MTLNOVEL Chapter 280: Save them.
James felt something stirring inside him. It wasn't fear exactly, but a sharp awareness that something irreversible was creeping closer. Death was not something he feared after all, it happens to everybody, but what he feared was that death would come too quickly, before he could do the most important things, and Darvik's calmness, the casual way he had said it, made it worse. It was like standing at the edge of a cliff and the depth whispering your name to jump.
The idea of dying before finishing them made his chest tighten a bit. It wasn't just fear of dying, it was fear of leaving things unfinished, of leaving the world before he had made his mark.
Before seeing Charlotte grow up, before seeing his mother finally calm and stable… before becoming stable himself… yeah, leaving the world too early was something he couldn't do, something he couldn't afford. But it was kind of ironic. He had tried to kill himself once, but the gun jammed… and since then, a lot had happened that stopped him from trying again. There were too many things he now treasured, and he himself had become a treasure for a lot of people.
"How dramatic, Darvik. I hope it isn't just a try to push me into the deal." He said, but he was hundred percent sure that something happened, and started to get stressed about it.
His thoughts again slowly started to swirl up, just like before, thinking about any possibility that could have happened since he left, but there was nothing. They didn't even have enemies, everybody was silent in the underworld, especially because of the national emergency. And even if something had happened, Linda or Hector would have called him, especially if it was about the family or his life.
"Yeah, it is dramatic, James. We usually don't warn those who don't have to deal with us, but you are important to us… so listen carefully to me." Darvik's voice soundly changed, as well as his demeanor and whole aura… out of nowhere just showed… himself, who truly is he.
And it just sent an alert through James' mind, those eyes of his, his voice, the look… it just screams that Darvik truly is someone dangerous. Something that James felt a long time ago.
But it was Darvik's game, he was the one controlling the situation, James knew not to act up. "I'm listening."
"Good." He took another drag from his cigarette. "When I said we have the most powerful network and agency, I wasn't lying. We know everything." He exhaled the smoke and stared deep into James' eyes. "Finn Orich, the organizer of your family, is currently in a car on his way to a warehouse to complete a black market deal he trusts, but that dealer has been bought out by none other than the Sinatra cartel, and it is a setup to kill him."
Nothing. It almost seemed like he didn't even hear what Darvik had just said to him.
"Not just that, but dozens of Sinatra's hitmen are on their way to assassinate Hector… and worst of all, the Sinatra realized that the national emergency is not good for them, so they issued a bounty, every Bellini family member is worth fifty thousand, and personally, you have a twenty-million-dollar bounty on your head… but I can help you we just need to talk about numbers and—"
"How much?" James asked it straight without a single drop of fear in his voice.
"Oh, that's what I'm talking about." Darvik leaned forward, tossing the cigarette to the ground. "I like your eyes, James. I like that intensity in them, that intensity that empty eyes… eyes that just want death…" He said as he crushed the cigarette under his foot." 50 million for each, so 100 million, and I save Finn and Hector, because what is happening is too much, too complicated, for you, and you know why?" He smiled. "Because there are rats in the family, James, rats that are infesting the Bellini family."
"I'll pay it." James answered quickly, not even thinking about it for a second.
"Good, but there is no guarantee my people will be fast enough, maybe the only thing they find is the dead bodies of—" He stopped on his own… he just couldn't finish what he wanted to say, couldn't play with him a bit, because those eyes of his were… just too deep, like they literally swallowed Darvik as he stared into them… It felt like death was creeping over him, even though he had the upper hand in this situation, even though James hadn't said a single threatening word.
There was something about James, something quiet, unshakable that made him hesitate, made him question everything he thought he knew about control and power.
Something he had never seen with others, cartels, the mafia… James was truly different. There was something about him that felt otherworldly, almost unreal, like the stories that surrounded him. It wasn't just power or reputation, it was the way he carried himself, the way his presence seemed to bend the air around him.
"You know what, James? Forget it. I need nothing. I do this for free, to show who we are, to show that we are capable of doing." Darvik said. He slowly stood up and pulled out his phone and dialed a number and said something in Maracian language.
"James, ilne helsin tuer sihn. Killen oss grtes." He said the two sentences and then hung up the phone. "You're welcome, my friend. Please don't do anything, just sit back and relax. Everything will be fine, and if not, I'll personally pay you a billion." He smiled at James, then just turned, waved his hand, and walked away.
He said nothing more, no explanation, no details, nothing, just walked away, leaving James behind and even James himself wasn't scared.
There wasn't panic, no overwhelming stress or worry. His emotion did not come to the surface, with the darkness and traumas and it was because of Darvik and Maraci.
Knowing what he was capable of… knowing where Finn was, where he went, knowing things that seemed impossible to know. But the most telling thing was the money. He said he would risk a billion… yeah, a man like him, who lived and breathed money, wouldn't just risk that much money.
It told James one thing loud and clear, there was nothing to worry about. Just follow what Darvik said… and chill… yeah chill…
Well fuck, it didnt lasted long before everything just came to the surface at the same time. Another panic attack… and while he was fighting with his own demons, Finn had already arrived at the warehouse.