Shit!
I quickly sat up as we both sat straight and the other man whose name or pseudonym i had no idea about, walked behind Scarface.
[HEIST SYSTEM]
[Calculated height : 6'3]
Nice.
"Golden finger, long time no see."
I nodded in acknowledgement as I wondered how to reply him, considering we weren't friends, nor associate.
"I see you have met my assistant, Prosper "
I turned towards Prosper who gave a professional short bow at my direction.
Scarface laughed upon seeing his assistant greeting towards me.
"Don't mind him, he's fond of such things, the ways of the gentlemen.... You see I choosed him for a reason, to give my gang a little touch of refinement. I'm especially weary of the battle scars, appearing as a brute..." He stood up and walked up to the bar cabinet, and pulled out two three cups.
"....Wouldn't it be better to appear as a gentleman and when it's time for shit to go down, you kill the gentle in the man."
The sound of rushing liquid filling the cup was the only consistent sound in the sitting room.
"Here."
He passed me a glass cup, as the golden coloured liquid frothed a little.
"Ladies."
Both Pearl and Adianne accepted it, muttering a thank you as he smiled at their gratitude.
"And does the 'gentle' ever resurrects ?" Pearl asked as she took a light sip of the red liquid.
"Only when I'm in the company of beautiful women....cheers!"
"Cheers!"
All glasses raised towards the ceiling, but no clinking sounds; Only friends or partners rims kisses eachother.
"You know, man is a beast. The only difference between us and the animals is our ability to cast away our wild instincts and behavior to act like a higher class...To put on a suit and tie, carry a brief case and make laws to govern ourselves. To prevent us from slipping back into our wild nature, to our true form; a primate beast."
He took huge gulps from his bottle as his throat bulged obscenely with the loud sound of one swallowing mouthfuls repeatedly.
"Ahh!"
He dropped the almost empty bottle on the small round table between the settees.
"That's why when a society slips into chaos, and it laws crashes down, the next man by your side quickly becomes a beast. Guided only by his instincts, no restriction or hidden desire and he gets what he wants. "
Slowly he stood up with a dramatic effect and came closer towards me.
"You my friend , Golden finger is up to something...and I'm very much interested."
He stared at me in the eyes, as I held his gaze, not backing down.
'Who ratted me out?!'
"Well before you tell me your plans, let's talk about your girl here.."
He pointed at Adianne, my gaze still on him, not bothering to look cause I knew who.
"She has caught my interest. "
"Well, too bad... except she's mine. She's a part of my family now. "
"Easy there tiger, I have no intention of going after your woman....you see, I have heard some news....some bad news "
He stared at Adianne for a moment and then back at me.
"Her previous owner is interested in reclaiming her back, and he has hired some local gang; the roaming wild dogs to get her back."
The Roaming wild dogs , aka sniff the prey, you find the coins. They were known to be a local fearsome gang with rumored international connections. They were mainly known for their brutality as it was akin to that of their predator name. When they smelled the coins, no one was spared.
I sat down as I felt the perspiration slid down my arms.
"It won't be long before they come encroaching in my hood, and you surely would need some protection...for her. "
He paused his words sinking deeply in me.
"How much would it cost?" I asked confidently with an empty bank account.
"Prosper ?"
"Ten thousand gold coins per head sir. "
Prosper replied.
My eyes bulged at the obscene amount been called.
"Ten? C'mon man, how much do you think we are all worth ? "
Scar broke into a fit of laughter as both girls cast a suprised look at me, my hands up in the air in defence.
"C'mon Scar, show your boy some love."
Both girls stared at me with mouth slightly opened.
"It's a street slang for begging." I whispered to them.
"Half the price then."
"Deal."
We shook hands, his next words wiping the smile off my face.
"Money now ."
"Um, about that , give me two weeks."
Scar face stared at me incredulously before glancing at Patrick.
"You hear the little man ?"
"Before a week runs out , you would be half a finger, and surely not golden."
"Yeah, true. A week and half then ."
"Alright Golden finger, I'm sure your hands are about to get busy. "
We both chuckled, the girls also smiling slightly.
"I guess we are done."
I asked as Prosper stepped forward and gave me three red cards.
Drawn on the cards were faces of a lion with a scar running from its right eye down to the fearsome beast jawline.
'Okay, our protection cards.'
"Now we belong "
I raised the cards in the air as both men smiled at me.
Few minutes later, I and my girls were out of the building, our legs walking fast out of the neighbourhood. Not because of it been dangerous, but we had work to do.
Back in the house, Scar face stood in front of the room window staring at the open streets as he watched the trio hurriedly leave his house.
"What do you think Prosper ?"
"At this moment they aren't worth anything, and I feel it wasn't a wise decision giving them our premium cards...."
"Because an attack on them is equally an attack on me, and an attack on me must be repaid."
"Yes sir" Prosper replied with a straight face.
"Prosper, what's our core values?"
"Fear and Wealth."
"Look around you."
They both stared at the streets, as most parts reeked of poverty and despair. Some lookers watching for any wanderer, the 'popo' or some trobule lurking. As everyone knew that anyone walking the streets were either strapped with a weapon or they were the weapon.
"We have the fear, other gangs, groups or even the government fear us. That gives us what ? Respect. But then the respect is only due to how much violence we are capable of . It means we are strong, but not that strong. What we need is wealth alongside that fear. That's what brings true respect. "