Page 36 of Kiwi

"Hey, you ladies aren't leaving yet, are you?" Chris asks.

"Yeah, we're pretty beat. But it was nice meeting you and your friend," Jia tells him, thumbing over her shoulder at Chris' friend who has now joined us.

"That's too bad. But listen, there is a party happening tomorrow night at a friend's house. He's a big-time music executive. The guest list is VIP only." Chris pulls out his wallet and hands Jia a card. "The address is on the back. Tell whoever is at the door you're with Chris and Mike."

"Sounds like fun." Jia takes the card from Chris, then he hands one to me.

I don't share the same enthusiasm as my friend. These two clowns give me a bad vibe. Plus, my dad's voice is ringing inside my head. He may be overprotective, but he's never steered me wrong. Call me a daddy's girl if you want, but I always listen to him.

Back at the hotel room,I confront Jia on my concerns about this so-called VIP party, mostly since she hasn't shut up about it since leaving the club.

"Jia, I'm not going to that party, and I don't think you should either."

Kicking her heels off and tugging her dress off over her head, she asks, "Why not? Chris and Mike seem cool. And you never know who we might meet at the party."

"Chris gave me the creeps, and how do we know they were not lying about who is throwing the party? It sounds a little fishy to me. I mean, why ask a girl you just met to come to an exclusive VIP party where there will supposedly be celebrities in attendance?"

"Come on, Piper. You never know. Live a little."

I shake my head. "I live plenty. I'm not going, and I'm asking you as a friend to trust me. I don't want you going either." I give Jia a pleading look. "Please."

She sighs. "Fine. I won't go."

* * *

The next daywas just as fun as the day before. Jia and I indulged in some retail therapy, had lunch, then ended the day by pampering ourselves at the hotel spa. The plan for the night was to hit up the strip and sightsee, but a headache kept me in. While I went to lie down, Jia said she would order some room service and watch a movie. By the time I wake from my nap, the room is dark. Looking at the clock beside the bed, I see it's 10:00 pm. I can't believe I slept for four hours.

Climbing out of bed, I pad out of the room I'm staying in and down the hall to Jia's room. I knock on the door. "Jia. You up?"

When I don't get an answer, I crack the door open to find the room empty. Pushing in the rest of the way, I notice several articles of clothing scattered across the bed. Next, I make my way out of the room and into the dining area to find a sheet of the hotel stationary on the table. Picking it up, I read the note Jia left for me.

Piper,

I was bored and didn't want to wake you. I decided to go to the party after all. Don't be mad. I'll check in soon.

Jia.

"Shit,"I mutter to myself. Jogging back into my room, I go straight to my phone to see if Jia has called or texted. Swiping my finger across the screen, I see I have a message from her. It was sent at seven fifty-eight, letting me know she had arrived at the house. After quickly shooting off a reply, I go to my suitcase and pull out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Once dressed, I slip on my tennis shoes and tie my hair back in a ponytail. When I'm done, I check my phone to see I haven't gotten a reply back from Jia. It's only been an hour, but I have a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach. She promised she wouldn't go, but I can't sit here and wait for her to come back. I wait another fifteen minutes and send another text. When Jia still fails to respond, I call. Dialing her number, I wait for her to answer. Her phone goes straight to voicemail instead. Frustrated with my friend, I go into the bathroom and grab the clutch I was using the night before. Opening it, I fish out the card Chris gave me. I slide the card along with my phone in my back pocket. I also grab the tube of pepper spray and stick it into the waistband of my jeans. Quickly, I make my way out of the hotel and to the elevator, riding it down to the lobby. As soon as I step out of the hotel, I grab a cab.

"Where to sweetheart?" the driver asks. I reach into my back pocket for the card but it's not there. Shit. I must have dropped it.

Luckily, I remember the address on the card and recite it to the driver.

Peering out the window as the car stops in front of a large house, my first thought is I have mistakenly given the wrong address. There is no party happening here. There are a few lights on in the large two-story mansion, but no vehicles are parked out front.

"You coming or going, lady?" the driver asks.

"Um…I..." Just as I am about to tell him I've made a mistake, the front door to the house opens. Chris, the guy from the club who invited us here, steps out the same time three cars pull into the circular driveway beside the taxi, and several people start spilling out. The men are dressed casually, and the women dressed much like they would if going to the club. And when I step out of the cab, I can hear music coming from inside the house. Turning back to the driver, I give him some cash. "Do you mind waiting? I'll only be a few minutes."

"No problem."

Making my way toward the front door of the house, Chris spots me and smiles. "I see you changed your mind."

"I haven't changed my mind. I just came to pick up my friend."

"Oh. Well. She's inside. I can take you to her if you want."

Nodding, I follow Chris inside the house. He shuts the door behind me and nods toward his left. "She and Mike are this way."

I take in my surroundings and notice there does seem to be a party going on. To my right is a large living room with a few people mingling. And as I follow Chris, we pass through the kitchen, which leads to a backyard. In the yard there has to be at least fifty people. Some are in the pool, and some are simply standing around and dancing. When we pass a few men and women standing in the open doorway of the kitchen that leads to the back patio, one of the women gives me a curious glance, and a tall man with dark hair and a neck tattoo wearing a suit leers at me briefly then turns his attention back to his date. By the time we reach the back of the house, the unease I was feeling before, intensifies but I keep a handle on my nerves because I need to find Jia and make sure she is okay.

"Your friend is just through here," Chris gestures to the closed door at the end of the hall. When he opens it, he steps aside to let me through. In front of me is a pool table and to the right of the pool table is a brown leather sofa. My hand flies to my mouth when I see Jia passed out on it. "What the hell. What did you do?" I rush to her side and drop to my knees on the floor next to the sofa. I touch my hand to Jia's forehead to find her skin covered in sweat and clammy. When I don't hear Chris' response, I look over my shoulder to find the dark haired man with the neck tattoo, looming behind me. The look on his face sends a chill down my spine, and I force my mouth to move. "What the hell is going on?" A sharp pain radiates from the back of my head. My vision blurs at the edges, and I reach out, trying to grab hold of something. Voices around me sound muffled as I feel my body sway, just before everything goes black.