CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

(JPOV)

The city was bombarded with overwhelming crowds, and as we walked the streets of Wilmington, my eyes were constantly searching for her. Every face I saw eventually became just another number in the sea of endless people before and behind us.

"I wouldn't want to live here. No freaking way, man. I hate places like this." Gentry loudly griped, while we made our way to the address Scott had given us a few days prior.

"Agreed. No desire to stay here. Too chaotic. We get Rachel and we get the hell out."

The mass of people felt almost disorienting, horns blared and everyone yelled out their windows when the rush hour traffic would once again come to a grinding halt around us. Gentry and I weaved through the many cars, trying to get to where we needed to be, and we earned ourselves a few disgusted looks along with a few cross words while we went.

"What is with these people!" Gentry yelled, throwing his hands up in the air out of frustration just as a sleek black Mercedes Benz sped up to us and slammed on the breaks seconds before hitting him. "Hey! Watch it! I'm walking here! Are you blind or what!?"

I shook my head at him and bit back a laugh, as the house of the given address soon came into view.

"There...-" I pointed, reading the mailbox number and jogging up the paved drive.

"Hold up- wait a minute... -we don't know what we're walking into here, man. Come on, he could be some crazy lunatic with a gun or worse even-"

"Good thing we heal fast, huh?" I hedged back to him in determined fashion. "This is the only lead I have in finding Rachel and I'm taking it, Gentry. With or without your help. I appreciate you coming with me, but if you wanna sit this one out, I get it. That's fine with me. I'll be right back."

"Yeah, sure. Like I'm just gonna let you go in there alone. Hardly- didn't you ever watch horror movies when you were a kid?" He huffed, as his gaze narrowed in the direction of the large white house straight ahead of us now. "Dude drives a newer Land Rover. He can't be too hard up for the rent money he claims she owes him. Seems to me that he's sitting pretty well around these parts."

"Appearances can be deceiving. Don't forget that." I mused in return, as I pounded on the front door with my fist and waited there.

Gentry peered around toward the back end of the house and met my gaze as a voice yelled out to us.

"Be right there. Hold on."

"Sounds like the same dude from before." Gentry hedged. "Wonder how long Rachel stayed with him?"

"We're about to find out."

The front door whipped open and there stood a tall red headed man with a full beard, his hazel eyes looking between Gentry and myself a few times, and narrowing in suspicion with his greeting.

"Can I help you with something?"

"Scott, right? We spoke on the phone-" I stated to him.

"You're Jacob." He nodded then with acknowledgement and extended a hand my way.

"Yeah, that's me. I'm Rachel's brother. From Washington."

"Well, good to know someone is worried for that girl. About time. Your sister stole a lot of money from me, you know? I hope your visit also entails you paying some of her outstanding debt?"

"That depends if you can help us find her." Gentry tersely stated.

"...-she never mentioned she had more than one brother." Scott accused.

"Yeah, well she does." I affirmed then, stepping into the house as he swung the door open and gestured that we follow after him.

"I don't have much for refreshments for you fella's, but then again, I suppose this isn't really a social call." Scott mused.

My eyes went wide at the luxury that surrounded us in this place. Italian leather furniture and high end decor was everywhere the eye could see. Such fine living had to cost a person upwards of half a million, if my assumptions and estimates were anywhere near close.

"Holy...-" Gentry huffed, pointing to the eighty inch flat screen just ahead of us that was mounted into the furthest wall like a damn cinema duplex.

I narrowed my gaze further as my attention was drawn to some of the more finer paintings that lined the walls of his mansion. Most of them appeared to put Picasso to shame. I didn't even wanna guess how much they were worth.

"You like?" Scott soon questioned, and I could barely manage a single nod to him as Rachels face came back to my mind.

She could never afford to live in a place like this. No way - What the hell was she doing here?

"Man, your job must be killer for this kind of living!" Gentry huffed out in disbelief as he started to sit down in one of the Italian leather accent chairs just off to our left. I caught hold of his arm before he could sink down in it and he quickly stood back up with a confused look my way.

"Yeah, Scott- what is it that you do for a living? Doctor? Surgeon? Scientist?" I irritatingly hedged, the anger in my voice registering to Gentry as he stood to his full height there next to me.

"...-I work in sales." Scott weakly defended as he poured himself another glass of Bourbon and held it out to me. "Care for one? Seems you could use it. Little tense are we, son?"

"Don't call me son. You don't know me."

"Likewise. Let's cut the small talk and get down to business. We both stand to gain something from it."

"What kind of sales do you work in? I assume pharmaceutical isn't entirely off the table?"

Scott laughed humorlessly and hunkered down on the leather sofa with an annoyed expression.

"You're real quick to catch on. Rachel said you were smart. Guess she wasn't lying for a change. Imagine that."

Heat weaved hastily up my spine from his comment, and I had to fight the tremors while he steadily chugged down his alcohol and met my gaze.

"Do you know where she is? Don't play games with me, Scott. It wouldn't be a wise move on your part. I tend to not play fair."

"Like Brother like sister, I see?" He snapped back, his gaze leaving mine as a tall blonde entered the room. Her scantily clad attire leaving next to nothing to the imagination as she breezed through and smiled at us. "Tatiana, I'm in the middle of something. What do you need?"

"The bourbon." She coyly stated, snatching the bottle from the table and approaching me with a curious glint in her blue eyes. "Hi, there. You're new. Haven't seen the likes of you around here before. What's your name."

She didn't wait for me to answer, instead she pushed me down into the awaiting chair, and hurriedly placed herself in my lap with a giggle, like this was all routine for her. Nothing more than a days work, I supposed.

"I'm Jacob. I'm here looking for my sister Rachel. You wouldn't happen to know where she is, would you?" I asked her, playing along with this game enough to hold her attention for the time being.

"She left here days ago. On the run from Alaric again I'm sure. Too bad, I was really starting to like her. She was fun." She admitted, her eyes glossy when they met mine. She was on something, and I wasn't talking about your recommended dose of Tylenol for a nagging headache. This girl was high as a kite.

"Alaric? Who is he?" I pressed, as her hands roamed further down my chest and reached for a precise point far south of my waist. I stood faster than she could blink, and hauled her off my lap with an angry glare toward Scott. His sinister smile enough to make me see red.

"Take your Bourbon and go now Tatiana. Jake and I have matters to discuss that don't concern you."

She rolled her eyes at his demand, and headed back for the long winding staircase she'd previously descended from, her tongue darting out between her lips in a suggestive manor when she winked at me.

Gentry looked to be in some kind of lust filled haze as he stared after her. His eyes bulging wide as he shot a truly stunned look in my direction.

"What is this place?" He asked.

"A pimp house. Isn't that right, Scott?" I spat angrily his way, the words alone making my tremors hard to ignore from picturing Rachel in here.

"That's a need to know basis."

"Start talking." I demanded.

"...or what?" He smoothly countered, reaching over for a cigar with a look of challenge clear in his gaze now.

I chuckled, and there was no ounce of humor behind it.

"I told you not to play games with me. If you know where she is-"

"I do."

"Then tell me-..."

"Sure, for a price."

"I'm not paying you a dime."

"...and I'm not telling you anything." Scott replied, taking a long drag off his cigar and blowing the smoke out our way. I looked to Gentry then, the two of us briefly sharing a silent understanding, as I turned back to Scott with my final offer to him.

"So, that's how you wanna play this? Really? I'm giving you one more chance to tell me where my sister is, Scott."

"Screw off...-"

I nodded in understanding then and stalked forward, my hand catching firm hold of the edge of his class coffee table and upending it faster than he could take another drag from his Cuban cigar. Glass shattered at our feet and I plucked the cigar from his mouth with a menacing snarl.

"That was the wrong answer."

A/N: Thank you so much for all your kind reviews! Look for part two of this chapter later on today! Till then guys :-)