Page 57 of Billion-Dollar Baby Shock

‘Will you and Niko come with me?Please?’

He hesitated for one second and then said, ‘Of course.Let’s go.’

* * *

Dublin was humid under grey skies.Tara was in knots.Even though, since she and Dion and Niko had left Athens, her brother had apparently woken up and was responding to treatment.They’d moved him out of ICU to a less acute bed.She still needed to see him.

Dion had organised a private flight and a car had been waiting to take them straight to the hospital.They were directed to the room and Dion stayed in the waiting room with Niko while she went and had an emotional reunion with her sister Mary, who was waiting for her.

‘He’s okay, Tara, he’s out of Intensive Care.He’s awake and talking.’

Tara nodded, tears filling her eyes.She felt guilty for having left them all and having been so focused on Dion and Niko.

As if reading her mind, Mary said, ‘Donottake this on yourself.Daniel is twenty-three and he ate street-food insects on his last night in Bangkok.It’s entirely his fault.’

Tara let out a half-laugh of relief and then went in to see her brother.The doctor assured her that he would be fine, it was a tropical bug but they’d treated it in time.

After assuring herself her brother was ok, Daniel said, ‘So can I meet my nephew now?Apparently he takes after me, the lucky kid.’

Tara rolled her eyes, but went to get Dion and Niko.Mary’s eyes went wide as saucers when she saw Dion, and Tara couldn’t blame her.Here, against this very sterile backdrop, he looked almost other-worldly, in dark trousers and a long-sleeved light top.

Niko was in a pram and Tara lifted him out.Mary got teary-eyed when she saw her nephew, taking him from Tara.She looked at Dion.‘I’m so sorry, Mr Dimitriou, about the mix-up…but now that he’s here I can’t say I’mthatsorry.’

Tara gave her a dig in the ribs and Mary said, ‘Ow, what?’

Tara just shook her head.She’d saved Mary’s skin but Dion was smiling and he said, ‘I think I’d have to agree with you.’

See?said Mary in a look to Tara.And then she was off, taking her nephew, who seemed to be completely content in his aunt’s arms, in to meet his uncle.

‘Sorry,’ Tara offered as she and Dion walked to the room.‘My brothers and sisters are a rambunctious lot.’

* * *

Dion was still reeling from the speed at which they’d dropped everything and run to Dublin.The whole wayover on the flight, he hadn’t been able to get that last conversation with Tara out of his head.She wanted to try and be a family.She’d admitted she was lonely but that it wouldn’t make her leave.He’d isolated her and yet he couldn’t stay away from her.

He’d told her over and over again he didn’t want a family.He wouldn’t take the risk.The risk of harming Niko.

Or the risk of harming yourself?asked a little voice.

And now, he was dealing with double vision.Mary, Tara’s sister, shared her red hair and colouring.But she had blue eyes.Not blue-green.She’d helped herself so easily to his son, as if it were second nature to claim him.It disturbed and heartened Dion in equal measure.

He was at the door of the hospital room and looking at a young man with dark hair in the bed.Presumably Daniel.He was talking to Niko, who was still in Mary’s arms with Tara hovering nearby.

‘Hey, kiddo, welcome to the family.I’m the most fun out of everyone so just you wait until I’m on my feet again and we’ll go out on the town, okay?’

Niko babbled happily, kicking his legs and arms.

Then from behind Dion someone else slipped into the room.A younger woman, her hair more strawberry blonde than red.She stopped at the bottom of the bed and said, ‘You’re not dead?Ah, pity, I’d picked out the best suit for you to wear at your wake.’

Daniel made a face.‘Ha-ha, Lucy, I know you’d be devastated if anything happened to me because I know you still fancy Stephen.’

‘Shut up, I do not!’

A kind of chaos ensued that Dion had no idea how to comprehend because he’d never seen anything like it before.Lucy spotted Tara and squealed and then spotted Niko and started crying, taking him into her arms and saying, ‘Oh, my God, you’re so gorgeous.’

And then she saw Dion in the doorway and went pink.Mary came and stood beside him.‘This is Dion, our…sister’s…baby daddy.’

Lucy said, ‘I’m so sorry, I just assumed you were a doctor.’