An amateur's guide to conning a conman

Chapter 21

The next morning Dante and Titus arrived at nearly the same time.

Dante insisted that he could wrap his own wound perfectly fine without my help and I didn't stop him as he left for the bathroom.

Which left Titus and I standing in silence. After yesterday, I don't think I could meet his eyes for a while.

" So there's good news. We actually know where our mystery man went after the heist ." Titus said.

This caught my interest.

" How do you know for sure?"

" Because we talked to a few people." Dante said and I turned to look.

He was gone for less than three minutes, his shirt was left unbuttoned but I could see the expertly wrapped bandages around his torso.

So he didn't even need my help in the first place.

" You were right about private buyers. It was odd that we couldn't find the necklace at any auction." Dante seemed reluctant to admit that I was right.

" So we started talking to other sweetliars and turns out the mystery man sold the necklace the first week it was stolen."

My eyes glance at Titus and Dante. Dante said we and there was a smirk on his face when he said it like it was made for me.

I shook the thoughts out of my head, " Who did he sell it to?"

" Someone in this city, another sweetliar."

I almost laugh purely out of disbelief. We had traveled to different cities, risk getting caught only to find out the necklace was in this city. This was one big joke.

" Let's go. What are we waiting for?" I said.

**

The house if I could even call it that sat unassumingly between two equally orderly houses. The only distinguishing feature is the tiny bird feeder tied up on a tree branch in front of the yard.

" What?" I said, " Are you sure? This looks like a normal family home."

When no one answer me I repeated my concern and was met with Dante sighing and replying that I was very much foolish because why would a sweetliar want to live in a suspicious place?

While we were arguing, Titus disappeared.

" Where's Titus?"

I stopped the next slew of insults and glanced around. He was right, Titus was gone.

" Where did he go?"

" Gods Sia. I wonder where?" Dante's tone was enough for me to set my jaw.

He nodded towards the open gate and my eyes widened. Did he really leave us?

I closed the gate behind me and scurried after Dante who approached the front door. It was unlocked.

The door creaked open and I almost gasped. The entire room was practically a sweetliar's dream. Expensive painting and jewelry displays, lush carpets, and soft cushions. The room alone probably cost more than every single house on this block.

There was voices coming, one was Titus and another was a women's voice.

I stepped forward, my breath in my throat when the floor beneath me creaked.

Suddenly I felt a hand around my waist and another clasped tightly around my mouth. I frail, panicked and my eyes dart to find Dante.

Another man had also grabbed him but he wasn't struggling in the man's grasps. In fact, he looked unconscious.

I looked up to my assailant.

" Please." I said but it came out more like a whimper.

The next thing I knew, I felt a sharp pain fly across the back of my head and I was out.

There was a constant beeping, I didn't know where it was coming from. But it was annoying.

I almost yelled at Jack to turn it off before I realized I wasn't home. The cement floor wasn't mine, the scent of chemicals and dust wasn't the same comforting smell of home.

I lifted my head and it took me a moment to realized I was in a chair, my hands bound behind me and my legs tied up together with chains. There were so many locks.

Then I felt it, a sharp pain across the back of my legs as well as across my back.

We were in a room, completely dark except for the light that poured in from the window to my left. It was dusty and there was a staircase position in front of us.

" Dante?" I said softly.

He lifted his head, his eyes widened as he struggled against his binds.

" What the hell?" He said and winched.

A door creaked opened, a stream of light ran through the room before closing. I could voices. It was Titus.

" What did you want to show me?" There was the familiar flirtatious tone in his voice then a chuckle.

" I'll show you, come on boy."

The light flicked on and I blinked to adjust to the brightness.

As soon as the women stepped down, I realized who she was. She was the fortune teller I had encountered with Jack.

Recognization flashed through her eyes and she merely smiled while Titus froze. Then in a quick second, he slammed the women to the wall. He had his hand wrapped securely her neck.

" Who the hell are you?" He practically growled, I saw his fingers dig deeper into her skin.

" Look." She choked out, her head moved to point at me.

" She's scared of you."

Titus turned to look at me, his expression softening.

The door flew open and down came our two attackers. They both were large and burley, rows of rings sat on their fingers. They shared identical cropped dark hair and were donned in dark clothing. The only difference I noticed between them was the guy who knocked me out had dark eyes while Dante's attacker had green.

My attacker walked closer, his hand harsh on my shoulder and I swallowed thickly.

Titus glanced between us and the two men before dropping the fortune teller. She fell to her knees but quickly rose to her feet.

" What the hell do you want from us?" Dante sneered as the women approached us.

When she got close enough, he spat at her squarely on the face. This earned him a slap to the face and my eyes widened at the handprint. But Dante didn't look sorry.

" Wait, do what you want with me. Just don't touch him." Titus was held back by one of the men.

" You're the fortune teller that scammed me." I said.

This made her smile, " And how are you dear? Did you find the person that was supposed to save you?" She walked closer into the light and I caught a glimpse at her neck.

She was wearing the queen's necklace.