The Billionaire (6 page)

I stayed with her holding her hand and playing in her
hair until she fell asleep with tear tracks on her face. This one was on me,
but Cliff Sanders was still going to pay for making her cry.

I held her onto her a little longer before kissing her
lips softly and leaving the room.

"Sam, I want those tapes before you call it a
night." I kept my voice low in case she awakened and came looking for me.

"Sure thing sir uh, I think you should know he
called in reinforcements. I don't think he's aware that we have ears on him.
I'm not sure how he thinks we came to be here, but so far he's still speaking
freely. Should I leave Bruce here or should we call it a night?"

"I got what I wanted out of there for now you can
bring in the Intel in and call it a night."

I hung up the phone, reinforcements huh, probably his
partner in crime Stark. Good, I hope they talked very freely then I could kill
two birds with one stone.

I walked back to the bedroom to check that she was
okay; she was sleeping peacefully curled up on her side. I kissed her brow and
pulled the covers higher up around her shoulders and stood over her just
looking at her. I can’t believe she was really here, even with the events of
the last few hours it seemed unbelievable that she could really be mine. If I
stopped to think about it I’d probably think I’d lost my damn mind. I shook my head
even as the smile broke out across my face. Whatever had brought us here to
this moment she was mine, this beautiful unbelievable creature was truly mine.
“I’m going to make you so fucking happy Blossom, see if I don’t.”

Tomorrow her life with me begins. He might've
destroyed those few paltry gifts but I will replace them and more. From now on
she would have everything her heart desires, everything he’d denied her
her
whole life I will see that she gets. But most
importantly I will show her that she was worth a hell of a lot more than he had
planned to sell her for.

Chapter 8

Gideon

I prowled the living room when I wasn't checking in on
her, those little whimpering noises she made in her throat made me want to go
tear him limb from limb. But that was too easy when I hit him I’m going to hit
him hard and with longer repercussions. As much as I’d like to kill the fuck he
was still her father so my hands were somewhat tied.

I had the tapes from tonight in my possession but I
haven't listened to them as yet because I don't want any interruptions when I
finally do listen to them. She might need me and I didn’t want to there to be a
chance that she’d come looking for me and overhear them. I can't go to sleep
because I have to keep an eye on her I think she's fucking traumatized. Not to
mention the fact that I'm too fucking fired up to even think about sleep. I
have to get my head straight so I can decide what my next play’s
gonna
be. He obviously didn’t believe me when I said I’d
hurt him if he fucked with her so now I have to send his stupid ass a message,
one that he won’t misinterpret and won’t soon forget.

Then there’s her state of mind. I have her here now
but what about in a couple days when things have calmed down? Will she want to
return to him? It wasn't going to happen, no matter what she wasn't going back,
ever, but would she want to?

I wasn't worried about school, getting her paperwork
was no problem, and I'd already put a man there to keep an eye on her, though
her father would still have access to her being her guardian of note.

That thought struck me again, the one about marrying
her to get her out from under his thumb, but was I ready for that, and more
importantly, was she?

It would be child's play to get a protection order
against him, I had the necessary contacts to pull that off, but then she would
have to deal with the signing and all that and I didn't want her going through
any more than she already had. I ran through everything I could think of to
protect her keep her safe. The one sure thing I kept coming back to was to keep
her with me at all cost. It was the only way I could see where I could be sure
that nothing else befell her.

I headed back to the bedroom and watched her as she
slept, so beautiful, so peaceful, and so young.

What the
fuck are
you doing
Thorpe? Have you lost your mind?

I’d taken one look at this girl and set out to own
her. I hadn't stopped to think, I just saw her, wanted her, and went after her.
Had I known the baggage she came with would I still have pursued her? Fuck yes,
only I wouldn't have waited so long. My waiting could’ve cost me her and that
thought scared the fuck out of me. That she could’ve been lost to me before I’d
ever had the chance to know just how fucking prefect she is.

I put any lingering doubts aside as I climbed onto the
bed with her. Combing her hair behind her ear with my fingers I drew her head
onto my chest.

She sighed and cuddled closer, sighing my name in her
sleep. That right there was enough to tell me that I’d done the right thing,
that come what may, I will keep her with me, and that no one would ever hurt
her again.

I had one of the best night's sleeps since I was a
kid. The weight of her on my chest felt like she belonged there and when I
kissed her brow gently it felt like the most natural thing in the world. I laid
still breathing her in, enjoying the feel of her against me, willing myself not
to turn her on her back and fuck her the way I imagined doing since the first
day I laid eyes on her. Not yet, she was in no way ready for me, I have to ease
her into that side of things. Didn’t want to scare her by moving too fast,
besides I wanted to court her, and
ain’t
that a kick
in the fucking balls? Think of something else quick Thorpe before you fuck this
up.

I wondered if I should keep her home just for today,
maybe her father would try something stupid since he'd proven that he had no
sense. He couldn't possibly if he’d decided to take me on. Then again he
couldn't have known I would find out, he had her terrified of him so he wouldn't
expect her to tell me what he’d done. She has been hiding the shit her whole
life after all. Who knows what the fuck else he would’ve done if my men weren’t
there to stop him? Okay I need to get up, I was either
gonna
try to fuck her or lose my shit thinking about that dumb fuck. She wasn’t ready
for either show.

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."

"I want that tape, I kept my end of the bargain I
gave you what you wanted."

"You'll never see that tape. Until I'm sure she's
safe from you and that you won't be a pain in my ass the tape stays. Funny you
don't even know what's on those tapes and you're still worried, you really are
a sick fuck."

"All this trouble for that little bit..."

My fist was in his mouth before he could finish the
sentence, I didn't stop there either, he’d finally given me just the opening I
needed dumb fuck.

It had been some years since I had to talk with my
fist, but it all came back to me. His puny attempts were no match for my
burning anger. I hit him for every year she had spent in terror, for every
missed childhood dream. I didn't stop plowing my fist into him until I grew
tired.

"Come near her again, I'll kill you."

I turned and walked out. There was no way of knowing
whether or not he would heed my warning the guy seems not too bright. Either
that or his personal vendetta against her superseded everything else including
self -preservation.