Three Lovers on the Grift - 17

"She's in room 410," Mr Leigh said as he and Vaughn entered the hotel.

"All right." Vaughn headed toward the bank of elevators, Mr Leigh following slowly behind him. As Vaughn pressed the button, he realized the man had stopped a few yards away. Going back to him, he said, "You're not having second thoughts, are you?"

"No, yes, no, I guess not. But what if she denies everything? I mean isn't she going to wonder why I brought someone along?"

"She's not going to know I'm there until after you hand her the money." Vaughn frowned before starting back to the elevators.

Mr Leigh hurried after him. "What's wrong?"

"It just occurred to me that she sometimes works with a partner, a man."

The elevator doors opened just then and the two men stepped on, Vaughn pushing the button for the fourth floor.

"This won't work if he's there, will it?" Mr Leigh asked, looking as if he was about to change his mind.

"It will. We'll just have to alter our plans a bit," Vaughn said confidently. "The first thing is, when we get to the room you'll put the briefcase on the floor by the door and knock. If Ms Del Gado answers then we're good and you pick it up. If it's the man, you make an issue of needing to talk to Ms Del Gado, not to him. He might tell you she's not there, in which case you step into the room and look around."

"Is he—will he be upset if I do that?"

"No. He's just her protector. She'll be there, only not where you can see her immediately. The minute you do, you say her name so I know it's a go. Got it?"

By then they were off the elevator, Vaughn swiftly hustling Mr Leigh to room 410. Mr Leigh put the briefcase down then knocked on the door.

It opened and Nigel said, "You're early."

"Where's Ms Del Gado?" Mr Leigh replied, trying to look past him into the room.

"She's here, see for yourself." Nigel moved aside to let the man enter. When he had, Nigel stepped into the hallway, closing the door swiftly behind him. Vaughn grabbed the briefcase and seconds later he and Nigel were on the move. They'd chosen room 410 for a reason, its proximity to the emergency stairs. They raced up them to the fifth floor then walked calmly down to room 520 and knocked.

Page opened the door, smiling when Vaughn handed her the briefcase full of money. "With Mr Leigh's compliments," he said, grinning.

"As if." She put it on the desk and opened it. "Baby's getting a new pair of shoes; both of them are, in fact."

"And while we wait for things to calm down, because you know he's going to call the cops, I suggest Vaughn and I take a shower to get rid of the hair coloring and what have you," Nigel said pointedly, wincing as he pulled off the dark mustache he'd been wearing.

"Not without me," Page told him, swatting his ass. "So strip, I'll get rid of your clothes and then join you."

Nigel smiled wolfishly as he yanked his T-shirt over his head. "I so love the aftermath of a good game."