Hostile takeover:
Mr. Steele puts man-whore Elliot Grey in the hospital for getting unwanted handy with his Daughter. Christian get mad and decides to ruin the Steele Woodwork's. Revenge for putting him in the hospital with his brother. Can the Grey boys overcome the anger, hate? Can Christian overcome his past, present to grab a future.
Chp1. Act 1
g-pov
Seattle General Hospital: 10am: Wednesday: beginning of June
I run into the emergency room, a nurse friend just paged me. Elliot is here, wounded. I don't know why, or how. I enter the Trauma bay. He lays with IV tubes, wires attached, breathing tube, And ice pack about his face. The doctors have just finish packing and covering his swollen shut eyes, packing gauze into his broken nose. His left arm is broken, and his right arm is badly swollen. But handcuffed to the gurney.
A cop stands nearby. I read over the nurse taking notes. Broken arm, broken jaw, broken nose, contusion to face, bruise check and brow bones, bleeding from the right ear, bruise and dislocated right wrist and elbow, bruise sternum, broken ribs collapsed lung with a chest tube draining the fluid. I would think a car wreck, but it clear says assault, assault and battery, sexual assault. I check his vitals, he's sedated.
"Officer, I'm his mother. What happened?" I demand in my doctor voice.
"He assaulted two women, with two other perverts. One of their daddies caught them. The other two got sent to Methodist hospital. Your son's need a good lawyer. The girls are in the next bays." He states cold and hateful. How could my son to this, he's never hit a woman in his life? I walk over to bay 3&4.
In bay 3, a blonde tall, girl about 20, lays with breathing tube down her throat, IV and senor attached. Her face could be pretty except its swollen, black and blue. Hand prints can be seen on her face and neck thru the brace, splints on her legs and right arm. The nurse is finishing a rape kit. Please god let this be a mistake.
In bay 4; it' worse, a small petite brunette about 17 maybe lays with half her face swollen, distorted. Finger nail scratches mar a classical natural beauties face, her left arm splinted and her monitor show a coma, O' no! head trauma. I want to check their charts, but I know it would be an ethical violation, fire-able, disbarment. I run outside and call Cary. I bum a smoke as I wait, pacing and fretting. Panic surges thru me in waves. Peaking and crashing. I bum a second smoke.
Fifteen minutes later he calls back. "Grace, what wrong? I'm in court. I had to ask judge for a break?" he ask
"Elliot in the hospital, he's been arrested for sexual assault on two girls. I don't know what to do?" I start to cry; Cary phone went dead. A nurse friend of mine, puts me in a wheelchair, wheels me back inside. Elliot's been moved to a ER-observation room. I sit with him wondering where Christian is?
I hear screaming and yelling. I walk to the trauma bays to see four men wheeled in all handcuff. Shit Christian and Taylor are two. From the EMT's bandages and splints, all four have been serious injured.
Christian has splints on both legs, and his left arm, neck brace and swelling, bruise on his face. They quickly order x-rays for his chest. His nose is broken, broken rib. What happened. Taylor has splint on his both arms and most of his fingers, a battered and bruise face. The other two are older, closer to Cary and my age. The bigger one as splint on both arms, and both legs. His face shows damage. The older one is sporting a swollen face, broken arms and from the cut away shirt, bruise abdominal and ribs, broken knee.
"Dr. Grey?" I turn to a police officer, a senior officer. "Yes?" I respond. I think he's a captain. I leave the Trauma bays, following him outside the ambulance doors.
"Do you have any more sons, husband?" a strange question to ask.
"A husband, only two sons. Why?" I dread.
"Where's the husband?" I really don't like this.
"I hope he is on his way here. He was in court a " he interrupts me "what he charged with?" no! you asshole did not just say that to me. "Charged with?" I ask dripping contempt.
"Yes, charged with, answer the question Doctor!" he spits in my face.
"My husband is a lawyer with Thomas, McMillians, and Grey. He is prosecuting an embezzler today I believe."
"A lawyer, he should have raise his sons better, one's a multi rapist, the others going down for rioting and witness tampering. The DA is going to feasted on their bones." He gleeful announces.
"I think Carl, Elliot's godfather, will have to recluse himself. And Walter his second may have to as well, but I don't believe my son is a rapist. As to Christian, I think he let his temper get away after learned of his brother beating. How many men did it take to savage Elliot?" I watch the cold reality explode on his face. Yes, we have friends.
"Just the father, inside. It took four men to haul him off your pervert son and his friends." I've had enough. I turn a walk back to Elliot's room. A while latter Cary comes in. he looks stressed. "Cary?"
"Gracie, its bad. There is an independent witness to Elliot attacking, a putting the girl in a coma. Also, the other two are injured, but talking. They claim, Elliot lead the assault and rape, they tried to stop him. Also, Elliot had drugs on him, serious drugs. Christian showed up after the police left the first time, him and his security rioted with Steele and his woodworkers. All eight are in the hospital, mostly at Methodist." I shake in his arms. What happened, and drugs. I don't believe it, not Elliot, never Elliot. We have to wait.
xxxxx
6pm
e-pov I float along a country road, green field and grass, old barns and Victorian farm houses. I smell the apples in the distance. Grandma house, my safe place. My real home. I see the apple pie cooling in the pie safe thru the kitchen window. I turn to the barn, I hear screams, pain. I run to the sound. I enter the barn, it now a wood shop. It looks familiar, Steele's woodshop. I see bodies on the ground near the band saw. A sprite of a girl is kicking Tim, she demonstrates her soccer skills with every power drive into the ball, balls, Tim's balls. She going to kill him.
I grab her, bear hug her. She thrashes and kick, OUCH my knee! My finger, the pain. I spin releasing her. In slow motion, she fly through the air into a pillar. Bounces to the ground limp and unmoving. O' god what have I done. The world tilts and throws me thru the air to smash off the bandsaw. I land and a wild beast attack me with fist and foot. Pain and breaking bones. Till black ink washes over me. I wake to lights and mom's voice. Something about me. Hello darkness my friend.
I wake to the beeps and hiss of sound. I can't see, I feel swollen and pain. I feel a hand next to mine. I grab it, mom
g-pov
Elliot grabs my hand. I wake to terror and fear. "Elliot its ok, we're here. Relax please. My sweet boy. Cary!" Cary rush in; he looks upset as a plainclothes older man, vaguely familiar follows him.
"Elliot Grey, I'm special agent Salman, Washington State police. I've been assigned this case. I want you to grunt once for no, twice for yes. do you understand?" he says, I want to stop him, but Cary holds me shake no. "grunt grunt"
"Did you slam Anastasia Steele into a support column at Steele woodworking?" he acts confused. "He might not know the girl?" Cary says.
"Did you slam a brown-haired girl into a support column at Steele woodworking?" a tear runs from Elliot bandaged eye "GRUNT Grunt" tear flow from my eyes now.
"Did this occur while you were sexual assaulting her?" anger flares in his body. Struggling to move, get up. "Grunt" "let me be clear, the truth is the only thing that can save you. did you intend to rape the two girls?" Elliot struggle to move, speak "GRUNT" shaking his head no.
"Did your two friend assault the girls?" his body contorts and shakes. We get no answer. "Did the two men you brought to the Steele woodworking conspire with you to kidnap and assault the two women?" "GRUNT!" he looks stressed, I sit and take his hand. It must be terrifying to be blind, unable to see, while questioned. I feel him drawing on the bed with his one good undamaged finger. "Elliot, can you spell what happened?" "Grunt Grunt"
He draws FIGHTBREAKUP
"You say you tried to break up a fight? "GRUNT GRUNT"
"Between who?" he draws on the bed BROWNHAIRGIRLKICKTIMBALL
"You say the brown hair girl was kicking Tim in the groin, his balls" "grunt grunt" yes, my son is not a rapist, he was trying to help.
"Where was john and the blonde girl?"
DOWNNOTMOVE finger-paints the bed sheet.
"They were both down and not moving?" "GRUNT GRUNT"
"So why did you throw Anastasia into the column, I mean the brown-haired girl?" I watch as he spell PINKY we look at the large finger splint and bandage on his right hand. I run to get the medical file. Returning I show the cop. Severe dislocation of the last finger, all three joints with tendon and cartilage damage. Finger appears to have bent back to wrist. I'm not sure why it would have been without the other digits.
"Elliot, how did you try to stop the girl?" the cop asks, he seem sure of an answer.
BEARHUG he spells. "Ok, you grabbed the enraged victim, in a bear hug. She fought you. bending your pinky back. Pulling you around, releasing her. She slammed into the column? "GRUNT grunt" I shake with release; my son was trying to do the right thing.
"Did you mean to do that? "I beg with tears choking my voice. "Grunt" Thank god, an accident. I knew my son was not evil, or a rapist. I squeeze his hand.
"how did you get beaten up? I ask
STEELJUMPME he spells out
"The victim father Raymond Steele witness your son throwing his daughter into the column and Miss Kavanagh on the ground partially nude. He attacked Elliot the only male standing. I can understand how he may have misinterpreted what he saw." The cop say.
"If I'd seen Mia, my daughter, and a friend like that I would have attacked too." Cary says with emotions. I would have to agree.
"why where Tim Landry and John Judsen Jr. with you?" cops ask CLINTASKEDMEBRINGPORT
"that enough, did he say why?" "Grunt" "ok. He wanted to turn them over to the Oregon police for a series of robbers, rapes in the Portland Vancouver area." The cop looks pensive.
"the Oregon police wanted Elliot to bypass, skip extradition, by bringing them across state lines. He paid a high price and got his brother in trouble, serious trouble." Cary argues.
"What about the Drugs?" I ask.
"Finger prints prove they belong to Judsen, your son's prints are nowhere to be found on them, inside or out. Plus, his blood work is clean except for a minor STD, he's clean. Landry and Judsen are both dirty, heavy users." The cops say.
"Why did you stop at Steele, did you plan to stop there?" the cops ask. "Grunt" no, he spell
PATTERSONSPECALORDERDEMANDMEET
"Ok, Mr. Patterson arrange the unplanned meeting for custom woodwork on his lobby. It was last minute, if you knew why Clint ask you to bring the two; would you have stop?" "GRUNT" "ok, get some rest" he walks out into the hall. We follow
"What about Christian?" I ask. Cary and the cop looked pain "It up to the DA and a judge, Gracie. Everyone says that both Christian and Mr. Steele threw at the same time. In a heated argument. It's unclear why the CPO and woodworkers jumped in: to stop it or join it. unfortunately, Steele and Christian both hire mostly ex-military. So, it quickly got out of hand. It took close to twenty cops, they had to deploy the SWAT unit, with Tasers and wooden bullet to separate and stop the fight. Christian and Steele had to be Taser unconsciousness, to stop." Cary says mechanical, emotionless. I can tell the pain he's in over this. This unfortunate chain of events.
XXXXXXXX
c-pov
I'm in the car headed to the Boeing field to fly to New York. The Henderson deal is tanking because the incompetent assholes in Norfolk, are assholes. "Ding al ling! Ding la Ling" I have to stop Andrea from programing ringtones into my new phones. "What Andrea?" "What do you mean! Who? Why? That not helpful. We're diverting. No! I don't want to wait for cops to fix this. Notify PR and Legal. Find out dam it." I stew. "Sawyer go pass Boeing, Auburn. Steele Woodworks off Madison toward Covington." Jason looks concerned. "Some asshole, named Steele, attacked Elliot, he's in the hospital badly beat up."
"Mr. Grey, I advise going to the hospital instead. This is a bad idea." Jason is not happy. I don't care, it's frigging June. I just fired my sub Susannah after 39day. Caught her trying to film me in my apartment. Roz has been on the rag about Gwen pregnancy and travel. Dad's been harassing me about Mia and her allowance. Mom wants me home for dinner every Sunday night. Mia tearing thru CPO like a spoiled brat. And Elliot, frigging Elliot is bringing whores to my house, left two of them last week, nearly naked on my couch. While he left. AGHHAAAA ! I need to vent, vent on something that matters.
We pull up to the assholes place. It's gone as soon as I can file paperwork. Rip his finances, his life, destroy him to the smallest piece. I bolt from the car, as Sawyer, Parker and Jason chase me. I spot two older guys arguing. I need to vent.
"Who the asshole that assaulted my brother!" I yell, commanding the field.
"Your brother Elliot Grey? Well I kicked his rapist, druggie, ass" say the old guy with the fat forearms. His crew circle. My crew counters
"Rapist? You mean your slut had buyer remorse when her sugar-daddy showed up. maybe you should have watched, learn something, from someone not needing a blue pill."
"That my daughter! You scum" he bellows. I move nose to nose. "So, what. I'm going to buy you out, tear you to shreds. Make you and that lying slut live in boxes on the street. Hell, you'll have to turn her out to earn money! You'll" the next words never leave my mouth as I see his arm tense, we throw punches. God the old guy is tough, much more than my trainer. I feel pain, I'm giving pain. As we roll away to maneuver, I see the crowd is fighting too. I punch hard into his face, as his fist breaks my leg. We grapple to the ground. I mange before he can spin away to snap his knee. We roll as a giant with grey hair kicks my ribs in, breathing hurt. Jason power spikes him away. I with inhuman determination, I roll to Steele, driving my elbow into his short ribs till I pass out. I wake in the hospital to a pissed off mom.
Xxxxxx
Mid-august
c-pov
Thank god, most of the casts are gone, the ribs healed. My face mostly recovered, not the perfect face anymore, but I like it. Hated living in a wheelchair for a month, or having to use a frigging hygiene stick to wipe my ass. Humiliation is driving me to destroy the Steele clan. Dad and Mom argue with me for weeks to let it go, I know the attack on Elliot was an accident, but I can't let it go. I now get to hobble, another month on crutches, as my left leg is still in a brace, it took six hours of surgery to install the permanent steel plate to hold the bone. I now have a bone infection. I'll take four more months of rehab after the infection clears, before I can start running again.
I type e-mail for an hour before my left wrist hurts. My back aches and I feel like shit. All more the reason to crush Steele, without cash, and influence he will have to drop the case against me. I've out maneuverer him repeatedly in the past month. Roz and Andre have tried to talk me out of revenge, but I don't care. I want Raymond Steel and his slut tramp of a daughter Anastasia, talk about pretentious delusions of nobility, destroyed homeless and broken. I have a court date tomorrow, Dad's trying to cut a deal. I can fight my own battles. I steam at the inference I'm get over my hostile takeover of Steele woodworking.
I limp on crutches to the window, I am Master of my world. I am tired of everyone arguing with me. If people doesn't get in line, I'm firing them, starting with Roz and Andrea. I have boxed out Steele main support, the Kavanagh media empire. The easy part, I bought their debt and blackmailed Kavanagh to back out. I know his daughter was the other victim, I don't care. I know she the slut's roommate, I don't care. I care about driving them into the sea, salting their land, field and home. I care about ridding myself of these feelings; helplessness, humiliation, pain.
The scars on my chest burn continual since the fight, the pimp is always in the shadow, on the edge of my sight. Taunting me, smiling that evil, I'm going to get and hurt you. I scream into the window at the ants below. I want to feel like I use too, fucked up as that was, it better than this. I lean my head on the glass, I'm afraid, very afraid. An I don't know of what.
XXXXXX
Mid July: t-pov
Gail strokes my head as I lay in the hospital room. I am pissed at Christian. He's going over the edge of rational thought a sanity. I need to call his dad, I hate being disloyal but he's lost it. the lack of his weekender the past months, the last three nut-jobs, has left him isolated and alone. All he can talk about is destroying Steele. I see the terror and fear in his eyes. it's as if every demon is pounding on him. I look at Gail she mimics my worries. We need to stop him, I get out tomorrow.
A week later:
I plan on beating Grey to a pulp as soon as he's healed enough. I hate my boys ended in a draw with Steele woodworkers. Looking at Welch's file, I see why. Everyone a experience combat soldier, heavy Special forces. Well, that shouldn't have surprised me, Steele a retire Major green beanie, honor grad Rangers, honor graduate Scout & Sniper school, close combat instructor at School of the America, LURP team and troop leader (long range reconnaissance patrol team leader, one of the most deadly, hidden unpublished, groups in the military)! Ah shit. No wonder the Grey boys got handed their ass.
I watch Grey buzz around in his electric Wheelchair. Hopefully his legs will heal by August, and out of that dam thing. It's driving him nuts, being restricted. I never realized how much he moved about, like a fear of staying too long in one place or position. I watch as fear and pain reign on him daily now. It's as if he's a small boy, waiting for his abusive dad to come home. I don't understand. I need to talk to Carrick, and the Doc.
August 1: Grey Manor:
"Christian is out of control, he's obsessed with destroying the Steele's. I've caught him talking to Welch about hiring criminals to attack him and his business. It's like he's terrified all the time. Growing deeper and deeper into darkness. Not listening to anyone." I say.
"Yes, we've talked to him, and he refuse to listen. We are concerned. We just don't know what to do. God I wish he had a girlfriend or boyfriend" the doc says
"Yes, I wish he hadn't dumped the last one. He is always more manageable after they leave Sunday." I muse. Oh, shit I said that out loud. I look at the stunned stares of the two.
"You mean he has some one over the weekend, who and why aren't they with him?" Carrick says. I notice no gender specified. I stuck my foot in the air and jump my dumb ass on it. in for a penny in for a pound.
"you both need to understand. What I say now is my job, friendship, and career." I take a deep breath. Focus and release.
"Christian has sex partners over some weekends. They're not girlfriends, or causal. Christian has a singular sex lifestyle. It something you have to accept, without comment." I sweat now. As they process the information.
"Jason, I don't understand what you're saying about his sex lifestyle, I mean I know my son, it's not like he beats them or" the words die in her throat as the emotions on my face betray me. She walks to a cabinet, pours a large glass of whiskey, a good six ounces and chugs it, whoa. She refills three fingers and returns to her seat. I wait.
"Explain in detail Jason." The doc says.
"Christian is a dominate in BDSM. He only has contractual, consensual, BDSM sex." I really hate breaking the NDA and his trust. Has the two look at each other. The doc starts to quietly cry.
"How long?" Carrick demands
"I'm not sure, I believe high school. I don't know enough about before I was hired. I know the number is small, about 14." I shrug.
"High School? What do you know?" the lawyer charges to the fore front.
"I know that the troll, sorry Eliana Lincoln, was yelling at him one night about how he shouldn't feel guilty about missing junior prom, she made sure he was a satisfied submissive. And that you would throw him in the gutter with his mother if you every found out about his taste." I watch them to see if this will be true.
"She was raping my sixteen-year-old son!" the doc glass flies thru the air to shatter on the fireplace mantle. She paces and mumbles. I think she may kill the troll.
"Jason, are you sure of this?" Carrick begs.
"Yes, the troll is the only one to control Christian, well before this. He told her to go home and stay out of his life, or beg in the street for the rest of her life. She supplied the submissive. Christian, believe she helped him. I have tried these past years to limit her contact. But Christian is Christian." I try to explain, justify. But it's lame and wasted words.
"is this the root of his obsession with Steele?" Carrick asks
"I don't know, he complains about his chest and back burning all the time, he seems like a scared kid, frighten by shadows, waiting to be beaten. I mean every light in the penthouse is on 24/7. Gail worn a set of boot-let (small ankle boots tight to the calf, not loose like half boots) with buckles and Christian crashed his wheelchair into the stairs flee from her, screaming for her to leave, she had to take off the boots to help him. It's as if he was terrified by the boots. Irrational, I try to talk to Flynn, but Christian fired him." I say rambling and pretty sure incoherent
"The pimp?" Carrick to the Doc. She nods yes. Pimp what pimp? I start to speak
"Jason, you know Christian was adopted, (I nod) his life before us was extremely bad. His mother was a crack whore, prostitute. She was more gone then there. Her pimp was abusive, particular to Christian. You've seen the scars (I nod) he burned him with cigarettes for his sick pleasure. Beat him near death several times, by the physical damage I saw. His mother OD'd, he was alone with her body for four days. I was the doctor on duty when they brought him in. I wasssss" she drifts off in pain and remembrance. We let her go. The pain or alcohol is taking her to calm place I hope.
"the shoes?" I ask
"The pimp wore black combat boots with silver buckles, like a DrMarten style punk rocker thing. When Christian first lived with us in Detroit, I had to change shoes in the car, because black leather shoes drove him catatonic or violent." Carrick says with tear running down his face.
"Jason, first: Eliana Lincoln is never to have access to Christian again, period. Two: I want a meeting with Roz, does she know? (I shake my head no) I will inform her, get his legal and PR people working. Three: security review on all his submissive, threat and whatever you want to call it, make sure they keep their mouths shut. Out of the press. Last: I will take steps to remove Christian from this destructive path he's on, no! I know his lifestyle is unusually, but it's his. As long as it mutual and consensual he can do it. I know you had to break a NDA to tell us. I know how much you care about him. I know you're conflicted. I am too over this whole turn of events. We must save him from himself." Carrick states.
I leave for home, I should feel guilty or bad. I don't if anything. Relieve that I'm not alone, and we can help him. Save him. Save him from himself.