Mafia Protection (Sample)

Chapter 3

As Angelo looked at the magnificent beach property, the Escalade came to a stop. The waves roared with the stiff breeze, enhancing the smell of saltiness in the air. The tide glistened underneath the morning sun, pushing the water closer to the large rundown hotel. The peeling white paint made the hotel look much older than it probably was. Sand mounded across the street on one side with newer hotels and restaurants down the beach on the other. The spacious piece of land was located in a prime spot near the main road. It also had an oversized parking lot behind.

Angelo and Rafa followed Ella up the steps, past an outside porch area to the entrance. As they inspected the stairs, she unlocked the door and walked inside. Ella flipped on the lights, looking relieved when they lit up the room. The light showed what used to be the lobby, now covered in a layer of silt.

"Please take your time. I'll be right outside," she said.

Angelo walked around. He knocked on the wall; then he lightly kicked the trim against the base of the floor. The ceilings looked sturdy. There were no cracks, and the light fixtures were intact and not broken.

"What do you think?" he asked Rafa. "It'll be good for a nightclub. The foundation is solid."

"It looks worse than it is. It won't take that much to renovate. The building is five stories high, so we can knock out the second and fourth floor. Then you'll have high ceilings for the main lounge and the VIP room, plus a third floor for personal use."

Angelo nodded. "Renovation shouldn't take long at all, and that porch outside can seat overflow. Let's see what they're asking for this place."

"You don't want to check out the top floors?" asked Rafa.

"No." Angelo shook his head. "It's the property I want. The rest is cosmetic."

As they exited the building, Ella was standing against one of the pillars underneath the covered entrance. She looked at peace in her solitude, satisfied with watching seagulls circle above the shore. Angelo wondered if she was sheltered as a child. She watched everything at the restaurant and now here with sheer fascination. Perhaps it was her perfect aura of innocence coercing him to feel an interest when he should not encourage his own thoughts. Even if she was a feasible interest, she was out of place with his group. She would never be able to handle the life.

"So," he said and closed the door behind him. "How much is this place going for? If we can come to an agreement, I'd like to sign the paperwork next week. I don't have much time left to discuss it."

"Seven hundred thousand," Ella replied and took out her key to lock the deadbolt.

"What?" Angelo whipped his eyes from the building to her. "Is that some sort of joke?"

"What do you mean by a joke? That's the standard price for this property in relation to the properties around it."

"Ms. Collins, I know you're new to this market, but even a new agent would know how much a piece of land like this is worth. I wouldn't expect to spend lower than seven million and that's with a trade. Give me a fair market price and we'll talk about my company buying the it."

"Oh," Ella frowned, a look of awareness spreading on her face, "seven hundred thousand covers the lease."

"Lease?" Rafa said as all three started down the steps.

"My company has placed this property for lease, not purchase."

"What?" Angelo paused mid-stride. "The listing said nothing about a lease. This property needs major renovation. Who's going to spend that kind of money to renovate when the property isn't theirs? I won't."