Chapter 2

》》Jason Dutton《《

"Cheers!"

Our heist was a great success and since it's our anniversary tomorrow I allowed them to celebrate.

I smiled I watched my crew... no, actually... my friends celebrate and enjoy themselves. They had music playing, dancing, drinking and all the other crazy stuff that would take place in a party.

They deserved it.

I went upstairs to the study as usual. I sat at my seat and put my feet up.

I wasn't a party horse. I found no use in it. Yes, it was a way to relax with friends and have fun but what's the point if everything will go back to normal tomorrow? Why only have fun at a party and not just whenever you get the chance?

Call me boring but it's who I am. I can't change it. Well, I once was a party horse but that was until the day pure hatred flowed throughout my veins for the first time. The first time I cursed someone's life and meant it.

"Hey brother!" Jack exclaimed closing the door behind him.

"What do you need?" I asked taking a sip of martini.

"Just came to persuade you into joining the party," he smiled.

"You know that won't work right?"

"I know, you've been through hell, just forget the past and move on. I mean I get the fact you never celebrating your birthday again but stop doing what you have to and do what you love. And I still don't get why you won't get a girlfriend."

"Jack, listen to me. There is no way in hell I can move on, this past you tell me to let go of, it's my present and its my future. You got that?

"Secondly, I love what I do, wanna know why? Cause I worked hard to get where I am today, I own this all, I have no debts whatsoever! I show love to everyone I care about! Any of you can come to me and ask to borrow a fortune I won't lend it to you, I'll give it to you with no expectation repayment!

"I love living like this because I know I will never be like my father. And lastly, why I'll never look for love is simple. I don't want to commit to anything, I don't want to have sex it's just disgusting, I don't want to have to try and please someone who doesn't know what they want!

"I've seen love in marriage, oh trust me I have. And guess what I learnt? It's bullshit!!"

Jack looked away and I finished my martini. "Ok, enjoy your own company."

Jack left and I once again remained alone.

~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up and stared at the ceiling meditating. I heard footsteps approaching my room so I closed my eyes and pretended to be sleeping.

I heard the door open then close. There was silence for a moment then I felt a fist to my stomach.

I jolted up coughing.

"Get up lazy!" I heard Roxy say. "You always sleep in a funny position so there was no use laying straight and facing the ceiling."

"Damn, girl you punch hard. Who taught ya Jack?" I moaned.

"Aww, that's the nicest thing you've said all month," she baby talked me. "Oh and dad's here."

"Great!" I sulked.

"Oh come on! He's your father and guess what? That's never gonna change!! Freshen up, he's waiting in the living room and I'm going shopping! Where's your debit card?"

~~~~~~~~

I walked into the living room where Daniel Dutton sat. He and I are arch-enemies. We hate each other's guts. He always wanted me to be the perfect son, one who would be proud of having a father like him and would love to be just like him. But he didn't want to understand the fact I can't.

He didn't respect my decisions, nor did he support them. He never helped me with anything that was not in his interests. He was never there!

"Good morning to you son," he greeted when he saw me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked bitterly.

"No greeting? Ok."

"Jump to the point," I sighed.

"I heard you made it to provincials," he started passing his walking stick from hand to hand. "I'm glad you didn't drop out halfway through the district round for God knows what."

"I didn't do it for you," I spat.

"Tell me son, what did I ever do to you?" he asked looking up at me.

"Don't call me that," I said through grinded teeth.

"But I am your father, you my son, that's not changing."

"I wish it would Daniel!" I snapped.

"Wow."

"Daniel, did you just come here just to get on my nerves or is there a point for all this?" I enquired rubbing my temples with my fingers.

"Why don't you call me dad anymore?"

"Why don't you accept the fact I don't want to, I am not and will never be anything like you?!" I spat.

"Why won't you continue this legacy?"

"It's not what I want! It's not who I am!" I burst out.

"Jason, we need the money, and you need to keep the family name up high in the chess world," he said causing the boiling point of my anger levels.

"Why?! To satisfy you?! I don't need the damn money! And much less do I want to make the money for you!! You earned a lot, you went internationally, you were a grandmaster for twelve years, what happened to the millions you made?! Huh?"

"You refuse to see the bigger picture, just like your damn mother and now she's six feet under where she belongs!" he yelled with no remorse.

That's when I burst. I pounced by strangling him. I picked him up by the neck so his feet were dangling.

"Listen here you old fool, if you ever bring my mother into this I swear I'll send you to hell!!"

"She deserved all the suffering she went through. She deserved that and much more son of a bitch!!!"

I shoved him to the floor and began punching him. All of a sudden I was pulled away by someone.

"Jason! Dad!" Roxy fell on her knees by his side as Jack dropped me on the floor.

Daniel sat up bleeding from his nose and giving me a cold glare. I got up and tried attacking again.

Jack grabbed me and shoved me to the wall yelling, "Jason stop! It's...it's not worth it man! Stop!"

"Let me at him! Let me go Jack! Let me go!!" I fought trying to get out of Jack's strong grip.

Jack pulled me to my feet. I looked at my supposed to be father who was being helped by Roxy. He kept staring at me.

"Hey Daniel you better keep them eyes to yourself or imma scoop them out!" I threatened.

"Hey that's enough!" Jack warned.

"Do you know what went down? Huh? Do you know what..."

"Hey kid," I heard from behind me.

I turned around to see a walking stick coming. I collapse on the floor bleeding from the impact of the cane.

"Dad!" Roxy yelled.

Jack offered me his hand. I grabbed his hand and he pulled me to my feet. With quick movements I spun around and tackled Daniel to the ground. He hit his head on the corner of the coffee table.

Jack pulled me back as Roxy attended to Daniel who lay unconscious on the floor. "Dad? Dad? Dad!!" my sister screamed shaking him violently.

She got up and yelled, "What the hell is wrong with you Jason?! He can't be fighting!"

"He used my mother again! What do expect, for me to stand around and listen to his insults?!"

"Are you trying to kill him?! Huh? If you want to kill him..." she pulled out her pistol and hit it against my chest. "Kill him right now!! Just stop making him suffer like this!!"

"I'm not a murderer and you know that!"

"Oh of course you're not because you're a coward!!" 

"Enough!!" Jack came in ending the argument. "The ambulance is on their way. Jason as soon as they arrive we're leaving. Go get a jacket it's chilly outside."

I looked at my sister who sat on the floor holding my unconscious father in her arms whispering words of comfort. "Hang in there dad, it's gonna be ok..."

I went to my room and got a jacket from my wardrobe. I heard sirens approaching as I grabbed my wallet.

I walked out with Jack as paramedics rushed in. We went to the shop down the road where I bought a few cigars.

"I thought you stopped smoking," Jack stated surprised.

"I did, after we went from a group of friends who would sing in the alley to a group of friends who robbed banks and delt with arms for a living," I explained.

"Why don't we go back to that?"

I glanced at him cocking a brow, "Go back to standing in the street corner around a barrel of fire for warmth and singing songs in a cappella?"

"Yeah," Jack exclaimed.

"Hehehe no!"

"Why? Those were the good old days!"

"Old days! In the past, and that's where those days will stay," I said taking my last drag and putting out the cigar.

"What happened to you?"

"I woke up!"