Prologue
"Guys, let's go out and see the nightlife of Vegas, " suggested a twenty year old Seraphina Brookes. She was the shy one of the group, with gorgeous killer looks, straight blonde cascading hair and baby blue twinkling eyes.
"Yeah, I'm with Sera. Let's go out," supported Carol.
"Yes, let's go. River, please suggest where we can go," said Julianna excitedly.
River used to live in Las Vegas when she was young. So she knew every nook and corner of the city. The four friends were in their second year at Huntsville College Of Commerce, in Huntsville, Alabama. They were all majoring in finance and management. They had decided to visit Las Vegas on a weekend trip to avoid their friend Carol's legal guardian.
The whole day they had visited the main attractions of Las Vegas on their two day weekend trip. After a refreshing nap, they were now ready to explore the nightlife of Vegas. They were staying at River's uncle's apartment in Vegas to save hotel costs.
"Wait, my uncle has membership at a billionaire's club, The Solitaire. It's safe, privately owned and meant only for its rich, loaded members. Let's go there?" Asked River and they all agreed.
They quickly got ready in glitzy clothes and trooped out of the building. Taking a cab they reached the club in ten minutes. It was the most classy, upscale club Sera had ever seen in her entire life.
This was so different from the life she led in Huntsville. She lived with her parents and two younger brothers in her small country home. Her father owned a small garage for repairing and servicing cars, bikes, motorcycles, trucks and anything with wheels. Her mom ran a small bakery from the house itself as they didn't have enough to rent a shop. Her brothers were fourteen and sixteen years of age and still in school. Sera worked at a library after college as well as on weekends to pay for her education.
She didn't have much money for this trip but River and Carol paid for her airfare and insisted that she accompanied them. She got a two day leave at work and things fell into place. So here she was, standing in front of a billionaire's club. Something that was way beyond her league.
River led her forward and they all trooped inside the club showing her uncle's card. The night club was overcrowded with hot sweaty bodies gyrating to loud dance music on the dance floor. The bartenders were too busy mixing up drinks and serving the huge crowd gathered around their counter. There was a deck above for the members to enjoy with tight security at the entrance.
"Let's go upstairs, girls, " guided River and they all went upstairs to the VIP area, showing her uncle's card who was a patron of the club.
They sat down on the plush leather seats and decided upon the drinks they wanted. "I've never tasted alcohol in my entire life, " whispered Sera.
"Don't worry, Julianna and I too haven't. If we get sick, three of us will be sick together," said Carol with a wink.
"Don't worry. Nothing will happen. Just open up and enjoy, girls, " said River. She was the most experienced of the lot. "Sera, let's go and get the drinks."
Sera followed River through the crowded club to the bartender. River winked and got a cute bartender's attention and they ordered what they wanted.
"You can go back to your seat, babe. I'll have your drinks sent to ya," said the bartender, winking at Sera, eyeing her up and down.
They pushed through the crowd back to their seats. "He was so interested in you," said River, nudging Sera wickedly.
"I'm not interested. I'm a one-man woman type," she said and River made a grimace.
"You will get hurt Sera. True love, deep love doesn't work in real life. It's only one nightstands, polygamy and such fu*k that happens in reality," said River with a sadness in her eyes that made Sera feel that there might be more to River than she actually showed.
"I can't change myself Riv. That's how I actually am," she said with a lopsided smile.
"Let love hit you. You will lose your sense of right and wrong baby, " River warned.
"Why? Has it hit you?" She asked curiously.
"That's a story for another day, " she said with a wink. They reached their table and chatted with the others. Their drinks arrived. Sera threw caution to the wind just like her friends and drank to her heart's content. The owner of the club, Maxwell Stephens sat at another table eyeing Carol. He sent them drinks and delicious appetizers free of cost and they tucked in.
River led Sera to the dance floor and after dancing to a few numbers, they both were too exhausted to think straight. They all hailed a cab and headed home. With too much to drink, all of them were too inebriated to think straight. They hit their beds and slept like logs the whole night.
Sera woke up late the next morning with a splitting headache. She freshened up and went to the kitchen to get something for her hangover. There she saw River sipping her coffee.
"Are those two still sleeping?" Sera asked groggily.
"Julianna is, Carol must be in the en-suite," said River, casually. She passed Sera a tylenol pill and water. "Have that. It'll relieve you of the hangover," she informed. Sera took the pill and popped it into her mouth and washed it down with a gulp of water.
She then went to Julianna's room and tiptoed to her en-suite, trying not to wake her up. No one was there inside. Confused, she returned back to River.
"I checked the ensuite, she isn't there. Her side of the bed looked neat and tidy," said Sera and River started thinking hard.
"Did she return home with us?" Asked River.
Sera's eyes widened at what she was hinting. "I'm not sure. We were too drunk to notice, " she said in a scared voice.
They decided to inform Julianna. Sera opened her door and rushed inside in panic. "Where's Carol?" She asked, with a horrified and pale face.
"I don't know. She didn't sleep with me. Must be in the living room, " said Julianna, holding her head in her hands. Her head was throbbing and she couldn't think straight.
"I can't find her anywhere, Julie. Did she return with us?" Sera asked in a scared voice.
Julianna stared at her with her mouth open. "I'm not sure," she said, scared at what Sera was hinting.
"Let's call her on her mobile, " said River entering the room. "Here, have this Julie," she said, handing her a tylenol and water.
Julianna gulped the medicine and then took out her mobile phone and called Carol. The phone rang for a few minutes and got disconnected.
"Pick up the bloody phone, Carol," she muttered nervously, trying again for the second time. This time someone picked up it seemed.
"Where's Carol? Why do you have her number?" She asked in a rude tone. She gasped at the answer from the other end.
"Where's she? I need to talk to her. Tell me your location. We'll come to pick her up," said Julianna, solemnly.
River and Sera stared at Julianna curiously as she shouted angrily into her phone. "Who are you to decide where Carol will go? Tell me your address, " said Julianna. The phone got disconnected and Julianna stared at it with her jaws dropped to the floor.
"What happened? Who did you talk to?" Asked Sera.
"Maxwell Stephens answered Carol's phone. She's with him. They got married last night," she said and both girls stared at her incredulously.
"But she was wasted just like us. Maxwell might have married her in her inebriated state. But why?" Asked River and they all sat thinking what to do.
"I can ask my friend Zachary Reynor to find out where Maxwell Stephens lives. Then we go to his house and save Carol. What do you say?" Suggested River and they all agreed. She called her friend and he agreed to come to their apartment immediately.
