"Blossom, I'm not insulting you sweetheart, I just wondered..."
"No, no, no, it's not that, it's just that...my dad doesn't like it." She wrung her hands together while looking down at her lap, so she didn't see the frown that crossed my face.
"What do you mean? Doesn't like what?"
"He doesn't like me to wear lip balm or things like that?"
"Why ever not?" This wasn't making any sense to me at all it was such a little thing after all. I thought all teenaged girls were into that silly stuff.
And then I remembered my reports, she didn't have any friends, so she didn't do the teenage girl thing. For some reason that made me sad. Cliff Sanders was a total fuck, he meant to rob her of everything that was good in life, meant to put out any light or joy she could find in the already mundane world he had made her life into. We'll just see about that, cock-sucking bastard.
I kept a mile on my face so she wouldn't guess at my intentions, or of the rage that was beginning to boil inside me. I rolled down the window between us and the driver.
"Change of plans instead of taking us straight to the office we need to swing by the shopping district."
"Yes sir." I rolled the window back up before turning to her.
"How would you like to go shopping with me?" She looked down at her uniform.
"Don't worry about that, your dad already knows that you're with me, you don't need to be home until after dinner."
"I still don't understand how you got my dad to agree to this..."
"That's not for you to worry about, just know that when you're with me we can do anything you like, like go shopping for lip balm and anything else your little heart desires.
"Really...that's...oh no wait, I can't..." She was back to gnawing at her lip and I subconsciously pulled it out from between her teeth with my thumb.
"Why not?"
"Because then you might think that's the only reason I like you."
So shy and so fucking innocent; I wish to always keep her this way, I'll do everything in my power to make sure she stays this way for as long as possible. Which meant getting her away from my new number one enemy before he had more of a chance to fuck her over.
"Don't worry about such things Ashley, I want to take you shopping, I want you to have all the things you've ever wanted but could never have."
"Really, but why?"
"Simply because I want you to, for instance, do you have a cell phone?"
She shook her head no while pulling at the hem of her skirt. Let me guess dear old dad didn't like that either. Well fuck him, from now on I will see to it that she had all the things a young girl could need or want. Cliffy boy could roast on a spit in hell for all I cared, fucking bastard.
"Well then, that will be our first stop, how am I supposed to keep in touch with my best girl if I can't even call her huh?" I tried to make light of the situation, but she knew that I knew about her personal hell.
Hopefully I can use this to get her away from that despot.
I took her to the mall and directly to the apple store where I proceeded to spoil her. I tried to fix seventeen years of neglect in one afternoon, an impossible feat, yes I know, but I will never stop trying.
"Gideon, this is too much."
She tried to protest when I got her a new phone an iPad and a Mac. I knew part of her reluctance was due to her father's reaction, but I was on top of it, in fact I almost wanted him to react to it; that would give me an excuse. Any wrong move on his part going forward was all the excuse I will need to remove her from under his care and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it, by law she was old enough it was only her attachment to him that was keeping me from making my move.
Hmm, that's food for thought, a bit drastic Thorpe, but if he forced my hand I would do it.
But do you really want to pick up that gauntlet? Get embroiled in some sort of tug of war over a girl you’d just met? For her, I'd risk it, I'm beginning to think there isn't much I wouldn't risk for her, to see her this happy always.
From there I dragged her off to a clothing store, her eyes opened and she acted like just what she was, a young girl. I still had to force her to try on things and then to let me buy them for her.
"Uh, maybe I should leave this stuff at your place?"
"Why would you do that? Your phone and new computers are for you to use, especially to call me." I nudged her before hugging her under my arm. We were attracting a lot of attention, I'm sure people were trying to figure out the relationship between the twenty something guy and the much younger school girl, still in uniform no less.
I could care less but I didn't want my Blossom feeling uncomfortable, though she didn't seem to notice the attention thank God, that's just one more thing to make her feel self conscious.
"I'm not sure..."
"You're worrying about your dad again, I told you everything's going to be okay, nothing for you to worry about."
I was gonna make sure I had eyes and ears on the Sanders residence for as long as she remained there so there was no need for her to worry.
We finished up with all those little necessities every girl should have, perfume, lipstick, lip gloss, of course she had to choose cherry which meant I couldn't wait to kiss it off her lips.
We were loaded down with bags of which half were for the condo. There were things bought specifically for there, like her new silk robe for relaxing evenings when she stayed over, her favorite shampoo and body creams which she’d always liked but never bought. I got her two of everything, one for home and one for my place.
She didn't have to tell me anything for me to know the asshole never gave her any spending money, the more I learned, the harder it was for me to think about letting her go back to him.
Dinner was a simple affair in a little bistro that I liked. I ordered her the leek and potato soup as a starter followed by poached salmon in hollandaise sauce with asparagus and new potatoes.
She was such a delight to spoil, I found myself looking forward to things that I had never paid much attention to in the past. Like the upcoming holidays, not to mention her birthday which would be in a few short months.
I smiled at the thought.
"What? What are you smiling about?"
That’s my little girl, so attentive to my every action.
My smile grew wider. "I'm imagining spoiling my best girl for the holidays."
"Who me?"
She blushed with a look of uncertainty on her face. My poor baby, so unaccustomed to attention, I felt my hands clench into fists. I refuse to let thoughts of her father and what I would like to do to him intrude on our time any more this evening.
My only thought from now on would be of her, of making her life something beautiful.
It was pure torture taking her home after all that. I had stolen more than a few kisses in the back of the car. Like now, we were almost to her house and I had her on my lap as I taught her how to kiss me the way I liked, with lots of tongue and playfulness.
"Give me your tongue."
She obeyed hurriedly and I took her tongue into my mouth. She’d put on her new lip-gloss, I knew it would torment me, she tasted like innocence and sin.
I wanted to plunder and devour but reminded myself of my promise. Not until after her birthday, Damn I hope I can last that long. She drew forth such strong emotion in me I wondered how I would keep myself in check when already I wanted her so badly it was like a gnawing pain in my gut that would not be assuaged until I had her for the first time, and perhaps not even then.
"Sir we're here."
Dammit, not enough time, never enough time. I held her away from me holding her little face in my hands.
"You call me if you need me do you hear me Ashley?" Fuck I don’t want to leave her. Beg me to take you home with me baby, just say the fucking words.
She looked at me questioningly, with a light frown until she got my meaning.
I saw shame and embarrassment cloud her face and wanted to walk into that ho
use and beat the shit out if him, soon. That's another promise to myself he'll pay, not only for what he had done to her all her life, but also for what he’d intended.
Chapter 7
It was with a heavy heart that I left her there. I'm not usually one to go against my instincts, and it bothered the hell out of me, that now, when it was most important, I had no choice but I couldn't just remove a seventeen year old girl from her fathers' house on a whim. He was the only family she had and she had no idea what he really felt about her, well maybe a little bit but I don’t think my baby really understood all that was at play here. What child can accept that he or she isn’t loved unconditionally by their own parent?
I will eventually have to tell her these things but our relationship was too new. For all that the attraction between us was very strong I’m still relatively a stranger to her. This was the man who’d been the only constant in her life, and no matter his treatment of her, I was sure my Blossom had strong feelings for him, it's just who she is.
Back at my place I paced the floor in worry while sipping a snifter of cognac. I found myself checking my phone every five minutes to see if she'd called and I somehow missed it. I had eyes and ears on the house so that gave me a peace of mind but still every second that she was in his presence was like torture. I wanted to just go over there and take her, bring her home. But I was afraid of alienating her; what if she blamed me?
I need for our relationship as unconventional as it already is to go smoothly, that wouldn't happen if I acted on the caveman mentality that she seems to draw forth from me. Being with her this afternoon had only solidified my feelings, that this was right, that we were right society be damned. I will let nothing and no one stand in my way, least of all her bastard of a father.
I hate the position I must take, knowing what I know about him and about his plans for her future. I hope he took my threats seriously, because I would have no problem destroying him if he harmed one hair on her fucking head. As for his sick twisted plans against his own flesh and blood, I could only be thankful that I came along when I did.
The mere thought of it was sickening to think that anyone could think to do such a thing to their own flesh and blood was beyond the realm of human decency.
I have to stop thinking of these things, for now anyway, otherwise my well laid out plans would go up in smoke. I have to tread very carefully. When she does eventually come to be with me here, or in our new home, which I’m hoping she would help me pick out sometime in the near future, I want it to be a happy occasion, and not because I had to drag her from the clutches of her deranged father.
I tried losing myself in work, the work I had put aside to take her shopping today. She was such a delight, found such pleasure in the littlest things. I wouldn't let my mind go to the fact that she was this way because Cliff Sanders had deprived her for so long, when I think of her being a small child at his mercy my stomach hurts.
Fuck, I can't do this. She'll just have to be mad at me for a while, the more I think of it the more I feel like an unfeeling cad for leaving her there. I was hounded by an unsettling feeling in the pit of my gut, had been fighting it ever since I drove away and left her there. Please don’t let her hate me for what I’m about to do. “I’m coming Blossom, for better or worse you’re mine now and I take care of my own.”
I was pulling on my jacket when my phone finally rang, without even looking I knew what it was, my heart raced and my blood ran cold. "Thorpe."
"Ah sir, there seems to be some sort of altercation taking place in the residence should we intervene?"
"Yes, subdue and contain, I'm on my way." This is your fault Gideon, you knew what type of man this was and still you let her go there, how could you? I will have to beat myself up later right now my only thought was getting to her. I didn't call my driver, I took the Aston out myself I needed speed.
I reached the house in less than fifteen minutes, as I walked up to the door I could hear her father railing against my men. I kicked in the door and walked in on my worst fucking nightmare.
One of my guards had the asshole sequestered in a corner of the room while the other sat on the stairs with a crying Ashley. Without uttering a word I walked over to the stairs and picked her up. Her little body was trembling uncontrollably and I wanted to commit murder. I had to shake the blood from my eye before I could see to her. I took deep calming breaths so I wouldn’t scare her anymore than she already was before kneeling at her feet and drawing her into my arms.
I checked her over for any sign of physical harm but there was none evident. I took a sigh of relief at least she'd been spared that, I hoped.
"What happened here Ashley?" I kept my voice level though the rage threatened to choke the fuck out of me. I can’t end her father in front of her. That’s what I kept repeating to myself as I awaited her answer.
She was crying too hard to answer so I turned to my men, they would’ve everything that went on inside the house. "What happened?"
"We heard breaking glass and screaming then crying, we weren't sure what was going on so we called you."
"Thanks guys! Did you hit her?" I looked at the man whose neck I imagined wringing.
"I didn't touch the little bitch."
I made to step towards him until I remembered I was holding her in my arms. She cringed at his outburst and I drew her closer to my chest as if to shield her from his words. How many times had he called her that and worst? The stupid fuck; not now Gideon, take care of Blossom first, deal with him later.
Without another word I turned and walked up the stairs with her still clutching me as if afraid I will leave her. Never a fucking again, at least I had the asshole to thank for giving me this golden opportunity. I kissed her brow and gently passed my lips across hers. “Which room is yours baby?"
I spoke softly as if to a child, she had yet to say a word and I had no idea of the extent of his latest attack and how traumatized she might be.
She pointed out her room to me and then buried her face in my neck. It's when I opened the door that I saw the destruction. Everything I’d bought her had been either broken or torn to shreds. This too was my fault, she'd tried to warn me, but I stupidly believed that my threats would keep him in check.
It seems his hatred of her far outweighed his fear of me, or my retribution. I turned and left the room with her still in my arms. She won't be needing anything here after today.
Downstairs my man was still standing guard over him, I wanted to plow my fist in his face but that would mean putting her down which I wasn't ready to do.
I sufficed myself with giving him a glare, in that look I told him everything he needed to know. His tyranny of her was at an end, now mine of him will begin.
"Leave him." I walked out of there and to my car, my men followed behind after I had secured her in the front seat. The piece a shit came outside but kept his silence, wouldn't want the neighbors to hear what was going on. I could care less about his reputation, but her I will protect, his time will come. It burned a hole in my gut not to put a bullet in him right then and there but she came first. I had to get her the fuck out of there and to safety, only then will I think of what to do with him. I could give my men the order to take care of him but this was personal. He’d fucked with mine after I’d warned him, that’s an affront, an insult that will not and cannot go unanswered.
I didn't look back at him as we drove away, just took her hand in mine, kissed her palm, and took her home.
She curled into a ball in the front seat of my car, not saying a word just crying her heart out. I thought of settling her down at home and going back there to beat the crap out of him. I don't remember ever feeling such violence against another person in my life and I’ve done some violent shit.
When we reached my place I faced a moral dilemma, a first for me. Should I lead her to the guest room or have her stay with me? I had no intentions of touching her, not yet, but I didn't want her to spend the night alone, not feeling the way she was.
<
br /> I parked in the underground garage and came around to let her out, she climbed into my arms like a child; broke my fucking heart. How could anyone hurt such a sweet, loving heart as hers? The tears were finally gone but she was still sniffling as she once again buried her face in my neck.
I used the card to access my private elevator thankful that I had privacy. I tried putting her down but she just clung tighter and made a distressed sound. "Ssh, ssh, it's okay baby, I've got you."
I kissed her brow as the elevator climbed to the penthouse, since she refused to release me I guess I had my answer. She didn’t want to be alone.
I walked to the master suite and placed her gently on the bed. She was already in her pajamas and all she had on her feet were socks so I just placed her under the covers.
"Look at me baby." I pushed her hair back from her face so I could look into her eyes. Her beautiful eyes that were now red from too much crying.
"You want to tell me what happened sweetheart?"
She shook her head and buried her face in the pillow. There was no need to push, I'm sure my guys had a recording of what had gone on in there, I just wanted her to talk.
"Okay, we'll talk about it tomorrow when you’re ready.” I took some time to formulate my next words in my head. This was it the point of no return and I knew that no matter what she was staying with me. I just hope she wanted that too, it would be fucked to start our new life together on a bad note, but there’s no way I would ever let her go near him again.
“Do you know what's going to happen next Ashley?”
She turned over and looked at me, her eyes puffy and red, she looked like a lost little girl, and I could kick my ass for putting her in this position, for not following my gut the one time it counted the most. I was so cocky, so sure of myself that I had foolishly put her in danger, now I will have to fix things.
The Billionaire Page 4