The Billionaire(8)

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 house 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.

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.