Pretending to Be an Untouchable Crime Boss-Chapter 48: Sword of Bellini.

Hans didn’t care about the criminal underworld, he had no connections to it and was never part of it.

He was a security guard after serving his time in the military.

But he quickly realized that the city he was born in had become something different.

People were dying every day due to shootings and wars between families or gangs.

One time his whole family had been attacked once by a group of gang members. But at that moment, he was unarmed and couldn’t protect his father, who was shot dead in front of him, in front of his family.

From that day on, his life only got worse.

His wife divorced him after their daughter was diagnosed with a terrible illness. She needed every bit of money they could gather for medicine and therapies.

But Hans did everything he could to make sure his daughter not only got the medicine and surgeries, but to have a beautiful life when she gets well.

The only problem was the pay. As a security guard, he earned barely anything, he couldn’t cover the bills, the medicine and the surgeries.

He couldn’t provide for his own daughter.

But fate gave him an answer.

Whispers of James Bellini spread through the streets, whispers of a man who didn’t rule like the common criminals but instead moved like a shadow behind the scenes, Hans paid attention.

He wasn’t just another gang leader fighting over scraps. He didn’t rely on brutal force alone. He was a strategist, a tactician, a man who controlled the game rather than played it.

He dealt in power, influence, and loyalty.

Hans needed money, but more than that, he needed security. He needed someone who could give him stability in a world that had taken everything from him.

So, for the first time in his life, he approached the underworld willingly.

He tried to find James and spent days gathering information, he even talked with dealers on the streets but nothing.

Until one day he randomly met him, at a ice cream shop.

After he ordered a vanilia cone he then turned, scanning the tables. Most were empty, except for one near the corner where a man sat alone.

Without thinking too much about it, Hans walked over and sat across from him.

"There are other tables, you know." The stranger said.

"Yeah, but this one looked comfortable." Hans replied.

The man smirked slightly "You a vanilla guy?"

Hans looked at him. "Yeah. Simple. Can’t go wrong with it."

"Boring choice."

Hans huffed a quiet laugh. "What about you?"

"Chocolate."

Hans made a face. "Too bitter sometimes."

The man shook his head. "That’s only if you get the bad kind."

The quiet hum of the shop filled the space between them.

"You come here often?" Hans asked.

The man chuckled. "Not really. Just felt like I needed an ice cream."

Hans nodded. "Same."

For a while, neither of them spoke.

It was a strange kind of quiet, not awkward, not tense. Just…normal.

The man across from him seemed at ease, eating at his own pace, as if he had all the time in the world.

It was rare to see someone like that in this city, where everyone always looked like they had somewhere more important to be.

Hans found himself speaking without really thinking. "You live around here?"

The man smirked slightly. "Something like that."

Hans took another bite of his ice cream, then glanced at the stranger’s nearly empty cup.

"You really like chocolate that much?"

The man leaned back in his seat. "Yeah. I like the taste. And, well… it reminds me of something."

"What?"

"When I was a kid, there was this small shop near my house. They had the best chocolate ice cream I ever had." He smirked slightly. "Guess it stuck with me."

"Have you ever gone back to that shop?"

"Burned down years ago."

Hans frowned. "Damn."

Once again they sat in silence finishing their ice cream at a slow, unhurried pace.

It was rare to just talk, without expectations, without purpose. Just two people sharing a table, eating ice cream, and passing time.

No names. No pasts. Just the present moment.

And somehow, that felt… good.

"Do you work in an office?" Hans asked, glancing at the man’s suit.

"Do I look like an office guy to you?"

"Kinda. Nice suit, clean shoes. Either you sit behind a desk, or you own a whole company."

The man chuckled, setting his spoon down. "Interesting theory."

Hans leaned back, studying him a little more. "So? Am I right?"

"No." The men simply said.

Hans took another bite of his ice cream, watching the stranger for a moment.

Something about him felt… different. Not threatening, not dangerous, but definitely not normal either.

"Let me guess." Hans said. "Are you a lawyer?"

The man laughed. "Nope."

"Banker?"

"Not even close."

Hans frowned, thinking. "Huh...tell me."

The man locked eyes with him and said "Logistic and human resource…"

He wasn’t sure why, but he suddenly felt like he was sitting across from someone far more important than he first assumed.

"Now let me guess about you." The man said, tilting his head slightly. "You handle weapons? Security guy?"

Hans smirked, taking another bite of his ice cream. "What gave it away?"

"The way you carry yourself. Straight posture, always glancing at the exits. Hands steady, even when you’re eating. You look like someone who’s seen action before."

"Yeah. Served for a while. Did my time."

The man nodded. "And now?"

Hans exhaled, looking down at the table. "Now… just trying to get by."

"Looking for work?" Said as he tapped his fingers against the table again, as if thinking.

"Depends. Are you hiring?" Hans laughed.

"Maybe." He extended a hand. "James Bellini."

Hans stared at the hand for a moment before shaking it. He didn’t react, but the name hit him like a brick. His mind and heart was already racing.

He spent days searching for him.

And here he was, sitting across from him, in an ice cream shop.

Hans studied him for a moment. He didn’t look like the type to get his hands dirty, no scars, no hardened expression, but there was something about him.

A presence. The kind that made people listen when he spoke. But he was really young, he expected an old man.

"So" Hans said casually, "this the part where I should be worried?"

James chuckled. "Depends. Should you be?"

Hans huffed a small laugh. "Guess that depends on why you’re asking if I’m looking for work."

James leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the table. "Because I see potential."

Hans narrowed his eyes. "Potential for what?"

"A man like you, trained, disciplined, but stuck in a city that doesn’t appreciate it, you’re wasting your skills."

Hans exhaled slowly. "And you have a better offer?"

James tilted his head. "I have opportunities."

Hans tapped his fingers against the table, thinking. He wasn’t stupid, he knew what kind of man James was. This wasn’t some corporate job offer.

"What kind of work?" Hans asked, keeping his voice careful.

"The kind that pays well. The kind that gives you a purpose."

He met James’ gaze. "I’m listening."

James smiled. "I need a bodyguard."

"You? A bodyguard?"

"Surprised?"

"A little," Hans admitted. "Didn’t think a guy like you needed one. Figured people were too scared to even try something."

James chuckled. "Fear works. Until it doesn’t. There are always people willing to test the limits."

Hans considered that for a moment. He’d seen men like that before,powerful, untouchable… until they weren’t. It made sense that someone as well-known as James Bellini would have enemies.

"And you’re asking me? We just met." Hans said, tilting his head.

"I know people. And I know you’re the type of man who doesn’t take orders from just anyone. You want a job with purpose, one that actually matters. And I’m offering you that."

A bodyguard? There’s no way he only needs a bodyguard. He has hundreds of men. And why me, out of nowhere? That’s too high of a position. Why would he…?

As he thought about it, he suddenly looked at James.

He already knows who I am… my past… he knows it…

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And it was true…well, not exactly. When Hans tried to look for James, he made it very clear that he wanted to meet him. He literally asked dealers and shady men where he could find him.

So those informed James about him and he wanted to find out who it was, so he already knew about Hans’ past in the military and that he had no connections with any agency.

James didn’t care about anything else, which is why he didn’t know about his daughter.

But still it was a big surprise when he saw him walking into the ice cream shop while he was trying to relax.

"What’s the pay?" Hans finally asked.

"Enough."

Hans met his gaze. "And what if I say no?"

"Nothing happens."

He had a choice. One path led to uncertainty, to risk, to the unknown.

But the other?

The other led to opportunity.

Hans looked back at James, his decision already made.

"When do I start?"

"Right now. I came here alone, so you are going to drive my car to my home." James stood up.

Hans blinked. "You want me to be your chauffeur too?"

He looked at Hans. "Consider it your first task as my bodyguard. Besides, I had a driver, but he got... reassigned."

He didn’t ask what reassigned meant. Instead, he followed James out to the car which was a luxury sedan the kind that screamed money and power.

He walked up to the car and gripped the handle, expecting a smooth pull.

Instead, he was met with a heavy door. He yanked harder, finally managing to open the door and he immediately noticed how thick the windows and the door were.

He sat in looking back to James. "This thing armored?"

James smirked. "Fully."

Hans didn’t say anything back, just started the car and drove where James said to.

When they arrived at James’ home, Hans was surprised.

He had expected a mansion, that would fit a mafia boss, but it was a simple, middle-class house, the only difference was the guards standing outside.

"This your real house?"

"What, you expected a castle?"

"A little…" Hans admitted.

James chuckled as he got out of the car. "Wait a bit for me."

Minutes passed.

Hans leaned back in his seat, glancing around. The neighborhood was quiet. If it weren’t for the guards, no one would suspect who lived here.

Then, James returned. Without a word, he opened the passenger door and tossed a thick bundle of cash onto Hans’ lap.

"Your payment for the next three months." James said casually. "You can go home with the car. Be here in the morning around eight. See you tomorrow, Hans."

He looked at the cash in his hand, then at the car he was sitting in.

This job was real. And he was officially in.

Of course he couldn’t wait to get home, so at a red light he counted the money.

Twelve thousand dollars.

It was more money than he had ever held at once.

But he knew, money like this never came clean.

With this much cash, blood would eventually follow.

There was no such thing as easy money in a world like this. Sooner or later, he’d have to get his hands dirty.

And he was fine with that.

Back in the military, he served his time in the Tactical Interrogation Unit of the Special Forces, and he got kicked out after brutally beating a high profile informant with an axe.

He knew pain and he could give pain. He was ready to earn every dollar.

At first, Hans felt like nothing more than a bodyguard but as time went on, he realized he was more than that.

He became James’ shadow, his will.

He familiarized himself with the underworld, the key players, the power struggles, and the agencies hunting James down. He made sure everything stayed intact, ensuring there were no leaks, no loose ends.

And if there was a problem, Hans handled it even without James knowing.

Killed many who swore loyalty to James, because in the end, they were only in it for the money.

Killed police officers.

Killed agents.

And with Hector he did things that would be considered as crimes against humanity.

He became Hans Bellini, the right-hand man of James Bellini.