I looked over at the bedside clock it was six o'clock. Damn I haven't slept this late since I started the business, looks like my Blossom was good for me in more ways than one.
I eased out from under her still not sure if I should wake her or not. She needed her school things shit, I hadn't thought of anything else but getting her out of there last night. What the fuck!
No problem, I needed to see one Cliffy Sanders alone anyway, I didn't need to hear the tapes for that he'd done plenty already.
I couldn't just leave without her knowing though so I had to wake her after all. She would freak if she knew where I was going so I wouldn't tell her, just make some shit up if it came to that.
"Blossom, wake up … come on baby open your eyes." I kissed her temple as I ran my hand through her hair and hugged her close. The feel of her warm soft body was a temptation that I fought to ignore, only a bastard would take advantage of her in this state.
"Gideon..." She reached her arms around my neck pulling me closer. The move was both innocent and seductive in turns. I gritted my teeth as her plump breast pressed into my chest.
Seventeen Thorpe, you have to wait, you have to wait. Just one kiss, if I burn in hell so be it.
I covered her mouth with mine as she came awake her eyes widened in surprise before she settled and returned my kiss.
My baby isn't a kisser even there she was mine, untouched. Fuck yeah. It's going to be a joy to introduce her to the delights of the flesh, but not now, though my body had other ideas.
I pulled tenderly away so I could look into her eyes. "Do you want to stay home today or go in to school?"
"I can't, I have tests all morning, but today's a half day, so I get to come home early..." She trailed off and twisted the covers in her hands as she looked down, I could see a blush tinting her cheek.
"What is it Ashley, what's on your mind?"
She peeked at me from under her lashes as she bit her lip. Damn morning trifecta, if she woke up like this every morning I was in serious trouble for the next few months. I'm already sporting a massive hard on which I was fighting to keep hidden from her, but if she kept biting her lip like that...
I pulled the offending flesh from between her teeth and lifted her chin with my finger.
"Tell me."
"Is this...home?"
Her voice was so small I barely made out the words but the look of fear in her eyes told me I had heard correctly.
"Yes it is, well one of them, but that's something we'll talk about later. Are you going to be okay to go to school today, you're sure? I could always call and have them postpone your testing."
"No, I want to go, do you think...do you think he'll come for me?" If he wants to fucking die sure. Her breathing got choppy with fear and tore at my gut.
"No sweetheart, he's not gonna come for you." I held her until her breathing quieted again, every tremble like a spike in my heart. How many years and how many horrors had she faced at the hands of the one who was supposed to protect? It made me sick to my stomach to think on it. She was such a fragile little thing, so soft, so...female. It was hard to imagine someone hurting her intentionally, it made me want to wrap her up in silk and tuck her away somewhere safe.
I wish I could erase every memory of every nightmare she had faced in her own personal hell. From what I had learned in the report I could only imagine what he had done and said to her all her life. One thing was for sure, the man was a sick bastard, and I will do everything in my power to keep her away from him. She'd understand one day if she doesn't now.
In the end I waited until she was in school, I dropped her off there myself and gave her one of my phones so she could call if she needed me. Barring that I would be back at one to pick her up.
I sped the rest of the way to her father's house, my anger once again at the forefront. Over breakfast, which she had insisted on making though I usually had just coffee in the mornings, she'd told me some of what had happened the night before.
He'd come into her room unannounced, a practice he seemed in the habit of doing on occasion. And when she'd tried to hide her new things he had gone into a rage, screaming profanities at her, along with calling her a whore, my whore.
I'd kept my peace while I listened but all the while I was imagining which bones I was going to break in his pathetic body.
I jumped out of my car in his driveway. I'm not a violent man by design but I have been known to lose my temper and have been told it's not a pretty sight.
Well Clifton Sanders was in for a treat because I don't think I've ever been this pissed in my fucking life.
It was still early in the morning and the few houses on the dead end street were quiet. I know that there were mostly retirees in this neighborhood and that will work in my favor.
I didn't stop to think, just kicked the door in and went right in. He wasn't upstairs but laid out on the couch in the living room. The noise from the door breaking must've woken him because he fumbled around trying to reach his gun on the side table.
"No you don't you son of a bitch."
I reached him in three strides and pulled him up by his neck. I nut punched him while glaring into his eyes and he dropped.
"I could've killed you for what you had planned for her that alone was your death sentence. I was willing to let it go for her sake but this just nailed your coffin shut." I kicked him once for good measure it was no fun beating the shit out of a sniveling dog that was just rolling around on the floor nursing his balls. Weak fuck, he only knew how to prey on a defenseless girl in his care. Someone who'd looked to him for everything, and whom he gave nothing. "Now go upstairs and get me all her pertinent paperwork, birth certificate, social security, medical records, everything. I want it in five minutes or I'm breaking a bone in your fucking body for every minute of my time you waste.
"I don't have to give you anything Thorpe, you have no rights she's my daughter. I'll have you brought up on charges. What would your high class friends think of a pedophile?"
"In case you forgot you fuck, in this state the law says I can marry Ashley at sixteen, she's almost eighteen. Your threats don't mean shit to me and I could give a flying fuck what my peers think, now get me what I asked for, times a wasting." I walked over to him to get him moving the longer I stayed in here the closer he came to death.
"How do you expect me to explain this, her sudden disappearance? What am I supposed to tell people?"
"You really are stupid. Do I look like I give a fuck how you explain anything? All I care about is keeping you away from her, as of yesterday you can forget you even have a daughter."
He sneered at me as if he wanted to kill me, I'm sure that thought was giving him the warm and fuzzies. Join the line you fuck, the nerve of this sick fuck to call me a pedophile after what he'd had planned for his own flesh and blood.
"You don't seem to hear so good since you still went after her after I warned you not to, so heed me now, fuck with me on this and the tape recording I have of you goes to the six o clock news. I've already left instructions, just in case by some twist of fate you get the drop on me. Now get going."
I shoved him away from me onto the floor his face had paled at the mention of a recording. Good you piece a shit, now worry what recording I'm talking about I'm sure your treatment of your daughter isn't your only vice. I followed him up the stairs and went to her room while he went after what I needed.
In her room I gathered only those things she would need for school. On a hunch I opened her closet and a few drawers, fucking bastard, she barely had the bare necessities.
I met him in the living room where he had a packet ready for me. I opened it up and checked just to be sure, I didn't trust him worth a damn.
"You owe me four thousand dollars I expect it by the end of the week."
"What? I don't owe you anything." He tried to get huffy but we both knew it was only for show, I'm pretty sure if he gave me any excuse I'd end his ass right here and now.
"Yeah, the shit you destroyed, I paid for, you'll give me four-thousand, and for every day that it's late that will be another five hundred. If more than a week goes by then I start taking it out of your ass and trust me that little skirmish is nothing compared to what I will do to you."
"You don't need that money..."
"I know, but I hate you, I want you to suffer in anyway I can make you suffer, besides you owe her a hell of a lot more than that you monster."