Damon's POV
I was just going to enquire how the Blackwoods had eliminated that entire outfit when one of my guards entered carrying a tablet.
The man Lila is to be engaged to, is going to land in a couple of hours, said he. "Millionaire from overseas. He'll be in the country soon."
My stomach dropped. "He's coming here now?" I asked.
"Yes, sir. Flight ETA two hours. Hotel is on the list."
That spoiled the easy way I had dreamed of. In the photo a betrothed was trouble. I could not allow some stranger to get Lila first.
Give me his flight particulars, I said. The guard gave me the tablet and I read it quickly--flight number, arrival time, hotel. Good. Clean. Predictable.
I summoned my female guard into the room. She entered, and stood on her heels.
"I've got a job for you," I said. I kept my voice quiet, direct. "The plan is simple. He lands, goes to his hotel. You get there first. Get it to appear that he is cheating on Lila. Publicize it--enough people to begin to talk. Rape her, force her into the hallway where the people will notice. I'll be next door. I step in as the rescuer. I must have something to keep over her besides business.
She didn't blink. "You want me to set him up?"
"Yes. Make it messy. Make it believable. I'll be watching the feed."
She nodded once. "Understood. I'll be in position."
I felt a little squeeze in a part of me when I thought of using somebody like that, but it went. I'd seen what the Hayes did. The negligent driving by Lila claimed the lives of my parents. I had no place to be sentimental.
Hours crawled by. On the third night of my stay in BlackRidge, I was nearly asleep at 10 pm when my phone buzzed.
He's in his room. Asleep.
I moved to the monitor. The lady had earlier placed a small camera. The feed depicted a gloomy hotel room. Then the man came up, and fell over and on the bed. My guard, the woman, was already lurking in the bathroom, watching.
Until he was far enough asleep she waited. Then she crept away, as silent as a shadow. She kissed him--light spots, artificial. Then she removed the ring off his finger and slotted it in her pocket as she drew out another pair, slipped one to his finger and one to hers. Then she took a small photo, an ai modified photo of her and the man, smiling like real couples and put it in his wallet.
I watched, cold and focused.
The scheme was easy, to pass the man as being secretly wedded and the female guard as his wife and Lila as the girl who had consented to marry him regardless of whether she knew he was married or not was incidental to my scheme.
My gaze moved to the other screen and that is when the elevator doors opened.
I said, sitting up straight, "Lila, I said.
Get into the shower, I said to the female guard on the line, in a low and quick voice. "Quick. Play it as though you are washing off the perfume or bathing.
She gave a soft yes and moved.
The hotel room door was deliberately left open. Lila came, with his suitcase in his hand, smiling on her face as she knocked on the door, she attempted to open it and exactly as I wanted, the door shifted. She forced it open and the guard came out of the bathroom just at that point in time, as the man woke up.
For a second, everyone froze.
The man sat up, eyes wide. "Who--who are you?" he fumbled his gaze at the guard.
Lila went pale. "What is going on?" Her voice shook. "Who is she? Who are you?"
The guard hit her marks. She stepped forward, with a sharp voice, but with restraint. " I am his wife, who are you?" She turned to look at the man. "Who is she hubby?" She asked, a frown on her face.
No--that--no--no--no--no--no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono-ono- "I didn't... I am his fiance. This is--"
One of the guests of the hotel stood before his room door, which opened into the room in which Lila was, precisely where my team had positioned him. "Isn't that Lila Hayes? What is she doing with a married man? The heiress!" he spoke loudly so that people could hear.
Another visitor leaped in. "Disgrace! Of a damsel to be with a man wed! The voices came faster. Individuals surrounded, scratching to find outrage.
Lila's face crumpled. She picked up her phone, which was trembling. She tried to call someone. No answer. She called once more, and her eyes were full of tears.
The guard continued to approach her, and more amiably, toying with the scene. "Homewrecker!"
Stop it--please, stop it--stop it, Lila pleaded. She retreated along the hall, her eyes wild.
She pressed against the door and it at once swung open, and I turned a little, as though I were aghast at the invasion.
"Lila..." I grumbled and assisted her out of the floor.
Small, exhausted, sobbed she. She continued to explain to me what had happened. I sat opposite her on the bed and stared at her, without moving.
Another minute later she raised her head, which was red. I cannot confront them, I can not, she said to herself. "I can't... I don't know what to do."
"You can stay here," I said. My voice was flat, steady. "No calls. No messages. Sleep. The next day everything would be cooled down by tomorrow.
She didn't argue. She got on the bed and sat down, exhausted and disheartened. And tears streamed down her face before she slept at last, the sort of heavy, empty sleep that follows when everything goes wrong.
I saw her slowly breathe in and out. A little, restrained smile passed over my face - not sadistic, simply pleasure.
"Time to play the real games," I said to myself.