The Billionaire(4)

I will have her by fair means or foul.





Chapter 4



I've chosen my timing for the best effect. I will not do this while  she's in the house she's now become my first priority. Her young  untouched heart mine to protect. There might be things said here that  might cause hurt, also I do not wish for her to witness a  certain...shall we say, less than exemplary side of me if it should  arise.

Hopefully she'll never have to see that side ever but it certainly won't  do to have her see me like that so early in out relationship.

I had my driver pull up to the house ten minutes after I'd been assured  that she'd left for school. I knew her dad had about another half hour  before he left for his shift at the station. This shouldn't take too  long, even if the other man proved to be difficult. I made and broke  deals in less time with worthier opponents. I had no doubt about the  outcome of this little meeting. With the information I'd gathered the  man would be an ass to fuck with me on this.

She has no idea that I was coming here today. I hadn't wanted her to  worry herself over the outcome, and I also didn't want her to  inadvertently warn her father of my approach, sometimes the element of  surprise was your greatest weapon.

It had been two days since our first meeting, a meeting that had ended  with me stealing a kiss. How could I resist? Could a dying man resist an  oasis in the desert? She'd been just as sweet as I'd dreamt she would  be and that little taste had just whetted my appetite for more. She was  expectedly skittish in my arms but that just added to her appeal. I'd  promised her after that first shared kiss that I'd be back for her and I  aimed to keep that promise come hell or high water. No one, not even  the top cop in some little town was going to stand in my way.





Her father answered the door on the second knock. He looked about the  same as his picture, which I'd had my security snap while they were  doing a background check in him. I liked knowing who I'm dealing with  and since he was not only the law in this town, but the father of the  young woman I meant to claim I needed to know as much as I possibly  could. It's a good thing I had, but a picture was one thing, seeing the  man in the flesh quite another. I called on all the etiquette-training  mom had tried to drill into me as a youth not to do what I so badly  wanted. I had to think of my little Blossom.                       
       
           



       

"Yes, can I help you?" Clifton Sanders was a forty five year old fit,  attractive male who took good care of himself. All of that was obvious  in my first cursory glance. He didn't look like the friendliest of  people though if the look on his face was any indication. Before the day  was over I was sure to put a frown on his already scowling face I was  afraid.

"Mr. Sanders, the name's Gideon Thorpe, I'm here about a personal  matter, would you mind if we took this inside?" He studied me from head  to toe, taking in the expensive cut of my suit, the limo behind me and  the two men standing guard at my side.

I'd chosen the limo today for just this purpose. I wanted to make a  statement, that of power and utter control. It wasn't everyday I flexed  my muscles but in this case there wasn't anything I wouldn't do to get  my way. "I suppose come on in."

He led us to his living room and took a seat on the couch while pointing  me to one of the two armchairs across from him. I ignored him and  remained standing, first tenet of the top dog. Always hold the position  of power. There was a huge portrait of who I assumed was Ashley's  deceased mother over the fireplace mantle.

That more than anything in my reports told me about the man. It also  helped me to understand a little better why he was raising his daughter  the way he was. I felt the first niggling of anger hit my gut but held  it at bay. It was never a good thing to jump the gun. Things could  appear one way on paper and be entirely different in reality. This was a  delicate situation so I thought it best to proceed with caution, feel  him out so to speak. One wrong move on his part though and I'll show him  just who the fuck he was dealing with. I came here with the words of  the report fresh in my mind, but yet willing to give him the benefit of  the doubt. So far I wasn't too impressed with what I'd seen.

"Before we begin let me just say that I have with me any documents you  might need to verify anything I might say to you." I saw the confusion  cross his face.

"You said this was personal?"

"Yes, I'll get to that. I think you should know I've had you  investigated before coming here today. Both your personal and  professional life, and though you may not know me, I am an honest,  upstanding man of my word."

"I've heard of you, who in these parts haven't?" He leaned forward with a  look of what the hell is this about on his face but I wasn't ready to  give him anything quite yet.

"Good, I have a reputation in the business world that's quite separate  from who I am as a man. I like to keep my personal life just that,  personal."

"Well what is it that you think I can do for you Mr. Thorpe?"

"Gideon please, and it's quite simple. I want your daughter. No let me  reiterate, I mean to have your daughter." Never beat around the bush,  it's just a waste of fucking time.

His anger was instantaneous, and expected.

"Get the hell out of my house." He got to his feet in anger but that  little show of aggression didn't phase me, I stood my ground and stared  him down. "No."

"What?" He stumbled back as if I'd hit him. I could imagine a man in his  position accustomed to giving orders and having them followed without  question would have a hard time with the word. I wonder how often he'd  let her say the word? The fuck.

"I came here in good faith when I really didn't need to, as a courtesy,  out of...respect I guess you can say. But we both know that there was no  need. Ashley is of age after all..."

"But she's still under my care."

"For now, yes, and if you handle this the right way, she just might  remain there for a little while longer. But if you force my hand I'm  afraid I will take her away from you completely."

"What he hell are you talking about?"

"It's quite simple, I want your daughter, I want to take care of her,  and who knows, maybe this thing could last forever, as it stands I don't  see my future without her in it. I can make her very happy in life. Or  you can leave her to the wiles of some young buck who might use and  discard her..."

"My daughter does not date." He was turning red with anger and it gave  me pause. There was something more going on here than just a man  concerned with the welfare of his young daughter and more than the  initial report had intimated though what we'd found was fucked up  enough. What that something was I'll have to wait until the more in  depth report I'd ordered was in front of me. All I cared about right now  was paving the way to her and my relationship.

"How long do you think that will last, hmm? Do you think to keep her  under lock and key for the rest of her life? Is that what your dear wife  would've wanted for her only daughter?"                       
       
           



       

"You know nothing of my wife."

"Bit of a free spirit our Dana wasn't she? Tell me, does your daughter know that you blame her for her mother's death?"

He turned white as a sheet and looked around the room as if seeking an escape.

"You can't, you don't..."

"What, I can't know that? But I do, like I said, I had you investigated,  not just what you show the world, but what you do in secret. And yes I  know about your secret rendezvous and what's said and done there." I  smirked at him.

"You know what I see, I see a beautiful, vibrant Blossom that's being  smothered to death by you because you can't get over the death of the  woman you loved. But how much could you have really loved her if you  seek to destroy her daughter's spirit? A daughter that by all accounts  she loved dearly."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore." He paced away like a cornered rat.

"You don't have to, just listen. For the next three months I will court  Ashley, I promise you that I will be a complete gentleman during that  time. Nothing about her life needs change, except now I will be a big  part of it. She will go to school as usual. On school nights I will have  her home by ten, on the weekends, maybe midnight. She will no longer be  taking the bus to and from school I will pick her up in the mornings  and have her driven home in the afternoons if I'm too busy at work.  Sometimes I will have her sit with me in my office after school, she can  do her homework there." I let that settle in for a bit and when all he  did was stared I carried on.