Con With Me

  Con With Me

  ME #6

  Laura Greenwood

  © 2020 Laura Greenwood

  All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise – without prior written permission of the published, except as provided by United States of America copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the email address; lauragreenwood@authorlauragreenwood.co.uk.

  Visit Laura Greenwood’s website at:

  www.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk

  Cover by Vampari Designs

  Formatting by Gina Writes Words

  Con With Me is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Blurb

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Epilogue

  Author Note

  Excerpt: Kneel For Me

  Also by Laura Greenwood

  About the Author

  Blurb

  Sometimes, justice is personal...

  When an amateur con-woman gets caught red-handed, she's thrust into a plot for personal revenge. Learning the tricks of the con alongside three dashing and devious men, Katie finds herself enjoying it more than she thought possible.

  Can they pull it off? Or is their con doomed to fail?

  -

  Con With Me is a contemporary reverse harem and Katie's complete story. It is part of the ME Series.

  Chapter 1

  I leaned against the wall, breathing heavily as relief stole through me. I'd done it. I'd actually conned the man who broke my best friend's heart. Revenge would taste even sweeter when I made the anonymous donation to her charity.

  I glanced down the alley, checking to make sure I hadn't been followed. That was one of the downsides of working alone. With no one to watch my back, I was completely liable for every moment of my con. On the other hand, no one else was at risk from what I'd done. And no one else could buckle under pressure and report me.

  Confident there wasn't anyone following me, I made my way back to where I'd parked my car, trying to keep my cool. Nothing would give me away faster than acting as if I'd done something wrong.

  Reaching the end of the alley, I glanced both ways again. The streets were almost deserted, which certainly wasn't in my favour, but I'd deal with it. More people about would have meant I'd blend in better. As it stood, if anyone was watching, they'd probably be able to pick me out of a line-up, no problem.

  At least I was wearing a wig. Even people who knew me would struggle to recognise me from this distance. My usual blonde hair was hidden by a black wig cut into a bob and I was wearing a dress so short and low cut I almost looked like a hooker. It was amazing what an outfit change and some makeup could achieve. So long as no one looked too closely.

  I was about to step into the street when a hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me back into the alley. I bit back a scream. No matter what was about to happen, I needed to keep my cool and not draw attention to myself. I'd get out of this somehow.

  "What do you think you're doing?" a low voice growled. I looked up at the person in front of me and swallowed loudly. I wasn't sure what I'd expected, but this man wasn't it.

  "Just going back to my car," I replied sweetly, trying not to let my voice shake.

  "That was our mark. You can't just steal someone's mark."

  "I'm sorry, what?" I had no idea what he was on about but hoped he explained just so I'd be able to keep listening to his voice. Which was ridiculous. I needed to look after myself, not fall for some guy in an alley.

  "That man you've just conned out of ten thousand pounds?"

  "I have no idea what you're talking about." I widened my eyes, hoping my fake innocence would convince him I really wasn't a threat.

  He laughed, the sound coming from the back of his throat. I didn't want to admit it, but the sound went straight through me.

  "I think you do..." He flashed me a winning smile and I almost melted. Why was he doing this? I didn't want to be that woman.

  "I really don't. If you'll excuse me, I need to get home and relieve my babysitter," I lied.

  He eyed me up and down, almost as if he wanted to believe me but couldn't bring himself to.

  I could be in serious trouble right now.

  "What's your name?"

  "Sabrina Felts," I lied, grateful I'd given myself a completely fake persona before I'd even started my plan to swindle money. I even had a fake ID with the name on, though I'd be shredding it as soon as I got home, then make a bonfire with the scraps. I'd done my research, I had to destroy anything that led back to me.

  The man gave me a look that screamed disbelief, but he didn't say anything. I didn't think there was anything he could. If he pushed me too far, I would scream and I think he realised that.

  His hand loosened around my wrist and I pulled away, breaking his hold on me completely. "Thank you for your time, I think I'll be getting home now." Though I'd definitely be taking the long route home. Whoever this was, he seemed to have a problem with me fleecing Walter out of his ill-gotten cash. I wasn't about to start taking risks.

  I walked away, conscious of the tap of my heels on the paved floor as I did. I could feel him watching me. His eyes following every movement. I crossed my fingers, hoping he wasn't going to follow me but fearing the worst.

  It didn't take long for me to get to my car. I'd parked it fairly close for this exact reason. It was a risk to use my own vehicle but I hadn't wanted to raise too much suspicion by renting a car with a fake licence. The fewer people involved in this, the better as far as I was concerned.

  I glanced in my mirrors, hoping I wouldn't find the man from the alley in them but fearing the worst. I let out a sigh of relief as I looked at the empty entry to the alley. He could be watching in some other way, but I'd take my chances with that. I didn't want to hang around for any longer than I needed to.

  Setting off via the long route, I figured the best thing to do was to pull into a drive-through and grab some fast food. Then again, maybe not. I'd go in on foot instead. It was better if no one connected me to my car if the worst came to the worst.

  Or...

  I grabbed the wig off my head and threw it onto the passenger seat. Tugging the hair tie out, I ran one of my hands through my hair, trying to tease it into a look which didn't make it obvious I'd been wearing a wig. The cardigan I kept on the back seat of my car would have to wait until I stopped though. I didn't dare grab that while I was driving. Hopefully, between the lack of wig and my dress not being on show, I wouldn't be recognisable if anyone came asking questions.

  At least, that was the theory. It remained to be seen whether it would actually work.

  Chapter 2

  I almost jumped out of my skin when the loud trill of the phone broke through my thoughts. Fumbling about, I picked it up and brought it to my ear.

  "Good afternoon, you've reached Katie at Gans customer service, how can I help you?" I chirped down the line, hating e
very moment of the fake cheerfulness I needed to put on for my job. Just because I worked in a call centre didn't mean I was always in a good mood. Far from it. I hated this job but I needed it to save enough money to escape this life. I wasn't sure what I'd do after that.

  I went through the motions with the customer on the other end of the phone, not needing to pay too much attention to it. It was just one of the many many calls we got. Most of them resulted in nothing and if there was a genuinely upset customer, we passed it along to someone else anyway.

  A loud cough drew my attention and I looked up only to have dread fill me. A man leaned against the wall behind my cubicle. A man I recognised from a few nights ago and hoped I'd never see again. Wishful thinking had never seemed like a more appropriate term. I could tell from the way he was looking at me that he wasn't about to leave without talking to me about whatever serious thing he wanted. I'd be an idiot if I didn't think it was related to what I'd done to Walter.

  "Is there anything else we can do for you?" I asked the customer, not taking my eyes off the man. It wasn't worth my life. Or more accurately, my freedom.

  "No, thank you." The woman didn't say anything else and the dial tone came through the receiver. I rolled my eyes. It was unbelievable how many people just put the phone down rather than properly ending a conversation. I was used to it, and yet there was a still a part of me that resented them for it.

  "Katrina Hendrix?" the man asked.

  "Yes." I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying not to panic too much about him knowing my real name. That didn't mean anything.

  He flashed me a badge and my eyes widened.

  "Can I have a word?"

  I nodded. "I just need to talk to my supervisor..." And hope she'd say no. Though somehow I doubted it with the police involved. No one would dare go up against them. Not even me.

  "No need, I already cleared it with her. She said we could use conference room one. Would you show me the way?"

  I nodded again and locked my computer screen, only then noticing my hands were shaking. I wanted to pretend I hadn't done anything wrong but I knew it was too late for that. Slowly, I made my way to conference room one, the man trailing behind me and only adding to the dread I was feeling. I didn't want to face the consequences of my actions. Getting away with it was half of the fun. Though that hadn't been my entire motivation.

  "Would you like a drink?" I asked, suddenly remembering my manners. Even if he was here to arrest me, it didn't mean I couldn't be polite.

  "I'm good, thank you. Why don't you take a seat and we'll get started."

  I didn't respond, instead, I slipped into a chair on one side of the conference table and waited as he took one on the opposite side.

  "I'm assuming there aren't any security cameras in here?" he asked.

  I frowned. That was an odd question for the police to be asking, wasn't it?

  "I don't think so," I responded truthfully. Wasn't that what they said? Keep as close to the truth as you could without implicating yourself and you'd be fine. I could go with that as a tactic.

  "Good." He reached into a bag and pulled out a file, putting it on the table just like I'd seen them do in police shows whenever they were facing a suspect. Not a great start for me. "Do you recognise this man?" He pulled a photo out of the folder and pushed it toward me.

  "That's Walter Shaw," I responded, trying to keep the shakiness out of my voice.

  "And how do you know him?"

  "He's my friend's ex-fiancé." Again, that was the truth. And one of my main motivators behind what I'd done. Renee had found him in bed with two other women, breaking her heart and ending their engagement. She'd thrown herself into her charity work as a result, hence why I'd donated Walter's money.

  "Where were you on Saturday night?"

  "I went to a movie, grabbed some fast food and went home to bed."

  "What did you see?"

  "The new rom-com with Lisa Sears in it." I shrugged as if I didn't know why he was asking. Luckily, I'd had the foresight to buy a ticket to that film to give myself an alibi. While grabbing a burger hadn't been part of my original plan, it was starting to seem like a stroke of good luck now.

  "I'm not sure I believe you, Miss Hendrix." He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, stretching his stark white shirt over his muscles. I just about stopped myself from licking my lips. There was something delicious about the way he looked.

  I shook my head. That wasn't appropriate to think about a police officer who was here to question me about the bad thing I'd actually done.

  "I'm very sorry about that, Officer..." Was it odd that he hadn't given me his name? Surely that should have been the first thing he'd done.

  "Carl," he responded.

  "Officer Carl? Aren't you supposed to use your surnames?"

  "I suspect that's the case for real police officers." A smirk began to curl at the corners of his lips.

  "You're impersonating a police officer? Don't you know that's..."

  "Illegal? Yes. Just like pretending to be someone you're not to illegally gain funds, Sabrina."

  "Is that supposed to intimidate me?" I laughed lightly but inside I was still terrified. He knew what had happened, and while I was pretty sure he was telling the truth about only pretending to be a police officer, that was still dangerous.

  "Maybe. But I'd be more worried about the fact your manager is convinced by a toy badge." He threw it at me and I opened it up, a sick feeling coming over me. I'd been fooled by this too. "I know what you're thinking, but you will have been easier to fool with it. You have something to feel guilty about after all."

  "Maybe she does too," I retorted, thinking about gossiping Barbara and what she could have possibly done against the law. On second thought, it didn't seem likely she'd done anything. It was probably more of a case of her thinking in terms of the gossip she'd be able to do over my conversation with a police officer.

  He scoffed. "She's not the type."

  "You might be surprised who is and isn't the type to commit crime," I muttered. I wasn't a likely candidate either, though he had no proof of that.

  "So why did you?"

  "Revenge," I responded, not entirely sure why I was telling him that. Hopefully, he wasn't police double bluffing me for a confession. Somehow I doubted that though. If he was, he'd have arrested me in the alley when we'd first met while there'd still been evidence on me and a chance to catch me in the act.

  "How would you like more revenge?"

  "I think Walter will have learned his lesson, thank you," I responded. My plan had never been to take him for all the money he had, just teach him a lesson in humility.

  "Not against Walter. I have my own enemy I'd like dealt with."

  It was my turn to scoff. "And what makes you think I'll help you?"

  He raised an eyebrow as if not expecting me to actually go there. "I have evidence connecting you to the theft and forgery. I think you will help me."

  I scowled and leaned back in my chair, suddenly regretting that I wasn't wearing one of my low cut shirts. Distraction would have been a great technique given the circumstances.

  While part of me was reeling at the idea of helping anyone else get their revenge, another part of me was intrigued by the idea. Whether I'd intended it to be or not, I'd enjoyed working out how to swindle Walter's money away from him. It didn't even matter that I didn't keep any of it. The process had been enough for me.

  "This is the mark. Andrew Wellesley. Rumour has it he was recently part of a plot to usurp the queen."

  I scoffed. "Really? What's that got to do with us?"

  "Are you not a fan of the queen?" He raised an eyebrow.

  "Of course I am. Who isn't?"

  "This man." He tapped a photo he'd just placed down. "Though that's not why we're after him."

  "I didn't think so."

  He didn't seem like a for-the-greater-good kind. Whatever his problem with this Andrew was, it was personal.

  "We want to
take a million."

  "We?" I leaned forward, eager to learn more and trying to ignore the suggestion that he wanted to swindle a million pounds from the man.

  "You don't think I'm going it alone, do you?"

  "I did," I muttered.

  "And you were a fool to do so. You didn't cover your tracks well enough to stop me finding you," he pointed out.

  "How did you..."

  "It doesn't matter. All you need to know is that I covered up as I went along. Even if the police looked into it, they won't find you. Though I doubt they will. Walter has his own money crimes to cover up."

  "Tax evasion?"

  "Among other things." He shrugged and leaned back in his seat.

  I wasn't surprised. He was that type all over. He didn't believe he owed anything to anyone, especially not the government. I wished Renee had seen the real him sooner.

  "Are you in?" he prodded.

  "I need to think about it." The words slipped out before I was ready for them. I'd intended to say no. I couldn't be part of anything like that. And yet...the mere idea of being a part of this scheme my pulse racing.

  "You do that." He slid the folder over to me with a determined look on his face. "If you decide you want to join us, come by John's tomorrow night and we'll talk more."

  I nodded as if I knew where he was talking about. I'd figure it out though. There was bound to be at least one clue in the folder he'd just given me.

  "Thank you for your proposition," I blurted out.

  "And thank you, Miss Hendrix. I'm sure I'll be seeing you shortly."

  I didn't respond. I was almost as certain as he was about that, I just didn't want to admit it out loud. Not yet anyway.

  I waited in the conference room until he was gone, doing my best not to give in to the urge of reading the folder here. That could wait until I was at home and safe from any intrusions. The last thing I needed was Barbara or one of her informants learning I had information on someone who was about to be conned.

  The word came easier than it had before. Probably because I realised that was exactly what I planned to do. I was going to con someone. Potentially. I hadn't decided yet. At least, not outwardly. Inside, I was ready for the challenge.