Con Man: Complete Series Box Set: A Bad Boy Romance Read Free

the fast-acting laxatives I'd put in his coffee.
    Quickly, I went to my real work. Opening the hidden compartment in my portfolio, I slid three large paintings out. Well, they were forgeries more than paintings, but it wasn’t like the public could tell the difference. I'd never understood what was so wrong with taking fine art from people who couldn't appreciate it, and leaving them with something they assumed was just as good. The real crime was not understanding its true value.
    Glancing over my shoulder to make sure Gabriel hadn’t miraculously returned to perfect intestinal health, I headed out of the back of the room and into the art vault.
    Now came the tricky part.
    The keypad could only be unlocked with a specific code, a code only a few choice people knew. Usually, the caretaker would assign us a specific piece to work on depending on our area of expertise, then fetch it from the vault herself, lock it in one of the environmentally controlled cases at our station, and give only the artist working on it the combination to open that particular case. It was the perfect combination of high tech and low tech to make a heist like the one I was attempting impossible.
    Granted, they had forgotten to take a code scrambler into account, which was what made it possible for someone like me.
    I ripped the basing off the number pad beside the door, exposing the wiring below. It was easy enough for my long, practiced fingers to follow them to their ports and yank out the right ones. Most people thought criminals did what they did because it was easy or because the criminal was unintelligent. That might've been the case for some, but it definitely wasn't for me. I loved the challenge, and while I didn't have much in the way of formal education, my knowledge base was vast and thorough.
    Grinning, I pulled a small square device from my pocket. Clicking open the side compartment, several wires and plug ins tumbled out. I hooked them in place of some of the things I'd just pulled out, pressed a few buttons, and let that wonderful piece of technology do its job.
    Lights flashed along the exposed number pad as I watched patiently. Usually, this was about the time a rookie would start to sweat, but I waited patiently. Either this would work or it wouldn’t, it was all dependent on planning.
    And my plans always worked.
    Finally, the number pad let out an agreeable little hum, and there was a hiss of air as the vault unlocked. I breathed a sigh of relief and walked right in. I didn't even want to think of how embarrassing it would be if I failed her.
    Everywhere around me were carefully sealed paintings, urns, busts, and ancient weapons. Each section had its own light conditions, as well as strictly maintained temperatures and air pressure. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, and I took a moment to appreciate it, although I wasn’t exactly here for the sightseeing.
    Then I strolled over to the paintings and began looking for the numbers I needed. I would've liked to take it all, but right now, I only had the ability to take a few things. I spotted them in less than ten seconds and pulled them from the thin urethane cases they were being housed in. From there, it was a simple matter of sliding the real paintings out as carefully as possible, then substituting my forgeries in their place. These particular paintings weren’t scheduled for display or restoration until the spring, so I would be long gone before anyone even knew they were missing.
    I walked out of the vault with my prizes in hand, crossing over to my portfolio. From there it was easy enough to place the real works into the hidden compartment. I looked around, mentally saying goodbye to my most recent playground, then waltzed right out the front door.
    This was the point where most people made their biggest mistake. They’d plan and strategize for months, but the moment they had their prize in their hands, they ran. Running drew attention, and attention was the