The Game by Elizabeth Knox

☆ Sienna ☆

My name changes based on my assignment, but those closest to me call me Sienna. It’s what my boss calls me, and my colleagues, but right now I’m playing the game. Essentially, I’m conning a conniving billionaire out of loads of cash and I’m doing a damn good job at it. It’s what I do, take money from the greedy and give it to those who need it the most. A lot of people would say I’m a no good criminal, but I’d be forced to argue with them. I’m a criminal, but I’m a great one.
Life goes on as usual and I finish my last job, but then I get called for another assignment, one where I have to work with a new colleague, one I haven’t met before. His name is Marc, and during our con we have to pose as two newlyweds in a luxurious neighborhood. Our boss says the con will last a little over a year, but as usual things may change depending on the circumstances. In this industry, you always try to finish the job, but if any of us are put in harm’s way, we get out.
After all, who wants a con artist who gets caught? The feds will try to get any information out of you, and then the boss is in the hot seat. No one wants that. Not any of us.
So, Marc and I move to Minneapolis, Minnesota and wait for instructions to come in. As of right now, we introduce ourselves as the Barnes family. We keep it simple, we work from home because we’re in the stock market and we met at a bar a few years ago, since then it’s been picture perfect.
But, that’s not what goes on. Marc is the worst man my boss could’ve picked for me to do this with. He’s arrogant, in your face, and is one of those men who constantly thinks he’s right. It’s downright aggravating. But, we have to let everyone believe we’re a couple who’s in love, so I’m forced to smile and kiss the man every day.
I can fake it for a while, but eventually all I want to do is throttle him in the face, especially when he makes plans for me to go out with the other ‘housewives’ in the middle of the fucking day when I need to be looking into things. I rush up to him with my nostrils flaring and am about to yell at him when he grabs me by the throat and backs me into the wall. It moves so fast that I barely realize what’s happening. He fucks me until I can hardly see straight and when he’s done, he cackles about how we need to do this more often. I agree, but lay down the terms–when the con is over, this is over too.
We both agree to it, but over time . . . will we walk away when this is all said and done?