Pretending to Be an Untouchable Crime Boss-Chapter 38: No Turning Back.

Heads-up: The next Chapters contain heavy violence and people getting hurt. Please read at your own discretion!

The drive was silent, the only sound was James attempt to wipe the blood from his hands.

Then, finally, Charlotte's voice broke the silence.

"Don't worry." Her voice came suddenly. "I'm only afraid if you look at me with those eyes..." She gripped her dress tightly and looked straight into James's eyes. "I've seen more blood... so don't worry."

James stared at her. Just for a second, he forgot how to breathe.

This child, this little girl who had somehow stumbled into his life sat beside him, looking at him without even a flicker of fear. No disgust. No hesitation.

"I'm a bad person, Charlotte."

Yeah I can never be myself, that James that was lazy, that was struggling to decide what he want to become...I truly fucked up my life... 

"Maybe it's a bad idea for you to stay with me—"

Before he could finish, Charlotte moved.

She moved over and grabbed James hand, holding onto it so tightly it made James freeze.

"No."

Her voice cracked, shaking with something raw, something desperate.

Her lips trembled. Her grip only tightened, like she was afraid that if she let go, he would disappear.

"I don't care..." She whispered, shaking her head furiously. "I don't care if you're bad or good. I don't care if you're covered in blood. I don't care what anyone else says."

Her voice broke, and her small shoulders trembled.

"I don't want to be alone again."

James felt something deep inside him crack.

Charlotte looked up at him, her big, teary eyes filled with something he didn't deserve.

Trust. Hope.

She wasn't afraid of him...she was afraid that she would lose him.

He wanted to tell her she was wrong, that he wasn't someone she should trust.

But as he looked at her, this small, broken girl clinging to him like he was the only thing keeping her from falling apart, he knew one thing.

He couldn't leave her.

A child who had seen too much, lost too much. A child who had decided that even after everything she still wanted to stay by his side.

I don't deserve this....I don't deserve her trust.

James squeezed his eyes shut, a slow breath escaping his lips. But when he exhaled, his arms moved before his mind could stop them.

"...I'm here." The words felt foreign, strange, but they left his mouth before he could stop them. "I'm not going anywhere."

And James now truly meant it.

He wasn't going to leave her alone.

Not now. Not ever.

"....we're going to a safe house first. They can't see us like this."

She only nodded, her grip on his hand tightening just a little.

When they arrived she followed him, her small frame barely making a sound as she climbed out of the car.

She was still gripping the hem of her dress, her knuckles pale from how tightly she held it. James knew she was trying to keep herself together. She was strong, but she was still a child.

"Come on." He grabbed her hand and led her down the alley.

The blood on his hands, it wasn't just his. His shirt, his skin, even his face... He must have looked like a nightmare. And yet, Charlotte still walked beside him, unwavering.

He quickly changed into a clean shirt, wiping away the last traces of blood from his face. The metallic scent still lingered, clinging to his skin, but at least he didn't look like he had just stepped out of a box ring.

He rummaged through the duffel bag pulling out one of his spare shirts. It was oversized, even on him, but when he handed it to Charlotte, it nearly swallowed her whole.

The fabric draped over her frame, the sleeves hanging past her hands, the hem reaching just above her knees.

Charlotte tugged at it, her small fingers gripping the material as she looked up at him. "It's too big."

James let out a short breath, almost a chuckle. "Better than what you had on."

With that, they got back into the car.

In the whole time James rested his arm against the window, his fingers tapping absently against the door. His mind was a mess, running through everything that had happened, everything he had done.

As they arrived back home, his mother immediately noticed their clothes and frowned.

"What happened?" She asked, her eyes scanning them both.

"We fell into a ditch." James said without hesitation.

Charlotte, standing beside him, nodded with a bright smile. "Yeah!"

His mother narrowed her eyes for a second but eventually sighed. "Okay..." Her gaze shifted behind them, noticing something or rather, someone missing.

"Where are the others?" She asked, looking past them. Bella and Hector were nowhere to be seen.

"They stayed with some friends." He answered with a smile.

Ah... they must still be "cleaning up".

His mother gave him another long look but eventually just sighed again.

"We're going to shower." James said, changing the subject. "Did you cook?"

"Yeah, I did." She replied, still watching them with suspicion.

But as James walked past her, the faint, unmistakable scent of blood hit her nose.

His mother stiffened for a fraction of a second. Her eyes flickered, first to James, then to Charlotte. The clothes, the hurried excuse, the way James avoided her gaze... it all clicked.

But she didn't say anything.

She simply watched as her son led the little girl inside, his posture tense, his movements carefully controlled, like a man who had already decided not to talk about it.

She exhaled slowly, her fingers curling at her side.

What have you done this time, James?

But instead of asking, instead of demanding the truth, she said nothing.

And for now, she left it at that.

Meanwhile, as James and Charlotte enjoyed a refreshing shower, washing away the blood and tension Hector and Bella were having their own kind of fun.

In a dark, abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city, the air was thick with the scent of sweat, fear, and blood.

The so-called candidate was barely recognizable.

The wannabe gangsters, the ones who had once stood so proudly, were now either unconscious or barely clinging to consciousness.

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Some had broken noses, others had dislocated limbs, and a few were curled up on the ground, groaning in pain.

Hector cracked his knuckles, his usual smirk widening as he crouched beside Takoi. "Man, for someone who talks big, you really don't hold up well, do you?"

Hei groaned, spitting blood onto the floor. His one eye, since the other was too swollen to open glared at Hector. "You... you animals don't know who you're messing with..." He slurred.

Bella scoffed, twirling a bloodied crowbar in her hand like it was a baton. "Oh, we know exactly who we're messing with. Some piece of shit who thought he could threaten James Bellini and get away with it."

Takoi's blood ran cold. Bellini.

His good eye darted between them, fear creeping in, replacing whatever false confidence he had left. "Wait... this was just a misunderstanding...."

CRACK.

Bella swung the crowbar straight into his ribs, making him collapse with a choked gasp.

Hector sighed, rubbing his head

"See, that's the problem with you types. Always talking shit, always thinking you're untouchable. But then, when the tables turn, suddenly it's all just a misunderstanding? Nah, buddy. Not how it works."

He crouched down next to the wheezing Takoi, watching him writhe on the floor, struggling to suck in a breath. "Damn." He muttered, tilting his head. "You hear that? That little whistle in his breathing?" He glanced up at Bella. "I think you broke something real good."

Bella rolled her shoulders. "Yeah, well, he was pissing me off."

Takoi tried to push himself up, one arm trembling under his weight, but Bella shoved him back down with her boot.

"Please..." He rasped, coughing up a bit of blood. "I....I can fix this..."

Hector let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "Oh? Now you wanna fix things? What happened to all that big talk? What happened to James and his daughter?"

Bella let out a long sigh. "You know, I was actually starting to enjoy this. Then he went and ruined it by begging." She huffed, gripping the crowbar tighter. "We could always make it more entertaining."

Takoi's bloodied face paled further. "N....no....wait...."

Hector patted his shoulder, shaking his head. "Nah, nah, you had your turn, buddy. Now it's ours."

Bella leaned down, grabbing him by the hair and forcing him to look at her. "This?" she whispered "This is just the beginning."

But then the warehouse door burst open, slamming against the wall as Ferrucci rushed in.

Bella and Hector both turned, immediately tensing, they thought something had happened.

"Why the hell didn't you two call me?" Ferucci demanded, his breaths coming heavy and sharp as if he'd sprinted here.

Hector blinked. "...What?"

"I want a piece too."

Slowly, a grin crept onto Ferucci's face as he reached down, unbuckling the sheath from his belt. In one smooth motion, he pulled out his knife, the blade gleaming under the light.

Bella raised an eyebrow, amused. "You came all the way here just for that?"

Ferucci twirled the knife between his fingers, his smile widening. "You two always get to have all the fun."

Hector snorted, stepping back with a smirk. "Let's make a bet, whoever can make him scream more, win 500."

"Bet." Said Ferucci with a bright smile.