Pretending to Be an Untouchable Crime Boss-Chapter 53: Broken Arrow

James’ guards read the situation perfectly, so they moved his car to the middle, with one car in front of him and another behind him. It was a convoy whose sole purpose was to protect them.

But the police car and the officer who had parked close to them, was tailing them from behind.

The last SUV followed slowed down, while James and the lead SUV sped up to break away from the officer.

It worked, and the ride toward the house seemed smooth.

Just ten more minutes, and they would be home.

But that wasn’t what happened.

As they arrived at the so-called Illinois Street, a long driveway leading toward Billionaire Hill, which rarely had more traffic than the residents themselves, the lead SUV suddenly slowed down and came to a stop.

James positioned the car to get a clear view of what was happening in front of them. What he saw made him tense more, a police blockade and a sign that read "Traffic Stop."

Had it been on any other street, it might not have raised suspicion. But here? This was different.

Something was off.

The first officer approached the lead SUV, knocking on the tinted window. The driver stepped out, but before doing so, he cast a glance at James, a silent signal.

Get ready.

Then, James noticed something else. An officer on the other side of the SUV was making his way toward his car. And he wasn’t just approaching, his gun was already out.

"Charlotte, open that." James said, pointing at the glove box, never taking his eyes off the officer.

She did it without question. She could tell something was wrong. James was tense. He didn’t even look at her.

She opened it and hesitated for a second before saying, "It’s a gun."

"Give it to me."

James extended his hand, and Charlotte placed the gun in his palm.

"Now, unbuckle your seatbelt. When I say so, get down as low as you can, like we’re playing hide and seek. Don’t make a sound. Don’t panic, okay?"

She looked at him, and for the first time, she saw the eyes she feared, the eyes that told her something bad was about to happen.

She nodded, quickly unbuckling herself and getting ready.

In James’s mind, he ran through every possible scenario.

If they shoot first, the guards are already pinned down. The car in front of them is bulletproof, so they can use it for cover and go back to the SUV behind them.

But he realized that behind them not one but two police cars were parked, officers already out.

It was a trap.

And he realized it too late. The road was too narrow to turn around. If they started shooting, the coupe wasn’t armored.

Which meant the only way out was to fight back.

"Charlotte."

She turned to him, her eyes already glistening with tears.

James pulled out his phone and handed it to her. "The first number is Hector’s. If things go bad, call him and say ’Broken Arrow.’ Got it?"

She nodded, opening the call list, her finger hovering over Hector’s name, trembling.

But officers moved closer now, their guns slightly raised, their eyes locked onto James.

"Call it. Now."

Her hands trembled as she pressed the call button. The ringing felt like it lasted forever.

Hector was still at James’s house, the best possible place he could be right now. When his phone buzzed, he picked it up carelessly, not thinking much of it.

"Yeah?" He answered casually, but before he could say another word, Charlotte’s trembling Charlotte’s voice trembled as it came through the line.

"B-broken… arrow."

The words echoed through the phone, trembling and fragile, yet carrying the weight of something absolute.

It was just an old military term, a signal used by soldiers when they were overrun, outnumbered, and had no way out.

For the Bellinis, it meant the same.

Hector knew this the second he heard Charlotte’s voice crack through the line. "Broken… Arrow."

Hector didn’t hesitate. He didn’t ask questions. He didn’t need to.

He hung up immediately.

Then he ran.

He sprinted through the house, his heartbeat beating fast. His mind raced through the possibilities, an ambush, a setup, a full-blown hit on James. Whatever it was, it wasn’t just bad.

It was war.

Hector reached the front entrance and threw the doors open so hard they nearly came off their hinges.

"Broken arrow!" He shouted."Get in the cars! Now!"

Every guard on the estate froze for half a second.

Then without saying anything, they rushed to their cars.

The doors flung open, and the guards hopped in, assault rifles, shotguns, pistols in their hands ready to shoot everyone in their way.

But Hector wasn’t done.

He turned, his pulse pounding in his ears as he sprinted back into the house.

"Erika!" He shouted, looking around, then from the hallway James’ mother looked confused at him.

"Hector?" She tilted her head, watching the storm of movement around her. Guards were moving like soldiers deploying for war. "What’s going on?"

Hector didn’t stop. Didn’t explain. He grabbed her wrist and started pulling her toward the door.

"Hector!" She snapped, resisting slightly. "What are you doing?!"

"I don’t have time to explain."

He pushed her toward the waiting convoy. "Get her in the car and take her to the safe house. Lock it down!"

The nearest guard, already gripping a submachine gun, gave a firm nod and Erika was shoved into the car.

Hector turned back toward the house, eyes burning with intensity.

The guards were already moving, tactical vests strapped tight, rifles locked and loaded and he too yanked open the door of the lead SUV and hopped in.

Whoever set James up was about to regret it.

Because Hector was coming.

And he was bringing hell with him as they rolled out.

Eight SUVs stayed together, heading toward James, while two others peeled off, taking a separate route with James’ mother.

Inside the lead vehicle, Hector sat in silence, the GPS screen beside him showed James’ location, still unmoving. That wasn’t a good sign.

The guards inside the SUVs sat still, their movements precise. One checked the magazine of his gun. No one spoke. They weren’t nervous. Just prepared.

In the two other cars escorting James’ mother, the atmosphere was different. Tense.

Her hands trembled slightly as she clutched her dress. Everything had happened so fast. Hector had rushed her into the car, barely giving her a chance to ask questions.

She wasn’t used to this.

Beside her, Ricardo, one of James’ men, sat with a large assault gun resting against his leg. His face was calm, unreadable, but his eyes were sharp. Every few moments, he glanced out the window, scanning the road.

In the front passenger seat, Remi held his own weapon, his hands steady. He kept checking the side mirrors, then the rearview mirror, then back to the road ahead.

James’ mother swallowed hard, trying to steady her breathing.

She needed answers.

She took a shaky breath, trying to keep her voice firm. "What’s happening? What aren’t you telling me?"

This time, Remi answered from the front, his tone calm but firm.

"Ma’am, please. Just stay calm."

Calm.

How could she be calm?

She was being driven away from her son, with armed men around her.

Her fingers curled into fists, her nails pressing against her skin.

Her voice came out softer than she intended. "Where is Rafael…?"

Ricardo didn’t turn to her. His voice was flat, controlled.

"He’s with Hans, don’t worry about him."

Erika’s chest tightened, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps. Her vision blurred at the edges, the world spinning as if it were slipping away from her grasp. She couldn’t breathe.

James. Rafael.

She didn’t know where they were, didn’t know if they were safe, didn’t know if she would ever see them again. The uncertainty pressed down on her like a crushing weight.

"Ma’am, you need to breathe."

But she couldn’t focus.

A hand touched her shoulder, gentle, grounding. It was Ricardo.

"Slow breaths." He said, his tone softer than before. "In through your nose, out through your mouth. Focus on my voice."

She tried but every breath felt like it wasn’t enough. Her mind kept spiraling back to James. To Rafael. To what could be happening to them.

What if they had dragged them out of the car? Executed them on the spot?

Her sons.

The two people she had given everything for. The boys she had raised, loved, and watched become men. Now, she didn’t even know if they were still alive.

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Her mind spiraled into the worst scenarios.

What if Rafael had been caught in the crossfire? Shot down, left to bleed out alone?

His warm smile, the one she had seen since he was a boy, wiped from existence in an instant?

What if James had tried to fight back?

He was smart, but he wasn’t invincible. Her chest tightened painfully.

Her babies.

No matter how powerful the Bellini name was, no matter how much fear it commanded, none of that mattered if her boys were gone.

What was power worth if she had to bury her children?

A choked sob nearly escaped her, but she bit it back, pressing a hand against her mouth. No.

She couldn’t fall apart.

But she was right, because somewhere, the first shot had already been fired.

Someone was already bleeding out.