The Drug Lord (Under Rework)

Chapter 8: (Not Edited)

"Richard, slow down a bit," Jack's mom whispered when he noticed how fast her husband was driving, and she only got a grumble in response. Richard was a damn good Con Artist, he almost never got caught. So being caught by Dark and being forced to pay him back the money not only hurt his reputation but it also hurt his pride. So in short, he was very pissed.
"I ain't goin' that fast," he grumbled under his breath.
"Richard... hun, you're going over the speed limit," she replied with a frown. She knew he was upset but his pride didn't matter, she was just happy to have her son back. Helen looked down at Jack, brushed some hair from his face. "He didn't hurt you too badly right?" She asked with a little whisper, she just hated to see him hurt, even if it wasn't true, she wanted to hear he was okay.
"I-I'm fine," Jack mumbled as Richard didn't slow down, in face he sped up a little.

"Richard! What are you playing out?!" Helen spat as she saw him speed up. They were nearly home, there was no need to go so fast. When they did pull up to their street Richard slammed on the breaks, tires screeching, him suddenly hitting the breaks making Jack and his mother gasp and jerk forward from the sudden halt in movement. But Richard managed to stop in time and pulled into their driveway as it nothing had happened. He parked the car and got out, basically slamming the car door as he did and then started to walk up towards the house to unlock the front door.

Jack didn't feel safe. He didn't feel safe without Dark there to protect him.

Helen sighed and seemed to almost make a growling sound at her husband before calming and looking down at Jack. "Come on... let's get you inside," she whispered before helping Jack out of the car and into the house, giving Richard a harsh glare as they entered the house, closing and locking the door behind them.
Richard mumbled something about now being down too much cash as he walked away from his wife and son and into his little office area. He was going on about trying to find someone new to steal from as he looked around the scattered papers on his desk. Then after a moment paused and walked back over to them, "Hey son..?" He asked as he walked over to them. "You didn't hear that bastard speaking about anything important did you? A safe house location? Bank account information? Email addresses?"
Jack didn't give him any kind of reply, only tried to hide behind his mom.

Helen sighed heavily and gestured for Jack to go upstairs as she looked at Richard. "Leave him be," she said as Jack quickly went upstairs to his bedroom, hiding under the blankets on his bed.
"Plus, why would you want to steal from that man again? After what he did to our son?"
"Because this time... this time I ain't gonna get caught." Richard told her. "I bet one of the guys who helped me squealed like a pig... yeah... that has to have been why that bastard found out it was me..." Richard chuckled, "Plus, he's the perfect person to steal from! He has the most money out of everyone who lives in this shitty town!"
"Richard... please just drop it," she whispered, taking his hands into hers. "I-I don't want anything else bad happening to Seán. J-Just rob someone else who doesn't know you have a family..."
"Sweety, it's part of the job," Richard said a little bitterly. "Maybe if he wasn't so small and weak he could actually defend himself like a real Irish man!"
Helen gasped at that, pushing Richard away. "Don't you dare blame him! Maybe if you weren't a criminal we wouldn't be in this kind of mess!"

Richard waved a dismissive hand at her, "Oh whatever. But you know I'm right. If her was just maybe a foot taller and had actual muscles, he'd be able to take care of himself. This isn't a world for weak people like him." Then he shrugged his shoulders, "Shoot, if he was taller and more muscular I'd teach him everything I know and then he could help me bring in even more money." Then he paused, thinking before continuing, "Although... right now he'd be almost perfect for crawling through air vents..."
"No! He is not getting into the same line of work as you are," she exclaimed, stepping back and looking at Richard with anger and disbelief. "I don't know what has gotten into you... but you are not the man I married! You are not the man I vowed to stay with and not someone I want to be with anymore! It's either you change or me and Seán are leaving!" Helen stated before storming past him and going upstairs. She went to her room, slamming the bedroom door which startled Jack a little and then sat on the edge of her bed and cried into her hands.

Richard grumbled as he went to his computer desk and sat down. These kinds of fights were starting to happen between them often, way too often. After they both had time to calm down he's go out and come back with some kind of fancy gift that he told her he bought when really he had stolen it from someone and she'd forgive him.
He started typing away at his computer, trying to find another job to do to make up for his loss of money.

Once Helen managed to calm herself down she wiped away her tears and put on a soft smile before going into Jack's room. "Hey sweetheart..." she said softly as she opened the door, seeing Jack all curled up on the bed. "I'm about to start dinner... is there anything specific you want to eat?"
Jack shook his head, moving his face from being shoved into the pillow to look over at her. "I-I'm not hungry..." he whispered.
"Darling..." Helen slowly walked over and sat down on the bed next to him. She frowned softly at the sight of him, the swollen and red eyes.... but also she noticed how his black eye was smeared onto his white pillow case. "What really happened when you were with that awful man..?"
N-Nothing," Jack replied, answering maybe a little too quickly.

Helen sighed and rubbed her thumb under Jack's eye, then showed him the makeup that had rubbed  off onto her finger. "Jackie..." she said with a small sigh after lowering her thumb. "Tell me dear... I won't tell your father, I promise."
Jack let out a small whimper before sitting up, placing his hands in his lap and playing with his thumbs in a nervous manner. "H-He... I... T-The video he sent y-you guys... it w-was fake... I-I was acting... h-he used fake blood..." Jack whispered.
His mother nodded. "Do you know how much that video scared me Jackie?" She asked, the video replaying in her head. "Seeing you like that. It's something no mother should have to see. Even if it was fake."
"He said I had too because he had to send a video as a threat for the money... but he said he didn't want to hurt me..." Jack whispered as he grabbed a pillow and hugged it for comfort. Wishing the pillow was Dark and not just a pillow. "He treated me so well...."

Helen nodded and rubbed Jack's arm comfortingly. "You really liked him... didn't you?" She hummed already knowing the answer. She wiped her eyes a little before looking down at Jack. "Can you just... promise me you won't run off with him the second I turn my back?"
But then hesitated to promise. That's all he wanted to do. "I-I.... I don't know if I can promise that mom," he whispered.
Helen bit her lip and nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. "That was quite selfish of me to ask anyway." She mumbled shaking her head. "I just don't want you to make the same mistake I did. Run off with a criminal." Helen chuckled. "It seems like their so mean and harsh to everyone else but they treat you like royalty...it changes after years of being together."

That scared Jack a little. Dark did treat him like royalty... around him, Jack felt like he was the only person in the world. He softly sighed, not knowing what else to say as his thoughts went wild.
Would Dark do something like that to me..? Would he just get bored with me as start being mean..?  Fear was starting to build up inside his stomach.

"I know me and your father aren't the best parents in the world and I don't blame you if you want to get away from us." Helen laughed softly, looking down into her lap. "I just...I don't want you to disappear on me. Having you gone made me realize just how much I need you here with me sometimes."
Hearing that just made Jack feel more upset, torn between staying with his mother, someone who was clearly just wanting someone to talk to that wasn't her husband... just a mother who wanted her child. Or Dark, a man who was a criminal high up on the food chain, okay with killing anyone who got in his way. Someone who was so cruel yet managed to show Jack the most love an affection he had ever felt.

Helen sighed and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry... Jesus I'm being so selfish," she whispered shaking off the sad feeling all she could. "I just want you to be happy Jack and if being with him makes you happen then I'll be okay with it." Helen whispered before kissing Jack's head and then getting up. "I'm gonna make some pasta. Come down if you want any."
He nodded his head but he wasn't going to go downstairs. He wasn't feeling hungry and now the guilt of upsetting his mother was making him feel sick to his stomach. He didn't know what he was supposed to do anymore.

He curled his body up around the pillow and silently cried until he finally passed out from exhaustion.