Like Clockwork, Vegas Style

by megands

Friends are the family we choose. They fuel the good times, mediate the challenging times and masterfully clean-up the remnants of chaos. Kate and Ana head to Vegas for their yearly getaway trip to refuel with their best friend Rhi. Strong adult language & mature content. Fifty Shades characters belong to EL James. All others including the storyline belong to me exclusively.

1. Chapter 1 Like Clockwork, The Check In

Chapter One – Like Clockwork

The Check-In

Rhiann POV

"My God it's hot here!" Kate exclaims as we exit McCarran airport.

"We need to get inside as soon as possible! I'm going to melt!" Ana follows suit complaining about the heat in Las Vegas.

I, on the other hand, absolutely love the heat so I simply state, "I love it! The hotter the better! It's only 91 degrees so it's not that bad."

Ana and Kate look at me like I'm nuts. "It's 8am!" They screech.

I look at them smugly and laugh, "Just wait until it's 89 degrees at 11:00 pm! It's fantastic!" They gasp dramatically placing their hands on their foreheads like damsels in distress, "We'll melt! Sugar melts in the heat!" I roll my eyes at them laughing.

That's one thing that separates me from them. They love the cold and wet weather. I love the rain, but only if it's a warm rain, the kind you get to go out and play in the mud puddles and not freeze to death. I much prefer the scorching heat. There's so much more you can do when everything is dry. No worrying about icy slick roads, wearing jackets, hats, gloves and all that other cold weather bullshit.

We head over to where the shuttles are located to get a ride to our hotel. I tell the girls I'll handle the tip as I always have cash on me. You never know when you're going to need it. An older gentleman with salt and pepper hair, tall and lean with skin that is tanned dark indicating he spends a lot of time in the sun outdoors. He's wearing beige cargo shorts and a polo with the name bell trans embroidered on it and his name tag say "Leo" on it. As we approach the shuttle, he smiles a warm smile, and his bright blue eyes shine with merriment. I tell Leo we're staying at the Bellagio, and he smiles and takes our bags and puts them in the back of the bus. We climb in and sit next to each other near the windows, enjoying the air conditioning. It's so nice to not have to drive here. The traffic is horrible. Thank God they have catwalks!

There is a slight hum from the idle chatter among the passengers with various topics, most are about the hotel they're staying at or other plans they have. This is our yearly trek to Las Vegas but this time it's more of a celebratory trip. Ana and Kate have just graduated from WSU, Ana with a bachelor's degree in literature and Kate with a bachelor's degree in media relations. I, on the other hand, did not elect to go to college right away. I wanted to live and experience life while I still can. As the kids these days say, "You only live once!" God I hate that saying, but it seems to explain a lot of things, so I guess it'll never be obsolete.

Upon our arrival at our hotel, our shuttle driver exits the vehicle and opens the back door so we can retrieve our luggage. I pull out a $20 bill and hand it to him. He takes it with a smile and thanks me, wishes us well and tells us to enjoy our stay. Grabbing our bags, we head into the hotel. It's gorgeous and I could get lost in the fountains. So calming and serene. Apparently, this time of the year and week was a very popular time for people to vacation in Vegas. The check in line at 8:30 am is unbelievably long but, it is what it is. There is an option for a digital room card, which is nice unless your phone battery dies and you're alone. I always opt for an actual room card just in case and they are recycled by the hotel. Usually not that many people like to pay to check in early, but we are because we have a two-bedroom penthouse suite. Nice and big with plenty of privacy and a great view. It's like having an apartment with tons of room, it's not like we're planning on spending a lot of time in the room but still, it's nice to have the space.

We are waiting in line deciding on what to do first. My suggestion, go get a yard of an iced drink to wander around and decide. It's hot, they're cold and the alcohol is just the cherry on top. I always get an extra shot or two because it cuts the sweetness of the sugary drink. The girls quickly agree and now that we have a plan, let's hope we get through this damn line faster. I can't believe it's this busy this early!

Kate grabs me and gives me a huge squeeze. "This is going to be such a blast! We are going to have so much fun and get wild and crazy! Well, get wild anyway. We're already crazy!" She laughs.

Ana and I roll our eyes and groan, "That was a terrible joke! Come on, you can come up with something better than that!"

As she's getting ready to respond, a group of four very well-built guys start to whistle and cat call. A guy who looks like a surfer is staring in our direction. He's got blonde shaggy looking hair, a dark tan, bright white teeth and looks to be about 6 feet tall, give or take an inch. I can't see the color of his eyes because it's too dark and he's too far away.

"Hey ladies! I hope you're planning on staying here for a while! We'd love to hang out. Maybe you would like to come see our show. We'll get you in free." He drawls with a thick Australian accent and giving a wink and an amazing smile.

Kate grabs her heart exclaiming "Oh be still my heart! He's an Aussie!"

Ana's mouth drops open and she mumbles "I'd like to go down under. I hear those Aussies are quite …. Friendly." She says with a smirk.

"I wonder what kind of show they have?" I question.

Kate starts to say something and stops. Eyes wide she whispers, "The only show around here that I can think of that has something to do with Australia is the Thunder from Down Under at the Excalibur."

Ana looks at her, "You don't think they're part of that show do you? Oh my god that would be so hot to see. We've never seen a male stripper show, ever. Definitely not before we were 21."

I think about this for a minute and with a straight face say, "Well…. I wouldn't necessarily say never. I've been to a couple of shows at bars. The Chippendales were at both of them. I've also been to a couple of the gentlemen's clubs back home."

Kate and Ana look at me with mouths open and eyes wide.

"What? Don't look at me like that! It's no big deal. Besides, the Chippendales are overrated, and I wasn't that impressed. I thought the girls were much more graceful and artistic." I say matter of factly.

I laugh at the shock on their faces. One of my favorite things to do it to see how much I can shock them. This one is near the top of the list.

"Keep your voice down! You don't want anyone to overhear you say that!" Ana whispers looking around.

She notices that the four guys have maneuvered their way closer to us without our noticing. They've got mischievous smiles on their faces and their eyes are alight with amusement.

"Oh shit! I think they heard you! You're such an asshole sometimes! Ugh! Kill me now and bury me under a rock somewhere."

I let out a loud laugh, catching the attention of people waiting in line. "Ana, I'm not ashamed of going to those clubs. There's nothing wrong with admiring the beauty of the human body. You are such a chickenshit sometimes!" I accuse her laughing.

They look over at us with amusement but say nothing. The line has moved up and we shuffle forward like cows in a loading pen. My eyes light up, I smirk and have an uncontrollable urge to 'moo' like a cow just for laughs. Kate and Ana know my love for cows and look at me laughing. "One, two, three … 'moo!'" We all cry out laughing. Then we break into song with the theme of bonanza, laughing even harder.

"God we're such children sometimes!" Ana exclaims coughing from laughing so hard.

It's amazing how easy it is to read each other's minds. It's to be expected though, we've been friends for years, since grade school. There are chuckles and laughs throughout the line of people, with a few adults shaking their heads.

A couple of young boys with their parents laugh and point, "Those pretty girls just moo'd like cows!"

We're up next for check-in and wait to be called to the desk. "May I help who's next?" A pretty brunette asks, loud enough to hear. She has olive colored skin, giving, indicating she's from the Mediterranean somewhere.

She gives us a welcoming smile, "How may I help you?" I give her my credit card and we check in. "Do you know how to use our digital keys? Or would you prefer an actual key card?" She asks.

"Actually, we were wondering if we could use both? Just in case there is an issue with the phone or card. Kind of a safety net." Kate asks.

"Of course! Here you go!" She hands us three cards and gives us the information about how to reach the penthouse.

"There's a separate elevator to reach the penthouse. Follow the signs through the casino to any of the elevators and use the one specifically for the penthouse. You have to have a card to open the elevator doors. There is an attendant there that will verify your access and assist you if you need help. Have your card or phone ready to make things go faster, just a suggestion." She smiles.

"Thank you" we all chime, and off we go.

Walking through the casino there is an aroma that smells amazing. The scent of cigars and pipes smell so good, much better than cigarettes. I do smoke but I'm trying to quit. I hate the smell and taste of them, and they really are dirty, but they go hand in hand with socializing and alcohol, two things I absolutely love to do. Kate and Ana are always asking me to quit so out of respect and love for them I am trying, though sometimes other things are very trying, and I need an outlet. Stress can be such a detrimental thing.

As we head toward the elevators, across the casino floor, the four guys rush up to us.

"Wait! Don't you want to find out about the show?" The guy with the shaggy blonde hair breathes out quickly. Oh, my what that accent does to a girl! I finally see his eyes and they're a bright green with long dark eyelashes that would make any girl jealous. Hmm, let's see what they have to say before we head up to our room, I think to myself. I look at Kate and Ana and they're swooning. We look at each other and we must be thinking the same thing. I think the guys notice the exchange because I see them smirking a little. The other guys are standing there and haven't said anything yet. Up until now they've just been kind of staring at us. It's kind of unsettling.

"So, do you guys talk or is he the only one?" I ask sarcastically staring at them with raised eyebrows.

Ana slaps me making me look at her. "What? It's an honest legit question."

She looks mortified.

"What the hell Rhi? Why would you ask that? Oh my God guys! I apologize for my friend's inability to keep her thoughts to herself. It's a habit we've been trying to break her of for years." She stutters quickly, her face turning pink from embarrassment.

Kate is standing there with a huge smile on her face laughing. She thinks it's hilarious when I lose my filter.

"Yeah Rhi, jeeze. I think your filter broke again! But really guys, she has a point. Do you talk or what?" She shrugs her shoulders, puts her hands on her hips and her weight on one foot looking at all of them. She's got a huge smile and is laughing.

One guy with dark brown eyes, dark hair and a mustache with a thick well-groomed beard laughs loudly, smiles and says, "Of course we talk! We're just stunned into silence by your beauty."

He looks to be about 6'2. They are all much taller than me, including Ana and Kate.

Ana looks at him incredulously, rolls her eyes, laughs and says "Do you really think we're going to fall for that line? Come on guys, give us some credit! Certainly, you have something better than that in your bag of tricks."

Kate and Ana look at each other, then at me then suddenly clamp their hands over my mouth. "Don't even say it! If your filter won't work automatically, we'll manually employ it! Just keep your thoughts to yourself!" They exclaim.

Kate is laughing hysterically while Ana has the "I'm dead serious" look on her face but she's still laughing. They remove their hands and I laugh and roll my eyes.

"You guys are hilarious. Yeah my filter shorts out quite often but that's why you love me so much!" I say, batting my eyes and smiling the Cheshire cat grin.

The other two guys are just watching and listening in amusement. One has short brown hair with dark brown smoldering eyes and a neatly trimmed beard and mustache cut close to the skin and looks like he's about 5'9". The other looks to be about 6 feet tall with blonde shaggy hair brown eyes and a smooth shaved face. They are all well-built so it's pretty obvious that they do something physical for jobs. They are all wearing jeans and t-shirts and cowboy boots. Very nice looking!

The guy who was the first to speak clears his throat and says, "Well, let me introduce ourselves to make things easier. I'm Jack." He introduces the other guys, the guy with the thick beard is Alex, the guy with the short beard is Nick and the clean-shaven guy is Collin. "So, now you know who we are, who are you lovely ladies?" He inquires.

Ana takes the initiative, looks at Kate and I and says, "This is Kate, the smart ass with no filter is Rhi and I'm Ana. It's a pleasure to meet you." She smiles. "So, tell us, what kind of show are you talking about? You know, it's not nice to tease and keep secrets from strangers."

"Well, ladies, I'm sure you've heard about the show or at least seen posters and billboards advertising it. The Thunder from Down Under all male review? We're part of the show. So, would you like to come to the show this evening? Our treat! But there's one condition….. You have to have a drink with us afterwards. You'll really like it, of this I am positive." He winks with a flirty smile. "Maybe we can even hang out before or after?" Alex says, smiling at us, waiting for our answer.

I've noticed that Alex seems to be making a point of looking at me when he's talking to all of us. He's got an intense exotic look in his eyes and when he smiles his whole face lights up. Not one for backing down from anything or anyone, I look directly at him when he's speaking, trying to intimidate him a little I guess. I'm not sure if it's working or backfiring because you can almost cut the sexual tension with a knife. Whew it's getting hot in here!

Ana, Kate and I look at each other silently.

Kate starts jumping up and down gleefully like a child, "Oh yes, yes, yes! Please can we guys? Please, please, please?" Her eyes glistening like a child on Christmas.

Ana's eyes are wide, and she smiles and says, "I wouldn't mind going to see your talent, er, I mean your show." She turns bright pink from embarrassment.

I shrug and say, "I'm down. Besides, I'd like to see if you guys are better than the Chippendales. My bet's on you handsome rugged men." I wink at them with a shit eating grin.

"Well, it's settled then! Head over to the theater at the Excalibur and we'll have your names on the list. The show starts at 7 and can be packed so try to get here by 6:30 pm tonight." Jack says.

"Seriously, when we said you were beautiful we were telling the truth. That wasn't a line. You are quite lovely to look at." Nick says.

"Thank you. You're not so bad yourselves." Kate giggles flirtatiously.

We give them our names so they can have us on the list and cell phone numbers so they can give us a text to remind us of when we need to head down.

"Ok guys, we need to get up to our room so we can ditch the luggage and get the vacay started! It's been a pleasure meeting you all. We shall see you later!" Ana says cheerfully.

"Bye guys! See you later!" Kate says.

I wave and give them a wink.

We turn and head back to find the elevators where we come across an attendant that verifies our room card info and shows us to the elevator to the penthouse.

"You ladies enjoy your stay and remember, if you have any problems or need any assistance, please let us know." He says smiling.

When we get to our room it might as well be an apartment in the sky! It's over 2000 square feet, has two bedrooms each with a king size bed. A fully stocked minibar, super plush robes like you see in movies, an actual dining area, marble floors, a whirlpool/jacuzzi and I swear tv's everywhere! There are couches, chairs, lounges, end tables basically everything you would find in an apartment. This is going to be a great place to hang out and party.

"So, should we get unpacked, freshen up and head out? I'm thinking we should grab a frozen drink for the walk to go get something to eat. What do you guys think?" I ask.

Kate and Ana both agree and commence to unpacking. We're just going to go out during the day in what we wore on the plane. We'll shower tonight before the show. We have to look our best for tonight! It should be interesting to say the least.

Ana, Kate and I decided the best way to travel is in comfortable clothes. I've chosen to wear black yoga pants, a white tank top, black adidas running shoes and my trademark adidas jacket. I have many different colors, but today I have opted for light green to match my eyes and goes well with my blonde hair. Ana is wearing a light blue cropped jacket tracksuit with a black tank top and black tennis shoes. The color brings out her blue eyes and looks amazing with her long auburn hair. Kate looks fantastic in her hot pink tracksuit, white tank top and white tennis shoes. Her long blonde hair blends well with anything. And, of course, we all have our sunglasses with us.

We pull up the app for the hotel on our phones to set up the digital key card, take the door keys, grab our id's, money and credit cards and head out. I hate carrying anything, so I always have the bare minimum. It just makes things easier to carry things and is a little safer, it's harder to steal something that's not there. They make hidden pockets for a reason.

"First stop, frozen drinks!" Kate exclaims. We head down the elevator and hear the 'ping' as it reaches the lobby. The doors open and we're greeted with dozens of people milling about waiting for their turn in the elevators.

A few people try to get into ours, only to be stopped by the attendant.

"This elevator is for private use only. You have to wait for the other ones." The gentleman says.

There's a slight look of confusion on the faces of the people trying to board.

"Why can't we use this one? These girls did." A short balding rotund man with flushed cheeks demands in a whiny voice devoid of any resemblance of manliness.

The elevator attendant sighs, takes a deep breath and states, "This elevator is for private use only. It does not reach any of the main floors, only the penthouse. Now please, step aside and wait for the other elevators to arrive to take you to your floor."

He puts out his arm to make a barricade to stop people from entering, steps aside and allows us to exit the elevator and exit the area.

I turn to him and say "Thank you" giving him a wink and shaking his hand.

Secretly, I've placed a $20 bill in his hand as a tip and way of saying thank you. One thing I've learned from going to bars and other places is that if you tip well you get treated well. Back home, I swear I've put an awesome bartender through college. Besides, it also is a slight insurance policy to be protected in case there's a situation about the elevator again. I just wanted him to know he is appreciated as well. As we walk away, I see the man giving us a frustrated look. Whatever. I think to myself and walk away.

"Wow, that was interesting to say the least. I started to get a little nervous when the attendant had to block those people from getting on. I've never experienced that before. I don't know if I could live like that, always having to have someone step in to protect your safety." Ana says shocked and shaking her head.

"I like my personal space and privacy. I mean, can you imagine not having control of every part of your life?" I shake my head.

I can't imagine not being able to do what I want, when I want, how I want or were I want. I'm too much of a free spirit and social butterfly. That would drive me crazy.

Hitting the streets

Rhi POV

"So, I think after all that excitement, we definitely need a drink!" Ana says, exasperated.

We head through the casino once more on the hunt for the nearest Fat Tuesday daquiri bar. I think there's at least one in every casino and if not they're on the street too. There's not too long of a line which is good because I have no clue what I want. However, I am very picky; no mango, no peach, only pink lemonade, the list goes on. Being so picky with food and drink makes things very limited if the location has only a few flavors. I have to settle for a yard Eye Candy plus two extra shots of rum that come in plastic test tubes. Ana has a yard Category 5 Hurricane with an extra shot, and Kate has a yard Electric Lemonade with an extra shot of rum.

"Mmm, this tastes so good! It's just right for the heat today, quenches the thirst. This was such a good idea. Thank you Rhi." Kate says, smacking her lips.

We have to go back through the casino to exit onto the strip and a wave of heat blasts us in the face as soon as we exit the cold air conditioning of the building. It feels so good to be out and about. By the time we got our drinks and got out onto the strip it was already 11:00 am.

"If we're going to be drinking all day don't you think we need to eat?" Ana suggests.

"Yeah, I think we need to. We ate this morning on the plane but that was just a muffin and juice. Definitely not enough to keep us going all day. Besides, something tells me we're going to need as much energy as we can tonight!" Kate says.

"Well, any thoughts on where you want to go? What do you feel like eating?" I ask.

The three of us have never really been a big eaters, that muffin actually was enough to last me for a while.

I remind the girls, "We will be drinking all day and will need to eat to make sure we don't get sick. Water is also key to drinking to not getting sick. Drink in moderation to have a slow burn basically and remain happy and intoxicated but not inebriated and out of control. Being a passed-out drunk is no fun, and if we're going to be seeing the guys later, I would prefer we are alert so we can actually enjoy and remember it. If you get my drift." I smile wickedly and raise my eyebrows.

Ana looks shocked and Kate's mouth drops open.

"You did not just insinuate that things are going to be more than just a show and drink? Did you?" Ana asks. "Do you really think that's what they intend?" She sounds a little worried.

How do I explain my thoughts without making things too weird?

"Well, in my experience with my guy friends, I'm pretty sure they're interested in something and not just to 'chat'. They're strippers and invited us to the show for free and want drinks after. I could be wrong, especially since there really wasn't a lot said between us, just the invitation. We'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, let's get some food because time's a wastin'."

After a few minutes of figuring out the type of food we want, we decide to go to the Hard Rock Café. They have pretty amazing food and I love their burgers.

We walk into the building and up the stairs to where the restaurant is, the ground level is the souvenir shop. This is one of my favorite places. I love music and really like the history and significance behind certain items from the artists. I've been to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH and I could spend hours there. It's well worth it for anyone that loves music and the history of it. Ana puts the reservation in her name, and we wait for our table to be called. I wander around and look at some of the memorabilia near the front desk. Tina Turner's gold fringe flapper dress, Alex Van Halen's drum kit, Prince's white guitar and that's just to name a few.

"Ana, your table is ready. If you will follow me please?" The hostess says, getting our attention.

We follow her through the bar area to our table that is outside on the patio that sits above the boulevard. It's a hot and sunny day with no wind so we open the umbrella and sit down. The hostess leaves us with our menus and tells us our waitress will be with us shortly.

A pretty redhead approaches the table. "Hi! I'm Becky, I'll be your server today. I hope you're having a good day. Can I get you started with something to drink?" She asks.

We all request water, and she says she will return to take any other drinks, eying the frozen drinks we already have with a nod and a smile.

"So, what are you guys going to have? I'm definitely ordering another drink, but I think I'll have a Mojito to start. Light and refreshing and won't clash with the other drinks." I say.

"Hmm" Ana ponders, "I'm not sure yet, but I think I'm going to have a Hurricane, it'll compliment the one I'm already having!" She laughs.

"Well, I think I'll try the Mai Tai. Those are really good drinks I hear. And rum goes with more rum pretty well so …" Kate laughs loudly.

The server comes back and takes our drink order. We're looking at the menu trying to decide what to eat.

"I don't think I want anything too heavy, that muffin was pretty big, and I don't want to feel bloated all day or night. But, we need to have something that will absorb the alcohol while we are drinking. I'm thinking just an actual appetizer. The southwest chicken flatbread sounds pretty good and light. It probably isn't too greasy or anything either." I tell them.

Ana orders a grilled chicken sandwich and Kate orders a hamburger.

The server has brought us our drinks and we have placed our order. While we wait for our food to come, we try do decide where we're going next. Kate wants to do some shopping, of course. She's such a shop-a-holic. I honestly don't know how she can stand it. I hate shopping.

"What time do we need to be at the Excalibur tonight?" Kate asks.

"I think it's by 6:30 pm so we can get checked in. I guess the show starts at 7. That is, if my memory is correct." Ana says. "I think we should just stick to the strip near our hotel because we'll at least need to go back to the hotel by 3 so we can get showered and change clothes. That'll give is 3 hours to do whatever. It's probably safest to stay near our hotel. We'll take a taxi to the Excalibur at 6, that will give us time to get there and find the theater."

"That's a good idea. We don't want to be rushed before the show." I agree. "We will make sure to go shopping another day before we leave."

The server brings our food, and we start eating in comfortable silence just enjoying the meal and good companionship.

Oh wow, this tastes amazing. I think to myself when I try the flatbread. It has grilled chicken, avocado, melted Italian cheese, fresh Pico de Gallo, diced red peppers and scallions and guacamole ranch dressing. It's definitely not greasy and tastes pretty darn good to me.

I get this weird feeling like I'm being watched and look around to see if anyone is looking at us. I see nothing, only a few tables with people enjoying themselves and none of them are looking our way. No one looks out of place, so I shake my head and go back to eating. Kate and Ana are in a discussion about what they will be doing post-graduation. Apparently Kate is going to be working for her father's media giant business and Ana will be an assistant to an editor at some publishing company. Good grief that shit sounds so boring. I'd much rather be out and about living my life freely and enjoying it.

Ana looks over at me and sees me look around and shrug.

"What's the matter? Doesn't your food taste ok?" She asks.

"Yes, it's really good actually. I just have this strange feeling like I'm being watched. I can't shake it and I've looked around and there's no one I can see that is looking our way." I reply.

"I think you just haven't been drinking enough. You need to finish your Mojito and your Eye Candy drink. We'll have to go get a refill." Kate laughs.

I laugh and say, "Yeah, you're probably right. Finish up guys so we can go walking around."

I've lost my appetite so I'm not finishing my food, but I will certainly finish my drink. Maybe she's right, another Eye Candy will help too. I'm not sure if I really believe this or if I'm just trying to convince myself that I'm imagining things. Oh well, I guess I'll let it go and enjoy the trip.

Once we finish our meals and drinks it's 12:45 pm so we decide that we're going to check out the shops heading back toward our hotel. I enjoy Adidas a lot, that's pretty much my trademark, so we stop into the store just a couple of doors down from the restaurant. I'm always looking for something new. Unfortunately, this time, I don't find anything that screams 'Buy me!' So, we move on.

"Well, that was disappointing! I was hoping to at least find something that I didn't have. A yellow jacket would accent my collection quite nicely. However, it seems to be one of the hardest colors to find." I say.

"Sorry Rhi, maybe you'll find something at the mall or another store. You will probably have to order it if that's possible." Kate responds.

Kate and Ana don't really 'get' my love for Adidas brand apparel. I guess it's not feminine enough for them. Some things I'd like to find are not available anywhere. Maybe it's just my thought on what should be made. Creative ideas maybe, boy wouldn't I like to work for them!

We pass another daquiri bar and stop for a refill. After all the experience of drinking I've had, I always stick to the same type of alcohol. I've never really had a hangover, I've just woken up still drunk but rarely do I throw up, but it depends on what I've been drinking. One too many shots of different alcohol can do it, especially anything cinnamon. I've educated the girls about this, and they've learned to trust my instincts when it comes to drinking. So, all three of us decide to stick with what we've started with.

Between the heat, four extra shots, the two drinks we've had we're feeling pretty good. They always have music playing along the strip, so we are dancing and singing while we're walking. The showgirls that have the huge feather plumes and headdresses, boots and basically lingerie on are absolutely stunning. We've been stopped a few times and chatted.

"You girls are so pretty! You should consider being a showgirl!" One says.

She's wearing a turquoise and silver outfit. The lingerie is silver, and the feather plumes are turquoise. They've got silver go-go boots and a silver headpiece as accessories. One is a blonde and the other a red head. Both are stunning to look at and super friendly, but I guess you have to be to do their job.

Kate laughs and Ana giggles.

"Oh no, we couldn't do that. We're not from here. It would be a little difficult to commute from Washington! All profits would go to travel expense!" She laughs loudly.

She does have a point there. I don't think I could ever do that either. That would be weird.

"Well, you should really think about it if you ever move here. It's a lot of fun, if you like people. Have a good day!" They say in unison.

And with that, they walk away, on to their next prospective customers.

"Wow, that was different, to say the least! I don't think I've ever been approached to be any kind of stripper or showgirl or anything of the sort! I guess I should take that as a compliment?" Ana questions.

Kate looks at her and laughs.

"Most definitely a compliment! It takes a lot of confidence for a woman to tell another woman that could be competition that they're beautiful and could be successful. You know how women are, catty and self-centered and would take anyone down if given a chance." She says.

"You have a good point." Ana replies. She turns around and yells, "Thank you!" Laughing.

We all start laughing hysterically, tripping all over our feet and trying not to run into people. We are definitely a little more drunk than we thought. Our voices have gotten louder the more we drink. It's quite noisy on the strip but drinking seems to make people louder when they talk. Maybe it's because the hearing fades a little? Or it could be that the alcohol just makes people out of control sometimes. Either way, we're getting looks from people walking around us, trying to avoid running into them. Well, we're having a good time so move along and mind your own business. We're not hurting anyone.

By this time, we've made it across the street from the Bellagio.

"I think it's time to head in and cool off a bit. We should relax before heading out since we've been going since 4 am. What do you guys think?" I ask.

"Yeah, I totally agree. We've been out in the sun and drinking, but definitely need to drink water. I'm feeling a little parched." Ana says laughing. "'Parched.' Isn't that a weird word 'parched'? It sounds like it should be paper of some sort, like parchment paper. Hmm… I'm a little paper."

She continues to laugh at her own joke, losing her balance and almost falling over. Kate and I grab her, and she almost takes us down with her. We all start laughing harder and attract quite the attention. We're given lots of weird looks, parents are steering their kids away from us, women are rolling their eyes, some with distasteful glares. This makes us laugh harder and we have to lean on each other for support. We almost fall off the curb and into the street.

Out of nowhere, three guys come up and grab our arms to catch us and help us stand up straight.

"Hey ladies, you might want to pay attention to what you're doing. You're going to get yourselves hurt if you're not careful." One says brusquely.

He has a deep raspy voice and is much taller than any of us.

"I think you need to go inside with air conditioning, it's not safe to drink that much, drinking barely any water and not eating enough. You're looking a little flushed at the moment."

He starts to pull us into the nearest air-conditioned building.

"What the fuck?" I exclaim. "We're fine. Get your fucking hands off us!" I say as I try to get out of his hold.

My god he's strong. I elbow him in the stomach, I was aiming for the ribs but he's that much taller than me. He doesn't even flinch, he just looks down at me, eyes hidden behind sunglasses, a slight twitch of his mouth is the only indication that he was affected at all. Oof, that mouth, I'd love to climb him like a tree and get a taste of those sculpted lips. Woah, where the fuck did that come from?

"Will you be able to stand upright like a normal person? I mean really, you might as well sit down on the curb. That would be safer than you walking and laughing like that, especially after drinking so much." He says sarcastically.

"Whatever, just take your hands off us and let us go on our way. We don't need help. That and the fact that it's really none of your concern what we do. Why don't you back the fuck off and get lost, King Kong?" I growl.

I glare and I get a better look at him. Fuck, he's huge. He's maybe 6'4 and very muscular, tan skin, you can see the muscles in his arms defined even though they are covered by his shirt. He's well-dressed but looks totally out of place. He has brown hair that is well groomed, short but is a little longer on top. His facial features are chiseled, with a strong jawline and dimples on both sides of his face. He has a goatee that is neat and short, a little more than a 5 o'clock shadow. Just looking at his mouth I can imagine things that he could do with it. Whew! I'm starting to get a little warm, so I fan my face with my hand and take another drink of my daquiri. I look at them, wondering where they came from. They don't look like they belong here, kind of 'off' I would say.

"Come on guys, let's go back to the hotel. It's getting a bit weird out here with people ruining our good time with their uptightness. Butting their noses in our business, uninvited." I say to Kate and Ana, looking at King Kong angrily.

Kate, Ana and I stand up straight, shake off their hands, turn around, and go to the corner to cross the street at the crosswalk. Just in time, the light changes so we cross the street along with the other sheep; the 'walk/don't walk' sign like a sheep dog herding his sheep across the valley.

I'm beyond irritated. I'm fucking pissed. I'm actually at a loss for words. I'm so thrown off by the whole sudden event that I'm actually stunned into silence, my mind racing to make sense of it. They were attractive, unfortunately, but laying hands on us was the wrong thing to do. I look back across the street and they've disappeared like vapor.

"You ok Rhi?" Ana asks looking at me. "You're awfully calm after that." She's looking at me a concerned look on her face. She's used to me snapping and saying or doing something, not being silent.

"You have got to be kidding me! Ana, you can physically see she's seething! Look at her hands." Kate say to Ana. "Her hands are shaking. I'm not sure which is more worrisome, you angry and violent or silent and brooding."

I just look at them. I finish the last ¾ of my daquiri and of course, get a brain freeze.

"Oh my god this fucking hurts! What the fuck was I thinking?" I laugh, trying to lighten the mood. "Ok girls, I'm going to get another Eye Candy. I'm really fighting the urge to have a shot so I'm thinking I need to stick with my daquiri. Anyone else want another drink? I'm beyond pissed but need to relax and chill before the show. And by the way, I'm going to go outside, sit and smoke a cigarette. Or five. Sorry, but I tried to not smoke, and I tried to not say 'fuck' as much. Maybe I'll chill after a cigarette before getting a daquiri. I think I've had enough for now." I shrug apologetically.

I've got the mouth of a sailor, which coincidentally, my father was a sailor so maybe that's where I got it. It pisses my mom and brother off when I curse but I don't really give a shit what they think. Perhaps if they weren't so controlling I wouldn't be as offensive as I am. I do things out of spite, kind of for my own amusement. Not to everyone, or all the time, but I guess it depends on my mood and if you've pissed me off.

Kate looks at me, "It's ok, we'll go with you. Where do you want to go smoke?"

I think about it, "I'll just go outside. It will be easier to keep the smoke away from you. Besides, I like the heat." I laugh with a huge grin.

Ana rolls her eyes and laughs shaking her head. "Only you would rather have desert heat rather than a cool climate."

We walk to the doors that lead outside, and because I'm trying to change my mood, I opt for the revolving door. I jump in it and place my face close to the glass, but not touching it and make fish faces at the people waiting. I get laughs and a shake of the head from Ana and Kate, and wide eyes and perplexed faces from other people. Mission accomplished. I'm actually able to laugh and slowly my mood changes. I decide to exit the door and walk to the side. I've never been a rude smoker and smoke by a doorway. I try to be respectful of other people's choice not to blow smoke at them. Lighting up, the first drag is always the best, it's too bad I already drank my daquiri.

Ana and Kate join me laughing. "You are the most temperamental Jekyll and Hyde person I've ever seen. Is there a median for your moods or are you just crazy goofy or scary psycho?" Kate says with an incredulous look on her face.

"Girl, you've known me how long now and you're seriously asking me that?" I say laughing, not expecting her to answer.

"Oh, I know we're like sisters, but I swear sometimes you scare the shit out of me. You go from one extreme to the other in a millisecond. It's crazy to watch."

I sit in silence listening to the murmur of the people on the street. Street noise is like white noise, soothing and if you're lucky, mind numbing. From where we sit I can hear the music start for the fountain show.

"Ooh! The show is starting! Let's go watch!" Ana exclaims excitedly.

Kate claps her hands and agrees. "Yes! Let's go!"

I think about it for a few seconds. "You guys go ahead, I'm just going to sit here and enjoy my cigarette." They look at me surprised. "Seriously, go ahead. I'll listen to the music from here and wait for you to come back." I say. "Please. I'll probably have another cigarette too, so you'll be away from the smoke. I'll be ok. Go on and enjoy it."

I see them sigh heavily and glance at each other.

Kate looks at me, "Ok. We won't be long."

I watch as they walk away. I know they want me to go but I'm irritated and still trying to change my mood. Fucking men.

The song being played at the fountain show is "Footprints" by Tiesto. It's kind of a pop song and has a nice beat and his voice is actually kind of nice to listen to. I've never heard of him, but I aimlessly search Spotify and find his music. With a tap of my finger bingo! It's added to my library. I finish the first cigarette and light another one. I get up and walk over to the edge of the stairs next to the fountain and sit down again. I can't fucking believe those guys! Who the fuck do they think they are touching us like they did? An even bigger question is where the fuck did they come from and where did they disappear to? So many questions and no answers. I'm befuddled and irritated once again. Fuck! I get the same eerie feeling like I'm being watched and tense up. It's got to be the alcohol and the heat. I walk back to the bench where I was sitting and sit down again. I finish my cigarette and just close my eyes and relax listening to the music.

"Hey Rhi, you ok?" Ana asks as they return from the fountain.

I turn my head and look at them.

"Yeah, I'm ok. You guys ready to head back to the room to relax for a bit and get cleaned up for tonight?" I ask.

I hope they say yes because the tension I've been feeling since coming into contact with those guys has totally worn me out. All I want to do is take off my shoes and kick back and maybe even take a nap.

Kate looks at her phone to check the time. "It's 2:30. I think we need to head up and chill before we have to leave for the Excalibur. That gives us three hours to relax, clean up and get dressed to go out. We'll catch a taxi at 6:00 pm so we can head down. This way we're not rushing around."

We head inside and walk through the casino to the elevators. There doesn't seem to be a lot of people waiting like earlier. The attendant is a new gentleman with kind eyes and a warm smile.

"We're up in the penthouse, here's our card with our room information." Kate hands him her card and he checks the information in the system.

"Ok ladies you're good to go! Have a good evening." He says, as he calls the elevator for us.

We step in and turn around. I see out of the corner of my eye someone approaching the elevator quickly, but I can't see who it is. I push the 'door close' button so it closes faster and up we shoot to the top of the hotel. What the fuck is wrong with me? I'm cautious but this is borderline paranoia and there's no reason for it.

Back at Escala

Christian POV

It's 5 am and I can't sleep, which is typical because of the nightmares, but this is different. I'm sitting at home in my office with a cup of coffee pondering the situation with Anastasia. I'm so frustrated with her. I've given her all the information I could about the Dom/Sub relationship, and she seems to be taking her sweet time in making her decision. I understand that she's innocent and not familiar with the lifestyle, but she should know me by now that I want answers yesterday. Here I am chasing her just to be a submissive and letting her control the future when I'm the one that's always in control. If she would just say 'Yes" things would be different. She'd learn to obey me, and I wouldn't be worrying about her. I would know she was safe and would punish her when she disobeyed me. Right now, I'd like to cane the living shit out of her then fuck her senseless. That would certainly make me feel better. She is so frustrating!

I decide to go for a run to clear my head and prepare for the day ahead. I have meetings scheduled for an acquisition of a shipyard that would be beneficial in my endeavor for feeding the hungry in Third World Countries where food and water are scarce. I can't let Ros down on this, we've worked too hard to just let it sit idle. She's already upset with me because I've dumped a lot of meetings on her while I've been preoccupied with pursuing a Dom/sub relationship with Anastasia. Chasing a person, let alone a woman, I've never done, not even in high school. I can't push everything off on her, after all, this is my company and I've worked so hard to get to where I am. I'm not used to chasing anything other than companies that are failing.

As my feet pound the pavement, I find myself in front of her apartment. It's dark and the curtains are drawn. I see no sign of life and think to myself, It's early. I bet she is still sleeping. She doesn't have to be at work until 9:30 am and it's only 5:45 am. I round the corner and see hers and Katharine's cars both parked in their respective assigned spaces. God I hate her car! I see Katharine at least has a newer model Mercedes. It's top of the line and her father bought it for her. It's much safer than the death trap Anastasia drives. A 1972 Volkswagen beetle that has rust on the fenders because it's old and the salt they put on the roads doesn't help. She loves her car, this I know, but why can't she understand and accept the Audi A3 from me? What's the big deal about a car she calls 'Wanda'? Is it because of the photographer Jose Rodriguez and it used to be his mother's? Just thinking about his and her relationship makes me angry. He tried to force himself on her the night she called me drunk at a bar. I would love to beat him to a pulp, but I can't because I promised myself to do whatever it took to make her mine.

The memories of that night are still fresh in my mind. She called me drunk from a bar, which pissed me off to begin with because it put her in danger of something happening to her. Rodriguez, for example. I had Welch track her cell phone so I could find her. I was totally shocked when I found her in the condition I did.

I think back to that night…

My brother Elliott and I were staying at the Heathman hotel for the weekend so I could be close to Anastasia but under the ruse that I had work to do so Elliot wouldn't ask questions. He doesn't need to know my business, and I've kept my personal life secret, and he's got a big mouth.

"Hey bro, what are you doing this weekend?" He asks.

"I'm in Portland on business. What do you want?" I reply, irritation apparent in my voice. Technically it's business, I'm working on an acquisition, of Anastasia.

He explains, "I need to get out and away from this girl that's chasing me. She's trying to get me to settle down with her and you know, that would put a huge kink in my life. I can't have that! Got to keep the women of Seattle satisfied, if you know what I mean." He laughs loudly.

God he can be so crass.

"Ok, you can come here. I'll have Taylor come pick you up, he's there right now so get ready."

"Thanks bro." And with that we hang up.

This is going to be a blast. Just what I wanted to do, hang out with my brother. I do the one thing that I hate the most, because I find it rude, I roll my eyes.

I text Taylor,

C: "I need you to go pick my brother up and bring him here. Also, make arrangements to go

mountain biking while he's here."

T: "Yes Sir."

When Elliot arrives, I take a break and we spend the day hiking and mountain biking. It's actually been quite fun and nice to get out in the mountain air. I haven't had this much fun in a long time, and I must admit, it's been really fun spending time with Elliot. We banter back and forth and for the first time in months I feel like I'm a part of the family. Later that evening, after we've eaten, I'm back in the office at the hotel working once again. My phone rings suddenly. I'm surprised and look at the clock, it's 11:15 pm. Who could be calling at this hour?

It's her.

C: "Anastasia?"

A: "Why did you send me the books?"

C: "Anastasia are you ok? You sound strange"

A: "I'm not the strange one, you are"

C: "Anastasia have you been drinking?"

A: "What's it to you?"

C: "I'm …curious. Where are you?"

A: "In a bar"

C: "Which bar?"

A: "A bar in Portland"

C: "How are you getting home?"

A: "I'll find a way"

C: "Which bar are you in?"

A: "Why did you send me the books Christian?"

C: "Anastasia where are you? Tell me now"

A: "You're so …domineering"

C: "Ana so help me, where the fuck are you?"

A: "I'm in Portland… 's a long way from Seattle"

C: "Where in Portland"

A: "Good night Christian"

That was when I had Welch track her phone. It didn't take long to find her, so I called her back.

A: "Hello?"

C: "Stay where you are. I'm coming to get you"

When I found her, she was extremely drunk on the back patio of some college bar. Jose Rodriguez was with her trying to kiss her and she was rebuffing his advances. He wouldn't take no for an answer. I had to interrupt and push him off her. Ever since then we've been on bad terms, and I don't trust him. She's so naïve about him too and doesn't see his attraction to her. She then proceeded to throw up everything but the kitchen sink and pass out. I took her back to the Heathman and watched her sleep for hours. She has such an innocence about her and ever since then I feel the need to protect her from everything and it would be so much easier if she would agree to be mine.

I continue on my run heading back to Escala. I'm feeling a little better physically after the run and now I need a shower and to head to my meetings. I send an email to Anastasia wishing her a good morning. Hopefully she responds as soon as she wakes up. I always look forward to hearing her voice and that giggle of hers. What the hell is wrong with me? I'm getting all sappy? I don't do sappy! I jump in the shower and get ready to leave for GEH.

"Taylor!" I say

"Sir?" He responds

"I'll be ready in 5 minutes."

I pull out my blackberry and send a quick message to Anastasia.

To: Anastasia Steele

From: Christian Grey

Subject: Good morning

Good morning Ms. Steele, I do hope you slept well and will have a good breakfast to start your day. I look forward to hearing from you.

Christian Grey CEO

Grey Enterprise Holdings Inc.

I've been sitting in these meetings all morning and it's now 11:45 am. I still have not heard from Anastasia. I'm starting to get irritated. I find it absolutely rude to not respond to messages. I don't like to be kept waiting and don't know how to react other than in anger. I send another email.

To: Anastasia Steele

From: Christian Grey

Subject: Crickets

I do hope your lack of response is due to you doing your research and not deliberately ignoring my messages.

Christian Grey CEO

Grey Enterprise Holdings Inc.

I am getting beyond irritated. I hate waiting. I need to know where she is and who she is with. Is she with Jose Rodriguez? Did she decide that what I wanted to do was too much to handle and ran? There are so many thoughts running through my head and none of them are good. They all end with her leaving without giving it a chance to see if she likes it. I can't let her run away.

I find myself engrossed in meetings for the rest of the day, so I don't have a chance to check my email as often as I want. When 5:00 pm comes around I'm done for the day and head to Taylor's office.

"Taylor, I need you to have someone go over to Anastasia's apartment and make sure everything is ok. I haven't heard anything from her since yesterday. I need Welch to see if he can track her phone. I'm going to call Elliot and see if he's heard from Katharine at all. They were all into each other the other night and he's been with her every day since they met."

"Sir, I'll send Ryan to search their apartment." Taylor says.

I call Elliot and he answers, "Yo bro, what's up in the castle in the sky?"

I roll my eyes; he can be so annoying sometimes and I don't have time for this.

"Have you heard from Katharine today? I know you have been with her every day since you met her." I ask.

There's silence on the line and I'm not sure if he disconnected or not. "Elliot are you there? Have you heard from her? If you know something let me know!"

There's a long pause and I'm about to yell into the phone but he answers, "I'm here. Dude you need to chill. I just talked to Kate and the three of them are fine, nothing to worry about."

Three of them? Who's the third person and where are they?

"Where the fuck are they? And who is this third person? You better tell me or so help me I'm going to kick your ass!" I am furious!

Where the fuck did they go and why didn't she say anything to me? I already know the answer to that one, I would've forbidden her from going anywhere that was unsafe.

"Dude, chill! They are in Las Vegas having their annual vacation there. The three of them are fine, they've never had any issues before. Jeeze. Don't threaten me Christian, the last time I checked you weren't in a relationship with Ana so shut the fuck up."

My eyes nearly pop out of my head, and I run my hands through my hair almost pulling it out. Las Vegas?! What the fuck?!

"Who the fuck is this third person? It better not be some guy wanting in her panties!"

This is unbelievable! How can I have not known about this 'yearly' vacation to Las Vegas? Well grey, if you would ask questions other than wanting to fuck her into submission maybe she would've told you. No, I can't do that. That would be courting and leading her to believe I care. I don't know how to do that. I only know Dom/Sub relationships. But could I? Do I care? Yes, I do.

"Well, this third person is a female, and her name is Rhiann. They've been friends since grade school and grew up together. They're close like sisters. I've met her and she's cool. She can handle herself, trust me. Where Kate and Ana are lacking, she makes up for it. She's super protective of them both and won't take shit from anyone. You need to chill bro. Do you seriously think I'm dumb enough to send her somewhere unsafe?" Elliot explains.

Rhiann? How did I not find this in my background report? Welch must have missed something.

I've decided I need to go to Vegas to make sure Anastasia is ok and bring her back here. She's unsafe and something might happen to her. Come on, Grey, admit it. You're afraid she will meet someone else and leave you. Even though she's not yours. Yet.

"I need to go to Las Vegas." I say.

"What? Bro, what is wrong with you? They're fine. I promise. You can't just go there and ruin their vacation. That's wrong and fucked up." Elliot says incredulously.

"Fuck, I didn't realize I said that out loud. Do you have any idea how dangerous Las Vegas can be for women? Do you know where they are staying?" I ask.

There's another long pause and Elliot responds, "No. Kate didn't want anyone to know because it's always just the three of them and their way to get away from everything and recharge themselves mentally and emotionally. She does text me daily and said she would let me know if there were any problems."

"What the fuck! You let them go to Vegas, alone, with someone I know nothing about, and you don't know where they are staying? Oh, this just keeps getting better and better! I'll call you back." I tell Elliot and hang up.

"Oh my god Taylor, did you hear that? I need to go to Las Vegas immediately. Today. As soon as possible. Anastasia is there with Katharine and some other girl I know nothing about." I hold up a finger indicating for him to wait.

I dial Welch's number and he picks up on the second ring.

"Welch, Elliot just told me there's someone named Rhiann with Anastasia and Kate right now in Las Vegas. Who the fuck is she and how could you miss some girl named Rhiann from Anastasia's background check? Find out who she is. No, I don't have a last name either. I know nothing about her. I've never even heard her name." I demand. "Also, find out where they are staying in Las Vegas immediately." I hang up.

"Taylor, call Stephan and have them get the jet ready. I need to leave for Las Vegas as soon as possible." I tell him.

"Sir, did you forget the meeting you have with Roz to sign on the acquisition merger? That's this afternoon and you can't reschedule it." He says.

"Fuck, how could I forget that? One of the biggest purchases I've made. You're right, I have to be here. I can fly out afterwards. Send Sawyer, Ryan and Reynolds out asap to find them and keep an eye on them. You stay here with me. They can keep a distant eye on them until we can get there. This is unbelievable!" I tell Taylor.

I call Elliot back. "Yo bro, have you chilled out yet?" He laughs when he picks up the phone.

"Pack your bags, we're going to Las Vegas to bring them back. I'm sending Sawyer, Ryan and Reynolds to keep an eye on them until Taylor and I can get there. You will be going with me and Taylor, since you let this happen and you know who this Rhiann is. I have a very important meeting I can't reschedule so we're flying out later this evening." I tell him.

I look at Taylor who looks just as pissed as I feel.

"Don't tell Katharine we're coming. Don't even hint at it. Fuck, if she'd just have said 'Yes' to being mine we wouldn't be in this situation." I mutter, louder than I thought.

"What do you mean by 'yours' Christian? That sounds a little like a caveman. She's not an object to own, she's a person. What the fuck?" He asks.

"Never mind. I'll see you later." I hang up.

Fuck! Now he's going to want an explanation and I know he won't drop it. I'll figure out what to tell him later. Right now, I need to get this meeting over with, buy the company and get to Las Vegas as fast as possible. This is turning into one big shit-show.

Taylor is already on the phone with Stephan getting the jet ready. He then calls Sawyer.

"Lukey, you're going to Las Vegas. I need you to get Ryan and Reynolds and take them with you. The jet is going to take you guys out as soon as possible. Mr. Grey, Elliot Grey and I will join you as soon as his meeting is done later this evening. I'll explain later. Let me know when you're at the airport."

Taylor hangs up with Sawyer and says to me, "Sir, I'll go to Escala and pack a bag for you so we can leave from here and not waste any time. I'll call Sawyer back and let him know what's going on."

I agree and head to my office to try to focus on work and preparing for the meeting. I don't know how I will do it, but it has to be done. I can't believe this is happening. This is why I need control. If she had just said yes I would have forbidden her from going and we wouldn't be in this mess.

My phone rings and it's Welch. "Welch, did you find out where they're staying?" I snap.

"Yes Sir, they're staying at the Bellagio in the penthouse. The reservation is under Rhiann Walker." He replies.

"Thank you, at least someone has information needed." I mumble.

Elliot POV

Woah! What the hell just happened? Little bro just flipped out! He's gone ape shit just because the girls went to Vegas for a few days? How insane is that? Why the fuck would he have to keep her safe, she's a grown woman and I'm pretty sure she will be ok. In addition, he is and demanding I go with them? Well, it is Las Vegas and a free trip. What a freaky situation. What the fuck did he mean by 'being his'? There's more to this story than he's letting on. I've got to find out.

Taylor POV

Holy fuck the boss is freaking out. I know he wanted Ana as his sub, but she didn't agree yet and he still thinks he can control her like he owns her. God I hope she never says 'yes.' She's too innocent and is not the type to do something like that. I understand what she sees in him; he's a good man, good looking, smart and rich. She doesn't seem like the type to want him for his money, and she seems to be taking a long time before answering him. I wish he would pull his barbarian head out of his ass and realize that he can't control everyone and everything. Her and Kate are best friends, and he can't expect her to be ok with him dictating what she can and can't do or where and with whom. Life doesn't work that way. To be honest, I think he fell in love with her and is afraid of losing her to someone else. Yet, he still feels undeserving of receiving love from anyone and wants to keep people at a distance. I'm pretty sure his childhood had some influence on that. I mean I don't think there's anyone in this world that would be ok with having a druggie prostitute mother who didn't care for you, let people abuse you and died with you there starving. At least dr. Grace Trevelyan Grey and Carrick were there to save him and give him a chance at living a normal life. It's too bad that the vile excuse of a woman Elena Lincoln got her hooks into him. She really fucked him up.

It's going to be a nightmare until he gets his feet on the ground in Las Vegas. I agree, it's not the safest place but nothing is safe. Though if he could I know he'd keep Ana locked up in Escala permanently. I worry about safety too, but come on, people have to be able to survive on their own. Ana is stronger than Christian allows himself to believe. It's irritating how he thinks she's some delicate thing and he's the protector all the time.

Kate is a good person, she's just a little free spirited and is perfect for Elliot. She drives Christian crazy with her independence and outspokenness. I think it's because he can't control her, and she battles him on everything. She's very protective of Ana, which is good, because there are dozens of people that would love to take advantage of her, and Ana is naïve and always thinks everyone has honorable intentions.

One thing I don't like is that I don't know anything about this Rhiann person. Usually, nothing like that slips by me. I go to Welch's office to see what he can dig up.

"Hey. Have you found anything on this Rhiann person? I can't believe we've never heard of her before, but it's not like Grey has known Ana for long, and I'm sure there's not been a time for the topic of friends to come up. Grey's been more focused on other aspects of a relationship. That and jealousy thinking every man wants Ana." I laugh and roll my eyes.

Welch knows about Grey's lifestyle, but we try to keep things vague.

"I'm still working on it. I haven't found anything other than the basic information on a driver's license. I've been searching every database I can think of and I'm using all my contacts and I'm still coming up empty handed. It's almost like she doesn't exist anywhere other than a driver's license. I'm frustrated to no end but I'm not giving up."

Welch's response isn't surprising. He takes pride in being able to find any information on people.

"Do we have a photo of this Rhiann?" I ask.

"I do not have one, no, but I am working on obtaining one. I'll text it to you as soon as it comes through." He responds.

"Thanks." I reply.

Luke POV

My phone rings and I answer on the first ring. "T, what's up?"

"Hey Lukey, you, Ryan and Reynolds are all going to Vegas as soon as possible. I'll give you the details later when I head over to pack for the trip. I've got to get the plane scheduled and make hotel reservations. Grey's got an important meeting that he can't reschedule so he, Elliot and I won't be there until later tonight."

I sigh, "What's this about T? I hope it's a vacation, but something tells me it's not."

He pauses, he knows it's frustrating for me and the guys to just drop everything at a second's notice, but that's what we were hired to do. This is why we can't really have any kind of relationship, we're not around enough to be steady with any one person. We're a bunch of players, basically, because young hot-blooded men have to have some sort of physical contact with the opposite sex.

"Just meet me at the airport as soon as possible. I'll let you know what's going on then." He replies and disconnects the call.

I hang up. On to the next issue.

Ryan, Reynolds and I are all sitting in our apartment at Escala just hanging out. They hear my side of the conversation and look at me quizzically. When I hang up, they are waiting for the details.

"Ok guys, we need to go pack an overnight bag and head to the airport. We've got an assignment in Las Vegas and need to get there asap. I don't have any details, but T will be meeting us there and will brief us then. I wish I had more to tell you, but I'm just as in the dark as you are." I tell them.

They both groan and mumble under their breath their unhappiness.

"Wow, I would've thought you would be a little more excited about going to Vegas. It's a fun place but like I said, I don't know what the details are yet." I chuckle, though I get where they're coming from.

They both head off to their rooms to pack. I head to mine and call Elliot while I'm walking.

"Hey Elliot, I guess you talked to T already? The guys and I are packing right now and are heading to the airport. You will be going with Taylor and your brother." I say to him.

He sighs, "Yeah, I talked to him. I'm not too thrilled about going. But Christian, being himself, is an ass and won't let me off the hook. I'm packed and will be waiting." He replies.

He seems resigned and I wonder what he knows.

I ask, "Do you know what this is all about?"

I hear him sigh, "Yes, unfortunately I do. Kate and Ana are in Las Vegas for their annual trip and Ana didn't tell Christian she was going. I knew because Kate told me in confidence. I just don't know where they're staying. You know my brother, he panics about anything and wants to control everything and everyone. There's a little hiccup to the story too, and I don't honestly see what the big deal is about all this."

Oh boy, I can only imagine the fallout that's going to happen when he gets there. Ana is so independent and strong willed that she's going to be pissed when she sees him.

"So, what's the little hiccup?" I ask, though I'm not sure if I really want to know the answer.

"They are with a childhood friend and apparently no one was ever aware of this person. This really bothers my brother, for some reason, but I don't understand why. It's not like it's a big deal." He replies.

"Elliot, don't tell me he's going on a wild goose chase out of jealousy?" I say in exasperation.

Fuck, this is ridiculous. I don't understand what his deal is with his jealousy issues.

There's silence on the line, then an audible exhale of breath.

"I think so but I'm not sure. I can't and won't tell you much more than that. Taylor might have more details, I guess. I'll see you in Vegas." He hangs up.

Well, this explains the short notice. Grey is worried something will happen to Ana and Kate in Las Vegas so we're going to babysit until he gets there, would be my guess.

I finish packing and head out to the main room. Ryan and Reynolds are both there already, waiting.

"So, do you know anything about what's going on?" They both ask.

I decide not to say anything based on what Elliot said so I just shrug, shake my head and say, "I have no idea, but let's head to the airport. T will meet us there and hopefully be able to shed some light on the situation."

We've only been waiting for about 45 minutes before Taylor shows up. He looks just as frustrated as we feel. I'm sure Grey has had him jumping through hoops to get things done. We are leaning up against the car, watching him get out of his vehicle and wait for him to break the silence. He goes to the back of the car and pulls out two overnight bags and walks towards us.

Taylor POV

"Ok guys, let's get on the plane and get things situated so we can get you guys briefed and in the air." He says. "Right now, we need to get you guys in the air headed toward Vegas. Luke? Ryan? Reynolds? Here's the deal. Kate and Ana have gone on a yearly vacation to Las Vegas and didn't mention it to Grey. Elliot knew because Kate told him but left out some details. Welch is looking into more details on where they're staying but I've booked one of the penthouses at the Bellagio. There is plenty of room for all of us since it's basically the size of an apartment. We can always add adjoining rooms if we find we need more space. From what we know right now, Grey is worried something might happen to them while they are in Vegas, and he doesn't know where they are or what they're doing. We do, however, know that there is a third party with them, someone by the name of Rhiann, but we don't have much information on her. As for Elliot, I'm not sure what information he has but I don't understand why they have decided not to let anyone know about this Rhiann person. Welch is doing some background work to see what information is available. I'm waiting for him to send a photo, so we know who we're looking for. I'm hoping to convince Elliot to share any information he has on her, but so far he's saying nothing. This is totally perplexing, and Grey is about to lose his shit, more than he already has."

Just then, I get a text from Welch with a driver's license of Rhiann. Long blonde hair, green eyes, 5'3", 113 lbs., 22, beautiful sexy smile, organ donor. Actually, quite beautiful. She looks like a real handful, there's a sparkle of mischief in her eyes and she has the look of someone who enjoys life. My cock twitches. No, down boy. Not the time or the place, but wow. I tell him silently.

"Ok guys, here's a photo of Rhiann. Unfortunately, this is also the only information we have on her. It's like she doesn't exist other than a driver's license. She's who is with Kate and Ana."

I send the text to the three of them. "Let's get a move on. I'll see you in a few hours. The hotel reservations are under my name and the hotel knows you will be checking in first. When you get settled, call or text me and we'll go over the next steps." I say to Luke.

By now its 11:45 am and time is running short. We need to locate Kate and Ana as soon as possible. Christian is going to drive me crazy until he does. Besides, I need to see this girl in person. Everyone knows that a driver's license is not flattering. I exit the plane and watch it taxi down the runway and take off. Whew! One step taken care of. I text Grey and let him know and head back to GEH. I can't stop thinking about this girl, Rhiann. Why is there no information anywhere in ANY database? What is so sensitive that Elliot won't say anything? And my God is she alluring, like a siren in the night. Something about her makes me want to find out and the sooner the better.

Luke POV

We all get T's text, but we haven't looked at it yet. We were in a hurry to get loaded on the plane and take off. We've been in the air for about 1 hr. And 45 minutes and should arrive in Vegas at approximately 2:15 pm.

I hear, "Holy fuck is that her?" Ryan asks to no one in particular.

"Woah, this should be interesting." Reynolds states.

"What the fuck? She's beautiful, according to her driver's license. I wonder if she's like that in person." I say.

I wonder what her history is? Why isn't there any information on her? There's got to be a story there. I think to myself. Hopefully we get to Vegas soon. I'm dying to see her in person. How in the hell are we supposed to find these three in Vegas?

I text T,

L: Does Welch have any idea where they are staying? We might find it a little difficult to locate them.

It doesn't take long for a response.

T: Yes, he says they are staying at the Bellagio in the other penthouse. That's why we have reservations there.

L: Ok, thanks

We land a little early and have a car waiting for us. It doesn't take long to get to the Bellagio and get checked in. I hate this place. There's too many unknown people and too many opportunities for something to go wrong. We take our bags up to the room and change clothes, we're a little over dressed for the strip so we change into khakis and polos. Grey doesn't like us in jeans when we're on the clock. Luckily we have the luxury of a private plane so we're not hot and sweaty from other passengers.

We head down to the elevator and exit onto the casino floor and make a bee line to the outside world.

I decide to call T after we check in so we can figure out a plan of action.

I want to get this assignment started so we can get back home. Besides I want to see this chick in person. "Hey T, we're here and just checked in. Any suggestions on where to start? We haven't seen them in the hotel at all and even knocked on their door just in case."

He responds, "Let me see if Welch can track Ana or Kate's phone. Hopefully they have them on."

Five minutes pass and I get a response. "They're at the Hard Rock Café. I'm not sure how long they've been there so you might want to hurry."

"Got it. I'll keep you updated when we have one." I respond, disconnecting the call.

We cross the street and make our way down to the Hard Rock Café and as we're getting ready to go inside I hear a giggle that sounds like Ana's coming from the patio. I look up and hope to see them, but I guess they're not sitting by the edge. Ryan, Reynolds and I head inside and up the stairs and tell the hostess we'd like to sit somewhere close to and with a view of the patio.

Found them! Holy hell she's even more beautiful in person. My cock twitches. Yeah, buddy, I could certainly fuck that. I say silently to myself of course. I don't want Ryan or Reynolds to hear me say that. I look at them and by the looks of their faces, they're thinking the same thing. Hey, we're young, red blooded, American males. What do you expect?

From the looks of it, they've been drinking and they're quite animated and laughing. It looks like they're having a good time. I can't tell if they've eaten anything, God I hope so. It would be really irresponsible to drink on an empty stomach in the sun and heat. They all have plates in front of them. Kate and Ana actually have their plates mostly emptied but it looks like this Rhiann has quite a bit left. This is a little concerning to me. I see their waitress head over to their table and it looks like they are asking for the bill. The waitress asks Rhiann a question and she shakes her head, so the waitress picks up their plates, and walks away, Rhiann's still full of food. Oh lord, don't let Grey see that. He'll lose his mind. Not that I'm happy seeing it, but she is an adult.

We sit and watch, trying not to be obvious to the other patrons. We might seem a little creepy and don't want them to be tipped off.

"Man, they sure are pretty aren't they?" Ryan says.

Reynolds responds, "Yeah, definitely beautiful to look at. I could follow them around all day. Especially that Rhiann. You know, considering the other two are taken." He laughs.

We freeze and have a small panic attack when Rhiann sits up straight and starts to look around. Shit! I think we've been discovered. We all put up our menus and pretend like we're trying to decide what to order. A little cliché I know, but it's the fastest thing to do in a pinch. She stops looking around but still stays on alert. I wonder why she's so cautious. They flag down the waitress for the check, pay it and head out the door.

"Reynolds, you go out onto the patio and see which direction they head in. Ryan and I will wait for a few minutes then head down." I say.

He heads out to the patio and checks both sides, then points to the north, heading back in the direction of the Bellagio. He looks back at us and we signal we're heading downstairs. He nods and turns back to the strip. I throw a $20 on the table and we make our way downstairs, thankful they aren't in the gift shop, and exit onto the street. We're staying a good distance back, watching them laughing, weaving and bumping into each other.

"Wow, they're really drunk. "I say to Ryan.

"We need to get closer in case anything happens and we need to act fast."

Reynolds catches up to us and we start moving a little faster. People passing by are looking at them and trying to avoid contact.

We're about fifteen feet behind them when they suddenly start laughing hysterically and almost fall into the street. Fuck! I signal Ryan and Reynolds to move and grab them. Reynolds grabs Kate, Ryan grabs Ana and I can't resist and grab Rhiann. My God she's tiny. I can wrap my entire hand around her upper arms, though she is quite muscular.

I say to them in my deepest authoritative voice, "Hey ladies, you might want to pay attention to what you're doing. You're going to get yourselves hurt if you're not careful. I think you need to go inside with air conditioning, it's not safe to drink that much, drinking barely any water and not eating enough. You're looking a little flushed at the moment."

I start to direct them to the nearest air-conditioned building, but Rhiann stops.

"What the fuck?!" She exclaims. "We're fine. Get your fucking hands off us!"

Wow, she's pretty strong for being so tiny and boy is she mad. She's a feisty little thing. I try not to smirk as she tries to get out my hold. I don't want to hurt her, but I need to hold her firm. Suddenly, she elbows me in the stomach.

Hmm, this could be interesting, but I don't think now is the right time to give her shit, considering she has no idea who we are.

"Will you be able to stand upright like a normal person? I mean really, you might as well sit down on the curb. That would be safer than you walking around acting like that." I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

She looks at me, her eyes shooting daggers. "Whatever, just take your fucking hands off us and let us go on our way. We don't need help. That and the fact that it's really none of your concern what we do. Why don't you back the fuck off and get lost King Kong?"

The king Kong comment made me laugh, I've never been compared to an enormous ape. Her green eyes flash with anger as she glares at me. God, she's beautiful when she's angry.

"Come on guys, let's go back to the hotel. It's getting a bit weird out here with people ruining our good time with their uptightness. Butting their noses in our business, uninvited." She says to Kate and Ana. They regain their composure, turn around, and go to the corner to cross the street at the crosswalk. I watch them cross the street without a look back, a smirk on my face. I look at Ryan and Reynolds, who are just standing there, stunned.

"Well, guys, that went well. Don't you think?" I say and we all laugh.

We watch them walk away, planning our next move. We can't let on that we're in the same hotel, basically on the same floor. I'm sure that won't go over well. We disappear into the crowd, which is a feat on its own considering we're all fairly tall and muscular, and step back into one of the stores where we can't be seen. When we feel it's safe to go to the hotel, we are pretty alert, making sure we're not caught. They might think we're stalkers or dangerous and bolt. T would kill me if we lost them. As we're wandering around, I catch a flash of long blonde hair out of the corner of my eye. Ah, there they are, headed outside towards the fountain. I can tell she's still seething by her movements. Then she does the most unexpected thing, she jumps in the revolving door and starts to make faces at other people. I can't believe she's doing that! What the hell? Kate and Ana are looking at her like she's crazy, she's laughing, and they start laughing too. Ryan, Reynolds and I look at each other perplexed but don't say anything.

We watch as Ana and Kate walk away to the fountain while Rhiann goes and sits on a bench. She pulls out a cigarette and lights it. Wow, that's a habit I'd like to break her of. I can tell she's still pissed because I can see her hands shaking. I'll give her a break, for now, I'm sure we did catch them off guard.

We stand watch and wait for Ana and Kate to return, which is maybe seven minutes. They start to come back inside so we melt into the shadows once again and watch as they head toward the elevators. It looks like they are heading back to their room. Thank God. It'll be easier to keep an eye on them from there.

Meanwhile, back at GEH

Taylor POV

It's 5:00 pm and Grey just finished his last meeting. He comes out of his office raring to go.

"You ready Taylor? Is everything in place to go?" He asks urgently.

"Yes sir. The plane is ready, all the luggage is packed and on board and a suite is booked at the Bellagio. We should be there in a couple of hours. Welch has text me a photo of this Rhiann person, it's not very good, just a driver's license but it's better than nothing. I've got Luke, Ryan and Reynolds there already and they're on the lookout for Ms. Steele and Ms. Kavanaugh. Your brother is already on the plane waiting for us."

I debrief Grey on some of the information Welch provided. "Welch also hasn't been able to find any information on her. At all. It's like she only exists on a driver's license."

Grey looks like he's going to blow a fuse.

We walk up the stairs and step onto the plane. Elliot is sitting on one of the couches with a beer in his hand.

"Hey Jason, what's shaking? This is some wild shit isn't it?" He says and smiles his trademark white toothed grin, holding up his beer in a salute.

I roll my eyes, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. "I'm at a loss Elliot. This absolutely blows my mind for so many reasons. We can discuss all that later."

Grey is tense as usual, and I can tell he's ready to hit the air. He looks at Elliot, obviously angry. Elliot just looks back at him and I can tell by the looks of him, he's already had a few drinks. I wish I could join him. I have a feeling this is going to be a long flight. Grey goes into the bedroom to freshen up and change. While he's out of the room I seize the opportunity to talk to Elliot about the situation.

"So, Elliot, talk to me before your brother comes back in here. Have you even met her?" I ask him.

He looks at me like I'm nuts.

"Of course, I've met her, she's super cool and super sweet. You just have to get through the exterior to see that. Why don't you see for yourself, Mr. Profiler?" He laughs, but I'm pretty sure he's serious.

"Just how much do you know about her and how much are you willing to share?" I ask. "I'm curious why you never told anyone what information you knew."

Elliot looks at me, and I can tell he's battling an internal war, trying to decide if he will spill the beans or not.

"I can't say right now. Let me talk to the girls first. Yes, I've known about her. Yes, I've met her. I was asked not to say anything, and I won't break that trust with them, especially where Kate is concerned. So, if you're asking because Christian wants to know, he can take it up with me and the girls directly. There are some things that are better left alone right now. You can tell Welch to quit digging too. He won't find anything else. Rhiann lets out only the information she wants known. Just leave it at that." He says cryptically.

"You're really going to make this difficult, aren't you? Well, I'll leave it alone for now, but you can bet your brother won't. He's going to blow a fuse knowing he can't and won't find the answers. You know that, right?" I ask rhetorically.

I don't need a response. I already know the answer.

Meanwhile, back in Vegas

Rhiann POV

We've returned to the penthouse and are ready to rest and get ready for this evening's festivities. I'm thinking I'm going to try to take a nap for about an hour. It's nice and cool in the room and feels great. Kate and Ana decide to join me. We've been traveling since 4 am and then went drinking and spent a lot of time in the sun. I think we deserve a nap. I set my alarm and we go off to our perspective napping places.

I must have been sleeping pretty well because when the alarm goes off it scares the fuck out of me. I have a hard time sleeping normally, maybe it's insomnia or maybe it's something else, or perhaps a little of both. I haven't been able to determine what it is. Kate and Ana are pretty good about leaving me sleep when I do. They understand where I come from and watch out for me. I absolutely love them and without them, I would be lost.

Kate and Ana POV

"Wow, she's really out. It's about time she got some real rest. She's always so tired but she's always got energy. She just never stops, always going, going, going. I wish she would eat better though, and maybe drink a little less but if that's what makes her happy and cope with things I'll support her. As long as she doesn't go overboard." I say to Ana.

"I agree. I worry about her a lot, but I also know she's independent and isn't stupid. She's definitely got street smarts. I sure as hell wouldn't mess with her." Ana comments, laughing.

"I'm glad you talked me into coming here and not telling Christian. I just know he would've interfered or done some controlling thing and would ruin our vacation. This is girls only and we've been doing it for years. You're so lucky that Elliot is cool with it and won't say anything to him. Christian is just so smothering sometimes." Ana's smile fades slightly.

"Yes, Elliot is definitely more laid back and trusting. He worries about some things but those are basically really important things to worry about. He doesn't have the need to control my every move like Christian does to you. I don't know how you put up with it." I respond, shaking my head.

"Can you believe those guys earlier? I mean, who the fuck do they think they are putting hands on us? We were fine and weren't bothering anyone, ok, maybe a little bit annoying but still, pretty harmless. What a way to ruin our fun." Ana says. "Although, I think those guys were pretty good looking, don't you? I mean, they were pretty unexpected, and I don't like being manhandled, unless it's in the bedroom." Ana laughs with a naughty smile.

Fuck, this is awkward. I know who they are and while yes, they are attractive, I am in no way attracted to them. I have to play it off like I don't know. Ugh.

"Ana! You're terrible! However, I do agree with you. It was quite the overbearing and unwanted action that I didn't like. Complete strangers doing that in public. Totally wrong."

"I wonder who they were and where they disappeared to?" Ana says, her interest peaked.

"Depending on what happens this evening, maybe we'll run into them again and …." She comments.

"That would be fun and interesting but I'm not sure how Rhi would like that. You saw how she reacted to that guy grabbing her. If we do run into them again, we need to keep an eye on things, so it doesn't happen again. I don't like seeing her upset like that. It reminds me of the past and we've come so far." I reply.

Rhi's alarm goes off and she jumps. "Holy shit guys, did I actually fall asleep?" She asks.

Ana replies, "You sure did. It was nice for a change. I'm sure you needed it. How are you feeling?"

"To be honest, I feel pretty good. Ready to prep for the show tonight!" She says with a smile. "So, there's two showers, why don't you guys go first?" Rhi asks.

She's so thoughtful and caring and always puts other people first, depending on who it is. You have to earn her trust, and that's a battle in itself. We leave Rhi and go take our showers. I think she's just going to wake up and try to figure out what she's going to wear. We all brought clothes to go out, party clothes. Rhi usually wears her yoga pants, jeans or shorts but when she dresses up she's stunning and attracts a lot of attention. She's kind of the life of the party and does goofy things and clowns around to make people laugh. She's the person you would find standing in the corner with a lampshade on her head. However, one step too far and watch out! She'll snap on you in a millisecond. Ana always agreed that I described it best when I said she was like Jekyll and Hyde. The speed that she can change personalities is amazing to watch, and if it wasn't so scary it would be entertaining. However, she does go from crazy goofy to scary psycho with no median level.

As I'm coming out of the bathroom, I tell the girls, "So, guys, I've already text Elliot to let him know what the plans are for tonight. He's ok with it, he just doesn't want any 'hanky panky' as he put it. He knows he's the only one for me and trusts me. Besides, we don't have to go with them after the show." I pause, "As a matter of fact, it might be safer not to. You never know what they have planned until it's too late. I'm good with just going to the show. What do you guys think?" I ask.

I see Rhi thinking it over, "I think we can have a drink with them but not commit to anything else. After all, they may be popular and known here in Vegas, but that doesn't mean they will be thinking with honorable intentions. Besides, you guys are the ones with boyfriends, not me. I don't want to influence bad choices and cause any rifts between you. That would just be a shitty thing to do, and I love you guys too much to risk anything."

"See? That's what I've been saying all along! You always think of other's before yourself. You've got such a big heart I just wish everyone else could have the chance to see that. It's really good of you to trust us by letting Kate keep Elliot updated. He's really a great guy and holds things in confidence. Jeeze I can only imagine what Christian would do." Ana pauses, "Actually, I know what he'd do. He'd blow a fuse. I feel kind of bad for not telling him we were coming here but to be honest, we haven't known each other that long and I don't think I should have to answer to him." Even though he wants me to be his Sub, I just don't think that will ever happen. I'm not the type to allow someone to dictate my life. Period. There! I said it! I've made my decision. I'm ok with kinky-fuckery but on my terms, not because he told me to. I can't be submissive unless I want to, and I won't be punished. Now I just have to tell him. Oh Goody! Something to look forward to when we get home!

I hear her groan and she's making some sort of unhappy face.

"What's wrong Ana?" I ask, curiously.

"I'm just thinking about the conversation Christian and I are going to have when we get home. It should be interesting." Is her response.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just don't go telling anyone, it's our little secret." She laughs. "Ok ladies, it's my turn to go shower. You guys go ahead and get ready. It's 5:00 pm and we need to head down to catch a taxi by 6."

We watch her head for the shower and we start to get ourselves ready.

Getting Ready For The Night

Rhi POV

Man, I could stand in this all day. I love my showers super-hot and this one has a large rain shower head. I always bring my own shampoo and conditioner. It's specifically made for my pH and smells amazing.

When I'm done showering, I'm standing in the bathroom drying off. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I've not been anywhere that I needed to dress up in ages and I'm not the most graceful. I'm usually at casual places and it's more relaxed. I'm just not very comfortable dressing up. Kate and Ana say I'm stunning when I dress up, but I think I just look like a fake barbie doll.

Kate and Ana are in the plush robes that the hotel provides in the dressing area in front of the huge wall of mirrors. Kate has her hair wrapped up in a towel and is doing her makeup while Ana is in the process of blow drying her hair. She's got such a thick mane of mahogany hair, flowing down her back in layers and bangs cut to frame her face. I've always loved her hair. She cut it short once in a pixie style, but it did not compliment her beautiful facial features. It made her pale blue eyes look massive, and they are large but not the size of saucers. I don't think she'll ever cut her hair short again.

Kate has finished her makeup with light eyeliner and mascara, a little lip color but that's about it. Her long light blonde hair goes to the middle of her back and is straighter than Ana's and mine. She has long bangs that are shorter in the front and slowly taper to a longer length blending into her hair in layers. Kate finishes her hair, settling on a midline ponytail. The dress she's chosen is a short, backless, form fitting, spaghetti strap pink lace dress. Her shoes are pink heels with bows on the back. Pink is her favorite color, I think she looks like a life size barbie doll, which is perfect for her because she looks amazing!

Ana has finished her hair, and has it pulled back in a low ponytail secured with a ribbon to match the dress she's wearing. Her dress is a short, form fitting, navy blue lace dress with a high neckline and short capped sleeves. Her shoes are navy blue baroque velvet barely there strappy high heel sandals. The color accents her blue eyes and she's stunning. Anything blue brings out her eyes. Ana doesn't wear makeup, maybe a little mascara to enhance her beautiful long eyelashes but that's about it.

My hair is blonde but a little darker and has silver highlights in it. It's long, down to below my waist, thick and full. My hair is layered, and I too have long bangs that blend into the layers of my hair. The dress I chose is a black, spaghetti strap, open back, form fitting minidress. I've decided to keep my hair down. I have black Cristal embellished suede leather high heeled peep toe sandals with an ankle strap. I like simple and nothing too flashy but tonight I choose to do my makeup with a dark smoky eye, nothing too dramatic but wow! My green eyes definitely pop out of my face.

We all meet in the main room and it's crazy how much the three of us look alike. We could pass for sisters, triplets if we were all the same height. Kate is 5'9", Ana is 5'7" and I'm 5'3".

"Let's have a drink before we head downstairs." Ana suggests and Kate claps her hands and walks to the minibar.

She pulls out a bottle of Patron and fills three shot glasses makes a toast.

"We look amazing, super sexy and are going to have a great time tonight. Just remember, we are not going to do anything that will get us in trouble, and we'll enjoy the show. To us!" We clink glasses and down the hot smooth liquid.

Leaving the room, we head down to the elevator. It's 6:05 pm and we're right on the schedule we made for ourselves. The elevator door opens, and we step inside.

"Are you guys excited? I think you'll really enjoy it, it's fun and amazing and super sexy. At least I hope these guys are better than the Chippendales." I smirk and laugh.

The elevator pings as we reach the casino floor.

"Ready girls? Here we go!" We say in unison.

We step out of the elevator amid the hustle and bustle of people coming and going. The noise level has picked up since more people have arrived.

The elevator attendant is the same one that we met when we checked in this morning. He stops and smiles at us appraising us with his eyes.

"Oh, my do you ladies look beautiful! You'll certainly be turning heads tonight! Please be careful wherever you are going, and I hope to see you when you return safely. Absolutely beautiful!"

Kate returns his smile, "Thank you! We shall see you later!"

We make our way through the casino, attracting quite the attention and heads are turning toward us, but we ignore it and head to the taxi stand to head to our destination. I get the feeling that we're being watched again and look around. Of course, we're being watched, so many people around are looking our way, so I shrug it off. It's unsettling but to be expected. We're all used to being in the limelight, but it still gives off an eerie feeling at times. We reach the taxi stand and tell the attendant we're going to the Excalibur. He calls the next taxi, we enter the vehicle, and off we go.

Luke POV

The girls have gone up to their room, so it's safe for us to go to ours. We need to change for night life, so we at least blend in a bit. We have to hurry though because if they leave the room, we will have a hard time locating them again and T will definitely not be happy. So, we head into the penthouse to get cleaned up.

Ryan and Reynolds are able to blend into the crowds a little easier than I can. We're all former military and muscular with the trademark hair, but we've grown the tops a little longer than is normally allowed. They are both under 6'2". I, unfortunately, am 6'4" and stand out, but I've become pretty expert in blending in or disappearing into the shadows. It comes in handy, especially today. Following the girls today was interesting, to say the least. That Rhiann seems to be a bit cautious, borderline paranoid, almost catching us at the restaurant. I wonder what that's all about? There seems to be a lot more to the picture and it's a good thing we have tools at our disposal for unearthing information that isn't available to just anyone. Welch has a knack for finding the most difficult pieces of information, though it is strange that there really isn't much information about Rhiann, he just has basic information and a driver's license photo.

Speaking of Rhiann, my God she's gorgeous. Long blonde hair, green eyes and an attitude to go with it. Man, she's feisty! I bet she'll be a challenge to break, and I'd love to have that opportunity. Crazy thing is there's a foot difference in height between the two of us. The top of her head comes to just below my shoulders. She's tiny, and not just height. She's petite but when I grabbed her earlier she's very strong and muscular. I swear, the way she looked at me she would have struck me dead if she could have. There's definitely something deeper to uncover. I rise to the challenge. I chuckle to myself, speaking of rising, my body was definitely in tune with her physique. She's fucking hot! I wonder if we were to fuck if I'd break her in two, considering she's so tiny and I'm so big. I wish I could've had an opportunity to talk to her, in a more civilized way, and not to force her to be safe. I bet after today she won't give me a second glance. I'll just have to try harder to get her attention.

We part ways and each head to our rooms to get dressed. I decide to wear a polo and black dockers. I wish I could wear jeans, but Grey would lose his mind, especially when we're going to be hanging out at night. I need to find out what T's plans are and we need to get downstairs to make sure we don't miss them. Walking out into the main room, Ryan and Reynolds aren't out of their rooms yet so I decide that I'll call T while I'm waiting for them.

"Hey T, we've found them and have been observing aka stalking them. So far they've eaten and been drinking. From what I can tell is they started really early drinking and just kind of wandered around. We did interact with them briefly, but it wasn't obvious. They've returned to their room about an hour ago, so the guys and I changed and are headed downstairs to monitor the elevators to find out where they're heading this evening. What have you got for me, information wise?" I ask.

"We've just taken off and should be there in a couple of hours. No other information yet from Welch, it's taking a bit more digging than usual. Just keep watch over them and we'll meet up with you when we get there." He replies.

I can hear the tension in his voice. He doesn't sound very happy about the lack of information on her.

"Sounds good" I respond and hang up.

Ryan and Reynolds come out and we head down to the casino level and when the elevator doors open, I spot the attendant.

Walking over to him, I ask, "Have you seen three girls come down from the penthouse recently?" I'm trying to act nonchalant but the attendant is looking at us with a 'knowing' look.

"No Sir." He keeps his answer short and in a clipped voice.

Whatever dude, we'll find them one way or another. I wonder if he's aware that we've been watching the girls? Well, fuck him.

I look at him, making direct eye contact and make a point to look at him in a way that says, 'Mind your own business.' My response is a simple, "Thank you." I turn away and walk over to the guys.

We walk away and find a place to sit and wait and watch.

It's been about 45 minutes and we're still waiting. I hate waiting. It seems like all we do is sit and wait for something to happen. Not the most exciting job most of the time, but there is always a possibility something could happen. Being an ex-navy seal it's hard to sit and do nothing but wait. The other guys are pretty much in the same boat, being former military. T is Grey's right-hand man and knows more about him than anyone, including his family. To be honest, I don't think I want to know that much, I can deduce that Mrs. Lincoln has a lot more power over him and I certainly don't understand what it is about her. She's evil and absolutely unattractive to me. But, to each his own. Everyone has their own tastes, which is good because if not, there would be a lot of lonely people in the world.

"Jeeze Luke, why do women take so long to do anything? I'd be out and about if I had the opportunity to and if I was on vacation, instead of hanging out in a hotel room, even if it is the penthouse." Reynolds states, matter of factly. "Las Vegas has so much to see and do, I've got to come back here when I'm not working so I can actually enjoy some of this."

"I totally agree and understand the frustration of just sitting and blending in. But this is what we're paid to do and it's easy money. I mean how often do we actually have to see any excitement? Though, we are retired military who always saw some sort of action, I do kind of miss it. Ms. Steele and Kate aren't the most exciting and don't have the most dangerous lives. Something's gotta give life a little more excitement. Don't get me wrong, I love the job, but it would be nice to have something add a little bit of spice to the whole thing." Ryan comments.

"Holy mother fuck." I say, my mouth dropping open and eyes growing large.

Ryan and Reynolds look at me, "What's the matter with you? You look like you've seen a ghost." Ryan asks.

They both turn their heads to see what I am looking at.

"Woah! Is that…?" Reynolds says to no one in particular.

Ryan swallows hard and his mouth drops open. "Well, things just got interesting didn't they?" He comments.

The girls just rounded the corner from the elevators. I'm speechless. Never in a million years did I think someone could look so beautiful. I think she's more beautiful now than when I saw her just an hour or so ago. I mean, she was beautiful in her workout clothes, but this is completely different. This is a whole new level of beautiful, she's stunning. Ana and Kate are gorgeous, as usual. They always look their best and have got bodies to die for. Grey is a very lucky man to have Ana in his life, I just hope he doesn't fuck things up because there are hundreds of men waiting for him to so they can have a chance with her. Kate, on the other hand, is definitely taken by Elliot. They are perfect for each other, and remind me of Ken and Barbie, both blonde hair and blue eyed.

Out walk three of the sexiest women I've ever seen. Heads are turning left and right by people in the casino. I am speechless. I swear, the three of them could be sisters they look that similar. If Grey sees Ana he's going to flip, but it's on him. I don't know if he realizes but she's free to make her own decisions. He can't control her and Kate, and I'm pretty sure that he will never have the opportunity to control Rhiann. This I can tell by her personality just from meeting her earlier. I can't wait to see the fireworks fly. And to be honest, I'm rooting for Rhiann.

We sit back and watch them walk towards the taxi area. I'm not sure where they're going but we need to catch up to them to find out. I can't lose her, better yet, I can't let someone else have the chance to get her attention. What the fuck am I saying? I can't? I don't even know her, and I don't have anything to do with her, so why am I feeling so territorial about her?

"Ok guys let's roll. We have no idea where they are going so we need to get as close as we can without them seeing us to find out. Let's do our best to blend in with the crowd." I say.

Ryan looks at me and says, "Have you lost your mind? Do you seriously think we can blend in with the crowd? Look at us! We stick out like sore thumbs, considering Grey won't let us wear jeans when were on duty, no matter what the situation calls for. Besides, you heard the new chick, Rhiann, she called you King Kong earlier. You're the biggest one of us!" He's laughing and Reynolds is laughing along with him.

"Ok, ok, ok I get it. Laugh it up wise guys." I say chuckling.

We're about 50 feet or so behind the girls and I can't take my eyes off Rhiann. The way her hair sways with the rhythm of her walk. Good God that's the sexiest thing I've seen in a long time. She may be little, but she has a huge presence. I can't believe how stunning she is. I wish I could be walking with her and enjoying the look and feel of her on my arm. After how she was earlier, I'm surprised she doesn't get the feeling that we're right behind her. They get to the doors and get in the line for a taxi.

The gentleman who calls for the taxi greets them. "Good evening. Where are you lovely ladies headed?"

Kate answers, enthusiastically, "The Excalibur please."

"Yes ma'am. Enjoy your evening." He says as they get into a taxi.

Our turn is up next, "Excalibur please" Ryan tells the man. The taxi pulls up and we get in and off we go. I wish like hell we had our own vehicle. I hate taxis.

We are following the girls' taxi up to the loading area. We're two cars behind them and watch as the attendant opens the door for them. A slim, tan, beautiful leg swings out of the taxi and Rhiann steps out. The looks on the faces of those in the area are appreciative. I'm in awe, totally floored by her beauty. Ana and Kate exit the vehicle next and it's like time stands still, the girls leaving jaws open and eyes wide and smiles with nods. Kate, Ana and Rhiann smile and enter the casino. We exit our car and walk through the doors. The first thing we see are a group of guys watching the girls and start to walk up to them. The guys look like they are in college, and I can tell you right now, they don't have the girls' best interest in mind. Believe me, if I wasn't in the position I am in I would be the same way. I'm impressed with the way they handle themselves by ignoring them. That's a classy move. I can tell by the body language that Rhiann is having a hard time with some things being said because she's tensed up, but she's still being graceful.

"I wonder where they're headed? There isn't a club here that I know of." Ryan asks.

"To be honest, I have no idea either. But there's only one way to find out. Let's keep moving." I reply.

We walk about another three minutes when I realize where they are headed.

"You have got to be kidding me!" I exclaim.

"I can't believe they are going into that place! What the fuck?"