Pretending to Be an Untouchable Crime Boss-Chapter 16: Angel Of Death.

"Did everyone get the money?" James asked. Meanwhile, Bella was in his face.

"Yes, I gave it to him as you ordered." Hector said.

Bella stepped back, her face filled with concern.

"Should I buy baby clothes and stuff like that? But what if it's a boy or a girl? Should I just buy everything?"

She was stressing over something that wasn't even close to happening.

"Just relax, Bella." James said, grabbing her shoulders gently. "Okay?"

She sighed deeply. "I'm relaxed. Thank you, darling."

Hans stepped forward hugging James.

"The money you gave me is going to save my daughter's life. I'll never be thankful enough."

You have a daughter? And I never knew?

"What do you mean, Hans?"

"My daughter has cancer, it's in the early stages, but she's in a private hospital, and the costs were too high for me to keep up."

"And you never told me about this?" James looked at Hans, seeing the pain in his eyes. "I will pay for everything from now on, so don't worry about anything."

"But it's already okay." Hans replied hesitantly.

"No, it's not. Keep that money for your daughter's future—college, a house, or something. I'll take care of the hospital bills." And then James then turned to Hector. "And you, why were you in such a rush back then?"

Hector hesitated, running a hand through his hair. "My sister... she has a cancer to, and I ran to tell her—"

"I don't need to hear more..." James stepped and hugged him. "I'll pay for that too, and I don't care what you say. Understand?"

"Yes." They both said at the same time.

"You too, Bella and Ferucci, if anything happens say it, okay?"

"Thank you for your generosity." Ferucci answered.

"Me too." Bella added.

"Good. Now, give me a cigarette, Ferucci. I need to walk alone for a bit."

Ferucci quickly took out a cigarette, handed it to James, and lit it for him. James took a long drag before walking away in silence.

As James walked away, Bella was the first to say what they had all been thinking.

"He cares about us deeply, doesn't he?"

"More than I'll ever be able to give back." Hector admitted.

"We are all in great debt to him." Ferucci said, lighting a cigarette. "We should be willing to give our lives for him."

"Not only that, but I'd give my body too." Bella shivered at her own words, while Hans chuckled.

"Well, that's up to you."

"Should we go after him?" Bella asked.

"Yeah, let's go," Hector agreed.

Fuck, fuck, fuck! Why did they have to do this to me?! James muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

He took a deep drag from his cigarette and exhaled slowly

His daughter has cancer, and he didn't even tell me... And I haven't even been paying them good money. James clenched his jaw, frustration boiling inside him. Fuck... How evil am I?

They've done terrifying things for me... and all this time, they had dying relatives.

He exhaled sharply, taking another drag from his cigarette. Fuck my life.

And how many people are working for me? How many of them are living like shit? They got into this life to make money, to survive, to live well... and I...

His thoughts spiraled.

No, no, no. I'm not evil. I'm not like them.

They hurt and kill people.He clenched his fists. Don't think about it that way, James. Fuck.

But they did it because of me... because of a fucking misunderstanding.James clenched his teeth. But I'm still just a regular guy...

He stopped suddenly. Then, out of nowhere, he started laughing, a hollow, bitter sound.

"Who am I lying to?" His voice trembled. "I'm not a regular guy anymore... I'm a fucking monster too."

His chest felt tight as the weight of his thoughts bore down on him.

That teenager died because of me. My words killed somebody...

My mother was right.

I am a monster...

And then, he stopped.

If I end it now... my family will have money.He let out a shaky breath. Yeah... if I die right now...

Slowly, his hand moved to the gun, fingers wrapping around it.

"James?"

Ferucci's voice cut through the silence. He stood frozen behind him, eyes wide in shock as he watched James put the gun to his head.

"James!"

"Put it down, James!"

Their voices rang out, frantic and desperate. They were all shouting at him.

But James didn't move. The gun remained pressed against his head

"If I pull the trigger... then it all ends. The death, the killing... would it really stop?" James whispered, his finger hovering over the trigger.

"James, put it down!" Hector shouted and without hesitation, he raised his gun, aiming it at James.

"What are you doing?!" Bella gasped, turning to Hector..

"I pull the trigger first... then him. I can save him..." Hector said, his gaze locked on James.

"I'm sorry, Mom..."

Click.

His breath hitched before he burst into laughter—wild, hysterical, uncontrollable. His shoulders shook as he threw his head back, staring at the sky.

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The gun jammed.

"You fucking bitch..." He looked up at the sky, lowering his gun.

The others behind him stood frozen, too stunned to react. Hector slowly lowered his gun, his face pale.

Then James turned to them—his lips curled into a smile, but it was anything but human. It was pure evil. His eyes, cold and empty, gleamed like those of a demon.

He let out a slow breath, rubbing his temple. The weight of their words clashed violently with the storm in his mind.

He should be dead.

He wanted to be dead.

But fate had other plans.

"Even death rejects me, huh?"

No one dared to speak.

Their heads were bowed, but every fiber of their being screamed that they were standing before something unnatural.

Hans clenched his jaw, staring at the ground, afraid, no...terrified to look up. His entire body was tense, his instincts screaming that James wasn't just a man anymore.

Hector's breath was shallow, forced, like he was struggling not to suffocate under the weight of James' presence. The air felt heavier, thicker.

Ferucci, who always had to say something, bit his tongue so hard he tasted blood. The silence was safer.

Bella, who had once joked about giving her body to James, now felt like a fragile thing before a predator. Her nails pressing into her skin just to remind herself that she was still alive, that this wasn't some nightmare.

But a voice of James, the James that was earlier joking with Bella suddenly spoke.

"What's up, guys? It was just a joke."

They all looked up, their breaths still caught in their throats.

James took a deep drag from his cigarette, letting the smoke swirl in his lungs before exhaling slowly. His hands weren't shaking.

That was the funny part—he felt calm. Too calm.

His mind was spinning, but his body? His body moved like it belonged to someone else.

What's up, guys? It was just a joke.

Was it?

He almost laughed again, but something in his throat caught it, twisted it into something ugly.

What the hell was happening to him?

A few hours ago, he was James Bellini, the one who cracked jokes, kept everyone together.

He was in control.

But now? Now, he was someone else. Someone darker. Someone who wanted to die but couldn't even do that right.

That teenager died because of me...

Many people died because of me

Hans' daughter has cancer and never told me...

Hector's sister is dying too...

They follow me, kill for me—because of me.

His grip on the cigarette tightened. His lips curled, but it wasn't a smirk. It was something else. Something wrong.

I'm not crazy. I'm just seeing things for what they really are now.

Because wasn't this the truth? That he was a monster? That fate itself had jammed his gun because it wasn't done laughing at him yet?

I should've died.

But his thoughts shattered as Ferucci reacted.

"A joke?" His voice cracked slightly, but he quickly masked it with an uneasy chuckle. "Damn,... you sure got us good."

Hans exhaled slowly, still staring at James as if he were trying to make sense of it all. His fists remained clenched. "Yeah... real funny." But his voice held no humor.

Hector swallowed hard, his mind replaying the last few minutes over and over.

Bella finally found her voice. "Yeah my love...it was funny... " Her voice was quieter than usual.

But none of them could shake the feeling that, for a moment...

That something wasn't James at all.

They were seeing what he really was.

The Angel of Death.

And the worst part?

For the first time, James was starting to believe it himself.