‘Sorry if this has been a bit of a shock for you,’ Athena says. ‘But Tabs will be okay. And know this: by giving Marlowe the job, you saved her daughter’s life.’

An image flashes into my head. A little blonde girl cuddling a dog. Tabby. The girl, not the dog. Marlowe was so antsy when I spotted that photo. And no wonder.

I shake my head. ‘I’ve treated her like shit, though,’ I say mournfully. I may have inadvertently bankrolled Tabby’s operation, but fuck did I make her mother jump through hoops to earn it.

Athena’s eyes narrow. ‘I thought you two were getting on well. What did you do?’

‘She didn’t tell you?’

‘No. Spill it.’ She crosses her arms.

‘Don’t think I will, thanks.’ I’m not that fucking stupid. I take a tentative sip of water. ‘How does it work, then? They stay out there until Tabby’s better and then come back?’

‘That’s the plan.’ Athena’s still frowning at me. ‘A day or two in ICU and then another week or so in hospital before they clear Tabs to fly.’

‘Does she have anyone else out there with her?’

‘No. She’s close with her parents—they look after Tabs when Marlowe’s at work—but she couldn’t afford to fly them out there and put them up.’

By my estimates, Marlowe is raking it in, even after hospital bills. ‘Why couldn’t she afford it?’

She rolls her eyes. ‘Because every penny she gets from you is going towards hospital costs. She wants to save a chunk before she quits so Tabs can have private care over the next couple of years, but there isn’t any spare cash knocking around.’

Before she quits. Something on my face must reflect my shock, because Athena rolls her eyes. ‘Come on, Brendan. Knowing what you now know, it can’t be a surprise that she doesn’t want to be your whore forever. That’s not who she is, believe me.’

I’m very glad Athena isn’t a doctor, because her bedside manner is shite. I may have been furious with Marlowe; I may even have been idly considering trading her in for a more promiscuous model, but it hasn’t occurred to me until this moment that she might end things on her terms, that she could just walk out of my life when her daughter’s medical coffers were adequately funded.

I have no intention of confirming that, yes, it is a surprise. Instead, I force myself to focus on the issue at hand, the issue which, in my eyes, is a major fucking problem.

‘So, she’s all alone over there with a sick little girl, and she’s got no one looking out for her?’ Just saying the words makes my chest feel tight.