A/N: Thank you all for sticking with me. Three more chapters after today, and the last one will be the epilogue. Remember Steele Hearts Part 2 will start in the middle of next month. I'm going to spend the next few weeks working on A Submissive's beginning and getting a few chapters ahead on the next stories. I've yet to create a title for the net story that's to follow up the FSoG FanFic Obsessed writing challenge contest prompt, Promise Me. For those that have seen it, thank you. If you haven't read it yet, you're really going to want to before you read the next story, which takes a Grey's Anatomy path. Christian Grey is going to be my McDreamy. When Steele Heart return in June it will be a once a week update. I will be writing three stories at the same time and it will once a week for each. I don't write on the weekends, it's my time with my husband. We celebrate 13 years of marriage next week, and we've been separated for more than half of it due to our military lifestyle. Now that he is out, I spend my time with him when we can, so weekends are dedicated family time, always. Although I find a few minutes of downtime to hang in the facebook groups. Please remember when you review as a guest, I can't respond to you personally if you don't leave a name, and I will never post your negative guest reviews. If you don't like this story, feel free to stop reading it. But you're gonna miss out on some New York Hotness in the next chapter. As always, my pinterest link is my bio. All my stories have up to date boards, including the writing prompt, Promise Me. A Submissive Beginning will be posted tomorrow. Until then,
Laters,
Chapter 21
April 26, 2:30 pm
Christian's POV
"It's good to see you again sir." I'm shaking Ray's hand and still as nervous as I was at the beginning of the week.
"You can call me Ray, Christian. As long as you keep my daughter happy then you and me will be good. Your assistant out there told me that Ana got called to the conference room early but you wanted to talk to me first." Shit this is going to be harder than I thought it would be. I thought I'd have to call Kate or Elliot to provide a distraction so I could talk to him, but CeCe showed up and asked Ana to help her with something in the conference room. I promised to entertain Ray till our meeting with her full team.
"Thank you Ray, it means a lot to me. Sit please. I want to talk to you for a bit and then we'll head down to the conference room to meet with the others." I watch as Ray sits, he's in a pair of jeans, and a white button down, and a black blazer. He's clean shaven today with a military regulation haircut. Just a bit of gray showing in his dark locks, not giving away his true age. I was shocked to learn that he was near 60. He was 31 when he met Ana's mother Carla. Carla was only 22 and managed to get herself pregnant in six months resulting in a shotgun wedding. From the reports, she appeared to be a typical military prestige chasing woman, but that wasn't enough for her after she experienced loneliness from deployments. Now here he sat at the age of 57, retired from the Marines and a NCIS field commander. He had made something of himself, and was damn protective of his daughter, as he should be. I have a feeling if he knew the true nature of what happened to her in Texas, the world would be minus two people overnight. I had similar thoughts myself.
"What is you wanted to talk about Christian? Is everything okay with my Annie?" Always the protective father. Well now, I'm the protective boyfriend.
"Everything is perfect with her considering the situation we've found ourselves in this past week. I just wanted to have a man to man conversation with you. I get the feeling that when you saw her Monday, you thought I was the one that had hurt her and I wanted to make it clear that I never could. I'm not a perfect man Ray, but she makes me want to be. She has managed to become my whole world, and I'm damn glad for that failed blind date she had last week. We met before she walked into my office, before we knew who the other really was. I think fate was making sure we were heading toward each other. She has rescued me in more ways than one this past week. She's been a protector and while my ego has taken a hit, I'm alright with it. But I want you to know that I want to protect her. I want to shield her from everything, even though I know I can't. Doesn't stop me from wanting to do it though. I won't pretend to be completely alright with the work she does, it's more obvious as the days go by just how dangerous it gets for her. But I would never want to ask her to stop doing something that she loves. And she loves this country. When we're done in New York, we're coming back as she has a few days' work to do here and then I'm taking her on vacation for a few days. Barring any emergencies, we leave Wednesday night and won't be back until Sunday Morning. We have already promised to have brunch with my parents and family then."
"Where are you taking my daughter?" Ray eyes me speculatively running the first two fingers of his right hand across his chin as he leans back in the chair across the desk from me.
"I'm taking her to the Maldives. She told me about how she likes to decompress at beaches after rough cases, and it's on her bucket list. So, we'll land Thursday morning and will be there Thursday and Friday night. Saturday night we'll be flying back. I'm hoping to plan a trip down the road to take her to see the aurora borealis. And that is the reason that I wanted to talk to you today. I want you to know just how much I love your daughter sir."
"Ah, we're back to sir." It's just a statement, but my hands are getting a little sweaty. "Out with it Christian. Just what are your intentions with my daughter?" Yep we're going to get right down to it. Is it hot in here?
"I love her Ray, with my entire being. Seeing her be kidnapped Monday was a gut punch like no other. I worried for hours about her, long after we got her back. The team had been at the ready, so she was back in my arms in 50 minutes. But I hated hearing the things they said about her while she was unconscious. Frank doesn't want her to see the tapes, and so far, she hasn't asked for them thank God. It was almost nightmare inducing hearing the driver talk about her and feeling helpless stuck in a CIA surveillance van. I want to protect her for the rest of my days. I want to love her beyond that. I want to marry her Ray. I know that its soon, but I know that she's the one for me. I'm not asking her yet, I wanted your permission first, and I wanted to find the perfect ring, but I want to take her to see the Northern Lights in the fall, and I want to ask her to marry me under the colored lights in the night." There I said it.
"I see." That doesn't sound good. "She's only 25."
"And she'll be 26 when we go. I want her to be my wife and I want to have a family with her when she's ready. I understand there are some logistics that will need to be worked out for that to happen. She can't be chasing terrorists and getting kidnapped if she's pregnant. I know she's not ready to stop fighting for her country. I won't ask her stop either. I don't want to stifle her. I want to give her the world. I want to be beside her when she sees it and I want her to be Mrs. Grey while we do it. I want your permission. You are a man ingrained with tradition. I can't marry her without your blessing. She won't accept if she thinks you're not supportive in anyway. I love her and I know that she loves me. Like I said I'm not planning to ask her to marry me tomorrow. She's to skittish for that. But I do want to ask her. It's April, I want to plan our trip for October, I still need to do some research and find a place to take her to see the lights. Sir, I'm respectfully asking for your daughter's hand in marriage." Shit, I'm babbling and screwing this up. He's gonna say no.
"I know you love her Christian, and I know she loves you. I only want her happy and I can see that it's you that makes her happy. But you should understand that she's been hurt before. I don't know if you know about Texas, hell I don't know all about Texas, she had her records sealed and hidden, so even my security clearance can't find them. She's been hurt and I don't want to see it happen again. Can you promise not to hurt her?"
"Sir, I never want to hurt her. I want only to love and support her, protect her in any way that she'll allow." I'm pleading here. I want this with all my heart, and I am scared shitless he's going to day no.
"I give my permission Christian. I wanted to see you sweat it a bit and hear how much you love her. It's all I've ever wanted for her. Especially after Texas." Shit he's bring up Texas again. I think he's testing how open we've been with each other.
"Ray, I know all about Texas. She said she's never told anyone all of the details, even the police down there didn't hear everything, but she says she's told me. She made me promise not to go after Carla and her husband, I was ready to rip them limb from limb for the way that she was treated. Then again, they aren't the only innocent ones down there, but she took care of the others on her own. It made her stronger, she wouldn't be doing what she's doing now if those things hadn't happened in Texas. I love her and I only want to make her happy."
"Okay then." He looks as his watch and signals the time just as Andrea chimes in.
"Sir you're needed in the security office before your 3 o'clock." I wonder what is up with security. Ray would you like to join me. The security office is a floor down. We can stop on our way to the 3rd floor conference room that McKenzie and his team have commandeered.
"Sounds like a plan son." Son, I think I could get use to that. Having Colonel Raymond Steele for a father-in-law doesn't sound like such a bad thing.
Taylor's POV
Christian's been lax with the briefs lately. He's been to wrapped up in Ana and all things CIA. I must say it's a wonder to watch. Gail and I have worried about him for years. I was so happy when he started distancing himself from the Blonde Bitch and all the pain sluts. He even asked Gail to arrange some boxes be put in the pain room so that he could start boxing things up. That was the day after he met Ana and I knew for sure that he was a goner. But now we have to have a come to Jesus talk, he's not going to like some of the things I have to say, and Andrea already warned me that he was on his way with Ray. Good. He'll be on his best behavior with the Colonel in the room. Frankly it's been nice to reconnect with him. We always got along when we were stationed at Lewis together. It was mind blowing seeing that little gun toting girl in my office last week. I didn't make the initial connection when I got the reports from Welch. And there is another problem I need to discuss with Mr. Grey. I had told him that I thought Barnett would be a good replacement for Welch. He's a dedicated family man. The Mon-Friday office hours would appeal to him, or so I thought. It was a hell of a pay raise too, but he doesn't want it. He knows Welch got late night calls and weekend assignments sometimes, he didn't want to be that available. So now we are on the search for a GEH Security Chief. We'll need to see if someone within the company is qualified, but I want to ask him to offer the job to Ana till we can find a replacement. I think it will appeal to them both. We know that she's on loan from the government, but she's allowed to decline assignments, and she's got access to all the super-secret databases.
I don't think he'll be too upset about any of that. I think it's when I give him the update from the PD and the Elena investigation that he's going to blow a gasket. I can't even with this woman. And I use the term woman loosely. Barnett has the contents from her salon safe under his own personal lock and key, and I've seen to making sure he gets a sizeable bonus for that find. Mr. Grey will likely double it. That will need to be discussed when the future father-in-law isn't around preferably. Yeah, I know where this is headed and I can't wait to sit back and watch it.
I hear the knock at the door and then see Ray and Grey enter. I've got Sawyer, as Prescott is stationed on the floor with Ana, Ryan and Johnson in here with us. I've assured Johnson he still has a job, but I can't promise what Grey will say to him in the heat of the moment when he finds out what's happened now.
"Taylor, you needed to see me?" Christian is docile in way I've never seen him. What the hell is that about?
"Yes sir, we've had a few developments over the last few days, and I need to update you on them. I'll start with Barnett. He's been supervising the investigations at the Salons. The police department has shut the doors on all of them as they investigate. Don't worry they know that you aren't involved with anything she was doing. We discovered that she was forging your signature to obtain lines of credit, and she was skimming money from the top of each salon's books. Your reports are entirely different from the ones in her real books hidden in the downtown salon's safe. The Bravern salon safe contents are secured with Barnett. You'll want to discuss that with him privately. The police force called in the FBI yesterday afternoon after they found some questionable items in her home. I'm not at liberty to discuss those at the moment. But this is the security issue I need to discuss and I need you to stay calm. Good thing you're here Colonel. I might need to ask your assistance with Mr. Grey."
"Taylor get the hell on with it will ya?" Yep Grey is in usual form. Not going to be easy.
"The FBI went to bring Elena in last night. Johnson has been her tail. She was supposed to be at the home of her niece Leila Williams while the FBI was in her home. Johnson and our guy at Leila's both saw her enter the home at 7:25 pm. When the PD and FBI showed up 8:30 she wasn't in the home. Only Miss Williams and a young child that she claimed was her niece. The home was searched and Elena wasn't there. We don't know what happened. It's possible she escaped out the back door, but she would have had to climb a fence into the neighbor's yard to get out. There are no alley ways and she never left from the front on the block. She's in the wind. I need to ask Ana to see if her super computer can find her or any secrets accounts that we can track her through."
"Okay what else?" He's calmer about that than I thought he was.
"Sir, should I be worried, I was sure there would be some shouting involved after that." He's a little scary with how calm he is.
"No, I'm pissed as hell, but we didn't know that she'd pull a vanishing act. I'll talk to Ana when we get to the 3rd floor. What else?"
Okay, I'm liking this so far. "My contact at the PD assured me that Amara Drakos was being deported this week while you're in New York. She'd been here on a work visa listed as an assistant to her father, but her attack on Ana was a violation that will result in a one year ban from the country. Her father already paid her fines, but the judge refused to let her out on bail. ICE agents took her into custody this morning and she'll be out of the country in 48 hours. We're going to have to keep our eyes on Mr. Drakos now, he's going to be out for blood."
"I'm not surprised there. Next." He's staying calm still and thankfully I'm not the CIA grunts downstairs, that's when he'll go nuclear.
"I spoke with Barnett. He doesn't want the job. I'm going to start going through the company files and try to find a suitable replacement for Welch. I was going to suggest you speak with Ana and see if she might mind filling in for the next month. Just until we can find a replacement." I watch the huge smile spread across his face when he hears me.
"Why Jason, I think that is the best idea you've had since you came to work with me. I'll talk to her about it after the briefing later. Is that all?"
"That's all for me sir. Ryan needs to talk a few things through though." I was Ryan swallow hard before he stands so that he can address the room.
"I've identified the guy in the mask at the Gala and the place he went to. We had pushed it to the side after the shooting at Ana's apartment, thought maybe it was someone connected. It's not. The guy's name is Adam Wade. Until we get a Welch who can do some digging or you ask Miss Steele, we won't know much more. The house that I tracked him to is wired to the max. It's got trip wires and video feeds. I'm sure that he knows that I was following him. Until I know more I can't say for sure what his intentions are. He's not left the residence that we can track since he arrived Sunday morning." Yeah, we need a new Welch fast. That dirt bag screwed us.
"Taylor, do we know how much damage Welch did while he was here?"
"I'm not entirely sure. I am not privy to the details of his interrogation yesterday, but Barney has a program running to see if there are any more anomalies in recent hires."
"Okay keep me updated. I've got two minutes to get to the third floor. Update the team for the weekend plans and ensure everything is in place. Andrea is taking care of the apartment. Make sure that Steven knows we're leaving at 4 tomorrow. I don't want take-off to be a minute late." With that he and Ray leave.
Ana's POV
Christian and Ray are almost five minutes late already and I'm itching to get this shindig started. We've got a lot to comb over before the team heads to New York tomorrow. I've got work to do at the office in the morning and I'm going to need to make a run to my apartment to pack tonight. I'm sure that we'll be leaving from the office and heading straight to the airport. I'm not sure what Dad plans to do while I work, but I need to get as much done as I can. I need to close up their system next week and strengthen it before we head out on our super-secret vacation.
"Sorry we're late everyone. I had a bit of a security issue within the company I needed to tend to. Now let's get started." I watch Christian take the seat at the head of the table. He knows that he's only allowed to sit there because our cover is that we're here to pitch a new company to him. Anyone looking in from the outside wouldn't think otherwise. We usually have whiteboards with all our information up, but we can't risk that being seen, so I had to help CeCe get everything put into binders that look to be loaded with graphs and pie charts, not top secret government Homeland Security Reports.
"Thanks honey, but try and remember this is my show and this is my team. I answer to Finn only and that means that you answer to me in here. Now let's start with the beginning. Barney discovered a hack into your system that started with a mutation of my Screaming Eagle hack. From there I was brought in to help assess the situation and dig around and see what was going on. Monday I discovered what the hack was doing. It was masking the plant of incriminating files that were there to implicate Christian in a terror plot. Yesterday I found where it was all coming from. A computer on your finance floor was being used to plant the files during system updates on that floor. Jake Ramos was hired by your company a little over a year ago. Welch had altered his background checks to hide his name change, originally Jose Rodriguez, and we know that Jose was kicked out of school for theft of intellectual work and cheating. He possessed no degree or necessary experience for the position. Griffin, tell us about Welch and Jose's interrogations."
I sit down to take a drink of water and watch my father eye me intently. Griffin stands flicking the binder before coming to a stop. "Turn to page 28 in the binder and you'll find my reports on Welch and Rodriguez. Welch has some massive gambling debts, and not normal gambling debts either. He owes a suspected high ranking Russian mafia member. This guy has been in the back pocket of Sabbah for at least the last 5 years, before his father was killed. Welch was contacted 18 months ago and told he could work off part of his debt with favors. One of those favors was to help plant Rodriguez in the company. Another favor was helping Lincoln cook her books. He was also to look the other way when certain people showed up at the salon and not report to you his findings when people do. He's the one that let Elena in to plant the bugs in the penthouse and he planted them in the building. The threat you received last week with the images from your night at the Mile High was delivered by him at Sabbah's instruction. Also, we learned that he had a brief romantic encounter with Lincoln about 25 years ago when they met through her husband at the time, Richard Lincoln. Welch indicated that he didn't come back in contact with Elena till he started working for you."
Griffin pauses for a moment and I wonder if he's cleaning part of the conversation because of me and my dad. He doesn't want to bring up the BDSM, and for that I am thankful. At least in front of Dad, if I know Griff, he's going to be bringing it up to me in private, thinking I don't know. "Rodriguez, has it in for you Ana. He's hot for you and I think it's only rivaled by Jeff, that's Frank's thing though. Rodriguez has been in Elena's pocket since his junior year at U-Dub. That was back when you and he were together. She's had her hooks in him for a while. He's going to do some time, but he's cutting a deal and rolling over on Elena for a shorter sentence. She wasn't aware of the current plot with Sabbah to implicate Grey, but she's been using Jose as her inside guy for all things GEH. Jose is the one that helped her doctor her books and forge the credit line documents. He's also been keeping his own file on her of all her personal dealings. The FBI special victims unit will be taking over that. He's going to be getting a new identity and then transferred to a secure facility so that Sabbah can't find him. The FBI doesn't want us included in their investigation into Lincoln. They've been after her for a few years, that is how they know for sure you're innocent. We've been asked to tell you that when you're ready they would like to speak to you and see what it is that your man found in that safe and is keeping under lock and key for you. When you're ready though."
Griffin sits down and Frank immediately stands up and begins his pacing around the room. "Gunnery Sergeant Jeff Thomas. Page 63 in the binder. He was a member of the seal team that extracted Steele from Cairo. She had been held only for a few days and his team went into retrieve her for us. They lost a member of the team, but Ana was able to shoot the man that hit him, but not before he shot her. When they all returned to the states, after she was cleared by medical, they were in DC for a briefing at the Pentagon. After I had coerced her into a few shots of tequila in the hotel bar, she was left to her own devices when she ran into Jeff. There was a moment that I don't think she wants her father to hear about, but Jeff maintains that more happened than Steele tells us. When he came back to Washington few weeks later, he started an elaborate ruse to fool his half-brother Elliot Grey. He eluded to Ana being his reason for his visits, even saw Colonel Steele a few times alluding to the desire for a relationship with Ana. Ana constantly avoided Jeff. He had no direct contact with her. When he spoke with Elliot and indicated he was with his girlfriend, it turned out he was seeing Elena Lincoln. He wanted Ana though and Lincoln knew who she was before they even met at your office last week. Welch is the one who helped Jeff sneak back into the country and Sabbah funded it all. Jeff was feeling rebuked by Ana and Sabbah played on it. Convinced Jeff that his country didn't appreciate him and was going to turn on him and take everything he had from him. Jeff also believes that Lena William's daughter is his own, although he admits that he thought he was with Leila and it was a one-time thing, but Elena had him convinced Brooklynne was his daughter. Sabbah told him that he could have the family he wanted with his daughter and Ana if he did what was asked of him. He was convinced that he and Ana would be allowed to run away to Rio and hide out after next week. He admits that he tried to drug her in the café so that he could get her to the warehouse easily and without a fight. He didn't expect her to be wired or have security watching out for her. The cup did test positive to scopolamine. You would have been unable to say no to what they wanted and then not remembered any of it. Turns out they did want you to put your finger prints on the laptop. Then they were going to have you make a couple wire transfers they set up in yours and Christian's names. Then they needed you to hack the FAA and make it appear that Christian was in places he wasn't, along with you. Jeff had no idea that you were a CIA Agent. He thought you were just a computer squint that the NSA contracted to do the one job. And apparently, he'd completely forgotten about your gun and the belly belt you wore to holster it. He just remembered hearing your gun shot and didn't actually witness you shooting the Mossad guy. When you made it to New York they needed you to hack the city's computer grid and scramble certain street cameras, as well as the power at the conference center. The backup plan is unknown to him, but he knows they will still go through with the bomb. He had no useful information on where it was located and that's our main concern now. He's not getting a deal and will be out of the country to origins unknown to everyone in this room before the end of the weekend."
Frank sits down and I watch Beth lean over and say something to Finn before Finn straightens in his seat nodding. What is that about?
Christian's POV
I watch McKenzie and the older blonde whisper to one another. They're sitting closer to my end of the table and Ray is narrowing his eyes at them in contempt. The scowl on his face indicates that he isn't happy with what they were saying. I didn't hear the last of what Frank was saying when Ray slammed his hands on the table and forcefully spoke, "Absolutely not McKenzie."
"What's going on?" Ana's voice does nothing to hide the apprehension she's feeling. It's radiating off her in waves.
Finn straightens up more in his chair and nods to the blonde woman. She starts speaking, "I think we need to publicize Christian and Ana being New York. We need to get someone to tip off the paparazzi, pull Sabbah out. If they're there for a Charity Gala, it's going to be hard to pin the bomb on them. Frankly I am not sure what they expected to be their motive in it either."
I agree with Ray. "You want to use Ana and I as bait. I don't think so. You can use me, but not her, she has enough dangers lurking around her. I can't have you putting her in more."
Finn speaks up next, "That's not your call to make Grey. She's my agent. If I give her an order, she's to follow. She is an agent of the United States Government. She answers to her Commander in Chief and his agents. I'm his agent here and I think this is the best thing we can do." He turns to Ana and starts in again. "Smith, I think that the best way to go in New York is that you and Christian carry on like it's a romantic weekend away. We'll find an event for you to attend Friday night and Saturday. We'll tip off the press and make sure you're seen. You'll be covered and protected at all times, but I think it's best that you not be seen with your father either, kinda brings down the romantic trip vibe. So, he needs to travel with us tomorrow morning. We've managed to rent an apartment in Christian's building in New York so that we won't have to worry about being seen moving around the city for briefings. The team there is already setting up and preparing for our arrival. The final analysis of the laptop will be ready by the time you reach New York tomorrow. The teams will then organize a plan of attack to find the cell and stop the bomb. I need you to remember that you aren't an EOD expert though Smith. You're the computer squint. You're not to pursue anything there except from behind a computer and as half a happy and in love couple."
Ana looks at me smiling, "We get to be a couple of lovebirds for the weekend. I've been to New York six times in the last 4 years and I've never seen the sights. I'm going to work an itinerary and hand off to everyone so they can coordinate security. I need to speak to Andrea, she needs to find us a couple of charity events for the Friday and Saturday. I'll arrange a stop at Saks to find appropriate attire when we get there and we're going to need to open our checkbooks to get into these events. Oh, this is going to be fun."
Yes, this could be very fun now that I think about it. If only I can keep her safe while doing it.