Billionaire's Revenge (31 page)

“I...well no” she agreed, still watching him
,
her features full of so many questions, a mysterious
expression filling
his
. 
“Tonight when she is asleep...let me take you out for dinner”
,
her look of concern making him place a finger on her lips
. 
“I promise that I will have you back here so that you are here for her waking”
,
his eyes so serious
, “
We need to talk Sara...alone”

“W...what about what you said?
”
she stuttered as he stepped back, a mysterious smile on his lips
. 
“I will pick you up at eight...she should be asleep by then right?”
,
he questioned as she nodded, Darius sp
un
around and mov
ed
back down the corridor, Sara watched him silently until he was out of sight, her mind a whirl of confusion.

Still stunned
and with so many emotions flying through her, Sara had
little time to pon
der what he
said
;
as soon after
he disappeared down
the corridor
,
Carly
was
wheeled back
from post-op
, a nurse leading
Sara
to the
ir luxurious private room.  She held the hand of the little girl,
so
frail and tiny on the large bed, her heart swelling as she had
been able to tell her that when she left the hospital it would be to go home with her, the happiness on the small child
’s face
despite the pain she was in filling her once mor
e with relief.  

That Darius
turned around the si
tuation in which she
lost Carly there was no doubt, but she was still stunned as to why he had, why he
defended her and offered everything that would be needed for her to still be considered a suitable care
-give
r for the little girl
?
  Frowning she
wondered if this was his
new
way of gaining a hold on her, ensuring that she did not leave him, the situation in which he
planned to throw her out having changed, both of them knowing it. 

With a small frown she wondered why this did not seem so bad, when Nigel’s attempts to do the same
had
been unthinkable.
  Smiling softly she
knew
that Darius did not and no doubt never would love her, but he still desired her, a hint of sadness touching her soft mouth as she
was
reminded
at
how the same
situation
had
turned out with Nigel and herself. 

Taking a deep breath
,
she
again kissed Carly’s small hand.  She was nothing like Nigel, she would live with Darius
for
as long as he wanted
her, Sara instinctively knowing that he would never see she or Carly left homeless when their affair ended, this sad thought not filling her with relief but
a pain which
sat deep down in her stomach.
  He
had
blackmailed her into his bed, but falling in love with him
had
been her own choice
. 
Sara
kn
ew
that she
would love him for the rest of her life, wonde
ring
if
with all that she had
gone through for him
six years ago
she
had
always loved him.

At eight
,
as promised
,
Darius
appeared.  He smiled at the small child still asleep, her small body almo
st lost in the large adult bed, one arm
draped over the teddy bear he
had
picked out himself.
 
“How is she?
”
he
whispered, reaching out to take Sara’s hand.  She
gave
him a large smile, Darius seeing how relaxed she seemed, as thoug
h a great weight
had
been lifted from her body.

“She is fine.  Has all the nurses wrapped around her finger though”
,
chuckling as he flicked another look at her
.
 
“And why wouldn’t they?  She has got to be one of the cutest little kids I have ever seen”  The honesty of his words
made Sara swallow hard, the lump in her throat the only thing holding down the tears, tears of happiness
. 
“Yes she is”
,
she confirmed, as together the two
moved from the room.

“Dinner?”
 
He
asked softly, as Sara
g
ave
a nod
.
“
Yes...but Darius...what about?”
 
He
pulled her around
,
silencing her with a kiss, the kiss full of fire, Sara
whimpered
,
  her body swaying as he
pulled back.
 
“Not here...we will talk later...when we are alone”
,
his fingers p
ressing the
elevator button
as she
meek
ly followed
behind him.

It was only as they
reached the street
-
Darius not ushering her into a car but moving down the sidewalk
-
that she
began asking where they were going,
as
he
gave
a soft chuckle.

“What is it with women?
A
lways asking questions”
,
his eyes full of playfulness.  When he
moved into the hotel next door to the hospital, she
frowned, her brow
s
knitting in confusion but holding back the questions as he
pulled her into yet another elevator
.

Finally they
moved to a suite, Darius leading her into the small dining room, the smell of food making her mouth water with the realisation that she
had
only eaten that morning, too
upset
with the drama
of almost losing Carly
and then busy looking after the little girl.  She
stared intently at Darius
,
determined to have some answers as he
pulled a seat out for her
. 
“Darius...what is going on?” her voice sure as he grinned back at her.
 
“First we eat.  You still look pale, and I bet you didn’t eat all day”

Giving an irritated sigh
,
she
told him that she
had
eaten breakfast, a fact that seemed to matter little to him as he placed a plate before her
ordering her to
eat
.
 
Lifting the cutlery, she decided that she would get answers faster if she just did as he asked, finding herself enjoying the
mouth-watering chicken dish.
 
“I thought that you would be in Italy”
,
her soft voice saw
his head lift to look intently at her before a
big
grin
filled his features, his hand moving to take hers
.
 
“There are some things that are more important”
  S
ara g
ave
a small nod, her eyes betraying the depth of her thanks to him, as he directed her to eat more before she could say anymore.

The loud knock on the door of the suite as they were finishing the meal
made Sara jump, her eyes flying to his q
uestioningly
. 
“
Who
?
”
all she had
time to ask as he rose to his feet, a large grin on his face.
 
She
heard him talking to another man, unable to make out what was being said as she
sat back impatiently
,
waiting for his return.

“OK...I have eaten - can we please talk about this afternoon?
”
she cried as he
once more entered the dining room.  In his hand he clutched a large brown envelope, a satisfied expression on his face.
 
With a chuckle he
took her hand and pulled her over to a couch, the two sitting together facing
each
other, Darius looking deeply into her eyes.

“I am so sorry Sara
”
She
had
not known what to expect, but an apology
had
not been it, Sara giving him a wavering smile
, “
For what
? I nearly lost Carly...and you stepped in like a knight in shining armour...you have nothing to be sorry about
”
He
grinned softly, his fingers entwining within hers
. 
“I blackmailed you to be with me...I blamed you for my getting fired...but none of that was ever true was it Sara?” Sara gave
a sad smile
,
“No...I told you that
”
Darius
nod
ded
softly as he sighed wearily
, “
I went to see Ted Roberts today”

She gasped loudly, her eyes opening wide
r
.
 
“I asked him about that day six years ago that I was fired, and he told me everything.  He told me that your father was determined to have me put into prison
”
Sara
g
ave
a sad confirming nod
,
“Yes...he didn’t like you.  You stood up to him and he didn’t like that
”
She
felt as his hand
squeezed hers gently
.
 
“He also told me that you stood up for me.  Told him that if he went through with an arrest then you would cause a fuss, not something your father wanted his ‘friends’ to know about”

Sara grimaced at the memory of how furious her father had
been
his
face red with anger
.
 
“He really didn’t like you”
,
she chuckled
,
as he gave
a small laugh back.
 
“There was one thing that Ted said that really made me think
”
Sara’s
eyes
look
ed
back at his questioningly
.
 
“He said that your father told you that if he just fired
me
then you would owe him a big favour
”
Darius
felt as Sara stiffened, her look becoming wary
.
 
“I remember when you told me that you agreed to marry Nigel that your father had
forced the issue because you ‘owed him big’
”
Sara
looked awa
y
,
her teeth savaging her lips
.

“Did you marry Nigel because of a deal you made with your father Sara?  A deal made to keep me out of prison?”
 
A pained groan
left her
lips
as her eyes
flew back to his.
 
“He told me that the charges would still stand up in court because he had
kept all of
the evidence
, and would make
it appear
that you
had
fled the country to avoid
being arrested.  He told me that it would be very easy to have Darius Larosa found and charged
”
A
rueful smile
c
a
me to her lips
,
“Wish I had
known that you changed your name
.  I
just
didn’t want to see you in prison”

Darius lifted her hand and kissed it so softly
. 
“So I am responsible for you being married to that animal
?
”
  H
is voice was
full of pain
as she shook
her head
, 
“No...
How were you to know?”
  Hi
s eyes
h
eld
hers.
 
“I was so unfair to you Sara.  You did all that for me and I blackmailed you in the worst possible way
”
Sara
gave
a sweet smile, her other hand gently caressing his cheek.