34. Gideon

GIDEON

W hen enough time had passed that I thought the coast was clear I led the two prisoners from the room. Not that anyone could mistake the panic room for a prison it had been built with every comfort in mind and after meeting and marrying Blossom in the last few weeks I'd made doubly sure it had everything needed.

She was leaning heavily against me like all the air had been knocked out of her, too much. I kept a tight rein on my anger though not willing to add to her distress.

I exchanged a knowing look with Jason when I caught him removing the headphones that he'd had plugged into the monitor. That could only mean one thing, he'd been shielding her from what the men were saying, but he himself had been listening in.

Chances are he heard them make mention of his father and his part in what had taken place here today. It was a fucked up situation in more ways than one. More so because I'm gonna have to sit this kid down at some point and explain to him why I offed his old man, but first I had to see to my wife.

No doubt all the excitement was too much for her. Poor thing, she's been having a rough couple of weeks, but if everything went well this would be the last time she had to face any danger associated with her father and her childhood.

My guys were gone like the wind by the time we made it out and I sat her down in the kitchen while I went to make her some tea. The kid was talking to her calmly about nothing in particular as I listened, trying to take her mind off of what had just happened I gather. Knowing my Blossom that would be easier said than done.

I made them both tea though Jason looked at me like I was nuts when I put his down in front of him.

"Drink it."

"Dude, this is for old women, sorry Ashley."

She snorted tea through her nose and started coughing through laughter. It wasn't so much what he said as how he said it and the look on his face when he said it, as if I'd given him strychnine.

We both laughed because she was laughing and then suddenly the air didn't feel so thick anymore. I sat next to her with an arm around her shoulders while she sipped her tea. I wanted to ask a million questions but decided to wait until she was done. I could watch the tapes later to see how everything had unfolded but I needed to hear her tell it.

Needed to gauge just how scared she was and might still be. They'd breeched our home after all, a place I'd convinced her was safe. That more than anything pissed me the fuck off, that they'd sullied our sanctuary so to speak. Which reminded me.

"Baby I forgot in all the madness. I got you something."

"You did, what is it, where is it?" Her eyes lit up and I expected her to start patting me down any second to find her treat. It's amazing how she could switch from one emotion to the next so easily, I'm sure it's something she'd learned to do as a kid.

Maybe it was a good thing I'm not sure, the psychiatrist we'd discussed her seeing would get to the bottom of it hopefully.

"It's not here, I have to show you." Her face fell into a sulky pout, which I found sexy as hell so couldn't resist taking a nibble out of her lip. I started to draw her into my lap forgetting for a second that we had an audience .

"Geez get a room." Jason got up to place his cup in the sink. I watched him as he rubbed the back of his neck; somehow I wasn't buying his laid back act. He seemed wound up and ready to spring at any moment.

I studied him to see what if anything I could learn from his body language but he wasn't giving anything away. For all his manly size it was easy to forget that he was just a young boy. A boy who'd been on the streets for way too long hiding from his own father, because he'd tried to save a friend, a friend who was now my treasured wife.

Needless to say, Jason Starks' life on the run was at an end. I will of course be taking care of him from here on out no matter what his thoughts on the matter. I'll just let Blossom deal with that when the time comes as I have no doubt his pride might get in the way of common sense.

"I think I've had enough excitement for one day maybe I'll go watch some TV in that gargantuan room you gave me." He stretched and yawned as he started out of the room. "Jace you ok?"

"Never better Ash, I'm just tired and I have to go ponder the fact that my father is an even bigger asshole than I thought." He left the room and I could see her confusion at his last remark so to sidetrack her I made a split second decision. "Let's go get your gift baby you up to going outside?"

Of course I knew it was safe, the culprits were under guard except for Starks but I wasn't too worried about him. I'm sure the other two hadn't let him in on all they'd had planned or he would've most likely been here with them. Even in their evilness there was hierarchy.

I bundled my little wounded soldier up and after saying bye to Jason we headed out to see her gift. I had to make a phone call on the way to set things up. This wasn't quite how I'd envisioned giving her this particular gift but somehow it seems to fit after the events of the day.

We were finally free, well almost. I couldn't wait to get our lives started out from under the bullshit. I still had some shit to take care of before the night was done but that can wait. She'd had too little joy in the last few days. I wanted to give her something good, something that would help take her mind off of all this.

She hadn't asked about the safe house because again, that was her way. She knew if there was something to tell I would've told her. She was also steering clear of any mention of the two who were just hunting her down, which I was immensely glad of because that was a conversation I was not looking forward to.

I held her hand as we drove through the streets not wanting to lose contact not even for a second. When I let myself think of what could've happened to her the fear threatened to choke me.

After today I was going to make damn sure that nothing like this ever touched her again. I don't see how I'm going to keep her away from the children that were even now at the place I'd secured for them. I wasn't sure how involved I wanted her to be in that whole scenario. If it were up to me she'd never give her past another thought but that's just wishful thinking. Even I couldn't pull that one off.

It made me sick to my stomach to think what might've become of her had I not come along, had she not caught my eye that day not so long ago, which was beginning to feel like years.

Soon, hopefully before the little one gets here, things would've settled down and we could look forward to a life of love and peace. I'm going to spoil her ass rotten starting tomorrow and everyday after. Starting with this.

I felt her excitement as soon as we entered the gates. The long driveway that led to the monstrosity at the end was lined with blossoming trees, their scent permeating the evening air as we drove through.

"Gideon?" Her hand tightened on mine as I kept driving until we reached the front door. "Is it?" She turned to me with her eyes wide and brimming with excitement. It did my heart good to see that.

"Yes love, it's all yours." She threw her arms around me and peppered my face with her precious kisses. "Can we go in? I wanna see it. "

"Sure love the key's under the mat."

I got out and walked around to her side feeling lighter, this had been a good decision after all. Maybe a few hours spent in the house she'd picked out weeks ago, that I'd bought her only today would go a long way to erasing some of the terror she'd faced earlier.

We walked around the big old house going from room to room. I let her wander at her heart's content standing back while she ran her fingers over the two hundred year old wood and exclaimed over the view out the windows. She was happy. After the day we'd just had I consider that a minor miracle. I put it away for now and tried to enjoy her pleasure in her gift. Leave the madness outside for at least a little while.

My only thoughts now were of my wife and child. I could see us here, could almost hear the laughter and the joy I knew she would bring into all our lives.

"Is it really ours?" She turned from the window where she'd been gazing out over the gardens in silence.

"Yes baby it's ours, you can change anything you don't like."

"No Gideon I love it just as it is. I can't wait to decorate, we should get books." Her excitement was infectious as she walked over to me and laid her head on my chest. She still wasn't moving as easily as before because of the accident but she was getting better. She'd had to run and hide from two madmen on crutches. The seriousness of the situation was now hitting home hard but I fought to hold it at bay as she caressed my chest.

"You want decorating books?" I hugged my sweet girl close enjoying the feel of her in my arms, safe and whole. "Uh huh."

"You don't want to hire someone to do it?"

"No I want us to do it, can we please?" That face, so precious, how did I get so fucking lucky ?

"If that's what you want Blossom then that's what we'll do." She could ask me for the world and I'd find a way to give it to her. I know fuck all about decorating but I guess I can learn.

"Have you had enough...Hold on." My phone went off in my pocket.

"Thorpe."

"You need to get back to the house." It was Gage and from the sound of his voice something was very wrong.

"What's going on?" I wrapped an arm around her and led us to the door.

"It's the boy!" Fuck, she couldn't take anymore.

"Is he alive?" I squeezed her shoulder when she gasped, she had no idea who I was speaking of but she knew something was wrong.

"Yeah but we've got a situation you better get here as soon as possible." At least he wasn't dead. Whatever it was I can handle it as long as I didn't have to tell her that her childhood friend was dead just as she'd found him again.

"Is everything okay Gideon?" I kissed her hair as I led her to the car. "Yes baby everything's fine we just need to get back we'll get your books later okay."

"Okay." My heart was a little unsettled as we headed home. I didn't know what I was going to find there but I knew it wouldn't be good, the tone in Gage's voice told me that much.

Traffic was light so we made good time and was soon heading up in the elevator. She'd been quiet the whole way here but I could tell she was scared again. Will this shit never end?

My men were all standing around in the kitchen. At the table in the middle of them was Jason, he looked shaken and he was covered in...

" Is...is that blood?" She hobbled to his side before I could stop her.

"What's going on, who hurt him?" What in the fuck? I walked over to where she was standing next to him already close to tears.

"Uh that's not quite what happened boss." Gage inclined his head towards Blossom. I took that to mean he wanted me to get her out of the room.

"Ashley why don't you go get some towels so we can clean him up?"

"But he's hurt, Jason where are you hurt? "

"I'm not Ashley..." He looked to me for help.

"Blossom baby go get the towels like I asked." She looked up at me and left the room reluctantly.

"Start talking."

"He did his old man." Well fuck.