An amateur's guide to conning a conman

Chapter 4

I was marched down to a holding cell by two guards. One walked in front of me and one walked behind me. They ignored my pleads and protests, even doing so far as threatening to shut my mouth for me if I didn't close it myself.

We entered a large building and I was shoved into a smaller hallway.

It was cold, the walls were chipped and yellowed and there was a scent in the air that reminded me of old linens.

" Keep walking." The guard behind me pushed me roughly, they had bound my hands together earlier and I fell to the ground face first.

I wanted to scream, to get it through their damn thick heads that they had got the wrong person but I wasn't looking to get more injuries.

The guard huffed, obviously annoyed before reaching down and grabbing me by the back of the collar and pulled me upright.

We walked through yet another door before we reached the cell. It was a large room, the cell had silver bars running from the ground all the way up to the ceiling. A small window across from the cell, the only source of light in the dim room.

" Are you here to release me? Because if so, I'm waiting for my apology." A deep voice said, his voice was light and playful.

A boy sat on the makeshift bed of hay in the corner of the cell, he looked totally relaxed for someone who was in prison.

When he noticed me, his head tilted and I got a better look at his face. He was handsome, crimson eyes, so bright I couldn't help but wonder if he was wearing contacts, short dark hair, his face was all sharp lines, not a single blemish on his skin.

I noticed a tattoo peeking out of the collar of his shirt, the dark ink, a stark contrast to his pale skin. From the way he was dressed, I knew he was nothing more than a sweetliar.

" No, we found your partner." The guard answered gruffly, he unlocked the cell and pulled me inside.

The other guard pulled the boy to his feet, much to his protest. The boy struggled against the guard's hold as the guard standing next to me pulled out a set of handcuffs.

He first unbounded my hands but before I could feel relief from the tight hold, he placed one of the cuffs on my wrist and the other to the boy.

" Isn't it punishment enough you're falsely accusing me, but now chaining me to someone?" The boy groaned.

" Okay, okay. I took the necklace, I admit it. Just take the handcuff off of us." The boy rushed to pull himself against the bars which in turn jerked me closer to him. But it didn't matter, the guards had already closed the door behind them.

The boy turned to me, his crimson eyes flaring with reckless emotions.

" You! Why did you drag me into this mess?"

I only stared, the bubble of anger that had been building up exploded.

" Me?! Your partner attacked me and framed me. So I suggest you tell the guards where he is and return the necklace so I can get out of here." I hissed.

" What are you talking about?" He snapped,
" Sweetheart, I'm a common thief. I don't steal from the royal family."

I almost choked, the man had stolen from the royal family. That necklace was across the whole country, not just at Xia. No one had actually seen the necklace in person but rumors spiraled of strings of diamonds and the star of it was an emerald the size of the Queen's fist. But I narrowed my eyes. How could I be certain he wasn't lying?

" You're a sweetliar. You're just toying with me."

He laughed humorlessly, " Sweetheart, if I wanted to toy with someone, I wouldn't choose you. You're not my type."