Pretending to Be an Untouchable Crime Boss

James' eyes slowly opened from a long sleep.

His body ached, the dull throb of pain reminding him that, yes, he was still alive. 

But something soft and warm pressed against his side. Something else—plush, insistent—was brushing against his face.

His eyes fluttered open.

Boobs.

A whole lot of boobs.

His brain short-circuited for a moment as he blinked, trying to process the sheer expanse of softness in his immediate vicinity.

Whoever she was, she was close. Too close.

And he wasn't sure if he was in heaven, hell, or just extremely lucky.

"Bella?" James mumbled as he shifted, pushing himself up slightly on the hospital bed. His body still felt sore, but the warmth beside him was impossible to ignore.

"James! You're awake! I was so worried about you!"

Before he could react, the girl lunged forward, wrapping him in a hug so tight it knocked the air from his lungs. His face was instantly swallowed by soft, overwhelming plushness.

James froze.

The world became nothing but warmth, softness, and the scent of something sweet and spicy.

He was completely and utterly devoured by the watermelons.

"It would be nice if you let him regain consciousness." Hans spoke up from where he sat to the side in one of the chairs.

At that, Bella suddenly released James and in one swift motion, she drew her gun and aimed it straight at Hans' head.

"You couldn't even protect him, and now you're giving me orders?!" She disengaged the safety and then turned to James. "Can I kill him?"

"Don't look at me so angrily with those beautiful eyes." James replied, pulling himself up from the bed. He ripped off the oxygen mask, letting it fall to the floor as he shook his head.

"I knew it!" Bella suddenly lunged at him again, knocking him back onto the bed as she landed on top of him.

"Bella?" James groaned, his entire body aching.

She cupped his face, leaning in close. "You love me, don't you?"

"Of course, I—"

That was all she needed. Bella kissed him—hard—before abruptly springing off the bed again.

"I'm going to kill that lying bitch." She reached for her coat, but before she could leave, Ferucci—who had been silently munching on peanuts—suddenly stood up and blocked her path.

"Not so fast." He grinned at her. "James, is it true that you're close to Victor Moretti's daughter?" He asked, glancing past Bella at James, who was still dazed from the kiss.

James was under the spell of that sudden kiss but he replied.

"No…she just asked me out on a date, and I accepted."

Bella's eye twitched with rage as she turned around.

"Why would you accept it?" She stepped closer, her voice dangerously calm. "Can you explain it, please?" She smiled sweetly, but her eyes pierced through James like daggers.

"Bella, you have no right to speak to James that way."

"What—"

The cold blade against her throat froze Bella in place. Ferucci had pressed a knife to her skin with eerie precision.

"I said, you have no right to speak that way to the family head, darling." He whispered before lifting the blade away from her neck.

Bella reacted instantly.

In one swift motion, she spun around, grabbed Ferucci's wrist—the one holding the knife—and twisted it. A sharp crack echoed as she forced his entire arm forward, making him drop the blade. The knife clattered to the ground as Bella pressed the barrel of her gun directly against his throat.

"Don't you dare call me 'darling'!" She hissed, shoving the gun harder against his skin.

Ferucci only grinned. "You have some serious mood swings. Are you on your period?"

Why did God leave me with two psychopaths… why… My head is exploding, everything hurts, and these two fucking psychopaths are about to kill each other… why.

"Calm down, you two." Hans' voice came from behind Ferucci.

Bella glanced at him, ready to snap back, but something stopped her.

Hans wasn't looking at them. His gaze was locked downward, staring at the floor. His expression wasn't annoyed, nor was it angry.

It was fear.

"My head is fucking exploding with pain, my whole body is burning, and you two still—"

"We apologize for our behavior."

Both of them spoke in perfect sync, their gazes fixed on the ground, slightly bowing forward in unison.

James stared at them, but neither dared to look back.

They were afraid of him.

He sighed. "I only accepted her date because of Victor. I need to keep him in my pocket. I know damn well he's involved in shady business. He meets with NSBI agents and officers, and his whole fucking house is crawling with them. Even if I have more power, he's still a threat—even if I kill him."

He took a step forward. "Another interesting thing I've been thinking about."

Reaching out, he gently touched her face, tilting her gaze toward his.

"Aren't you supposed to be on a long 'holiday' for that thing you did?"

Bella's gaze wavered for a moment, and her body started to tremble under James' intense stare.

But he didn't wait for an answer. Instead, he simply sat back down.

"Anyway… where is Hector?"

Bella's eyes widened, and she was clearly tense. Then, slowly, she turned to Ferucci with a smirk.

"Well,you know, don't you?"

Ferucci's eye twitched with anger, a vein subtly popping on his forehead. His fists clenched, but instead of looking at James, he stared even harder at the ground.

"Well, how should I put it… Hans, would you help me out?" Ferucci smiled, but his stress was obvious.

Hans stepped forward, just as visibly tense.

"First, I'd like to congratulate you, James. And second… Hector is currently on his way here." He forced a smile.

James frowned. "Congratulate me for what?"

Hans hesitated for a second before sighing. "I held back this information, but… over the last couple of months, you actually became a billionaire. Hector executed the plan you explained to him."

James froze.

There's no fucking way.

He grabbed his head with both hands, exhaling sharply. "When you say I'm a billionaire… How much are we talking about?"

Bella grinned. "Just a little over two billion."

She was looking at James expectantly, but as soon as she saw his face twist in sheer disbelief.

"Ahh, let me rest a bit, and don't do anything dumb," James said as he lay down on the bed.

He heard them going outside, but he also felt something warm—like breathing—followed by a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Rest well, my love." Bella said with a laugh before hurrying outside.

Not only is she a psychopath, but she's also in love with me…

He let out a deep sigh, staring up at the ceiling.

That fucking Ferucci… his smile is the worst thing I've ever seen—like a damn monster.

And Hector… how the fuck did he manage to make something out of a conversation we had when we were drunk like a damn donkey?

James' head was spinning—not just from the insane amount of money they had just told him he had, but also from the fact that he was surrounded by psychopaths. And somehow, this all was happening because of him.

Meanwhile, outside, the argument had already escalated—once again, thanks to Bella picking a fight with Ferucci.

"I knew he loved me!" She jumped in excitement, her whole body burning with energy. "That kiss was full of passion, full of love—I can still feel it!" She spun around Ferucci, a wide grin on her face. "You're jealous, aren't you?" She winked at him.

Ferucci pulled out a cigarette, lighting it casually.

"I'm not into men, and let's be real, you were the one who kissed him—not the other way around." He exhaled a puff of smoke. "Did it ever cross your mind that you might've just pissed him off? He could've shot you right then and there. But honestly, I would've preferred if he shot me instead—it would've saved me from having to listen to your delusions." He blew the smoke directly into Bella's face.

"You want to try it again?" Bella growled, grabbing her gun and locking eyes with him.

"Ferucci is right, Bella."

Hans spoke as he stepped outside the hospital, his tone firm.

Bella turned to him, her expression darkening. "You open your mouth again, and I'll cut your tongue out." She took a step closer. "You failed to protect—"

"Bella…" Hans stepped forward, grabbing her gun. "I'm part of the family. I'm Hans Bellini. And you? You're just a fucking nobody that James took a chance on." He tightened his grip on her weapon. "I could kill you right now, and James wouldn't say a word. Because, like I said, your whole existence means nothing to him."

Behind them, Ferucci burst out laughing, exhaling another cloud of smoke.

"You couldn't have said it better, Hans." He took another drag. "You're not a Bellini, Bella. And yet, you play the role of one. You should be grateful James even sees something in you. Maybe it's your body, maybe it's your ability to kill without hesitation. But at the end of the day, you're just another pawn on his chessboard—just like the rest of us. The only difference is that we actually mean something to him."

Bella's hands clenched into fists. "I'm going to be a Bellini too." She stepped back, glaring at them both.

Ferucci chuckled. "That's a bit problematic, don't you think?" He flicked his cigarette to the ground. "I mean, you're in love with him. And if you became a Bellini, that would make you his sworn sister… That's kind of creepy." He laughed even harder.

Bella didn't flinch. Instead, she smiled. "You misunderstood me."

She turned to Ferucci, eyes gleaming. "Asking to be a Bellini is a sin. An arrogant mistake. Because only James can decide who becomes part of the family. But…" She smirked. "If he marries me, that's a whole different story. I'll bear his children, and—"

"Enough of this," Hans interrupted, rolling his eyes. "Let's go grab something to eat for James."

And they went on arguing even more about what to get for James. Meanwhile, he remained in his room, lost in thought.

A breeze from the open window brushed against him, and amidst the soft rustling, he heard something…

Am I hallucinating, or did I just hear Bella screaming that she would bear my child...?

Fuck, these meds are strong...