Two:

"Waiting for someone, miss?"

The bartender asks with a smile as he places my second cocktail in front of me, and I bite back the snarky comment on my tongue and smile right back at him.

"I'm not a hooker, if that's what you're asking," I say, and he shifts uncomfortably on his feet.

I cannot blame him for thinking it.

Behind me around tables of roulette, baccarat, poker and black jack, old men, dressed in suits and puffing on big cigars, some whom I recognize from the House of Congress howl and holler, with girls who look not much older than me on their arms.

I also definitely look the part...I came down to the bar as soon as I heard that the hotel had one to drink my problems away, without bothering to change into something more decent than the silver sequin mini dress and thigh high boots I left home dressed in.

"That's definitely not what I'm asking. It's just that people have been staring since you sat down, and it might not be too safe for a girl alone here," he says sincerely, and then goes back to pouring drinks.

I look around, and notice that some of them, despite already having escorts are not even trying to be subtle about checking me out. My skin crawls, and I wonder how many of them have wives and children waiting for them back at home, and how many of those wives and children know about the fucking double lives their husbands and fathers are living.

Before I completely ruin my mood, I tell myself that is all none of my business, and nothing is going to happen as long as I stay sober and do not move from the bar. As long as I stay away from the casino situation, I'm going to be fine.

Before I can finish my thought, a gunshot goes off somewhere behind me, followed by screams as everyone immediately crouches or drops to the floor around me.

I stay frozen in my seat as another shot is fired. The screams get louder and more panicked, and people lie flat on the floor with their hands on their heads, while others abandon their dates and run out of the room. 

Four men in dark suits, all carrying guns seem to appear out of thin air when I finally turn around, and start grabbing girls.

Sweat rolls down my back and my heart skips several beats. I want to jump from the stool and run to my room, but I cannot seem to move my legs. This cannot be happening right now. Not on top of everything that has already happened today.

I gasp as a gloved hand wraps around my arm and yanks me right out of the stool and onto my feet. The cold metal of a gun touches my forehead when I open my mouth to scream. This must be a police raid...I've heard that they happen in places like this.

I just did not think they were real, because wasting your money and being with a man is not illegal.

"Sir, you don't understand. I'm here alone, I'm a resident at the hotel, I'm not with the other girls. Check if you want," I try to explain as he drags me towards the door, but in a gruff voice he tells me bluntly to shut up and walk.

He leads me through a maze of dark hallways and out a door in the back, and throws me towards the rest of the whimpering girls huddled together and surrounded by the three other men.

The one who brought me here pulls out his phone and calls someone, and he speaks to them in a language I don't understand.

"Get them ready to leave. Nano will be here any moment now, and you know the boss wants everything perfect and on time,"  he says as soon as he hangs up, and the men around us nod.

Now that I know they are not policemen, I am sure that my parents sent them here to scare me...to show me how much "danger" I am in, and I am never going to forgive them for this.

"Look, it's me you've come here for. Call your boss and tell him you found me...let the others go," I say, but none of them as much as looks in my direction.

"Please, I have a child. Let me go," one girl cries as a black van screeches to a halt all too soon in front of us, and I shield my eyes from the blinding headlights.

"Move," the men say, herding us towards the car. The girls cry and beg, and I dig my nails into my palms. This is all my fault, they're suffering because I wanted to see my father squirm.

"It is me you're here for, guys. Tell my father you found me, and let the rest of them go!" I say more firmly, raising my voice, and the men exchange a look. They laugh, and the leader grabs me by the hair and tosses me in the van with everyone else.

They pass around those kidnap hoods to drape over our heads, and the girls start to go quiet around me one by one. I also pull mine over my head, and lean against the window.

Suddenly I start to feel sick and faint, and my eyes get too heavy for me to keep open. With the last of my strength, I try to pull the hood from my head, but a stronger hand grabs it and holds it over my face, and everything goes black as the van speeds out of the parking garage.