The Greek Tycoon Box Set: The Complete Serial: Books 1-10 (41 page)

“Constantly putting him down verbally, hitting him, manipulating him. Because Felix is such a gentleman he didn’t retaliate, but it got to the point where he didn’t want to live any longer.”

Now it was Felix’s turn to nod.
 

“But now I want to live for as long as possible,” he said, then looked over at Jules. “To enjoy the gifts the gods have bestowed upon me.”

*****

Carla fell quiet during the ride back to Westling House, unable to stop thinking about what Felix and Jules had said. It was dawning upon her that she’d never truly allowed herself to feel what Brian had done to her. When she was in the relationship, she’d closed herself off emotionally, so that she didn’t get hurt. Though all her feelings had revived themselves since she’d fallen in love with Atreus, she shoved the pain that Brian had caused her into a back corner, thinking she’d gotten rid of it altogether.

But when she thought about Felix and all he’d been through with his previous wife, tears began to roll down her cheeks, and she knew they were for herself as much as they were for him. All the horrible names Brian had called her. All the times he’d lied to her. All the times he’d cheated and promised he would change his ways. All the times he’d gone out of his way to show her how lucky she was to have him, instead of how lucky he was to have her. She cried for all the love she’d felt for him, and how her heart had ached wishing he would return it.

Tears slid down her cheeks as she looked out of the window. She reached over to stroke Dios’ little hand as he slept in his car seat, and soon felt Atreus’ strong hand on top of hers. She looked over at him.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

She gulped back tears.
 

“I had no idea what true love was until I met you.”

He reached over to wipe her tears away.
 

“Neither did I, my darling.”

“We’re going to be together forever, aren’t we?”

“Yes,” he said. “You, me and, of course, our children.”

He paused, looking deeply into her eyes, before adding, “
Both
of them.”

Carla’s phone cut through the intimacy of the moment and she hurried to answer it before Dios woke up.
G&G
the screen read, which made her smile.
 

“Now which of you troublemakers are ringing me this time?” she said into the phone.

Her grandmother’s voice had none of its usual joy.
 

“Carla, honey, I don’t want to alarm you, but your granddad’s not well. He’s had a funny turn and he’s in the hospital. I want you to come down as soon as you can.”

“I’ll come right away,” Carla said, her heart racing in her chest. “Is he going to be okay?”

Mary’s voice quivered.
 

“I don’t know, Carla, I just can’t say.”

“We’ll be on a plane today, Grandma, don’t worry.”

*****

Atreus had a private plane ready and waiting when they arrived at the airport. They rushed onboard and fell into their seats, trying to relax despite the tense situation.

“I can’t believe this,” Carla said. “He sounded just fine on the phone before.”

“I know, he really did.”

Atreus brought her head down to his shoulder and she nuzzled into it.
 

“I’ve lost my parents. I can’t lose Granddad now.”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Atreus said.

Dios climbed up in his seat to look out the window at the airport. Carla reached out to prevent him from falling.

“I hope he’ll be okay on the flight. I just wish they’d hurry up and get going.”

“It won’t be long,” Atreus said. He settled Dios in his seat and strapped him in. “There you go, son.” Dios struggled a little. “You’re going to be a pilot when you grow up, right? You want to fly planes? Go on, show me how planes fly.” Atreus put his hands out like wings. “Whooosh. Go on, you show me.”

Dios giggled and copied, ducking this way and that in his seat and pretending to soar through the air.

“Plane!” he said.

Carla clapped her hands.
 

“Good boy!”

The plane began to move then.
 

“Oh, good,” Atreus said. “Ready, son? We’re about to take off in one, two, three!”

Dios bounced and laughed in his seat as the plane began picking up speed, completely oblivious to the tragic cause of their unexpected trip.

*****

Once at Heathrow, they were off the plane and darting through the terminal within minutes. Free of any luggage, they were able to slip through the crowds at lightning speed. Their car was already parked outside the terminal, the driver ready and waiting.

“To Chelsea and Westminster Hospital please,” Carla said. “How long do you think that will take?”

“I’m already on it,” the driver said, opening the car door for them. “We’re a half hour out.”

“Great,” Carla sighed. “Thank you so much.”

Once seated, she turned to Atreus.

“And thank
you
. I can’t believe how easy you’ve made all of this.”

“No need for that,” Atreus said, leaning in to kiss her forehead. “Let’s just get there.”

*****

After hugging her grandma and wiping away the tears that began spilling over her lower lids as she crossed the threshold of the room, Carla smiled down at her grandfather. But it was a forced smile. Without anyone speaking a word she knew things were not good.
 

Still, he tried his best to smile back at her.

“Hello,” he croaked, his voice hoarse and weak.

“Hi, Granddad,” Carla said, sitting next to him on the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“So-so,” he replied, tipping his hand from side to side without lifting it from its place on his belly. “I’ve certainly been better.”

“So what happened?”

Mary sat down in the chair by his bedside.
 

“He had a TIA. That’s like a mini-stroke. He couldn’t understand anything I was saying and he was so dizzy he couldn’t walk.”

He nodded.

“Felt like I was on a ship in a storm. Plus, half my face felt like it wasn’t there.”
 

His words were slow and slurred.

“Oh my gosh,” Carla said. “But are you okay
now
? Are you going to be okay?”

“They think he should be fine,” Mary said, “but they want to keep an eye on him for a bit. His speech is still a bit funny but it’s better than it was.”

*****

Chapter 4

“That’s good.” Carla put her hand to her heart. “I was so worried. But what caused it?”

“We’re not sure,” Mary said. “Not sure. Maybe just one of those things.”

Carla placed her hand on her grandad’s shin through the hospital sheet.
 

“Well, get better quickly, Granddad. I need you to walk me down the aisle. Little Anastasia will need you to hold her in the hospital.”

“I’ll be there, Pet, don’t worry about me.” He stretched. “I’d be out of the bed and off home straight away but you know how nurses and doctors are, always want to keep you in for as long as possible.”

Mary smiled.
 

“That’s my boy.”

“Dios,” Atreus said, “That’s your granddad. Can you say granddad?”

“Granddad!” Dios said.

Carla gasped with joy and looked at Charles. All of a sudden he was beaming.

“That reminds me,” said Mary. “Charles and I were talking, and we really want to be a part of the new baby’s life. And Dios’ life, too. We’d always planned to move out of London and into a nice country cottage. London is too much pollution, too much busyness. When you get to our age, you want a bit of peace and quiet. We’d always assumed we’d go to the Cotswolds.” She explained to Atreus, “A beautiful part of the country. Charles and I spent our honeymoon in Worcestershire and have always been fond of it.”

“That’s not that much closer to where we are, Grandma.”

“No, no, lovely girl,” Mary said. “We were thinking of…” She looked into her lap, rather bashful. “Well, of moving up near where you are, near you, and Dios, and the new baby.”

Carla sprung up from the bed, smiling from ear to ear.
 

“Oh, you really mean it?”

“Yes,” said Charles. “One hundred percent.”

Mary went over to the hospital bed and put her hand on her husband’s shoulder.
 

“Just as soon as Granddad gets better, we can put the house on the market and start looking for something up by you.”

Carla looked back at Atreus and Dios. Dios was babbling away happily and Atreus returned a smile that lit up his eyes.

*****

Carla was logged onto a property site on her phone as soon as they stepped out of the hospital, searching for something near them. She reached out to squeeze Atreus’ free hand. Dios was asleep on his other shoulder.

“Ooh, I’m so excited,” she said. “That will be so lovely having them nearby. They adore Dios and I know they’ll spoil the new baby something rotten.”

“Our children will have one grandparent and two great-grand parents living right nearby,” Atreus said. “Plus, Onella is just a quick plane ride away in London. That sounds good to me.”

Carla grinned.

“You know what sounds good to me?”

“What?”

“The way you just said
our children
. Can you believe it?
Our children
. I can’t. I mean, I was living in London, lonely, miserable, just broken up with an abusive pathetic excuse for a man, hating my job, feeling like happiness was so far away. And then I turned a corner, and there it was.” She paused and beamed at him. “Here it
is
.”

“Despite all the things we’ve been through? It’s been pretty crazy!”

“Of course!” she said. “I’d never have it any other way.”

Atreus spotted their car and waved to the driver, who pulled up to them.
 

“No. Neither would I.”

*****

When they got in the car and the driver asked them where they were going they stared at each other, nonplussed. They’d offered to stay a night in London so they could visit Charles again but he’d insisted they go back home and stop pampering him and fussing. He said it made him feel like an old man. They’d rung Onella but her phone had gone to voicemail. She was likely busy with all her fashion work, Atreus said.

“Well, where shall we go?” Carla said.

It was still light but it was most certainly evening. They were both hungry.

“Maybe back to Heathrow?” Atreus said. “Back home?”

Carla shook her head.
 

“Home sounds good but I don’t think I can face the airport again.”
 

Her eyes lit up.
 

“Hey, why don’t we go on the train?” she pitched excitedly. “I’ve always wanted to go on a long train journey.”
 

Soon they were chugging along out of London on a high-speed track. Carla looked out of the window.

“Gosh, so many places I remember.”

“You don’t get homesick for London?” Atreus asked from his place opposite her.
 

Dios was curled up on the seat next to him, his head on Atreus’ lap.

“Not really,” she said. “Maybe a little bit. But, still, I wouldn’t move back here. I love where we are now.”

It looked like her words touched him.

“Good.”

“Do you miss Athens?”

He closed his eyes for a moment, and Carla guessed he was trying to conjure up an image or a feeling of where he’d come from.

“I guess I’m like you,” he said eventually. “A little.”
 

“But you’re happy where we are? Living the life we live?”

He smiled.
 

“Of course.
Duh
!”

She laughed and looked back out the window, smiling at how such a powerful man could still be goofy and have fun. The landscape was becoming less congested with buildings, and there were more and more trees the further they went out. Soon she knew they’d be zooming through the patchwork fields.

“When we have our baby, do you think everything will still be the same between us?” Carla asked.
 

She loved the way they were so close and spent so much time together. The last thing she wanted to do was lose that connection.

“No,” he said. “A baby will always change things. Always. But if we stay on the right track and be mindful, things could change in a good way.”

“I hope so.” She looked down at Dios, curled up and sleeping so peacefully. “I can only hope our new baby is as lovely and sweet as Dios.”

Atreus laughed.
 

“We’ll love them whatever they’re like. Even if we get a little monster, I know we can handle it.”