Chapter 8: GIDEON

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.

"That's about it for now."

"And if I don't agree?"

"Oh, Cliff, you do not want to play hardball with me. There're so many things to choose from, where should I start? Should I start with the alienation of your daughter by letting her in on some of your more hostile feelings towards her? You really should be careful what you say when out drinking with the boys."

"Should I tell her of your plans for her when she finishes school? Looks like I came along just in time. On second thoughts, I don't think I can leave her here alone with you after all."

"Listen here, you, if you..."

"I'm not interested in your threats Cliff, just know this. If you do anything to harm her, I will fucking bury you. I have some compassion for the loss of your wife, but your treatment of your daughter in the years following border on criminal. Your neighbors might see it as over-protectiveness while I see it as fucking abuse, and of one who is so undeserving of such. You've stifled every impulse..."

"Why should she live and be happy when my Dana is gone because of her? Dana was sunshine and light, and that fucking brat and her fucking whining robbed me of my life."

At that moment, he came dangerously close to bleeding. I clenched my fists and prayed for patience. It wouldn't do to strangle my Blossom's one remaining parent in their living room the first time we met. The man had raised an amazing creature; how could he be such a dick?

"You really are pathetic; I came here hoping the reports were wrong for her sake, that there was some redeeming quality to be found, but you have none. Just remember what I said, mess with her, I'll mess with you. One more thing, when she asks you about this later, you will give her your support one hundred percent, or there will be hell to pay."

I turned for the door, I'd said all I came to say after all, and if I spent one more second in his presence, I might knock his teeth down his neck. How could he look at that beautiful girl and see anything less than a gift?

Whatever his reign of terror was over. Whatever hell he'd put her through because of his misguided misplacement of guilt ends now. Come tomorrow, one little girls' life was going to change drastically and all for the better. I couldn't wait to introduce her to my world, to watch her grow up and Blossom into the beautiful being I know she is.

Of course, I'm going to keep an eye on her father, any man who could hold a grudge against an innocent child for so long couldn't be all there. I knew, though, that she loved him; it would be hard to get her to see what he really was without breaking her heart, which I am not going to do. Even if I have to protect her from the truth of what he is, I will. As long as he doesn't fuck with me and mine.

Where I've learned that the first part of her existence was...less than pleasant, I planned to make sure she enjoyed all the good that my money could buy. Everything else I'd have to see to, and after meeting that man face to face, I was sure it wouldn't be long before I found a way to get her out from under him. Stupid fuck, how could he not love my girl? His fucking loss, I will make up for everything he denied her in life.

Outside on the sidewalk, I inhaled some much-needed fresh air. The man left a bad taste in my mouth. I couldn't imagine my girl dealing with that shit day in and day out.

I think maybe I'll pick her up from school, give her the good news. Maybe I'll start taking her to my office after school starting today. Why wait? I looked back at the little house she shared with that ogre and was suddenly struck by a thought. Since meeting my Blossom, I've been acting totally out of the ordinary; what was one more thing?

I picked up my car phone as soon as I was seated. "Agnes, please, it's Gideon Thorpe."

"Gideon, so nice to hear from you; what can I do for you?"

"I need to look at mansions sometime today."

I spent the better part of the morning looking at homes with Ashley in mind. That meeting with her father had done more than left a bad taste in my mouth; it had left me feeling unsettled, like there was something I was missing. It was one thing to get reports and guess at what they meant behind the scenes and quite another to see the reality first hand.

I didn't know exactly what the fuck I had walked into here, but my gut was telling me to get my shit together. I'm a very possessive beast by nature, and in all my dealings, all my acquisitions to date, none had ever come close to her.

In one moment, I had seen her and been ensnared now; she consumes my every fucking thought. She's little more than a baby, and she had that kind of power over one of the most powerful men in the city. Life truly is stranger than fiction.

This was a delicate situation, no doubt. I will have to tread carefully, but someway somehow, I was getting her away from him. It was by the third house viewing that I had the idea that maybe I should bring my Blossom along with me on this house hunt.

It was for her, after all, and she should have some say; in fact, she should have all the say. I'd gotten the feeling from her cold fish of a dad that she didn't have much of a say in anything in her life so far. All of that was about to change.

"Listen, Agnes; I think I might've jumped the gun on this one." Ever the professional, she didn't bat a lash at the thought of losing a sale. Though I'm sure as a businessman who understands that time is money, the prospect of losing such a lucrative deal after spending hours going from place to place couldn't be too palatable.

"There's someone else who needs to be here, I've seen some places that I really like, but I think we'll reschedule for a time when she can be here to make the final choice."

"Of course, Mr. Thorpe, I understand, and will you be needing me to reschedule, or will you choose a time and place?" We headed back to our cars while I looked back over my shoulder at this last place, not bad, not bad at all. I could see her in a place like this.

"Why don't I give you a call when it's convenient?" She nodded her assent, and I split off and headed for the limo to head back to the office. I had a lot of work on my desk to take care of. Some of it I'd left unattended because I'd been too preoccupied.

Now that I'd start the ball rolling, I could relax and breathe a little easier. Soon I will start my courtship, fuck I've never courted anyone in my life. Too fucking jaded even at a young age. I'm sure I'd figure it out. With her, it seems all I have to do is go with the gut. And my gut was telling me to spoil the fuck out of her.