Chapter Nineteen : The Golden Finger

"You mean she's coming with us today ?"

Pearl glanced at Adianne who stared at the floor shyly, her fingers intertwining themselves.

"Yes Pearl. Give her one of your nice clothes."

"You know I only have one ." She turned around and pulled Adianne towards her garments box.

"Soon Pearl, and you would have a lot. " I said softly, wondering if she heard me.

Few minutes later and we were outside, checking my system and the countdown was still active. I needed to complete my mission quick.

Today was the day, and I was fully prepared. But then I needed to do something, something I had forgotten to do when I bought the storage ring from Matthew Snr.

Oh yeah, his son is Matthew Jnr.

I noticed someone was trailing us, few minutes after we left what we called home.

"Girls, hold my hands."

My voice husky and low as Pearl instantly stared at me, a look of understanding as she quickly took my hands. Adianne followed her lead, their soft palms embraced by my hard roughened skin. I squeezed both girls hands before whispering something into Pearl's ears.

"Trust me?"

She nodded her head in affirmation as I whispered some more words to her. Suddenly she let go of my hand and Adianne alongside her, taking off instantly. Those stalking us were thrown into confusion as they revealed their positions immediately, some running out from their hidden spots to stop the girls from running away.

I instantly squared them off, pulling out an assault knife from my storage ring. It instantly appeared in my hands which caused the guys to halt their steps as they became wary of what I might pull out next.

Five against one wasn't a bad number if I wasn't planning on getting out alive, but I needed to stay alive, for my dreams and for my girls. Of course I have claimed Adianne, if it was you, won't you ?

"The boy got a new toy ?"

"Ahh, I want it!"

"I call dibs first!"

They were talking about my storage ring.

"No one is taking anything, he's mine!"

A man suddenly appeared, his stature bigger than the other men around as he stood at nothing less than 6"5. Oh great now six against one. I might as well take flight.

But running wasn't an option, unless I was planning on leaving the city or country since they had seen I and my girls. Who knows what they might do when they see Pearl and Adianne alone. I had hate to think down that line of what would happened, so I needed to set the record straight here.

Of course we were living in the ghetto or the slums, you could call it that. And in every neighbourhood there was usually a king. And most boys born in such Hood aspired to be a king someday. Not all boys since some just want to get out from the hood. Was I one of them ? Of course I wanted to get out from such, the suffering and poverty, but it didn't stop me from wanting to be a king.

In this neighbourhood, I knew who the king was. They called him Scarface, because of a scar running from the top of his right eye down past his cheeks, almost reaching the corners of his lips. Rumours says he betrayed Mufasa, that he got it from a rival gang fight, others from an inner tussle for power that left him with such a face and his opponent gutted out like fish on a chopping board. And that he betrayed the former King who injured him for his treachery, and he later renacted revenge by overthrowing him. Of course overthrow meant death. Ever seen a mutiny occur?

Of course no one knows which was true, but everyone knew that in every rumour there's an element of truth in it. Rumour and lying ain't the same though.

So I was guessing these were Scarface men. I actively tried to avoid gangs and anything related to them cause I just got a single problem with them. It simply is when you're tired and decides this life isn't what you want anymore and you want to leave, most times you would end up leaving in a body bag. Sometimes it might not be your former gang pulling the trigger, it might just be your former opps catching you slacking and still think you're in the game. Then you become part of the scoreboard.

"Identify yourself?"

I stared at him as the words brought back a haunting memory of a rainy night when I was still thirteen and ended up stealing from a drunk rich man at the House of Pleasure. I was about to get away with the weighty sack of gold, when I was picked by some street gangs. Obviously they had been watching the rich man, he was their target, and by error I had just stolen their prey.

The deep cold voice of Scarface asking me to identify myself made me wet my pants as I stared at his evil smirk, the moment he knew what had happened to me. It was a sentence that was usually said to another whom you suspect might be your opps. It was a sentence that could result in a bloody fight if the response given wasn't satisfactory.

I slowly breathed in as I turned around to see my escape route had been cut off. At least my girls got away.

I stared at the brute and slowly choosed my words carefully.

"I know Scarface, tell him I'm the golden finger "

The golden finger. That was what Scarface called me that day after he took my stolen gold and told to run along. He also told his men to let me be, which was one of the reasons, why even though I stole from gang protected stores, I wasn't punished. And of course I knew not to push this grace over its limits.

The men all paused as they stared at me.

"Which of the finger, the middle finger?!" One taunted me, his middle finger up as the others laughed.

"Damn, I was looking to cut up this one after playing with those girls"

I immediately turned towards the man who said those words, our eyes locking unto eachother, while his tongue cleaned his razor teeth knife.

"Do so, and you would wish your father was an Eunuch."

"Ooohh!"

"Damn!"

His expression turned hostile towards me as I matched his energy, bars for bars. Heck no! I wasn't scared. I was pissing my pants right now, but not literally. I was scared, but I needed to let these guys know I wasn't a pushover. If I didn't have the strength, at least I should have the impression to fool them.

[HEIST SYSTEM]

[Calculated height : 6'7]

Nice system.

I watched as a man walked up to the 6'7 brute and handed him a tablet. He stared at the screen and furiously shooked his head in annoyance.

"Oh my apologies. He's under Scarface protection."

The laughing men stared at me and muttered sighs of disappointment, as it was now confirmed they couldn't touch me or my girls. I didn't smile yet, cause I knew there must be a reason for them to trail me. Of course one might argue about mistaken identity or the need to catch small fries, but one shouldn't forget that in a neighbourhood there's always someone who knows you and your matters or problems. I mean words travels around the streets faster than the snitch who talks to the po po.

The man holding the tab slowly walked up to me until he was within a close distance.

"You have got a girl and she's bringing heat to the hood. The boss wants to talk about her."

I nodded my head in affirmation, as I knew what he was talking about. It was Adianne , and it was possible that her former slave owners might have located her.

"But that will be after school."

"Of course, of course." The man replied as I turned around and the men blocking my retreat path cleared the way for me.

"Don't forget Golden finger."

" We know where you live!" The man that I had earlier insulted happily waved at me, malice in his eyes as I turned around and waved back, my smile screaming you can go fuck yourself!