Chp29 NY delivery
Steve pov
The press is twenty people thick. I can't get thru. I call Taylor. This surprise for Christian and Anna is going south fast. We pull into the hospital. I panic, how can we get to our friends?
Earlier that evening, we arrived at the Apartment to police & press. I managed to get some information. Mary is crying. She feels so deep, everything. I hold her. It's strange how connected she is to Anna. It's like their blood sisters. I can feel Christian, we mesh. I know it's about are shared history. But the girls, like halfway down I-5 she starts crying and worrying. Now, I suspect she felt Anna pain.
Taylor answers he sending a guy to get us. A tall blonde guy raps on the window. He shows his ID, Sawyer. I think I recognize him from the last fun run. We head in towards a side entrance. I'm holding Mary's hand. A guy on crutches with a leg cast pass us. Mary stop cold, I lose the hand. I turn, she's white. Then she screams. I move towards her but she bolt back outside. I chase. She slams into the guy on crutches knocking him into the side panel of a waiting taxi. She steps back a delivers a full force kick to his face. I grab her. "NO. NO. HIM! HIM!" I'm trying to understand her. Sawyer is moving to help the guy. "HE! BRAND! ME!" I go cold, an emotion I suppress; wells up and overtakes me. I release Mary, walk up to the animal; I rain punches to his face. Sawyer pulls me back, holding me. I can see cops coming down the hall. I squirm to get loose. I'm going to kill him. I am going to make sure no one else is hurt.
Mary is kicking him in the groin as he begs thru his bloody face. She's delivering full swing power kicks like the soccer player she is. every kick dead center. Lifting him off the ground. Suddenly Taylor has her, I try to get loose. I want another piece of him but the cops show up. They Arrest him. He wants us arrested, I really am going to kill him slow and mean. I never think this way.
What is happening to me. MARY, that what. She is the light of my life. She makes the world go away. She loves me. I never thought I could be loved. I never thought worthy of anyone loving me. Than Christian came into my life, then Anna and Now Mary, sweet, loving, perfect Mary. I realize I'm in a hallway, the family can see me thru the door. I calm down. I hug Christian, as the girls surround and hug Mary. I feel Christian hold me. like a brother I always wished I had.
Sawyer pulls me aside, tells me about the animal. I smile. I hold Mary in my arms, telling her the monster is no more. I will see he pays every day for the rest of his miserable life. I feel guilty about hate and revenge till I look into her eyes, sweet loving eyes. If the price of keeping her safe, is some guilty then so be it.
XXXXXX
Monday noon.
I arrive in Portland. It's late. Marv daughter is mad I took the jet. I have my secretary, Moesha, and my two CPO Walter and Lewis. We arrive at the Heathman. I check the desk. sending a message to my way wander daughter. I'm surprised when Benjamin arrives. He sits down. Makes his tea. Stares at me.
"Where is your mother?" he calmly sips his tea. "She's busy." I don't like this. All my other grandkids fear my temper, but not Benjamin, never Benjamin. "I want answers to what is going on?" he sips his tea. "why?"
now my temper is boiling over. "I am your grandmother, anything that effects the family is my business, so spill the beans!" his stands up.
I turn to see a young, very young Brown haired beauty come and sit next to my grandson. She makes a tea, weak, and sips. Benjamin has not made introductions.
I want to shout, but manners stop me. we all sip. "My grandmother Toni Layton, my sister Anastasia Steele" Benjamin says as I blow my tea across the table. I stare. How is this possible I would have known if she was pregnant again?
"it's a pleasure to meet you. My Father and I look forward to meeting the rest of the family. I hope you can see me as a granddaughter and not a step-granddaughter." She brightly smiles, but I can see she has steel behind the manners and innocents. Step granddaughter. The bruiser Kaylee was with.
"What does your father do child?" she stares dead into my eyes. "he's a carpentry, specializing in restoration. You might have seen him on this old house, woodshop or several other DIY shows." She laying down the gauntlet. I watch Benjamin he is perfectly at home holding her hand. She is a force to be reckoned. I'm about to attack when Benjamin stands up again. An older woman, sit down in a spare chair, I recognize her, but can't place the name.
"Mrs. Layton, my Future Mother-in-Law Dr. Grace Grey." Says Anastasia. Now, I realize the two boy shot are her sons. I stare at the woman, she reeks of professionism, competence, and motherhood. I realize she also one of the faces on Benjamin hero board, doctors he wants to be like. "Ben, Anna please go check on Christian." They make their leave.
As we stare at each other. "Kaylee, Ben are part of our family now. I suggest you take that into consideration." A threat, I process the threat. She is making a claim. I know my family is far from perfect, but their my family. I fight for my kids. "They are my family first, last and always" "then we need to clear the air about certain thing." We talk and argue several hours.
I feel used, abused, and tired. Grace is a formidable woman. Her love and caring is matched by her Mama Bear protection of her family. I'm surprised all three of her kids are adopted. That Anna and Kate are folded into the mix. That Raymond is going to rock the males in my family. They are not going to like a white guy with Kaylee. But I couldn't be happier that she's found the one to love her and be loved by her. Dan is going to be upset he's not wealthy, but having GEH Christian Grey as a son-in-law is going to count. Sometime my husband snob ways frustrate me.
I feel a hand on my shoulder. My beautiful daughter stares down on me with love in her eyes. The man holding her waist is tall, heavy set like a middle linebacker, I doubt there much fat on the man. His forearms bugle with muscle. He shakes my hand, firm but lite. I like him.
As we move to dinner, Grace husband joins us. He's a lawyer. He knows my middle son Robert, who's a lawyer. Later in a sitting room upstairs, Anna and the Copper hair boy come thru. I'm surprised that Christian, I thought the older blonde boy would be him. Grace tells me Elliot, her oldest is with Kate Kavanagh and runs a successful construction company. I know Catherine Kavanagh very well. This is a dynasty in the making.
I relax, this is going to be rough but doable. I smile, yes life in the stogie Layton house is going to get exciting.
Xxxxx
Wednesday, Chicago.
As I fly home after dropping Benjamin off in Chicago for school. I plan on how to break the news. Easter is being planned for Ray and Kaylee to come out and meet the family. Dan is going to have a fit. but he'll turn around. He loves his stubborn, eldest daughter. Their so alike, even to their pouting. Some days, I wish he had pursuit his dream of mathematics instead of business. But his father demanded, he take over the family business.
I marvel at my new granddaughter. She's is perfect. I hope she injects some goodness into her new cousins. I was so taken by how alike the two girls were, I assumed they were sisters. Grace looks stunned at my assertion. But they have the same build, hair, faces, even mannerism. I can believe their not related or grown up together. I watch the night sky thru the porthole. I dream of great grandkids. With pale skin and blue eyes. Happy children playing on my back lawn. Seeing only family, not wealth, not color, or social status. Just family.
Xxxxx
Grace pov.
Tuesday: Portland
I sit sipping my tea, staring out the window into the gray winter day in Portland. Toni is flying home. I suspect she will beat her family into accepting Ray and Anna. I know Christian will destroy anyone who hurts her. I feel sorry for the tabloids that print those pictures of the girls. The online world is exploding with sympathy. Tabloids making vile comments about the cheerleading outfits. As the picture show them huddled on the chairs in the ER waiting room, tears streaming down their faces. The abject pain and misery is so palpable; I cry just thinking about the picture. I wipe my eyes.
Toni comment about Mary and Anna shocks me. I reexam the two. She right they do look like sisters. I want to be sure. The girls gave blood for Elliot. I can have it tested. A little unethical, but I have to know. I must find out.
Xxxxxxx
Carrick pov:
This incident has brought home the need for security. I will make the family see the need. Ray's on board with me. he also expressed concern about Morton. I will apply my limited lawyer's skills to keep him in prison. Anna's Mother is a wild card, she fallen off the map. I will have Welch full court press the drive to find and neutralize her. She obviously seen the press coverage. I will make inquiry to Robert Layton, we served on several charities and legal panels. The families are going to mesh or Kaylee and Ben will leave them behind.
Emanon is walking down the hall towards me followed by his PR team. He stops, we discuss the issues. I already have GEH and my firm punishing the tabloid in court. He is maneuvering the idiots into a nightmare of profession and legal quagmires. The kids are perfectly happy, normal kids in love. Doing the cheerleader & jock thing is not a crime. Or even a sin. I might get Gracie's that outfit. I overheard the girls getting us letterman jackets. The thought hardens me. I love my wife, especial when she wears that sport jersey night dress, that just barely covers her sweet ass. I can taste her; I need to take a break. A lock the door and love my wife break.
XXXXXXX
Mrs. T pov
I take a quiet moment from the Social world. The Charity Gala is in full swing. The rich are shelling out big bucks. I wander the floor. Greeting and glad-handing the assholes, wanabes, the social climbers and fallers. I can't wait for this to be over. I hate this social scene. Everyone lacks manners and style. It like the greedy nineties all over again, flash your wealth. Fake persona and glam over substance. I sip my stale, warm, champagne. I can't wait to be done.
I lay on the couch in my penthouse, sipping an excellent brandy. I watch the night lights of the big apple. I let the world dissolve into nothingness. Waking to dawn cheerful rays, I make some breakfast and watch the morning news. Mostly bullshit, and political double speak. My spoon of granola and yogurt is half way to my mouth when I hear a name. I look up at a photo on the screen. Two girls in cheerleader outfits, very risqué, huddle on hard plastic chairs; weeping uncontrollable. Did I hear wrong. The rest is about some billionaire in Seattle or Portland. I shake with rage. My food forgotten.
I call my secretary and PA. I want a full report; by the time I get in to my office. Arriving at my office two hours' latter. I went to Pilates and a run to burn off this hate. I know I shouldn't hate, but that animal makes me so damn mad. Family is supposed to care, help each other not stab, steal, and ruin your kin.
I open the file. There is one of the spawn. Her picture clearly shows the breeding. Hate wells up in me. Now where is the beast.
