25
CPOV
"Ana, I wish you would stay at my house tonight. It makes me nervous." She is so stubborn and it's frustrating.
"Christian, I'll be with Kate and we have the fancy schmancy alarm system you put in. We'll be fine."
"Ana…"
"Christian… please." I know she wants to be independent but she's putting herself at risk. Before I can say anything else we're at the coffee shop and she hops out. "I'll see you later, OK?"
I relent. "Yes. I'll be by after my meeting." She shuts the car door and goes into the shop. I mutter aloud to no one in particular, "Is every woman so frustrating?"
Taylor smirks and replies, "Yes, they are, Sir." I start to laugh at his candor.
We get to the office and straight away I meet with Welch and Taylor. "Do we have any updates on where Fuller is?"
"No, Mr. Grey. He's fallen off the radar."
"That doesn't sound good. We need to find him right away. With him out there, Miss Steele is in danger. Is there anything else?"
"No, Sir. That's all we have for now."
"Keep me updated with everything you find out."
After the third meeting of the morning, I walk down to the coffee shop. I have to find a way to convince Ana to stay with me. I still can't shake this uneasy feeling. I get to the shop and I have this indescribable feeling in my chest. "Good morning, beautiful."
She smiles broadly at me and it immediately lifts my spirits. "Same to you. Long time no see, eh?"
"How has your morning been so far, Ana?"
"It's been OK, I suppose." I haven't known Ana long but I can tell when something is bothering her.
"Ana, what is it?"
"It's nothing. Really. It's just that Kate is staying at Derrick's tonight. That's all."
"So, will you finally agree to stay with me tonight?"
She lets out a deep sigh. "Yeah, I guess."
"Is it that horrible to stay with me?" I feign I am hurt. And, it has the effect I want.
"No, it's not." She gives me a sweet smile.
"You know, you are incorrigible. But you are also incredible and beguiling." I walk around the counter and give her an austere kiss before I head back to work. Ana places her hands in my hair and deepens the kiss. I don't want to stop. I don't want to let her go.
Tell her. Tell her you love her.
"I close the shop at 7 tonight. I just need to pick up a couple of things and I can be at your apartment shortly after that. Does that work?"
"I can pick you up from here."
"No, it's OK. I need the exercise. If you keep taking me out to eat like you have, I'll need to walk a lot more."
"Anastasia, I don't think that will be an issue. But, as you wish. I'll see you later."
"Bye, Christian. I'll see you later."
On my walk back to the office I receive a text from Taylor.
*Welch informed me that Fuller sold his tattoo equipment. But that's all we have so far.*
*Not good. Keep me informed.*
*Will do.*
After work, I head back to Escala to wait for Ana. I want to go to her apartment with her and make sure she is OK, but I don't want to upset her. I know she wants to be independent.
It's now 7:30 and I haven't seen Ana yet. But, she may be running late. I walk over to the wine refrigerator to pour some wine when I get a phone call.
"Mr. Grey?"
"Yes. What is it?"
"Sir, it's Reynolds. I am the covert officer for Miss Steele." Immediately I feel a chill run up my spine. Something must be wrong.
"I know who you are. What's wrong?"
"Sir, it's probably nothing but Miss Steele hasn't come out of the coffee shop yet. I thought her shift ended at 7 today."
"It did. It's 7:45 now, what could keep her so long? Have you seen anyone else enter or leave the shop?"
"No. No one, Sir."
I try and calm myself. She could just be running late. "If she isn't out in five minutes, call me right away, OK?"
"Yes, Mr. Grey."
APOV
I'm in the back cleaning up and prepping everything for the morning when I hear someone come down the back steps. I didn't realize my boss, Shawn, was here.
I shout over to him, "Hi Shawn, I didn't realize you were here or I would have brought you up something to eat. I'm almost finished and then I can lock up." He doesn't answer but I hear his footsteps getting closer to me.
"Good evening, Ana." I freeze. That's not Shawn's voice. But, it is a voice I know and it chills me to the bone.
I turn around quickly and confirm who it is. "Aaron, what are you doing here?"
"Did you get my gifts, Ana?"
I feel as if I am lost in space somehow and the only thing I can hear is my heart beating rapidly. "Um, yes, thank you." I am frozen and don't know what to do, all my instincts have disappeared.
"I've missed you, Ana." His voice is alarmingly calm and even.
"Oh?" He just nods and walks slowly toward me.
"Have you missed me?" He is so close to me that if he moved just a centimeter we would be touching.
I am so frightened I don't know what to do. "Yes, of course, I have. You were my first love."
"Well, you aren't acting like it. I see you with him. I see him at your apartment and I see you come home from his. Do you love him?"
"Our relationship isn't like that, Aaron. It's not what you and I had." My voice is starting to tremble and I don't know how long I can keep it together.
"Don't lie to me, Ana! I've seen you!" His yell makes me jump.
"I'm not… I'm not lying to you."
"You are. You fucked him."
"Aaron…"
"Shut up, Ana. Just shut up!" I stand still not sure what else to do. "It was always you. Always." Suddenly he pulls out a gun and quickly aims it at me.
I automatically let out a startled yelp. "Aaron, please think about what you're doing. You don't want to do this."
"You don't know what I want!" My arms begin to quake and my hands are as cold as ice. My heart is beating so quickly I feel like it could jump out of my chest.
Abruptly the sound of glass breaking echoes through the shop. We both turn and look at where the noise came from. I see Christian standing there and my eyes dart from him to Aaron. I silently plead with Aaron to not harm Christian.
"I see he's come to save the day. But he's too late." Aaron snarls at me and aims the gun at me once more.
"Ana…" Christian calls to me.
"Oh, shut up," Aaron yells at Christian cutting him off mid-sentence.
I look to Aaron and pray any bit of feeling he has for me is still there. "Aaron, please let Christian go. He's not a part of it."
"Not a part of it? He stole you from me!"
"No, Aaron. I was just with him because I thought you didn't want to be with me. I've missed you so much. Please, let him go and you and I can be together. Just like we used to be."
"Ana, don't do this." Christian pleads with me and I know he's frightened for me but this is the only way I can calm Aaron.
"Then tell him. Tell him what you told me, Ana. Tell him you are mine."
My voice is increasingly shakier and my arms are trembling even more. "Christian, I'm sorry. But I love Aaron. I want to be with him. You need to go." I'm barely holding on when suddenly someone comes up behind Aaron and knocks him out. But before he falls, Aaron fires his gun. I quickly duck to get out of the way and when I look back up I see Taylor and Christian running up to me.
Christian gets to me, "Anastasia, are you alright? Did he hurt you?" I can no longer hold back my tears and they start flooding out of me. I'm cold and I can't stop shaking. I launch myself into his arms and hold on tight weeping into his shoulder.
"Christian! I thought he was going to kill you! I was so worried about you." I glance up to see Taylor restraining Aaron with his hands behind his back.
"Baby, you were worried about me? I was so worried about you." He starts looking me over for any injuries - my face, arms, neck, everywhere.
Taylor walks up to Christian, "Mr. Grey. He's been subdued. What would you like me to do?"
"Call the police. I'm going to take Anastasia back to Escala. If they want to speak with either of us they can come to us."
"Yes, Sir." Taylor looks at me with sincerity in his eyes. "I'm glad you are OK, Miss Steele."
"Thank you, Taylor. I'm glad you know what you're doing."