Chapter 98-Ten Rounds

I stood there panic stricken. How did I lose track of time? I looked over at Marcus and knew exactly how I was able to forget everything.

“Mom?” They called out again.

“Shit. You have to hide.”

“Hide?”

“Yes Marcus, hide as in you can’t be seen.”

“That is crazy Amari.” He said laughing. “You are acting like a teenager being caught by her parents.”

I ignored his comment as I picked up his remaining clothes off the floor. I walked over shoved them in hands then pushed him towards the bathroom. I heard their footsteps getting closer as they headed towards us.

“Just be quiet.” I hissed at him before shutting the door.

“Mom what are you doing?” Elphie asked.

“Laundry, care to help?” I asked trying to keep my voice calm and casual.

“Yeah no.” She replied turning up her nose.

“Hey mom who’s car is that?” Elton asked.

Shit a car? Of course he had a car, what was I thinking that he ran over here. Crap, crap, crap. “Um what car honey?”

“There is a car parked in our driveway.” Edson said giving me a curious look.

“Hm, I don’t know dear. I’ve been busy, um cleaning all day so I don’t, I don’t know. Maybe one of the neighbors had to park in our driveway for some reason.”

“Mom, are you ok?” Elphie asked looking around the room before settling her eyes back on me.

“Yes dear, I’m fine. Let me finish putting the clothes in the dryer and I’ll come up and make you guys a snack.” I looked at them expectantly as I waited for them to retreat back up the stairs.

“That’s ok, I think we’re just gonna play video games.” Edson replied walking over towards the TV.

“You know the rules, no games until after homework is finished.”

“We don’t have any this week, it’s finals week.” Elton answered. All three of them were staring at me like they knew something was wrong.

“Well then that requires some studying. So go study.”

“Mom, we got this in the bag. Tomorrow is English, easy A.” Elphie said with a smile. I raised my eyebrow when I looked over at her.

“In the bag?”

“Not like that. We haven’t done that since elementary school.” She quickly defended.

Marcus muffled a laugh and all three looked towards the bathroom door.

“What was that?” Edson asked stepping closer in an attempt to investigate. I quickly cleared my throat trying to cover up the sound. It didn’t help that Fred was sniffing around the bathroom door whining.

“What was what?”

Elphie started to reply when her phone went off. She broke out in the biggest grin when she read the text that came through.

“We gotta go Mom. Dad is here and he’s taking us car shopping finally!” 

She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek which surprised me. The boys had already run up the stairs muttering a goodbye on the way. Marcus exited the bathroom but was no longer smiling.

“Dad? I thought they were mine. Did you remarry?”

“No I’m not married, or dating. They are yours Marcus, I wouldn’t lie about that.”

“No instead you just prefer not to tell me the whole truth.” He retorted sarcastically."So who is this guy then?" His tone almost sounded as if he were jealous.

“The man they call dad, he is that curveball I mentioned earlier or one of them anyway. He’s the reason you can’t get into my head, and he’s the reason you don’t know who the hell you are.”

“What?” He yelled. “And you let my children be around him? I am going to need answers now more than ever.”

“He’s the lesser of two evils. My life isn’t easy Marcus. It’s not pretty, it’s not ideal. In fact most days it fucking sucks but I can’t let that stop me. I did that once and ended up with a teenage son who practically got raped by his tutor and was a father before he graduated high school.”

“Whoa, what?”

“Yes the little girl you saw last time. You’re not only a dad but also a grandfather. Congrats. Now I have no idea when they will be back but I know Finley will be home in about fifteen minutes so I’m gonna need you to leave.”

“No.”

“No?”

“No! This, all of this requires explanations. Ones I’m getting today.”

I knew from the look on his face he wasn’t going anywhere. The truth as ugly as it was, was going to be the only thing that would accomplish what I was trying to do by avoiding his questions. I knew when to admit defeat, and it had glowing green eyes.

“Fine but can you stay down here until I get Finley settled with someone for the night. The triplets can stay with Mulo.” Marcus scowled at me when I said that but didn't say anything.

When Finley got home it was hard to concentrate on helping her with her homework. We ate dinner and listening to her talk about her day provided me the distraction I needed to keep my mind off the talk to come. She was very excited to be having a weekday sleepover with CeCe and Trey. 

When I got back to the house, Marcus was sitting at the table eating the leftovers from dinner. He looked at home, he was home, but I knew it was only temporary. Glancing over at the envelope on the table, I sighed heavily before picking it up and heading into the dining room.

“Sign them.” I said dropping them on the table.

Marcus glanced up from his meal briefly then went back to eating as if I hadn’t spoken. When he finished, he got up took his plate into the kitchen then proceeded to clean up after himself as if he lived here.

“Now.” He said walking back into the dining room. “I believe you have some explaining to do.” He finished crossing his arms as he waited on me to talk.

“Not until you sign.” I retorted crossing my arms to match his stance.

“Not happening. We are doing things my way this time.”

“Marcus.”

“Damn it woman!” He yelled as he quickly moved to stand in front of me. “Those are my children and from what I can piece together the man you let them call dad is dangerous and I don’t approve.”

“You don’t approve? You don’t know them or what they’ve dealt with. I was losing them and as has hard as it was for me to ask him to come back, to ask him of all people for help I had no choice. After all the horrible crap he’s done to me I still needed him, you don’t have a clue how hard of a pill that is for me to swallow. So you can not approve all you want, but you don’t have a clue!” I screamed at him storming out of the dining room. I didn’t make it very far before I felt him grab hold of my arm yanking me backwards.

“You’re right I don’t know but that’s because you won’t tell me.” He countered angrily. “Instead you mail me divorce papers and act as if I don’t have a right to know facts about my own damn life!”

Marcus’s fingers were digging painfully into my arms causing me to wince. He released me when he realized he was hurting me. I took a step back rubbing the spot on my arm where he had held me. He was right, I knew he was, but that didn’t stop me from being angry. I walked past him into the living room knowing he would follow me in there. I took a seat on the couch and buried my face in my hands. Marcus said nothing as he waited on me to start talking.

“What do you mean you were losing them? Were they sick? Dying? What?”

“No, nothing like that.” I responded sitting back to look at him. “They tried to kill their sister. Or I thought that’s what they were doing turns out they were trying to change her.”

Marcus looked at me wearing a confused expression. “Change her? What are you talking about?”

“The triplets are vamps.”

He sat back in the chair as he took in the information.

“How is that possible? In that picture I was human so how could they be vamps?” I could hear the accusation in his tone.

“I thought the same thing at first, that I had cheated on you. I dropped into a bigger state of depression because of it. Not able to take care of them or even look at them. Dax and Dunham handled most of their care.”

“So if not that then what?”

“Mulo. When you first went missing I went to confront him, I just knew he had something to do with it. I don’t remember what happened but he bit me while I was pregnant. And him sharing blood with me while I was caused the babies to turn.”

“Bring them home.” He growled jumping up from his seat.

“What?”

“Bring them home now. I don’t need to hear any more about that man, he’s apparently damaged enough things and I don’t want my children around him for another second.”

“And tell them what Marcus?”

“You tell them their father is home and he forbids them to be around a dangerous influence such as this Mulo character. One of their parents is trying to keep them out of harm’s way.”

“You have a lot of freaking nerve!” I yelled at him. “You have been their father for all of ten minutes. You might want to remember before you start beating on your chest acting like king of the damn castle that you, here, is temporary. You think this is a game? You can pop in and out and maintain two lives well it’s not. So while you want to say you are home, you might want to clue your fiancée in on that little fact, otherwise you are just a visitor!” 

"Amari..."

"No! Save it, just save it. We're done here and you need to leave."

I ran out of the living room and up the stairs to my bedroom. I was shaking because I was so angry and hurt over his words. Marcus was never one to be cruel before, but for him to question my parenting having not been around was a low blow.

Do you need me to come over Love?

What? No are you insane? You are the last person I need over here right now.

I just want to help you in some way.

Help me? You did this, all of this now is your fault! Get out of my head and leave me alone!

“Amari?” Marcus called out knocking softly at the door. He didn’t wait for me to answer before walking in. I glanced over at him before turning to look out of the window.

“I know you deserve more explanations but I’m not inclined to give them right now. I’m sure you can let yourself out.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m frustrated and angry and I lashed out.”

I wiped away a tear that rolled down my cheek still too upset to look at him. I should have never gone looking for him. I hated to admit that Mulo was right when he said I would only end up hurting more. I was so angry over how he had destroyed my life. He had done more damage to me that Marisol ever could at this point. Yet he stayed, and I let him stay. I let him back into my life, my kids life and Marcus had every right to be pissed about that.

“I’m sorry too. For what I said downstairs, and for pulling you into all of this again.”

“Did I know the whole story before?” I nodded in response. “And I stayed then?”

“Yes, but circumstances were different then.”

“How so?”

“You weren’t stuck between two lives. And I wasn’t connected to…” I trailed off not wanting to mention his name again. I was too exhausted to go another round in a shouting match with him.

Marcus walked over turning me to face him. “Connected to who?”

I heard the edge in his voice as he stood there peering down at me. There was no point in trying to deflect any more of his questions, or attempting to send him away. Tonight I had to just lay it all out for him and then hope I could hold it together when he walked out the door.

“Mulo. We are bonded in this strange way. When I found out about the triplets, I went to confront him. A fight broke out between him and Aric, that's our son, Mulo and I that is,  anyway it was bad. He attacked me and left me in this half state. It’s why you can’t get into my head. He’s there and he’s the only one that can be.”

“What does that mean?” He asked stepping away from me.

“It means until he sees fit to complete the job and turn me I’m essentially his.”