GUYS WE DID IT! FIFTY SUCCESSFUL CHAPTERS!
Thank you so much for your continued support and reviews, you all mean the world to me! You've stuck with me through thick and thin and I really appreciate the time and effort you put into helping me out with my story with your consistent feedback. Thanks again guys, and here's to (hopefully) fifty more successful chapters! Happy Holidays! :) ~ HA
Disclaimer: I do not own anything but the plot of this story.
Chapter 50
Anastasia's POV
"You're sure about this Ana?"
"Yes."
"Positive?"
"Yes."
"100%?"
"Seth!" I admonish, checking myself out in the mirror again.
"Fine, fine, sorry!" He puts his hands up in surrender as I mutter once again, disappointed in my outfit.
We're currently at my apartment with Christian and Elliot waiting outside for us while Kate and Seth get ready with me. Well, technically, they're both already ready so they're just helping me. And by helping I mean bugging the hell out of me, making sure that I actually want to go through with this.
"Grey isn't forcing you to do this is he?" Kate asks, her emerald eyes narrowed.
"No!" Seth and I simultaneously yell.
Kate and I give him a glare and he shrugs. "What? He wouldn't do that. Even with all his hotness, he's fair." He shakes the snow globe that Ray got me at Disney Land when I was younger. Pulling on a grey blouse, I smack his hand and place it back carefully on the shelf. Seth merely finds a book to stick his nose into while Kate musses my hair up and adds a bit of eyeliner to my pale face.
"Okay. We're good. Let's go!"
I lock up the apartment and head towards the Audi SUV. Taylor opens the door for me and I give Kate and Seth a smile. They're both coming with Elliot in Kate's Mercedes.
I clamber in and smooth down my grey pencil skirt. When I look up, Christian is eyeing me disapprovingly.
"What?" I frown.
"Did you get dressed with Seth in the room with you?" He narrows his eyes and I sigh, resisting the temptation to roll my eyes.
"Yes."
"Anastasia-"
"Christian, he's gay!"
"Regardless, you're mine! Got it?"
Oh my. He looks hurt. I take in his expression and melt. He looks like a pitiful, vulnerable child who has just found out that his parents are getting divorced.
I sigh acquiescently, unbuckle my seatbelt and climb into his lap. He ignores me at first, but I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him, deeply and sweetly. He responds possessively, igniting the passion running rampant through my veins.
"I'm sorry." I whisper against his lips when we pull apart.
"You'd better be. That just earned you another spanking Miss Steele."
I gasp and slide off his lap, back into my own seat. "Why?" I squeak, surprising myself at the octave of my voice.
"Because you physically undressed and redressed yourself in front of another man and then attempted to redirect my anger by distracting me."
"It was a good distraction though." I counter, buckling myself in.
He pretends to consider the retort. "Fair point well made. I'll add another spank to the list."
"Christian! That's unfair!" I whine petulantly.
"There goes another one."
"Ugh!" I throw my hands up in mock exasperation and resolve to look out the window instead, trying to hide my smile. When I look at him, he's full out grinning at me - the megawatt Christian Grey beam that's reserved for panty-dropping purposes. Let me tell you, it does its job very well.
"Damn you fifty." I mutter to myself.
He laughs and this time, I can't hide my smile.
When we pull up outside of the station I take deep breaths, trying to calm myself.
"Hey." Christian grabs my hand and brings it to his lips. "It'll be okay. We can still leave if you want to."
"No. I-I have to do this."
He nods and slides out of the car, coming around to my side to open the door. When I slide out, he supports me as Kate, Seth, and Elliot join us.
"Ready?" Seth's concerned face seems to piss Christian off even more so I answer rapidly to avoid another confrontation.
"As I'll ever be."
"Morton, we've got Anastasia Steele here to see you." Officer Morrison gives me a nod as I pass by her into the room.
There he is.
He looks worse than I remember. Good.
Christian trails behind me and Taylor brings up the rear as Stephen looks up. Greasy blonde hair, haunted green eyes, and gaunt frame; yep, those thugs did a number on him.
"Well, well, well. Look at what the cat dragged in!" His wheezy laugh hasn't changed, and though there was a time that I found it charming, it disgusts me beyond belief now. I take a reluctant seat on the wooden chairs provided for us and Christian sits next to me, gripping my hand for comfort while glowering at him. I get a thrill of satisfaction as I see him quail momentarily under Christian's infamous stare. Taylor merely stands watch in the corner with Officer Morrison in the other corner.
"Cut the shit Morton, you wanted to see her, she's here. Now talk!" Christian all but growls and I square my shoulders.
"Easy boy, as I recall, I asked for Anastasia Steele, not her playboy boyfriend." He sneers.
"That's enough Stephen. What do you want?" I interrupt his merciless tirade before Christian snaps under the pressure.
"Not so fast Ana. I ain't talkin' with all these extras in here."
"Tough luck. It's either you talk in these conditions or you don't talk at all." Christian snarls.
"As I recall sonny, I'm the one with the information here. So Anastasia, what'll it be? Get rid of your hotshot boyfriend or get rid of your chance to hear the truth?"
I glance at Christian and squeeze his hand reassuringly. "I'll be fine. I have Officer Morrison in here with me and Taylor-"
"Uh uh uh, not so fast girlie. Jason goes too."
I stiffen immediately. How does he know...?
Stephen lets out a deranged giggle. "Yep, I know him. How're you doin' Jason?" He waves, his handcuffs jingling and Taylor merely gives him the coldest of glares, his posture shifting until it becomes more rigid.
"Oh ho, tough crowd, eh?"
"Christian please. I don't want to waste any more time in here. Please just go." I beg. He gives me a pained look and stands, gesturing to Taylor.
"We'll be right outside. I'm sending Kate in."
"Ooh, you do that sonny! The alluring Miss Kavanagh." Stephen winks at me as Officer Morrison opens the door. Kate walks in, slamming into her seat aggressively.
Stephen cocks an eyebrow at her and merely turns to me.
"Okay. You've got me alone, well... kind of. What the hell do you want?" I ask.
Stephen leans back in his chair and seems to consider his words. "Been awhile Anastasia."
"Oh please spare me the 'been awhile' bullshit, Stephen. What the hell do you want?" I ask, my exasperation getting the better of me.
There's a loud crunch as his fists hit the wooden table. "Don't you dare talk to me like that you bitch! You are the reason that my life has come to this. You and that whore Carla. Didn't take much for me to convince her to marry me. Little bitch fell right into my trap."
"Don't talk about my mother like that you-"
"No, I'll fucking talk about you and your mother any way I want. I've been through way too much to give you respect Anastasia." He leers.
"Then why the fuck do you want me here?" I nearly scream the last part. Kate merely gives him a quivering glare and rubs my back. I appreciate her support, but I don't acknowledge it.
He smiles secretly and rubs his chin in contemplation. "Well, if I'm going to be honest, I just wanted to pay my compliments. What a beautiful woman you've become..." My skin crawls as he looks me up and down and I regret wearing my skirt and blouse. Nevertheless, I thank god that Christian isn't in here. Had he heard this...
"Fuck you Morton. Tell us how the fuck you managed all of this!" Hisses Kate.
Thank goodness for Katherine Kavanagh.
"It wasn't hard, really. You girls were quite ignorant with your apartment."
"What do you mean?" She asks through gritted teeth.
He lets out a loud laugh and erupts into a fit of coughs. After recovering, he gives us a simpering smile before responding. "Anastasia here has always been careless about leaving the door unlocked while retrieving the mail."
"Holy fuck." My hand flies to my mouth and I nearly run out of the room at the thought of him in my apartment.
But then... little buddy?
"Grey..." I whisper, recalling that day.
"Ah, buddy of mine breeds Catahoula Curs. Thought I'd leave you a sweet little present before torturing you."
My breakfast from this morning is in my throat, but I force down the rising bile. This doesn't change how I feel about little buddy. He's done nothing wrong, he was just caught in the middle...
"You sick motherfucker. What else did you do?" Yells Kate, pounding the table with her fists. There are tears of frustration in the corners of her eyes.
"Easy there Kate. You're quite more fiery than I expected." He smirks.
"You- you locked her in my office and started the fire? That was you?" I stammer incoherently.
"Oh yes. Oh! And I took her phone as well. There was no way she could contact you then! Haha, isn't it just wonderful?" He claps his hands together, looking like a child whose parents just agreed to buy him some candy.
"Then the bathroom attack? That was you too?"
"Not done over here, sweetheart. Unfortunately, Jason got in the way, unwittingly of course, but I couldn't finish the job when I was trying to poison Mister Grey's food and-"
"What the fuck? That week when he got sick-"
"All me." He grins, bringing his restrained hands behind his head in a deceptively relaxed manner.
"You are a sick, twisted fuck." Kate whispers my innermost thoughts.
He examines his nails uninterestedly. "Mm, tell me something I don't know."
"But why now? After all these years?" I ask quietly, not trusting myself to speak confidently.
"Those thugs, ugh, so hard to get rid of, but I managed it. Their water supply was mysteriously poisoned. Anyways, I had to take over their territory and run the show. I had learned enough in those four years on how to run drug rings. I liquidated the business, took the assets, and ran. Hid for a grand total of three years, too. Ooh hoo, then I saw your pretty l'il face Anastasia."
"Where?" Demands Kate, her green eyes blazing with unbridled fury.
"Oh, out and about with the elite. That little fancy shmancy gala of yours with the dance auction, Team Weele, and all of that, mmm. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful."
"You sick fuck." I manage to choke out.
"Insults later m'dear. Anywho, I just knew that I had to have my revenge. At first I considered rape, then kidnap, then murder, but they were all foiled, so meh. Eventually had to settle with arson, which also failed, so I targeted your friends, Miss Kavanagh and Mister Wate. That didn't go as planned either, but I did get one thing established, I wasn't going to win. But hey, that was fine with me. I have people comin' after me anyway, so what better way to get away than to spend the rest of my years in jail?"
"You were on a suicide mission all along?" I whisper. Kate clutches my forearm and we silently support one another.
"Hmm. Nice way to put it. Essentially, yes."
"So you've been after Ana ever since the gala?"
"Yep." He responds, popping the 'p'.
"Officer Morrison? We're done here." I call, not breaking eye contact with him.
He smirks as Kate and I rise. Officer Morrison gives me a supportive pat on the back before opening the door.
"Oh Anastasia?" He trills right before I leave. I pause, not bothering to turn around. "Tell your mother I said hello." He giggles as I shudder and leave the room.
Screw you Stephen Morton.
"Ana!" Christian rushes to my side immediately and I let him hug me. Elliot comforts a furious Kate while Seth glares at Morton through a crack in the door before it shuts. "Hush baby, you're okay."
I feel numb.
"Mister Grey, Miss Steele?"
We look up expectantly as Officer Morrison calls our names. "The conversation was recorded. It is now being taken into consideration, but I can tell you one thing-" She pauses, looking around and leans in quickly to relay her message. "Morton's not going anywhere but jail. It's a straight shot at a remand in custody for him, he's got way too many felonies on his record as more and more evidence rolls in."
"Thank you Officer. I'll make sure that the force receives a generous donation." Christian remarks.
Morrison merely gives us a sympathetic smile. "It's appreciated Mister Grey, but just know that justice is more important to me than money. Good day sir. Miss." She nods at us and departs, and just like that, it's time to go.
"Can you walk Ana?" Christian's husky voice brings me out of my daze and I stand up, a pounding headache reoccupying my head.
"Yes. Can we just go back to Escala? I really want to hold Grey and just sleep."
"Of course." Christian gives Taylor a look and after saying good-bye to Kate, Elliot, and Seth who want to stay at the station a bit longer, we depart.
As Christian and I step out into the cleansing Seattle rain, I breathe a sigh of imminent relief.
We did it. He's going to jail. It's over.
It's really over.
Happy Holidays everyone! Thanks for a successful fifty chapters. I won't be updating until after the New Year, but please review! Love you all. :) ~ HA
