The Grey way

I was still feeling hot when I took a quick shower, and then went to face my closet. What would be appropriate to wear today? Yesterday I ended my day running barefoot to save my boyfriend's life; I wonder what adventures await for me today? I think about it and smile, a bit unaware of the danger but once I took notice, I chastise myself. Come on Ana, you are a cautious woman. I sigh and finally pick my clothes, black slacks, a white sheer shirt and black pumps that match, very chic.

I leave the dresser and go to the kitchen for my breakfast. Christian smiles and nods at me to sit next to him. "Eggs and bacon Ana, or would you like something lighter?" Mrs. Jones asks. "Eggs and bacon is fine Mrs. Jones, thank you". I'm not done talking when my breakfast is already on the table with a coffee cup for Christian and Twinning's tea for me. Christian grabs his coffee and gives me a piece of paper.

Did I say a piece of paper? I should say the Bible. On it there's a list of every possible enemy he could have, their contact information and their possible motives, which go from "unsatisfied former lover" to "bought his family business and ruined him", there's even a "he doesn't like me to beat him in golf". This man really has enemies.

He looks at me seriously, watching every expression on my face: "what?" I ask. "Is it now when you leave me and run for the hills?" he says it cautiously trying to figure out if I'm shocked enough to leave him or if I' staying.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not going anywhere? Christian we are getting married in a couple of weeks, I'm not running even though your list it's kind of intimidating". I try to sound calm, but the truth is I'm horrified. I smile when he hugs me: "You can't lie Miss Steele, but I appreciate that you tried to hide you shock. It's not that bad once you read all the names and their motives, there are some really old names and some with very little reasons, but I put them all there, so we don't forget anyone".

I look at the list and read every name and motive carefully… something is missing, someone is missing… but I still don't know who. Christian notices my hesitation and looks at me questioning. Suddenly I find out what I'm missing, and like a school girl proud of having done her homework I say: you forget the third husband" and smile satisfied.

-oOo-

I'm not going to SIP today, the press is stalking us and we agreed to meet with the cops, but because of "the Grey way", we are able to make the cops come to our apartment instead of us going to the station. Christian has already sent them our list and we agreed to meet in an hour. We assume that being a billionaire safety at risk, things will go quickly and smoothly. But, while the time comes and we deal with our errands and the investigation of the attack, I focus on reading a couple of manuscripts that Hanna has gently sent me home to keep me "entertained".

Around noon our apartment is full of men in blue suits while Mrs. Jones runs around offering coffee and cookies. The meeting will be in our living room this time; we are too many to fit in the study. The first thing will be to check the security cameras from Flynn's office.

I ask about the boy that was driving my car. Thank God he is fine, and of course Christian is paying for the best hospital and the best doctors and therapies he may need. The boy will be okay and he will also have a "Grey" allowance for life.

The cameras in Flynn's office are clean, there's nothing suspicious. Then we check the cameras from Escala, while the Police explain that the bomb in the car was activated through a cell phone, just like those bombs in on trains in Spain on 2004, which left hundreds of people killed and injured. Thank God there were fewer explosives in this bomb. Probably the person that is threatening us was just looking to scare us or was an amateur.

On the cameras from Escala we see the garage door open to allow a delivery truck come in. Before the door close again, a man slides into the building. He waits till there's nobody near to go to my car. He opens the trunk quickly and puts a little package inside. How did he make it without turning on the alarm? Everybody is looking at me. Right, I never put the alarm or en lock the car, ever. Christian looks at me furious but doesn't say anything, surely he will chastise me later.

Even though, the tape doesn't show a body or a face that we can recognize. We are still blind. The next steps are check the enemies list Christian gave them and check their credit cards report to see if they bought anything suspicious, very FBI. The next meeting will be at the end of the day. The cops leave and I wait resigned for my reprimand. There's a long and uncomfortable silence between us. I reach for Christian, but he is cold and distant, I move back to my sit and keep waiting.

"Do you know what this means Ana? Your recklessness put us all in danger, shit! It's a button, just one fucking button that you have to press, how can that be so hard?"

"That wasn't necessary where I come from" I answer.

"But you live in a big city now and there's a psychopath sending you anonymous threats, does that seem enough?"

"Manners don't change in a day Christian."

"But this has been going on for more than a day Ana, you should have learnt something about safety already, don't you think? There's an innocent kid hurt in the hospital and the worst is that it could have been you."

"Or you" I say casting my eyes down. It's true; I've put us all in danger again. But Christian won't let this go.

"I'm sorry Ana, but we'll have to see what to do with your car, you won't be driving for now."

"But…"

"I don't want to keep fighting Ana.

"Fine, but I'm not the one with over a hundred possible enemies, am I? It's not my fault!"

"No, it's not your fault, but you won't be driving and won't be in charge of your car until we can fix all this."

Furious I grab my purse and charge to the elevator. "Where do you think you are going?" Christian asks.

"To see Flynn" I answer before the elevator door closes.

I'm waiting by the car for Prescott or Sawyer, whichever Christian may send. I don't want to cause any more trouble. Sawyer comes running and sees me next to the car. He checks it and then opens the door for me. I'm thankful of the love Christian has for cars today, because mine is destroyed and his isn't working. At least I don't have to look for a cab. We drive quickly to Flynn's office, avoiding the press once we leave Escala.

Just as I enter Flynn's office, his secretary jumps from her desk and hugs me: "Oh, Miss Steele, please forgive my boldness, but what happened yesterday was so horrible. The boy, the doorman, he is my nephew, you know? I'm so thankful of Mr. Grey and what he's doing for him. He will get better." God, just what I needed for my daily guilt trip, the doorman is her nephew. I smile kindly at her without knowing what to say, while she opens the door to Flynn's study.

"Good morning Ana" he says, "I thought that I wouldn't be seeing you today, with all that happened yesterday".

"Well, I needed somewhere to run away from all this madness and what would be better than talking with my favorite shrink". My phrase is loaded with grim melancholy.

"Ok Ana, have a sit. In our last session we talked about Kate, her friendship, her influence in your life, and your vision about being enough for Christian. How are you today? A lot has being going on."

"And to be honest, nothing encouraging John. It was my fault that the bomb was inside my car; I left it unlocked, that's how they could put it there without someone noticing. Besides the threats, they are all for me… this has been exhausting".

"Ana, leaving a car unlocked it's not reason enough for you to feel guilty. Whoever is doing this will find the way to come close, no matter what you do."

"But I was reckless, so I can get comfort from your words John. I can't understand how someone so young can have so many enemies, so many people trying to hurt him. I know that the people who love him are probably more but… I don't know. It's so weird. I think I could count with my fingers the people I had talk over 15 minutes in my life, and with both hands which are the ones that would remember me. Having so many people thinking about you, about what you do or don't, it's disturbing, I don't know how someone lives like this, always worried, about everything and everyone. But maybe Christian doesn't and that's way he has gain more enemies than friends."

Flynn looks at me and takes some notes, the he says: "How did you reach that conclusion Ana?"

"Well, the cops asked us to make a list with everyone we think may want to hurt us. In my list there are only two names Jack Hyde and the third husband, and none of them is truly my fault. See? I didn't fired Jack Hyde, or ruined the third husband's life. I was a victim of both of them. But not Christian, he couldn't let go of things, he couldn't forget. The thing with the third husband was so many years ago, but Christian, looking for revenge, found him and hurt him; he did it legally, but hurt him anyway. Those things about Christian confuse me. His unorthodox methods.

"Why do you think Christian does those things? Do you think he is a bad person Ana?"

"Of course not Flynn. God! Christian is not a bad person. That's what I don't understand, why he acts like that. He changes all the time, he is insecure sometimes and lapidary in others. He confuses, I never know how he's going to react… but he's not a bad person. Not someone who wants to end with the hunger in the world."

I look at my hands, white and cold. Maybe it has something to do with his childhood, with his need to search revenge from what he suffered when he was little. His super hero complex puts him in the spotlight for everyone to see.

"Look John, I think it all has to do with Christian's need to be this super hero that revenge all the injustices. Clearly that's related to the horrible things he lived as a child. He fights for fair causes, but he's also a cold businessman that buys and sells companies. I know it's not an unethical behavior, he never leaves unemployed someone that doesn't deserve it. He also rescues talented people, doesn't he? That's "the Grey way" of doing things."

"The Grey way?"

"Oh yes. Do you want me to tell you the commandments?.. Mmm…

I control everything

I can solve anything

Everybody comes to me and they obey

Without feelings there's no problems

If I can use it I keep it, if not I throw it

If it's not fair I'll make it

If it's bad I'll fix it

If it's safe it's good, if not I'll hire more guards

I'll help whoever has done me good

Family above all

Do you like it?"

"Very clever Ana; though I don't think Christian will like some of those commandments".

"But that's how I see it John. If he hasn't everything under control he's unstable, even insufferable. I get that's because of his past, but sometimes he goes too far."

The sound of the phone on his desk startles me. Flynn answers quickly, that's unusual. I only hear monosyllables from him, like "mmm, yes, mmm I understand, how? oh yes", but I can get who's he talking to. Finally he hangs up.

"Ana, do you know what the FBI's tags are?" I shake my head, I don't know what he's talking about. "Well, when someone makes some strange things on internet or buys suspicious things, they make some tags on the FBI's files. They use them to detect possible terrorist attacks or bombings. Well… They cross checked the FBI's tags with the names on Christian list and their credit card´s records, and they already know who put the bomb in the car. Christian is now on his way."

I look at him with my mouth hanging open. "Who is it John?" I ask.

"Christian asked me to keep you here, and to not let you go. He didn't told me who it is?"

And now what do we talk about? What where we talking about? About the control freak that fixes everything his own way? So I'm not supposed to move from here? Does that mean that the killer knows me best than he knows Christian, or is it just his overprotective instinct? God, what a way to interrupt my session.

I look at Flynn seriously, "you won't tell him about the commandments, right?" "Of course not", Flynn's winks at me. "This is between you and me, even though I do think it would be fun if you told Christian, but not today, clearly."

I'm about to have my hands in a knot when the door opens. The hardness in his eyes is gone, but I can't figure out what replace it. It's not fear, but his look is grey and dark. He reaches me and hugs me, he sinks is face in my hair.

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry, so so sorry, please forgive, it's not your fault" he says.

"Who is it Christian?"

He grabs my face in his warm hands and kisses my forehead: "It's… the third husband".