for Hawaii in a couple of days. Make sure you start packing.”

  “And you’re just telling me this now?”

  “I was going to tell you tonight.”

  “And what’s in Hawaii?” she asked.

  “The grand opening of my new hotel.”

  “Okay. I’ll start packing.” She turned away and shut the door behind her.

  I picked up a pen and threw it across my desk as I got out of my chair and paced around the room. I had this rage built
up inside me that I couldn’t let go of. It wasn’t about the watch anymore. It wasn’t being able to believe a word she said. I wanted to trust her, and I wanted to believe her because these fucking feelings that stirred inside me wouldn’t stop.

  After a long day, I was finally able to leave the office and head home. When I walked through the door, the aroma of something cooking hit me. Following the scent to the kitchen, I found Kate at the stove.

  “What are you doing?” I asked as I set my briefcase down.

  “Making dinner for us.”

  “Where’s Grace?”

  “She was finished, and she left. I thought it would be nice if I cooked tonight.” She turned her head and a small smile crossed her lips.

  “I didn’t know you could cook.”

  “Who do you think did all the cooking for me and my dad? If he had his way, we’d have pizza and fast food every night.”

  “It smells good. What are you making?” I asked as I took a seat at the island.

  “Bruschetta chicken with a salad and homemade rolls.”

  “Did you teach yourself to cook?”

  “Somewhat, and I had some teachers along the way. There was this woman my dad was with for a short period of time. She was a chef and owned her own restaurant. I spent a lot of time at her house and she taught me a few things.”

  “A woman that your father conned?” I asked.

  She swallowed hard. “Yes.”

  She took the chicken out of the pan, arranged it nicely on a platter, and took it into the dining room. Before taking a seat, I walked over to the bar and poured a glass of bourbon for me and a glass of white wine for her.

  “This looks delicious. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” She took a sip of her wine.

  “What did you do today beside food shop?” I asked.

  “Shopped a little bit for Hawaii.”

  “With what money?” My eye narrowed.

  “Who said I needed money?” A smirk crossed her face.

  My blood started to boil at the thought that she had stolen the merchandise.

  “I swear to god, Kate. If you—”

  “Relax, Gabriel. I was kidding. I do have some money in my bank account. And before you ask how much, it’s not thirty thousand dollars. Besides, I don’t shoplift. I never have and I never will.”

  I reached across the table and grabbed the salad bowl. As I was placing some salad on my plate, she threw a roll at me, hitting me square in the face.

  “What the fuck?!” I glared at her.

  “I want to know why you have an attitude with me. I noticed it this morning at your office.”

  “I don’t. Now drop it and finish eating,” I sternly spoke.

  “You do and I want to know why. What did I do to make you so angry? I haven’t got a clue, unless you’re still holding a grudge about your watch. But I thought we settled that. Isn’t that why I’m here? I’ve done everything you asked of me so far. So there is no reason for you to treat me the way you did or the way you are.”

  Her mouth. She kept rambling and it was pissing me off. I slammed my fists down on the table and stood up from my seat.

  “You want to know why I’m so angry? It’s because I can’t trust you. I can’t trust a word you say. That little fabricated story of yours last night was a good one. But not good enough for me to believe you or your lies.” I pointed my finger at her.

  She sat there as she dropped her fork onto her plate and stared at me while her eyes filled with tears. She slowly got up from her seat, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and set it down on the table.

  “I’m sorry you don’t believe me. But it’s all true. Everything I told you last night was the truth. I’m dealing with dangerous men, Gabriel. They want their money and I want my father out of prison.” She walked away and headed upstairs.

  Chapter 24

  Kate

  I ran up to my room, slammed the door, and threw myself on the bed. Did I really blame him for not trusting me? Did I have the right to be so upset over it? Why did I even care if he trusted me or not? That was the big question. I needed to accept the fact that he would never trust me after everything I’d done. The sooner I did that, the easier this arrangement would be. The only reason I was here was to pay off a debt, nothing else. He only saw me as a business deal, so the less I told him about my life, the better off I’d be. I was stupid for wanting to see where he worked and for caring that he left the house before I even woke up. When I found out he was already gone, there was a part of me that was sad, and all I had wanted to do was see him before I started my day. These feelings and emotions were out of control and I needed for them to stop. I’d never had problems like this with the other men I was with. Never got involved. Never felt a thing. I didn’t even have to pretend, but with Gabriel, I did.

  I refused to wallow in self-pity, so I got up from the bed, took in a deep breath, and walked back downstairs to clean up dinner. When I reached the kitchen, I saw Gabriel loading the dishwasher.

  “I’ll take care of that,” I spoke as I grabbed the pan from the stove.

  “I’ve got it,” he snapped.

  “You’ve worked all day. Go upstairs. I’ll finish cleaning up and meet you in your bedroom.”

  “Fine.” He wiped his hands on a towel and began to walk out of the kitchen.

  Before I knew it, he grabbed my arm, turned me around, and smashed his mouth into mine. Our heated kiss told me that we weren’t going to make it to the bedroom. My fingers fumbled with his belt as I undid it and unzipped his pants, while his hands pulled my shirt over my head. We moved around until he had me pinned up against the refrigerator, the coldness of the stainless steel sending a jolt through me. He took down my pants, grabbed my wrists, and held them together with one hand while his free hand explored my aroused area. When he made sure I was wet enough for him, he pulled his hard cock from his underwear and shoved it deep inside me, causing me to gasp at both pleasure and pain. He moved rapidly, like a dog in heat, and his tongue slid across my neck. As he thrust in and out of me with hard, deep strokes, he stared into my eyes and spoke, “I want to trust you.”

  “You can,” I breathlessly spoke as an orgasm erupted.

  He halted and buried himself deep inside me while he came. His head dropped to my shoulder.

  “No, I can’t,” he whispered.

  He removed himself from me, tucked his cock back in his underwear, pulled up his pants, and walked away. I crossed my arms over my chest and slowly slid down to the floor, trying to hold back the tears that so badly wanted to stream down my face.

  The next morning, after a restless night of sleep, I waited in bed until I was sure that Gabriel had left for the office. I had a lot to do today to get ready for Hawaii, but there was one thing that took precedence: visiting my father. After showering and getting dressed, I headed to the kitchen, made a cup of coffee, and grabbed some fresh fruit from the refrigerator.

  “Good morning, Kate,” Grace spoke. “I can make you some breakfast.”

  “Morning, Grace. Fruit is fine. I’m not really hungry.”

  “You’re up kind of late this morning. Is everything okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah. I just had a restless night, and I couldn’t really sleep. I’m going out today. Do you need me to pick you up anything?” I asked her.

  “That’s sweet of you to ask, but I have to go out myself and do some grocery shopping. Is there anything I can get you?”

  “No thanks.” I gave her a small smile as I sipped my coffee.

  Grace left and once I finished my fruit, I grabbed my purse and headed out the front door.

  “Going out again?” Edmond raised his brow.

  Usually, I’d have a witty comeback for him, but today, I was serious. To be honest, I think he was disappointed. I was making headway with him and I started to believe he enjoyed my company.

  “I need to go to Rikers Island to visit my father today.”

  “Oh. Okay. When are visiting hours?
”

  “Soon,” I replied.

  “Then we better head out now. There’s going to be a lot of traffic.”

  We walked down the steps together and he opened the car door for me. He was definitely making progress.

  “Can you do me a favor, Edmond?”

  “It depends.” He looked at me through the rearview mirror.

  “Please don’t tell Gabriel that I went there today. I need it to stay between the two of us,” I spoke with a sadness in my voice.

  “Sure. I won’t tell him.”

  When we arrived at the prison, I signed in, got searched, and then took a seat at an empty table while I waited for them to bring my father in.

  “There’s my baby girl.” He smiled as I stood up and we briefly hugged.

  “Hi, Daddy.”

  “How are you? I haven’t seen you in a month, Kate. I was starting to get worried.”

  “I’m sorry. Things have been so crazy. I have some wonderful news. I moved to New York.”

  “What?” He cocked his head. “What about your job and school in Chicago?”

  “I got transferred here. The restaurant I work for opened up a location in Manhattan and I asked if I could transfer to be closer to you.”

  “That’s wonderful. But what about school?”

  “I stopped going. It was taking me forever since I could only take a class here and there. But don’t worry, I have a great job and it pays good. Especially the tips.”

  “Are you okay, sweetheart?” he asked with concern.

  “I’m fine. I have this great apartment in a nice neighborhood and I’ve already made some friends. The best part is, I can come visit you every week.” I brightly smiled to mask the pain inside me.

  “What about that guy you were seeing in Chicago? What was his name? Tom, I believe?”

  “I ended that a while ago. Things just weren’t working out.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, sweetheart.”

  “Don’t be, Daddy. It was for the best. Right now, I’m just focusing on me and my career in the restaurant business. I’m learning everything I can because, one day, I would like to open up my own restaurant.” I smiled.