Lovers and Reprisals (Lovers Series)

by Turner, Lori

  When Morpheus didn’t move, Mikita looked to Bolden.

  “Bolden…go see if she’s all right.”

  Bolden raised a brow, expressing his doubt. He said…

  “She doesn’t want to see me mom. If I go, I’ll only make matters worse.”

  “Oh fuck it!” Morpheus angrily blurted out. “I’ll go. And nobody leave this room until I get back.”

  Morpheus bounded down the hall in search of his daughter. When he left the room, Raal said…

  “Mikita…what’s going on?”

  She shrugged…

  “I wish I knew. I was at home packing to visit my mother when Morpheus called me. He said that he had something of extreme importance to discuss with me and that it couldn’t wait.”

  Raal said…

  “Kyle is out of town on business and I was in Miami inspecting one of the munitions factories. Morpheus sent me a text, and my message was pretty much the same as yours.”

  Bolden glanced at their faces, then he shrugged…

  “All I have to say is—ditto.”

  They looked around the room, and their eyes fell on the table and its five settings. Was it that simple? Were they called here to talk over an evening dinner? They’d been invited here, but no one knew what the emergency was. At this point, Bolden couldn’t care less. He had a stick on his shoulder and it wouldn’t take much to knock it off. For months he’d worked alongside Eliza, accepting that his father was responsible for him being hired. Bo could appreciate a good joke, but he was beginning to feel like he was the punchline. Even more so, when he considered his uncles comment; Raal knew about Eliza and the true nature of her job. He could see it in his eyes and Bo didn’t know how to make peace with that. So it didn’t surprise him, when he spoke the moment Morpheus reentered the room. Due to his father’s height, his countenance was intimidating. He crossed the floor all ‘big man in charge of his castle then he stopped short a few feet in front of them.

  Bolden didn’t give him a chance to make a remark. Being in this house wasn’t good for him and he couldn’t begin to imagine what his father had said to prevail on his mother and he questioned her account of their conversation.

  He dismissed the thought to stave off a headache.

  His words were spoken and intended to cut like the jagged edge of broken glass.

  “I hate to run off like Fawn and…if there isn’t an emergency, I’ll have to take a raincheck.”

  “But son…” Morpheus stared at them perplex; this was a new look for him. His face was a portrait of ‘What in the hell was going on?’. This was not panning out as he’d planned. One family dinner; that’s all he’d wanted. One meal; was that too much to ask for?

  “Bolden…” Mikita said… “Honey…can’t you spare just one hour?”

  Her heart was breaking for Morpheus, and she couldn’t take much more, witnessing his kind gesture being trampled as if his efforts were no better than cow dung. He was a ruthless man, but she didn’t believe that he deserved this kind of treatment from his children. In spite of Bolden’s gentle nature and his belief in fairness; Bolden was not his mother and he didn’t share her sentiment.

  He leaned across the distance, pecking her on her cheek.

  “Can’t do mom. The plane is waiting to fly me back to Wyoming—then, after that, it’s off to anyone’s guess.”

  The uncertainty dig had been meant for his father, but Morpheus was too far gone to get the reference. He needed time to regroup, and Mikita noticed the signs. She returned her son’s kiss, then she said…

  “Call me.”

  She would usually add that he could text her, but not this time. Their conversation needed to take place using words instead of symbols and shortened versions of words.

  “Will do. Say hi to Nana for me.”

  With that said, Bolden was out the door.

  Raal knew an ending when he saw one; and the fat lady had sang her song. There would be ovations, but he would leave Mikita to handle that.

  Raal drew Mikita close, kissing her on the side of her face.

  “Is your contact information the same?”

  She smiled weakly saying…

  “Yes. And please…add my name to your guest list. I want to be at your wedding ceremony.”

  He nodded, then his eyes landed on his brother.

  “We’ll talk brother.”

  Nothing more needed to be said. Morpheus held a glass expression, and he didn’t bother nodding his head. Raal gave him a reassuring smile, but he wouldn’t trade places for all the money in the world.

  Morpheus walked over to a window, leaving Mikita near the archway. She had a mind to leave him to his thoughts, but his wounded spirit beckoned her to stay. She joined him, standing by his side. A panoramic view of the Atlantic filled the window like a picture in motion.

  “Morpheus… Why?”

  He looked at her and she didn’t have to say another word. The question was clear. Why had he tricked them all to come? Why indeed. When he didn’t answer her, Mikita said,

  “How is Fawn?”

  He smirked then said…

  “Fawn is Fawn. Stubborn. Bullheaded. Defiant”

  “Just like her father.”

  He turned his head, and when his eyes met her gaze, they shared a laugh. The abrupt burst of humor felt good and he couldn’t recall the last time something like that had happened.

  Morpheus said….

  “When it comes to my daughter, her issues are as convoluted as most of her endeavors. She was upset but not entirely for the reasons you might suppose.”

  “You mean her anger wasn’t directed at me and our son?”

  “Oh no…she was angry about that…and I still have hope that one day that will change. “He frowned then he said…

  “She’s brooding over a boy.”

  “I’m quite sure he isn’t a boy Morpheus…more than likely he’s a man.”

  He was agitated, and his brows rose when he said…

  “Fawn likes to be the center of attention.”

  “So I take it that, her boyfriend isn’t showering her with his affection.”

  “That about sums it up. That and… Well, Fawn is upset over some Samaritan girl and she’s blaming her for all that’s gone wrong in her world. Of course…that’s all a load of bullshit, but we are talking about my daughter.”

  He smiled at the absurdity in this situation.

  Mikita said…

  “Morpheus…Fawn has always had difficulty expressing how she feels. Her behavior leans toward the extremes. And when she’s overwrought, she explodes in outburst because she thinks this is the only way she’ll be heard. Actually, her outburst are intended to gain your attention. She want’s your notice. She always has—and she knows no other way to communicate with you.”

  He considered her assessment and on some level Mikita was right—but his daughter suffered from a larger problem. A situation he would solve because he’d dealt with the last of her temper tantrums. If need be, he would remove her sculptor boyfriend from the equation altogether.

  He said…

  “Fawn is a handful and she needs to find a real man. Someone with time and money to spare. When she told me about her boyfriend, I knew this Judd person would be kindling to her fire. He isn’t right for her and he doesn’t know what being with her really means.”

  Morpheus huffed when he said…

  “I blame myself for her insecurities because I traveled a great deal and she was raised by nannies and girlfriends. If she had the full support of a family standing by her side; not judging or critiquing her—she would be confident and more self-reliant. That’s’ what my daughter needs. She needs a family—if only to make her feel like someone other than a boyfriend gives a damn about her. I’ve tried—but—well…”

  Mikita said…

  “Is that the reason you pulled this surprise stunt?”

  He sighed and when she stared into his eyes, his expression spoke volumes.

  His voice sound
ed heavy when he said…

  “It’s time Mikita. It’s time to stop the petty squabbling and backstabbing bullshit. My children are grown—and soon, they’ll start families of their own and well”

  She smiled when his words fell off, and he couldn’t rightly discern the cause for her expression.

  He said…

  “I mean it Miki…”

  Mikita’s face relaxed, and a warmth spanned the width of her chest. Miki was the nickname he’d given her when they’d first met on her island home. Hearing him call her by that name sparked a flood of forgotten memories and something else lurched out after hearing her pet name. She’d been seven months shy of her eighteenth birthday when they met on the beach. He’d been eleven years older than her; a university graduate, and son to a billionaire. She’d heard the island rumors, but when he’d invited her out on his yacht for dinner and a night ride; it had not been his money that drew her. She was experiencing that same lure, and she could respect what he was trying to do.

  She sighed when she said…

  “Morpheus, I would have come had you asked me; and I’m sure that Raal would say the same. As for your children…I can’t speak for them. Even though they’re gone and their excuses for leaving were…

  “Indelicate, contrived bullshit excuses.”

  She ended his rant by saying…

  “Next time…be honest. Call us or send a message, plainly stating what you desire. But next time—start with something simple. A dinner invitation with no talk about family or mending fences.”

  He smiled, then nodded and even though the storm had passed, and a resolution had been agreed upon; something else stirred in the room. She could feel it and her instincts told her that the time had come to leave. Mikita took two backwards steps, then she said…

  “I’ll leave you to think about what we’ve discussed.”

  She was walking towards the door, when he said…

  “Are you still seeing Cyrus?”

  Mikita stopped but she didn’t turn around. She heard him advancing in her rear, then she felt his presence warming her back. He lay one hand on her shoulder, prompting her to turn and face him. So many thoughts filled her head, and every warning told her to go but she didn’t; she couldn’t.

  He cleared his voice, restating his question.

  “Mikita—I’ve asked around…but I want to hear you say the words. Answer me. Are you still dating Cyrus?”

  She felt his hands sliding down the length of her arm, palming her hands, then lifting her fingers to his lips. He kissed each finger, and she gasped when she said…

  “No.”

  That’s what he’d heard, but he wouldn’t believe it until she told him face to face.

  “Good.”

  Was his response. Then he smiled, while saying…

  “Stay. Have dinner with me.”

  She felt like a spider caught in a web but there was one big difference; she wasn’t struggling to free herself. She didn’t want to be free of Morpheus and a weight lifted when she admitted this to herself.

  **********

  Chapter 13

  What I did for love

  Lucien stepped out of the vehicle, landing on the curb. There was a flurry of activity, and three children raced pass him towards the Children’s Center. He’d had a hand in Ona’s project but he couldn’t take any of the credit. On the second day after she’d been discharged from Lincoln Medical, she was the first person wobbling off the ferry. She’d arrived at the Center to make final preparations for opening day. Over a month later, the program had been running at capacity; and the children kept coming. Lucien didn’t want to cross paths with her brothers, so he thought of clever ways to keep tabs on them. Rachel had been his most reliable source. Rachel had been at the opening ceremony when The Children’s Center launched by registering its first child. Noah had returned to his building project, but he’d made frequent visits home until Ona’s leg cast had been removed. Since Caleb wasn’t directly involved with any charity programs, he’d told his parents that he’d stay behind to assist Ona, if she needed his help. With Caleb making frequent visits, Rachel used this as her excuse to get better acquainted with him. She also relayed to Lucien the days and times that Caleb generally made his visits. Lucien used this information to precisely time his visits. He would stop by, bringing gifts for the children, or catered food for the participants and volunteers to eat. He’d tried to offer Ona money, but she always refused, citing reasons that he didn’t agree with. But he didn’t press because the purpose of these visits was to spend time with her.

  Three children stood on the other side of the reception desk wearing ruffled clothing and unkempt hair. They had used part of their allowance to catch a bus part way, then the rest of the way, they ran. The bigger of the kids spoke for the group, he explained that they heard about the program from a bunch of kids at their school. They were told to hurry because there weren’t many openings left. Ona had stood off to the side while the children rattled off their story to Rachel, and when they shared a glance, Ona didn’t have the heart to tell the children that she didn’t have any available openings.

  She pointed across the room, to a partitioned off section. She said…

  “Hi…my name is Ona Zelle, I’m so happy that you chose to come all this way to be with us. If you go right over there, tell Mr. Judd, that Miss Ona sent you to participate in his sculpting class.”

  A chorus of yips, hips and hoorays echoed to the rafters. When Rachel and Ona were alone, Rachel shook her head, and her ponytail swayed like a pendulum.

  “Girrrrl…” She exaggerated the ‘r’. “We’re cutting it close as it is. Just a minute ago, we went five over capacity.”

  Ona’s face appeared troubled.

  “I know but…they came all this way. It would be a shame not to let them participate—even if they aren’t officially a part of the program.”

  “Ona.” Rachel perched one hand on her hip. “The fire marshal isn’t interested in sad faces, snotty noses or watery eyes. He will shut this place down, and he’ll sleep good at night, knowing that he saved the city from a potentially overcrowded building that could have been a death trap.”

  “I know. I know. You’re right but…”

  “There are no buts. You have to tell those children that they can’t come back tomorrow.”

  “I can’t do that Rachel.”

  “Well…I’ll do it…or Sahara can do it.”

  “But that isn’t right. It isn’t fair for me to ask either of you to do my job.”

  “Ona…I don’t mind. When I was in nursing school, as a student, one of my teacher’s had a motto. Sink or swim; that’s what she would say whenever we got an impossible assignment. She’d say…sink or swim.”

  Ona looked in the direction of the three children, and she believed that there had to be another way. She’d thought the words, then she spoke them…

  “There has to be another way.”

  “I know.” Rachel said. “And when you told me that you couldn’t request additional funding from your Conclave; I took it upon myself to help you find additional funding.”

  This wasn’t the first time they’d had this conversation because within two weeks of starting the program, the word of mouth invitation spread like wildfire. Children came from high and low and seeing them was a bitter sweet pill to swallow. One of the stipulations for membership was that the children had to meet certain criteria. In other words, these children had suffered from a physical or psychological trauma. When they came, Ona had been stunned. When she’d formulated the plan, her idea had only dealt with statistics and studies but seeing them was like adding their faces to her summary.

  Ona said…

  “I’m not so sure how I feel about taking money from a stranger. I’ve never considered it as a part of my project.”

  “Ona…you have to consider it. Look at these kids.”

  Most days, you couldn’t hear yourself think because the warehouse brimmed with sounds i
n varying joyous expressions. This day was no different. In one area, through a soundproof glass, she could see a music lesson in progress. Across the way, children were reciting lines from a Shakespearean play. She remembered their faces, and she’d read their stories. For some of the kids, this was the first time they’d laughed and their eyes weren’t filled with tears.

  Rachel said…

  “Ona…just think about it.”

  “I probably should talk to my brothers first. Maybe I should call Noah.”

  With her parents in the jungle, it wasn’t always that easy to contact them. Rachel said…

  “Well, before you talk to them, maybe you should talk to the investor yourself. You might find that you can make the decision without your family’s help.”

  She wasn’t as sure as Rachel, and she’d prepared herself to say this, when she noticed a person walking towards her. With nor forewarning, her body froze, responding to an immediate reaction. Whenever she saw him; each experience swelled in its intensity.

  Lucien wore a smile, when he addressed them.

  “Good afternoon ladies.” He looked at Ona to measure her response and he couldn’t get over how amazing she looked.

  Rachel said…

  “I was just talking about you.”

  Ona stared at her and her brow rose, triggered by confusion. Her mind did a quick rewind, trying to remember every topic and its details. She rewound the conversation twice, and she didn’t recall hearing or mentioning Lucien Delors.

  Rachel said…

  “The investor—it’s Lucien Delors. I explained our dilemma, and he intimated that he was interested in lending his help.”

  Ona said…

  “You shouldn’t have done that without talking to me first. The Delors have been overly gracious, and my Conclave fully intends to reimburse you for any inconvenience my injury might have cost you.”

  Lucien said…

  “And I have turned down their offers. As I’ve explained to you; I will not accept any form of repayment. You were my guest Ona—I don’t expect my guest to repay my kindness.”