Chapter 91-What I Need

Mulo left that day after telling me the truth about Marcus. He stayed until after the kids got home from school so that he could tell them he was moving back to his house. It didn’t matter because Elphie still got angry with me. She ran upstairs packed a bag and informed me she was going with him. He was the reason they were vampires, he was the reason they didn’t have a father; that I didn’t have my husband yet they loved and idolized him. It pained me to say it, but I told her she would still get to see him and talk to him but he couldn’t live here anymore. I was then hit with the dreaded why question from Edson. Even with him here to tell them in person he was leaving, somehow I was still made to feel like the bad guy in the situation.

It was Elton that really hurt me. He looked at me so innocently then asked why I was sending away the only father they had. The amount of anger that overcame me at that moment was almost too much to handle. I wanted to tell them all the horrible things he’d done, how they had a father, a real father that would love them but he took that away. I wanted to but I didn’t because they were just kids but he knew how I was feeling. With my temper continuing to rise, I left out of fear of saying something I would later regret to them. I took a walk to have the time to calm down and clear my head. I was haunted by what he told me and it replayed over and over in my head. 

For once he held nothing back and I wanted him to. I wanted him to stop after knowing Marcus was alive and well but wiped of his memory. I wanted him to stop when he told me he had a new life, a new woman in his life. Mulo kept tabs on him he’s known this whole time while I suffered, while my boys suffered wondering what happened.

The tension in the house seemed to increase with Mulo gone. They still talked to him and even had sleep overs at his house but they seemed to be even more reserved and distant with me. As their birthday approached I kept asking what they wanted and never got a straight answer. The day passed without much fanfare unlike Finley’s. I’m sure they saw it as more favoritism towards her luckily they didn’t take it out on her. 

She was close to her siblings and that made me happy. I wanted to be close to my children but they refused to let me in. Nothing seemed to help, not even Mulo. I no longer got the silent treatment but our relationship wasn’t even remotely close, it was more business-like and it pained me.

With the kids getting older I thought more and more about my options where Marcus was concerned. I hadn’t told Dax and Dunham yet that he was alive. I knew I should but they had finally been able to make some sort of peace with his disappearance and bringing him back up I just didn’t think was fair. 

I tried to work through my options on my own, I couldn’t talk to Aric. His relationship with his father was already strained so I kept it to myself. For so long I wanted to know the truth and now that I did I wanted a different version of it. When it got to the point that I started drinking again to numb things, I knew I needed to talk to someone. I just hated who that someone was.

“Hello Love.” He said standing in the doorway waiting on me as I exited the elevator. I said nothing as I walked past him into his penthouse. “Can I get you something to drink?” He asked shutting the door behind me.

“We can skip the pleasantries Mulo. Don’t make this hard for me. You know why I’m here.”

“Yes I do. Are you sure this is what you want?”

“How can you ask me that? You have cheated me out of a life I should have had and I want it back.”

Mulo sat in the chair saying nothing as I impatiently waited for a response. 

“He doesn’t know who you are Love. What do you plan on doing walking up to him and saying hi I’m your wife let’s go home? Have you thought about how that could impact his current life?”

I hadn’t really thought that far ahead I just knew that knowing he was out there was killing me. I needed to see him again, there had to be someway this could work Marisol had made mention of Ceula being able to get her memory back so the same could be done for Marcus.

“I don’t know damn it but I have to try! How could I not?”

“He’s safe, he’s happy. Let that be enough Amari.”

“Why?” I asked dropping down onto the sofa. “Because you want me and can’t stand to see me happy with anyone that isn’t you? There’s more than me to be taken into consideration or have you forgotten about that? He has children, his sisters, his parents. All of them would want him back as well. You robbed not only me when you did this Mulo you robbed them too. You can’t play God with people’s lives like that!”

“You weren’t complaining when I did so for Ceula.” He retorted angrily.

“That was different and you know it.” I hissed jumping to my feet.

“Doesn’t matter. And you aren’t wanting to find him for his children or his family since you have neglected to tell them that he is alive. You are doing this for yourself.”

I was so angry but not surprised he was trying to still keep me from Marcus. I stood glaring at him making sure he knew that this time I wasn’t leaving until I got what I came for. 

“We have all been through so much pain with first thinking he was dying then going missing. How in the hell did you expect me to tell any of them he is alive but doesn’t know who we are because the psychotic vampire that refuses to stay out of my life wiped his memory out of jealousy. So you’re damn right I’m doing this for me, at least right now. Considering everything I have had to deal with I deserve to think about myself for a change. My children, HIS children basically tolerate me because they have to yet prefer you, YOU over me and you are the reason life is so messed up for them and for me.”

“He doesn’t know you and you are only going to end up hurting more. Trust me on that.”

“Ha, trust you? Not likely. Just tell me where he is Mulo.” He turned and walked into the kitchen returning shortly handing me a piece of paper. I glanced down at it, then back up at him.

“Italy. You sent him to Italy.”

“I wanted to be sure there was no chance of you running in to him.” He replied with a shrug. “On the back is information for my PA. Call her when you are ready to go and she will arrange to have the plane ready for you.”

“The plane? What plane?”

“Mine. I know you have to wait a few weeks since you don’t have a passport but you can fly out the day you get it instead of having to wait to book a commercial flight.” 

I folded the paper and put it in my pocket. I had a few weeks to make arrangements for Finley and the triplets who would most likely want to stay with Mulo. The waiting was going to be hard and I hoped I could get a rush on my passport. I was feeling hopeful for the first time in a long time. 

I turned to leave giving a last glance at Mulo. I got this weird feeling from him that I wrote off as him being unhappy about my upcoming trip. He didn’t say anything else when I left but that feeling stayed with me over the course of the next few weeks as I prepared to leave. I told the kids it was just a mini vacation because I needed a bit of a break. Carter and Vicki were happy to keep Finley, the triplets tried to convince me they could stay home by themselves but I refused that idea. They ended up staying with Aric, Mulo told them it was best to be with him while I was gone. I wasn’t sure why but I didn’t question it since I was happier with that arrangement. Three weeks after finding out where he was, I sat on Mulo’s private plane heading to Italy.

******Bonus Shots of the kids******

Finley Duff--She looks a lot like Jonas

They lose their vampy skin when I took them into stylist to dress them but I like how they have turned out as teens.

Elphie Smith

Elton Smith

Edson Smith-He actually is the only one of the trips that got the green eyes