Chapter 17 One more day of respite . She has no idea that what she's currently going through is just a tip of the iceberg . If we will use her to get her brother , forget her privacy at her house which she is currently annoyed about , her movement would be restricted . She would be in our custody , because the only other person José Salvatore cares about apart from his fucking self is his sister . And now I care about her too . One more day … I have been waiting for José Salvatore to contact her and now he has . Yet , I will give her one more day before we act . I drive for another nine minutes down the road and turn to a strip of asphalt on the right and soon I'm in an estate with green spreading on both sides of me . It's private , reserved property , acres of land being owned by the wealthy few who desire the privacy for some reason or the other . Neighbors here are separated by plots and plots of green and not concrete walls . No one gives a damn about the next person . I found the solitude much appreciated . Our family has always preferred to maintain its privacy , not to talk of the fact that our home is not just a residential area , but also has other sub structures and buildings , training halls and weaponry structures , wide fields for sport and a majestic building with several wings . My wing of the house alone has ten bedrooms more than I would ever need . I usually jog the stretch of land that leads into the estate every morning . It's about a mile . I usually stick to the road , but have run through the woods on several occasions . I don't do it because I like the sound of morning creatures being naturally noisy as I zip past . I do it because the woods surrounding the area seem to give me a semblance of peace . And now , Nicole Salvatore does that for me . I don't know exactly how or why , but the sound of her name seems to make my inner demons go on a break . Give me peace for the meantime . *** I make my way past the front door of the overpriced strip club . There are bouncers on both sides of the door , but after one look at me , they let me through without question . 1/3 Chapter 17 Inside , the floors are black marble and the walls are gold . Men dressed in suits are seated around tables , drinking and talking loudly . The lights are muted and smoke fills the air . I breeze past the main floor . A woman dances against a pole , dressed scantily . So are the women who move about in strips for clothing , carrying a tray of some edible or the other . Drinks pour into crystal glasses and the steady bass of the music continues . My ears are sharp to every sound I can catch . I move to one corner of the hall and take the steps up . I'm at the VIP lounge and I wait there until I am joined by another man with a briefcase , minutes later . I watch him as I sip my Zinfandel . He's barrel - chested and burly , a shaggy beard on his face and an stupid smirk on his lips . I've hated doing business with him for the longest time . But desperate times call for desperate measures . Two other men join him . They're dressed in three - piece suits and deep frowns . Like I'm not the one that is supposed to be annoyed at their boss for keeping me waiting . Pepi Filipepi finally turns to me and he grins . I still don't know what's so funny . " You're twenty minutes late . " I loosen the tie on my neck and fold the sleeves of my shirt up to my elbows , gaze on him . Pepi just shrugs , that Godforsaken smile still tugging his lips . " Traffic . " I'm not even in the mood to be annoyed . I just ask , " Do you have what I need ? " He nods once . A second passes . Another grin . " But you see , the price has gone up . " So that's what's so funny . " How much higher ? " " A million dollars higher . " " That's fair , " I say . " Seeing as you will have to invest in your security soon after leaving 2/3 Chapter 17 here . " Pepi doesn't find this funny and I'm glad that we're now sharing the same mood . " Are you fucking threatening me ? " He demands . " I thought you would have caught on faster . I'll go slow next time . " I readjust in my seat . " Add some drawings too . With bright crayons . " Pepi is just stewing in his anger and finally , I can relax . The good cheer was just suffocating me . " Listen to me D'Angeli , " Pepi grits out of his teeth . " You might think you're a fucking king just because your family runs this city , but I hope you know that this here is my business and you cannot just do what you want . My men surround you , for one . " " They cannot protect you from me , and I want you to know that first of all , before we start ," I state matter - of - factly .