Chapter Twelve
Alexia clung to him like a scared little mouse, as he carried her to his car. Strapping her well, he covered her with the blanket that he kept at the backseat of his car. He drove to her house as she fell asleep from tiredness. He was so thankful to the Lord Almighty that he could reach just in time and save his treasure.
He couldn't have asked God for more. He found his Alexia and now that they would be returning home to Travis Springs together, he was at peace.
He parked his car right in front of her home and getting down, he picked her bridal style in his arms, covered in the blanket as his shirt alone left her legs all bare. Her own clothes were too torn to be worn. Fishing out the keys from her handbag, he opened the door and went in.
As he carried her up the stairs to her bedroom which she pointed at, her father shouted from the bottom of the staircase.
"Where do you think you're taking my daughter to? What have you two done now?" He yelled looking at his bare chest, as he had given his shirt to Alexia who was covered in a blanket.
Briar didn't reply, he was seething with anger. It was because of him that Alexia was in this condition. He went to her bedroom and deposited her on her bed, but she immediately clung to him, in fear.
"It's ok, love. I'll just pack your things and we'll go," he reassured as she nodded and hugging a pillow sat quietly, watching him with wide eyes.
"Where do you think you're going? I'll call the police now," her father yelled.
When Briar kept packing her essential things without answering, her father went mad with anger.
"What the hell is going on? Who the hell are you? What have you done to my daughter?" He yelled so fiercely that Alexia started shivering with fear.
"Stop your yelling immediately. Are you fit to be called a father? Hasn't your precious friend Steve Cooper informed you that his son, Ralph is in police lockup for attempting to rape a twenty-three year old employee of his, Alexia Powell?" Said Briar, his voice laced with sarcasm.
"Hold your mouth, you filthy rat," said her father blinded by rage, as his hands flew to Briar's neck, but Briar simply held his hands in a vice like grip.
"If you weren't Alexia's dad, you would have been dead by now. Keep your hands to yourself Mr Powell. If you love those two bastards so much, you should watch this then," he said as he started the video and placed the phone in her father's hands.
Mr Powell sat down in horror as reality came crashing down upon him. After the video played to the end, Briar snatched the phone away and kept packing. He had packed all her stuff in five suitcases. Her passport, documents, her clothes, her everything.
"See what type of a father you are? Thank the Lord that I pursued her all the way here and followed her around. I could save her just on time. I'm taking her away with me, Mr Powell. She's my treasure and I'm taking her home to my mom," he told him.
"Since you are so ashamed of her, tell all your friends that your daughter died," Briar said as he picked up Alexia in his arms and down the stairs. He put her down on the sofa in the living room and went up to get her luggage. When all the luggage was put away in his car. He took the spare dress that he didn't pack along with her underwear and send her to the bathroom downstairs.
"You can't just take her away like this. She's my daughter and I will report you to the police. I will also make your brother's life a living hell at university," said her father.
Briar clapped his hands. "Wow, wonderful. After what happened to your daughter, shouldn't you be comforting her? Yet you are after me? Can you only make people's lives a living hell? Just like you've done for your daughter," he said. "I have shifted my brother to a different university. If you try anything I will report you to the police. It's because of you that she's in this condition. You forced her to a rapist," he said angrily.
"He's not a rapist. She might have provoked him," he told Briar.
Briar just took the printouts that he took about Ralph's past crime records and handed them to him.
Alexia came out, ready to go. She folded the blanket and kept it to her chest as she scooted closer to Briar. She handed him his shirt. He wore it and turned to her.
"Ready love?" He asked gently as she nodded. He picked her up bridal style and started for the door.
"She's not going anywhere with you," her father said angrily.
Briar put her down. "Love, do you want to go home with me? Or do you wish to stay here with your dad?" He asked her gently.
She clung to him. "Home with you," she said, her face in his chest.
"This is unbelievable. A father who's done so much for you means nothing to you? I'm ashamed of you, you ungrateful child, " he said nodding his head.
"Please, Mr Powell, this isn't the time to discuss this. She is traumatised. I'm leaving," Briar said, picking her up and going to the door.
He just left with her, not looking back even once at her father who stared angrily at them.
He stopped the car at a cafe and bought a hot chocolate drink to calm her down. He bought some cupcakes too in case they felt hungry. They were her favourite flavour, red velvet.
She drank her chocolate drink while Briar had a cupcake and coffee. He covered her with the blanket and started driving home. She soon fell asleep from the exhaustion, happy to be with the man she loved.
