Pretending to Be an Untouchable Crime Boss

1 year earlier, somewhere outside of the city.

"I didn't mean it as a way to threaten nor a way to sound a bit paranoid about it."

"You always sound paranoid, Lucian, always… so why did you call me here out of nowhere?"

"Because you are my bro, my blood, my love, my everything, though I'm not gay, not into you, it's just our relationship is–"

"Lucian, please, you're acting like you are my age."

"Well yeah, I need to adapt to my friend." Lucian laughed. "But back to our topic, I think you're making a big mistake." He looked deep into James's eyes, into the eyes that were not certain, the eyes that were the James that was acting.

But he didn't know it, no, even Lucian thought it all real, that James is truly a monster, somebody who emerged from the shadows and will take all of it.

On the other hand, James was of course panicking back then… and well, he had all the right to do so.

It was Augustus Lucian, the mad dog, the killer… the one that held the city in his hands.

Why do I always end up in this situation, fuck me… he thought as Lucian just stared at him with those eyes that see so much that back then James couldn't even imagine it… couldn't even think that one day he would see just as much… maybe more than that.

That he would suppress Lucian… in business… and in every other aspect.

But no, he was just panicking as he always did, putting on the mask, pretending to be a man, a man that is dangerous, that can talk back to Lucian, but still those eyes of Lucian were just piercing him through.

"What mistake exactly, Lucian?" James asked, and his voice actually stuttered a bit, though he played it off with a cough, with a sore throat.

"Let me ask you this, James, quality or quantity?"

The question was simple at least it sounded simple, but James back then misunderstood it, he thought Lucian was talking about drugs, drugs that James actually never even handled because Hector was the one dealing with it… but the question itself was kind of tricky to him, especially because it was Lucian who was asking it.

And he feared Lucian, of course he did, his reputation was just on a whole other level with warlords and shit… he was just too much, and now that question, a question that James thought was about drugs, and he knew only that much he was on documentaries and movies because it was Hector who handled it.

So back then, in James's mind, quality meant that the drugs could be sold for more money, they weren't cut or messed with, but were pure, the purest. This meant they could bring in a lot of money, but making them took longer and was more complicated.

On the other hand, there was quantity. By cutting or mixing it, they could make double or even triple the amount they would get from pure. It sold too, though not for a lot of money, and not to the wealthier customers, but on the streets, to addicts.

And the question was asked by Lucian, who sold both. He didn't give a single fuck about which one he sold… he only cared about the money.

"For me personally, quality, just like with clothes, with women, with everything else." Yeah, James lied, he was a virgin, nor did he buy clothes for himself, it was his mother or Bella who always came with clothes.

Not just that, but when he said it, Lucian's eyes sparkled up, he even smiled, showing his white teeth and that one tooth that was made of gold.

"Exactly, James!" He shouted as he opened up his arms and spun around. "Quality is what we need!"

Fuck is up with him… James thought as he started to feel something going in the wrong direction, even his arm started to shake a bit but he controlled it as much as he could… Lucian's whole being was terrifying.

"Now." Lucian stopped, his smile vanishing as he pulled out his pistol—the one made of gold, covered in intricate engravings… and James, that time, almost pissed himself on the spot. "Look at him." Lucian pointed to the side, at one of his men. "Do you think Pena is a quality man, James?"

He looked at him, at Pena, at one of the captains of Lucian, and he still didn't understand the situation, still didn't understand why Pena's face was like… pale, why he was looking that way… why his eyes had terror in them.

"I mean… what do you mean by quality?" James asked as he glanced at Pena and back to Lucian… who once again just smiled.

"What a great question it is, James, that's why I like you." Lucain said, and then he suddenly raised the gun and just shot Pena straight into his chest.

At that moment, James froze completely and just watched as Pena gurgled, blood spilling from his mouth. Yeah… he was panicking, but he knew not to bend, not to collapse in front of Lucian… because he wasn't finished.

He walked to Pena and aimed the gun, but before shooting he looked up at James. "He is quantity, my friend." He pulled the trigger… pulled it until the slide locked back, until Pena's head became mangled flesh… and open skull with his brain out.

And James, he… he swallowed back the vomit that came up in his throat… yeah he did, because well, he never saw something like that, no, he always turned around when Hector or somebody else killed, or tried his best to keep his cool.

But of course, there was one more thing to concentrate on… to concentrate on why Lucian just killed one of his captains… with a smile on his face…

"This is a mistake you are making, my friend." Lucian said as he put back the gun to his waist. "You're choosing quantity over quality."