Captive: Hopeless

Chapter 29 - Sleight of hand

The mayor offered her his hand and his quiet understanding that there would be unobtrusive help when needed.

A waiter walked straight into his elbow, spilling a tray of snacks over nearby guests and tripping over the mayor's shoe tip. He almost righted himself, but a furious female guest shoved him away from her, and he lost his precarious balance, bowling right into Darcy.

The waiter was a large man, and she fell backward down three steps, but his momentum carried them several feet further and bowled the legs out from under three unsuspecting guests, who ended up on top of them in a tangle of limbs.

***

Darcy untangled herself.

Her designer dress had torn, almost exposing her cleavage, and her purse lay to one side. Someone had spilled red wine all over her, and although it blended with the dress, it reeked.

With her hair half undone and in pain, she staggered upright and tipped sideways as she stepped on the broken heel of her shoe. A person steadied her with a grip far too powerful to be human, and as she glanced sideways, staring right into the cold eyes of Linda Tolliver.

The little incident caused a shift in the crowd as some guests crowded nearer to see what happened, and security endeavored to move people out of the way to help the guests.

Darcy and Linda were also rudely elbowed aside by a large man speaking into a device attached to his wrist just as she steadied herself.

A woman started crying, the angry voice of a man muted her sobs, and then a little confusion ensued further into the room.

She righted herself again, turning to thank Linda Tolliver for helping her. The tall, dark-haired woman stalked away from the crowd, icy fury turning her Nordic features even starker, but the mayor intercepted Linda.

They spoke briefly, and when she left him, the man looked worried. This little incident could severely hurt his reputation.

He glanced around, his gaze searching for the waiter who caused the entire commotion, but the man had the good sense to disappear before the security detail got to him; instead, he spotted her.

"Darcy, are you hurt?" The mayor asked, reaching her, and she gingerly touched her side.

"Yes, I don't need a doctor, but I am leaving. This was an accident, and don't worry about me. Mr. Denver over there will be more of a problem," she tapped his hand and limped off.

The mayor moved to detain her, but one look into her frosty gaze, and he let go of her arm. Smiling stiffly at him, she turned away.

Marcus came to her side and guided her outside with Claudia and Kay right beside him.

"Did you get it?" Claudia asked of no one in particular as she handed Darcy her purse.

"Dennis's aim was a little off, but we got it," a smug smile touched her lips as they got into their waiting limo and drove off.

***

Inside the building, the mayor had the difficult task of publicly firing the catering firm he had hired for this event. It was made more complicated because the owner was his niece, and her service was excellent.

"I am sorry, Lilac, but this was unforgivable," he said, his cheek muscles working as the betrayal in her eyes tore at him. No one would hire her after this, and he had just chosen his political future over her livelihood.

"That man was not one of my waiters," she insisted. "Check the footage, and if he is, I will accept this and leave."

Security showed him the footage and quickly verified her wait staff, finding her to be correct.

"The server did not work for her, sorry Lilac, this was not your fault." Even as she nodded and left him to continue her work, he knew she would not forget this. Their good relationship had been ruined, but he had greater concerns.

How did the man get in, and how did he leave? Why had he been there?

"Find out who he was and what he was doing here." Even as he gave the order, he noticed the wariness of his guests and how they slowly trickled away like water through his fingers.

A waiter approached Lilac, and she returned to him.

"Ben says he overslept and missed his train. Afraid I'd fire him, he snuck in with the last catering van by hiding behind the seat. If he gained entrance that way, someone else could have come and gone the same way. Maybe he was a reporter, and it would explain the clumsiness and the quick exit. Catering vans were coming and going all evening, and it would have been easy." She nodded coldly and left him to his thoughts.

There were no cameras in the ballroom for obvious reasons—privacy and such.

"Have you tracked the fake waiter?" he demanded of his security chief.

"Yes, sir, although it wasn't easy."

In the hallways, the man seemed to know where all the cameras were, and they never once got a good look at him. Tall, muscled, brown-eyed, and ordinary looking like most of the security people with the type of face you could not pick out of a lineup, and there were no fingerprints.

"Find him," he bit out.

His aide sidled up to his side.

"I should fire the security company," he bit out darkly as the last guests disappeared.

"Sorry, sir, but I advise against it. That would admit we did not seal the breach, and people will get even more jittery."

"The mice already jumped ship, Laird," he pointed out.

"Make sure nothing happens to expose any of them, and they will be back soon enough. Tomorrow, you will make some phone calls and smooth over their ruffled feathers. Don't forget who you are."

Denver appeared at the door, and he almost sighed.

"I want a public apology from the mayor's office!" he demanded rudely, too used to being the most powerful man in any room.

"Really? Why don't I instead send the police the faked environmental surveys you tendered for your last two contracts and show the building inspector the shitty materials you used?" the mayor said calmly.

"Why don't I get someone to investigate your little fundraising scheme?"

"With your name showing up on that bank account regularly alongside that of your father, sister, and uncle?" he asked. "Is your ego worth all of this trouble?"

Still angry, Denver shook his head.

"Then let us forget this little matter, and make sure you tell everyone you know that it was handled well. I'll make sure that paving contract falls in your lap."

The mayor smirked as he walked away. Denver didn't realize he had just made a deal with the devil by baring his throat. With this handle he had on the man, he could make him jump through hoops. It would take a while before Denver realized he belonged to the mayor, who was beholden to bigger men.

The mayor expected backlash or some embarrassing bit of information leaked to the press after the party and the commotion with Denver. Nothing happened, and even he was just starting to learn how big the sharks he swam with.

Well played, players. Newest Version ©2014-2023 All rights reserved. If you find this on any other platform but Wattpad under @CSDreamer, please report it. No part of this book may be copied or reposted without the author's permission.