Disclaimer: All characters belong to E.L James
Chapter Fourteen: Interrogation
We finally make it to Portland Hospital Mia remained quiet for the rest of the ride and I stood as always contemplating on my thoughts. Luke seemed bothered by the silence in the car which he should be, he had a partake on my sisters whereabouts. I could have put on the radio but the ride wasn't for him to feel comfortable. Taylor had called me earlier to let me know he would be meeting me at the front doors of the hospital. He also said that Ana's injury was a flesh wound and threw in a jab that I couldn't shoot for shit. Well fuck me, I had closed my eyes plus imagine if I would've left her permanent damage or worse actually killed her. I would've felt like shit and with the love and attachment Mia feels for Ana I know it would have been a wrong move. Also I would not have known my sister was in that club if it wasn't for Ana, so I guess I have a little ass kissing to do, but not yet I still need more information and with Mia's silence I guess Ana's is the only one to give me the answers I need. I park close by the hospital and tell Luke to stay in the car with Mia, which she of course refuses and follows behind me.
"I want to check on her myself" she cuts of right past me rather rude. Fuck I do to her. Did I cut her show short? Velvet that was the name Ana said her stage name was. She went on after Sasha other known as Ana to do her dance. Thank fuck I went to the back room I wouldn't want to watch my sister dancing. Fuck imagine if it was her I would've had a hard on for. That thought alone gets me sick to my stomach. Is that why Ana sent for me to the back room? Did she know? Did she see the bulge in my pants when she was dancing. Praise her sexual tediousness. At first I felt like crap for letting my dick lead me but now I quietly thank him.
"Be my guest Mia, I'm sure Ana is fine" I reply looking up and as Taylor said he's already at the front door "just ask Taylor"
"How is she doing?" Mia fidgets nervously and Taylor's look of confusion and shock when he sees Mia is hysterical if it wasn't for this dilemma we are in. I shake my head and signal to him with my hand cutting on my throat saying to just let it go for now and he nods understanding our quiet conversation.
"She's fine, we can all go and check in on her, she's on the fourth floor already stitched up and should be released today" Mia breaths out as do I and we follow Taylor towards the elevators and wait.
"How did this happen to her and where was Luke?" Fuck how am I to explain to her that I shot her fake sister because she kidnapped my real sister. I guess just like that, hopefully she understands but with the attitude and distance she's been giving me I very much doubt it. Once the elevator gets there we get inside while Taylor explains it to Mia and I press the number 4 button on the elevator.
"You're brother shot her" Mia looks baffled and pissed and Taylor changes tactics rapidly "I mean Christian shot her" what an ass I think to myself. Yes Taylor putting a name to it is so much better.
"Why would you shoot her?" she yells like she's ready to strike. She really needs to calm all that down. I won't tolerate that much lip from her. She does not know what I've been through, what we all been through looking for her and what we gave up for her as well. A wee bit of gratitude she should have and not have this shrine for the fucking person that held her as a prisoner all these years.
"Long story" I mutter and she rolls her eyes turning her back to me. The elevator pings its arrival and I feel relieved, it was getting quite stuffy in there with all the hostility. Getting out the elevator and making our way to Ana's room where she is kept Mia opens the door and there's no one there. "Check the bathroom" I state rather loud and leave towards the nurses station. "Excuse me Anastasia Steele was in room 492, would you happen to know where she is at now? After the nurse bats her eyes and puffs out her chest she checks the computer " she was released already" fuck she took off that fucker Luke must have called her giving her the heads up. "Call Luke" I demand to Mia
"What's wrong?"
"Call Luke" I yell at Mia my patience wearing very thin with this new sister of mines "Ana left. I knew she couldn't be trusted" Mia takes out her phone from her jacket pocket and dials Luke.
"Luke is Ana with you?" I see her eyes widen indicating that it's not good "Where could she be she's not at her room?" I snatch the phone from her she looks like she's going to have a meltdown. "Luke Ana has disappeared, look for her" hanging up on his ass I now have Mia all up in my face "This is all your fault. If something happens to her it's on you"
"Listen Mia, you don't know the whole story blame who ever the fuck you want to blame, but right now we need to find Ana" I take the stairs instead of waiting for those slow ass elevators with Mia right behind me and head out the front of the door. Looking around I don't spot Taylor where the fuck did he go? Instead I see Luke jogging towards us "anything?" He asked and I tell him nothing yet and for us to stay put for Taylor and in high alert for Ana.
All of a sudden we hear car tires shrieks and hear some yelling. Turning towards the scream we see Taylor hauling ass after some silver car driving fast. "Ana is in there" he yells at us to do something. Luke and I start to chase down the car and Luke pulls out his gun, stops and shoots at one of the tires then shoots again and shoots the other one slowing the car down. The driver opens the door quickly jumping out and making a run for it while the car is still moving slowly. I start to chase the fucker down and yelling for the passerby to get the fuck out of the way.
Once close to the fucker I tackled his ass from behind making his ass drop and punch him hard in his face. He tries to fight back and hits me once in the face but with the adrenaline coursing through me I hardly feel his pussy blow so I punch him again square on his nose. Luke comes over and holds the gun out on the dude laying on the concrete mueling and bleeding out of his nose demanding him not to move and handcuffs the fucker. Its a bloody day for me today. I start to check his pants pockets for any info since he's not saying much but don't find anything
"Ana's not in the car" Mia yells out from the awaiting car in the middle of the pavement and a tire on top of the curbed grass.
"Check the trunk" Luke yells out to Taylor who's now by the car "we have to get out of here cops will be here any minute"
"They already are" I state looking up at Luke and hand him over the ID and badge I found on the guy's inside pocket of his jacket. "Noah Adams PD"
"Fucking shit" Luke mutters frustrated "we have to go. Leave him there"
"Why the fuck for, we could just give a statement to the cops?"
"This cop and most likely the others that are on the way are on the payroll, we have to boogie." Who the fuck says that I think to myself about Luke's lack of words. The guy that's hauling ass back to my truck that's who. I hear Luke yelling at Mia and Taylor who now has Ana to get in the car. I stand and kick the fucker hard in the ribs and run to the SUV and jump in the backseat since Luke made himself comfortable in the driver side and turns on the car and pulls out fast the parking lot fast screeching the tires.
"Thank you" Ana grabs my hand sitting next to me in the middle while Mia is next to her holding her other hand
"You're welcome" I swallow hard looking at our hands entwined and let go of it and can see the hurt in her eyes "who was that guy?" I ask
"That was Noah he's a cop, he came to pick me up" Ana replies
"How did they know where you were at" I question and at that time Mia, Luke and Ana throw their phones out of the window. So I guess that's how. I give Luke directions to Welch's place. I could question Ana there plus we would all be safer there. Ana and Mia are all hugging, smiling and holding fucking hands and I feel a urge of jealousy towards the affection Mia is showing Ana all that's needed is for them to start singing kumbaya.
"Taylor how'd you know about that car?"
"Once we realized Ana wasn't in the room I ran over to the security desk to check their video footage and saw that prick dragging her out front to his car"
"Why didn't you try to fight back?" I question Ana still trying to distinguish if she's the enemy or the help.
"He had a gun pressed to my back, so nobody could see" she answers quietly. I nod and let it go and text Welch that we will be there in a few minutes. He texts back that he will have his interrogation room ready and set up camp so we can sleep there for tonight. We stay silent for the duration of the car ride probably reliving the moments of today's outcome. I glance over to my little sister and she has her head down, laying on Ana's shoulder. Ana rapidly sees me eyeing them and puts her head down in shame.
Luke parks in Welch's garage and we all get out of the car. Welch is in the front door informing us he has some appetizer's laid out for us. I'm not in the mood to eat now so I lead them all to the dining room where they all take a seat and whisper to Ana to join me downstairs not wanting to make a show and have Mia chew me out. I feel Ana shiver due to the proximity of my lips close to her ear and for some reason I find myself amused at her reaction. She stands taking a sandwich and drink with her and lets's everyone around the table know she would be right back. Mia looks up questionably and Ana tells her all is well, calming her down instantly and head downstairs to Welch's interrogation room with Welch following behind us. "Leave us alone Welch" he looks at me a bit worried and I relieve him of his anxiety "I'm not carrying, no worries you got my word I won't lay a finger on her. I just want some answers is all. He nods and leaves Ana and I to continue on.
"I'm not going to cuff you to the chair I just want answers" I state to Ana indicating her to sit on the chair across from me. "You think you can be honest about your answers Ana" she nods sadly her plump lips stretched in a thin line and sets her plate and drink on the table.
"Please help me understand how you come out looking like the good guy in all of this all the while I was fucking the enemy" Ana starts to cry and I dismiss her tears. I have no time or tolerance for that shit nor would I sugar coat it. "I don't want your fucking tears, what I want to know is what is your plan in this scandal?"
"It was never my plan to kidnap children that credit goes to Elena and my parents for agreeing"
"Would you give the up, if you had to?"
"Yes. you already know where the club is it"
"Why haven't you gave them up before and put a stop to all this?"
"There was no one I could trust... as you saw before they have important people working for them"
"I told you time and time again, you could trust me. I could keep you safe yet you still continue to lie to me" I yell standing up from the chair I was sitting on and start to pace the room
"I didn't know what to do... I still wasn't sure about you and what you would think about all this crazy shit"
"But you trust me enough to give me your virginity"
"I liked you a lot" Ana whispers smiling and wipes the tears that were rolling down her checks "you made me forget about that kinda life and gave me normalcy... plus I didn't want to get you involved. The same way you wanted to keep me safe was the same way I wanted to keep you safe as well Christian. You don't know the hurt these people could cause and come after your loved ones" I think I know well enough the hurt they can cause the loved ones I think to myself.
"This is not about us" I wave her comment off and turn away smiling about her keeping me safe. Head in the game Grey, it's probably all tactics of her's. She's fucking beautiful I can't deny that and damn the part that still cares about her, I actually miss her but I can't seem to wrap my head around all this crazy, around the hard facts. Ana worked for her parents and whatever she said she did, but truth is she played a major factor in all this. "You asked" she replies rather stubbornly. I smirk to inwardly about her sass and sit back down across from her and continue to question Ana.
"So are all the cops on payroll?"
"No not all, you can't possibly put a whole precinct on payroll"
"Would you happen to know who else, you stated before important people"
"I don't know names but Kate is their bookie she hides those accounts in a private bank, but I don't know where. We aren't close, she just gets paid to keep tabs on me." So that's why she wanted us to be a secret. I'm going to have to use Elliot and his sexpertise again.
"Why didn't you ever come clean about Eloise?"
"Christian I honestly didn't know Mia was your sister until your mom showed me a picture of her. That's when I recognized the girl from so many years ago"
"Her name is Eloise" I growl slamming my hand on the table "When she was taken how did you not know she was a Grey, it was all over the news"
"We were in Georgia. I didn't know about the Grey's but I knew she belonged to someone. Lincoln brought her over I didn't know where or who she came from, but I felt strongly to help her. We don't really watch television, my dad says it rots our brain" Really, so this prick doesn't think his ways rots the brain, kidnapping and torturing children, leading them to a life of sex for money. It usually comes down to the all righteous.
"How the fuck did you help her, she was taken from her loving parents?"
"I had convinced my parents of wanting a sibling. If I wouldn't have then Mia ... I mean Eloise would have either been sold or due to Elena's torture room also she would have been introduced to the BDSM lifestlyle like Leila was, we became really close over the years"
"So you do know Leila?" Ana Ana nods her head "go on explain to me"
"When Leila came to us she was so afraid and terrified but I never heard her complain I guess from being afraid but with that she pleased my parents and Elena. She got to spend time with us, Mi..." she stops and looks up at me and corrects herself "Eloise and myself in our bedroom. I saw how use to the lifestyle she was getting and very comfortable with Elena I figured I should at least try to help her so I propositioned myself to Ethan to take me as a submissive instead, knowing how he felt about me"
"So you and Ethan were an item" I ask a bit pissed off. I don't give a shit call me a hypocrite but she was mine on all account.
"NO!" Ana stands up surprised by my question but sits back down "No, I knew my dad would never go for it. Ethan thought with the amount of money he would offer my dad, that he would go for it so when Ethan went to him to negotiate I had Luke take her out of the state"
"Why?"
"What do you mean why?"
"I mean why her or why not send her back to her parents"
"Well that's the first place Elena would go to look for her. And to why her I tried to help these girls as much as I can. Leila thought because she and Ethan were spending so much time together, she thought he had fallen in love with her. Ethan loves a good submissive, he loves how willingly a woman is to him but he never loved Leila. He would have destroyed her in the process. When Mia... I'm sorry Eloise first came to us I didn't have Luke by then or any money. I tried for us to make a split for it, so one night we left and I stole some cash and food from a deli and tried to put her on a bus but we were caught by the cops and taken back to my parents. It was the first time I ever got scourged by Elena. I took all the blame knowingly it would have been worse for Mi... Eloise" That would be why she had a criminal record on her background check "When Luke started working as my CPO I had to start getting comfortable with Luke and have him trust me. After that we began a good friendship and we both decided to help out as much of these girls as we can our first was Leila. It's why I dance, I make more money that way" she whispers the last part lowering her eyelids to the table
"So yesterday with those girls...?"
"There are times I have to pick them up and I would rather do so, just so I can gain a bit of trust from them and they won't rat me out. But I have to bring them to my parents first because if I let any of these girls go, then I won't be trusted to make the delivery's or whatever" I feel a surge of anger run through me who does she think she is? Who can get saved and who can't. They should all have a opportunity or rather not do this shit. It doesn't make her a fucking saint if that's the picture Ana is trying to paint.
"Who the fuck are you to get to decide who gets to get saved or who gets to endure torture"
"Don't you dare belittle me or judge me" Ana stands up berating me "you don't know how it is hearing them scream for dear life, hearing their cries and pleas, calling out for their mommy and daddies or for their fucking life to be over with. Have you ever had to sit and watch the horrendous acts? No right... but we had to. It's how fear is enlightened in us so we can't make a run for it. So that's why I have to gain their trust and promise to keep them safe. So don't you fucking dare accuse me of playing God, when you haven't had a clue how we grew up" She sits back down after calming down and staring at my nonchalant expression. "This whole playing the hero cost money and I have to know which of these girls won't come back as I have to gain their trust they have to gain mines as well if not then operation save them goes to shit"
"Why Mia... I mean Eloise" shit I'm calling my own sister Mia
"I don't know why exactly her but after some years past Linc became attached to Mia... somewhat in love with her. He had wanted to take her and leave it all behind him and take Mia with him, there was a huge dispute and we never heard from Linc again"
"That's because the dead can't talk" I reply crossing my arms in front of me
"He's dead?" Ana asks surprised
"Toasted actually" and she still looks a bit shocked about that info I just shared. Maybe she was innocent in all this we would just have to wait and see.
"I have to take Mia to see my parents"
"That's not a good idea Christian, they now know we are both gone and Noah's going to inform them about all of us. We'd have to hide out for a while or change our identity's and move far away"
"I'm not going to run. I want to put a stop to them" I sate uncrossing my arms pointing my index finger at her
"I don't know if that's possible with..." and I interrupt her
"Are you with us or against us?"
"With" Ana answers quite truthfully but I'm not sure yet about her
"So then help us, you know them better than we do Ana" and now it's time to find out what part Ana really played in all this. This time the situation turns in my favor she will be my new source.
Chapter 15: Reunite
"Mom... dad" I call out once in the door and see Grace come out of the kitchen walking towards me with a dish and a towel rag looking confused that it's not Sunday yet I'm here " I have someone I want you to meet" Going out of the door to meet Mia who is standing by it looking nervous. I take her hand in mine and whisper that all is going to be fine she nods and lets me lead her inside the house. All that's heard is the the crash of the dish that hits the floor and Grace calling out to my dad to get in here as well.