Hello, everyone!
This is #13. A little entertainment to while away an afternoon…or two. It's long. All hail E. L. James for the world she created. I'm not interested in the BDSM unless it is truly part of the story. Simply don't see what all the excitement's about. I also thought that too much was made of it in the movies. Except for Christian belting Ana in the first movie, the BDSM was pretty mild. There have certainly been more sexually explicit movies made before and since.
As most of you know by now, I file my stories completed with chapters and an epilogue. This gives you the chance for one review at the end. However, please feel free to PM me at any point. Think of it…you could yell at me at every other sentence. There are 101 chapters and a short epilogue.
Important: After I published the story, a reader informed me that chapters 8 thru 27 were printed out as one loooonnnnggg chapter. I am now posting at bluesky5679. Older stories are at bluesky5678.
I've decided to revise this story and republish at 5679 in hopes that it will appear as it should.
This is not a new story.
Christian Grey lives in a bubble of GEH and BDSM. Then he meets a young woman who lives in a much larger world of evil and pain and no way out.
ALL HE WANTED WAS A LATTE
Prologue
It was raining, gray and cold in Seattle, a few minutes into the dawn of a new day. Christian Grey sat on the edge of his bed, resting his elbows on his knees as he tried to rub the sleep from his eyes. He put his hands together and laid his head on his fists, pulling a deep breath into his lungs.
Most men would not get out of bed at dawn to run for an hour before 14 hours at the office. Most men didn't have Christian Grey's self-discipline and pragmatism. Most men couldn't manage on less than six hours of sleep a night.
Grey donned his running gear and headed for the elevator. Taylor was already there. They did not exchange greetings. Grey wouldn't have minded had Taylor wanted to stay in bed for another hour but Taylor was a professional. It was he who several years before had determined his duties when he signed on with Grey. One of those duties was to trail Grey for an hour every morning in every kind of weather.
When they returned, Gail was in the kitchen preparing breakfast. The two men walked in opposite directions…Grey to a scalding shower and then to his huge dressing room to choose a suit, a tie...to become Christian Grey, billionaire wunderkind…Taylor to don the same apparel he wore every day…black suit, black tie.
Grey appraised himself in the mirror one last time and then went into the kitchen to sit at the breakfast bar to eat an egg white omelet, a strip of bacon and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Taylor would be in his own quarters shoveling down a bowl of raisin bran and a cup of coffee. When he finished, he would meet Grey at the elevator at exactly 7:15.
Gail always marveled at how they timed their departure for GEH to the minute. Neither was ever 7:14 or 7:16.
Taylor exited the elevator into the garage just before Grey and made a quick visual sweep of the area before opening Grey's door. As they left the garage, Grey turned on his iPad to peruse his schedule. By the time they arrived at the GEH garage, Grey would read and reply to a dozen emails.
7:30. The day begins.
ALL HE WANTED WAS A LATTE
CHAPTER 1
"Excuse me, sir," the voice was soft and sweet. "Do you come here often?"
What! The oldest come-on in history! Christian was in no mood for ridiculous attempts to make his acquaintance. He regretted leaving his office high in the sky on a trek to purchase his own latte. He had wanted to get a little air, to try to calm himself following that disastrous teleconference with his New York office. It should have been a simple deal but idiotic mistakes made by his staff had ruined the careful preparations he'd been making for weeks. Now the deal was blown and his equally simple coffee run was now being ruined by some simpering girl who was drooling over his handsome face and expensive suit. This was why he didn't run his own errands…why he had his minions face the world for him.
"I'm only interested in a latte, miss. I don't require company and I'd truly appreciate it if you left me alone," he snarled viciously at the young woman. He didn't look at her…just the merest glance when she spoke to him. He kept his eyes looking straight ahead of him…straight ahead and almost a foot over her head. He felt her flinch and take a step away. Good.
He gave his order to the barista and his name…Grey. Then he removed himself to a stool at the end of the bar to wait. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't hear his name called but he did feel someone come to stand next to him. Dammit…not again. This time he looked up, intending to bestow his most withering glare on the intruder.
"Leave me the hell….?" he began…but stopped…
Sky blue eyes. Gentle. They belonged to a petite brunette who reached out and set a latte labeled Grey down on the bar next to him.
"I apologize, sir. I truly did not mean to bother you. It's just that I'm in here most days and I know everyone but I didn't know you and so that is why I inquired. Simple curiosity but absolutely none of my business. Sometimes I'm too friendly. I've been told that it's a fault of mine. I paid for your latte as a way of saying I'm sorry and I certainly won't intrude upon your privacy again. I wish you a wonderful day."
The girl said all of this in a rush. She was clearly embarrassed. Then…she smiled…. and before he could respond, she was gone, lost in the crowd. He looked at his coffee cup and then up again, as if hoping that she would still be there. He discerned a feeling in his chest. It was something different, something unpleasant. He didn't like it so he shook his head, took a quick gulp of his mocha latte and left the shop as quickly as possible. On his way up to the 30th floor in his private elevator, he identified the feeling as major annoyance. As soon as he'd decided what it was that he'd felt, he forgot about it and went back to thinking about the deal on which he was currently working.
At 10:00 a.m. precisely, Grey returned to the conference room to continue the meeting he'd begun at 9:00 a.m. While it should have been a simple matter of presenting facts and figures, as usual the men in the room, all at least twice Grey's age, failed to grasp with whom they were dealing.
When they began to conduct business, Grey consistently deferred to his COO, Ros Bailey. It was soon clear that Ros had a better grasp of the merger details than any of the leaders of industry in the room. It was at this point, after Ros had put them all on edge, that Grey began to lead the discussion. Before the meeting was over, all opposing parties had come to an understanding that they were dealing with the Great White of the shark tank and that it would be to their advantage to treat GEH with respect.
By noon, necessary business had been completed and Grey, checking his calendar and caring nothing for anyone else's schedule, announced that a final conference would be held on Monday at 9 a.m. to sign contracts. A couple of men rose to object to the timeline, indicating that at 9 a.m. Monday, they would be unavailable. Grey eyed them with indifference and rose, taking his leave.
Ros smirked, said goodbye and "we'll see you Monday at 9 a.m.". She loved it when Grey did that thing he did. She followed him to his office and once inside, threw herself on his couch and laughed. Grey smiled only because it pleased him to amuse Ros. She and his PA Andrea were the only people in a 30 story building filled with employees whom he considered to be somewhat like friends.
"Any idea what you'd like for lunch, Mr. Grey?" the disembodied voice of Andrea inquired through the intercom.
Grey glanced out the window. "The sun's come out. I think I'll get some air. Can I pick up anything for you, Andrea?"
"Thanks, sir. No. I packed today."
"You should try that little diner a couple blocks down, Christian. They have a triple-stacked grill cheese to die for," Ros advised.
"Are you coming then?" he asked.
"No. Gwen packed a lunch for me. See you around 2?" Ros was teasing. Grey didn't do 'around's.
"Yes. 2 p.m. My office."
CHAPTER 2
Grey loved the scent of the city after it rained. The rain seemed to clean the air. He was pleased. The meeting had gone well. Perhaps it was a harbinger of things to come. Maybe he and Ros could clean up the mess he'd arrived to that morning during their meeting this afternoon. He was seriously considering firing the incompetents who greeted him as he came off the elevator. There was really no excuse for their ineptitude in the matter. The more he mulled over their mistakes the more riled he became. By the time he arrived at the coffee shop, he was boiling.
It was a bit past noon. The little shop was crowded with other people wanting their lunches. What had he been thinking? He had people for this sort of menial task. He could have ordered out and waited in the park across the street and not had to deal with the simple masses. That is when he saw her again…the flirty server from earlier that morning. Perhaps she could be of some use.
He waded through the pack to the small table in the back where the girl sat drinking tea and typing on her laptop. She didn't notice him approach although there were many other envious females who wondered why he was attracted to her table.
"Miss? Do you recall meeting me this morning?" It was a question but he asked it as if it were a forgone conclusion that she'd been unable to forget him.
She looked up. She remembered his gray eyes. Was he going to snarl at her again?
"Yes. Mr. Grey, was it? How can I help you?"
Grey assumed that the girl worked in the shop and that she was currently on her break. Well, too bad. Her break wasn't as important as his time.
"I need a latte and a triple-stacked grilled cheese sandwich to go." He stared at her, wondering why she wasn't leaping to her feet.
"Hmm…did you want me to get those for you?"
Grey gritted his teeth and replied tightly, "If you wouldn't mind?" He opened his wallet and handed her $50.00 and then took a seat to wait. She smiled politely and disappeared into the pack of patrons around the counter. He waited impatiently. Her laptop was open and he was curious. That someone else was entitled to their privacy did not occur to him so he turned the machine around and read the screen. It appeared to be a story. Ordinarily, he didn't read fiction. He didn't have time to waste on frivolities. However, she had written a love scene and he found it interesting.
He didn't know how long it had been until she returned with a bag and his latte. He was reading when he heard someone "ahem" behind him. He looked up. She looked irritated but said nothing. She took her seat, handed him his lunch and told him to have a good day. Then she went back to her writing without looking at him again.
He didn't know why…there was certainly no need for it…but he felt mildly embarrassed to be caught violating her privacy. Without a thank you, he walked out of the shop and back to his office. In the bag, he found the latte, the sandwich and change for his $50.00. He had meant for her to keep the change. Why had she not done so? Perhaps $30 was a large tip but he was a billionaire after all. Was it possible that she didn't recognize him? Not likely. He was in the Nooz, above the fold, most every day. Puzzling.
Was that why she was lacking in warmth when she returned with his lunch? Did she think that a 250% tip was too little? He was interrupting her lunch break. Maybe she was so involved with her writing that she was impatient with his demand? Hmm…well, what did he care?
He recalled the love scene she'd written. He actually found it titillating. She described acts that he never did. Of course, his scenarios with his subs were nothing to do with love or tenderness or passion. They were intended as sexual tension relievers. She was writing silly things whereas he found release in canes and paddles and using his cock as a blunt instrument. He sought control and punishment and humiliation.
Since Elena had taken him under her wing as a 15 year old, he'd known nothing but BDSM. He hadn't particularly liked the M part so as soon as he was old enough to be a dominant, he'd taken to BD&S like a duck to water. Belting a woman and fucking her mouth and ass as harshly as possible was completely satisfying. His current sub rarely used a safe word and would often deliberately commit infractions in order to earn punishments. He'd listen to his brother, Elliot, describe his sexual exploits and wonder why he thought what he did was good sex. Grey had often thought of introducing Elliot to BDSM but had never wanted to take the chance that he would disapprove. He'd probably want to know where Grey had learned such things and then the shit would really hit the fan.
CHAPTER 3
At 2 p.m. Ros settled into a chair in Grey's office with her IPad and a cup of coffee. Andrea would, of course, bring in Grey's coffee. For the next several hours, Ros and Grey went over the details of the deal that had gone south that morning due to errors made on the GEH end. Grey's temper was barely in check. He did not permit mistakes. He did things correctly and expected the same from his employees. There were no excuses…illness, weather, false information…no excuses. When he brought up terminating the responsible parties, Ros ignored him. Grey didn't have a life but she did and it didn't include interviewing, training and supervising new employees frequently. She would sit down with the culprits and hear them out. Perhaps she would have to punish them in some way but not in a way that punished her as well.
As they worked, Ros found reasons for the mistakes made but did not make much of them with Grey. It would do no good to reason with a man who considered himself incapable of failure. Sometimes, Ros watched as he tore at his hair and she felt bad for him. What, she wondered, must it be like to expect perfection of oneself?
Ros didn't know about Grey's extracurricular activities. Eight years of working side by side to grow GEH and still she knew little of the man but what she saw in the office. She certainly didn't know that he'd learned self-discipline from Elena Lincoln inserting ginger root into his anus while she beat his groin with a studded cane and forbid him to move. With Elena, there were no safe words. There were punishments and the rewards were permission to have sex with her. At first, Grey wanted the rewards but by his 18th birthday, he wanted sex with girls his own age…girls whose breath didn't smell like cigarettes and tequila. Elena had bred in him great confidence in his sexual abilities and now he wanted to be the one in charge. It was certainly no trouble procuring sexual favors of any kind from the girls on the Harvard campus. Christian was an extraordinarily handsome young man with charming manners and an impeccable pedigree.
By his 19th year, he wanted two things…the end of his academic life and the beginning of his life as a dominant.
In dominancy, he found his place. All his anger at an unfair world, his birth mother who didn't love him, his loneliness….his rage explained his adherence to a legally acceptable form of sex play. His lack of sociability played right into the privacy mania necessary for BDSM. Yes, he liked being a dominant in life, in business and in the red room. The only person who knew him well, she believed, was his mentor, business partner and friend, Elena Lincoln…and she guarded well her primacy in his life.
At 6 p.m. Ros called time and left for her home and wife. She and Gwen had recently adopted an infant they named Sal, after Gwen's deceased grandfather. Ros had thought that life with Gwen was perfect. She hadn't known how much better it could be with a child. Life was good and she wasn't going to spend it at the office.
Grey thought the kid was cute but he didn't get the overall attraction to something that required so much attention and work. He was also chagrined at having to pretend to be interested in little Sal's development and the pictures on Ros' phone. He was forced to get used to working alone after 6 p.m. so by 7:30 on Friday evening the intensity of his need for relief was boiling over.
He would get off the elevator, quickly devour whatever dinner Gail had left for him and retire to his bedroom where he would change into his tattered jeans. At 8 p.m. he would open the door to his playroom to find his latest sub kneeling, head down, hair tied back, waiting for instructions from her dom. Sometimes, if truly seeking severe punishment, the sub would enter the room after Grey had already arrived.
For two, sometimes three hours, Grey would find use for almost all of his instruments of "discipline". It wasn't until the last strike of the belt that he would finally feel not just relief but euphoria. He would offer aftercare but preferred to simply send his sub to her room for the night. The subs enjoyed the aftercare…Grey's strong hands massaging creams and oils into savaged skin...but often the expectancy of a substantial reward for taking care of themselves would prompt them to refuse aftercare. Grey's NDAs supposedly protected him from sub gossip but in practice he was well known in the world of submissives. He was considered intense but fair.
His physical beauty and his monetary generosity were legend among subs. Every sub strove to be long term. Indeed, all evidence to the contrary, each hoped to be the one sub to whom Grey became permanently attached. Some subs delayed being offered up to Grey in the hope that as he aged, the chance of him wishing to collar a sub would increase. His policy was solid…once terminated, there was no going back. Therefore, waiting to serve him seemed sensible. There was a huge backlog of willing subs. Elena never had to struggle to find suitable candidates…although she made much ado about the struggle to find someone of whom he would approve, thereby ensuring that he appreciated her efforts.
Many of Grey's former subs met secretly as members of the Sub Club to reminisce about their time with him. It helped them to deal with the loss. Termination by Christian Grey was a time for tears and broken hearts.
As much as Grey valued his status as a dominant, he failed to understand that it was not the panacea that he believed it to be. He still awakened himself every night around 3 a.m. with a nightmare about life with Ella and her brutal pimp and his cigarettes.
CHAPTER 4
Sundays were family day for Grey. His parents and siblings were the only people he tolerated aside from Ros and Andrea, and the only people for whom he felt something akin to love. He had been adopted by Grace and Carrick when he was just four, already deeply damaged by life with a drug addicted mother. He adored his parents because they had rescued him from life in the foster system. He was a troubled child who gave them years of grief. He didn't begin to turn himself around until he was 15. His family assumed that he was finally growing up but the reality was a truth that he believed he would take to his grave.
Despite his love for his parents and siblings, he hid himself from them. At dinner, while Elliot and Mia discussed their lives, Grey had nothing to contribute. Sometimes, he would talk about work but it was all about deals and rarely did his family find deals interesting. Grace and Carrick also talked about their work but their work was indeed intriguing because it involved people and their foibles.
Grey arrived late and left early and it was during those gaps in time that his family sighed sadly and discussed their son and brother. He'd been angry and closed off until he turned 15 and, thereafter, he was dour and closed off. Elliot despaired of ever having a true brother and Mia simply missed the big brother she adored. Grace and Carrick loved him so and told each other that this is who he is and they would love him as is.
Grey basically forgot their existence once he pulled out onto the Bellevue Parkway in his R8. He drove fast and enjoyed the roar of the engine. His workweek began on Sunday night when he cloistered himself in his study and analyzed spreadsheets for possible acquisitions. At 1 p.m. he would retire to his bedroom, sleep a couple of hours, awaken with a nightmare, play the piano and then try to sleep until waking for his run. Maybe there would be sun in the morning.
This Sunday, early evening, he didn't drive straight home as usual. He hadn't eaten much at brunch so he decided to pick up some takeout. He stopped outside the coffee shop for a latte and one of those grilled cheese sandwiches. As he walked in, he didn't look around. Nothing was of interest. Just dinner. He sat at the counter and ordered and then waited. Something in the mirror on the back wall caught his eye. She was here, again. He was mildly curious. Perhaps she lived above the shop. It seemed as though she had nowhere else to be. She was intent on her laptop, as always. She raised her head briefly to drink and that is when Grey saw her face fully and the massive bruise that covered her entire left side. Her eye was sealed shut. She finished her drink, put down her glass and continued typing.
"What happened to your waitress?" Grey asked the counterman.
"What waitress?" he responded.
"The one in the corner," Grey pointed out impatiently.
"She isn't a waitress. She just comes in to work on that machine. Although, sometimes, when we're swamped, she lends a hand. I don't mind her being here all the time. She shares the table if need be. She's quiet and knows her way around the shop as well as I do. Sometimes, people think she's a server and they leave tips. She puts the money in the tip jar."
"What happened to her face?" asked Grey.
"Who knows? She's private, that one. I put some ice in a towel and left her alone."
"Maybe she needs help," posited Grey.
"Well, if she does, she'll never ask for it. Guys are always hitting on her, figuratively, of course, but she ignores them. Maybe one of them didn't take it well."
Grey picked up his order and left for his car. He set the order on the passenger seat and noted the time. The shop was going to close soon. Damn, he thought. Grumbling, he left the car and went back into the shop and the small table in the back.
He took over the table, looking down at the girl. Close up, he could see that she'd really been worked over. She had bruises and so-called Indian burns on her arms. It also appeared that someone had tried to strangle her.
Grey, who tortured women every weekend for fun, was appalled and angry to see the way this girl had been treated. The irony did not occur to him. Of course, his subs enjoyed maltreatment and did not consider it to be such.
"May I sit?" he asked.
The girl glanced up and then continued to type.
"Sure, there are two other chairs."
CHAPTER 5
"The shop is going to close soon," Grey pointed out.
"Yes, you have 15 minutes to eat before Gene starts growling at you," she smiled.
"Aren't you curious as to why I've chosen to sit here?"
"No," she answered. Then she stopped and looked at him. "Sorry to be churlish. Tell me, why this table when the place is empty and you have nicer places to be?"
"How do you know that I have nicer places to be?"
"I'm guessing you don't park that R8 on the street," she grinned.
Grey felt at a loss. Her physical condition was none of his business and he felt confusion. What was it that he thought that he could do, anyway?
"Do you live far?"
"A few blocks."
Geez, she wasn't going to give him an opening, was she? At last, he took a deep breath and plunged ahead. He didn't usually talk to women except about business. Wait, that he could do.
"Do you write for a living?"
"No."
He stared at her. She was certainly not forthcoming. He didn't realize that she thought the same of him.
"Hmmm…were you mugged?" Grey cringed as he asked what he felt to be a personal question.
"Yes. I won though." She smiled again. She had, he thought, a nice smile despite the bruises and the swelling.
"How did you win? You're tiny."
"Yes, but I'm mean. I have a terrible temper. He was trying to take my laptop as well…so I was highly motivated."
"Did he get away?"
"Yes. Hopefully he won't have the balls to return for round two."
Somehow Grey believed that there was more to it than trying to steal her laptop. He pressed on.
"Was he one of the guys who attempts to make your acquaintance while you're working?"
The girl looked at Grey, cocking her head to the side like a puppy trying to understand the command to "go potty". He unexpectedly found it to be endearing.
"Have you heard of Incels?"
"No."
"It's short for involuntary celibates. They are men who hate women and who feel that women unfairly reject their advances because they aren't handsome or rich enough. They think that women are stupid and cruel and deserve to be punished. These men think that they themselves deserve any woman they want and should not be rejected."
Grey, who had never known rejection, was surprised and appalled.
"These men are usually failures in life…poor jobs, if any…living in their parent's basements, ill-educated, lazy, angry and it's all the fault of women who will not give them sex."
"Good grief!" exclaimed Grey. "And this is the kind of man who attacked you?" asked Grey. He had paled and was exhibiting real concern. He was obviously a man of some wealth and sophistication yet he had the wide-eyed look of an innocent who'd just learned that some people aren't so nice. Ana found him endearing.
"Please let me take you home…and have you seen a doctor?"
"No insurance. No permanent damage either. You needn't feel an obligation toward me, sir. That sort of thing tends to go on. I've been dealt worse beatings and will be again. I can handle myself."
Grey was aghast. He made the decision right then to arrange covert coverage of this girl every night.
"Please. I cannot leave you here unprotected. Please let me drive you home." Grey heard himself begging.
The girl considered him for a moment and decided to trust her instincts.
"All right. One ride. I am rather tired and sore."
Grey put out his hand and introduced himself. The girl did likewise and introduced herself as Ana Steele. Gene was beginning to growl. Ana grinned and gathered up her things. Grey immediately picked up her bag and put his hand at the small of her back, guiding her to the exit. She liked it. It was a meaningless and unnecessary gesture….very old school. Still, she liked it.
Grey opened her door, helping her into the low car. He noticed that she winced and that she was having trouble with one of her legs. He looked around the dark street…doing the visual sweep that Taylor always did. He recognized that he never had to worry about being attacked even though with his physical strength and training, he could defend himself. Yet, here was this tiny woman who had no one to protect her.
He wanted to find the man responsible but he knew that she wouldn't tell him. He could sense her determination to handle her own problems. Besides, what could he do….adopt her? Perhaps he could set her up with a trainer. Claude Bastille could certainly teach her a few good self-defense moves.
CHAPTER 6
"Now, how do I get to your place?" Christian asked as he pulled out into the road.
"Do a U-turn and go the other way, for starters. Then drive to Olive St. and take a right. Straight for six blocks to Bennett and let me off at the corner."
"That is quite a walk between your home and the diner. There must be shops closer. Why do you choose this particular place?"
"Well, it's always busy, except just before closing, of course. It's easier to be anonymous in a crowd."
"If you want to be anonymous, why approach a stranger as you did me?"
"As I said, I know everyone who comes in and you I did not know. I suppose anonymous is the wrong word. What I meant to say was that I feel safer knowing everyone in a crowd and then hiding in it. I don't usually have to approach a stranger, as I did with you. I usually identify them by their name and their daily presence. You were new."
"And rude. I was rude. I apologize."
"You were certainly annoyed. Do you get bothered a lot?"
"I don't actually go outalone. Usually my driver will deflect any potential…company."
"Your driver? Who are you, Mr. Grey?"
Grey looked at her in disbelief. "You really don't know?"
"I haven't lived here long," she tried to smile with her injured mouth. Then she abruptly dropped her chin to her chest and slumped forward against the seat belt.
Grey reached over and shook her shoulder. "Miss? Miss?" He pulled over and parked. Then he put two fingers to her jugular. Her pulse was weak. He put the car in gear and executed a U-turn, pulling out his phone at the same time.
"911. What is your emergency?"
"I'm about 5 minutes out from Seattle General. My passenger has been badly beaten. She is unconscious and her pulse is weak. I need personnel and a gurney out front at the emergency entrance."
"Please describe your vehicle."
"Audi R8 sports car. My mother is on duty tonight. Dr. Grace Trevelyan. Please notify her that her son, Christian, is coming in."
CHAPTER 7
Grace was sitting at a desk in the back of the emergency reception when her son's call came in.
"Dr. Trevelyan, your son is on his way in."
Grace felt her heart clench with fear. "Which son? What's wrong? Did dispatch say? Accident?"
"No, ma'am. He's bringing someone in. He asked that you be informed."
"Who? Who is he bringing in?"
"Didn't say. Just a passenger."
Grace raced to the entrance, reaching it just has her son careened around the corner and up to the door. He shut down the engine and ran around to the other door. His passenger was gently extracted and placed on a gurney which was then raced down the hallway. Grey was stopped by the receptionist.
"Sir, I'm sorry. Let us do our jobs."
"Christian!" Grace ran up and embraced her son, so relieved that he was okay. "Tell me what happened."
"Sir? We'll need some information from you. Name, address, insurance, kin?"
Grey held his temper…somehow. "I don't have much information for you. I know the woman's name is Ana Steele. She frequents the same coffee shop that I visit. Wait, maybe there's something in her bag."
Grey got her bag from his car. It held her laptop, a wallet with a few dollars and an old picture of an elderly man sitting on a porch swing with a small girl.
"Nothing. No identification. She has no insurance, that I know for sure. Just send the bill to Christian Grey at GEH."
At this point, the receptionist looked up, really looked at the man speaking to her. Her jaw dropped, her eyes bugged out. Grey groaned and turned his back to the woman.
"Mom, someone beat her up because she rejected his advances. She called him an Incel."
"Oh, dear. Yes, I've heard about those men. They think they're entitled to a woman and if she rejects them, it's because she is stupid and cruel. We've had two cases this month. I wonder if they're connected."
At this point, two officers walked in and asked to question the victim. Told that she was being treated, they asked Grey if he'd mind talking to them. They knew who he was and they were deferential due to his influence and power in Seattle.
"How did you happen to find this young woman, sir?"
"She spends a lot of time at a diner near GEH. She sits at a table in the back and writes on her laptop. I stopped in tonight to get some takeout and I saw her. She said that an Incel had beaten her but that her wounds were superficial. She refused medical care and wouldn't call you. All I could get her to agree to was a ride to her home. It was on the way that she became unconscious and so I brought her here. I don't know where she lives. In her bag, she had her laptop, a few bills and an old picture.
"Mom, could you please check on her?"
"I'll see what I can find out." Grace hurried off to the exam room.
Grey paced the waiting room as the police continued to ask questions he couldn't answer. No, he didn't know the name of the coffee shop. No, he didn't know the surname of the owner. No, he didn't know anyone else who went there since he'd only been there a couple of times himself. No, he couldn't think of anything that could help them.
It seemed to be quite a while before Grace reappeared, heading straight for the officers.
"I'm sorry, officers, but the young lady is still unconscious. Please leave your names and numbers with the reception desk. Christian, come with me to the coffee room."
"She's still unconscious, Christian, but her vitals are much stronger. She has a fractured eye socket, torn skin on her arms, half-strangled. It appears that her assailant tried to drag her off and when she resisted, he punched her face and then tried to strangle her. It is just amazing that she got away and then made her way to the coffee shop."
"She was working, mom! Just sitting there with a wet towel on her bruises and typing away. She acted like it was no big deal. She wasn't even in shock. What kind of life has she led that being badly beaten is nothing?"
"Christian, there is nothing that you can do here anymore tonight. I'll be here 'til morning. I'll call if there is anything new to report. Go home and rest. You get little enough as is."
CHAPTER 8
Reluctantly, Grey roared off toward Escala. He found a tub of chicken salad in the fridge so that and a glass of Sancerre would have to do. He knew that he was going to get less sleep tonight than usual.
He didn't want to be involved in a stranger's problem but, on the other hand, had he walked away and read in the morning papers that the girl had collapsed on the street and died…well, he couldn't have lived with that either. So, now, his life had a complication. Despite his best efforts to live a simple life of work, working out and BDSM, he'd managed to involve himself in someone else's troubles.
He sat down at the piano and began to work on the Beethoven: Sonata No.29 in B-flat Major. It was considered to be one of the most difficult pieces to play. The difficulty was just what he needed tonight….it took him out of his head and distracted him from everything else. He didn't know how long he played but he slept on the keys. Dawn came and brought sun with it.
On autopilot, Grey rubbed his face and took a deep breath before he stumbled to his bathroom. Then he dressed for his run and met Taylor at the elevator at 7:15. "Sir, did you sleep more than a couple of hours last night? Perhaps you ought to get more rest this morning." "Sorry about the racket, Taylor. I forgot to put the lid down. But, yeah, I need this run. You can sleep for a while if you like." "No, sir. This is my job." And so they hit the streets. Shortly after Grey and Taylor returned to the penthouse, he took a call from his mother. "Mom, how is Ana?" "Better. Her throat is badly bruised. She came very close to being strangled to death. She was conscious and confused. She has no memory of what happened to her and doesn't know how she got to the hospital but that isn't unusual. It is odd that she was so coherent and calm while at the café. I'm surmising that holding it together long enough to get to the coffee shop was her survival mechanism and that once she trusted that she was safe with you, she was able to let go. You saved her life, Christian. I'm immensely proud of you, son." "Will she be able to have visitors today?" "No, dear. She's being sedated right now. It will be a few days. Perhaps you could have Mr. Welsh find out more about her. He'd do much better than the police. We need to find someone to care for her. I'll check on her condition later today and let you know as I learn things. Goodbye, dear." Grey took his mother's suggestion. Perhaps Welsh could locate her family and they could take responsibility for her. Grey felt awfully uneasy, suspecting that Ana had no one but him. He didn't want this obligation. He had more than enough burdens in his work life. Maybe he needed a new sub. Tory was good. She was tough with a lot of stamina. She had no hard limits but she'd been with him a week short of 3 months and it was time to make a decision. He felt that he might continue with her for another month but she'd begun to exhibit feelings of affection toward him. To continue their contract would only encourage her hope for more. Still he dreaded sitting her down for an exit interview. She'd cry. They always cried. Sometimes, they were very angry. Yes, his subs were burdens. They were supposed to be sources of relief and relaxation but he thought of all the Friday nights, as Taylor drove him home, that he was tired but knew that he had to think up interesting scenarios for his subs. Sometimes, he just wanted to take a nap. Still, he had an obligation as a Dom to provide attention to his sub, to give her the pain she craved, provide shattering orgasms as she expected. He decided to take some time off. He would enjoy one more weekend with Tory and, then, on Sunday morning he would sit down with her. He would offer many inducements to graciously accept the termination of their contract. Maybe she'd say thank you and go quietly. Not likely. Then he'd take at least a week off, maybe longer…until the thought of whipping and caning a woman's backside became entertaining again. 7:15 Meeting Taylor at the elevator. CHAPTER 9 Ros had had words with the trio that Grey wanted fired. Corrections in handling their jobs had been discussed and Ros was confident that they would improve in future. Grey would have preferred to throw them off the roof but he settled for a severe tongue lashing and tossing them out of his office. After what he put them through, he thought it unlikely they would err again unless they were just stupid. He tried to put them out of his mind. Ros knew how to handle Grey. She soon had him interested in a possible new acquisition. It would require several days abroad and so on Tuesday Grey flew off in Grey I for Germany. He would be in meetings all day and business dinners in the evening. He wouldn't have time to think about Ana or Tory. He would, unfortunately and predictably, have to deal with the flirtatious wives of the businessmen with whom he was dealing. It was difficult to concentrate on the conversation when the blonde trophy wife of the VP kept rubbing his right thigh while the 60ish wife of the president tried to rub life into his bored cock. After an hour of no response to their efforts, both women gave up, later telling everyone that Grey was gay. Grey I had had to return to Seattle for maintenance before his CFO, Fred Flannery, left for New York so Grey had to wait for Grey II to arrive, fuel up and clear for takeoff. Grey was impatient to get back to Seattle but he wasn't sure why. Was it Ana? Was it Tory? Was it just Escala? Or was it just general impatience? He couldn't put his finger on why he was annoyed and feeling fed up. Maybe he needed a vacation. The closest he'd come to taking time off was the few days he'd spent in Aspen with his family and that was just a switch from the study at Escala to the study at his chalet. He was irritated without knowing a reason. He didn't recall feeling that way ever before and that, in itself, made him angry. Perhaps a good long session with Tory in the playroom was all he needed…except that the thought of giving time to her, to anyone, after being gone from home and being forced to smile at strange people, irked him. He boarded Grey II intending to sleep as much as possible to hurry the trip but every time he closed his eyes, he saw spreadsheets flashing before his eyes. When he tried to keep his eyes open and read, the letters blurred before his weary gray orbs. There seemed to be no escape. Taylor watched his boss and sighed. He texted his wife to have a large Sancerre laced with a valium ready for Grey when they arrived home. He wanted the man out cold for at least eight hours. He missed Gail and he just wanted to rest with her in his arms without having to listen to Beethoven. He amended the text to add "Put the lid down on the piano". If he could have thought of a way, Taylor would glue down the mute pedal as well. Taylor could have slept on the trip home but he wouldn't let himself. He felt it was his professional duty to keep his eye on his employer at all times…even when confined to a jet in flight. He pictured Grey trying to open the cabin door to go for a walk. So, instead, he'd saved up enough magazines to keep himself occupied for eleven hours and drank enough coffee to fly home without the plane. It was early evening when the jet touched down on the tarmac. Grey stumbled off the plane and into the Mercedes SUV waiting for him. "Move, Ryan. I want to get home." "Taylor is loading your luggage, sir." "Oh. Yeah." The ride from the airport to Escala seemed to take as long as the trip from Germany. Ryan turned to Taylor. "How was Germany? I've never been." Taylor sighed. "These business trips are jet to hotel to conference room to restaurant to hotel. I'm told that the countryside is beautiful but I've never seen it." Grey growled from the backseat. "Next time, Taylor, I'll take you for a nice hike. Or we could walk hand in hand through a meadow and pick some wild flowers." "Thank you, sir. Sounds good," Taylor chuckled. Grey muttered something under his breath but Taylor was pretty sure that he wouldn't care to hear it. As the men stepped off the elevator, Gail greeted them and handed Grey a glass of his favorite wine. Grey smiled at Gail's thoughtfulness and Taylor smirked behind his back. "Would you like to get in a long hot shower before dinner, sir?" "No, Gail. I ate on the plane. I'll take that shower, though." He glanced at his watch. "Tory will be arriving in less than 30 minutes and I'm in no mood. Please tell her to take the night off and return in the morning at 9:00." "Yes, sir. Have a good rest, sir." Gail was very pleased. She really disliked Tory. Once in a while, one of Grey's subs would be pleasant but usually they behaved as if they were royalty. Why they considered themselves special and in need of having their asses kissed baffled Grey's staff who considered the girls to be little more than prostitutes whose pimp, Elena Lincoln, had trained to please her pet, Christian Grey. Of course, Grey was considered to be the prince of Seattle and to serve him meant that they were little princesses. They regularly complained about a lack of subservient attitude among Grey's staff but Grey either paid no attention or, in the case of Gail, delivered a tongue-lashing to the whining sub. Should a sub be foolish enough to complain about Gail twice or, god forbid, to treat her with disrespect in front of Grey, that sub would be immediately dismissed. Still, they arrived with their snouts in the air, throwing their coats in Gail's direction. Gail was looking forward to Tory's arrival and departure. She knew that the sub would be quite upset. The elevator pinged and Tory stepped off wrapped in a fur, drenched in jewels and perfume, like a lady of the manor. Why the subs bothered to dress to the nines for Grey, Gail didn't know. He only saw them naked. Gail greeted Tory pleasantly and in return, Tory threw her fur on Gail. Gail didn't react as the fur slipped off of her and fell to the floor. Tory's face turned red with fury and she began to say something when Gail interrupted to inform her that Mr. Grey had given instructions that Tory was to leave and return at 9 a.m. Tory sputtered and swore, demanding an explanation. Gail smirked and asked if Tory would like Gail to summon Mr. Grey so that he could give his reason. No, no, Tory replied. One did not question one's Dom…ever. "Good night, then." Gail turned, leaving Tory to pick her fur up off the floor. She ducked into the security office to watch Tory on the monitor along with Taylor and Baxter. They snickered as Tory looked crestfallen and leaned down to pick up her wrap. She walked back into the elevator and sobbed all the way to lobby. "We're terrible people," Gail said as Taylor and Baxter roared with laughter. "Darling, that was just grand," Taylor commented. "Oh, not as grand as Madam Tory but beautifully done, nonetheless. I almost fell over when she threw her fur on you and you just stood there, watching it fall to the floor. Her expression!" CHAPTER 10 When Grey finished his shower, he felt wonderfully sleepy but he wanted to check his emails first. As he crossed the great room, the odor of strong perfume permeated the air, making him cough. Geez, why did women splash such foul-smelling oils on themselves? In his study, he did a quick check of his emails. The deal in Germany was going well. The executives he dealt with were pleased with his interest and his offer. He suspected that they were also pleased with his supposed sexual orientation since he didn't flirt with their wives or react to the wives' attentions. Then he noticed an email that he'd almost forgotten about…Welsh's vetting of Ana Steele. He felt that he should probably wait to read it until morning but he was too curious. Anastasia Rose Steele DOB uncertain. Possibly 1996 24 years-old. Father: Frank Lambert Deceased May 3rd, 1996 Step-Father: Raymond James Steele Deceased December 1, 2002 Mother: Carla Wilkes Lambert Steele Morton…Current location unknown. Grandparents: maternal and paternal deceased. Religion: Unknown Education: Unknown Relationships: Unknown Address: Unknown After hunting for several days, this is the best that I could come up with, sir. Ms. Steele is a conundrum. My men combed the neighborhood where she instructed you to leave her on the corner and no one recognized her. Of course, the photo was pretty bad. Perhaps when the bruising fades….The people at the diner didn't even know that her name is Ana Steele. I could unlock her laptop but it would be a violation of her privacy unless she remains in the coma and a court orders the laptop checked for some evidence of her identity. If she is, indeed, new to the area as she told you, I could widen the search with your permission. However, I doubt that she is all that new. Her father, step-father and mother are all from a small town north of Portland called Montesano. Odd thing…there is no record of her attending schools in the area. What little I found was off social service records of foster homes. Grey felt two things about this email: frustration and curiosity. He decided to speak to his father in the morning about getting a court order to unlock Ana's laptop. He recalled the little of her writing that he'd read while her back was turned. It was good. She was educated somewhere. He texted Welsh to look into the backgrounds of her father, step-father and mother. Perhaps there would be some clues there. You can't hide from me, Ana Steele. That night Grey went to bed feeling relaxed and ready to sleep…except that he couldn't. Behind his eyelids, he kept seeing Ana Steele and her bruises. She'd been badly beaten, almost killed, and yet she was sitting in the diner, writing. He was thankful that she'd accepted his offer of a ride home. Otherwise, she might have collapsed on the street and not been found until it was too late. Worse, she might have been attacked again. And why was she so nonchalant about being beaten? When he did finally fall asleep, he didn't have his usual nightmare about the pimp. He dreamt instead of Ana being jumped on a dark street, being punched in the face, the skin on her arms twisted until it tore and desperate for breath as a man's hands tightened around her throat. Grey woke suddenly, sweating. He knew what he hadn't understood before. This was his problem. He wished that he'd gone straight back to Escala but no…Ana's murder would have been news the next day. He could have saved her and he did. Now this complication was part of his life. What was he going to do about her? .+. Taylor was having a nightmare of his own. Beethoven. It took him a while to realize that he wasn't dreaming that Grey was awake and playing that damn sonata. Furthermore, Gail had forgotten to close the lid. Taylor glanced down at his sleeping wife. It was hard to be angry with her. She was his blonde angel. When he gazed at her, he found it was also hard to be angry with Grey, without whom Taylor would be lying in his bed alone. With a dramatic sigh, Taylor closed his eyes and tried to enjoy the music. The disruption of his sleep was little enough to pay for the beautiful, sweet woman lying in his arms. Perhaps Grey would sleep in on Saturday morning. Even better, maybe he'd tell his sub to come back in the evening. CHAPTER 11 Grey's eyes popped open. Ana. Welsh never slept. Maybe he'd learned something new. Grey dashed into the study and checked his emails. Yes! There was, indeed, a short note from Welsh. May have solved something of the mystery about Ms. Steele's education. As I noted before, she was not registered at the local elementary or high school but buried in the records was a complaint from a teacher that her mother, Carla, had been remiss in keeping the school system apprised of her daughter's educational progress in various subjects. Apparently, Mrs. Steele was homeschooling her child…or not. All communication between the schools and Mrs. Steele ended in 2006 around the time of Mr. Steele's death. Grey looked back in the record. Ana's mother married again to someone named Morton and Carla's middling communication with the local school ended after the step-father's death which would indicate that Ana and her mother moved away from Montesano. Welsh, look into this fellow, Morton, Mrs. Steele's #3. Also, see if Ana's mother moved away from Montesano after her husband's death or before. Was she a widow or divorcee? What was Morton's occupation? This was a puzzle with a lot of pieces that would need to be connected before they knew Ana's story. Grey had a hunch that he would have to seek out the answers himself….that Ana would not be forthcoming…or perhaps could not be. He looked up to realize that it was dawn. He felt so tired. For the first time in memory, his prized self-discipline failed him…and he didn't care. He texted Taylor. Going back to bed. Feel like I've been drugged. Skipping run. Taylor untied his sneakers and tossed his running clothes in the corner, easing back into bed with Gail. "Hmmm…"Gail inquired. "Boss feels like he's been drugged. He's going back to bed." Gail giggled and snuggled up against her husband. .+. Taylor was still sleeping when Gail rose around 8 a.m. She always slept well…except for a couple of years after her first husband's death…but especially since she'd begun sharing her bed with Taylor. Having no idea when her boss or husband would be rising, Gail made coffee for herself, a couple of homemade croissants and sat at the breakfast bar reading the morning paper. A story caught her attention and she gasped. "Jason, Jason, wake up," Gail shook her husband's shoulder. Jason couldn't believe that his angel of a wife was waking him when he finally had a morning to sleep in. "What?" he growled at her. She didn't even notice or care that he was upset. She just pushed the paper in front of him. He opened one eye and read the headline. "Jesus!" He didn't say another word. He sat up, opened the other eye and read the story. Christian Grey delivers injured woman to hospital What does the prince of Seattle have to do with a woman who's been beaten? The Nooz received a confidential news item about Christian Grey last Monday but chose to investigate further before reporting since an incorrect item about Mr. Grey would only result in litigation. A confidential source revealed to us that Mr. Grey brought a woman to the emergency room of Seattle General early Monday morning. The exact time is unknown but is believed to be sometime after midnight. We have no information on the identity of the woman. She is said to be in serious condition following a severe beating. Mr. Grey's involvement is unknown. The police are not sharing any details. The Nooz is curious as to why Mr. Grey is being protected by the SPD. Despite our many inquiries, we have no further information at this time but will stay with this story. "He didn't say a word. He seemed a little distracted but I thought he was just disgruntled about the trip to Germany. What time is it?" "8:30 and he isn't up yet. Please let him sleep. With any luck, he won't have time for Miss Tory again." Gail smiled at the prospect of a repeat performance. "I'm going to call my source at the hospital," Jason said. Gail finished her breakfast, took her shower and began her day. Usually Grey's subs were supposed to make his meals on the weekends but Miss Tory couldn't cook…or didn't care to, perhaps. "Couldn't learn much. Her name is Ana Steele and she's under guard in the ICU. Grey isn't a suspect. She was badly beaten but Grey's hands and clothes were free of injury or blood. I guess we'll have to wait for him to emerge from his room." "Speak of the devil," Gail whispered. She asked Grey what he'd like for breakfast. "Egg white omelet and buttered toast with o.j., thanks, Gail," Grey sat rubbing his face. "Jason around?" "Oh, yeah. I'm around," said Jason, as he tossed the Nooz down on the counter in front of Grey. "Anything you want to share with your security chief, boss?" Grey glanced down at the story. He chuckled. "It's been a week now. I guess that last lawsuit did the trick." Jason didn't share the humor. "I had Welsh working on her identity. I wasn't in trouble and I figured why make your trip to Germany any more annoying." "Well, perhaps you can start now. I woke up annoyed." Just as Gail placed Grey's breakfast in front of him, the elevator pinged. It was 8:45. Tory was early and looked quite peeved. Her Dom was in a t-shirt and pj bottoms. Worse, he was socializing with the hired help. Tory found this disturbing. She removed her fur and held it out, a signal for Gail to come collect it. Grey frowned. Why didn't she just take it to her room? Grey looked at Gail questioningly. "She likes me to take her wrap and hang it up for her," she whispered to Grey. Grey's frown deepened. His subs had their rooms. No other part of the penthouse was theirs without his express permission. No main floor closet. "Why are you holding your coat like that?" he asked, feigning confusion. Tory looked embarrassed and pulled the fur back into her arms. She lowered her eyes and headed for the stairs. Grey stopped her. "Tory, please wait for me in the study until I finish my breakfast." Tory nodded, said yes, sir, in a whisper and went into Grey's study. "I guess I'd better get in there before she starts going through the papers on my desk. There is something for you, Jason. Please grab it while I finish." Grey turned to Gail as Jason headed for the study. "Does Tory do that coat thing every time she comes?" "Yes, sir. If I greet her, that is. If no one is here, I suppose that she takes it to her room." "You know that waiting on my subs is not your job, right?" "Yes, sir. However, they don't seem to know that." Grey grimaced and headed for the study. Gail had a feeling that Tory would not enjoy this meeting. CHAPTER 12 Tory stood before Grey's desk, her head down and her eyes on the floor…but she was smiling. Her three month contract with Grey was nearly completed and she knew that she had been an exemplary sub. Taylor walked in, looked at Grey's desk top, picked up a couple of papers and walked out. Tory smiled again. Grey's security men were not allowed to speak with his subs unless given permission. This was because his subs belonged to him. She belonged to him. Grey walked in and invited Tory to sit and to look at him. This was very pleasing. He was such an incredibly good-looking man but ordinarily subs could only sneak looks at him. She had a wall at her home papered with pictures of Grey that she'd cut out of magazines and papers. She beamed at Grey although he was looking down and taking no notice of her at the moment. "Tory, you have been an excellent submissive these past three months. I have been quite pleased with your professionalism. However, for reasons having nothing to do with you, I have decided to take a break from practicing BDSM. Again, this break has nothing to do with you. If it were not for my need for a break, I would request that you sign an extension to our contract." Tory felt a rush of anxiety and desperation. "Sir, if you need time off, I am more than willing to sign an extension of our contract to continue at some time in the future." "That is quite generous of you, Tory, but it would be selfish of me to deny you your needs. I could give you no idea of when I will begin sessions again. It could be a month. It could be a year. "You may, of course, keep everything that I have given you. The lease on your apartment won't be up for eight more months and I will continue to pay your rent. The car is yours and the insurance is paid up for another year. Should you have any service issues, please take the car to the dealer and tell them to send the bill to GEH. Your medical insurance is likewise available for another year. In addition, I will be depositing money into your bank account for another year. Should you decide that you would like to attend school to obtain a degree in any field, contact the financial office at GEH." "You are unbelievably generous, sir. However, I would gladly refuse all these gifts for the chance to continue as your sub now or at a later time." "No, Tory," replied Grey as he handed her a folder containing all the information he had just shared with her. He wished her well and reminded her of the NDA that she had signed. She was not to contact him, to talk about him or anything to do with him and to turn the other way if she saw him. Tory, predictably, lowered her head and began to cry. Grey mused to himself that he ought to add a coda to the NDA forbidding emotional displays of any kind upon dismissal. Bawling women did not touch his heart or its stand-in. He merely found such a display maddening. He wanted to toss her out the door but he gritted his teeth and texted Taylor. Come get this one out of here NOW. Taylor came into the room and gently took Tory's arm, helping her to her feet and leading her out the door to the elevator. He kindly asked her if she felt that she was able to drive herself. If not, he could drive her home while another staff member followed with her car. Mr. Grey, he said, would not want her to get hurt. At that point, Tory began bawling loudly and protesting that she didn't understand…that his concern for her safety was proof of his feelings for her. Taylor firmly assured her that she was incorrect. He called Ryan to follow in Tory's car. Grey leaned back in his chair and groaned. Subs were such a bother, really. Even though Elena knew what he needed, he still had to go through the troublesome ritual of interviewing a pool of candidates. Then he had to spend time initiating the newest into his world. Finally, he had to endure the agony of the goodbye. In all his years as a DOM, only one sub had ever left quietly and with dignity…until she reached the garage where she slashed his tires, keyed stripes all over his car and broke his windows. Then quietly, with dignity and with the police, she left the garage. Grey texted Welsh. Anything new? Morton, Stephen. Arrested for domestic assault of wife #4. Shanked in prison kitchen for spitting in the mashed potatoes while serving six months. Record shows assault charges placed by #2 who has since disappeared. Nothing on #3. That it? For now. Still working on Ana Steele's whereabouts prior to settling in Seattle. CHAPTER 13 "Hi, Mom. How is Ms. Steele?" "No longer sedated but might as well be. She stares. She doesn't speak. Judging by her blood pressure, she's in pain. We've given her meds to help her to sleep but the nurses say that her blood pressure remains high. She is restless and we suspect that she is having nightmares. We're hydrating her but she won't eat. "You're the only person she knows. Why don't you come in and see if she responds to you?" "Ah, mom. I'm paying her bills and I'll be happy to see that she has somewhere to go but I don't want to be responsible for her," Grey whined. "Christian, dear, please try. If she has no reaction to your presence, then we'll try something else. You'll be off the hook." Grace had a tone to her voice…an emphasis that indicated disappointment. Christian couldn't stand for his mommy to think badly of him. "Okay, mom. I'm free today. I'll drop by." All right, he hoped, let's have Ms. Steele be oblivious to my presence. Also, no more dreams about her either. Please Welsh. Find a doting old aunt somewhere to love and care for Ana Steele, 'cause I sure as hell ain't the doting type. Taylor joined him at the elevator to Grey's surprise. "Where are you going?" he asked. "Wherever you are, sir," Taylor replied. "I can drive myself, Jason." "Sir, the last time you drove yourself, you managed to find an assault victim who needed a ride to the hospital. Police became involved and the Nooz had itself a nice little article for the front page." "So, now you think I need a babysitter to visit someone in the hospital, is that it?" "You may need some help getting through the paps gathered round the entrance." "It's been a week. You think they're still waiting for me to show?" "Indubitably, sir." Grey looked at him sideways and laughed. "Someone's been reading the thesaurus." Taylor blushed and opened the back door for Grey. Taylor was right about the press. There were crowds of paps, news trucks with antenna on the roof, representatives of every news outlet in Seattle and the surrounding area. News about Grey was always of interest. Taylor drove around to the back entrance and identified himself "as expected by Dr. Trevelyan". He was allowed into the underground garage and usage of the service elevator. As they waited for the elevator, Grey looked at Taylor. "You can stop thinking so loud now," Grey said. Taylor smirked. At the nurses' station, all of the personnel stared at Grey, starry eyed and lusting after the handsomest of men they'd ever seen. Grey kept his head down and followed a nurse down the hall. "Ana, you have a visitor," the nurse said. She wasn't looking at Ana. Grey looked around at the plain room that smelled of disinfectant and something unidentifiable. He turned to the nurse. "Is there a nicer room than this?" "Yes, sir. A suite upstairs but it is seldom used because of the expense. It isn't covered by insurance either." "Please have Ms. Steele transferred to that suite immediately." Then he turned to Taylor but before he even opened his mouth, Taylor nodded his understanding and left. Ana was sleeping. Her bruising had faded quite a bit over the past week. He wondered if her eye could open yet and how serious was a fractured eye socket. He suddenly had a very clear memory of gentle sky blue eyes. He froze in place but then shook himself. Never mind the eyes, he told himself. Her arms were wrapped in gauze from her wrist to the middle of her biceps. The bastard had burned and torn the skin on almost her entire arms. That must have hurt more than anything. The bruising on her neck had faded as well but now he could see hand prints and it really came home to him that someone had tried to strangle her to death after torturing her first. He felt immense anger roiling in his blood. Of course, she could only stare into space. She was terribly traumatized. Why hadn't they brought in a psychologist to talk with her? He would call John Flynn at first opportunity. As he stood unable to move closer, orderlies came into the room and began to move lines around and unlock the bed wheels and detach the monitors. All the activity awakened Ana, who found herself surrounded by men. Christian could see the alarm in her eyes. He managed to fit himself between the men and next to Ana where he automatically took her hand. She looked up at him and it was clear that she was terrified of all this activity and all these men doing things. Without thinking, Grey hopped up on the bed next to her and put his arm around her, leaning down and murmuring reassuring words to her. The orderlies didn't look real happy about having to give him a ride, too, but he looked at them with his Dom and they turned their eyes down and watched where they were going. Then he turned his attention back to Ana. "Do you remember me, Ana? I found you in the diner and offered you a ride home. We didn't make it. You fainted so I raced to the hospital. My mother is a doctor here and she looked after you. I'm having you moved to a nicer room. I want you to be more comfortable. Also, don't be afraid that whoever did this to you will get anywhere near you. I'll have guards outside your door." Ana simply looked up at him. She seemed interested but not disturbed. She looked at all the men and seemed frightened. Grey told her not to worry and to go back to sleep. Remarkably, she closed her eyes, leaned against him and slept. Once settled in the new room, all the lines and monitors were reattached. A nurse checked to be sure that everything was properly set. She looked up at the monitors and smiled. "Is everything okay, nurse?" Grey asked as he, too, watched the monitors. She explained what different beepings and numbers and squiggly lines meant. Mostly, she indicated that Ana's blood pressure was down. Not perfect, yet…but improved for the first time since she'd been admitted. "I guess that she was just waiting for you." The nurse smiled, did not drool or gape. Good nurse. Grey would have to be sure that she was assigned solely to Ana. He eased himself off the bed and as he did so, her blood pressure numbers rose. Good grief, he thought. He climbed back up and eased himself behind her so that she was sleeping against him. The bp numbers dropped further than before. Taylor walked in with flowers, pictures for the walls, a flat screen television to replace the ancient 19 inch sitting on a table. "Did I forget anything?" "I don't think so. She won't eat. Maybe we'll have to get some food from the diner…food she's used to eating. Her blood pressure is down." "Let me guess…since you got into bed with her?" Taylor queried. "This was not the plan. What do I do now, Jason?" "You're better at caring for people than you think. You always watch out for Gail. You're beyond generous with your subs. You love your family and you're here now at your mother's behest. You'll manage this okay." "Well, thank you for your faith in my caretaking abilities but I don't want to be responsible for anyone. You know me, Jason. I'm selfish, self-absorbed, interested in GEH and occasionally thoughtful about my family. Would you leave me in charge of Sophie?" asked Grey, certain that he had him now. "Without hesitation, sir." Then Jason smiled and left. He'd go and sit in the car and talk to Gail. Leave me with his little girl?, thought Grey. He'd leave Sophie with a sadist? I'd better get an appointment with Flynn for Jason as well. Meanwhile, he was aware of how comfortable he was reclining on the bed with Ana snuggled against him. Damn. Now what was he supposed to do with this girl? CHAPTER 14 Sleep, apparently. The late afternoon sun was just coming in through the blinds when Christian woke. He had never felt so rested, so free of anxiety. He felt wonderful. He stretched his arms out and then crossed them behind his head before noticing his surroundings. This was not his bedroom and when he tried to get up from the bed, he found himself blocked. He looked down at the brown head leaning against his chest. Oh. Yeah. His complication and, worse, probable obligation. He very carefully eased himself away from Ms. Steele and stood next to her bed. She was still asleep. She was also unaware that he was no longer with her since her blood pressure reading was normal. Not taking any chances, he quietly left the room and pulled his phone from his pocket. "Mom?" "Your mother arrived home dead on her feet, son. She's sleeping," answered Carrick. "Don't ask to speak to her. You can get information about Ms. Steele's condition from the doctor in charge. While you were getting your beauty rest, I arranged for you to have temporary power of attorney." "Oh, no. Dad, I don't want to be in charge of anybody. Can't you get her a social worker or someone like that. Maybe Welsh has found someone by now," Christian pleaded. This can't be happening. All he'd wanted was a latte. "Sorry, son. Welsh has yet to find any living relatives of Ms. Steele. Her mother is in the wind or married to #4 or #5. At any rate, Ms. Steele seems to have no one." "She still has no one, Dad. I can't be her white knight." "You do seem to be the only person who can bring her blood pressure under control, son. She's been alone for some time. Someone tried to kill her and you are the last person to treat her with kindness. Thus, her brain has fixated on you." "Ah, no, no, Dad. I am not the last person to treat her with kindness. There's Mom and all these nurses." "Well, I'd certainly choose your mother over you any day, too, but Ms. Steele seems to prefer those who do not wear white coats…. and don't get any ideas." "I don't know what you mean," Christian said innocuously. "Don't borrow a white lab coat from anyone!" Carrick yelled and hung up. Maybe, Grey thought, Welsh has come up with something since he talked to my father. Anything? I talked to your father ten minutes ago. Don't you two communicate except through me? Why is everyone snarling at me today? I'm caught in a hopeless dilemma. I need a way out. DO SOMETHING! I'll keep trying and you will know the minute I have something more. Grey was starting to hyperventilate when he felt the urge to go back into Ana's room. She was awake, sitting up and looking at him with those eyes. They certainly were pretty eyes, sweet eyes. "Hello, Ana. Do you remember me?" Ana looked around the room. There were flowers in vases, pictures on walls and a large television screen. It seemed somewhat like a hotel room. The floor was even carpeted. "You brought me in here?" she asked. "Yes. I had you transferred from the room downstairs. This one is less clinical. Do you like it?" The panic he'd felt a few moments earlier seemed to have dissipated. "Yes. Thank you, Mr. Grey." She looked at her arms. Grey noticed that her blood pressure was slightly elevated. "Are you in pain, Ms. Steele?" he asked. "A bit. You mustn't worry about me." Grey pressed the call button. "There's no need to be in pain, Ms. Steele. The skin on your arms was quite torn up. It must have hurt like hell at the time." "It was only what I expected," she replied. Grey stared at her, startled. What she expected? "Ms. Steele, what can I get for you?" asked the nurse who entered the room, saw Christian and seemed to forget about Ana. "Ms. Steele is in pain. Get a doctor," he said in a firm Dom voice. The nurse lowered her eyes and left the room. Ana watched her go and smiled at Grey. "She thinks that you're very handsome. I think she was kind of thrown." "It's annoying. It's only a face," Grey sighed. "Ah, yes," Ana giggled, "but it's a good one." It was clear to Grey that Ana recognized what other women always saw but she was less impressed. "I'm surprised to see you here, Mr. Grey. I'm told that you brought me in. I am sorry to have been such a bother. I know that you don't like to be bothered. I guess even you can't turn down a face like Rocky Balboa's," she laughed. Grey found himself smiling. A doctor walked in…unfortunately, a female doctor. She fumbled all over her sentences and checking of Ana's vitals before she came to her senses. "I'm going to give you a bit of pain medication. It will make you sleepy." "Not again. I just woke up. I've been asleep for a long time," Ana complained. "Good. It would be good if you could sleep through the entire ordeal. Besides your arms, do you have a headache?" "She has a fractured eye socket and she's been punched in the face repeatedly. What do you think, doc?" Grey snarled. Ana's head snapped in his direction and she did not look pleased. "I'm sorry, doctor. My friend is not quite himself…worried, you know. He's not in control of his emotions." Grey looked sheepish and quietly apologized to the doctor who just stared in wonder at a face and body unlike any other she'd ever seen. "Doctor," Ana said, "could you return with that medication in a little while? I'd like to stay awake and visit with my friend for a bit." The doctor turned to Ana and smiled kindly. It was clear that Ana had an effect on people. The instant the doctor left the room Ana proceeded to have an effect on Christian…an unpleasant effect. "You childish brat. Your wealth and the armor it grants you does not give you the right to frighten and embarrass people. However, you at least had the sense to realize that you needed to offer an apology for your rebuke." Grey stood stock still with his eyes popping out of his head. He tried to respond but could only stutter. Ana then smiled at him and patted the bed…indicating that he should sit next to her. "Now, let's visit a bit. I'll tell you the truth. I am in considerable pain. The head, the face, the arms, the ribs…yikes," she giggled. Grey was totally befuddled. He didn't know what to think or say or feel. This woman was making him crazy. "Your ribs?" he gulped. "Yes, two, cracked. That's why I fainted in your car. One of them scratched my lung and affected my breathing. You well and truly saved my life, Mr. Grey. That's a wonderful thing, you know…to be given the opportunity to save a life. I envy you. And, of course, I am completely indebted to you. I understand how you feel about being bothered because now I will forever owe you for my life. I, too, have always tried to be left alone and now will never again have that state of grace. And don't try to tell me that I owe you nothing. Such chivalry is meaningless. You saved my life and that is all there is to it. "Worse, for you, a man who most desperately wishes not to be bothered, you will always hereafter be responsible for the life you've saved…or so the Chinese believe." Ana began to laugh heartily, holding her ribs. CHAPTER 15 Grey stayed in Ana's room, talking with her, for another hour…all the while knowing that she really needed pain medication but being too selfish to insist that she take it. He told himself that she would make the decision anyway. What a strange creature, she was. Laughing caused her pain yet she laughed anyway. Laughter, she said, was worth more than pain. He kept an eye on her blood pressure and when it rose 10 points above normal, he pressed the call button. He told Ana not to argue with him. After all, as per the Chinese, he was now responsible for her life, wasn't he? She was beginning to breathe hard anyway. As the medication began to affect her, she smiled at him and told him that he wasn't to worry. She didn't believe that old Chinese saying. Go, little bird, Ana said, fly away. Then she closed her eyes. Christian stayed, watching the monitor until her numbers dropped. And then a few minutes more for good measure….to watch her sleep. Bandaged, bruised, lips purple and swollen, skin green and yellow and purple…and yet, amazingly, he could see that she was pretty, quite pretty. She had told him, as they talked, that she expected… and wanted…nothing more from him. She wished to repay him and the only way that she could ever begin to do that would be to leave him be, to release him from further obligation. She tried mightily to assure him that she was able to take care of herself and that she would no longer require his care. He was not to return to the hospital. She would not return to the diner. Perhaps one day they would see each other on the street and they could wave and smile and then go their own ways. As he walked through the corridors, rode the elevator car to the garage, walked to the car, woke Taylor, rode home and secluded himself in his study with a glass of bourbon, he waited. He waited for the sense of relief he'd longed for earlier in the day when he thought that he was stuck. Stuck. However, it didn't come. During their entire talk, she'd revealed nothing of her life. He found, instead, that he told her a great deal about himself…not so much the facts but the fears and the few joys and many of his thoughts. He told her that he played the piano in the wee small hours of the morning when he couldn't sleep. She smiled and began softly singing a song by Frank Sinatra and he joined in. As they sang together, he felt a sense of well-being that he'd never before known. He'd never sung in front of anyone except Mia when she was a baby and in need of a lullaby. Ana's voice was soft and a little broken from having her throat almost crushed but that somehow made it sweeter. And now she'd told him that he wasn't to return to the hospital or to the diner. He was free now but being forbidden to bother her ever again served only to bind him tighter to her. She was strong-willed. He would have to be stronger. He didn't know what it was that he had to be strong about. What was it that he intended to do? he wondered. He knocked back the bourbon and took himself to bed. He fell to sleep immediately. He didn't dream of Ella and pimps and burns. He dreamt of Ana. She was lying on the damp concrete in a dark alley, curled in a ball, shaking violently. But she wasn't crying. A man was stumbling toward her. Christian could smell the alcohol on his breath from yards away. Christian shot up in bed just as the man picked up the tiny girl and threw her hard against the brick wall. She couldn't have been more than 7 years old. She didn't cry. He reared his leg back and kicked her into the air and over the garbage cans and laughed as she crashed down to the concrete. He reached down to grab her again, to throw her again, when he noticed that she was out cold. Damn it, he swore, as he threw her to the ground. He shook her. He slapped her. He dumped a can of rain water on her but she didn't come to. He checked her jugular. She was still alive at least. She'd come around eventually. He was even angrier now. He wasn't done with her and now he'd have to wait for her to wake up. The little bitch always knew how to piss him off just a little more than he already was. He threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and walked back down the alley. As Grey sat up in bed, tears of sadness, pain and fury poured down his face. He knew the little girl was Ana but he didn't know how he knew. She certainly didn't tell him but, nonetheless, he knew as well as he knew his own name. Was it a memory? A psychic connection…even though that sounded nuts? "Dad, when I was around 9 or 10, was I ever in a dark alley at night after a rain?" "What?! Do you know what time it is, son?" mumbled Carrick. "Never mind. How did you…? You forgot. You put it out of your mind. You wouldn't talk about it. You were terribly traumatized and wouldn't tell us what you'd been through. You shut yourself up in your room for weeks. You wouldn't talk to any of the shrinks we sent you to and we never knew why. We were half out of our minds." "Why, Dad? Why was I alone in a dark alley?" "You ran away from home because you were afraid that we were going to send you back to that foster home after you beat up Elliot. It was Elliot who found you. I don't know how he found you but thank god he did. Even he, with his black eye, tried to tell you that he wasn't mad at you and didn't want you to leave home. We thought that maybe you'd seen something but you never told us. Son, it's the middle of the night. What made you think of this after all this time?" "I saw her, Dad. I mean, I think I saw her. Ana, I mean. I saw her being beaten by a man." "Christian, she would have been 6 or 7. It was dark. You might have seen someone but not Ana." "Dad, where did Elliot find me?" "A couple of blocks from the foster home we took you from years before. We don't know why you ran back there. It was just a hunch of Elliot's." "The street, Dad…the address. Do you still have it?" "It'll take some hunting. Can you wait 'til brunch? Your mother is the one who kept all the records. Son, please try to get some sleep." Carrick sounded almost scared so Christian promised his father than he'd go back to sleep but he knew he wouldn't. He got out of bed and went out to his piano. He lowered the lid and began working on the Sonata 29, being conscious of the mute pedal. He'd run back to the foster home because he didn't know where else to go and he believed that he was no longer welcome at the Grey's. He saw something and he hated himself for not trying to save her. Why was he so sure that it was Ana? He just didn't know. Maybe he only thought it was her. Maybe. CHAPTER 16 Grey woke up with his face smashed into the keys. Gail was puttering about in the kitchen. He could hear voices, low and trying to be quiet. He lifted his head and tried to rub life back into his sore cheek. Taylor and Gail hadn't noticed him yet. He sighed and gazed out the window. He guessed it was too much to hope for three sunny days in a row. The rain was pouring down. Music. That was what they'd forgotten to get for Ana. He strode quickly to his study and dug around in his drawers until he found one of his IPods and some earbuds. He hoped that Ana liked classical. It was almost 10 a.m. and he had to get to his parents by 11 a.m…that is, if he intended to be on time which he'd never been before. He showered, shaved and dug around in his closest for something casual. He mostly wore suits during the day and pj bottoms at night. He found a sweater and jeans and loafers. He wanted to look comfortable and light rather than intimidating…even though he didn't get the impression that Ana ever found him scary, except for that first meeting. He didn't want to frighten her ever again. Taylor and Gail watched him curiously as he walked quickly past them to the elevator. Taylor started to rise up from his stool but Gail stopped him with a touch of her hand. "His mother will call if he needs a ride from Grey Manor and Ryan is at the hospital today. He'll call if he thinks Christian needs a ride from there." Taylor nodded and eased back down. He just never felt quite comfortable if he wasn't the one driving Grey. One of his prior employers had insisted on driving himself and Taylor hadn't felt that he could countermand his orders. He would never be able to rid his memory of the image of that car wrapped around a pole. When he first interviewed with Grey, he insisted that if he was to be security chief, Grey would do as Taylor instructed for his safety's sake. Grey was surprised but Taylor was his first security hire and since he didn't know any better, he agreed. They had had their go-arounds on several occasions over the years and Grey had learned to just do as Taylor said. Remember who is in charge of security or accept my resignation. Still nervous, Taylor texted Grey. Something is on your mind. Are you able to concentrate on the road? I'm an adult! Answer the question, please. I'm all right. Just a bit wired. All right. Call me if need be. "I think that I'll divorce you when Sophie gets her license," teased Gail. "What makes you think that she's getting a license?" growled Taylor. "Or that you're getting a divorce ever?" .+. Carrick's ears perked up at the sound of gravel flying in the driveway. Strange. Elliot was already in the house, his head in the refrigerator. A moment later, the front door flew open and Christian tore into the living room. He looked…different. "Dad, did Mom find that address yet?" "Yes. I woke her up in the middle of the night and made her go through all the boxes in the attic before she was even allowed coffee or a shower." "Good. What did she find?" Carrick laughed. "I haven't said a word to her beyond good morning. You know how she is first thing. Wait until she's dressed and had her coffee. She'll be shocked to see you at this hour." "Dad. This is important!" "Well, didn't you see your brother's truck out front? Check the kitchen. Maybe he'll remember something." Carrick went back to reading the Seattle Times. There was a short news item on the second page about Christian Grey rescuing a girl who'd been mugged. According to their housekeeper, Margaret, the Nooz was still repeating the same information and slyly implying that Grey was the mugger. "Lelliot! I need to talk to you," Grey spoke urgently as he leaned across the counter. "Lelliot! Pay attention!" "I am, Chris, and I still can't find any pie. Margaret won't tell me where she's hidden it this time. I'm going to have to choke it out of her," he cackled maniacally. "That isn't funny, El," Christian snarled. "I'm trying to cook. Both of you get out of here. Have you ever thought of eating a piece of fruit, Elliot? Between all the pie and beer you consume on the weekends, you're going to grow quite the belly in a year or two. And believe me," Margaret sighed as she patted her stomach, "they aren't easy to get rid of." "Cherry pie is fruit," muttered Elliot as he walked out to the living room with his brother. "Okay, bro. What is more important than my need for pie?" "I ran away from home when I was 9 or 10." "9…and you just had to do it during a downpour, too." "You remember!" "Of course, I do. I got blamed because I made you mad and you gave me a black eye. I was completely innocent." Carrick started to say something but thought better of it. "How did you know where to find me?" demanded Christian. "I had your weird psyche down cold by that time. You were always afraid that you were going to be sent back to that foster home. You were also a brilliant kid even then. You were only four when you lived there but you knew the address. You ran out of the house, cut a couple streets over and caught a bus. You gave the driver the address and he dropped you off near the house. You were afraid to go in because that weird Jack kid might have been there so you hid in the alley next door down." "Surely the folks didn't send their 11 year-old son off on the bus to fetch me home." "Sure did," Carrick teased. "It was raining pretty hard, you know." "They drove over to the house and were going to go inside but I asked them to stop by the alley first. I jumped out of the car before they could stop me and found you hiding behind a dumpster. Geez, you were soaked to the bone, crying and incoherent. Dad picked you up and tucked a blanket around you in the car. You kept saying that you had to find "her" and save "her". You actually sounded kind of delirious so we just took you home. "You were really sick for days and then for months you were so depressed. I mean, more than usual. You didn't even get mad at me. You were always protective of Mia but after that night, you wouldn't let her out of your sight. Eventually, you came out of it but you never did tell us what happened." "So, what brought this up anyway?" Elliot inquired. "I think that I saw Ana in the alley that night before you found me. I watched her being beaten by a man until she was unconscious." "What! Chris, it was dark. You were 9. You may have seen something horrible but the odds of it being Ana, the girl you saved, are slim to none." "Maybe, but I need that address and the names of the people who fostered me. Maybe they were fostering her, too, or maybe someone nearby. It's a lead." "Why do you need a lead, bro?" "You sic'd Welsh on her, didn't you, son?" accused Carrick. "Who sic'd Welsh on whom?" asked Grace who'd just walked into the room. "Christian thinks he saw Ana being beaten in that alley we found him in that time he ran away," explained Carrick. "Oh, Christian. Ana is private and independent. I don't think that she'd appreciate you having her investigated by your P.I. Pay her bill and leave her be." "I can't, Mom," insisted Christian. "I have to know. I dreamt the entire thing last night, every detail until the man threw her over his shoulder and carried her away. I have to know. Welsh has already looked into her and hasn't found much more. "I know I'm sticking my neck out but I can't help it. I have to do something." CHAPTER 17 Grace wrapped her arms around her little boy's neck and kissed him on the top of his head. "We raised such wonderful children, Carrick. How did we manage that while building your law firm and my medical practice?" "We just came that way, Mom," Elliot smiled. "At least, I did." "You're always happy, Elliot, because your body is overloaded with serotonin…too much sugar," Christian asserted. He didn't want to mention in front of his saintly mother that Elliot spent his weekends doing more than eating pie and drinking beer. He wasn't known as the premier manwhore of Seattle for no reason. "Christian!" Mia ran down the stairs screeching. She threw her arms around her brother and smacked him with kisses. Elliot stood with his arms thrown out, waiting for his turn. It would never come but then he always did…every Sunday…and he didn't spoil his baby sister with unlimited credit cards and new cars. And, he figured, he wasn't the reason that his 23 year-old sister still lived with mommy and daddy. "Hi, over here, lil sis," he grinned. She greeted him with enthusiasm, too, but nothing like Christian. It didn't both him, though. He was just a naturally happy guy, bothered by very little. He never talked about his need for a brother or his worry about the one he had. Even though Christian was preoccupied by the new information about Ana Steele, he tried very hard to engage with his family. He knew that he wasn't as good a son as he ought to be. He was a multi-billionaire. He could give them anything of material wealth but they wanted him. Why couldn't he give them the attention they craved? Grace was able to give him the name of his foster parents, a picture of him standing with them and the other children, including his nemesis, Jack. Sh also gave him the address and the name of his social worker. It was Sunday. What did Welsh do on Sunday…or any other day, for that matter? It was a mystery to everyone. After dinner, Christian ducked into his father's study and texted all the new information to Welsh. It's Sunday, Grey. Go have brunch with your family. I am. What are you doing? Investigating. It's all I do. Then hurry up and do it! After texting Welsh, Christian forced himself to stay the whole afternoon with his family. He discovered that they had interesting conversations, played games, argued. He hadn't really thought before about how they occupied themselves without him there. He thought that after eating everyone just sat around reading the Sunday Times, took naps and then Elliot went home. They were fun to be with, tho'. Elliot absolutely stunk at ping-pong at which Mia humiliated him. His parents watched and laughed. Elliot steamed but no one, least of all Mia, took it seriously. They played a game in which their parents played devil's advocate for one point of view while Mia and Elliot and, today, Christian argued for the opposite viewpoint. It got very heated…Elliot cheated…and Christian actually knew more facts of the matter than either side. Mia's job, it seemed, was to sulk. After that they played scrabble at which Mia was a genius. She had a gift for pulling the best chips and for figuring out how to add just one letter to someone else's word and winning a triple word score. They even played with the Ouija board which Grace frowned on but the others found hilarious. The one game never allowed was Monopoly. Christian had first played the game at five…before he could even speak…but even then he knew how to wheel and deal. Within 30 minutes, he owned most of the board and the bank. By the time he was six, Monopoly was banned in the Grey household. Grace would not tolerate the anger it aroused. With utmost reluctance, Christian took his seat at the piano. When he was just four and newly adopted, he liked to sit with his new mother on the seat as she played songs. She would sing to him in hopes that he would one day sing to her. He liked the way she would hold his head and kiss his forehead after he clapped for her. He decided to learn to play to please this mommy and ensure his place in the family. He learned quickly and well. To encourage his continued interest, Grace and Carrick bought a used Bosendorfer for $15,000. Christian knew immediately from its tone that it was several grades above in quality from their old piano. He loved to listen to what his fingers could make it do. Somewhere in his teen years, he became disinterested in playing, especially for listeners. However, today he played with Elliot on guitar and Mia on cello. It was the first time in more than a decade since they'd played together and yet they were as good as ever. Grace and Carrick sat enthralled and delighted. By evening, Christian found that he'd had a more enjoyable time with his family than he had in memory. Everyone hugged upon parting but no one tried to ensure that there would be a future brunch like this one. One couldn't count on Christian's presence or participation. This day had been a gift. Before leaving the driveway, Grey called the hospital and inquired after Ana's current health. She was sleeping, he was told. She'd had a rough day and was exhausted. He started the car and headed for the hospital. Although it was long after visiting hours, he was a Grey and they had practically built the hospital so no one had the nerve to suggest that he return in the morning. He walked quietly into Ana's room, dimly lit by the lights from the monitors and a small laptop near her bed that was used by the nurses to keep track of her status. With the light so dim, Ana looked eerily pale with her fading bruises. Her blood pressure was elevated by 10 points which seemed to be the norm with her. None the less, he didn't like it. The bandages on her arms had been replaced and the old ones, stained with blood, were lying in the waste basket. For the first time, Grey could see the swelling around her brow and the stitches around her eye. He wondered if she could see out of that eye. And her ribs, six weeks to heal and nothing to be done about it. He was going to insist that she be x-rayed weekly to be certain that slivers of the ribs didn't break off. He sat gently on the bed next to her and took her hand in his. All he could see was that tiny girl being so badly beaten in a dirty, wet alley by a drunk. He felt like crying. How could anyone do that to a little girl? And he let it happen. His shame engulfed him like flames. He leaned over and kissed her cheek, whispering his apology. Her blood pressure went down 10 points. She knew he was there. He'd never felt needed. Perhaps his family thought they needed him but that was because they loved him. It wasn't the same. Besides, they had each other. Ana was alone. She was in trouble. She had no one. The Chinese are right, he whispered. You need me. No one has ever really needed me but you do. I'll take care of you. You are mine now. CHAPTER 18 When Ana opened her eyes, a nurse was checking her vitals and the monitors, asking her questions…and Christian Grey was sleeping in a chair nearby. He shouldn't have been there. She'd told him to leave, to not return. She was not his responsibility. She didn't understand. Why would he want to be burdened with her? Gosh, she'd just awakened and yet she was so sleepy. She faded out again. When Grey woke, sun was shining brightly through the open curtains. Ana was sleeping. She looked better somehow. Her blood pressure was normal. Grey closed the curtains and went back to his chair. He thought that he should probably leave before Ana awoke and became upset with him being there. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, whispering that she was safe now. Then he left. As soon as he was out the door, Ana's blood pressure went up 10 points. Out in the car, Grey found a text from Taylor inquiring about his whereabouts and well-being. I'm okay, Dad. Had a good day with the family. Really. Spent the night in Ana's room. She looks better. On my way home now. Would appreciate more communication. Sir. Don't try to pretend that I'm in charge. Sir. When Grey walked off the elevator, Taylor was sitting at the breakfast bar, wearing his usual black everything and drinking coffee. "I'll get a quick shower and meet you out here at the usual time." 7:15 Elevator. .+. "I'm pleased to hear that you had a good Sunday with your family, sir." "It felt like work but still it was fun. I don't think I realized that it was fun until I left. Maybe if I try harder. Do you have any relatives, Jason? Besides Gail and Sophie, of course." "It's all in my file, sir. Did you ever read it?" "No. As I recall, our interview was more like you telling me how things would be and me saying yes, sir." He was in a good mood. He'd had a good weekend. No sub, yet a very good weekend. And then the doors opened on the 30th floor and GEH life began again. CHAPTER 19 10:00 am. "How many more of these damn meetings do I have scheduled for today, Andrea?" "Depends, sir. How many acquisitions would you like to make today? Going global is almost like starting from scratch. You have Taiwan at 10:30 on a conference call. That one is important. You have a lot of competition and we need that shipyard. "12:00 p.m. Your office. Lunch with department heads. You're concerned that some apathy is setting in. It's drop the hammer time. Oh, except for Ros, of course," Andrea snickered. She'd like to see Grey try to lecture Ros Bailey and live to tell the tale. "1:00 p.m. Another teleconference with that tech startup in Arizona. Be grateful the conference isn't in person. It's 110 in Phoenix today. "2:00 p.m. Something all hush hush. You wouldn't tell me. Probably Welsh. "2:15 approximately. Depends on when you finish with Mr. Hush Hush. You're due to meet with Frank Flannery in his office for a rundown of his conference last week in New York. And don't groan at me, please. You should be grateful that Frank actually wants to go to those boring financial chats. Three days of numbers. No telling how long you will patiently listen to Frank before cracking. I'll call every half hour to see if you need to be freed. "After that, you did promise Ros that you'd stop by her office to discuss possible acquisitions and that should occupy you until 5:00 when Ros will insist on leaving. Have you see her new pictures of Sal? He is just the cutest little boy and he's growing so fast. Don't make that face. "After that the building will empty. The switchboard will shut down and you can spend the next three hours drinking bourbon and reading spreadsheets. Oh, the new Forbes arrived today and there's an article about your boy crush, Warren." Andrea giggled. Grey growled at her and went into his office. Four hours before Welsh would call with information about Ana. At least an hour with Flannery, the most boring CFO on the planet. He'd probably have a new amortization joke that he'd picked up at the conference. Oh, god. Grey wished that he didn't have to keep his employees happy. That was the downside of intimidating people…you then had to reassure them if you wanted them to get anything done. Grey pictured Flannery in his office, planning for his big meeting with Mr. Grey. It would be the most important thing he'd do all month. Geez, he even had a picture of Grey on his wall…right next to a picture of his hero, the President. Grey always felt like he should genuflect before he took a seat in his pew. He was looking forward to bouncing rocks off his department heads head's. Maybe he needed to fire the lot…fresh blood. Ambition. Fire in the belly. Too bad that Ros wouldn't let him. It meant a lot of work for her and she was feeling a distinct lack of fire in her belly since Sal arrived. That baby was a lot of work for Grey and he just knew that one day Ros and Gwen would stroll into his office with the kid and he'd have to invent a new persona…one that thought kids were just adorable. 2:00 p.m. came and went and Grey was going a little crazy. He wanted what he wanted when he wanted it. Unfortunately, Welsh was far too valuable to piss off. Grey was gracious and generous with payments. Welsh, he was convinced, could find the whereabouts of God if he wanted that information. Suddenly, his phone played Welsh's ringtone, the theme from the 60's TV show Peter Gunn. Grey loved it so he didn't answer until it stopped ringing. This always ticked off Welsh. You wait until I record some 20 minute classical piece and you can't answer until it's finished, a**hole. LOL. What do you have? The reason that Ms. Steele's school records were incomplete is because her mother couldn't decide whether to keep her or not. Periodically, she'd put the poor kid into foster care for a few months until she'd had a nice little rest and then she'd take her back. The step-father apparently had no legal say. He drowned shortly after Ana was once again put into foster care. The suspicion is that it was suicide. Addresses, Welsh. Particularly in Detroit. Whoa. How did you know that mama ran off to Detroit for a while? She got herself a new boyfriend, left Ray and took the kid with her. Don't know why. Maybe afraid that Ray would get legal custody. She lived in Detroit for several months until the boyfriend started beating on the daughter so she turned her over to social services and she took off for New York for six months. Ana lived with the Collin's on Elm Street during that time, right? Right again! Have you been cheating on me, Grey? Something happened to Ana during that time and she was hospitalized for a while. Social Services were going to terminate Carla's rights so she came back to Detroit, grabbed her daughter and went back to Montesano. Again, no school records. What happened to Ana? How did she get hurt? Records sealed. Didn't say hurt. She could have gotten sick. Interesting side note on the Collins couple, tho. After the incident with Ana, they lost their license to foster. I wanted to talk to them but they've just disappeared. Will keep looking. Also, see what you can find out about a foster child they had for some time…years…name of JackHyde. Check prison records. He was real bad news. Anything else? Carla stayed in Montesano with Ray Steele until she met Stephen Morton, a rich car salesman. He was also bad news. He was arrested for child molestation a couple of years after Carla left him and he died in prison. Where did Carla go next? Hard to say. She traveled all over, dragging that poor kid behind her. Ana was picked up for shoplifting milk and bread when she was 16. The judge accepted Carla's plea that they were starving and that she was sick and Ana was too innocent to understand what she was doing. Innocent was her way of saying mentally deficient. They were admitted to a shelter but Carla didn't come back one night. Ana was put into another foster home. That one didn't work out when the father was charged with sexually assaulting one of the kids. Ana was then moved into at least three more foster homes. The problem with the foster homes was that they were scattered all over several different states and each DFS had its own way of keeping records….none of the systems were adequate. I didn't get much cooperation either because the state DFS are very protective of themselves. Court records are also sealed. Okay. Anything else? Nope. I'll keep on the Collins. Let you know. Change my ringtone to FROZEN. "Mr. Grey? Don't forget your appointment with Mr. Flannery." Grey could hear the laughter behind Andrea's professional voice. She was allergic to some kind of flower. If he could find out what kind…no. If she had to take off because he made her sick, she'd get the day off and he'd pay the price of a day without his uber-efficient PA. Groaning deeply, Grey hefted himself up from his comfy leather chair and headed off to Flannery's office. He endeavored to summon up his inner Dom in hopes of scaring Frank into talking fast and getting to the point and making this meeting short. No matter how he glared at Frank, he knew that he'd have to spend at least an hour enduring worthless drivel. Frank leapt up from his chair, grinning from ear to ear and pulling out a nice, wooden chair for his boss. He practically saluted Grey. "Well, Frank, tell me all about the conference in 25 words or less." CHAPTER 20 Ana felt sore all over her body, some places more than others. She gingerly unraveled the gauze wrapped around her arms. Half way up her forearm, she gasped. Her skin looked like it had been burned. She wondered if her arms would always be disfigured. Her ribs ached with every movement. She pushed the sheet down, dismayed to see all the bruising on her torso and legs. She wanted to use the toilet and to see her face in the mirror but she still had a catheter inserted so she pressed the call button. The nurse didn't want to remove the catheter. She didn't want Ana moving about until the doctor gave orders but Ana was insistent. She would pull it out herself, she threatened. She wanted to get up and she would get up. Finally, the nurse gently removed the cath and the bag but she insisted that Ana lean on her while using the stand holding the drip bag to lean on the other side. The instant Ana's feet touched the floor, she knew she'd overestimated her strength but she couldn't let the nurse know. Together they shuffled over to the restroom. The nurse helped her to sit but then gave Ana her privacy. Ana's legs were shaking. After she finished, she wanted to stand and wash her face and brush her teeth but she knew that she couldn't stay vertical that long. The nurse opened the door and handed her a toothbrush, paste and a bowl with water in it. Ana smiled gratefully. First, she splashed water on her face and then she brushed her teeth. She dried her face and asked the nurse to help her to her feet. "I want to look in the mirror." "You've been through a bad experience. Your face has suffered. You're not going to like the way you look and you'll be upset." "I understand. Thank you for being so patient with me but I need to see myself," Ana argued. The nurse not only held her arm…she put her arms around Ana's waist and back. Ana looked at a creature in the mirror that she almost didn't recognize. She tried to be brave. "I could use a mask like the phantom of the opera, wouldn't you say?" she asked in a quavering voice. "It's all temporary. A month from now you'll look just like you always have. Don't fret." The nurse was so kind…too kind. As she helped Ana back into bed, Ana asked that the catheter be reinstalled. The nurse simply nodded. "When will the doctor be coming?" Ana spoke softly. The nurse answered "soon" and Ana asked for some pain medication. .+. After his ordeal with Frank Flannery, Grey plopped down on the couch in Ros's office. Like an evil elf, Ros loudly and cheerily began to talk about the wonderfulness of her son and sat down next to Grey with her IPad and at least one hundred pictures of Sal. Grey was too drained to fight back. He just kept mumbling "cute, so cute, amazing, one in a million," until Ros could no longer hold back her hysterical laughter. Torturing her old friend, who took himself so seriously, was one of Ros' favorite things to do. He was such an easy target and he had no capacity to prank her back. He sat up and looked at Ros with fury in his eyes. "Next trip to Taiwan is yours," he crowed triumphantly. She was unmoved. Taiwan didn't want to deal with a tiny black lady. She wasn't worried. "I," Grey declared, "am leaving for the day. I am the boss so I can walk out at," he stopped to look at his watch, "4:45." Ros just rolled around on the couch, howling with glee. Grey mustered enough dignity to get himself to his office, to gather up his briefcase and to text Taylor that he was calling it a day. Then he marched to the elevator, tall and proud, even though only Andrea was aware…and snickering. "Let's check on Ms. Steele, Taylor." Taylor knew that Grey had suffered some humiliation at the hands of his #2. She was loud. For that reason, he wondered about the wisdom of confronting another woman who could bury him with a disdainful look. Ryan had not been in Ana's room but from listening and catching a bit of nurse gossip, he knew that things had not gone Ana's way that day and Grey could be in the line of fire that evening. He would have warned his boss to go home and have a bourbon but rarely could anyone tell Grey anything. If told that Ana was in a particularly sour mood, someone of humbler intellect would accept the counsel of his betters and stay home with a good book. Grey would not admit to knowing less than others and so would, of course, charge into the lion's den wearing a steak coat and a beaming smile…certain that he could pet the lion and not lose an arm. Ana might very well tear him limb from metaphorical limb before she kicked him through the closed door. Knowing Grey, he would gather his stumps and walk right back into the fray, sure that he'd simply chosen the wrong approach. The only women he dealt with petted him and tried to cheer him…his mother, sister, Gail. Even Andrea and Ros only went so far before appeasing him. But Ana, she was not like any other woman he'd ever known and the poor schmuck hadn't a clue how to deal with her. CHAPTER 21 Ana couldn't sleep. Even with the pain meds, she still hurt everywhere. The doctor told her that her body was healing and that she was no longer in shock, thus she was more aware of her injuries. Every med that they tried to give her, she questioned. She wanted to google them but her computer was missing. She didn't understand that. She was sure that she was using it the night that Christian Grey took her to the hospital. It wasn't working well and the screen was cracked but she had it. They were giving her meds to lower her blood pressure which was steadily climbing. The doctor seemed worried about it. She looked out the window at the sun setting. It was pink and blue and orange and quite beautiful. It cheered her a bit. Her room was so nice. It made her feel less hospitalized. Ryan had brought in an IPod from Christian. He told her that the music on it was all "that classical crap" that Grey liked but she could change it if she liked. He'd bring her a selection of rock from home that they could put on the IPod instead. Ryan was always so nice to her. So was his relief, Baxter, and Taylor who brought meals from a restaurant called The Mile High so she wasn't stuck with hospital food. They were all so good to her. She didn't understand it. "Boss's orders" they'd smile and say. At that moment, there was a quiet knock on her door. Ana felt a surge of anxiety. Everyone usually just walked in. When Christian came in, she relaxed and her blood pressure began to drop. "Ana, what's wrong? You look upset." The bp on the monitor was decreasing quickly which meant that it had shot up fast a few minutes before. Christian sat on the bed and took Ana's hand. It was cold and she was trembling. "It's nothing. Just a little anxiety. Really." Christian didn't look convinced. "Who did you think was coming in? Ana?" "No one in particular. Just something unpleasant. I'm okay now," she said. "Thank you for the IPod. I like the music. Some of the tunes are odd, tho'. I wouldn't expect you to like Britney Spears, for instance. 'Oops, I did it again?' she laughed. That would be Tory, he thought. "Maybe Mia," he said, "my sister." A nurse rushed into the room and looked at the monitor. Then she saw Christian. "Well, good. That explains it. Ms. Steele, did something happen before Mr. Grey arrived? The monitors at the nurses' station show your blood pressure climbing fast and then dropping fast." "I just had a moment of anxiety, that's all. Then Mr. Grey arrived and I was distracted so…" "The doctor is coming in soon. He wants to discuss your blood pressure, among other things. I just wanted to prepare you." The nurse smiled and left the room. Ana's bp began to climb again. Grey sat on the bed behind Ana and put his arms around her. She looked startled and not especially pleased but her blood pressure started dropping again. Just then the doctor walked in, noted the cuddling and the monitor. He smiled. "Obviously, having your boyfriend around is very calming for you, Ana. However, we can't glue him to you so we'll have to find the right medication and dosage for you. I'm guessing that your blood pressure has been a problem for some time. When did your doctor first note the issue?" Ana looked puzzled. "I don't remember any doctors except you." The doctor looked puzzled as well. "You must have seen a doctor. Schools won't accept students without medical records, vaccinations and such." Ana looked down, blushing. "I, hmm, didn't go to school." Now the doctor looked shocked. "How could you not go to school? Your parents would have been arrested for truancy." "I was born at home. I don't have a birth certificate. No one really knew about me." "How did you learn to read and write?" "A neighbor lady taught me the basics and I learned the rest on my own. I can handle reading and writing okay but I'm not good at advanced math. When I asked my mother about going to school, she said that I was being homeschooled. I was naïve. Took me many years to realize that homeschooling wasn't doing housework and cleaning up my drunken mother's vomit. "I'm sorry. I'm rambling. The point is that you're my first doctor so I don't know how long I've had high blood pressure. I suppose that you want me to take medication for it. If you just give me a prescription, I'll take it to a pharmacy as soon as you release me. When can I get out of here?" The doctor glanced at Grey who quite subtly shook his head. "It's going to be several days yet, I'm afraid, and then you're going to need help. You won't be able to manage on your own." "Yes, I can. I've always managed on my own. This isn't the first time I've been banged up." "Ms. Steele, how would you be fine with a fractured eye socket, torn skin, cracked ribs?" "I don't know. I just would be because there would be no other choice." "Well, you have a choice now and I'm not releasing you from this hospital until arrangements have been made for your continued care. You must have family or friends. If not, I can speak to the hospital social worker about accommodations at a rehab centre." "I don't have money for a rehab centre and I can rehab myself," Ana said stubbornly. The doctor sighed, glanced again at Grey and said that he'd return later to check the bandages on her arms. Ana was quiet. Christian looked around to her face and saw tears running down her cheeks. He reached into his pocket for the handkerchief that Gail always put there and dried Ana's tears. Then he sat back in the chair and faced her. She sighed deeply and pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, lowering her face. "Ana, look at me. Please, sweetie. Tell me what you're thinking," Grey gently stroked her hair. "Why are you here? I thought that we agreed that you're not responsible for me. You were supposed to go on with your life and not come back here," Ana sniffled. "What if I want to be responsible for you? What if I find it impossible to go on with my life and pretend that you don't need me?" "I don't need…" Ana began to protest. "Yes," Grey asserted firmly. "You do need me. You need me and you know what? I like it. No one has ever needed me and I'm going to take care of you. Fight me all you want but here's the way it's going to be. "First, while you were unconscious, someone had to speak for you so my father arranged for me to have power of attorney. Second, there is no one with more resources than me to look after you. Third, I always get what I want and I want to help you. "Ana, I don't want anything from you. I'm not trying to take advantage of you in any way. I don't feel an obligation to care for you. I just like that someone needs me and I can help. Please, give me what I need. Let me help you." Ana seemed so baffled, even fearful. "I'm scared, Christian. I don't know what to think. No one has ever wanted to take care of me. You're going to hurt me somehow. Maybe you'll lock me up somewhere." "That's happened to you, hasn't it, honey? Someone, maybe more than one someone, has hurt you and kept you prisoner, right?" Ana just looked at Grey. It filled him with pain to see her so terrified. "Did you tell him where I am? Is that how he found me?" She began to hyperventilate and her bp began to climb rapidly. "No!" He climbed on the bed and wrapped her in his arms, kissing her head and rocking her back and forth. "Breath slowly, please Ana. Everything is all right. The only person whose side I'm on is yours. I will protect you from everything and everyone that might hurt you. Please breathe slowly," he begged her. She slumped over and Grey pumped the call button frantically, yelling for Ryan. CHAPTER 22 Grey jumped to his feet when the doctor approached him in the hallway. "She's okay. The combination of hyperventilating and escalating bp caused her to faint. You and I haven't talked, Mr. Grey, but I gather from your presence here, your assuming her bills and the guards at her door that you intend to take care of Ms. Steele. Your generosity is well-known as is that of your family toward this hospital but this is the first time someone in your family has been willing to assume physical responsibility for a patient." "Actually, that isn't true, Doctor. I was a four year-old patient here when my mother saw me for the first time. She called my father and, well, a few months later I was legally a Grey." The doctor smiled. "Of course. I believe that I've heard that story. You should tell it to Ms. Steele. Maybe then she'll have some idea of why you don't find it so crazy to 'adopt' her," he grinned as he left. "Ryan, why don't you take a break for a while? I'll text you when I leave." "Leave you and Ms. Steele unguarded? I don't think that Taylor would approve, sir." "Who's your boss, Ryan?" Grey frowned. "Technically, you, sir? In terms of whom I have to face in the morning? Taylor. This puts me on the horns of a dilemma." "Jesus H. Christ, I don't believe this," Grey snarled as he pulled out his phone. Visiting Ana. Ryan taking break until I leave. "There. Satisfied now?" Grey stared down at Ryan…just as his phone beeped with a text. "Ryan, leave the boss alone and you'll be on permanent break." Ryan shrugged and gave Grey a "Whadda ya gonna do?" look before settling back in his chair. Grey harrumphed in frustration and left Ryan smirking in the hallway. Ana was lying down with her eyes closed when Christian returned to her side. She looked peaceful now. He figured that he'd stick around for a while before going home. It was still early and while normally he'd work in his study until midnight, his heart wasn't in it tonight. He texted Gail that in a few days they would be having a guest who would need to recuperate from injuries received in a beating. He didn't know how much Taylor had told her and he wanted her to be prepared. He would move into a guest room upstairs and Ana would take his room. He'd get a list of foods from the doctor tomorrow. Gail texted in return that she would make sure that all was prepared. Let her know, she asked, if anything else needed doing. It was after 7 p.m. but it seemed much later. The past couple of hours had worn him out. He hoped that Ana would settle down and accept his hospitality because arguing with her was sapping all his energy. Welsh, have you found Ms. Steele's home as yet? She'll be staying at Escala until she's well and she'll be needing her things. My men found a bedroll and a duffle bag with women's underwear in a basement on Olive St. The entrance is a cellar-type door and the building itself is filled with squatters. Just a hunch. They've been watching the place and no one has shown. The duffle bag has a dog-eared copy of Shakespeare's Sonnets. We could bring it by and see if she reacts to it. I have a better idea. Keep an eye on the place anyway. So, she's been living rough. His heart almost broke for her. What the hell kind of life has she been having? Not a safe and fair one, that's for sure. Oh, please, he thought, let me help you. He watched her for hours. Her blood pressure remained just above normal but safe. He thought about how scared she'd been, scared that he was going to hurt her. Was someone really after her or was that an illusion from which she suffered after being abused her entire life? No one would ever hurt her again. He was more convinced than ever that his nightmare was a memory and that Ana was that little girl. He hoped that he could get her to talk to him…to trust him with her ugly secrets. It was going to take a lot to persuade her that she deserved better and that she didn't have to be alone. He texted Taylor that he'd meet him out front and then he kissed Ana's forehead. It felt warm. He pressed the call button and informed the nurse that he feared that Ana might have a temperature. The nurse checked and, yes, Ana's temp was elevated. Nothing to worry about, she assured Grey. She promised to call him at any hour if need be. A normal temp was 100.4 and Ana's was 100.8. She'd be fine. They'd put a cold compress on her forehead. When Grey got home, he headed straight for his library. He found a copy of the Bard's sonnets that he could give to Ana tomorrow. Perhaps he could judge from her reaction as to whether she already had a copy and that that duffle bag in the cellar was hers. Then he poured a bourbon and tried to relax. It was only 9 p.m. and yet he was more than ready for bed. He feared that he'd have a nightmare and wind up sleeping on the piano keys again. CHAPTER 23 Christian was sitting in the chair next to her bed, holding her hand, snoring lightly. She felt safe. Then she heard the slightest of creaking sounds. Someone was coming into her room. A nurse, she supposed, although they weren't usually so quiet about it. She opened her eyes a little. There was a tall figure in black standing at the foot of her bed. Fighting to stifle the terror beginning to overtake her, she squeezed Christian's hand as hard as she could but she couldn't wake him. The black figure leaned over her bed like a cloud of smoke engulfing her. She tried to scream but she couldn't breathe with the smoke choking her. Hands tightly grasped her throat and pressed thumbs down on the soft spot at the base of her throat. .+. Grey was sleeping on the keys again but he could hear music playing. Odd. It took him a moment to wake and realize that the music was from his phone. He dashed for his bedroom just as the ringing stopped. A voice mail informed him that Ms. Steele had been screaming for him. He called the night guard but got no answer. Then he called the nurse station. "This is Christian Grey. You called. Is Ms. Steele in trouble?" "Well, she had a terrible nightmare, Mr. Grey. We couldn't calm her so we sedated her…or tried to. It isn't taking very well. She keeps calling for you, sir…trying to tell you something." "Tell her that I'm on my way." He tossed back several breath mints, threw on sweatpants and a t-shirt and a pair of loafers. It took him less than five minutes to reach the garage. Taylor was standing next to the SUV in his pajamas. If he hadn't been so terrified for Ana, he would have mocked Taylor or at least asked him how he knew but, as it was, he didn't even think about it. It took another 15 minutes to reach the hospital and five minutes to reach Ana. Thirty minutes she'd been in need of him…too long. He should have stayed. The nurse was correct. Even with sedation, Ana was alert and fighting something. She was screaming for Christian but her voice was raspy and struggling to speak. Christian kissed her lips. He whispered "I'm here. You're safe" in her ear. He pulled her into his arms and held her fast to his chest. For several moments more, she fought to push him away as he repeated over and over that she was safe in his arms. Finally, breathing hard, she opened her eyes enough to see him. "Christian, why didn't you do something? I squeezed your hand but you kept sleeping. Why didn't you wake up? I couldn't breathe. He was all smoke and he was choking me." "I wasn't here, honey. You were having a nightmare. I came as soon as the nurse called." "No, Christian. He was here. He was all over the bed and I couldn't move and I thought that I was going to die. Why didn't you help me?" The wounded look in her blue eyes saddened him. "The sedation is beginning to take effect, Mr. Grey. With the other medications that she's on, we didn't want to overload her with more. Her blood pressure is way too high. If you hadn't gotten here so quickly, we would have had to really knock her out." "Thank you for calling me, nurse. I'll be staying now. Ana, Ana, can you hear me? Listen to me. I want you to breathe slowly and deeply. Look at me, Ana. Watch how I breathe and do it like I do." Ana stared at his mouth and tried to follow his breathing pattern. Her eyelids grew heavy but as soon as she began to close them, they'd fly open again, filled with fear. She'd see Christian and watch him. "I'm going to lie here with you and hold you so nothing can get through to you without going through me. Now, I want you to close your eyes and keep breathing slowly. Do you understand me?" Ana looked into his eyes and nodded. He noted that her blood pressure was now only 13 points too high and still coming down. He kicked off his shoes and climbed into the bed with one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulder and holding her against his chest. He was going to have to find her abuser…or all of them…or Ana would never feel peace again. He also needed to get her out of this hospital soon and into Escala where there would always be someone to watch over her when he could not. He knew that as long as her blood pressure kept fluctuating, the doctor would not let her go. Never mind, he'd hire a team of nurses to keep watch round the clock. He'd love to stay home with her but GEH always needed him, too. He didn't know how long he'd just lain there holding her. He had to get up in a couple of hours but he feared falling asleep. She'd thought that he was right there with her, holding her hand, and still she dreamt of an intruder. She was dreaming, wasn't she? She seemed so certain. Grey shivered. What if Ana wasn't dreaming? No. He was letting his own imagination get away with him. Baxter was sitting right outside the door. He saw him when he flew past. Thinking tho', he thought Baxter was sitting oddly. Had he fallen asleep? That wasn't like Baxter. He texted him but he didn't text back. So then he texted Welsh to check the CCTV footage of the hallway outside of Ana's room to see who was coming and going during the last hour. Christian reached for the little lamp over Ana's bed. He gently tilted her head back. There in the small dent at the base of her throat…a fresh indentation made by a large thumb. No, it couldn't be. Now, his fears were getting the best of him. It had to be just the remnant of the choking she'd endured before. He stared at it. His phone buzzed. A text from Welsh. Cameras inoperative. CHAPTER 24 "It's a good thing that you alerted us, Mr. Grey. We would have thought that he was just sleeping and not checked on him until morning. The drug could have done a lot more damage. As it is, we'll have to monitor his detox for a couple of days just to be certain that his system is clear." Grey looked down at an unconscious Baxter who would be quite surprised when he awoke to find that someone had stuck a needle in his neck, injecting a drug so strong that it instantly knocked him out. "Please let me know the second he awakes. My security chief is contacting his parents and his medical insurance is under the GEH umbrella. Make sure that he has the best. And thank you for saving his life." "Your quick thinking made all the difference, Mr. Grey. We also appreciate having your security experts looking into our system. We need to know how this person disabled our cameras so easily and how to ensure that our system is less vulnerable. We're all pretty shook up that something like this could occur here." Grey shook the doctor's hand and hugged the nurse who gotten to Baxter first and knew what to do. When he couldn't get Baxter to respond to his text, he'd called the nurse's station and she ran down the hall. It took her just a second to find the needle stuck in his neck and to call for an antidote. As soon as Baxter's heart rate responded, he was taken away to a room and admitted. Then the nurse slipped quietly into Ana's room to explain the circumstances to Grey who was holding Ms. Steele. "Is she sleeping?" "Yes, soundly, I believe." "The doctor is coming to speak with you." As concerned as he was about Baxter, he hated to leave Ana…fearful that she would have a real nightmare. Standing near the door, he talked in whispers with the doctor. He was shocked. Someone had actually intended to kill Baxter in order to get to Ana. The poison injected into Baxter had almost an hour to do damage before Grey thought the situation through. He felt shame that he had thought only of Ana and not of his employee. He looked up to see Taylor, Ryan and two police officers walking quickly down the hall. They stopped at the door to an empty room and gestured to Grey to join them. Ryan continued down the hall. "She knows me, sir. I'll be with her if she wakes." Grey nodded. He knew it was selfish but he wanted to be the one she needed. A police officer closed the door and took out an IPad to take notes. Grey related everything that had happened since he woke to the hospital's call. As he was talking, the doctor walked into the room wearing a grave expression. "We thought that she was just hysterical, unable to let go of her nightmare. However, she had a fresh indentation in her throat. Someone tried to crush her thorax tonight." "You said, Mr. Grey, that Ms. Steele was screaming and the staff couldn't calm her. Is that correct?" "Yes." Grey was impatient to return to Ana. "Doctor, from the moment that the nurses first heard Ms. Steele scream to the moment a nurse entered her room, how much time do you think passed?" asked the officer. "Less than 30 seconds." "And after that, people were always in the room with Ms. Steele?" "What are you getting at, officer?" "Everyone stay here, understand?" Immediately, Grey knew what he meant and ignoring police orders, ran out of the room and down the hall as fast as his fear could take him. He flew into the room to find Ryan lying on the floor, dazed. Again, medical personnel ran into the room to attend to Ryan. He came around fairly quickly. "Ow! Someone was in here. Hit me just as I sensed his presence. He was probably in the bathroom. Good thing that you were in here with Ms. Steele. He must have planned on finishing the job." "Let's get you checked out, Mr. Ryan. You may have a concussion," said the doctor. "Geez, what a night." Taylor had come out of the bathroom and was looking under the bed. At a nod from Grey, he trailed Ryan and the nurse. The doctor was looking more closely at Ana's throat while she slept. "I hate to wake her, especially to confirm her fears, but I need an x-ray of her throat. Since your man has confirmed that the assailant is no longer in the room, I'm going to station a couple of male orderlies outside the door." The doctor knocked out a text on his IPad and two burly fellows showed up in the corridor. Then, with help of Grey and a nurse, the doctor moved Ana's bed down the hall. The police officers, about whom everyone had forgotten, appeared in the hall looking quite perturbed. "We weren't finished with the questioning, Mr. Grey." Grey didn't seem to be aware of them. He was watching Ana and looking at doors as they passed with her bed. Upon noticing the cops again, he ordered them to check all the other rooms. They obeyed. Grey's Dom was out. Their obedience was as instinctive as Grey's Dom emerging. CHAPTER 25 Taylor walked off the elevator, shuffling along in his slippers and shoulders slumped with exhaustion. Gail rushed to him and threw her arms around his neck. He embraced her with all he had…which wasn't much after the night and morning he'd had. Still he held on and wouldn't let go until Gail dragged him over to the breakfast bar and placed a cup of coffee in front of him. He gulped it down quickly and smiled at Gail. "Thanks, babe. That helps a lot." "I've never seen you rush off in your bedclothes. Tell me everything," Gail smiled, leaning over the counter. "The nurse heard screaming and thought that Ms. Steele was having a nightmare. Cut to almost an hour later and the boss realizes that Ms. Steele didn't dream that she was being choked. Then we found out that Baxter was drugged and the surveillance equipment was shut down. We find Ryan out cold on the floor of Ms. Steele's room." "Oh, my lord. Who is this monster who's after her?" "Don't know. Welsh is still looking into her background which seems to be kind of awful. She hasn't told us anything so I suspect she's going to be really pissed when she finds out that Grey is having her investigated. "How are the boys?" "Baxter had enough tranquilizer to knock out a horse and Ryan got a nice goose egg on his head but no concussion. Ms. Steele was almost strangled again. Grey took over the police department and ordered everyone to search every inch of the hospital. You should have seen him, honey. That dominant stuff really works. He had beat officers, detectives and swat teams saying "yes, sir" and "no, sir". He was running the whole show. I don't think they knew what hit them. It was really something to see." "Yes, I've seen hints on sub nights. It was powerful. No luck finding the guy though, eh?" "No, I think Ms. Steele will be moving in sooner rather than later. The hospital is not going to satisfy Grey's need for safety." "Will Ms. Steele agree? "I don't know. She may not admit it but she's kind of developed a dependency on Grey and he's got this "She needs me thing" going. The nurses told me that her blood pressure goes down when he walks in the room and I'll bet if you cuffed him, you'd find that his goes up. He holds her hand and he gets up in the bed and sleeps with her. The nurses think they're really cute together. .+. "Like hell I will. I'm better now. I can walk to the bathroom by myself and my arms are stronger." "Stronger? Yeah, you could probably lift a kitten now. Look at the gauze on your arms. You still have places that are bleeding. You can't bend over without gasping for breath. You have to have your ribs tightly wrapped. How are you supposed to do that by yourself? And then there are all the day to day chores….meals, laundry, shopping. And none of this takes into account your need to be protected." "I'll manage. I've always taken care of myself. It'll be tough at first but I don't need anybody." "Yes, you do. You need me." "You got some balls, telling me what I need. You don't even know me." "Yes, I do. I've been looking after you for almost two weeks and I intend to take you home and continue to care for you." "No! You can't just kidnap me, you jackass!". "Yes! I have power of attorney over you while your doctor deems you unfit to care for yourself and I may be a jackass but you're a whiny brat!" "I'll sue you and your fancy ass attorney father!" "You don't have any money to hire a lawyer and you'd never beat my dad anyway. He's the best!" "You can't just take custody of someone. I'm not a puppy, you arrogant son of a bitch!" "My mother is a saint. How dare you insult her!" "It's just an expression and you know it. Don't try to make me out to be the bad guy!" "It's settled. Accept it. I am taking you home. You will have round the clock nursing care and daily visits from a doctor…my mother." "NO!" "YES!" "Sigh," said the nurse at her station to another nurse just signing in. "It's been going on like that for at least an hour. Dr. Trevelyan is coming in soon and we're hoping that she can calm them down. Ms. Steele's been throwing things at Mr. Grey and he's been ducking them and taunting her. It's hard to believe that they're crazy about each other." "What happens if you go in and order them to quiet down? I mean, we have other patients." "Then they start whisper yelling that the other is harming other patients. Within a few minutes, their voices begin rising again. I think that they should just make a grab for each other and be done with it." "You are such a romantic, Helen. Maybe they really do hate each other." "Dr. Trevelyan! Welcome to the final meet of the light-weights tournament," Helen smiled tightly. Grace paled as she listened to her son and Ana Steele go at each other. She strode quickly down the hall and slammed the door as she entered Ana's suite. Both Ana and Christian immediately shut up and stared at the woman turning purple in front of them. "Everyone within three floors can hear you fighting," she angrily scolded the two. "And I am so embarrassed that one of the combatants in this brawl is my own son. The last thing I want to insist upon is you two sharing company but unfortunately for your health and safety, Ana, Escala is the best place for you. "Christian, you can wipe that triumphant smirk off your face right this minute or I'll let Ana wipe it off for you." Christian immediately assumed a somber expression…although he didn't know how long he could hold it. Ana was beet red with fury but she didn't feel that she could argue with Dr. Grace. "Ana, I am deeply sorry that I can't release you in your present condition without someone to take care of and protect you. That terrifying episode last night has the whole hospital on edge. We have to get you out of here to ensure the safety of everyone else. I'm sure that you understand that, dear," Grace said kindly to Ana, who reluctantly nodded. Grace gave Christian a look that shrunk his testicles to the size of peas. He, as well, simply nodded. "All right. I understand that Escala has been set up for you. Nurses have been hired and vetted by Welsh. I'll be coming by every day. Christian, please understand Ana's fear of dependency and her strong need to believe that she can protect herself. Ana, please understand that my son is quite protective of those he cares about and he is very fearful of this man who has twice tried to kill you. He truly is not trying to control you. He just wants to protect you until your attacker is behind bars. Now, can I leave the room and expect decorum?" Christian and Ana simply nodded. CHAPTER 26 Ana sat in her wheelchair, arms crossed, eyes narrowed and furious, as the attendant wheeled her off the elevator and into the penthouse at Escala. She'd never been in such a palatial dwelling but she gave no sign of noticing or being impressed. She was too preoccupied with trying to stare daggers into Christian Grey's heart. Grey, on the other hand, was delighted to have gotten his own way and to know that now Ana would be safe. He was positively glowing. As he walked along next to Ana, he was grinning and pointing out the fabulous view of Seattle from 20 stories up, stupidly oblivious to her fury. "You don't have to stay in a hospital bed, Ana. The doctor says that you can sleep in a regular bed. The one in my room is quite comfortable although it might be a bit high off the floor for you. It was built for a person a lot taller than you so if it turns out to be too high, we'll get a step stool." "Jackass," Ana muttered. When they arrived in the bedroom, Grey tried to pick Ana up off the wheelchair. She objected and struggled but kicking her legs hurt her ribs so she just tried to kill him with a glare. Again, he didn't seem to notice while the attendants had to leave the room fast before they burst out laughing. Grey tucked a couple of pillows behind Ana and a wedge under her knees to ease the pressure on her legs. Then he pulled the covers up and tucked her in like she was a little girl. She wasn't sure what he was doing so she shoved him as hard as she could away from her. His confused look confused her. "What's wrong, Ana? You're not going to be warm enough without blankets." "What were you doing?" Her eyes were brimming with tears. Her arms hurt when she pushed at Grey's chest. Looking alarmed, Christian sat next to her on the bed and put his arm around her shoulder. He picked up a tissue and dabbed at her cheeks. "It hurt. I forgot." Ana rubbed at her eyes. "What hurt? Your arms? Why did you push at me?" "What were you doing with the blanket, huh?" Ana snarled at him between sniffles. "I was tucking you in. Your arms, remember? Even pushing yourself up in bed is painful." Ana looked puzzled. "What's 'tucking in'?" "Tucking in? You know, like when your mother tucked you in at night?" It was then that he realized that Ana might never have been tucked in by her mother or anyone else. Ana was looking perplexed. "Oh, Ana," Christian enveloped her in both his arms. "I'm sorry. I ought to have known better. I wasn't tucked in at night until I was adopted by Grace and Carrick. I fought them, too, because I didn't know why they were leaning over me and touching me. I'm sorry that I scared you." "Your first mother didn't tuck you in?" she asked. "I didn't have a bed until I spent that first night in the hospital. We had a two room apartment…a kitchen and a living room with a couch. We slept on the couch with my mother's winter coat over us unless she had to work that night. Then she needed the coat and when she came back with a customer, she needed the couch. Then I curled up on the closet floor. At the foster home, I shared a bed and after the foster parents left the room, I headed for the closet again." By now, tears were flowing down Ana's cheeks and she was racked with sobs. Christian kept trying to console her that it was a long time ago but she just kept crying. She wasn't able to talk. Finally, she cried herself to sleep. Christian gently removed the second pillow and laid her back. He frowned at the sight of bloody spots on the gauze on her arms. She'd torn open the skin again. She was crying for him even though she didn't know what being tucked in meant. He dabbed at his own eyes. He was going to make everyone who ever hurt or neglected her pay for it. He couldn't deal with sorrow or pity. He could handle anger and revenge. He kissed her forehead and then left the bathroom light on in case she woke and was disoriented. He left the room, walking purposefully to his study, his liquor cabinet and his stash of Jim Beam. Taylor appeared in the doorway. "You okay, sir?" Now what happened, he wondered. Maybe Ana had smacked him with a bedside lamp. "People are total rotters, Jason…absolutely stinking piles of crap." Grey knocked back a tumbler of amber liquid and poured himself another. Taylor walked over and as unobtrusively as possible, returned the bottle to the cabinet and closed the door. "Well, certainly a lot of people are but if most were, the world would have burned itself into an ash heap a long time ago. I sent the nurse into your room. Ana is sleeping peacefully in rather sumptuous surroundings thanks to you so I think that there might be a few good people out there." Grey set down his glass, half-filled. "I tucked her blankets around her because her arms are still too weak. She was scared. She didn't know what tucking in was. Does Sheila tuck Sophie in? Jason smiled. "Now that you mention it, Sheila is having a rather hard time now that our little girl is growing up. She thinks that she's too old to be treated like a baby. She still lets me tuck her in because we don't have the chance for moments like that too often but I guess that I have to prepare myself for the words "I'm not a little girl anymore, daddy." Jason got up and retrieved the bottle of Jim Beam and poured himself a tumbler. Then the two men sat drinking in dour silence. CHAPTER 27 The day dawned rainy, cold and gray. Grey sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his eyes and taking in deep breaths. Like every other day, he would push himself to get moving, get running, get…..wait. The room was different. He wasn't in his room. Ana was. Taylor, did Gail happen to move any of my clothes upstairs? My wife, sir, is a miracle. She never misses a trick. Check the closet. Did Caroline Acton deliver my order for Ana? Everything from soup to nuts, sir. You can take her to a ball or a brunch. Sure enough, his running gear and his work clothes were in the closet in the guest room. He dressed and met Taylor at the elevator. After all the excitement of the past couple of days, he was amazed how good it felt to run until his lungs were bursting. He peeked into his room when he returned and found Ana still sleeping. The night nurse smiled and whispered that she'd had a good night. He ate his egg white omelet, toast and o.j. before meeting Jason at the elevator at 7:15. Gail just shook her head in disbelief. They were robots but they were her robots. The night nurse conferred with the day nurse and then one left for home and the other left for Grey's bedroom. Again, Gail had to chuckle. So many women had wanted to be welcomed into that room over the years and one who'd fought tooth and nail to avoid it was now sleeping in his bed. Gail wondered if the revolving sets of nurses knew that they were the rare women who'd see the inside of Christian Grey's bedroom. Ana didn't awakened until after 11 a.m. thanks to a sleeping medication given to her before leaving the hospital. She was bewildered and frightened. Where was her bag and her laptop and why was it so bright and why was she in a bed? First, the nurse and then Gail tried to soothe her but she was too upset. When the nurse tried to sedate her, she went crazy, flaying her arms about madly. She knocked the nurse to the floor and ran into the bathroom where she locked the door. No amount of calming words worked so Gail did the only thing she could do. "Mr. Grey? Sorry to interrupt your meeting but you have an urgent call from your home," said Andrea. Grey picked up the line. "What is it, Andrea? You know better than to interrupt me during a meeting," he growled. "Yes, sir," Andrea growled right back, "after eight years I do indeed, don't you think? Please, pick up line 2." "Yes, what is it?" "Ana is hysterical and completely disoriented. She's locked herself in the bathroom and nothing anyone says can get through. We're going to have to break down the door and wrestle her to the floor to try to get a needle into her. Her arms are bleeding and the nurse is very concerned about rib splinters poking into her lungs. I just thought that you ought to be informed about the situation. I'll call back after Reynolds has taken down the door." "No, no, Gail. Do nothing. I'll be home asap." Grey looked at the conference table filled with men and women staring at him. Ros looked concerned. "I'm sorry everyone but I'm needed at home. It's an emergency. Ros, your meeting." As he left the room, Andrea handed him his briefcase, coat and a snide look. "Andrea, sorry. Of course, I ought to know better that you know better and you do. Am I forgiven?" "Godiva's," she smiled and returned to her station. Taylor stepped off the elevator. "Taylor, get a box of the best Godiva chocolates for Andrea. I have to get out of the doghouse. I seem to spend an awful lot of time with women angry with me lately." "Yes, sir," Taylor replied. "That is to say I shall see to the chocolates asap…not that a lot of women seem to want to take an axe to your head. Sir." Grey gave him an strange look through the rearview mirror. As they raced through the streets to Escala, Grey had the presence of mind to call his mother and to arrange for an x-ray machine to be delivered to his home. If Ana had bumped a bone sliver into her lung, he wanted to find it quickly. If not, he didn't want to subject Ana to another trip to Seattle General to find it. By the time he and Taylor had stepped into the foyer, he could hear the commotion from his room. He found the day nurse pounding on his bathroom door and demanding that Ana calm down and be sensible. Gail stood aside and looked highly distressed. Taylor put his arms around her. Grey ordered the nurse to stop and leave the room. "Mr. Grey, I am a trained professional. I must ask you to wait in the great room while I deal with my patient." Her face was red and clammy. She also looked furious. "So, you feel that you're handling this correctly?" he demanded. "Miss Steele is behaving very unreasonably. She can't be allowed to continue with such behavior." "Taylor, please take this nurse into my study, write her a check for her services and escort her out the door." "Mr. Grey! You can't be serious. Miss Steele requires nursing care and a strong hand. What do you think that you can possibly do that I cannot?" "Understand that she is terrified, confused and lost. Now, please leave. I don't want her to hear your voice anymore." Taylor lead the nurse out of the bedroom with her huffing all the while that her supervisor would surely hear about this interference with her duties. "Gail, could you make a latte for Ms. Steele?" Gail nodded quickly and dashed out of the room. With the nurse no longer pounding on the door, Ana had stopped screaming but even through the closed door, Grey could hear her breathing hard and fast. "Ana, Gail is making you a latte. Would you like that?" For a long time, there was no reply. Then he heard a small "yes, please". "Good, that sounds right to me, too. Ana, that nurse who was scaring you is gone. I booted her out and she won't be back. I think that she had control issues." "Control issues?" a very small voice responded. "Yes, she was angry because you wouldn't do what she wanted. And then, of course, you knocked her on the floor which she considered disrespectful. She was the sort of person who was more concerned with her status that with the health of her patients." Gail returned with two lattes and rushed back out again. "Ana, if you open the door, I'll slide your latte into you while I sit out here and drink mine. I won't come in. 'Course, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't trust me. I have been kind of deciding what's good for you lately. On the other hand, I've been correct…except for Nurse Ratched." He heard a small giggle. "Have you read One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest?" he asked. "yes," Ana answered. Ana opened the door just enough to reach for the latte. She didn't close it right away. She looked at him carefully. "Will you try to come in?" Christian smiled and shook his head. Thus, Ana left the bathroom door open and she and Christian drank their lattes and ate the croissants that Gail brought in as well. They talked quietly for quite some time…even laughed some. She told him that she had a dream that the man of smoke tried to come into the room but that Christian threw him out the window and he blew away. She laughed and Christian's heart soared. She finished her drink and then looked down at her arms. They were bloody. Ana looked at Christian and asked him if he thought that he could change the bandages because her arms really hurt. Grey picked her up and set her on the counter. He gently washed her arms, applied a soothing cream and rewrapped her arms. "Better?" Ana smiled, nodding. CHAPTER 28 Ana looked at her arms and sighed. "They always take so long to heal." Christian felt jarred by this revelation…"always". How often had someone done this to her? He was also disconcerted by Ana's breathing. She still seemed to be gasping for breath. Fortunately, Taylor came into announce that the x-ray machine had arrived along with Dr. Trevelyan. Christian lifted Ana off the bathroom counter. "Hi, Mom. Thanks for coming. I'm worried about Ana's breathing. She seems to be having trouble." "Hello, Ana," Grace smiled warmly. Ana was timid. Grace was so nice but she was a doctor and very smart. It seemed everyone around her lately was so much smarter than her. "Hello, Dr. It's very kind of you to come to help me. I'm sure that I don't deserve all this fuss." "Well, you let me be the judge of that. I'm going to set up this portable machine and we'll check out those ribs and lungs. Christian, you did a good job of tending to Ana's arms. Now, we'd like some privacy." When her son hesitated, she shooed him out of the room. Ana thought this was funny. "Yes, shoo, Christian," she giggled. He left, pretending to be grumbling. In the great room, Grey paced back and forth. It was a large room so he figured that he'd covered a mile or so before Grace called him back in. "Although I am concerned about Ana's breathing difficulties, they aren't because of a punctured lung, thank goodness. I've rewrapped her ribs. Ana has agreed to having an actual bath tonight. I told her that you have all these great oils and bubble baths. After, the nurse will bandage her arms and ribs again. Her eye socket is looking much better. Her entire face is almost back to normal color. After her bath, the nurse will help her to walk around the apartment. She needs to get her strength back in her legs. Since you've fired the day nurse, someone will have to keep an eye on her until her third shift nurse arrives. I'll arrange for a second shift nurse for tomorrow. Don't fret, dear. I'll vet her myself." "Thank you so much, Dr. Trevelyan. I wish that I could repay you in some way," Ana fussed. "Stop, Ana. You need to heal and you won't if you brood about things you can't help," chided Christian. "Mom agrees with me, don't you?" "Yes, anxiety only makes things worse." Spontaneously, Grace pulled Ana close and embraced her. "Perhaps, if you're feeling up to it, you'll come to brunch this coming Sunday. The family would like to meet you." With that, Grace took her leave. "Ana, you look tired. Why don't you take a nap? I may have a surprise for you when you wake," Christian smiled gently as he turned down her covers. Ana carefully climbed into the bed. Then she stopped and seemed to be waiting for something. "Aren't you going to tucker me in?" she gazed up into Christian's stunning eyes. She'd recently noticed them and found them quite pleasing. "Tuck...not tucker…and certainly, if you'd like me to do so." He pulled the covers up and softly eased them around her lithe body. Then, after a moment's hesitation, he leaned down and pressed his lips against her forehead. "Remember, Ana. You're in a safe place now. No one can get to you here." .+. Actually, Grace had not left. She was sitting on the couch when Christian came out to the great room. "Mom," he spoke in a low voice, "did you want to talk to me?" "Yes, I do. I gave Gail a list of food suggestions that pertain directly to Ana's health. She is seriously malnourished. Did you realize that?" "I knew that she was too thin but I didn't realize how serious it is. Welsh found her bag in a cellar on Olive St. I don't know what she's been eating unless the owner of the diner gave her left-overs. She made a comment earlier that her arms 'always' take so long to heal. I just about fell over. I didn't say anything but I wonder if that means that someone hurts her regularly." "Well, it's clear that she's not been eating well for some time. No telling how long. That could account for the time it's taking for her to heal. Dr. Mason noted the problem as well. If she hasn't been eating much, it's going to be hard for her to eat full meals. I know how you are. Don't push her. The longer she has access to decent food, the sooner she'll become accustomed to eating more calories. You taking her in like this is noble, Christian, and I'm very proud of you. I just want you to understand that she could be your guest for some time and that we've got to find a way to improve her life in general." "She's independent and proud, Mom. It's going to be a lot harder to keep her here than it is to care for her. I'll have to lock the door at night and put a CPO on her during the day and she will fight me like a tigress. I don't think that she even understands what it is to be take care of by someone." Grace kissed her son and got into the elevator. She was bursting with pride. She'd known for some time that he was quite philanthropic but giving away money and funding projects for the poor was not as all-consuming as taking responsibility for another human being. CHAPTER 29 Christian sat in the club chair he kept near his window, usually for admiring the view. This time the view was of Ana. She'd been sleeping for several hours and had not yet changed her position. He wondered if it was painful for her to move. He'd been sitting there to keep watch in case she had a bad dream. He also found that he just like to look at her. There was something appealing about her that he couldn't put his finger on. She was just a waif of a girl. She had beautiful eyes and her laughter was charming but really, he'd had absolutely stunning subs. There was really nothing all that special about this girl. It was hard to believe that she was 24 years-old. When he picked her up, it was like lifting a child. She turned her head to look up, opened her eyes and clawed at her throat. She was dreaming of being strangled. He was at her side in an instant. He pulled her hands from her throat because she was scratching her skin. He leaned down and kissed her throat, not knowing why that occurred to him but soon her breathing eased and her eyes closed. He leaned over her body and brushed her bangs back from her damp skin. Soon she relaxed and then her open eyes could see him. She smiled and rasped out, "Shoo." He laughed. "You were dreaming. Do you remember the dream?" "Nightmare. It's the only kind of dream I have. Do you have dreams? Good ones?" she asked. "No. I usually dream about my mother and her pimp and"….he hesitated, "cigarette burns." He did something then that shocked him. He opened his shirt and showed Ana some of the burns. She nodded and asked him how old he was. "Four, the last time." Without warning, Ana leaned up on her elbows and kissed one of his scars. "There," she smiled, "all better now." He simply stared at her and then he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers for a long moment. He was stunned at what he'd done. He felt he'd taken advantage. He thought that he should apologize but she didn't look offended. She simply smiled at him, closed her eyes and went back to sleep. Maybe, he thought…or feared…she would not remember the kiss when she woke again. He wasn't going to forget it, however. He'd kissed her before but this was different. This was an "I want you" kiss. It wasn't right. She was a damaged innocent…an adult only in years. He sat by her, wanting nothing more than to pull her into his arms and protect her from…everything. Again, there was the overwhelming emotion of being needed and of wanting to be needed. What was he going to do when Ana was well and wanted to leave? How would he handle it when she didn't need him anymore? And how was that possible when he needed her to need him? There was a soft knock on the door. Christian opened it to find the nurse from the hospital…the one who didn't drool over him. She smiled at him and asked about Ana. He showed her the chart and notes from the day nurse. Then he related the morning's drama. The nurse frowned. "I know that nurse. She is quite authoritarian. Don't worry. Your mother has someone else in mind who will be perfect. How is Ana doing now?" "She's been sleeping most of the day. I think Nurse Ratched wore her out with all her bullying. My mother explained to Ana that you'd be giving her a bath tonight. It's the first real bath she's had in god knows how long. I've put out all the oils and bubble bath that she'll enjoy. The towels are on the counter. If you need help, my housekeeper, Gail, would be happy to assist you. Ana knows her and is comfortable with her. Here is a phone you can use to text Gail. Of course, if there is anything at all that you need from me, text me. "I don't know when she'll wake. Please let her sleep as long as she needs. We'll bring your dinner in around 6 p.m. unless you'd like it at another time." "No, no. 6 will be fine. Is Ana eating well?" "She's malnourished," Christian whispered. "She won't eat much. Don't push it." "Of course not. Are you going back to your office now?" "No, I'll be in my study. Again, call me if need be or when she wakes." Christian hoped that she would wake soon. He wanted to give her the surprise he'd promised. He also wanted to know if she remembered the kiss. He couldn't decide whether he wanted her to remember or not. It would be awkward if she did and kind of heartbreaking if she didn't. A surprise was awaiting him in his study. He wondered why he wasn't warned. He was not pleased. .+. "Christian, dearest, it's been weeks since we've visited. Of course, I've come to understand that you've been quite preoccupied since dismissing Tory. She was heartbroken, you know." "I don't care about their hearts, Elena. I don't care if they cry. I just don't care about them. They're always heartbroken, Elena. I've discussed this with you in the past. You're to make certain that any potential subs understand that I do not get attached no matter how wonderful they may be at their jobs or how kindly they think I treat them. I will never collar anyone. I will rarely keep anyone beyond three months and I definitely will not keep anyone who develops feelings for me. "Yet, Elena, every sub you send seems to think that I will find them, of all the subs I've had, to be special. I explain during our interview in the clearest of terms that I will never want them….never. So, I can only conclude that you are telling them to ignore my warnings…that there is always a chance because the new one is so special. "It is ironic, Elena, when we both know quite well that you think that it is you with whom I have a future….a ridiculous notion. You are more than twice my age." "Our age difference didn't matter to you at one time, dear." "When I was a horny 15 boy and you were a gorgeous 36 year-old…no, it didn't matter. I just wanted to fuck a beautiful older woman. Well, now I'm 27 and can fuck all the 20 year-olds I choose. I don't need a 52 year-old woman who refuses to grow old gracefully and who is still torturing boys in her dungeon." "My, you are certainly in a foul mood today. It's been some time since you've had some relief. Perhaps that explains your nastiness toward your oldest and dearest friend…indeed, your only real friend. I know you like no other. Don't forget all we've been to each other." "If only I could. I once considered you to be my friend, Elena, until you began to use me and vaguely threaten me. It used to confuse me but now I see that you set me up all those years ago." "Christian, we've been through this more than once. You are everything you are and you have everything you have because of me and my devotion to you. You are a premier dominant because of me. I've only asked for a small return on my investment." "You blackmail me. You show up to demand huge sums of money. I've repaid the money you gave me to start GEH 10x over. Today I will give you one more check and that will be the end of it, do you understand? Also, I will no longer accept any sub candidates from you." With that, Grey removed his checkbook from the desk drawer that Elena, in Grey's absence, had tried to pry open with the letter opener several times. He wrote a check for $100,000.00 and threw it at her. She dipped gracefully from her chair to pick it up and put it in her bag, showing no sign of pride. "I understand that you have taken a street urchin under your protection. I would love to meet her." "I'd sooner introduce her to Satan. She's ill enough without having to breathe air fouled by you." CHAPTER 30 "You don't like that lady," said Ana, stating the obvious. "What are you doing out of bed, walking around by yourself," scolded Christian. "Where is your nurse? Geez, you didn't knock her out, did you?" "Ana?" The nurse chuckled. "She waited until I had to use the bathroom. She wanted to see you and I told her that I'd get you as soon as I washed my hands. You are a pistol, girl. How did you even walk out here?" "My legs hurt but I'm supposed to practice," Ana protested. Christian shook his head and then scooped Ana up. "We'll practice later…after your bath." He carried her back to her bed and set her down with a couple of pillows to prop her up. "Nurse, could you take a break for a bit? If you'd like, Gail can show you the library or the media room." Nurse nodded and left the couple alone. "Who was that lady who would foul my air?" Ana asked with innocent curiosity. "A business acquaintance who has shady principles. I was just ending our relationship." "How did she know about me? Why did she want to meet me?" Christian took a deep breath and shook his head. "Oh, honey, don't ask hard questions." "Why are they hard, Christian? If I let you kiss me again, will you answer me then?" Christian laughed, partly from relief that she remembered and partly because she was funny. He embraced her with his hands around her head. "I am well-known in Seattle so when I bring a mugging victim to the hospital late at night…it's news. That woman wanted to meet you because she's nosy." "Oh." Ana looked down for a minute, contemplating. "Where is my surprise?" she grinned. Christian reached under the bed and pulled out a Macbook Air, quite the upgrade from the banged up, used PC that she'd gotten at Good Will for $25. Ana gazed at it in awe. "I had our tech guy, Barney, transfer everything from your old laptop to this one." Christian was disappointed to find that aside from some writing and Googling, there was nothing on the old laptop to help them. "Also, here is a book from my library." He handed her the Complete Sonnets of Shakespeare. She stared. He hoped that she wouldn't notice that it was a first edition. He didn't want to overwhelm her. At that he failed. She burst into tears, heart-racking sobs. Grey felt at a loss. He clutched her to him, as tightly as possible, and rocked her back and forth. She seemed inconsolable. He cleaned her nose and washed the flood of tears running down her face. He whispered sweet and soothing words in her ears and still it seemed forever before she wore down. "Ana, Ana. Tell me what I did wrong? I'll fix it. I just wanted to give you something." "No one has ever given me anything except the back of their hand. Why are you so kind to me? I can never repay you." Her sweet voice was trembling. "I'm kind to you because I want to be and because I can. You owe me nothing, Ana. You've given me so much just by needing me. You're the first person who has ever needed me." She looked at him confused and astonished. The she put her small hands on his cheeks and her soft lips on his and kissed his lips until he thought he'd faint. He broke the kiss first. "You didn't have to do that, Ana." "Is it okay if I wanted to? I've never done it before. Did I do it wrong?" "I've never been kissed so right in my life," he beamed at her. She seemed pleased with his answer and then became intrigued with her new laptop. She and Christian sat next to each other on her bed while he explained how this machine worked differently from her old one. "I'll have to learn how this new browser works, too, but everything I had is here…all my bookmarks and my toolbar and my email. Of course, I never used the email." "Why not?" asked Christian, who regretted the words as they left his mouth. "I don't know anyone. All the emails I get are junk. Some are funny, tho. You know, like offers for penile enhancement and requests to send money to prison inmates so they can buy things in the commissary." Of course, she doesn't use email, dummy, Grey said to himself. She's alone in the world. She doesn't have a single address. He took the machine from her and entered his email address in her empty contacts list. "There, now all you have to do is tap C and up pops my address." Ana looked delighted. It occurred to him that he might come to regret giving her his address. He knew that she'd probably email him twenty times a day. The nurse returned and smiled and made much ado about Ana's new laptop and asked her if she had a favorite sonnet…thus, opening a deluge of poetry. Ana really knew her Shakespeare. But it was time for her bath. Ana was kind of excited about that, too. Christian showed her all the oils and bubble baths and she wanted both so she chose a lavender oil and a jasmine bubble bath. As Christian left the bathroom, he reflected on how much fun it would be to bathe Ana. It wouldn't do, of course, but he wasn't even thinking of her nakedness. He was just thinking that to Ana so many new things were fun. He liked having fun with her. He'd have to think up some activities that they could do together. His buzzing phone interrupted his fantasies. GEH. Cripes, he'd forgotten all about his multi-billion dollar company and being CEO. "Hello? Oh, hi, Andrea. Yes, I did forget about my entire schedule. I assume that you rearranged in your highly efficient way. I detect annoyance in your voice. Which meeting in particular would you have preferred that I attend? Oh, yeah. Whoa. I'll bet that blowhard was pissed off. Did you charm him into a good mood. No, no, I understand. It's hard to cheer up someone when you yourself are ready to kill your boss. Did you get the Godiva chocolates?" Christian listened as Andrea and then Ros chewed him out. They were correct, of course, but heck, he was the owner and boss. How come he couldn't do what he wanted to? That was the wrong defensive position to take, as it turned out. He had to promise to complete a pile of boring contract paperwork that night. It would be needed in the morning first thing at the rescheduled meeting with Mr. Blowhard. Ana would be busy with her bath and her therapy so he might as well hide away in his study. Hours later, he finished writing the contracts and preparing spreadsheets to discuss in the morning. Sometimes he wondered what he was thinking when he decided to start an acquisitions company. The thrill of outwitting rivals and rebuilding failing companies had started to lessen about the same time that he made his first billion. Making the covers of Forbes and Time magazine and the fuss made over him because of his youth had also lost much of its kick as well. He wouldn't lie. The first few years had been incredibly hard work and the rewards of the adventure were a blast. Buying a penthouse, a Mercedes SUV and having a chauffeur, $4000 Armani suits, Rolex watches, boats, helicopters and jets made staying up all night worth every bit of lost sleep. Being invited to the most prestigious of parties and conferences….being stared at as he strolled with grace up to a podium to give a speech…having beautiful women throwing themselves at him….it was all a glorious hoot. And, as Elena often pointed out, his status gave him access to the finest of subs. Yes, it had been eight fabulous years. Just 8 years and he was already bored. He was even tired of being allowed to act like a jackass because he was rich and handsome and powerful. He realized that he liked that Ros and Andrea didn't let him get away with as much as everyone else did. They were a challenge and he'd begun to run out of those. He and Ros had started going global two years earlier and it was a lot of traveling. Even when flying in one's own jet and staying in the best hotel's finest suites, it was a drag to be away from home. Taylor was right when he told Ryan that it was jet, hotel, conference, hotel and jet. Even though he owned the company, he would never be able to take the time to do any sightseeing. He'd have to get right back to another meeting. He and Ros had lately been talking about taking breaks from new acquisitions. GEH ran itself now if new companies didn't need tending to merge them into GEH…but then a new opportunity or three would appear and they'd be off and running because those first few moves were so exciting. There was a knock at the study door. "Yes, come in." "Mr. Grey? Ms. Steele would like to say good night to you. She's been quite patient…reading sonnets for a couple of hours and studying the workings of her new computer but she's falling asleep." "Sure, nurse, I'll be right in. Why don't you take a break? "Thank you, sir. Just call when you finish." Grey felt a little buzz as he headed to the bedroom. Saying goodnight to Ana would be his reward for working so hard these past hours. Ana was propped up against the pillows but her head was hanging down. He didn't want to wake her so he sat down next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders. Suddenly, her head snapped up. "You're here!" she smiled at him, her blue eyes shining. "So are you!" he laughed. They laughed together as if they were the wittiest people alive. Ana started right in, telling Christian all about her bath. He knew that she'd probably never had such a good bath or one at all in a very long time. She and her nurse splashed and threw bubbles at each other. She had sponge baths at the hospital but it certainly wasn't the same as being immersed in delicious oils. She'd wanted to stay for a longer time but the nurse said that 30 minutes was enough because she kept having to drain the water and refill with more hot water. The nurse said that leaning over that tub was ruining her back. They laughed again. Then Ana showed him all the things she'd figured out about her new laptop. Her old machine rarely connected well to wi-fi at the diner but this one was so fast! She loved Google and Wikipedia. She stopped for a moment and looked serious and concerned. Wikipedia, she said, had asked for donations…just $3….and without thinking, she'd gone ahead and donated except, she said, it wasn't her money. She looked at Christian so gravely. "I just spent your money without thinking. I'm so sorry, Christian." He found himself deep in a feeling that was new and scary. He smiled at her and told her thank you, that he'd been meaning to make a donation and had forgotten about it. She looked relieved. Then she picked up her book of sonnets and read her favorite. Sonnet 29 When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes, I all alone beweep my out-cast state,And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself and curse my fate.
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possess'd,
Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least,
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
(Like to the lark at break of day arising)
From sullen earth sings hymns at heaven's gate,
For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
After Ana had finished softly reading the sonnet, she and Christian sat quietly together. They did not share their thoughts and did not realize how closely aligned they were. Ana closed the book and leaned her weary head against Christian's chest. At that moment, he knew that there was certainly no one he envied in any way. Ana had nothing and certainly could desire so many things that others had but yet this was her favorite sonnet.
He carefully pulled one of the pillows out from behind Ana's head and eased her down to a lying position. He knew that he should reach across her body and kill the light but he wanted to lean on his elbow and just look at her for a while. She had a scar over her eyebrow but the bruising had all faded. It was easy to see now that she was quite pale. The bruising around her throat was also faded and no one looking at her would know that someone had tried to choke her to death.
When the nurse returned, she found Mr. Grey sleeping with his arms around Ms. Steele. She turned out the light and settled herself in the chair, wondering what that was all about.
CHAPTER 31
"You really think you're something, don't you, little Mr. Grey?"
While Grey's face was impassive, inside he was amused. He'd found, over the years, that whenever a rival resorted to insults, especially those that referenced his youth, it meant that he was winning.
And he was definitely winning this deal. Mr. Blowhard was desperate. Any second now, he'd try to gain the high ground by flipping the bird at Grey and then walking out. This maneuver would, of course, only put him in the difficult and embarrassing position of having to return to negotiations with a losing hand. Grey kinda loathed this guy but it was his policy to keep matters on respectful grounds . Making enemies in this business was only for those who valued their egos above all else. It was a losing strategy that would only gain one a reputation for scheming to win anyway one could.
Grey had worked hard to build his image of a smart, fair and rather dangerous businessman. Play fair and he would as well. Cross him and he'd retaliate. This image had served him well. He rarely had to convince fellow business people that he wasn't callow and inexperienced any more. After all he had a lot more money than most of them. He'd gained the respect of the entire community.
As he expected, Mr. Blowhard stormed out, hoping that Grey would call him back and offer him a better deal. Grey was already offering more money than he needed to and he was about to rescind his current bid. Ros sat across from Grey, smirking. Sometimes she would run after their potential acquisition and explain that Mr. Grey might be persuaded to up his offer. Of course, he never did and he certainly wasn't going to this time. He was sorely tempted to call off the entire deal. Mr. Blowhard had been not so subtly rude to Ros, based on both her gender and race, and that was a deal breaker for Grey. However, Ros wanted this tech so if Mr. Blowhard offered a sincere apology, Grey might consider letting Ros have her way.
As they waited for Blowhard to scuttle on back, Grey looked at his IPad emails. As he'd predicted, Ana was blowing up his inbox. Most of her comments were funny. Others were informative. She was really enjoying Google. There was the occasional complaint because she wanted to walk more and the nurse insisted that she not overdo. Ana wanted Grey to overrule the nurse. Then she was snarly because he wouldn't but even then she was amusing. She'd discovered emojis and some of her emails were nothing but. He'd spent precious work time trying to figure out what she was saying. Being told off by Ana was kind of delightful.
One of the matters that she was upset about was an upcoming day of medical tests. It was clear to Grace and Ana's hospital doctor that she was malnourished but both Grace and Ana's new primary care physician felt that she needed a thorough workup. A woman with her lack of medical history and care might have any number of problems that would soon appear. In addition, it was clear to Grace and Christian that Ana had issues arising from abuse, lack of food, prenatal and postnatal neglect. Her memory was poor, her understanding of complex ideas vacillated, her shyness was, in fact, possibly a result of her feelings of inadequacy. After 24 years of poor treatment, perhaps it was too late to repair some issues but at least having an explanation of why might help Ana to better understand herself. It hurt Christian to see Ana having such a poor opinion of herself. She didn't have to be whip-smart to impress him. He was surrounded by people with impressive IQs but most didn't have a shade of Ana's charm.
Grey noticed out of the corner of his eye that Blowhard was strutting back to the conference room as though he were going to give Grey another chance but Grey had decided that Blowhard needed to learn his lesson. Besides, Grey wanted to email Ana. Before Blowhard entered the room, Grey rose from his chair and made to exit. Blowhard looked apprehensive. Grey kept his eyes on his IPad while pointing at Ros. Ros struggled to disguise her smirk. She knew, of course, exactly what Grey was doing. As Blowhard watched the door close behind Grey, Ros invited him to sit and asked him if he wished to continue negotiations. Sheepishly, Blowhard indicated that he did but where was Mr. Grey going? Would he be returning soon?
No, replied Ros. He's been called away. I will continue in his stead. Now, where were we?
.+.
You should be resting, Ana, instead of hunting for new emojis.
Nurse won't let me walk. I'm not tired. When are you coming home?
When I've put in a full day's work. There is a library, you know, just down the hall.
I read too slow 'cause I'm dumb. Do I really have to go to the doctor's tomorrow?
Yes, you really do.
How come you can't come, too?
Wouldn't be appropriate.
Please, please? I won't understand anything.
You'll be with my mother. She's going with you but not because you won't understand. Medical information can be very confusing and there is so much to remember. That's what Mom is for.
She'll tell you everything so you can tell me?
Yes, Ana, we'll go over everything. Then we'll know what to do next. You're not well yet. Now, stop emailing me. I'm supposed to be making my next billion.
CHAPTER 32
"Hello, Christian, we just got back."
"Hi, Mom. How is Ana?"
"Quite tired. I am, too. It was a long day. Ana is napping now. We'll skip her afternoon therapy."
"Are you going to be able to stay for dinner and to talk after? I think that Ana will need you and so will I."
"Yes, dear. That's been the plan. Carrick isn't expecting me. Can you come home after 5 or as close to as possible? Ana kept asking."
"Yes, Mom. I'll leave here in time to be back by 5 p.m. Mom? Thank you for all you're doing for Ana. I can provide material things but she really needs a woman to talk with."
"You're welcome, dear. I'm glad you asked me. I want to do anything I can for this poor girl."
When Grey arrived home, he found Gail waiting for him to tell him that his mother was napping in the library and that Ana hadn't awakened as yet. Did he want her to hold dinner?
"Let me see if anyone is near being awake as yet, okay?"
He quietly opened the bedroom door, surprised to find Ana sitting up in bed. She was just staring straight ahead, seemingly unaware. She seemed even paler, if that were possible. He walked to her and sat down beside her. She didn't look at him. He reached out and took her hand from her lap and caressed it in both of his.
"Ana? Can you look at me?" For a few minutes, she said nothing. Then she looked in his direction but down at their entwined hands. Her soft blue eyes were sad and tears flowed down her cheeks.
"I have to leave, Christian. It was so very nice of you to keep me here but it is time now. I will miss you. I will leave after you go to work tomorrow."
Christian moved further up unto the bed, sitting next to Ana and draping his arm around her back and shoulder. He raised her hand to his lips and pressed her soft skin to his mouth. Then he kissed her cheek.
"You're 5'4" and 100 lbs. maybe. I'm 6'2", 200 lbs. of muscle. You couldn't get through me to get on the elevator," he grinned. "Besides, I don't want you to go and I'm notorious for getting my own way."
He tightened his hold on her and kissed her head. "Please don't go, Ana. I need you to stay."
Ana sniffled and leaned her head against his chest. She didn't understand her worth to him.
"Oh, you're awake. Are you hungry, Ana? You should try to eat something, dear. You've had a long day, a bit of breakfast and no lunch. Please, eat something," begged Grace.
Ana understood that Grace had done a lot for her today and she wanted to please Grace and Christian so she nodded her agreement. Christian picked her up and carried her out to the dining room and set her on a chair. Grace sat next to her and Christian across from her. Ana stared at the plate in front of her but made no move to pick up a utensil or a cup.
"I've made a very light dinner but I can make more, if you like," offered Gail.
"No, Gail, this is fine. I don't think any of us has much of an appetite. You go ahead and take the rest of the night off." Christian smiled at Gail who squeezed Ana's shoulder and then left to be with Taylor.
"Ana, I know that you feel bad about the way things went today and I know that you feel that you're a burden but if you want to get stronger so that you can take better care of yourself, then you have to eat. You are at least 15 lbs. underweight. Please eat." Grace tried to get Ana to look at her to no avail.
"Ana," Christian said in his Dom voice, "eat. No argument. Eat." Grace was rather startled to hear such a tone coming from her mild-mannered son. This was the only time she'd ever encountered either the Dom or the tycoon. It was a bit disconcerting. Apparently Ana thought so, too, because she slowly picked up her fork and began to eat. When she'd eaten a bit and Grey said, "more", she sighed and ate more. Grace was thinking that she'd have to talk with Christian about this commanding voice she'd never heard from him. It would certainly explain a great deal of his business success.
After Christian felt that Ana had eaten all her shrunken stomach could handle, he picked up her dishes and carried them to the kitchen sink while Grace followed with her dishes and the utensils. Then Christian returned to scoop up Ana and carried her into the library. For their discussion, he felt that she'd be more comfortable among books than medical equipment and personnel. He texted the nurse that they'd be elsewhere for a while.
"Okay, obviously today was quite difficult. Where do you want to start? At the beginning?" asked Christian.
Grace explained that a myriad of blood tests, urine tests, a cat scan, an MRI and some tests of which Grey had never heard in 23 years of being a physician's son had taken up most of the day. By the time that Ana had had a full physical and they'd sat down in the doctor's office to discuss the results, both Grace and Ana were exhausted and demoralized.
"Well, that explains why you looked so wrecked when I came into the bedroom, Ana," said Grey.
Christian's poor choice of words only made matters worse. Grace rolled her eyes at Christian's lack of good sense as Ana burst into tears. Christian just looked befuddled.
"Hmm…what did I say? Well, whatever I said certainly made it worse. I'm sorry. Please, Ana, forgive me."
"Let's just tell Christian what we learned about your general health to start, okay, Ana?" asked Grace.
"Well, we already knew that Ana is malnourished and has been for some time. That in itself has affected her health in many ways. It is hard to build up muscle to walk well without protein and iron. According to the cat scan and the MRI, Ana has received several blows to the head during her lifetime which accounts for some of her memory issues along with the poor nutrition.
"Her M.D., Dr. Greene, is hopeful that with an improvement to her diet, some of her memory problems may improve but, unfortunately, all the blows to her head cannot be undone. However, it is fortunate that Ana's basic intelligence is high enough that proper nutrition, medication and exercise may be able to offset some of the damage."
"Well, the news isn't bad at all," Grey forced a smile. "Gail is a great cook. We have a gym downstairs and a pool. Ana, this is good news. Why did you look so unhappy when I came home?"
Grace looked at Ana sadly. "Ana feels that a lifetime of lack of education, decent food and poor treatment means that she may not be what she considers 'normal' ever. She's been working so hard for so many years. She's been alone for so many years. Well, she just wonders how she'll ever recover. I've tried to assure her that we intend to see her through this tough period no matter how long it takes but she doesn't see herself being dependent on you for any amount of time."
"Don't think of it as dependency, Ana. Think of yourself as my friend, my guest, my roommate. I really enjoy having you here. I know that you're used to going your own and solitary way but things change. I, too, have been used to living alone with just my staff but I have come to require your company."
"There's one more thing, Christian. It is far more difficult for Ana to share with you…just as it would be for any woman. Ana, it might be good for your psyche's strength to tell this story yourself because you were a victim of a crime. You should be angry about that and speak for yourself but I won't ask that of you if you don't think that you can say it," assured Grace.
Ana considered what Grace said and then she looked into Christian's brilliant gray eyes. Suddenly, despite everything her mind told her and everything Grace and Dr. Greene told her, she felt incapable of revealing the ugly truth to Christian. She struggled to her feet and leaning on the furniture and the walls, she made her way back to the bedroom and hid under the covers. Christian followed her all the way to catch her if she fell. Then he returned to the library.
"Christ, Mom, what's so awful that she thinks I'll be disgusted with her if she tells me…Mom, was Ana raped?" Grace nodded sadly.
"According to Dr. Greene, her examination shows much scarring…revealing that she's been sexually assaulted several times over the years. The black figure who came after her in the hospital apparently thinks that she is able to identify him and now that she is under the protection of a prominent member of the community like Christian Grey, he is in danger of prosecution."
Christian was pacing back and forth and tearing at his hair. "God damn straight he's in danger of being caught and incarcerated if I don't kill him first. Oh, God, Mom, what that poor girl's been through. I want to start with every adult from the beginning of her life and wreck them. That dream I had about the little girl in the alley was real."
"Oh, Christian, how can you be sure? It was 18 years ago."
"18 years ago, Mom, Ana was living on Elm St. with the Collins family at the time I was hiding in that alley. And that tall man that smashed her around like a piece of garbage was Jack Hyde. I'd stake my life on it. He would have been 17, still in the system, and the Collin's were the only family that could tolerate him. To a six year old girl, he would have been very tall and very scary.
"And he wasn't the only one. She was in and out of foster care from the time she was six years old. And who knows what kind of torment she endured when she was living with her wretched excuse for a mother and her string of lovers. Carla certainly didn't protect Ana ever. To please her boyfriends by letting them molest her little girl does not seem unlikely at all. Or, on the other hand, how many beatings did she receive from both her mother and the boyfriends? I'm going to have Welsh do a deep vetting and get justice for Ana."
CHAPTER 33
Christian had Reynolds drive Grace home with Ryan following in the Mercedes. It was dark and late and Grey wasn't taking any chances with his mother being out by herself. Then he went up to the room he was using and changed out of his work clothes and into his pj bottoms and a t-shirt. He stood on the balcony for a while, thinking over what he ought to do and then walked down the stairs and into the master bedroom.
"Hello, nurse. Ana's had a real bad day and I suspect that she'll have a real bad night as well. I'm familiar with her nightmares so I'm going to stay with her tonight. There's a guest room first door to the right at the top of the stairs. If I need you…for instance, if Ana needs the bathroom, I'll call you. Otherwise, get a good night's rest or read…whatever."
"Certainly, Mr. Grey. I'm used to being up nights as I've mentioned to you so I'll probably be reading. Don't hesitate to call. Good night." Again? She thought. Why even hire a night nurse?
As soon as nurse left, Grey texted Taylor.
Before you call it a night, would you lock the elevator?
Huh? Who are we keeping out? The man in black?
Geez, hadn't thought of that. Thanks. Now I'll really sleep well. No, we're keeping Ana in. I'll explain tomorrow."
Will do. I'll lock down everything. Surveillance will be on in great room.
After that, a thought occurred to Grey so he called the nurse and told her to lock her bedroom door.
Ana was curled into a ball and seemed to be sleeping well. Grey pulled the covers back, crawled in behind her and leaned over her tiny body to out the lamp. Then he curled his strong arms around her. She was certainly pleasant to sleep with…so soft, smelled so good. Suddenly, it occurred to him that if she woke, she might be disoriented and with rape on her mind….he didn't want to scare her. On the other hand, if she did wake thinking of the rapes, she might need him to comfort her.
He knew that he was leaning the logic in his favor but he wanted to be with her so he stayed put. He certainly hoped that he was right and not just selfish.
.+.
The rain was pouring down as it had been all day. Mama Collins, as she told the children to call her, had gathered the younger children around her to read stories. They didn't have a television but only the big older kid cared. The little ones liked to play games and help Mama bake and then snuggle on the couch and listen to her read. Papa Collins had a new job and it was at night. The neighborhood wasn't the safest and they were afraid that if social services learned that Mr. Collin's new job kept him away at night, they might lose their foster license… so the children had been warned to lie when the social worker came around.
The Collin's weren't bad people…quite the contrary. They were unable to conceive children of their own and because of their low-income status, they weren't able to adopt either. Thus, they fostered. Social services weren't pleased with their income or their neighborhood but foster families willing to accept larger groups of children and older children were difficult to find. Jack had come to live with them when he was 8. He was an unpleasant child, angry and prone to temper tantrums so this was his third placement. His mother was single and unprepared to mother on her own so she'd dropped him off at a fire station when he was a year old. He might have been adoptable but social services required him to be evaluated for six months and by then his rage issues had become quite evident. The Collins kept him because they felt bad for him. As he grew older, he began blackmailing them.
He threatened to tell social services all manner of lies if they tried to get him removed from their care. He was a quite intelligent child and very good at coming up with believable stories and now, of course, he could tell the truth about Mr. Collin's employment hours. So, from the age of eight, he ruled the house. The only time he ever lost a battle wasn't for lack of determination.
The Collins were entrusted with temporary care of a mute four year old boy who was so small, he looked closer to two. Jack overheard the social worker telling a couple called Grey that the Collin's would take good care of Christian until the paperwork cleared and that they could come and visit whenever they wished.
Jack liked the looks of this couple. They dressed real nice…nicer than any adult he'd ever seen. When they left the house, he watched them get into a fancy car. These were the kind of adoptive parents that Jack wanted to have. Jack Grey. He thought that it had a nice ring to it. He plotted to have them for himself. Every time they came to visit Christian, Jack forced Mama to tell them what a special little boy Jack Hyde was. Oh, she'd gush, he is extremely smart…and he's going to be tall and look at that blonde hair and those blue eyes. Jack, dear, tell the Greys what you want to be when you grow up.
Jack knew that Mr. Grey was a lawyer and Mrs. Grey was a doctor, so he'd tell them that he was going to be a lawyer or a doctor because he wanted to help people. He'd smile big at them and squeeze onto the couch with them, trying to displace that ragged little mute kid. He'd try to look sad and whisper that the kid couldn't even talk yet and that the social workers didn't think that he was "normal"…certainly not intelligent.
Once Jack even picked Christian up from in between Grace and Carrick and set him on the floor while he took his place and leaned against Grace. He told her that he bet that she was a great mom. The fact that Jack was indeed exceptionally smart didn't make him wise enough to understand how he was coming across to the Grey's. They thought that he was creepy and nasty.
Carrick got up from the couch and picked up Christian who normally would have been too terrified to be touched but he was more afraid of Jack. Carrick and Grace politely excused themselves and went out onto the front porch to sit on the steps with Christian. Jack was stunned and furious. Mama explained that Grace had first met Christian at the hospital where she worked and it was on that night that she and her husband had decided to adopt him. They were just waiting for the paperwork to clear. Jack shouldn't feel rejected, Mama said. Christian had just gotten to them first and they only wanted one child.
That wasn't the end of it for Jack, though. Maybe he couldn't have the Greys but he could certainly make the brat miserable before he was carried away in that beautiful car. He gave Christian what he called 'indian burns' the minute the Greys were gone. Jack pinched him on the scars on Christian's chest and upper back. Mama and Papa could hear Christian's cries and they were deeply ashamed that they couldn't help. If they'd intervened, however, Jack would have found a way to get their license revoked. They just tried to hold on until the Greys finally took their little boy home. Meanwhile, they put long sleeve t-shirts on Christian whenever the Greys came for visits.
It was the longest two months of their lives. Even after Christian was gone, Jack tortured the other children who came to stay with Mama and Papa. One of those children, years later, was a tiny little girl who wasn't going to be rescued soon unless her mother's new boyfriend liked little girls.
CHAPTER 34
Ana's eyes popped open. The light from a full moon flooded the room. Her heart was pounding. She'd been dreaming of him again and the nights that he snuck into the room she shared with Molly. Molly had told her that Jack had been coming into the room at night, sitting on her bed and touching her. Until Ana moved in, Molly had been alone and terrified. Then she and Molly shared a bed and Ana showed her how to prop a chair up against the door knob so that Jack couldn't push the door open. This worked for a while until the night that Molly told Ana that Jack had warned her to leave the door open or he would break it down.
Then he made more threats if Molly kept sleeping with Ana. Molly was 10 but she'd only recently been orphaned and her parents had always loved her and taken care of her. Even though Ana was younger, she was tougher, stronger and braver. She would stay awake until she heard Jack creeping in. Then she would pretend to be having a nightmare, screaming and crying for her mommy. That would alert Mama Collins and Jack would run for it.
However, he was a cunning lad and eventually he would begin hiding in the closet until Mama left. Then, he would start for Molly's bed again. Up to that point, he wasn't aware that Ana was protecting Molly but now he began to figure it out. One night, as Molly began to whimper, Jack told her to shut up and Ana turned on her light. She would never forget the rage in Jack's eyes. He grabbed her arms and twisted the skin just as he had with Christian, warning her that if she cried out, he'd ruin everything for Mama and Papa.
Ana had looked away and bitten her lips, fighting to keep silent. Somehow, torturing Ana satisfied Jack and he'd then leave Molly alone. Life in the Collin's household became hell for Ana but better for everyone else. Jack lost interest in Molly and the other children. Ana was his target now. Perhaps her youth and size reminded him of Christian, the little boy who 5 years earlier had "stolen" the parents that Jack wanted. He came into Ana's room every night. He touched her, forcing his fingers up inside of her, warning her to be quiet. He was 17 and the size of a man. Girls at school avoided him. He tried repeatedly to rape Ana but she was so small that he was unable to push his way in. It angered him…as if Ana had found a way to close herself off. So, he used his fingers and objects.
Mama asked Ana about the blood on her sheets and Ana couldn't think of a reason so Mama assumed that Ana was masturbating. She spanked her and made her scrub the sheets herself…time and again. Ana grew increasingly ill, unable to eat.
One night, she decided to run away. As soon as everyone had gone to bed, under cover of a heavy downpour, Ana crawled out of her bedroom window and ran. She heard Jack hiss out the window and she tried to hide. She fell and twisted her ankle when she reached the end of the street so she crawled down the alley and curled into a tiny ball, hoping that Jack couldn't see her.
She heard him coming…calling softly to her…telling her that he would find her. He did. He picked her up like she was a basketball and threw her hard across the alley into the brick wall. She began to pass out when he kicked her hard and high into the air. She landed by a dumpster but it was okay because she was now unconscious. She wasn't aware of anything else he did and she didn't know that a 9 year old boy was watching…a boy who would one day avenge her and protect her.
"Ana?" Christian said softly. "Ana? Are you awake? Are you all right? Did I scare you?"
"No, I was dreaming…more like remembering. I was scared until I realized that you were with me."
"The nurse is upstairs. She said that she'd be awake if you need her."
"No. Please stay. I'm still scared even though it was so long ago."
Christian hugged her even closer and nuzzled her hair. "I'll always be here when you need me."
"Christian?" "Yes, Ana?"
"I trust you now."
Christian smiled to himself. "Thank you, Ana. That's quite an honor."
"I think that I should tell you something about the mugging. It wasn't. And the black smoke man in the hospital? I know who he was. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. It's just that I'm not used to trusting anyone. I never have. I don't think that I understood what it meant."
"Can you tell me now, sweetheart?"
"His name is Jack...Jack Hyde."
CHAPTER 35
Christian suddenly felt sick to his stomach. He'd seen what Hyde did to her and he knew that if he'd fought for her 18 years ago, he could have changed her life. However, he'd done nothing to help her…hadn't even told his parents. He couldn't excuse his actions on his being a traumatized little boy who didn't know what to do.
He jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom, retching into the toilet. When he finished, he brushed his teeth and sat on the tiled floor.
"Christian? Christian, what's wrong? Are you sick?" Ana called to him, her voice filled with concern.
"I'm all right, Ana. Just give me a minute, okay?" He sat with his head on his knees and let the tears flow. And then Ana was with him, her arms around him. It was then that he began to sob. How could he live with himself? How could he ever tell Ana the truth…Ana who'd just told him that he was the first person she'd ever trusted in her life? He couldn't lie to her but if he told her the truth, it would destroy her.
They sat there on the floor, rocking. Ana holding him and speaking soothing words while he sobbed.
"I'm sorry, Ana. I'm so, so sorry. I know that you can never forgive me and I've destroyed you all over again and I can't fix it and I'm so terrified of losing you and I need you." He rambled on and on. Ana didn't understand. She couldn't begin to imagine what he was talking about. He was a wonderful man. There had never been anyone like him in her life…not even her daddy Ray.
Christian leaned back against the wall and stretched his long legs out before him, covering his face with his hands. Ana climbed over him, straddling his legs and wrapping her arms around his back with her head on his chest.
"No matter what it is, Christian…you have never, never let me down. You've saved my life and given me such care like no one else ever has. No matter how much you think that you've let me down, you haven't and I will never blame you for anything. I don't know what it is, Christian, but I forgive you. Please trust me like I trust you. Please, Christian?"
Christian pulled the sleeve of his t-shirt over to dry his face and his nose and then wrapped his arms around Ana.
"It's too much, Ana…too much to ask of you. You might think that you can forgive me but it's too much. I'm going to lose you. I know it. I won't recover from losing you, Ana, and I don't deserve to but still, this I promise you. I'll find him and I'll make him pay for what he did to you. You were so little, so tiny. I was such a coward."
Ana didn't understand. She sat back on his lap and put her hands on his face, forcing him to look her in the eyes.
"Christian, you won't lose me. I've gotten quite attached to you. I can't imagine what you could have done to think that I'll leave you."
"You'll not only leave me. You'll hate me…as you should."
"Okay, Grey. Now you're starting to piss me off. If I'm going to hate you, then it's only fair that you give me reason. If I'm never going to understand or forgive, then I should at least get to know why. Start talking."
Ana sat up, crossed her arms and stared sternly at Grey. She was so cute that he almost laughed despite the seriousness of the conversation that they had to have.
Taking a deep breath, Christian began with the first time he saw her as a tiny, soaked ball in that alley.
.+.
An hour later, he'd told her all of his history, all of his time with the Collins and his experience with the psychopath, Jack Hyde. How he'd run that night because he thought he'd ruined his chances with the Greys and how he hid behind a dumpster, watching as a tiny girl was brutalized by a grown man. He related how he'd gone mute again for months, unable to accept what he saw and unable to understand what he should do.
"I was 9. Yeah, I wasn't the most mentally stable child but I still knew right from wrong. I should have told someone. It was like I was right back in the filthy apartment with the crack whore and the pimp and I had no power, no strength. Still, it's no excuse, Ana. If I had told my parents, they would have found you and saved you and…and…and."
He stopped again and dropped his head. He couldn't face Ana. For a long time, it was quiet. Ana sat still on his lap and looked down at her hands. He thought that he should probably get up, put her back to bed and call down the nurse. In the morning, he'd call his mother and ask her to take Ana home to Grey Manor. She'd be safe there and she wouldn't have to see him anymore. That would be his punishment for abandoning her in her darkest hour.
Still, he couldn't bring himself to get up. She was close now and probably never would be again. He wanted to feel her near and keep the memory. He wanted so badly to touch her but he'd no right.
He leaned his head back against the wall again and closed his eyes. She was there, behind his eyes, with her beautiful blues and her soft brown hair flowing over her shoulders.
He didn't know it but he loved her.
CHAPTER 36
Night nurse had drifted off while reading her book. She woke to sunlight. The new day nurse would be arriving soon and she needed to write up her notes. Of course, she smiled wryly, she had no notes since she'd basically had the night off. She washed her face and headed down to the master bedroom. Ana was probably still asleep and Mr. Grey was probably out on his run. She'd just look in on Ana and be certain that she was all right.
Nurse was startled to find the bed to be empty. When she'd passed the kitchen, Gail had wished her good morning and asked her if she'd like something to eat. Ana wasn't there. The bathroom door was open but the light wasn't on. Nurse, a bit concerned, headed for the library. No Ana. She returned to the bedroom. She feared that Ana had tried to use the bathroom without help and had fallen. What she found instead…she did not expect.
Mr. Grey was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. Ana was straddling his lap and curled up against his chest with his arms around her. Now what? Nurse didn't know what to make of this, so, since neither seemed injured, she tiptoed out, closing the door behind her.
When she walked back into the great room, the day nurse had arrived. It was Nancy. She was a good one. Nurse was pleased. She sat down with Nancy and shared her notes and then advised that she just go to the room upstairs and wait until Mr. Grey called her down to help Ms. Steele. Gail would tell him where Nancy could be found.
"They are both lovely people who occasionally argue but don't take it seriously. Ms. Steele sleeps a lot. She's quite fragile. She had a full workup yesterday and it truly wore her out. Mr. Grey worries about her. She has nightmares and he likes to be with her then. He actually seems to be the only person who can calm her down. Also don't be afraid to call him at GEH. He'll come home immediately."
Nancy looked confused. "It was my understanding that she was mugged and he brought her to the hospital. Now you tell me that they sleep together? Are they a couple now?"
"Hard to say. I think that she just needs protecting and he's quite protective. They're really sweet together."
Gail served both ladies breakfast and then took breakfast to Taylor. She'd share some coffee and croissants with her husband if he woke. She'd turned off the alarm so that he could sleep. It was a rare morning that he didn't have to go for a run. She wondered why Mr. Grey had slept in.
There was no window in the bath and without the light on, the room was all in darkness. Grey's inner alarm didn't go off so he continued sleeping. Ana did wake up, continuing to rest against Christian and listening to his heart beat. She smiled. It was such a pleasant way to come to.
Then her memory kicked in. She lifted her head and looked at Christian, his head hanging down to rest on hers. A deluge of emotion flooded through her…anger, tenderness, anxiety, concern. He was going to have quite a sore neck, she thought. Speaking of soreness, her legs had been bent at the knees all night. She knew that she wouldn't be able to get up without help. She needed to pee but she didn't want to disturb Christian. He'd had a bad night. Maybe she could crawl over to the toilet. It was in its own little room so she'd have her privacy.
She shuffled carefully down his legs, bumping into his morning wood. She'd had many unfortunate encounters with erections but not like this. She didn't understand. Christian was out cold. Ah, well, it was Christian. It was safe. She managed to half-drag, half-crawl over to the toilet room, close the door, and heft herself up unto the toilet.
When she finished, slipped off the toilet and opened the door, the bathroom light was on and Christian was standing over her…his face a combination of concern and disapproval. He reached down and picked her up. He helped her stand at the vanity to wash her hands and face. He put toothpaste on her brush and filled a glass with water. Then he turned to use the toilet himself.
By the time she'd brushed her teeth, washed her hands and face, Christian had emerged to do likewise. He picked her up to sit on the vanity, leaning on his hands on either side of her body and touching his forehead to hers. She raised her arms to wrap around his neck.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked.
"I must have. I feel fine," she answered.
"Are you hungry?"
"No. Don't start, Christian. I'll eat when I can."
Christian growled…making Ana giggle. "We had quite a night, didn't we?" she said. "Is there more we need to reveal to each other?" she asked.
"Probably. I want to know everything that there is to know about you, Ana. Good, bad, awful. I want to know your life."
"Just your basic horror story," Ana replied, attempting to be humorous.
Christian enveloped her in his arms, burying his face in her neck.
"Christian, you have something that you want to tell me as well, don't you, and you think that I'll disapprove, don't you?"
"You and 98% of the population."
"Whoa. Is it something illegal? Are you a mob boss?"
"Nothing illegal. Just unsavory from most people's point of view…and…considering what you've been through, frightening. For that reason alone, I'm done with it. I still don't quite believe that you're still here this morning."
"Christian," Ana held his face in her hands, "you made much ado about nothing. It broke my heart that you thought that I'd hate you because your 9 year-old self didn't know how to handle such a complex situation. Most adults would have walked away. Remember, the adults I was living with didn't know how to handle that maniac. Their concern was mainly for themselves while Jack was molesting the smaller children. He may have been abusing the boys as well."
"Well, since neither of us is hungry, let's go back to bed and talk some more," suggested Christian.
"Where do you want to start?"
"Well, last night you told me your step-father loved you but didn't try to protect you. That must have been hurtful and hard to understand."
"He was afraid that Carla would take me away if he insisted that I go to school. He was a sweet old man but not well-educated and Carla was strong and mean. I understood that. When I was 4, I walked down the road to the home of a retired teacher and asked her to teach me to read and write. When I was 6, she questioned Carla as to why I wasn't in school and that's the first time that Carla turned me over to social services. She told them that she was in recovery from a heart attack and that when she was well, she'd want me back. By that time, I could read, write and do basic arithmetic."
"When did Carla take you back?"
"When I didn't wake up in the morning after Jack beat me, the Collins took me to the hospital. I don't know how they explained my injuries but one coma later, I was released to Ray. It took some time to recover and I never did learn if the doctors knew all I'd been through but one day I was home, cleaning the house and cooking meals.
"Shortly after my 7th birthday, a truancy officer came to the house. Carla told them that I kept running away and so she was homeschooling me to keep an eye on me. A few weeks later, I was back in a foster home again. Like all too many of the people who foster for the money, I wasn't given to good people. Social services were too busy to pay attention so I was used by the foster parents to babysit the younger kids. The husband was also the first time I was fully raped. He'd been molesting all the kids so my being there took some of the heat off of them. I didn't make it easy for him, fought like a tiger. I'd been there for almost six months when I learned that these people weren't allowed to behave like that and so I told them that I intended to take the kids to the park one day. Instead, I took the whole group down to the fire station and that was the end of the Shuster's career in foster care."
"After that, the years are a blur. I got beat up a lot, molested and/or raped regularly, fostered, sent home. After Ray died, Carla began her collection of boyfriends who took over the beatings, rapes and general abuse. I wasn't fed much and between that and the rest, I started getting stupid."
"Ana, you are not stupid. You heard the doctor. If it weren't for the fact that you have high intelligence, the malnutrition and head injuries would have done much more damage."
"By stupid, I guess I mean that I was kind of out of it a lot of the time. When I did eat, it was usually dumpster food which is a lot of sugar. You spend a lot of time being loopy when all you eat is donuts.
"When I was 14, Carla told me to get a job but I couldn't handle one. I was just in a constant fog. When I was 16, she'd send me to the store and tell me to get bread and milk and cigarettes and I would. I'd just pick things up and walk out. I didn't even try to sneak things out because I didn't realize that I had to pay for them. I did get caught a few times but I didn't feel scared because I didn't know what I was doing. I was returned to foster care until I was 18 and that probably saved me because I was fed fairly decent food and my brain started to work."
"How did you end up in a basement on Olive St.?" asked Christian as he stroked her hair.
"I did okay for a few years…okay by my standards, anyway…but then Jack Hyde found me again. I've spent the past two years hiding. That little table in the corner where I could watch the door was my hiding place during the day for the past six months. The cellar was my hiding place at night. The night you came in, I was about to move on. The night before, Jack had found me as I walked to the diner and between my fighting hard and some people walking by, I escaped."
"Thank god, I stopped in for takeout. Ana, you are a miracle. I can't express how much I admire you. You…"
"Enough about me. There's bunches I want to know about you, especially that horrible stuff that I'll hate you for," she grinned.
Hesitant word after fumbling sentence after frightened look, Christian told Ana the story of his introduction to the strange world of BDSM. It seemed to her that he was describing her ordeals but presenting them as exciting, challenging and ultimately pleasurable. All the molestations, rapes and beatings that she'd endured were things that he wanted in his life. She'd had to fight to avoid what he wanted. She could rationalize what was done to him when he was a teenager but to choose as an adult to do the same to young women who looked like his mother, who looked like Ana….this she could not begin to understand…and yet, to see the depth of the pain in his face as he forced himself to be honest with her despite knowing she'd probably leave him…this was too much to grasp.
CHAPTER 37
"Ana? You've been quiet for a long time. I know that the things I've revealed about myself are disgusting…."
"Yes, they are…but you aren't. I'm just so confused. I know that I don't understand a lot. I'm not educated. Maybe smart people would understand."
"It's what I was taught at a young age by someone I admired, thought to be sophisticated and wise. She made me feel special. By the time I was old enough to be a dominant myself, I didn't know any other way to be. She convinced me that the principles of BDSM were part of me. You and I are alike in a way. Neither of us has ever made love to another person. Neither of us has ever had regular sex."
"And these women you call subs…did they really want to be hurt? Did someone brainwash them?"
"I don't really know for sure. One of the principles of BDSM is that Doms and subs don't share personal information. I couldn't ask my subs questions and they couldn't even look at me without my permission. The last sub I had I dismissed because she became attached to me and that is forbidden. Of course, a lot of doms/subs are couples who share a life."
"How could you bring yourself to hurt someone?"
"It's what they wanted. It was what I wanted for a few years. The pain of BDSM blocked the pain of the rest of life. My subs were very proud of their ability to bear pain, to never use safe words.
"Ana. I've been thinking that perhaps you ought to move into Grey Manor with my family. My mother will be close at hand to help you heal. You'll be around normal people. You won't have to be afraid."
"I'm not afraid being here, Christian. I know that you wouldn't hurt me. And who will sleep with me so my nightmares don't overwhelm me? No one else comforts me like you do. I don't know why but only you do. I want to stay here until I'm completely healed. I've accepted that I can't protect myself as I have for so long. I need help. Besides, I'm not normal either.
"Christian, will you show me the playroom?"
"Absolutely not! You'd really be having nightmares. Besides, I'm having the room demolished on Sunday when we're at Grey Manor for brunch. When we return, there will be no trace of it left."
Ana's eyes flared with fear. Grey Manor. Rich, high-class people. She'd read that those people used a bunch of different kinds of forks and spoons and knives. She had always used a spoon, rarely a fork. And the food would be different. She wouldn't even know what she was eating. She knew that she wouldn't be able to eat much and then the chef and the maids and the butlers would sneer at her. And clothes. What if Christian's family dressed up and wore jewels and had important company?
What would she talk about? Mrs. Grey was a doctor and Mr. Grey was a lawyer and they knew all kinds of things because they'd gone to school.
"Ana! Ana! Look at me!" Christian texted the day nurse to hurry into the bedroom. Ana's blood pressure was climbing. Nancy rushed in and found Ana's eyes glazing over and her skin pale and clammy. She quickly injected a mild sedative into Ana's vein. Christian picked Ana up and cradled her against his chest, murmuring softly to her. Nancy attached the cuff and followed Mr. Grey around the room, pumping the little bulb. After a few minutes, Ana's BP dropped to a safe level.
"What happened, Mr. Grey? She'd been doing so well."
"My fault. I suggested that we have brunch with my folks on Sunday. How stupid. I should have known that she'd feel overwhelmed in such an environment. I wasn't thinking. Thank you, nurse."
He set Ana on the bed and sat with her. It was like he'd dropped a safe on her self-confidence. He left the room to head to his study and call his mother. They discussed having brunch on Sunday and he warned her to keep the food simple. He was worried about Ana's comfort.
When he entered the bedroom, he found Ana fast asleep but Nurse indicated that her blood pressure was all right. Without a whit of self-consciousness, he eased himself into bed and wrapped his arms around her. When she awoke and recalled their BDSM discussion, she might never want him to touch her again so he was going to take advantage while he could.
Nurse, however, was self-conscious and couldn't hustle out of the room fast enough.
Embracing Ana, Grey picked up his phone and texted Taylor.
Taylor, in gratitude for your long and loyal service, I am putting you in charge of dismantling the playroom.
You told Ana and she now thinks that you have horns.
She is very confused…and you thought you didn't get it. Will Sunday afternoon be enough time?
I might need 30 minutes. You'd better set aside anything you want to keep because it is all going into the dumpster.
Do you have any idea how much money I've invested in that room?
Don't care. Money down a rat hole.
.+.
Grey thought of all the hours and years he'd spent in that room. The fun he had looking for new toys online. How much he loved designing his very own playroom and choosing the furnishings. It was all over now. A month ago he wouldn't have dreamed that he'd ever give up BDSM and the power of total submission from subs. Now that life, once all encompassing, was over.
Now he kissed Ana's hair and held her fast. He couldn't imagine ever giving up Ana…laughing…fighting…being needed. Once the thought of being needed would have been repulsive. Subs were always crying that they needed him and that he needed them. Surely he was lonely and his world empty without Leila, Suz, Trudy, Tory…they sobbed as Taylor led them to the elevator. They all claimed to love him so and he hadn't cared. But now he quietly begged, please, Ana, need me.
CHAPTER 38
He didn't know that he'd fallen asleep. His job was to stay awake and protect Ana. Instead, he opened his eyes to see her big blue eyes looking back into his. He smiled. She smiled back but he could see the anxiety in her face. Don't worry, baby. I've got you.
"I didn't mean to scare you. I wasn't thinking. It's one of my flaws. I don't empathize well."
"You meant well."
"Yeah, I always mean well. I have to start doing well. I have a personal shopper who has already put together a wardrobe for you. Don't argue. You need everything and, no, you're not going to the thrift store."
"I can't let you keep doing things for me. Where will it end?"
"It won't. You'll keep needing me and I'll keep needing you to need me."
"When do you start doing well, Christian? All my life I've been independent. It's my security…to know that I can handle things."
"For thirteen years, I was dependent on BDSM to give me strength, to get me through the hard days, to help me make my life work. It was my security. Now, on Sunday afternoon, Taylor is going tear apart my sanctuary and dump everything that held me up all these years into a dumpster. Now I need a tiny woman with more strength than I've ever known one person to have. I have to accept that I'm not a dominant anymore. I'm dependent on a woman who thinks I do too much.
"Gail will show you utensils and how to use them. My family isn't that fancy at brunch anyway. We eat simple food although for you it might be exotic. You'll get used to us. My father and brother and sister haven't even met you yet and they really like you because it's been so long since they've see me act like a human being."
"I don't know how to behave in front of maids and chefs and butlers, Christian."
"We don't have any of those…although Margaret might like the upgrade from cook."
"Your family will think that I'm a shabby little nobody who is trying to con you out of things and money. Will you please let them know that I'm not using you to get into society? I don't want to be part of high society. I wouldn't know what to do with it."
"My family doesn't know about my years of BDSM. The woman who first dragged me into her dungeon is my mother's best friend for 20 years. So, no mention of BDSM."
"How come I have to use different forks for different food?"
"I have no idea. Let's get your Mac out and look it up."
"If I can't eat much, will Margaret be insulted?"
"No. Elliot usually eats the bulk of the meal. The rest of us are lucky to get a slab of roast beef. Have you ever had roast beef?"
"No. What is it? I've eaten chicken that I got out of a dumpster behind a KFC."
Christian rolled over on top of Ana and kissed her lips, gently easing her mouth open so that he could insert his tongue. God, it was heaven.. Then he withdrew and studied her face. Did she like that kind of kiss? He didn't do it much. He rarely kissed his subs. Ana stared at him in wonder.
"Why did you put your tongue in my mouth?"
"I needed to be inside of you. Did you like it or hate it?"
"I don't know. It was strange. I like lips. Can we practice?"
"Yes, ma'am." And he kissed her again and liked it more and more. He knew that he would have to take it slow. Kissing was one thing. The men who assaulted her likely did not kiss her and so she would have no ill opinion of it but everything else?...slow…very slow. He could wait. It was the rest of their lives.
.+.
As they "practiced" kissing, Grey's phone beeped. Ros was texting to ask if all was well and when, if ever, did Grey intend to return to his office at GEH? He did seem to put in fewer hours, skip whole days and leave everything to Ros. He just wished that he had more time to devote to Ana. He felt that she needed him more than GEH. He remembered that he had a trip to Taiwan upcoming and he couldn't palm that off on Ros because these people with whom they were dealing were bigots and misogynists. Once all the contracts were signed, he'd make the arseholes deal with Ros.
He'd ask his parents to look after Ana while he was gone. He didn't feel comfortable leaving her alone for a week. Even if she was well enough to travel with him, he'd have to leave her with a CPO from dawn to dusk in a strange place where she didn't speak the language.
While he'd been texting with Ros, Ana had dozed off. He thought that he should get some work done while she slept but he wanted to be with her so he retrieved his laptop and sat on the bed. He surprised himself with how much he was able to accomplish while sitting next to Ana. She was close and safe so he could concentrate completely on his work. He thought that perhaps he could take her to the office with him every day. She could sleep on his couch and he could sit next to her with his laptop and phone. If he had an onsite meeting, he could do it by teleconferencing. Feeling frivolous, he emailed his idea to Ros who wrote back that she was in favor of any damn plan that would get him to do his job. He chuckled and asked her to note how much he'd gotten done just today.
I'm taking one of your meetings in a hour. Maybe I could just bring you in on the big screen?
Ha Ha
No Ha Ha. I'm serious. I'm buried under work that I can't get to because I do so much of yours.
CHAPTER 39
Thus, it was that Grey donned a shirt, jacket and tie. He carried Ana out to his study and put her down on the couch while he sat behind his desk using his dom voice, quiet version. It was surprisingly effective. All the people sitting around the big conference room leaned forward to make sure that they caught every word, nodding constantly. Their verbal contributions were also subdued. Grey emphasized that he wanted this deal to proceed quickly. Was he understood? Oh yes, sir. Understood. They agreed to give it all their attention and then meet again in two days.
A meeting that would usually have taken up most of an afternoon while Grey impatiently sat at the head of the table and pretended to be interested in other's opinions, concluded in less than an hour.
Grey was delighted. He had summoned his Dom and enjoyed the obsequious and obedient results. He wondered if his Dom would work on Ros. A moment of consideration clarified his belief that Ros would smash his Dom into little pieces. He often wondered if Ros herself had an extracurricular activity that she and Gwen enjoyed together. No, he thought. Ros yelled and threatened. That wasn't Dom technique.
Meeting finished. Will conclude in two days. Prepare contracts, please.
What! It's only been an hour. Hang on.
Grey waited while watching Ana breathe. It occurred to him that her pale skin looked more like alabaster to him. Her hair was lustrous and thicker. She had such a cute nose with a few freckles scattered across the bridge. He felt something he'd tried not to feel….lust. He wanted her…really wanted her. While she was so ill, he'd thought of her as fragile. However, she was healthier every day and stronger. When they were kissing, he tried to ignore his erection. She was, he thought, frail and vulnerable. Now, she seemed dainty and petite. Good lord, this wouldn't do. The woman had been through hell because men couldn't keep it in their pants and now he was looking down at the tent poking up through his pj bottoms. He'd have to start wearing either tighty-whiteys or jeans. Or stop kissing her. Could he? Could he stop kissing Ana? Her lips were plump and soft and her mouth was warm. Oh, geez, he was going to have to start going to the office.
I'm back. I had to check out the conference room. They're all in there talking about hustling hard to please Mr. Grey. One woman was fanning herself. They say that they're going to drop everything else and work round the clock. What the hell did you do?
Nothing special. Just asserted my desire that this deal be concluded this week.
Ironically, you've just given me more work as I'll have to get crackin' on those contracts. I am not complaining, mind you. Maybe you should do all your meetings on the big screen. Maybe you're intimidating when your face is spread out over 80 inches.
Sounds good. So, can I do the Taiwan meeting by teleconferencing?
The Asians do deals face to face. They're skeptical about you as it is. Sorry. How's Ana?
Better. Gained a few lbs. Still having trouble with her blood pressure. She's on meds now that seem to work pretty well but looks like a life-time thing. I'm taking her to brunch on Sunday and she's scared to death. Hillbilly meets Richie Rich is her thinking. We have some work to do on her self-esteem. A life time of going it alone and she has self-esteem issues…go figure.
I barely made it with devoted parents with big bank accounts and now I have Gwen. Well, good luck with Sunday. Any plans for coming to GEH the rest of the week? Let me answer that for you…NOPE.
You're a real find, Ros. How's Andrea?
Eating a lot of chocolate.
"Christian? What's happening?" Ana sat up and looked confused.
"I had a teleconference so I brought you in here to sleep on the couch. Were you comfortable?"
"We were kissing and then I was here."
"Caroline Acton brought some apparel over for you. What to check it out?"
"I'd rather we just practiced kissing some more."
Christian smiled. She was too adorable for words. However, he was sitting behind a desk hiding his need for more than kissing. If he stood up, there was no way that she could miss his dick waving to her.
"I have to do some more work, honey. And you have to work on your wardrobe. Let's each do our work right now, okay?"
Ana pouted and Christian's dick seemed to grow 3 inches. He gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. Ana stood up and walked around to his chair. He pulled in closer to his desk as she leaned over and kissed him…with tongue! She smiled sweetly and left the room. He sat there, feeling dazed. Did Ana know what she was doing? Nah, not possible. Probably.
Caroline Acton really had good taste and it was if she knew Ana personally. Ana would try on something and then pop into Christian's study for his thoughts. Everything was Ana. His subs were always shine and shimmer, tight and low-cut, high slits and slinky. Being used to that for the past 8 years, Christian had feared that he'd have to send everything back. He was very pleased. He didn't get a lick of work done. He just waited for Ana to pop in again. Even the shoes fit.
CHAPTER 40
By dinner time, Ana was worn out from taking clothes off and on. She liked everything although she needed Christian's opinion to be sure that she was choosing correctly. He promised her that he'd never let her walk out the door without being appropriately dressed. That was a great relief. Some of the clothes she wondered about but he always agreed with her.
Dinner was another lesson. Gail had prepared the sort of dinner she knew Margaret would prepare and presented it the way the Greys would.
She called in Taylor to fill out the table. He groused but he never refused Gail anything…not that she ever asked for much.
Everyone took a seat at the dining room table. Grey pulled out Ana's chair. She thought that was odd. Why would she be incapable of moving her own chair? Google, Christian suggested.
Then there were linen napkins to be laid on one's lap. Ana reflected on the greater likelihood that food would land on her chest but she said nothing. After all, food on the lap was less visible. Rich people knew how to drop food.
There were two glasses…one filled with water and one filled with wine.
Mom, can Ana drink wine, especially with the medication that she's on?
Best to refrain, especially as she's probably never had alcohol in her life? We'll have grape juice for her.
"Have you ever had grape juice, Ana?"
"I've had water, milk, beer, wine, bourbon, whiskey…."
"Okay, I get the picture. Sunday you'll be drinking grape juice. Okay?"
"Okay. What's grape juice?"
Gail had also laid out the utensils that the Grey's would use…a salad fork, entrée fork and so on.
Christian explained which utensil one started with and reassured Ana that it was no big deal if she ate with the so-called wrong fork.
Ana paid close attention and felt that she could now handle eating dinner. However, what would she talk about with all those smart people?
"You don't have to say a word except perhaps a thank you to Margaret, the cook. Then let everyone talk and respond if you have something to say. Mia does a lot of the talking until Elliot interrupts. Dad usually listens and laughs while Mom chides us for this or that. She's a mother, you know."
Ana stared at him. No, she thought. I don't know what mothers say to their kids. She looked forward to learning. A quiet father…that she knew. After the practice dinner and having a successful wardrobe in the closet, Ana felt quite a bit better about Sunday brunch.
That night Christian sat down to play at his Fazioli and Ana sat next to him. Between numbers, Ana would applaud and kiss him. He would allow the kissing to go on until he grew fearful of what else might happen. Then he'd stop and play something else. Lastly, he played Wee Small Hours and he and Ana sang together. Then they kissed some more.
"Ana, it's getting late and you need rest. I think Caroline included pajamas in the things that she sent over. Your arms and legs are still sore and weak. Your night nurse will help you change."
"She's upstairs. You can help me," she smiled.
"No, Ana. That wouldn't be appropriate."
"Oh. But you'll come in and sleep with me?"
"Not tonight, Ana. If you have a nightmare, the nurse will call me immediately."
Ana looked bewildered. Christian had been sleeping with her all the time. What had she done wrong? she wondered. It made her sad. Maybe it was because she had kissed him and she was supposed to wait for him to kiss her.
"I won't kiss you first," she promised.
Now Christian was bewildered. What was she talking about? "Ana, why won't you kiss me first?"
"So you'll sleep with me," she answered with a look of such sincerity.
Christian tried to put this all together. "You think that I won't sleep with you because you kissed me in the office? Is that right?"
"You always slept with me to protect me from my nightmares until tonight and the only thing that's different is that I kissed you first. I want you to sleep with me so I won't kiss you unless you kiss me first. Is that okay?"
Christian could see that he needed to have a serious discussion about sex with Ana. How, he wondered, do you explain sex to someone whose only knowledge of it is as a rape victim? How could he explain that his feelings about her had changed dramatically in the last few days from wanting her to need him to wanting her to want him? How could he explain the difference between rape and intercourse? He fully expected her to have a breakdown if he attempted intimacy with her and, lord, how he wanted to be closer to her.
CHAPTER 41
Ana hadn't argued with him anymore. She quietly went into the bedroom and changed into her new pajamas without calling the nurse. She brushed her teeth because that was something that Christian told her people should do at night and in the morning. He told her that it was a miracle that her teeth were in such good condition when she'd never seen a dentist and ate junk food and sugar. During her workup, she didn't like having people in her mouth and poking at her with sharp objects and scraping something called plaque off her teeth but she had only one cavity and Dr. Grace and the dentist seemed so pleased with that. She had an appointment to have the cavity filled and she didn't want to think about it. She also didn't want to think about being alone tonight. She'd grown used to Christian wrapping his arms around her and listening to him softly breathe. She felt so unhappy. It was a new feeling for her despite the life she'd lived. She'd known fear and pain and even a little sadness but she'd never known the feeling of happiness until Christian slept with her and kissed her.
She was so angry when she was forced to be his guest. How quickly that had changed. She'd known happiness for a few nights and now it was over. She'd ruined it. But Ana had always had to be pragmatic in order to survive. She'd never been allowed the luxury of mourning some loss. So now she wisely decided to accept it and move on. She considered what needed to be done. She needed first to heal completely so that she could walk long distances. She would ask Mr. Grey to help her get a social security number so that she could get a job. She also needed something called a GED which would require her learning quite a lot. When she thought of all she didn't know and how hard it would be to catch up, she had a moment of fearful self-pity that she instantly renounced. Yes, it would be hard but she would do it. She wanted to be smart. She didn't want to live on the streets all her days. Somehow she had to find a room to live in and getting a job in a restaurant would be good if they let her eat a meal there. One a day would suit her. Yes, she had a lot to do.
And she had to forget Christian Grey or she would live in misery all the rest of her life.
.+.
Christian was hurting and he knew that Ana was as well and because of him. But he couldn't sleep with her with an erection poking her in her back all night even if he could have somehow endured the discomfort. She would at some point have asked him about it and then have been either repulsed or terrified. Why hadn't he thought ahead? Why hadn't he considered Ana's needs when he first kissed her? He wanted to regret that kiss and all the others for the pain they wound up costing Ana but he couldn't.
He texted the night nurse that Ana would need her tonight.
If she has a nightmare and you can't calm her, please sedate her so that her blood pressure lowers and so she can get a good night's sleep. I'll be available only in case of real emergency.
Also, I am a first-class arsehole and shouldn't be allowed near her, he concluded in his head.
He pictured her curled up in her bed, crying. He'd hurt and confused her so. She thought she'd done something wrong. He'd try to explain it to her tomorrow after work. He only hoped that she could accept his explanation and his apology.
He lowered the piano lid. He might forget later. Poor Taylor and Gail…they'd had nights of peace and were probably hopeful that it might continue. They weren't alone in that wish.
Around 2 p.m. the night nurse noticed that Ana was restless. She took her temperature because she was warm and clammy. It was high but nothing dangerous. A cold compress and soothing voice helped to calm her. Whatever she was dreaming about was very sad, the nurse concluded, because Ana was crying in her sleep. The nurse sat with her for some time…singing to Ana…talking softly to her. Ana seemed cold as well so the nurse got out an extra blanket. Ana wasn't used to being cold because Christian was usually wrapped around her.
Around 2:30 Christian sat up in bed, his heart pounding. He was back in that wet alley letting Ana be beaten. He got out of bed and went out to his piano. He was really getting better at that sonata. He woke in the morning with keys imprinted on his cheeks. He rubbed his face and took a deep breath. He went to his room and changed into his running gear. The day was gray and drizzly…not bad for a run. He met Taylor at the elevator. They didn't exchange greetings.
When they returned, they each showered and dressed and ate their breakfast. Gail knew something was wrong. Maybe Ana would tell her. At 7:15 Christian and Taylor met at the elevator and descended to the garage. At 7:45 they arrived at GEH to begin their day or, rather, Mr. Grey's day. Andrea greeted him professionally and went over his schedule with him. Ros sat down with him to discuss two possible acquisitions and his upcoming trip to Taiwan. She asked him about Ana to which he replied that she was fine.
.+.
Ana woke around 8:30 with a headache and feeling disoriented. The day nurse gave her a glass of water and some pills. Ana wasn't hungry but she was able to take a shower on her own so that made her feel strong. She called Carrick Grey's office and asked if he could help her get a social security number so that she could study for and obtain a GED. Carrick told her that that was very admirable of her. Well, she said, you really can't get any kind of job without a GED. Maybe, Carrick suggested, she could take some college classes. Oh, Ana replied, she'd no hope of ever being able to do that even if she saved up enough money. Carrick was rather surprised. He almost said that his son would see to it that she had the money but Grace had said that Ana was independent so Carrick simply said that he would get right to work on getting Ana that social security number.
Gail was working in the kitchen when Ana strolled out with the day nurse. She smiled brightly at Gail and said that she and Nancy were going to go for a walk to strengthen Ana's legs and lungs. Gail suggested that Ana eat before but Ana said that she wasn't hungry yet…maybe later.
CHAPTER 42
By noon, Grey was staring out his window at the Seattle Skyline and wondering about Ana. He wanted to talk to her but thought that he should do that face to face. Instead, he called Gail.
"Hello, Mr. Grey. Is everything all right? You don't usually call home in the middle of the day," Gail remarked.
"I'm just calling to see if Ana is doing okay."
Puzzled, Gail answered that Ana seemed to be doing very well indeed. She'd already been out for a walk with Nancy and now she was downstairs in the pool. She seemed brighter than Gail had ever seen her.
Really? Grey responded. As he rang off, he went back to staring out the window. No nightmare that he knew of, energized for a walk and a swim. This afternoon maybe she'd go for a run, he huffed. He'd spent the time playing the sonata and worrying about Ana while she was resting comfortably. He'd spent the morning fighting to pay attention at meetings while Ana enjoyed a walk and a swim. Perhaps he'd misjudged her feelings last night. Maybe he should have spent the night jabbing her in the back with his blue balls and aching dick.
"Sir, your father is on line 1," Andrea announced.
"Hi, Dad, what's up?"
"Are you all right, son? You sound a bit bummed."
"Nah, Dad, just business, you know."
"Oh, okay. Well, I'm trying to obtain a social security number for Ana. I need a current address but I thought I should ask first, you know, as a courtesy."
"A social security number? When did you decide to do that?"
"Ana called this morning and asked if I could help her with that. She wants to get a GED and a job. Really have to admire that girl. She's got a billionaire in love with her and still she wants to make her own way. You're not going to find another one like her, Christian."
"No, she's one in a billion, all right. See you Sunday, Dad."
A job. A GED. Grey knew what Ana was doing. She was planning for a life without him. Over his dead body. Still, it was a good reminder that he needed to make plans for her.
"Hello, Christian, long time, no talk," Carrick chuckled. Grey groaned. Dad jokes.
"Hello again, Dad. Your call reminded me that I need to make some financial arrangements for Ana. She needs health insurance, a trust fund, and I want to include her in my will in case something happens to me. And what was that about having a billionaire in love with her?"
"Your mother, son."
"Oh, of course, what was I thinking? If you talk to Ana soon, remind her that until Jack Hyde is put away, she's not getting a job. I don't care if it's at the Seattle PD headquarters and you can tell her I said so."
"Okey, dokey," laughed Carrick. Boy, was his kid a goner.
.+.
Carrick looked at his phone as it rang. He was certainly popular today. Ana. Well, this should be fun.
"Hi, sweetheart, how are you doing?"
"Hi, Mr. Grey. Nancy and I were walking this morning and we passed a café with a help wanted sign in the window. I told them that my lawyer was working on getting my social security number because they said that they couldn't hire me without one. I know that I just talked to you this morning but they said that if I could give them some idea of when I'd have that, they could hire me."
Thinking that his son owed him, Carrick tsked tsked. "Oh, it's going to be quite a while, Ana. I've started the paperwork and my investigator is working on finding your birth date. After that, we have to apply for a birth certificate. When the paperwork is completed, the government will take their sweet old time getting around to issuing a number. Yours are very unusual circumstances and there will be suspicion even if you do have a lawyer helping you.
"Don't worry, dear. There'll be other jobs and besides, you aren't well enough to do the difficult work of waitressing. It could be some time before you are."
Ana was quiet on her end. Carrick could almost feel her disappointment. He was a bit surprised that she didn't realize that working in a restaurant was far beyond her physical capability and might always be. Grace had told him about her blood pressure issues. Serving was high pressure.
"I see. Okay, Mr. Grey. I didn't mean to rush you. I'm just anxious to be independent again. I'll wait to hear from you. Goodbye."
Carrick felt bad for her. Despite having made her own way all her life, there was still so much that Ana didn't understand about the way the world worked. Because she'd never had anyone to truly take care of her and yet she survived, she thought that she was strong and independent when in reality, she had been damn lucky to have lived to 24. She was street smart, he supposed, but she'd really been little more than a bag lady. He truly admired her determination to be normal but life hadn't set her up for that. She'd been cheated of the chance to make a good life for herself.
Meanwhile, Christian was swiveling in his chair, figuratively twirling a mustache and plotting a way to teach his little brat a lesson. In his mind, she was his and, in many ways, he still thought of himself as a Dom who commanded submission. After all, it was only a couple of months since he gave up ordering women to lower their eyes and fall to their knees…not that he wanted that from Ana. No, he really liked that she challenged him. It was fun and he was never bored. Like now…when instead of studying boring spreadsheets for his upcoming meetings in Taiwan, he could plan his revenge on the woman who was driving him crazy.
He wanted something that would set her off like fireworks. It was such a rush. Of course, it wasn't good for his major problem with her at the moment…a steady torrent of all the blood in his brain heading south. Thinking about that, he remembered that she was really such an innocent and so damaged by the adults in her life and yet so brave that she wanted to work a menial job, earn minimum wage and probably live in a single room. Most women would think that she was a fool to reject the black Amex Grey wanted to give her along with the elevator code to a 10,000 square foot penthouse.
He'd initially told himself that he wanted to help Ana, that he needed her to need him. Since he'd realized that he really wanted her, he'd become one of the monsters in her life who only thought of what he wanted from her. He felt great shame. He called it protecting her but he was really protecting his control over her. How the heck could he explain sex to her when he knew nothing about it, when he knew nothing about love?
"Andrea, move anything important this afternoon to Ros's schedule, please?"
"I cannot decide if Godivas are worth the temper tantrum I'll have to endure."
"Andrea?"
"I'm still thinking. No. You can call her when you've left the building while I hide."
"I was going to bring a beautiful kimono back from Taiwan for you but now…."
Andrea just grinned as Grey stormed out. He wanted to get to Ana. He knew that Ros would go to Andrea anyway to ask for his whereabouts so he was saved from Ros's temper and he didn't have to buy a kimono.
CHAPTER 43
Ana knew that she should eat. She couldn't be independent if she didn't get completely well. And she knew also that Christian would always be in charge of her if she was too ill to stand up to him. And Gail was such a good cook who was trying always to make things that were ultra-nutritious for her and still taste good. It wasn't an easy task. The doctor said that she needed a lot of protein but Ana didn't like meat. So today, Gail made her a kind of unbreaded fish stick because fried things weren't good for her.
Ana looked down at the fish sticks and the broccoli. She was accustomed to dumpster food, particularly that found behind fast food joints…french fries, shakes. She'd never had fish except for the grilled kind that her daddy Ray made. She sighed. Gail sighed.
"I'm so sorry, Gail. You are so good to me and I'm a terrible guest. I should be gracious and hide my distaste instead of staring at my meal with trepidation."
"If you eat everything on your plate, I'll make a simple dessert of Honey Crisp apple slices with chocolate dipping sauce."
Ana smiled. She'd had the occasional apple but the ones from dumpsters were bruised and mushy.
She gulped and picked up her fork and took a bite of the fish. It was good! She beamed. She could eat this. She quickly continued and finished the fish. Then she looked at the broccoli. Christian had been trying to get her to at least try vegetables but aside from dumpster carrots, she'd rarely seen a vegetable except for green beans. Today Gail had made it with a sauce so again Ana screwed up her courage and forked up a bit of broccoli. With the sauce it was okay. It was strange tasting but Ana figured that was because it was a new food. The Grey's might have broccoli so this was a good prep. She ate all of it and it was fine. She and Gail smiled at each other, thrilled with their success.
Ana was eating apples dipped in chocolate sauce when Christian walked in. She looked up with shining eyes and told him that she'd eaten fish and vegetables. He could tell that she was very proud.. Again, it was as if she was a 10 year old child. How the hell was he going to talk about sex with a child?
He sat down next to Ana and thanked Gail as she dished up a plate of fish and broccoli and apples. He would never eat chocolate. Ana was in a good mood, talking up a storm about her walk and her swim. Nancy had put a floaty around Ana's waist and taught her how to kick and use her arms.
"We swam for an hour and I think I did pretty well. Nancy says that swimming is one of the best exercises a person can do. It's really good for people with disabilities. Do you swim a lot, Christian?"
"Not a lot, no. I run several miles every morning but I don't have time to do more. I do practice boxing and kickboxing with my personal trainer, Claude Bastille. Once in a while, I deck him but usually he beats me."
"The next time, can I come?" asked Ana.
"Sure. You can laugh while he makes me look foolish," Christian grimaced.
Ana took his arm and hugged it. "I won't laugh. Promise. After all, I have to wear a floaty, like a little kid. I was scared, too. I've never even seen a pool and I was sure that I'd drown."
Christian liked her holding onto his arm even if it was the arm with the hand that was trying to put food in his mouth. "I'm proud of you. You were brave."
Ana released his arm and shook her head. "No, I've never been brave. I've just had to do what had to be done. I've been pragmatic, not brave."
"Getting into that pool wasn't necessary, Ana, but you did it. So, that was brave."
"No, after we walked, Nancy suggested the pool. She said that exercising in water is good for a body and the pool is always there so I can go down any time I want to work out. I mean, I think I can, can't I, Christian?"
"Of course, you don't even have to ask. It's locked after 10 p.m. but there's a key in the kitchen. Gail can show you. May I come with you sometime? I don't spend near enough time in the pool."
Ana considered his request. "You won't laugh at me?"
"God, no! You're the bravest, smartest woman I've ever known. I'd never laugh at you…unless, of course, I wanted to get you going," he chuckled.
Ana laughed and shoved his shoulder.
.+.
"Maybe I should wear a floaty, too," said Christian. Ana in a bathing suit was, well…he was thinking he should be wearing tighter trunks. There would be a tell-tale bulge but at least it wouldn't be saluting. He hoped that the water was cold enough to shrink his problem.
Hers was actually a pretty modest suit…just a one piece but it really showed off Ana's figure. She was too thin, he knew, but if she looked that good while underweight, what would she look like when she filled out?
He dove into the water quickly…more to hide his problem than to impress Ana.
"Wow!" she applauded as he surfaced. "That was really good. I want to do that."
"It's pretty easy. Just walk up to the edge of the pool and throw yourself in."
"Maybe someday." Then she held onto the side of the pool and practiced kicking her legs. How, Christian wondered, could a woman of just 5 feet and 4 inches have such long legs. She had small round mounds on her chest and then her torso curved gracefully down to her slim hips. She also appeared to have a cute little butt. Christian's problem was increasing. He began to swim laps furiously, keeping his eyes on the pool floor. Sometimes he looked to the left and from under water he could see those long, slender legs with silky alabaster skin and then he'd take a breath and swim faster. He decided that swimming together was not his best idea of the day. His second bad idea was to forget to call Ros.
He climbed out of the pool and picked up his phone. Andrea answered on Ros's line and started speaking immediately.
""You rotten son of a bitch. You will pay." Quote, unquote. There was more but I'm a lady and I'm not quite as angry as Ros. You didn't call her so when people turned up for a meeting, I had to call Ros who was in a meeting of her own. It's been chaotic over here at GEH. And what are you doing?"
"God, Andrea. I am so sorry. I came in the house and Ana was eating and so I ate, too and then she wanted to swim in the pool downstairs and I came with her and I just kind of forgot about calling Ros. Geez, she's going to kill me, isn't she?"
"She's the only woman who would. I will be holding a choice of weapons for her, however. Being your PA, I don't think it appropriate to kill you myself. Lunch and a swim, eh? Oh, she's going to love that."
"Well, for god's sake, Andrea. Don't tell her. Say I was perusing spreadsheets and got caught up in the work," Christian pleaded.
"Sure, boss, with a small 'b'. You can count on me to lie for you," Andrea snarled.
"Thank god, it's Friday. Also, I'm going to change the elevator code."
"You think that she'd just leave GEH and come over to Escala to beat your head in? She'll go home and get Gwen first…then come over to Escala and not having the code wouldn't stop her from getting to your penthouse. You're only chance is to call her to apologize or invite her and Gwen to dinner to meet Ana. Maybe she won't kill you in front of your girl."
"She isn't my girl. She's my guest," Christian grumbled as Andrea huffed her disbelief. "Okay, Mr. Grey.
CHAPTER 44
"Hi, Ros, now before you start cussing at me, I want to apologize for what I did…or rather didn't do earlier. It was completely thoughtless. I was distracted by my own personal issues and I didn't think of anything else even though Andrea chewed me out and warned me. There is no excuse for my behavior. I know that I've been lax lately and with me being gone next week, everything falls on your shoulders. You don't have to break down my door to kill me. It's wide open to you and Gwen.
I'm hoping that both of you can come to dinner tomorrow night so that I can apologize again and you can tear me a new one in person. Seems only fair. Then you can also meet the reason that my head hasn't been in the game…Ana. Will you come? Please?"
All this time Ros had been listening and holding the phone with a death grip. Gradually, she lessened her hold and felt calmer. Grey's invitation to dinner sounded good. She'd only been in the penthouse once in 7 years. Gwen had never been.
"Okay, Grey. We accept your invitation. Should we bring anything? Okay, see you around 7, then?"
She hung up without further words or a goodbye but that was Ros. Grey felt much calmer himself. Ros would forgive him. Better still, she wouldn't accept all those offers she constantly got from outfits like Google and Microsoft. Several universities had offered her tenured professorships. Yet, her loyalty to Grey should not be tested, he thought. He needed her.
By now, Ana had climbed out of the pool and wrapped a fluffy white robe around her delicious, wet body. She looked cute as hell but cute didn't get Grey hard so he was grateful to be in control.
"We're going to host dinner tomorrow. My COO and her wife. That okay with you?"
"Why are you asking me? It's your home." Ana looked puzzled.
"Because it's your home as well and I want you to be comfortable here." Ana stood close to him, looking up into his grey eyes with her brilliant blue. Grey was starting to lose control again. Then she smiled and stood on her tip toes to kiss him. She smiled and told him that he was sweet. Now he was going to have to ride up 20 floors and hope that none of his neighbors got on. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it loosely around his hips.
All the way up to the penthouse, Ana chattered away. Except for Mia, Grey wasn't used to women just yattering on. His subs didn't speak unless he gave permission. He wondered what they would have had to say if he'd wanted to listen. He loved listening to Ana even though nothing she said was of much importance. Her voice was kind of musical and even when she spoke loudly, it was soft. He found himself interested in whatever subject matter she choose. After all, most of his conversations revolved around business. Ana was talking now about Eddie's, the grocery store down the street. He'd never been there, even though that was where Gail bought all their food. He'd also forgotten that he bought the building housing Eddie's. He purchased it when Gail told him years ago that the store was going to have to close because the rent in such a posh area had become too much. Gail was very upset, almost in tears. Grey couldn't have his housekeeper being upset so he bought the building and gave it to Tom, the son of Eddie, who now ran the store. Tom was stunned and just kept staring at the deed. It had a codicil, however. Should Tom ever decide to sell the store or the building, Grey had to be the buyer. Gail wanted a small grocery store two blocks down from Escala and she would always have it. Tom loved the store and was so overcome that he and his family could finally make a profit and never have to worry again about money that he threw his arms around Grey who stood there, stiff and uncomfortable. Gail didn't know all this and that was part of the deal. Now Ana loved it, too, so it had been a good deal.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, Ana hurried into the kitchen and told Gail about the dinner party that they were having tomorrow night. Ana had never been to a party of any kind and she had only recently begun eating with other people at a table. Even at the foster homes, she took her meals to her room. Everyone else ate in the living room while watching TV. Thus, she was beyond excited. Grey had to sit her down and tell her to breathe slowly in, hold it, and slowly out. He called for her nurse and had her blood pressure taken. It was a little high but not bad, said the nurse.
"Ana, I think that you should take a shower and then a nap before dinner. Okay?"
"Okay, Christian. I'll do what you want. I'm happy," Ana grinned as she and the nurse headed for the master bedroom.
"Gail, it looks like we're going to have a lot of dinner parties if that will keep Ana happy with me." he laughed.
"I'll have to think of a menu that is bland enough for Ana and tasty enough for everyone else."
"You know, Gail, I've actually been getting used to bland food. I haven't had a steak in weeks and I haven't missed it. I should call Mom about brunch."
"You needn't bother, Mr. Grey. Dr. Grey and I have been consulting all week."
"What would I do without you, Gail?" Christian smiled as he walked away. Gail just stared. He was certainly a different man these days. Gail hoped that Ana didn't get that studio apartment that she talked about all the time.
.+.
That night Grey lay in his bed staring at the ceiling. He missed Ana. He was lonely. The library was next door to his master bedroom. He considered moving the library upstairs to the room in which he was now not sleeping and turning the library into a bedroom he wouldn't sleep in either but he would be on the same floor as Ana and close at hand. He might even hear if she had a nightmare. Yes, he liked that idea. He could just say that he didn't like being upstairs when he wanted to play his piano in the middle of the night. Upstairs was just inconvenient. When he'd acquired the penthouse, he'd wanted a second floor so that he could tuck away a playroom in a more private area. Now, however, a second floor was just useless.
Lord, how he wanted to be downstairs with Ana and he knew that she wanted him, too. He still hadn't thought of a way to explain his feelings to her. "I want to do to you the same thing that those terrible men did but it'll be different because I care for you." Good grief. Love making and rape were the same thing to Ana at this point and Grey knew that unless he was explaining a take-over to a potential acquisition, he was useless. He didn't speak human-being.
He remembered a man that he saw a few times for his nightmares…John Flynn. He'd gotten angry at that psychologist because Flynn suggested that perhaps forgiving his birth mother, Ella, would be a good start toward easing his night terrors. That was several years ago and Flynn might not even be in business anymore. Grey recalled that Flynn was English. He might have moved home.
Still, it couldn't hurt to call. He and Ana could see Flynn together and talk everything through. Ana really should have a counselor to talk to anyway. Grey didn't understand how she could be so sane after the life she'd had. He worried that she was keeping a lot of pain inside. Her nightmares, she told him, were about Jack Hyde but Grey wondered if there was more to them than that…memories of her rotten mother and her negligent father, her lack of extended family, all those years on the street and, as far as Grey knew, no friends. Yes, seeing a psychologist was a good idea. He could only hope that Ana agreed. She could be awfully stubborn and willful. She might see seeking help as impinging on her independence. That was so very important to her. It was, in a way, all she'd ever really had.
He wasn't sleeping. It was almost 2 a.m. He would play piano and listen for Ana. He wanted to be the one who was there for her. He had, in fact, convinced himself that only he could help her through the dreams. It wasn't true. The night nurse was very good. She was quite motherly toward Ana and that kind of comfort Ana had never had. The nurse was good for her. Grey didn't know that and, in truth, he wouldn't want to know.
He walked down the stairs, so solidly constructed that they didn't creak.
He listened at Ana's door and, not being able to help himself, knocked quietly and entered. The nurse had been needlepointing when Grey walked in. She smiled in welcome and gestured to him to come over to her chair. He did so and she showed him what she was working on.
"This," she whispered, "is quite relaxing. I showed it to Ana and she liked it so she and Nancy are going shopping tomorrow morning for a needlepoint that Ana likes."
Grey nodded and looked down at the kitten sitting in a basket of yarn on nurse's lap.
"What do you do with those when you finish them?"
"Well, I frame them and hang them around the house. My husband is pretty tolerate. He doesn't pay much attention. This particular needlepoint might cause a bit of a stir, however," she giggled.
Grey inwardly groaned. He was going to have needlepoints of kittens and puppies and fields of flowers hanging all over the house next to his priceless art works. Ana had grimaced at a few of them so it appeared that they did not agree on what constituted art.
"Is she sleeping okay?" he asked as he looked over at her. Her beautiful hair was askew on the pillow and her exquisite face was so serene. He didn't care what nurse thought. He leaned down and kissed Ana's cheek.
When he looked up again, the nurse was smiling. "Did you want to keep watch tonight?"
Grey appreciated the nurse's delicacy. Keeping watch was a sweet euphemism for sharing a bed.
"I'm sure that you have things well in hand, nurse. I'm going to be playing piano for a while."
"I know. It doesn't disturb Ana. She sleeps deeply. And I love your playing. Will you be working on sonata 29 again? You are getting quite good at it."
Grey looked up in surprise. "Do you play, nurse?"
"Oh, I wish I could. I'm simply a fan. I've been listening to the classics all my life. My parents had a huge collection of albums and mother listened all day long while she did laundry and house cleaning. When Dad got home, he'd choose an album to play during our dinner. He taught us to recognize all the different instruments. My favorite was always the piano and I wanted to learn but we couldn't afford the piano or the teacher so…"
"Well, now. Can you perhaps learn now?"
"I've considered it but we're trying to put two daughters through college. They get all the grants and scholarships they can find but there are still expenses like books and fees and living. Perhaps one day when they're on their own….My husband laughs about dreading the day he has to listen to me killing Mozart."
Naturally, nurse had no clue that soon she would own a fine piano and a good teacher and her husband would have to listen to her killing Mozart while he thought about killing Christian Grey.
CHAPTER 45
Saturday morning Ana was up early, antsy as all hell. Christian and Taylor were about to leave for their run and it was raining pretty hard outside. Ana wanted to go along. Taylor rolled his eyes and gestured to Grey that this problem was in his wheelhouse so Taylor would just have a croissant with his wife and watch the show.
"Ana, you can barely walk. You certainly can't run and most certainly not in the rain."
In many ways, Ana was still childlike. She'd survived but she'd not been taught anything and, therefore, many things seemed possible to her only because, as children do, she wanted them. She narrowed her eyes at Christian and he steeled himself for a takedown.
"I can walk really fast. Just ask Nancy." At that moment, Nancy had made herself busy elsewhere.
"Even so, Taylor and I run, honey. We run fast. You can't run. Don't you see? And it's pouring down out there. You can't afford to get soaked. Your health would suffer. Please be reasonable."
"Ana, swimming is very healthy and you do need to practice, don't you?" asked Gail.
"Well, that's true, I guess. Okay. Nancy and I will go swimming. You go running and don't get sick. We're having company tonight."
As the elevator doors closed, Grey turned to Taylor and said that Gail was getting a raise. Taylor chuckled and said that Grey couldn't keep giving her raises every time she proved her worth. She was beginning to be self-conscious. How about we pick up some lilies for her on the way back? Grey agreed and then offered Taylor a raise. Taylor roared with laughter for 20 flights.
When they got back, Ana was in another mood. The swim had gone well but it failed to settle Ana's restlessness. The storm raging outside had made her worried about Christian and Taylor. It also kept her and Nancy from going out to buy a needlepoint. She'd also decided to add worry about her dinner apparel to the list of things that were making her jumpy.
As soon as Grey and Taylor emerged from the foyer, dripping all over Gail's floors, Ana ran to Christian with a bath towel, terrified that he'd catch pneumonia. Gail was fuming about the creek running from the elevator through the foyer and into the great room.
"Freeze. Don't take another step, either one of you." Gail got out a mop and a pile of old towels. She made the boys remove their shoes and jackets…doing her best to minimize the damage. This wasn't her first rodeo. She'd begged them in the past to be considerate. Change in the garage, for instance. They always promised and always forgot.
Ana was busy toweling Grey's hair. She couldn't stand on tiptoe for long so Grey had to stoop over. Once she felt that his hair was dry enough, she removed his jacket and then his shoes.
Taylor was grumbling. His wife was ready to toss him off the balcony and Grey's "guest" was acting like a geisha. Life wasn't fair.
Ana wanted to removed Grey's pants as well but he now had a rager going so he declined. He shuffled through the great room on the towel and then climbed the stairs to his bathroom. A hot shower was going to feel wonderful. It wasn't until he'd entered the bathroom and removed all his wet clothes that he realized that Ana was right behind him the entire time. He turned to see her collecting all his wet things off the floor. She stood up. He stood frozen. She looked at his erection and then his chest.
"Christian, you have more scars than I knew. You only showed me a couple but that man burned you so many times," she cried. Christian wanted to hold her and comfort her but he was naked. All he could think to do was grab a towel to wrap around his waist and then he put his arm around Ana.
"It's okay, Ana. It was a long time ago and they don't hurt anymore."
"Yes," she sobbed, "they do. Every night when you have your nightmares and you can't sleep, they still hurt you. Is he still alive? I want to track him down and hurt him back. I can do that, Christian. I know how to get around the underbelly of cities. I know Detroit quite well. We can go there and I can find him."
Christian was amazed. Ana was serious. If he'd said yes to her suggestion, she'd have gone to pack.
"Honey, it was such a long time ago and he was not a healthy man. He's probably dead."
"We need to find out. We need to be sure that he paid in some way. Maybe he went to prison. Besides, if he is still alive, we have to stop him. Someone like that never stops hurting people. He's no different than Jack. It's just how they are."
At his point, as he listened, stunned, his towel fell off. Before he could react, Ana did.
"You'll catch cold," she said as she wrapped the towel around him again. "Now take your shower and then come out to eat something warm…like oatmeal."
As she turned to go, Christian couldn't stop himself. "Ana, you just saw my penis," he exclaimed.
"Oh, yes. It's very nice. The nicest one I've ever seen. Of course, I'm probably biased because all the other penises belonged to men who were hurting me. Theirs were ugly. I like yours. Take your shower. Is oatmeal okay with you?"
"Yes." He stood naked and dumbfounded. Ana was so nonchalant. He had to talk with her but he was speechless and she was leaving.
CHAPTER 46
When she returned to the great room, she tried to help Gail clean up the mess but Gail was now in a pissy mood and not inclined to accept help. She wanted to be wounded and furious. Ana understood. Instead, she went into the kitchen to hunt for oatmeal and cinnamon. Gail had taught her how to mix ingredients and use pots and pans and the stove. It was all new to her but she'd caught on and now she could make oatmeal for Christian and Taylor.
She looked into the fridge and found apples. She loved apples. She'd never liked the ones from dumpsters and so didn't know that they were really good until Gail convinced her to try one. Now she cut them up into little pieces…dicing, Gail called it…and mixed them into the oatmeal along with some blueberries. Then she poured orange juice into glasses and set everything on the breakfast bar. There, she thought, I could so be a waitress or maybe a bartender.
While she waited for Grey and Taylor to arrive, she took out the phone that Christian had given her and taught her to use and made an important phone call.
Meanwhile, Grey was drying off from his shower and staring at his penis in the mirror. Very nice, she'd said. His penis was the nicest one she'd ever seen. Of course, his competition were rapists. Thus, he figured that he shouldn't get a swelled head about it. Then he laughed. Swelled head. Anyway, the sight of a penis didn't repel her or frighten her. This was fabulous. Now he only had to ask her how she felt about a "nice" penis being inside her. Maybe she thought that any penis entering her would hurt…not just those that were unwelcome or those for which she was unprepared.
It wasn't a bad looking penis, he decided. Even above average, he thought. He remembered when he and Elliot were young and Elliot was teaching him how to bathe. His genius mother had thought that one up. Elliot took the responsibility very seriously. You scrub under your arms 'cause they get sweaty and stink. Girls shave the hair off but guys don't. No, Elliot didn't know the difference. Girls have to shave everything and boys don't. Elliot didn't know why they'd want to go to all that trouble.
Then Elliot explained that dirt and lint and such could collect under the little cap at the top of their penises so you had to get under there and scrub that, too. By the time Elliot had completed his tutorial, Christian was an expert bather. He didn't understand the importance of it all really. He'd never bathed before in his life. Sometimes, his mother would wash his face and hands but he couldn't recall having a bath. Besides, his whole world was dirty so what was the point of being clean.
Suddenly, it occurred to Grey that Ana might not know how to bathe. She'd been given sponge baths at the hospital and a regular bath when she arrived at Escala but did she know how to shower on her own? He'd never noticed any unpleasant odors when he slept with her but then he'd yet to get really close to her. He didn't even notice if her legs were shaven when they swam. He'd better talk to her nurse.
When Grey made it back to the kitchen area, a warm bowl of oatmeal with fruit was waiting. This, combined with a hot shower, was wonderful. He should probably head for his study and get some work done with which he could impress Ros tonight. As Gail came back into her domain, Grey thanked her for the great breakfast that he didn't deserve. Gail growled at him that, no, he didn't deserve it but Ana had made breakfast for him and Taylor. She, Gail, would have left them to their own devices.
Grey gulped and then inquired as to Ana's whereabouts. The study? Oh, okay. Hmmm…. What could Ana be doing in the study? As he stopped in the doorway, Ana looked up and waved him in. Gee, thanks, he thought…amused at her gall. Well, he thought, the way she'd always had to live, how would she have ever become used to the idea of private ownership? He flopped down on the couch and listened as she talked to someone about the state pen. He was intrigued. Why would she want a pen with the state logo on it?
"Well, guess what. I've found him."
"What? You found who?" Grey was slow to catch on.
"The pimp. He's at the state pen. Welsh doesn't think it would mean anything if we went after him 'cause he's already 5150 and doing Buck Roger's Time. Still, it's a shame that we can't make him pay for hurting you and your mom. I wonder if he'd recognize you. I'll bet it would hurt a lot if he saw that you survived him and did so well with your life." She returned to the phone. "Thank you, Mr. Welsh."
Grey was gaping at Ana. Where was his sweet, innocent little woman? First, the penis business and now this? What is this?
"Christian, your mouth is hanging open. Are you all right?"
"Huh. Yeah. Your nurse said that she'd help you figure out what to wear tonight…if you want."
"Oh, goody. I've gone through everything you bought me. I just don't understand clothes."
As Ana dashed out, Grey dialed up Welsh. He was still laughing when he answered the phone.
"Welsh, what the hell?"
"That girl of yours is something else, Grey. My sides hurt from holding in the laughter. She calls me up and says that she needs me to find the pimp who hurt you and your birth mother. She says that she's kind of impatient. How long with it take? I told her that your father had tracked down the asshole shortly after you were adopted but he'd kept the information to himself and always would unless you wanted it. So, this sweet little voice calls me back and says that Mr. Grey has said that I should spill. I didn't believe her but there wasn't a lot to tell and you're safe now so I told her the pimp's name and that he was in prison and would probably die there. Also, that he was senile.
"Then I hear her using all this prison slang." Welsh was laughing too hard to talk so Grey hung up on him.
Grey had planned on a nap after his hot shower and warm breakfast and now seemed like a real good time. He needed to rest up for the next talk with Ana. Penises and prisons were too much for one day.
Grey managed to sleep for an hour. He needed a lot more but he was bothered, badly. Sure, to Welsh, sweet Ana knowing prison slang was humorous. However, it didn't feel that way to Grey. A young woman like Ana, someone of her innocence should not be familiar with criminals. Her casual observation of his penis should not be because she'd had men molesting her since she was a child.
He couldn't stay in bed anymore. All he wanted to do was find Ana and protect her…protect her from everything she'd already been through. It was too late. He could save her from Jack Hyde and anymore like him but it was too late to give her good parents, a loving family and a safe childhood. She'd be the last person to feel sorry for herself but he certainly could. He could feel anger, too. It wasn't right. He erupted, sailing a lamp across the room and smashing it against a wall.
He heard giggling. Ana. He got up and dressed and went down to the master. He could hear Ana and Nancy laughing. He certainly needed a laugh so he knocked gently on the door and asked if he could join the party. There was the sound of rustling and things falling and then the door opened. Nancy was red from laughing and Ana was evidently in the bathroom.
"Hello, Mr. Grey. Did we wake you up? I guess we were getting pretty loud."
Nancy was close in age to Ana. It was almost as if Ana had a girlfriend for the first time. Nancy would be moving on soon to another private nursing job. Ana wasn't really in need of 24/7 nursing care anymore. Too bad. She and Nancy had such a good time.
"What are you two up to in here?" Grey grinned. Ana popped out of the bath, her face made up like the Joker. She and Nancy giggled hysterically. How many times, if any, Grey wondered, had Ana a friend to laugh with like that.
"Gross," he grimaced. "Which of you is the genius at makeup?"
"Well, I tried to do a good job but my patient here wanted to have fun with my heroic attempts," Nancy snorted which only cracked up Ana more. Grey wasn't too much older than these girls yet he felt like their father. They were silly and happy and funny and delightful. When they offered to do his makeup, he agreed.
Thus, when Ros and Gwen arrived, they found Christian Grey, titan of industry and prince of Seattle, made up like a drag queen…but with dignity.
CHAPTER 47
"Good evening, ladies. We're so happy that you could come. Welcome," Christian greeted his guests.
Ros and Gwen could not decide if Grey was mocking them in some way or if they should be laughing in his face. They chose laughter. Then Nancy and Ana popped out behind Christian's back, also laughing. A trio of Jokers.
"Okay," Gwen giggled, "what's the game? We want to play, too."
"Oh, no, we don't," Ros protested. "Do you know how much makeup remover it's going to take to clear that gunk off? I propose we take pictures and keep them for blackmail purposes."
"Nancy, you told me that this stuff comes right off," Grey complained.
"Oh, it isn't so hard. Ana and I will clean up and you visit. Then you can clean up and we'll visit."
"You're fired," Christian growled. When Nancy looked alarmed, Ros laughed. "Don't worry, that's his go-to whenever he gets caught out."
"True," said Gail. "How many times have you fired me in the past seven years, Mr. Grey?"
"A few less than Taylor," Christian grinned. "I don't know why no one ever takes me seriously. Gwen, change of topic, nice to see you again. Usually, you're about to kill me."
"Usually, you deserve it...but tonight we came for a good time. We wanted to meet Ana and I expect a tour of this ode to excess."
"Ana is looking forward to it. She figures that she can show you around while I apologize to Ros. Figures 10,000 square feet equals a proper apology. Actually," he looked behind him, "she's a little nervous. Nancy and I have been trying to get her to relax. You are the first new people she's met…unless you count doctors and nurses. She's had a terribly rough time of it….for 24 years."
Ros and Gwen frowned. They'd no idea that it was that bad. They'd supposed that she'd had a couple of bad years for some reason but not her whole life. Ros felt bad for coming down so hard on Christian for all the time he spent on Ana's well-being instead of GEH's.
Nancy and Ana returned, clean faces. Ana was suitably dressed and comfortable but she was holding Nancy's hand. Otherwise, you wouldn't have known that she was anxious. Ros and Gwen were both doctoral graduates of Harvard and Ros was the COO of GEH. Gwen was a professor of history at the Seattle branch of WSU. Ana was a bag girl off the streets of Seattle who'd never finished grade school. The deck seemed stacked. She and Nancy had been talking for hours about topics of discussion that Ana could pursue. Ana took a deep breath.
"Ros, what is a COO? What do you do?" asked Ana. This was something that she genuinely wanted to know. She'd never know such an important woman.
"Well, COO stands for Chief Operating Officer, the person who is second in command to the Chief Executive Officer…who is Christian."
"So, you run everything. What does Christian do?"
"He owns the company for one thing. Makes all major decisions. His neck is on the line first and foremost. He is the face of the company, a tremendous responsibility. I've been offered jobs by other companies to be CEO but it's too much. I put in enough hours as it is. If I'm gone any more time, my wife would divorce me."
"I found out about lesbians a couple of years ago when I became friends with a really nice bag lady on Olive St. She had a sad story but she was so kind and good to me so we kind of looked out for each other. I explained how I was a sex victim and she explained how she was a gender victim. I didn't know what that was and she was kind of afraid to tell me 'cause people had been really mean to her. She had to explain lesbianism to me because I didn't know much. I still don't but I'm trying to learn. I just read about this thing called transgenderism. There are so many ways to be and people get so angry about anything that isn't just like them. I don't understand it but I'm reading to learn. So, far, it just seems to be fear and stupidity. Lucy told me that it was better now than it used to be but then some guys killed her." Ana sniffled. Nancy patted her shoulder.
"It's okay. When it first happened, I wanted to kill them but I'm better now. Gwen, I'd like to have your job. I love history. I mean, it's just the biggest story that there is, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is. I guess that I hadn't thought about it like that but it is…the story of everything and it gets bigger all the time, the more we learn."
As Gail began to set the table and serve the food, Christian appeared and Nancy got up to leave. Christian very smoothly took her arm and settled her into a chair as he asked after Sal Bailey. Ros and Gwen shared dozens of pictures on their phones and Christian tried to appear interested while Ana and Nancy oohed and aahed.
Dinner, which Grey had considered to be an obligation to ease himself back into Ros's and Gwen's good graces, was instead a truly great affair thanks to Ana mostly. She had a million questions about GEH, Ros's job, Christian's job and particularly Gwen's. Christian suggested that Ana audit Gwen's latest class.
"Yes, I'm starting a semester on the Civil War. I'd love to have you sit in, Ana."
"What is audit?" asked Ana, as fear flashed across her face. Christian squeezed her hand.
"The other students take notes and tests and get grades. People who audit, usually people who aren't going for a degree, get to just listen and ask questions. You'd love auditing. I wish you'd consider it. I'll bet you've never been inside a university classroom, have you?" asked Gwen.
"Well, yes, I have. I had a job for a while cleaning at night and then I'd sleep in the storage room. I wasn't really employed because you have to have a social security number for that but the janitor appreciated my help and then he paid me with a place to sleep and some food. After I cleaned, I'd wander around and look at everything. I was fascinated by the information everywhere."
"Where was that, Ana?" asked Nancy.
"A community college in Chicago. Nothing like a university but a very big deal to me," Ana smiled. "Gwen, would you like that tour now? Come on, Nancy, you, too."
As Ana led her charges away, Ros dabbed at her eyes with her napkin. "Dinner was delicious, Gail. Thank you." Then she looked at Christian. "You do whatever you have to do to help that girl and I'll take on the extra work at GEH."
Christian smiled kindly at Ros. "Why, Ros, you sentimental fool. Who knew? No, Ana is getting better and I've got to stop worrying so much about her health. Her blood pressure is still a concern but she's on a good medication now. I am anxious about Jack Hyde but I've got her covered like a swarm of bees. She has no idea how many coverts are watching her. Plus, she and Nancy have at least two CPOs following them wherever they go. This guy is really dangerous. Once we get him put away, I'll breathe a lot easier."
"What does he want with her?" Ros asked.
"He's a psychopath, Ros. What they want is hard to understand. He knew her when she was just 6 years old and he was 17. She's been in danger from him ever since. He's attacked her at least three times of which we know.
"That's how we became involved. I saw her after he tried to kill her and took her to the hospital after she collapsed. She was in a coma for a week. It's been rough for a while now but she's finally getting better. Now the fight is going to be to get her to stay here. She wants to be independent but she can't be. She just can't. The discussion is ongoing. It's aging me," he laughed, "but I've no choice but to win because if she does, then she loses."
"I'm exhausted," Gwen exclaimed as she and the girls returned from their tour. "This place is enormous. The only things you don't have are stables."
"Picture Christian mucking out stalls," Ros laughed. "In his Tom Ford suit, checking the time on his $26,000 watch."
"Why do you have a watch that cost $26,000, Christian?" Ana chided. Christian blushed.
CHAPTER 48
"She's adorable, Christian. Sometimes, she seems years older and other times years younger than her 24. Is that what happens when you go through what she has? Everything is topsy-turvy?"
"She's always surprising me. Every time I think I've got her figured, seems I'm dealing with someone different. I'm really worried about being gone all next week. I've got to keep my eye on the prize or I'm going to blow the Taiwan deal."
"You won't blow it, Christian, and if it does go south, we'll just pick ourselves up and keep moving. Wouldn't be the first time. Remember Colorado? We got properly pickled and then dug into the next deal. We'll be fine. You sure that you don't want to take Ana with you?" wondered Ros.
"Yes and no. I wouldn't be able to concentrate on the negotiations with Ana stuck in a hotel or wandering the city. I've just got to go and get it done and get home."
.+.
"Ana, are you feeling okay? Did you have a good evening with our guests?" Christian asked as he looked in on her at bedtime.
"I'm tired," she acknowledged with sleepy blue eyes, "but I did have a really good time with Ros and Gwen. I want to "sit in" like she called it. I don't know anything about a Civil War. I'll have to read up a bit beforehand so that I understand and can ask good questions. Thank you for the dinner party, Christian. I think that I like parties. I hope that I like tomorrow's party as much."
"You'll like my family, Ana. They're the better part of me."
"Better part of you? What does that mean?" Christian frowned for a moment wondering how to explain. "I guess it just means that they're better people than me even though we're family."
Ana gazed up into his beautiful grey eyes. "No one could be better than you, Christian," she firmly asserted. "I think that you're the best person I've ever met."
Christian was thrown for a minute. He'd never thought of himself as even a decent human being. He tried to disabuse her of the notion that he was a real good guy but she just smiled at him. "Christian, would you hold me until I fall asleep. It won't be long…just a couple of minutes."
He couldn't say no. He lay on his back next to her and she curled up against his chest and almost immediately drifted off. He enveloped her in his embrace, kissing her head and rubbing circles on her back. His erection wasn't in the way so this was comfortable for him. Soon, he, too, was asleep…watched over by night nurse Helene who would soon be finished with her kittens needlepoint and, rather sadly, with her nursing duties. This had been her favorite assignment ever.
By dawn, Helene had completed the needlepoint, wrapped it up and stashed it in her satchel. Then she took out her latest mystery. She'd loved mysteries since she was a little girl. There were so many that she never ran out. She glanced over at her charges to see that they were still tightly entwined and sleeping soundly. No nightmares. This was Helene's last night. Ana was cleared to finish healing on her own. Too bad. Helene would have loved to hear all about brunch at Grey Manor.
.+.
Nancy and Ana spent most of the morning perusing Ana's new wardrobe and trying to decide upon an outfit fit for brunch at the wealthy, prominent, classy Grey's. Ana had already modeled the entire collection for Grey when it came in and now she wanted to choose on her own…much to Grey's relief. He had no interest in women's clothing. He preferred his women naked. Clothes just got in the way of his primary interests…boobs and butts.
"Ana! We have to leave in a few minutes. Are you about ready?" he called out. Nancy emerged from the bedroom and stood in the great room, putting out her arms and announcing "ta, da!"
Ana appeared wearing a red sweater with a white collar, a white skirt and red ballet slippers on her tiny feet. Okay, he had to admit…she looked adorable. Lord, he wanted to sweep her up in his arms and kiss her! Her beautiful blue eyes were shining and her hair was hanging, glossy and curled at the ends…all the way down to her soft little breasts.
She smiled at him and asked him if she looked okay. It was unnecessary and she knew it. She could see his feelings all over his face. They stood there, the only two people in the world, smiling shyly at each other. Finally, Nancy ahemed and suggested that they get a move on. Ana hadn't had breakfast and she needed to eat something. Christian's expression changed to one of concern as he heard this. You have to eat, he scolded Ana. I wanted to be sure that I could eat lunch, she protested. Now I'm hungry.
Christian held out his hand. Ana blushed and took it and they walked into the elevator. Taylor was feeling very third-wheelish.
All the way to Grey Manor, Ana looked out the window. She hadn't ever been on a freeway and the amount of traffic both alarmed and fascinated her. On the way to Escala from the hospital, they'd taken surface roads to avoid jarring Ana. Likewise, when Dr. Grace took her for her workup, Ryan avoided the freeway because Ana was nervous enough. Then Ana had thought that cars moved awfully fast and big trucks terrified her to the point that she had to cover her face. She couldn't understand how all the vehicles could pass so close to each other without touching. Christian held her hand and reassured Ana that Ryan was an expert driver.
"I grew up on a farm in Iowa, Ms. Steele. I was driving a tractor and hauling hay when I was 10," Ryan bragged.
"Were you going real fast and were there other tractors coming at you?" asked Ana.
Christian chuckled. Ryan sighed. "No, I was going slow and had the road to myself."
"Ana, all the members of my security team have passed rigorous tests in all facets of client protection…and most, like Ryan, did a lot of security work all around the world. I hire only the best. Which reminds me…you must always obey any member of the security team without question. For instance, if Ryan or Baxter or Taylor or any of them yells at you to get down, what do you do?"
"I should get down. Hmm…get down to where?"
"Flat. On the ground."
"Okay. Why would they want me to lie on the ground?"
Christian wished that he'd kept his big mouth shut. One had to be careful around Ana…never take for granted that she understood things that most everyone else did.
"How about we talk about security protocols later, okay?" he gently suggested.
"Protocols. Okay, Christian." Ana nodded, distracted now by the car moving off the freeway past a sign reading Bellevue. She suddenly grinned. "Bellevue means beautiful view." She was so pleased with herself for knowing this that Christian just raised her hand to his lips and kissed it.
"Don't be overwhelmed by my parent's house, Ana. Grey Manor is just a mansion with a lot of land. My parents support many charities and so they need more room than most people for the fund-raising parties."
CHAPTER 49
"Okay, Christian," Ana said. Then Grey Manor came into view. "OMG!" Grey Manor was the biggest house Ana had ever seen with its massive mid-section and east and west wings. Ana's eyes bugged out and she was squeezing Christian's hand hard. She immediately looked down at her clothes in dismay.
"No, Ana. Don't have doubts. I wouldn't have let you wear anything inappropriate. You look lovely. Trust me?" urged Christian.
Ana looked scared and pale. Christian leaned over and kissed her cheek, leaning his head against hers. He suddenly understood that Ana had no point of reference. She'd probably never even seen a picture of a house like this.
"Ana, look at me." Ana seemed frozen. She'd thought that she was prepared but her heart was pounding fiercely and she was breathing hard. Christian unbuckled her seatbelt and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around her. He told her to take deep, slow breaths. She tried. It was hard. She buried her face in his chest and gripped his collar.
"You're the bravest woman that I've ever known. Remember?"
She did and her breathing slowed. She wasn't going to embarrass Christian. She picked her head up and smiled at him even though she was shaking. Christian hugged her and then set her down. He got out and took her hand to help her out of the car.
"Thank you, Ryan. You're a very good driver," said Ana. Ryan made a little bow and Ana giggled.
As the couple walked up to the door, it flew open and a gaggle of Greys poured out. They were quite effusive which was another thing that threw Ana. She stood like a plank as the Greys greeted her with quick, tight hugs. Christian pulled everyone off of her and made introductions.
"Folks, this is Ana Steele. Ana, you know my mother. This fella here you're familiar with from phone conversations, my father, Carrick. This is my sister, Mia and this big lug is my older brother, Elliot."
Everyone smiled at Ana who smiled shyly in return while Grace and Christian led the group into the house. Ana tried to not gape like the country bumpkin she felt she was but everything was so beautiful. Christian's place was impressive but this was warm, lovely, charming. Ana was afraid that she'd use the wrong word if she tried to compliment the décor but still she felt that she should say something.
"Pretty," she almost whispered as she blushed and lowered her eyes.
"You sure are," whistled Elliot.
Ana looked up into the blue eyes of the blonde giant in front of her. He was wearing a huge grin and she was awed by his height. Christian was almost as tall but Ana had gotten used to him.
"Elliot, you're intimidating the poor girl. Ana, pay no attention to my older brother or he'll never leave you alone. As Christian said, I'm Mia, the little sister. Well, not so little compared to you."
"Is everyone in your family so tall?" asked Ana. "And so good looking, too. I've never seen so many gorgeous people in one place. And your eyes! All of you have wonderful eyes and all different. I've never seen eyes like Christian's and now Elliot's are the deepest blue and your eyes, Mia, are emerald green. Are they real? Dr. Grace's eyes are soft brown and Mr. Grey's are kind of brown and gold and green….Christian, what color is that?"
"Hazel, sweetie. I think we have one of every color in this family."
"And your hair….yours is like copper and Elliot's is blonde and Mia's is black. Nancy would say that you all hit the genetic jackpot. Of course, she's only met Christian. She has a crush on him because he's so handsome but so is Elliot and Mia is so exotic."
"Didn't you tell her, Chris?" asked Elliot. "Ana, we're all adopted. That's why we all look so different."
"Adopted? Were you in foster homes like Christian and me?"
"I was but only for a couple of days," said Mia.
"And I went straight from my mother to Mom and Dad," said Elliot.
"I'm sorry, Elliot. Why didn't your mother want you?" Ana didn't mean to be intrusive. Everyone could see that so no one took offense.
"Why don't we all sit for a while and get acquainted?" suggested Grace, leading Ana over to a couch. Christian made certain that he was sitting right next to Ana. Elliot and Mia shot looks at each other.
Carrick smiled warmly at Ana. "Want to hear our story?" he asked. Ana's head bobbed up and down.
"Well, Grace and I endured several miscarriages." Noting the blank look in Ana's eyes, Carrick explained that they were able to make babies but the babies died before they were born. Ana's eyes brimmed with tears as she looked at Christian in confusion.
"The babies died before they could be born," Christian dabbed at her tears. "Mom can explain it to you sometime." Elliot and Mia were fixated on Ana. They'd never met anyone so out of touch.
"It was hard and getting harder each time so we decided to stop trying for biological children. It was obvious that there were children already born and we were meant to be their parents. Elliot was our first. He was six and quite the little man. His mother was ill and dying and he understood this. She wanted him placed before she died so that she could choose the parents. We were very lucky that she approved of us right away. She was a wonderful woman, so strong and brave. She'd been sick since Elliot's first birthday."
The tears were still streaming down Ana's face. Grace, sitting on the other side of her, gently brushed her hair back and put her arm around Ana's shoulder.
"She came to stay with us at Elliot's suggestion. He said that his mother had never lived in a nice place and he wanted her to have that for a while. We were so impressed by the little man who was being gifted to us. His mother died here in the house and we buried her in our family plot because she was family."
Carrick went on. "Well, we figured that we'd gotten as lucky as possible and didn't think about adopting another child until one night Grace called from the hospital, told me that she'd met a little boy who was supposed to be ours. I knew the second I saw him that she was right. We had to wait two of the longest months of our lives while the adoption process was completed and then we took him home. We looked at our boys and thought, AH, now we're complete.
"Two years later, the agency that had arranged for us to have Elliot called and asked us to come in to see a baby girl. We hesitated, not long, thank god, but we figured that an infant would easily be adopted and we didn't want to deprive another couple. However, we went down and an elderly woman was waiting for us. She was holding the most beautiful little baby girl. Mia had thick black hair and those green eyes and we were knocked out. Still, why us?
"This old woman was the great-grandmother of Mia. Mia's mother died in childbirth and the old lady was quite ill. She knew this social worker and trusted her to place Mia in a good home. So, we brought Mia home. We put her in Christian's arms and he said his first word…Mee a. You see, in the two years that he was our son, he'd never spoken a word. After Mia arrived, he took care of her all the time. He even changed her diapers."
"Elliot," asked Ana, "did you change diapers?"
"God, no. I thought that Chris was the biggest sucker in the world. Diapers were disgusting and I thought that he was nuts. Now I understand that he'd met someone who really needed him."
"Like me. I need you, don't I, Christian?" Ana asked with wide eyes. Christian looked at her softly and nodded. "Do you still need Christian, Mia?" Mia was fascinated by this woman-child. She nodded, too.
"I want to be independent again. I've always been…but I don't know if I'll ever stop needing Christian completely. He makes me feel better…except when he makes me mad."
CHAPTER 50
"Ha! Now we're getting somewhere. Tell us, Ana. How does Chris tick you off?"
"Oh, he doesn't give me ticks. Of course, we've never gone outside together much. Besides, I think you have to walk in high grass like around my old house to get ticks on you."
"I meant, how does he make you mad?" Elliot grinned.
"Sometimes when he tells me what to do and tries to keep me from taking care of myself. Only I know that even though he makes me mad, he's right, 'cause that man that wants to kill me is really crazy and mean and I'm not big enough to fight him off. I'm going to get stronger, though, and learn how to fight back better."
Everyone was staring at Ana as she nonchalantly mentioned her potential murderer….and her intention to take him on herself.
"No, Ana. I want you to be strong, too, but you're never going to stand up to this guy by yourself."
Ana rolled her eyes. "He's tried to kill me twice and failed but Christian doesn't want me to go anywhere without bodyguards. We fight about that."
"Did ya ever hear the expression…third time's the charm, Ana?" said Elliot, shaking his head in disbelief.
"No, Elliot. What does that mean?"
"It means, in your case, that the third time this guy tries to kill you, he might get lucky. Christian knows how to protect you. Please let him. That isn't being dependent. It's just being smart."
"I know that Christian wants to protect me but he shouldn't have to 'cause I'm just a stranger that he met in a café. He isn't supposed to have to worry about me. He has so many things to do."
"Okay, Ana, let's not get into this right now. We'll argue on the way home, deal?"
"Deal."
"Okay, I'm starving and Ana hasn't eaten yet today. Did Elliot leave any dinner for the rest of us?"
"Margaret wouldn't let me in the kitchen," grumbled Elliot. "I just needed a chicken leg, maybe some mashed potatoes." No one seemed sympathetic to his plight.
"Gail makes mashed potatoes all the time. I really like them."
"Well, we're having baked chicken and mixed vegetables and homemade bread and cherry pie," said Grace.
"That sounds wonderful, Dr. Grace. I'll try really hard to eat everything."
"How about a little bit of each?" Carrick suggested.
"Yeah, Ana. Elliot will help you out with the rest. Won't you, big bro?" teased Mia.
"I am a gentleman, sis," grinned Elliot.
Ana turned to Christian and whispered, "Why did Elliot call Mia that funny name?"
Christian looked into Ana's bright eyes and gave her a quick peck on her mouth. "It's short for sister."
Although no one let on, everyone had seen Christian kiss Ana's lips and Ana just nod as she picked up a spoon. It was clear that being kissed didn't surprise her.
"I did know what 'bro' meant. I wonder how come? I guess I must have known a brother once."
.+.
Ana ate a bite of everything but Christian could see that it wasn't easy for her. She'd been served regular meals for weeks now but she still ate like a bird. When she put her spoon down, he said nothing. No one remarked on her appetite. Grace had, no doubt, forewarned everyone.
Christian whispered to her while Elliot related a construction job story. "Did you like anything in particular?"
"Uh huh. I like the chicken. It was a lot better than that chicken from the dumpster. And I also liked the mashed potatoes with the chicken gravy. The green things were harder to eat. I'll have to practice. Gail says that they're good for me. 'Necessary nutrients', she says. I did eat some, tho'. Can I have some pie even if I didn't eat enough of the good stuff?" She looked at Christian hopefully.
"Of course, the cherries are a good fruit for you." Ana looked pleased. She quickly kissed his cheek. Again, no one at the table let on that they'd noticed but, boy, the first chance they had to get Christian alone…..
"Okay, Ana, would you like your pie heated or cold and would you like ice cream with it?"
"Ana, as a connoisseur, may I suggest heated with ice cream on top?" Elliot said helpfully. He figured that with luck, Ana wouldn't be able to finish her pie and he could help her out.
CHAPTER 51
While trying to be discrete, Christian had been watching Ana like a hawk for any signs of discomfort. She seemed to feel at ease with his family. Her smile was easy and real and her body felt relaxed.
"Mom, as long as we're here, would you mind giving Ana the once over?" Christian asked Grace.
"That's a good idea, dear. Ana, why don't you come with me to the guest room. I want to take a look at your arms and your blood pressure in particular."
Ana loved Grace. She was so kind and warm. Ana wanted to ask Mia what it was like to have a mother like Grace. Was she always nice to her or only when people were watching?
As soon as Grace and Ana were out of hearing range, Carrick, Elliot and Mia were on Christian like white on rice.
"Talk, bro. Spill," demanded Elliot.
"You two certainly don't look like a couple of roommates," Mia pointed out.
"Son, you don't have to tell us anything," said Carrick, "but we're ready to listen."
"Holy cow, fam. Settle down. There is nothing serious going on. I'm doing my best to keep things friendly."
"Well, we could see that. Very friendly. You're crazy about her, aren't you?" insisted Mia.
"Mia, you see romance in everything. Yes, we're a bit affectionate with each other but that is all. As Dad can tell you, Ana has plans and they don't include me."
"What Christian is referring to are Ana's plans to get a GED and a job and her own place. She's had little in the way of education. Maybe a few months while she was in one of the foster homes once but otherwise, she is self-taught. It's very important to her to be able to take care of herself. Her whole life she's had no one and entrusting her life to someone else seems foolhardy to her."
"Why didn't she go to school?" asked Elliot, his brow furrowed.
"Her mother kept her home to use as a housekeeper. She's smart, tho'. She knew an old retired teacher down the road and from ages 4 to 6, she learned to read and write and some simple math. Then her mother put her in a foster home. All told, she's probably had a total of 1 year of formal education, cobbled together from foster home to foster home. She's also been physically abused, leaving her with mild brain damage and memory issues.
"All in all," allowed Christian, "as Dad says, she's had no care, no protection, no decent food, no education. Yet she reads constantly and she writes and she's determined to hold a job and be free from the need for others because others can't be trusted."
Everyone was quiet for a moment.
"But what about you two? You seem kind of attached. Do you want to keep her?" asked Mia.
"Keep her?" Christian grunted. "She isn't some mongrel that I happened to find on the street and decided to adopt after I get her a rabies injection."
"You know what I mean."
"There is no long-term plan here. She has a ways to go before she's well. Dad is trying to get her a social security number so that she can get a job and I don't know what all she'll have to go through to get a GED. So, right now I'm just trying to get her to see sense which has been a struggle. Certainly, as long as Jack Hyde is out there looking for her, she is going to remain under my protection.
"By the way, by now this maniac knows who I am and who my family is so you're all going to have coverts at all times. Elliot, Mia…no argument. Elliot, you may think that you're too big for anyone to take on but guns, knives, drugs, etc., any number of weapons can be used against you. Mia, with all your weekend clubbing, you're in dangerous territory. Mom and Dad have already agreed to accept CPOs. Please don't give me a hard time about this. I've got more than enough to worry about."
Just then, Grace returned to the room. "Mom, is Ana all right?"
"Her blood pressure is still problematic, son…too high for a girl her age. I'm going to speak to her doctor about adjusting the dosage again. Her arms are still fragile and the skin is thin and easily torn with any exertion."
"Why is her skin torn?" queried Elliot.
"Remember when we were kids, we'd give each other indian burns, twist our skin in opposite directions?"
"Yeah, I sure do. Hurt like hell."
"Well, magnify the pressure by 100X and imagine the pain. He torn her flesh from her wrist to her bicep. It just doesn't heal. We keep washing off the blood, applying a topical medication and wrapping her arms up again. Apparently, she's had this done to her more than once because she said that it, 'quote, unquote' "takes forever to heal"."
"She may need skin grafts, Christian, if we don't see improvement soon. We're just barely holding infection at bay. Every morning have Gail change the bandages and again at night. She must be in terrible pain and yet she dismisses it as no big deal. Don't say anything to her. She is determined to be of no bother to anyone, especially you and me. Ironic, eh? Her doctor and her protector."
CHAPTER 52
As Christian and Ana drove away from Grey Manor that evening, his family sat together in the living room, having drinks and saying nothing for a while. The afternoon had been many things…tiring, interesting, fun and funny, sad, confusing…so many emotions. They all liked Ana and found her to be charming and endearing. However, her life story was heartbreaking even though she herself was rather blasé about it. Any suggestion that she had had a very rough go of it earned the response that she was lucky….that so many others suffered much harsher fates than Ana.
"I really like her," said Mia as everyone else joined in her sentiment.
"Yeah, it's kind of mind-blowing that after all she's been through, she's still so cheerful and grateful for what she has," Elliot remarked.
"In all the time that I've spent with her, I've seen her frightened and unsure but never have I heard her complain about her lot in life," Grace agreed.
"Sometimes I've wondered if she just doesn't get it," said Carrick. "When she called me for help in getting a social security number and talked about getting a job as a waitress, I asked her if she understood how hard servers work…did she realize that she'd have to spend hours on her feet and carry heavy trays with arms that won't stop bleeding. She said that she didn't expect her life to be easy or comfortable. She didn't even know what that must be like."
"Christian keeps telling her that he'll take care of her and she just thanks him but he doesn't think that she believes him. It's become a challenge for Christian to not only earn her trust but to get her to cede control because she believes that he'll let her down," Grace sighed. "She thinks that everything is temporary and soon she'll have to return to her old life."
"What can we do, Mom?" asked Mia.
"Just give her time and support. I know that she'll be all right physically because Christian would lock her up in the panic room before he'd let her place herself in harm's way. Perhaps with enough time she'll become accustomed to being cared for and will trust that it will continue."
"Well, I'll tell you," chuckled Carrick, "that social security number is going to be taking some time to come through."
.+.
Ana's head kept falling to her chest and then snapping up again as she fought sleep. Christian didn't understand why she was fighting to stay awake.
"Ana, go to sleep. I'm right here," Christian said as he slipped his arm around her shoulder.
"Have to stay awake," she mumbled.
"No, you don't, sweetheart. I'll take care of you. Let go, please. Just let go and trust that I've got you."
"Something could happen. Have to be prepared, be ready." Her voice was hardly more than a whisper.
Christian unbuckled her seatbelt and pulled her unto his lap, just as he had on the way to Grey Manor. Then he pulled his belt around both of them. She briefly struggled but finally melted into him, with her head on his chest. Now Christian could relax as well.
He was relieved. The day had gone well with his family. They'd made Ana feel welcome and she hadn't seemed self-conscious as he expected. He was very proud of his family. They showed her just enough attention. He'd like to be a fly on the wall right now to hear what they were saying but still he was confident that he'd get an earful soon.
Ana had finally fallen to sleep and snuggled closer. Christian couldn't deny that having her this close felt wonderful. He couldn't remember needing to hold someone since he was a six year old boy cradling his newborn sister.
Still, he wasn't completely at ease. He put his arms around her waist without putting pressure on her arms. He wondered if she deliberately wore a red sweater to disguise her bleeding arms because she hadn't said a word to him before they left.
Nancy, when you were helping Ana dress, were her arms bleeding? He texted.
I promised my patient confidentiality, Mr. Grey.
Is that why she choose the red sweater? Mom says that she may need skin grafts.
I'm sure that Dr. Grace questioned Ana thoroughly. With her nurses gone, Ana is going to need someone to wash her arms, apply medication and bandages. Don't pressure her about it. Let her open up to you as she feels comfortable in doing so.
Maybe you should continue on as her day nurse. She seems quite at ease with you, more a friend that a nurse.
But I am a nurse, Mr. Grey. Ana needs to feel that she is regaining her strength and independence. Perhaps encourage a friendship with your sister as a start to easing Ana into society and to learning how to trust others.
Christian read the texts and they made sense to him. He knew that he had to be patient and to take the time to help Ana toward a normal existence… ironic, since he had little history of normality.
CHAPTER 53
All the way back to Escala, Grey thought of the upcoming trip to Taiwan with dread. It seemed to be the wrong time to leave Ana alone.
Mia…would you consider moving into Escala next week while I'm in Taiwan?
Sorry, big brother. I promised Lily that I'd go to the Bahamas with her and her family all next week.
Well, it was worth a try.
Arriving home, Grey unbuckled and carried Ana to the elevator. As soon as he turned, he saw Taylor staring at the street. They looked at each other and nodded. Grey closed the elevator doors and Taylor began his sweep of the street. He texted Ryan to send Baxter and Reynolds to join him.
Upstairs, Grey called for Gail and asked her to get Ana changed into pajamas. Then he went into his study and texted Taylor.
When you're ready, bring the entire team to my study.
Whatever I saw has vanished.
A few minutes later, Grey sat with Taylor and all of the security team.
"What did you see, Taylor?"
"Someone tall, dressed in black and sneaking around. We covered the area but found no one."
"But your gut?"
"Tells me it was him. I got chills running up my spine and I have a bad feeling that he's still nearby. He knows she's here and he's waiting for his chance. We have to be proactive. Ryan is going to run all the CCTV footage we have to begin tracking him."
"You'll be sure that there is no way that he can get in…fire escape, stairwell, hacking the security system. I know this guy. He's been obsessed with Ana since she was six."
"Sir," asked Baxter, "why can't Ms. Steele tell the police?"
"We tried, when she was first hospitalized, to get the police involved. First thing out of their mouths was that this is a he said-she said situation."
"With her injuries, how the hell can they say that?"
"It was dark. There were no witnesses who could positively identify Jack."
"So, even if we catch him, the DA won't prosecute."
The entire team expressed their exasperation. They were going to catch this louse but what were they going to do with him after that?
"The important thing right how is that he doesn't get near Ana. Taylor, I know that you're not going to like this but I've decided to take Ryan to Taiwan. I want you here as Ana's CPO all next week. I want my chief of security to be in charge of organizing protection for Ana as well as Gail."
"Understood. Ryan, meet me in my office to discuss security in Taiwan," Taylor ordered.
After covering a few more details, Grey dismissed his team and went in to check on Ana. She was talking in her sleep. Well, that's new, Grey thought. He kicked off his shoes, removed his shirt and his pants. His boxers were enough he thought. He slipped under the covers and lay next to Ana. I'm in control, he smiled to himself. I'm as flaccid as a dead eel. While he was congratulating himself on keeping his dick under control, Ana rolled over and flung her leg over Christian and settled her head and arm on his chest.
Groaning, Christian thought of getting up and rubbing one out in the shower but he knew he'd only be safe for another ten minutes or so. Sometimes, being quick to recover was not the blessing it seemed to be. So, girding his loins and gritting his teeth, Grey willed his dick to lay down and be soft and silent. He loved having Ana this close and he wanted to enjoy it for as long as he could. He knew what hell it was going to be next week being thousands of miles away from her.
He kissed her head and put his arm around her. She moaned and mumbled "Christian" and kissed his chest. Having her do so was as natural as him kissing her. Perhaps being gone next week would be good for him. The time away would give him some perspective. He was in deep.
.+.
The moment the Grey jet lifted off the tarmac, the Grey brain switched gears. He summoned his Dom and all his concentration to focus on all he needed for the talks with the Taiwanese. He had almost gotten Ana an IPad and taught her to Skype but then thought better of it. He had to forget that she existed for the next four days. Yet, he knew that he'd be thinking of her the whole time.
This was the problem in dealing with human beings. He'd never thought of his subs while he was gone from Seattle. He was able to delve completely into the business problem at hand. Sometimes, while on a two week tour, he'd feel the lack of tension relief but he could always pick up a pro in whatever city he was in. He'd sometimes visit clubs and or just turn his hotel room into mini-playrooms. He wasn't fond of anyone so anyone would do.
Damn it. Being fond of Ana was troublesome. She'd told him that she'd miss him but she didn't make a big deal of it. Why hadn't she made a big deal of it? He wanted her to really miss him.
Of course, what he didn't know was that she did. As his plane flew east, she sat in his bed, her arms wrapped around her knees, rocking to sooth herself. He was the first person to ever truly care about her and despite her determination to be independent, she was losing the battle. She was afraid for his safety high in the air, down on strange ground and driving in traffic. She slept badly and had to endure her nightmares every night.
Grey called but everyone was given strict orders to say nothing to Ana. Likewise, Ana had asked everyone to tell Christian that she was doing fine and sleeping well. Since he'd stopped sleeping with her, she figured that he didn't worry about her anyway but she didn't want to take any chances that he'd be distracted from his work. She read everything she could find on Taiwan, its government and the conflict with China. What if that conflict escalated while Christian was in the line of fire? Could Christian get out? Would his plane be shot down? Ana wandered the house at night, chewing on toast to calm her stomach. In the morning, Gail would find half-eaten slices of toast lying on the piano, the desk, the coffee table, a dozen places. It was all she'd eat. Gail would threaten Ana that she'd tell Christian that she wasn't eating so Ana would try to get down a bowl of soup or an egg but mostly she'd just look at food.
.+.
Meanwhile, Grey was tearing into his opponents like the very agitated Dom he could be. The men around the table weren't seated in leather chairs; they were suspended from the carabiners. Every word was a slap with a cane. Every sentence was a flogging. Every paragraph landed like a belt. The interpreters could barely keep up with him as he paced around the room, pounded his fist on the table and, in general, terrorized his adversaries. They had all heard about the remarkable Christian Grey who'd started his business with one $100,000 acquisition eight years ago at the age of 19. They knew that he was now the sole owner of a conglomerate worth billions and was still only 27. They didn't believe it either. They figured that it was a fairy story concocted to impress the opposition. Now as each man shuddered as Grey walked behind his chair, making his way around the room, they believed…and their only desire was to settle their business dealings with Christian Grey as quickly as possible. Americans, they'd found after years of doing deals, were usually blowhards and windbags who thought blowing cigar smoke in their faces would bring the Taiwanese to their knees. Not this American.
"Gentlemen, do we understand each other now?" Grey leaned on his hands and stared down the table.
"I believe that we do, Mr. Grey. Your intentions and expectations are clear. We will now require some time to discuss and come to our conclusions."
"Good. Please do so quickly. I expect that you are clear not only on where I stand but on what you want. We will conclude for today. I'm expected to return home with a dozen or so kimonos," he smiled for the first time and the room was dazzled.
"We will meet at 8 a.m. and I expect to sign the paperwork and be on my jet by noon. I will be quite displeased by any delays. Thank you for your attention today."
Then, followed by Ryan and Baxter, Grey strode masterfully out of the room and to the elevators.
"Baxter, how are you holding up? I wasn't sure about bringing you along so soon after your recovery."
"I'm grateful that you did, sir. I've been wanting to handle more foreign assignments. I assure you that I had more than enough time to get well. My mother was driving me nuts."
Ryan and Grey howled with laughter as they rode down to the lobby. Grey was pleased that Baxter could come along with Ryan. He wanted Taylor home with Ana. Grey was on fire the past few days and with any luck, they could all go home tomorrow. If anything changed on the Taiwanese side to prohibit their departure, Grey would make them sorry.
CHAPTER 54
"How long has she been like this?" Grace Grey inquired.
"It's been progressing, Dr. Trevelyan, since Mr. Grey left. "She eats little, sleeps badly. Thank god that your son is returning tomorrow. There was something in the news about American and Chinese jets tangling off the coast of Taiwan and then she got worse. Her blood pressure keeps escalating despite the increase in dosage."
"Ana, dear, look at me."
"Hi, Dr. Grace. How are you?"
Grace smiled. "Well, better than you. Gail says that you haven't been eating or sleeping."
"Not true. I eat a lot of toast and I know that I sleep because I have nightmares. It's because I'm selfish."
"You'll have to clarify that comment, dear. What are you being selfish about?"
"I should be taking care of myself, like always, not being such a burden to all of you, especially Christian. He didn't sign on for this. Now I've become too needy and then I don't handle life well when he's gone. I should really get dressed and leave before he gets back. Will you help me?"
Grace sighed. Ana's complexion was pallid and she was losing weight rather than gaining as she should. Eating so little protein made her brain foggy. She didn't understand what she was saying sometimes…like now. When Christian returned, Grace was going to insist that he take Ana away for a while…on the boat or to Aspen or Montana. Ana was in better condition before he left and his being gone had pushed her downhill fast. She needed to build strength as much as possible before he went back to work.
Grace knew that Christian was in love with Ana even if she was the only person who did. She knew her son. As soon as he accepted that, he could start to make changes in his life to benefit them both. These 120 hour work weeks could not continue. He wasn't alone in the world anymore. He had someone counting on him for her very life.
"Ana, I'm going to give you an injection to help you sleep without disturbance and when you waken, you are going to eat whatever Gail sets in front of you. If not, you will be in terrible shape when Christian gets back. Do you want that? Do you want him to worry?"
"It's okay. He doesn't want to sleep with me anymore. He won't worry so much. I think I'm boring him now." Then Ana closed her eyes and drifted off.
"Gail, what does she mean that Christian doesn't want to sleep with her anymore. I'd no idea that they were lovers."
"Night nurse said that up until recently your son slept with Ana because of her nightmares. He was the best at calming them. It was just sleeping. However, a week or so ago, he stopped. Told the nurse to soothe Ana and call him only if it was an emergency. Perhaps he felt that she was becoming too dependent on him. She talks a lot about getting a job and a studio apartment and taking care of herself. Frankly, from what I know of her prior to meeting Mr. Grey, she was close to losing her life. She had no place to life, little to eat and a man trying to kill her….but she is proud and, I believe, a bit delusional. She's been lucky and living off her youth. She can't continue that way."
"Oh, Gail," sighed Grace in despair. "I think that is past time to call John Flynn. She needs psychological help."
Flynn had been Christian's last therapist and the only one to ever break through his walls. Could he do the same for Ana? Flynn remembered Grace and Christian and was more than happy to help their friend. He suggested that Grace keep Ana sedated mostly until he could get to her in the next couple of days.
.+.
When Ana awoke, a heavy-set man in a shirt, cardigan and loafers was sitting in a chair, watching her. Ana, Flynn noted, had woken twice and each time she stared at him for several minutes before she fell back into sleep. He also knew that Dr. Trevelyan had not sedated her enough to keep her under to this degree. This time when she woke, he spoke to her. He asked her how she was feeling after her long nap. She simply looked at him, some confusion in her eyes. Finally, she answered. It was only one word, "Fine". Did she have bad dreams? he asked. Again, her response was one word "Fine". He was concerned that she was so apathetic. Are you worried that Christian might crash? She hesitated but then replied, "No". Dr. Flynn noted the lack of affect in her voice and face. He asked if she wanted to go back to sleep. Her complete impassivity concerned him.
When she woke next, he told her that he was Dr. Flynn and that his friend, Dr. Grace Trevelyan, had asked him to talk with Ana. Ana stared at him, sitting up when he requested that she do so.
"Who am I, Ana?"
She only shrugged and yawned.
"Ana, why won't you eat?"
"Not hungry"
The corpulent doctor couldn't imagine lack of appetite.
"The man in black was in front of the building again last night but then he vanished."
"Yes. He can't be seen except by me. He wants me to see him."
"Knowing that this man is after you must be terrifying," said Flynn.
Ana looked toward the window. "It's okay."
"Ana, how is it okay that someone is trying to kill you?"
"Then it will be over. Christian can stop feeling obligated to care for me. He's taken too much on and is unable to get rid of me now. I want to leave but they won't let me. It's so unfair to Christian. I'm not good for him."
"Dr. Grace thinks that you've been very good for him. She says that while he does worry about you, he is happy with you being here."
"Will you help me leave? I don't have much to pack but I don't know how to get out of the building. You got in. Maybe you can take me with you when you go," Ana spoke softly and hopefully.
"No, Ana. I'm a doctor and I believe that this is the best place for you."
"I do have a place to go. Jack doesn't know where my hiding place is. I'll be safe there."
"Do you mean the cellar on Olive Street, Ana?"
Ana didn't answer. She turned her head to the window again.
"That place isn't safe for you, Ana. It's dirty. It's just a dank basement. What will you do for water, for food, for warmth."
Ana's head dropped and tears flowed down her cheeks. "I'm so useless, such a bother to everyone. Jack is right. There isn't any reason for me. I'm just a mistake. He tried to get rid of me but I fought him. I shouldn't have. I could be gone now and Christian's life would be better. Dr. Grace and Gail wouldn't have to fix me."
Dr. Flynn was fighting to remain objective but he was failing. He gulped and took Ana's hand. It was icy cold despite the warm room and Ana's flannel pajamas. Ana looked at Flynn with pleading eyes.
"Please help me go. For so many weeks I've caused these people so much trouble and I want to stop."
"What would you do, Ana? Would you walk out into the street and wait for Jack? Is that what you'd do?"
For the first time, Ana showed some fire. "You don't understand! Even before Jack, I was a mistake. My mother told me that she didn't intend to make me. She tried to stop me being born because she knew I shouldn't be. My parents suffered because of me. Mama and Papa Collins just wanted to take care of kids but I ruined everything for them. My brain doesn't work right and I'm always sick. Look, look! My arms never heal. My body is wrong, too. People feel sorry for me because I'm poor and dumb. There is so much pain in the world, so many children who need help and I'm taking the help they should be getting. Look! In the closet Christian put all these beautiful things for me to wear but it's a waste. I look in the mirror and I'm ugly."
Ana was hyperventilating. She slowed down her speech. "I'm full of self-pity. My mother tried to beat it out of me but I was stubborn. There is nothing about me that belongs anywhere. Jack told me that I'm just a waste of space and he's right. Christian and his mother are such good people and they're wasting their efforts on nothing. I am nothing. I will live and die for no reason. And I'm so tired of fighting to live.
"I thought that I could get a social security number and a GED and a job and maybe I could help other people but that was all imaginary. I've never been of any use to anyone and I am so weary of trying. Please help me leave here. Give me to Jack."
Dr. Flynn gave Ana another injection to put her back to sleep. She protested but she had no strength to refuse. In a minute she was deep in a sleep that Flynn felt was probably filled with pain.
.+.
Oh, it felt good to be in the air. Grey looked out the window at bright blue skies. Like Ana's eyes. He was so impatient to look into those eyes again. Negotiations had gone well, very well. With the motivation to get home to Ana, he had been more fired up than he had in recent memory. He'd muscled the Taiwanese into a contract favorable to GEH and in half the time he'd expected to take. He'd also informed them that any future meetings to be held in person would be either in Seattle or conducted by his COO, Ros Bailey. If these conditions were not amenable to the board, their business would be concluded.
He'd barely slept in three nights and when he wasn't tearing around the conference table, he was feeling ill at ease. He'd purposely avoided calling home more because he needed to be on target. Talking to Ana would only make him miss her more and slow him down. Now he'd be home by Thursday afternoon with a good tail wind. He and Ana could make a three-day weekend of it…sailing on the Sound. It would be really good for her. He put his head back, his mind at rest and fell to sleep.
Taylor picked him up at the airport. Grey was displeased. He'd wanted Taylor to be with Ana.
"Not necessary, sir. Dr. Grace and Gail are with her. The rest of the security team are watching the building 24/7."
"Has Jack been sighted?"
"Yes, sir. However, he's ghosted us every time. We don't know how he's doing it. The CCTV footage shows him watching the building. We have coverts outside ready to grab him but they don't see him. Welsh dug deep and came up with more information on his life to date."
"Go on."
"He's a brilliant man, sir. Estimated to have a genius IQ but he's also known to be a psychopath. No surprise there. After leaving state care at 18, he immediately won a scholarship to Princeton. He finished up in three years with a summa cum laude and a 4 point GPA. He'd held a number of high positions in different corporations but he never stayed very long. He told his last employer that he had unfinished business in Seattle before he could begin to settle down. He has had no address since he arrived here and no job. Welsh dug really deep, checking employment records on the entire west coast to find hires than might match Hyde but found nothing."
"I'm assuming that Ana is the unfinished business."
"That's what I'm thinking, too. He's psychotically obsessed with her for some reason. I'm supposing that she's the only person who has ever bested him. That story you told me about the incident in the alley? That time he thought he had her but her being hospitalized must have thwarted his plans. He probably figured that he needed a good education to use to make the money to continue his pursuit of her."
"I'd really like to get this guy alive, Taylor. He's got Ana's head filled with evil ideas about herself and to have psychiatrists able to explain him to her would help, I'm sure. How is she doing?"
Taylor hesitated. "Your mother called Dr. Flynn. He was coming over today to talk with Ana."
"She's bad, then. Is that what you're telling me? Taylor, truth."
"Yes, sir. And don't berate me for not calling. There is nothing that you could have done. You, in fact, seem to be one of her problems."
"What the hell does that mean?" Grey said angrily.
"You're St. Christian who is way too good for her, yet, without intending to, she has trapped you into feeling responsible for her and it is ruining you. She's been begging to be released into the streets. She wants to free you. She wants, in fact, to free everyone who has taken her under their wing."
"Just get me home, fast," Christian ordered.
CHAPTER 55
After he'd given Ana the sedative, Flynn sat back in his chair and watched her. Even in sleep, Ana looked tortured. He wasn't sure what to do about her. She'd been brainwashed her whole life. That wouldn't be easy to undo. He felt that she was a lot smarter than she perceived herself to be. If he could test her IQ, perhaps he could show her that she wasn't 'dumb' as Jack and her parents thought her to be. She, indeed, had some issues but those were mainly due to inadequate nutrition and multiple head injuries. Whether her problems were permanent was yet to be known.
He heard a noise just outside the bedroom door so he got up to open it…finding Christian sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, tears flowing down his face. Dr. Flynn was stunned. The man he knew didn't allow emotions to overtake him. He'd lived a life trying to avoid any more pain than the abundance he experienced his first four years.
Flynn managed to lower his considerable bulk on one knee to look at Christian. He removed his handkerchief to wipe Christian's tears away.
"Come on, come with me, Christian," Flynn encouraged him.
The two men moved out into the great room where Grace was waiting.
"Gail?" questioned Flynn.
"She's with Taylor. She needs rest," replied Grace.
"How are you?" Flynn asked.
"Worn out. And so, so angry, John. Imagine having your own mother tell you how she tried to get rid of you because she knew that you weren't meant to be born. You know, Christian's birth mother was very young and ill and she did a poor job of caring for Christian but she loved him. She prostituted herself to care for him."
Grace put her arm around her son as he leaned forward on his knees and buried his face in his hands.
"I shouldn't have left her, Mom. I knew better or thought I did."
"How much did you hear?" asked Dr. Flynn.
"Most of it. I wanted to rush in and tell her that she was wrong but she'd probably pretend that she was fine. Fine, fine, fine…Jesus! Much of this is my fault, too. I stopped sleeping with her because I was having trouble keeping my body under control and a woman who's been assaulted multiple times doesn't need to…well…feel my reactions. Sorry, Mom. Don't mean to gross you out."
Grace chuckled. "Tell me, John. Why do the young always think that they invented sex?"
Together John and Grace smiled at Christian.
"Did you think to tell Ana that you were getting erections and that you didn't want to frighten her?" asked Flynn.
"Jesus, John, my mother is sitting right here." Again John and Grace laughed.
"I suggest, Christian, that you get over your squeamishness and tell Ana why you stopped sleeping with her. I think withdrawing from her like that took her down a step," said Flynn.
"I'd scare her. She'd think that I was just like all the men who'd raped her."
"No, no, Christian. I believe that you are wrong about that. If you want a healthy sexual relationship with Ana, tell her."
"Absolutely not. She'd think that she has to sleep with me to repay me for helping her. It'd be a rape…just a different kind."
"Suppose that I talked with her about it. At this point, she thinks that you don't even care for her and we both know that is far from the truth, don't we, dear," Grace looked her son in the eye.
"One day she kissed me and I was so turned on that I avoided her. She thought that she wasn't supposed to initiate kissing and that because she had, I was turned off." Christian shook his head, wiping away remnant tears from his cheeks.
"John, can you help her?" asked Christian. "Can you help her to get past all the horrible things she's been taught about herself? Just tell me what to do as well. I'll do whatever it takes."
Christian, Grace and John sat talking for a long time…discussing what could be done to help Ana. It was mutually agreed that John should talk to Ana about sex. Christian was reluctant to have Ana think that she needed to have sex with him. John agreed that he could best explain Christian's fears.
They were also all in agreement that Ana needed daily therapy sessions for a few weeks and then weekly. John thought that Christian ought to be present for some joint sessions so that Ana and he could ask questions of each other.
Christian explained to Grace that Jack Hyde was a violent psychopath whose life's purpose seemed to be destroying Ana. He begged her to sit the family down and get them to take their safety seriously. He already had coverts posted on the perimeter of Grey Manor and he was going to add more. Each person was also going to have their own CPO. Elliot was to have coverts guarding his construction sites round the clock. Tell them, Christian said, that if one of them was hurt by Jack, it would destroy Ana.
Finally, exhausted, John took his leave…promising to return in the morning for another session with Ana.
Christian texted Taylor to have his team do a thorough sweep of The Grace so that he and Ana could go sailing. Taylor would rent another vessel to tail The Grace in case Jack followed. Life, Grey cautioned his mother, could be complex for some time until Hyde was caught.
CHAPTER 56
Ana felt a familiar warmth enveloping her as the morning sun awakened her. It took her a moment to realize that Christian was with her. He was back! She rolled around to face him, desperate to believe that she wasn't imagining this miracle. He'd not only survived his trip but he'd returned to his bed. She burrowed into his chest and put her leg through his two, bringing her knee up for balance.
"Don't break little Richard," Christian mumbled. It was then that Ana understood what she was bumping into…morning wood.
Christian mumbled something unintelligible while he tightened his hold on Ana and buried his face in her shoulder.
"I'm so glad that you're back, Christian," Ana whispered, kissing his neck.
"I think that I set a new negotiating record. I was determined to get home to you," he almost hummed to her.
"You really missed me? Really? I thought you'd be happy to get away from me for a while."
"I didn't want to go…had no choice…miserable the whole time," he continued mumbling.
"You didn't call," Ana said accusingly.
"Couldn't get distracted by what I really wanted. Get done. Get home. Get Ana. It's still early. Go back to sleep."
"Okay, I'll try."
.+.
Taylor's team began its sweep of The Grace at dawn. They covered every inch of the catamaran for any possible hazards left by Jack Hyde. They looked in every cupboard, nook and cranny for bomb materials….for any possible hiding spots that a human could squeeze into….even closely examining the deck for deliberately slick spots. And when they'd searched every bit of the boat above the waterline, they donned wetsuits and inspected the hull below the water.
When they were certain that there was nowhere else to look, they took the boat out on the Sound for 30 minutes to detect any hidden hazards. It did not escape their attention that they were putting their lives on the line but that was the job. Finally sure that the boat was safe, they maneuvered her back into her berth, leaving several men to guard her until the boss and Ana arrived.
Taylor had told them to try to think like obsessive, psychopathic killers to help the team ferret out ways to kill involving a boat. One of the obsessive, psychopathic killer-wanabes came up with the idea of a drone dropping a bomb on the boat. Thus, it was decided that Ryan, ex-army snipper, would stay aboard armed with a weapon able to blow a drone out of the sky. The boss wanted to be alone with Ana and he certainly didn't want her to be fearful but he agreed that it was a genius move…and Jack was a genius. Nuts…but a genius.
.+.
As Christian piloted the catamaran through the waters of the Sound, Ana sat on a cushioned bench, clinging to the railing and gazing mesmerized at the scenery all around her. While Christian showered that morning, Ana had googled "bodies of water". There were so many different names….lakes, bays, rivers, creeks, oceans, seas, streams…and Ana wanted to understand all the differences. Sounds, she had read, were a series of inlets. She looked at maps as well. She was ravenous for knowledge. She'd always wanted to be educated even while being stymied by her poor memory, her headaches, her confusion and the fog that seemed to be always with her.
Today she didn't feel as stupid as she usually did. She'd had a good session with Dr. Flynn and now the air was so clean and crisp and with her new laptop and strong internet connection, she could find out about things faster. One of the staff or Christian would say something that she didn't understand and she'd immediately google it. Since Sounds were made up of inlets, Ana watched for each one and pointed it out to Christian. It was annoying and adorable. At a wide spot on the Sound, Christian dropped anchor and turned off the engine.
"Christian, I don't see any other boats, do you?"
"Nope…got the place all to ourselves, honey."
Ana nodded and quietly leaned back against his chest while he wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her hair. She hummed contentedly, closing her eyes and feeling the breeze wash over her.
"Christian?"
"Yes, baby?"
"If we're alone out here, why do I hear an engine?"
CHAPTER 57
Christian had been so distracted by the nearness of Ana that he hadn't been paying attention to anything else.
"Ryan, do you hear an engine?"
"Yes, sir. With my binoculars, I can catch a glimpse of a small vessel just inside an inlet a mile or so ahead."
"Christian, I'm scared. I'm afraid that Jack is lying in wait for us."
"Ana, go down to the cabin and stay low. Ryan, keep a steady eye on that boat. I'm going to alert Taylor."
Small boat hiding in inlet just ahead. Maybe nothing. How would Hyde know we'd be out here?
Last night he would have seen several men leave. Would have followed and surmised. Stand by.
Christian impatiently watched the shoreline, trying to deduce Hyde's intentions. He wanted to turn The Grace around but he also didn't want to lose a chance at Hyde.
A man calling himself John Smith rented a fishing boat early this morning. Described as quite tall and dressed in black. Hold your position. Alert Ryan and go below.
"Ryan, Taylor is coming up behind us. I'm going below with Ana."
Christian found Ana huddled by a cabinet in the galley, frozen with fear. He made certain that her lifejacket was securely attached and wrapped himself around her. He was kicking himself for not anticipating this possibility. They should have known that Hyde could ambush them. If Christian had not dropped anchor and killed the engine, they would have sailed right past a madman taking aim.
"It's okay, baby. Ryan's watching the boat and Taylor is joining us to try to flush Hyde out of his hiding place."
"Let him have me, Christian," Ana pleaded. "I'll stand at the bow and he can shoot when we go by. Then you can get him and put him in prison and no one else will get hurt."
"Ana," Christian tilted her face up to his, "you're not making sense. I'm not giving you up. Do you understand? This isn't your fault. He's just a loon."
"Loons," Ana said, with tears rolling down her cheeks, "are rather nice birds."
"Yeah, you're a loon, the prettiest loon I've ever known," Christian grinned. "I've come to love loons."
Ana stared at him. Then they were both startled by the sounds of gun-fire. Christian covered Ana's body with his, crouching as low as possible. The Grace began to come about, heading back toward the marina. The gunfire continued, though fading the further The Grace moved back down the Sound. Then the boat slowed and turned and began backing into its berth.
"Sir, now…to the car"
Ana's legs were too weak to run so Christian picked her up and ran for the SUV, thankful that he'd ordered the new ones to be bullet proof. Ryan peeled out of the parking lot and torn off toward the freeway.
"I think you can slow down now, Ryan," Christian remarked.
"No, sir. Get you back to Escala fast. Taylor's orders."
"What about my orders?" Christian grumbled.
"I think we've been down this road before, sir." Ryan grinned.
.+.
Ana was pretty shook up. The other times that Jack had tried to kill her, she was alone. There was no one else in her world. This time, however, her whole world was with her. She couldn't stop trembling as she thought of the possibility that Christian could be hurt….or worse.
"Ana, honey, we're safe. Jack is surrounded by my men and their guns. With any luck, we'll get him this time."
"No. He'll get away. He'll vanish, like smoke. He's something terrible and killing me is everything to him. One of these times, you'll be in the way," Ana sobbed. Christian held her fast and murmured to her.
When they arrived back in the garage, Ryan told them to stay in the car while he did a sweep of the area. Ana was still near hysterical. Christian carried her into the elevator because he liked having her this close and because, walking on her own, she might run. She wouldn't get far but she would get hurt.
"Gail," Grey asked as he carried Ana into the foyer, "would you bring Ana some of that tea she likes. We'll be in the library."
"Gail," Ana cried, " he won't let me go. Tell him to let me go."
"No, dear, none of us will let you go."
Christian set Ana down on the couch and gave her his handkerchief to dry her eyes and blow her nose. When she seemed calmer and had her tea, he began the talk he'd wanted to have with her for some time.
CHAPTER 58
"Ana, can you listen to me now, really listen, or do you need a nap?" Christian said, with his hand lovingly caressing her cheek. She blew her nose again and he wondered how someone could look so cute while blowing snot into a hanky. Probably his personal bias.
"I'll listen, Christian. I'll try to understand." Ana promised.
She was looking at him with such sincerity that he was afraid that all he'd do is kiss her. Summoning up what little discipline he had left, he took her hand.
"Ana, I've tried to tell you before but you have your mind made up. Now, I want you to change it."
Ana nodded. "I'm stubborn, I know."
"And deluded and set in your ways and terrified of a world you've barely survived. I've told you that you are not a burden, certainly not to me and not to anyone."
"Because of me, your whole family is in danger."
"My family is in danger most of the time because one of their number is a billionaire, a prime kidnapping target. I could show you a folder filled with threats against me and mine. People hate us because we're rich and now that I've become so well-known, so have they. Mia used to be able to go clubbing and dancing and now she has at least two CPOs with her at all times and she hates it. There have been at least six attempts to grab her or poison her drink. Even Elliot, our mountain man, has been drugged and dragged into a van. Saved by his CPOs. And my parents get approached on the street all the time. The threats come in their mail, too.
"We all lived rather private lives until about 7 years ago when I made my first million. The headlines made us targets. Everyone had to adjust. My first billion put me on the cover of Forbes and Time. The money didn't make our lives any easier. It just made us well-known to every jealous, angry kook. I hadn't thought of any of that when I started my company. I just wanted to make a good living and be my own boss.
"This latest threat is disturbing because he wants you. Our research on him suggests that we're targets only if we stand in his way. Mia wants to take you shopping. This activity, to me, is boring as hell but she loves it. It kills her that I won't allow it. She ordered me to "get this maniac fast," he chuckled. "But no one in the family resents you. They really like you and want to protect you almost as much as I do. No one wants to protect you more than me. I fought it at first. Didn't want an obligation. I thought about shipping you off to my parent's ranch in Montana."
"Why didn't you? I'd be out of your hair."
"Because I want you in my hair and I can't foresee a time when I won't. I used to have my company and my subs. My family came in a far third. Gosh, looking back, I don't know how I stood that life. It was so empty, meaningless. I used my drive to build GEH to protect myself from all the pain inside me. Since you came into my life, I don't feel that pain anymore. I feel protected…by you."
"By me?" Ana looked astonished.
"Not in a physical way, no. Emotionally. You've saved me, Ana. Jack isn't going to get you because I want you. You're mine now. I won't allow him to take what's mine. I can't go back to the life I had without you. It would break my heart, Ana, to lose you. All that agony I carried inside for most of my life, it's gone. I'm happy. I'm content. I wake in the morning and I feel good, especially if you're with me."
"I like sleeping with you, too. So why did you stop for a while? I was really scared that you were bored with me."
Christian took a deep breath. He had to get it out or leave it to John Flynn. Somehow he felt he should speak for himself.
"At first, when I slept with you, it was because of your nightmares. And, because of mine. When I sleep with you, I don't have the nightmares anymore and I don't wake in the middle of the night and have to play the piano 'til dawn.
"However, we began kissing. I tried to stop because I felt that I was taking advantage but then you kissed me. And the kissing changed from simple affection and comfort to…hmm…something stronger. When we kissed, when you walked into a room, when you came into my mind a hundred times a day, I felt…want. When I curled up in bed behind you, I had erections."
The premier dominant of Seattle was turning red as he related his growing lust for his house guest. And he was so afraid of scaring Ana.
"You wanted to have sex with me, you mean?" she asked.
"I'm a very sensual kind of guy, Ana. You've been assaulted numerous times. And then a man you've come to trust will not hurt you like all the others is suddenly poking you in the back with his dick. I want you, Ana. You are the first woman in my life that I've truly wanted. And the other problem is that I've never made love to a woman. I don't want to fuck you, Ana. I want to love you."
"And I don't want to be raped. I want to make love, too."
"I'm afraid that all the hell you've been through will rear up with terrifying memories when I touch you. And most of all, I want to be sure that you're not feeling that you have to do anything to repay me. If you don't want me the way that I want you, we can go on just as we have…that is, if you don't mind a hard dick jabbing you in the back."
"I've been molested so many times I've lost count….and by so many men. I've been raped at least a dozen times. The doctor says that I have a lot of scars because I was a little girl and the men didn't fit and I was dry. I learned by the time I was a teenager how to fight them off. I'd grab hold of their penises and twist until they were begging me to release them. One man? I gouged out one of his eyes. You think that you can't do that awful stuff until the moment comes and it's easy. I don't know if I'd suddenly flip up…wait…out when you touch me. I've never thought of a penis entering me as a pleasurable thing.
"But I want you, too. When we kiss, it's never enough. I want more and I've never really understood what 'more' is but I could try. I know that you'll be patient with me. You always are. So, will you make love with me, Christian?"
Christian heart was pounding like a pile driver. His dick was like a steel rod and his balls ached. He thought to himself that he had to get control. It was up to him to make this good for her. He held her head in his hands and kissed her deep and true. Her tongue greeted his. But he paid attention to her lips, too. They were so soft and he never knew that lips could be so much fun.
After a while, he pulled back, catching his breath and looked into her eyes. The wide-eyed innocence he always saw there had changed. They were darker and wanting.
"My bed. Now." He took her hand and they walked together with Ana leaning against him.
CHAPTER 59
Christian tried to summon his confident Dom but he was shaking. Making love to Ana was probably the most important thing he'd ever do and he felt total responsibility for the success of their relationship. Ana, he felt, was a babe in the woods while he'd been with dozens of women since he was 15. It was all, he believed, on his shoulders.
He wanted to strip off her clothing and throw her down on the bed and just be inside her as quickly as possible. That's where he would find peace and completion. He somehow knew that Ana would be the last woman he ever claimed as his so he had to make sure that everything went well for her.
As soon as they entered the room, Ana turned to him and brought his face down to hers, kissing him as she never had before. She needed to reassure him, to put him at ease. She felt him trembling so she wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. Then she stepped back and slowly began to slip his sweater over his head, followed by his t-shirt. She realized that while she'd seen him naked, he had not seen her unclothed. She had little faith that Christian could find her even a bit as attractive as she found him.
"Christian, you have a beautiful body. Even your burn scars are beautiful. I've already told you that I like your penis. You have no reason to fear that seeing you naked will upset me. On the other hand, my body is, well, another story. I'm afraid that you'll be repulsed. I have many scars and I know that I'm just a bony mess. I'll understand if you want to stop now."
Christian answered with a powerful kiss. Then, rather more hurriedly than he intended, he began undressing Ana, kissing her on every inch of skin he unveiled. When he'd removed her sweater and found no bra in his way, he latched onto her breasts. Yes, they were small and round and fit perfectly in his mouth. When he heard Ana groan, he stopped, fearful that she was hurting.
"Ana?"
She pulled his head back down to her chest, muttering, "don't stop".
She fumbled with his belt and the button on his jeans. Her hand so near his dick was driving him mad. He had no control and wasn't even thinking of it. He stood still for a minute while Ana removed his jeans, his boxers, his socks and shoes. She gazed at his body for a moment and then swiftly pulled down her own jeans, underwear and shoes. They slammed together, kissing furiously. Ana took his dick in her hand. It was rock hard and it felt good to touch. Christian had no idea that he was moaning and saying her name over and over.
He picked her body up and lowered it as gently as he could manage in the state he was in.
"I'm sorry. I'm going too fast." To this, Ana replied "hurry, hurry."
Christian had intended to bring Ana to orgasm as quickly as possible. He wanted her to feel good when he entered her but he forgot all that in his desperation to be inside of her. He lifted her legs and she crossed them around his back as he pushed into her. Later, when he was less desperate, he would feel the scars but now all he felt was Ana, the cushion of her walls around his cock, the tightness, the wetness, the intense connection…everything that was inside Ana and only Ana. He would never be able to recall what it felt like to be inside one of his subs. Now there was and would only ever be Ana.
He was trying to hold back, to stay in the moment for as long as possible but, again, he had no control. He groaned her name over and over until he detonated as powerfully as he'd ever known. Ana embraced him as tightly as possible with her arms and her legs as she murmured, "don't let go, don't let go". And he didn't. He had to hold on because he was falling off a cliff. How many orgasms had he had in 12 years with how many women and he almost wept for the emptiness of it? So much time gone, wasted.
When he finally caught his breath, he raised his head and looked down at Ana. "I'm sorry I was so selfish." "Hush," she said. With tears in the corners of her eyes, she held his face in her hands and said thank you.
Christian began to kiss and suckle Ana's skin as he moved down her body. "Oh, lord, you taste so good," he moaned. When he reached her pubic area, he was surprised that she was almost bare. "Ana, when did you shave off your hair?"
"I didn't. One of my mother's boyfriends waxed me when I was 12. He said that he didn't like pubic hair. It was agony. He said that it was a special wax that was quite intense but that it would kill the roots. I had just started puberty and so I had a bit of pubic hair and more of a fuzz on my legs. The wax burned my legs so badly that the skin became infected and I developed a raging fever. My mother wouldn't take me to the hospital because she was afraid that she and her boyfriend would get into trouble. Thankfully, the boyfriend convinced her that I could die and then they'd really be in trouble. They told the doctors that I did it to myself. I was delirious for a couple of days and the doctors warned my mother than the infection might develop into gangrene. If that happened, they might have had to amputate."
"Jesus, Ana, did you tell the doctors after you came to what had really happened?"
"Oh, no. I'd learned that I must always lie to protect my mother. The boyfriend disappeared. I recovered. Mother told the social workers that she couldn't take care of me so I went into another foster home. Oh, and the hair never grew back. I've never thought too much about it. Is it unpleasant for you, Christian?"
"Unpleasant?" Christian chuckled as he sucked on her labia and her clitoris. "Your folds are soft and the scent is driving me crazy. As he licked the outside and the inside, Ana squirmed and made little cries. He gently pushed just one finger into her and immediately found the sweet spot. He wished his tongue could reach it. Suddenly, Ana bucked and arched her back, calling out his name. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard. Ana wanted him. He'd made her happy.
They lay together, clinging, unable to let go. Ana hoped that he would want her a while longer. Then her happiness from this moment would be enough to last her a lifetime. Christian prayed that Ana would stay with him always…would forget all that stuff about independence. Both fought to stay awake but it had been a dramatic day both on the water and in the bedroom and they were soon asleep.
CHAPTER 60
Taylor arrived back around 6 pm. "They had a serious talk in the library and then went into the bedroom. I'm sure that Ana was badly shaken and needed a nap. Anyway, they haven't emerged for the last several hours. How did your day go?" Gail leaned up to kiss her weary husband.
"We winged him, we're sure. We found the boat and a blood trail. There was enough blood to disable him but we were unable to locate him. There are a lot of places to hide in those marshes. In his boat we found more guns, duct tape, chloroform, a knife. It appears that he intended to board the craft, kill Christian and kidnap Ana. We called the police who conceded this time that Hyde is dangerous. They've put out an APB on him, alerted all the medical centers, private clinics and even veterinarians. He has to go somewhere to get that bullet out and get stiches. From now on, darling, you give a grocery list to one of the team and the elevator stays locked. We can't afford to give this lunatic any advantage. And, it could be a long siege. Oh, and switch the windows to the fogged setting and no sitting on the balcony. I'm sorry. I know how you love to have tea out there with Ana but I wouldn't put it past him to be sitting in a nearby building with a high-powered rifle.
"This is a guy with a genius IQ and every bit of it devoted to getting to Ana. Anybody close to her is just someone to be disposed of, put out of the way."
"It's okay, Jason, don't worry about me. I know the drill."
Jason smiled at his lovely, sweet wife…light of his life. He wanted to suggest that she go to her sister's until this matter was settled but she wouldn't go. She was an old-fashioned gal. She figured that her place was with him.
Next, since his boss was still sleeping, Taylor called Carrick and related the entire day's events. Yes, he conceded, the boss had a lot of coverts on the entire Grey family but Hyde was getting both desperate and arrogant. He'd gotten awfully close today. If Dr. Grey insisted on doing her shifts at the hospital, then she had better agree to more coverts and an extra CPO. Mr. Grey could certainly do his work at home and Mia could shop online. Elliot was a wild card…more coverts. Everybody was going as close as possible into lockdown.
The best thing to happen to Grey and everyone around him was Ana…and also the worst.
.+.
"Taylor speaking"
"This is Detective Parker, Mr. Taylor. We spoke earlier."
"Yes, of course, Detective. Any word?"
"I'm afraid so, Mr. Taylor. We got a 911 tonight…a woman screaming. She was so hysterical that we couldn't understand her so two units went right over to the house. She was found on the kitchen floor, holding her husband in her arms and begging him to stay alive. He was already dead, one bullet to the brain. She'd be dead too if she'd been home when the killer broke in. The husband was a doctor in private practice. Looks like Hyde followed him home from the clinic. The kitchen was a bloody mess. It looks as though the doc was forced to remove a bullet and stitch up the wound. And get this. The killer left the bullet in a pan on the table…doesn't care if we can trace it. Doesn't care about anything except getting your house guest. Total psychotic. Probably shot the doc just to let off some steam."
"How is the widow doing?"
"She's in shock, numb. We found some family numbers on a board in the kitchen so we called. Got a daughter. We sent a car for her. There's a son, too. Lives in Portland. He's going to drive down in the morning. His parents are coming to sit with the grandkids."
"Can you call him back, Detective? I know that Mr. Grey will want to fly up to get him. It's a long drive and he shouldn't drive when he's shook up. I know that Mr. Grey will want to speak with him as well."
"Yeah, I can do that. I'll text back a pickup time, okay?"
After Taylor hung up, he texted Grey, hoping that he'd pick up.
Have to talk with Welsh and you. Come to study when you wake up.
Grey looked at the text. He'd just had the best rest in memory. Ana was curled into him and sleeping peacefully. He didn't want to wake her. He just wanted to hold her. He hoped that she wouldn't wake when he got out of bed.
He got dressed and kissed her forehead before he left the room. It was getting late. Was it possible that Taylor had good news?
CHAPTER 61
Not long after Christian left, Ana awoke. She wondered how it was possible to miss someone who was so close by…but she did. She suddenly felt frightened and vulnerable. She remembered his words in the library…"I can't go back to the life I had without you". Was she wrong to believe that he meant that he didn't want her to leave him? Yes, she must be. A man as beautiful and brilliant as Christian Grey could have anyone and someday that someone would walk by him on the street and catch hold of his heart. Ana imagined that the woman would be tall so that Christian didn't have to bend in half to kiss her. She would be blonde, shiny…and she would have gray eyes like his. He would be knocked off his feet. She would have perfect, alabaster skin, smooth and soft without scars. Ana hoped that this woman would love him well and deeply and not because of his money.
She rolled into his pillow and let her tears fall. Soon, Jack Hyde would be caught and then Christian would lose his feelings of protectiveness toward her. He would still want to take care of her, she knew. He'd want to find her a nice place to live, fill up a bank account, help her go on in life. She couldn't bear that. No, she'd be gone.
It was long past dinner and she was actually hungry. She showered and donned one of Christian's robes, rolling up the sleeves and picking up the hem to avoid tripping. It smelled like Christian which made her smile and feel safe.
"Ana, how do you feel, dear?"
Gosh, Ana loved this woman. She and Grace were like Ana imagined mothers, nice mothers, would be.
"Hi, Gail. I feel fine and I'm hungry!" she beamed.
"Well, that's great. How about a small vegetable salad, a grilled cheese sandwich and a cherry coke?" It was barely more than a snack but a big meal for tiny Ana.
"That sounds wonderful. And I'm going to eat all the vegetables, I am. I like tomatoes and broccoli…if I can dip it in sauce."
"Well, coming right up," Gail thought it so endearing that Ana wanted to eat vegetables to please Christian…to keep him from worrying.
"The study door is shut. Are Christian and Taylor…hmmm…conferring?" Ana asked. Gail tried not to smile at Ana's efforts to learn a word a day.
"Yes, I think that something big happened but I don't know what. Maybe they caught that maniac."
"Not likely. He's a genius, without fear and single-minded. I don't know how you could catch someone like him."
"Well, he is certainly not going to catch you!" exclaimed Gail. Ana didn't reply. She knew how things could end.
As Ana finished her dinner, the door to the study opened. Taylor nodded to Ana and headed back to his and Gail's quarters. Christian didn't follow. Ana walked softly over to the half-opened door and peeked in. He was sitting on the couch with his head resting on his arms, bent over his legs.
Ana walked quietly over to him, curled up next to him and wrapped her arms around him. Her arms hadn't bled today and were no longer bandaged. Exposed, the skin was tight and twisted, like fire burns. Christian grabbed one of her arms and just held on. He didn't speak for a long time. How could he tell Ana that an innocent man had died…that he'd left a grieving family? How would Ana take that news? She would blame herself, he knew.
He sat up and pulled Ana unto his lap, his arms tightly around her. He'd been trying to protect her for months and he kept failing.
"Ana, something bad happened…something really awful. Jack followed a doctor home and made him remove the bullet." Christian hesitated, his words stuck in his throat.
"Then he killed the doctor, didn't he? Did the doctor have a family?"
"His wife came home to find him. He also has a daughter and a son who lives in Portland. I have to fly up in the morning to bring him back. Then I have to make funeral arrangements."
"You'll pay for everything, won't you? Anything they need, you'll take care of, yes?"
"Yes."
"I admire you so much, Christian. You are just a good, considerate, generous man."
"My men shot Hyde and Hyde killed someone. I feel responsible."
"No, not you, Christian. Me. I'm responsible. If only I'd never allowed you to give me a ride that night, I'd probably be dead now and no one would have suffered because of me. I'm to blame, my darling."
Suddenly, Christian grabbed Ana by her shoulders and shook her, his eyes blazing.
"Now, let's get something straight right now and then I never want to hear you talk like that again. Do you understand me?" Ana nodded, her eyes wide.
"You are responsible only for being a helpless child and then a strong and brave adult who never asked anyone for anything. I don't know why Hyde fixated on you but it wasn't your fault…just your incredible bad luck…the kind you had all your life. You are completely innocent in every way. Never again do I want to hear you blame yourself for the hell you've gone through."
"It was because of Molly." Ana gasped. "I mean, why he fixated on me. I got in his way."
"What? Who was Molly?"
"She was my roommate at the Collin's. She was 10 and she had a real good life and then one day she was an orphan. She was so helpless. He came into our room every night and, and, touched her. I tried to help her and he got really angry so then he started after me instead. He couldn't fit inside me so he got madder and when I ran away, he lost his chance 'cause they had to put me in the hospital and then I went home again and then a different foster home and I guess ever since he's felt that he was cheated of his revenge." Ana was out of breath.
"Oh, baby, you put yourself in harm's way to protect someone."
"Christian, do you think that your Mr. Welsh could track down Molly and the Collins 'cause I always worried about them, esp. Molly? They might need help."
Christian stood up with Ana in his arms, cradling her against his chest and feeling so grateful that he thought that he'd burst. "May I make love to you again, please?" he said as he nuzzled her hair.
"You haven't eaten your dinner. I ate mine," she pointed out. Christian laughed and said that he'd eat first if that's what she wanted. God, a few minutes ago, he felt like shit and now his heart was open and light. How he adored this little woman.
CHAPTER 62
Welsh, did you ever find the Collins? Also, there was a 10 year old girl named Molly living with them at the same time that 6 year old Ana was there. Jack molested them both. Ana wants to find out what happened to Molly.
The Collins were stripped of their license in Washington state. Then they disappeared. I've been studying the records of other states where they might have set up shop again. I also suspect that they might have changed their names to get away from Hyde.
I'll see what I can find on Molly. Tell Ana I'm not giving up.
Thanks, Welsh.
Grey looked down at the woman with her head on his chest. There was so much to worry about, to fear, and yet, he felt nothing but a wonderful sense of well-being and contentment. Things would turn out okay. He had Ana, soft and warm against him. The depth of her character was more apparent to him every day. Although he was agnostic himself, he couldn't help but think that Ana must be an ancient soul. How else to explain her courageous and generous spirit in the face of all she'd been through? Anyone else would be in an institution by now or shooting up behind a dumpster in an alley. He thought of his mother and for the first time, felt sympathy. She was so young, deserted by her family and by the man she thought loved her and would take care of her. How did she manage for four years? Once again, he wondered if the overdose was a way to free herself or to free her son.
Making love with Ana tonight he'd been less hurried, if no less urgent. This time his cock felt the scars inside her. He noticed her scarred arms and the scar above her eye. He felt her fragility and he worshipped every inch of her. It took every bit of discipline he could garner to hold back the tears. The last thing he wanted was for Ana to feel self-conscious. He loved her just as she was. Every scar told of a time when she suffered and yet, stood tall and moved on. He thought that she was magnificent. She was a goddess.
Tonight he told her that he was in love with her. She was pleased, but he didn't think that she believed him because she didn't feel worthy. She thought it was temporary, like everything had been in her life. Still, he could see that she was happy. He'd just tell her often. Maybe she'd take a chance and believe eventually. He could wait but he wouldn't be able to bear it if she never truly understood the depth of his feeling for her.
He looked at the clock. It was almost dawn and he had to get up to fly to Portland. He wondered if he should take Ana. Maybe the family wouldn't want to meet the woman for whom, in a sense, their father died. No, it would be best if he went alone. After the family was reunited, Grey would sit down with them to discuss helping them with all the arrangements. It was crazy. Someone you love dies and you're immediately expected to have the necessary calm to make plans.
Again, he summoned the discipline to leave Ana, to get dressed and close the bedroom door behind him. He wasn't even surprised to find Taylor waiting by the elevator. In his black suit, black tie and black shoes, he could have been a funeral director.
"You know everything about setting up a funeral, don't you, Jason?"
"I believe so, sir."
"Sometimes, I think you just know everything," Grey grinned.
"Well, I am fully trained in all aspects of client care, sir. I've had to call upon my skills a few times, sadly."
Grey just chuckled and shook his head. He certainly got lucky 7 years ago. Jason had a half dozen offers….more like pleas. Grey didn't know it at the time but, upon finding that Jason had a little daughter whose mother was stingy with visitation, he made an offer that no one else had thought to make. He would get Jason regular visitation. He would pay for Sophie's education at the best school and, in the sad event that Jason should die while in service to Grey, he would set up a trust fund and look after her. Jason was stunned. He'd been offered higher than normal compensation, ordinary things like a pension, a personal car but Grey was different. Jason's intuition told him that Grey could be a tough boss but always fair, always considerate. And now he was offering to look out for Sophie…always.
Grey took him down to the servants' quarters which were like the penthouse, only smaller. Grey showed him the housekeeper's apartment and Jason's apartment and an empty room that Sophie could decorate any way she pleased. His daughter could come and stay?! In her own suite? Jason was a tough guy, rarely showing emotion except with Sophie, but now he was struggling to hold back.
"Yes." Jason said to Grey as they stood at the doorway to Sophie's room.
"Yes, what, Mr. Taylor?" questioned a confused Grey.
"Yes, Sir."
"Oh, you'll take the job? Good. You know the location of Grey House? Please come by in the morning. My PA will handle all the paperwork. Oh, when can I expect to meet Sophie?"
Jason sighed. "My ex is difficult, sir. Visitation is irregular and often cancelled for specious reasons."
"Hmm….Do you think that she'd like to meet your new employer, the "incredibly handsome and elusive multi-millionaire," quoting Forbes? She could bring Sophie along and then Sheila and I could have a little chat together."
"That shouldn't be difficult to arrange at all. She's a terrible flirt, I afraid."
And so, the following morning, the ex-Mrs. Taylor and her daughter were greeted at the elevator…the private elevator of Mr. Grey…by Mr. Grey himself. Sheila was dazzled by the building, the gorgeous blondes everywhere, Mr. Grey's courtly manners and his invitation to visit with her alone in his office. Jason was a bit dazzled himself. Grey charmed little Sophie and summoned a blonde to give Jason and his daughter a personalized tour.
By the time Jason and Sophie, both in a state of awe, had completed their tour, they expected to meet with Grey and Sheila in his office but Grey, instead, invited the duo back to Escala for lunch. Sheila, Grey smiled, had things to attend to and could not join them.
Sophie loved her room and was full of ideas to decorate.
"I'm pleased that you'll enjoy coming here, Sophie. My housekeeper, Mrs. Jones, will be happy to help you if you wish." At this point, the deal was sealed. The housekeeper was a beautiful blonde woman with a sweet smile who radiated warmth. Jason was dead in the water. He would never leave Grey.
"Sir, I have just one concern."
"The playroom is soundproof. If you stood with your ear to the door, you couldn't hear a thing. It is also kept locked. If Sophie wants to explore upstairs, tell her that it is just a lot of empty rooms. She will have full access to the rest of the penthouse and I'm sure that she'll enjoy the media room, the library, the pool downstairs. My subs will arrive exactly at 8 pm on Fridays and leave at 1 pm on Sundays. They stay upstairs and do not have the run of the house."
"One more thing, sir. What did you and Sheila talk about?"
"Liberal visitation, holidays and trips. You'll have no more difficulty finding time with your daughter."
And Jason never did. He didn't know what Grey had said to Sheila and she wouldn't reveal the discussion. She seemed completely cowed by the idea of Grey. Later, as Jason came to understand BDSM and the power of the dominant, he understood.
What Jason never did, after seven years, is come to understand the so-called thrill of flying in Grey's tin can…always known as Charlie Tango and never as a chopper. Thus, climbing into the helicopter took all of Taylor's nerve. He had to always maintain a stern professional demeanor. Grey never knew that Taylor was a quivering mess inside. Besides, he was used to being in charge of Grey's safety and, in Charlie Tango, he had to cede control.
As the bird lifted into the air, Grey's usual kick of excitement was replaced with a gray sense of dread. In 30 minutes or so, he'd have to face the son of a man who was just murdered. He had a lot of explaining to do and "I'm going to pay for everything" coming from a multi-billionaire was not going to cut it. He and Taylor didn't say a word to each other….each terrified by different things.
CHAPTER 63
A large SUV awaited them on the tarmac. Taylor pulled out onto familiar streets while Grey stared out the window on the passenger side. He was trying to think how to begin. In the end, as they neared the house, Grey gave up and decided to play it by ear. As he climbed out of the vehicle, the front door opened and a little girl ran up to him.
"Hi, mister. Is it true? Is my grampa dead? Did a man shoot him?
Grey froze. Fortunately, her parents followed shortly after. The father introduced himself and his wife and daughter. Then the wife asked Grey to come inside for coffee and croissants.
"We're packed for several days. We really appreciate the lift. Neither of us felt up to the long drive and we don't know our way around Seattle anyway. Please have a seat. Your, hmm, security chief said that you wanted to talk to us."
"I'm probably going to go about it all wrong but first, I want you to know that you'll have no financial worries. I've taken care of all funeral expenses. Second, although your father was a doctor and I, therefore, assume that your parents were well fixed, if that is not the case, let me know. I'll see to it that your mother's financial needs are met."
"That's very generous of you, Mr. Grey. As a matter of fact, my parents have never been well-off. My father did much of his work pro-bono and my mother was always a homemaker. I suppose there may have been some life insurance. I know that there is still a mortgage on the house. My mother has never held a job. We were talking on the phone and she's agreed to come live with us. Thank god we all get along."
"After the funeral, we'll discuss in more depth your financial needs and I will meet them. Your family, at least your mother, may need therapy. Now, I've made arrangements for you to stay at the Fairmont unless you and your mother want to stay at the house. I have people standing by to assist you with anything you need.
"Do you have questions for me?" Christian asked.
"Yes, the police explained some last night but I'm not sure how much we retained. We were in quite a state. The killer is named Jack Hyde and he followed my father home from the clinic to force him to remove a bullet. After that we're not clear."
"Jack Hyde is a cold-blooded psychopath. He has been fixated on my girlfriend since she was six and they were in a foster home together. He was 17 and had been molesting another little girl. Ana deliberately distracted him to protect the other child and he became obsessed with her. Eighteen years he's spent tracking her. He'd tried to kill her twice but she got away. The last time, a few months ago, I found her after the attack and took her to the hospital. He got past my guard and tried to strangle Ana again. Since then she's been staying at my home which is almost impossible to break into. I have guards all over my family as well.
"Yesterday I took my girlfriend out sailing on the Sound. Hyde was in a camouflaged fishing boat in one of the inlets. We got away but my men went after him and winged him. Judging by the equipment in his boat, he planned to kill me and kidnap Ana."
"So, he's made four attempts on this woman's life?"
"Yes, after we realized that he'd been hurt, we notified every hospital, clinic, even veterinarians. Phone calls to everyone. The police think that Hyde was about to enter your father's clinic when your father decided that it would be better to close up and go home early. Hyde followed."
"18 years this maniac has been in pursuit of your girlfriend. How is she doing?"
"It's kind of you to ask. She's blaming herself. She's been hurt badly and often over the years but this is the first time someone else has suffered, she feels, on her account. Although we want to pay our respects, we feel it's best to stay away from the funeral. My presence alone would draw a lot of paparazzi. Ana is afraid that Jack Hyde would show up if he had a chance to get her there."
"That's true. Dad's patients over the years will be there and it will be very crowded."
"If you'd prefer a private service, we can arrange for that."
"No, we have to let our friends, dad's patients, the chance to pay their respects. And it will be good for mom to see all the reasons that dad worked late so often," the man smiled.
.+.
Ana had been pacing the great room for hours it seemed. She was wearing the silk lounging pajamas that Christian had bought her. There didn't seem any need to properly dress. No one was home. Gail had taken a small army and gone to Eddie's grocery a few blocks away. Ryan was in the security office, watching the monitors. His eyes were getting blurry from being on duty for hours. He decided to take a small break to visit the restroom and splash water on his face. It was an ill-timed break.
Ana was back to eating buttered bits of toast as she tried to get her nerves under control. She jumped a foot when the elevator pinged. Christian! But it wasn't Christian. It was a strange woman. Ana was immediately on guard because the woman was wearing all black. Perhaps she was some kind of sidekick for Jack. Ana stared and tried to scream for Ryan but nothing came out.
CHAPTER 64
"So, you must be the mysterious woman I've read about. The Nooz doesn't have much on you. Christian's really kept you under the radar. What is your name?"
The woman's voice was intended to be kind but Ana could hear something else underneath…something sinister.
"Edith or Edie. Who are you, Ma'am? Christian didn't mention any company coming and he isn't here right now. You'll have to come back." The elevator, Ana thought, is supposed to be locked. Ryan must have forgotten to lock it after Gail left.
"Oh," Elena laughed, "I'll just wait. Christian and I have business. I am Christian's dearest friend and this penthouse, which I found and decorated for him, is as much my home as his."
"I don't understand, ma'am." This ma'am business was very irritating for Elena. She was, she felt, far too young for that nonsense.
"My name is Mrs. Lincoln. That is how you may address me. I am an important woman in this town."
"Really? Why?"
Now really steaming, Elena retorted haughtily, "That is none of your business. I'd like to know more about you. Why would Christian keep you a secret if there weren't something wrong about you?"
"If you know Christian so well, then you ought to be able to ascertain his reasons." 'Ascertain' was Ana's new word of the day. She was so pleased to be able to find a use for it already.
"I asked you a question, Edith. I expect an answer. What are you doing here in Christian's home while he's gone? Why are you wearing lounging pajamas at this hour? Where did you come from? What is your purpose?"
"That's a lot of questions. I'll bet that you have a suspicion or two. What do you think that I'm doing here?"
"I've really had enough of this impertinence, young woman. I'll not stand for any more of it!"
Ana realized that this woman was just a pest and no one to fear.
"How did you know that Christian was gone? You know he doesn't want you here so you came to snoop while he's out. Do you have spies who keep you apprised of his comings and goings? What did you hope to gain? Am I really all that interesting that you would break in for a good look?"
Elena was dumbstruck. She was, she believed, the premier dominatrix of Seattle. Subs bow before her. She was accustomed to frightening people. She enjoyed it but this girl was impervious to her Dom. She struggled to gain control of the situation.
"All right. I think that you are one of his subs, enjoying your freedom while he's away…but he will return and when he finds you downstairs….."
"I've never been upstairs, actually. Have you? He says it's just a lot of empty rooms. We sleep down here. I've had some trouble with my legs so climbing the stairs is problematic." 'Problematic'…yesterday's word. Ana smiled to herself.
Elena's jaw dropped. This wretched little twat sleeps in Christian's bed? She's never been in his playroom? Impossible.
"So he carried you up the steps to the playroom."
"He doesn't have a playroom anymore. He had it dismantled weeks ago."
This news nearly dismantled Elena. She looked faint and pale. Ana got her a glass of water. "Mrs. Lincoln, are you all right? Your face is ashen."
"You're lying! Christian would never give up BDSM. It's all he knows. It's all he is. He could no more give it up than give up GEH. You're trying to rattle me." She looked at Ana with a vicious grimace that unnerved Ana. She was reminded of Jack.
"Now why would I lie to you about that, Mrs. Lincoln? It was important to Christian for many years but he grew out of it. He wanted meaningful relationships. People do change, Mrs. Lincoln."
"You stupid, stupid girl. People don't change who they are inside. Whatever trailer trash you came from is still there inside even if you wear silk pajamas."
Ana had had a lifetime of hiding her feelings so she held her head high rather than let Mrs. Lincoln see her shame. "I am an honors graduate of Vassar, Mrs. Lincoln, and these silken PJs are a gift from a multi-billionaire with impeccable taste." Good word to learn that day.
Elena didn't know what to make of this Edith person. Perhaps Christian had moved his playroom downstairs. Yes, that made sense. This Edith was trying to con her. She would pay dearly for her brazen behavior. Trying, unsuccessfully, to maintain her dignity, Elena strutted to the elevator, turning to burn Ana with a glare as Ana waved goodbye.
Ana decided it was time to remind Ryan to lock the elevator.
CHAPTER 65
Meanwhile, Ryan was watching Elena descend to the street level but his real interest was in the man dressed in black waiting at the elevator. Elena stopped to talk with him for just a moment and then departed, leaving the man alone in the elevator. Ryan, of course, immediately locked access to the penthouse.
Ana walked in and saw the man in the elevator. He was tall and dressed just as Hyde would be.
"When he gets to the 19th floor, the elevator will stop and I'll locked the doors," he said with satisfaction. Ana shook her head.
"Are the stairwells locked, Ryan?"
"We've got Hyde trapped in the elevator car, Ana."
"You've got someone trapped but it isn't Jack Hyde. Please check the stairwells."
Ryan quickly switched monitors and saw a tall figure dressed in black walking quickly up the stairs to the 15th floor. Ryan instantly locked the fire door access. He felt foolish.
"If all you have is a lock on that door, it won't stop Jack."
"Ana, please go to the panic room now," urged Ryan.
"Only if you come, too. You can't take him alone." Ryan looked frustrated but he knew that Ana was right. Once in the panic room, he sat down before a set of monitors identical to those in the security office. The man in the elevator car was pounding on the buttons. Hyde had reached the penthouse doors and was fiddling with the locks.
Ryan called the police and advised them of the situation. Hyde couldn't possibly get away this time. Ana was intently studying the figure working on the locks. Something wasn't right.
"Ryan, is there any other way to get into the penthouse other than the stairs or elevator?
"No. I mean, not that I know of. Why?"
"Hyde #2 is also a decoy. I think that you should lower the elevator car to the main level and open it when the police arrive so they can question him. Then unlock the car so that the police can get into the penthouse. Also, tell them about the guy on the stairs."
Ryan did as Ana advised. He was getting very nervous. Was there a third way into this place? A secret way and, if so, how did Hyde know about it?
The police took custody of both fakes. Ana asked them to come up to the penthouse as quickly as possible, explaining that Hyde had somehow found a way in.
Then Ana heard it….a soft rap on the panic room door. She knew nothing about the construction of such a door but she did know Jack. She fought hard to be calm. He wouldn't get her, she told herself. He never did.
"Ana. Soon, Ana," said a creepy, sing-song voice. Ryan pulled his gun and pushing Ana behind him, prepared to fire on Jack. Ana remembered a movie she'd once snuck into where the bank robbers blew the vault door open.
"Ryan, is there another gun in here?" Ryan didn't stop to argue about Ana handling a weapon. He nodded his head toward a cabinet in the corner where Ana found a rifle and some ammunition. Ana quickly figured out how to load the rifle and then she positioned herself immediately to the left of the door by the hinges. Ryan told her to get under the desk or behind the cabinet but she remembered that movie sequence.
Now they could smell the sharp scent of powder and flame. Ana indicated to Ryan that he should get down on the floor. He didn't understand but he did it anyway. Suddenly, the bomb detonated and the door flew open. Hyde didn't come in, however. His arm appeared around the corner and took aim at Ryan. He fired and then he appeared. He saw Ryan on the floor and walked into the room, expecting to find Ana hiding behind the open door. He didn't expect her to walk up behind him until he felt the muzzle of the rifle against the back of his head.
He stepped forward and then whirled around to face Ana.
"You look good, my pet, real good. It's time to go now. We've been apart far too long. Don't pretend that you can kill me. I know you better than anyone. You don't have it in you. However, I'm excited by your fiery attitude."
"You're right, Jack. I can't kill you. But I can wound you badly…in a place that I've wounded before." Jack lunged at her just as she lowered the rifle and fired. He fell to the floor, howling in pain. Ana quickly called to the police who had come into the penthouse. They followed her voice and found quite the scene. Ryan was burnt from the explosion and stunned. Jack's groin was a mass of blood. Ana was urging the EMTs to help Ryan. She was concerned about his eyes.
Meanwhile, Christian was smoothly touching down on the roof of Escala.
CHAPTER 66
"Welcome to Seattle and my home, one floor below. There will be a car waiting to take you to your mother's home or anywhere else you want to go. It will be at your disposal during your entire stay. Here is my personal number. Please don't hesitate to use it. Ma'am," he hesitated, "I have a mother and a sister so I've heard the phrase...'I have nothing to wear…' and no one can prepare for an event like this. My mother will take you shopping for anything you need. Here is her number and her name is Grace Trevelyan. I've already reserved a family suite at the Fairmont so if, for any reason, you decide to make use of it, just ask for the suite reserved by Christian Grey. That goes for the restaurant and bar as well.
"I hope that I've covered everything. You'll find two assistants waiting for you at your mother's house. My home is one floor down so I'll be getting off and you'll continue to the main level where Baxter will be waiting for you.
"I'll speak with you soon.
Christian asked Joe to keep the helicopter on standby status.
They all crowded into the car and stopped at the penthouse from where the family continued on their way. There were police all over his great room. Taylor headed straight for his quaking wife and Christian looked around desperately for his girl. EMT's were pushing gurneys up the hall from the direction of the panic room and Ana was leaning over one of gurneys, sweetly reassuring someone that they were going to be fine and thank you for being there for her. On the other gurney, some guy was screaming in pain and obscenities at Ana but she wasn't paying any attention to him.
Christian stood there by the elevator, realizing, of course, that there had been mayhem during his absence but the most important participant was apparently unhurt.
As the EMTs loaded the gurneys on the elevator, Christian said nonchalantly to Ana, "Hi, honey." Ana turned in surprise and screamed in delight, throwing her arms around Christian's neck and peppering him with kisses. "You're home! Oh, I missed you so much. Can't wait to hear about your trip. I'm afraid that there are little pieces of toast littered everywhere again."
Then she stood on tiptoe and kissed him well and truly until he felt dizzy. Gosh, what this woman could do to him. It was only Taylor's interruption that brought him back to earth.
"Sir, the family has already arrived safely at their mother's home and they want us to know that they're going to stay there for the duration."
"Hmmm…yes." He went back to kissing Ana. He was, of course, curious about what he'd missed but Ana was kissing him. When she stopped, he felt some sense returning to his sexed up brain. He took Ana's hand and walked over to check on a very shaken Gail. She was enveloped in Taylor's arms. Christian smoothed her hair and inquired after her health. She said that she was just shook up. She had walked in with groceries to find a lot of police and to hear an explosion. She was terrified for Ana and just needed to calm down. Ana kissed her cheek and smiled.
"Ms. Steele, we need to take your statement. Are you well enough to do so?"
Ana hugged Christian's arm and said she was fine now. She invited the police to sit while she answered their questions. Christian, in a daze, sat with her with his arm around her protectively.
Ana explained as plainly as possible that a woman known as Mrs. Lincoln had let herself into the penthouse and intensely questioned Ana's presence there. As she left the elevator at the main level, she exchanged words briefly with a tall man in black whom Ryan assumed to be Hyde. Ana knew he wasn't and then they checked the stairwell and found another decoy trying the lock to their backdoor. Ana knew the real Hyde had gotten in somewhere and so she and Ryan had prepared for his entrance which would be a simple matter of blowing the panic door lock. Hyde was focused on Ryan and when he saw Ana, he told her that she was incapable of killing him and she agreed so when he lunged at her, she shot at his groin. She was looking forward to hearing that he was now impotent.
The detective asked a lot of other questions and Ana was getting tired. The adrenaline that had kept her going was fading fast and she was struggling to finish sentences. Christian explained to the police that they would have to let her sleep because she wasn't in the best of health. He asked Reynolds to go to the hospital to check on Ryan.
When the police left, Christian walked his weary girl to the bedroom where he laid her down and tucked her in. She fell to sleep instantly. His little heroine. She'd gotten her man, three of them. He hated to leave her but he had a lot to do now.
Christian needed to call Ryan's parents and the hospital. Then he needed to call his parents to alert them to the imminent paparazzi invasion. Finally, he needed to talk with Elena. He'd watched the tapes of her attempts to intimidate 'Edith' and he was furious. By now, he knew Ana well and he could see her feelings on her face when Elena called her trail trash and stupid.
CHAPTER 67
"Gail, please keep an eye on Ana. She seems fine but she's liable to have a nightmare."
"Where are you going?" asked Gail, thinking that Ana wasn't the only person apt to have nightmares. She'd been cleaning the kitchen over and over to distract herself from the forensic team working in the panic room, coming and going in blood-covered hazmat suits, carrying plastic containers with something red inside them.
"Elena was here. She did her number on Ana. She's also involved with Jack Hyde somehow. The police have her and I'm going to see if I can talk to her….or sock her. Sawyer is in the security office. Remind him to lock the elevator. We're going to be deluged by the paps. Keep the window panes on frost mode. Helicopters will be flying by, no doubt."
Gail nodded and waved him off. She followed the instructions he'd left and then she headed for his study. Wine wouldn't do today. She was going for the Jim Beam.
.+.
"Are you certain that Mrs. Lincoln had something to do with this, sir?" asked Taylor.
"Elena is not a friendly sort who would say a simple hello to a stranger as she got off an elevator. She spent almost 30 seconds speaking to that man. I don't know how she knew Jack and I probably won't find out but maybe the guy will talk. Geez, Taylor. Thank god Gail was out with Reynolds."
"Yeah, Gail is strong in so many ways but 4th of July fireworks will have her hiding behind the couch. Remember the year we went to the Coping Together Gala?"
"Oh, lord. Did not see that coming. Wow. She was so freaked out that you nearly lost your professional cool."
"Oh, I did lose it, sir," Taylor laughed. "You were just so freaked out yourself that you didn't notice. Thank god, your mother was there. Still, Gail didn't entirely miss today's fireworks. She'd just walked off the elevator. Reynolds said he grabbed her and took her back into the car. He begged her to keep her head because he had to go do his job."
"How do you suppose Elena was involved? Any ideas in that big professional head?"
"Maybe Hyde was into BDSM and frequented one of her clubs."
"Yeah, that's a thought. Two psychos attracted to each other, having a drink. He tells her that a sub he's interested in has already been claimed by me. Suddenly my absence from BDSM makes sense to Elena. She still has the elevator code. But Ana knew that the two Hydes were decoys. How did he get in?"
They drove on in silence for a while, occasionally bouncing ideas off each other. Grey was pleased to know that Elena could go to jail for conspiring to commit murder. He wondered if she knew about the prior attempt on the boat. If so, that would be two charges. That would be great. She could go away for a long time.
Taylor, still thinking, checked the rearview mirror and was startled to see his boss grinning as he looked out the window.
As anticipated, upon their arrival at the SPD, they were greeted by hordes of legitimate news outlets, freelance paparazzi and a mass of the curious public. Grey was a celebrity and Ana was an total unknown whom he'd managed to keep under wraps for months. Now the bits and pieces of news that they did have about her had everyone frothing at the mouth for the full story. Taylor requested permission to enter through the police garage. Even then, the cops had to work hard to keep people from following the car inside.
"Mr. Grey, thank you for coming down. We have a lot of questions for you. Your girlfriend was very helpful but this is such a long and complicated story."
"I understand, Detective Parker, and I appreciate you allowing her to end the interview. As I explained, her health is poor and I don't want to take any chances that she'll have a setback. So, let's hope that I can fill in as many blanks as possible to spare Ana any more trauma."
"Trauma, eh?" the detective smirked. "I don't know if you heard as yet but she got her man all right. The docs called. Mr. Hyde will be peeing sitting down for the rest of his life. She blew his dick and his balls right off. The EMTs who had to gather up the, hmm, bits and pieces of Mr. Hyde from your panic room floor barely made it outside before they upchucked."
Grey grinned. "Rape victims nationwide will be cheering, I'm sure. After I answer your questions, will it be possible for me to talk with Elena Lincoln? Also, have you gotten anything from the man in the elevator? I believe he and Elena are acquainted."
"Oh, he sang like a lark the moment he sat down. If she's been a problem for you, she won't be anymore. She gave him the code, informed him that Ms. Steele was alone and ordered him to go upstairs and rape and kill her. He feels quite badly that he failed in his mission but we've got her dead to rights. We also have a lip reader who was able to catch a bit of their conversation…the important words, like rape and kill."
"That is great news, Detective. I would still like to see her just to, well, you know," he smirked, "say goodbye forever, you bitch."
"Understandable. Please come this way first."
CHAPTER 68
An hour later, Christian had answered every possible question pertinent to the case. He'd secured the detective's promise that the SPD would do their best to protect Ana's privacy. The press would be told only that her name was Ana Steele and that she was Christian Grey's girlfriend…nothing of her personal history. The SPD, of course, wanted to ensure that future GEH contributions to the police force would continue.
The detective then took Grey to an interview room wherein Elena sat chained to a table. Her eyes lit up and she tried to stand when Grey walked in.
"Well, finally, how long were you going to make me wait in this hellhole? They've treated me just terribly."
"Yeah, the police tend to be rude to accessories to B & Es, attempted murders and, oh, I don't know…what else have you been up to, Elena?" Grey stood, staring darkly down at her.
"Is this because I visited with your new sub? I came to see you since you were not responding to my calls and emails and texts. I was quite surprised to find that piece of trailer trash lying about your penthouse. She was very rude to me. And she lied to me! Told me that you'd dismantled your beautiful playroom and that you no longer had any interest in BDSM!"
Well, I guess that cat's out of the bag, Grey grimaced. He could guess what the police, listening behind the glass, were thinking.
"From the top…Ana is my girlfriend. I didn't respond to your attempts to contact me because I want nothing to do with you. Ana is an elegant lady. You are the trailer trash. Try as you might, Elena, you never rose above your roots. Ana wasn't rude to you. She was forthright. You wouldn't recognize the difference. She didn't lie to you. I have no playroom unless you count the pool room and I do indeed have no interest in BDSM."
"NO!" Elena wailed. "I worked to make you the man you are since you were 15. You couldn't change!"
"I'm sure that the police behind the glass will be interested in your molestation of underage children. My father will do everything he can to see that you never leave prison."
Then Grey put his hands on the table and leaned down to glare into Elena's watery eyes and smeared mascara.
"You know that helmet of yellow fuzz that you plaster on top of your head every morning? Not allowed in prison. You're going to have thin, straggly gray hair and no makeup. Thanks to your years of smoking and drinking and lying on your deck in a bikini all summer, you're going to look every minute of your 52 years plus a decade or two.
"And your haughty attitude toward your fellow inmates will no doubt get you shived sooner rather than later which is too bad. I'd like to see you suffer for a long, long time for what you tried to do to Ana and for all you did to a skinny, insecure, unhappy 15 year-old kid. Goodbye, Elena."
Elena sat in shock and bewilderment. "Who's Ana?" she thought.
.+.
"Home, James. I really need to see my girl."
"Same here, sir."
Grey's girl was still sleeping. Taylor's girl was blotto, twirling around in Grey's desk chair. Taylor picked her up and took her to bed, sitting beside her and brushing her hair back. He had a pile of paperwork to file on this mess before he could join her.
Grey undressed and crawled in behind Ana, wrapping himself all around her and holding on fast. She smelled good. She felt good. He sighed and fell asleep. Neither one had a nightmare. They were safe with each other.
CHAPTER 70
"Mr. Grey, sir, wake up."
"Wha…" Grey mumbled, automatically reaching for Ana.
"Ana?"
"Ms. Steele left, sir," Taylor said, looking down at his barely cognizant boss.
"What do you mean she's left? Left for where? What time is it?"
"It's only 7, sir. Reynolds woke me just after Ms. Steele insisted that he unlock the elevator. Sawyer is following her. She's sitting at a bus bench. Instructions, sir?"
Grey leapt out of bed and pulled on his running clothes and shoes before racing out of the room with Taylor on his heels. Reynolds had the doors open for him and within a minute, Grey was running out of the building, just in time to see the northbound bus moving down the block.
Taylor called Sawyer. "He's on the bus with her, sir. She says that she's going home.
"Tell Sawyer to stay with her no matter what," ordered Grey as he raced back into the elevator. "Oh, and get the car ready. I'll be right down."
Grey took the time to brush his teeth and splash water on his face before he ran out again. He jumped into the back seat of the SUV and told Taylor to floor it. Taylor didn't, of course. It only required a reasonable speed to catch up to a city bus.
"Sawyer, give the phone to Ana."
"Good morning, Christian. Did you sleep well?" Ana sweetly inquired.
"Yes, dear, very well…and you?" Christian responded.
"I always did with you."
"Did, my darling, is past tense. You do is what you mean to say, don't you?"
Ana was quiet. Sawyer watched as tears trickled down her cheeks. He handed her a handkerchief to dry her eyes and blow her nose.
"Ana, I'm going to have the driver pull the bus over to the curb and then Sawyer will help you off."
"No, Christian. Jack Hyde is in jail now so I'm safe." Ana sniffled.
"But I'm not, Ana. Now if you don't walk off the bus, Sawyer will carry you."
Sawyer pulled the cord and the driver pulled the bus up to the next stop and opened the doors. Sawyer stood and held out his hand to Ana. She looked up at him and saw the serious look in his eyes so she stood and walked off the bus. Taylor pulled up to the curb and Sawyer opened the back door for Ana before climbing in the front with Taylor who then turned a corner and headed back to Escala.
Christian reached over and pulled Ana close to him.
"Did you eat before you left?" Ana shook her head.
"Are you hungry? Gail can make you pineapple pancakes." Again, she shook her head no.
"Maybe you need to work up an appetite first. I'm always hungry after I swim. How about we swim for a while and then have breakfast?" Ana sighed heavily and nodded.
"Good. Taylor let us off in the basement and see that we have absolute privacy. If any of the other tenants want to go for a swim, tell them the pool is undergoing maintenance." "Yes, sir."
In the locker room, Christian undressed and then gently removed Ana's clothes.
"Betcha you've never gone skinny dipping, have you, sweetie? It's very freeing." He took her by the hand and walked her out to the pool. He picked her up in his arms and jumped into the water. Startled, Ana screamed and Christian laughed. He held on to her and kept her from sinking. He told her to wrap her arms around his neck and lie on his broad back. Then he swam laps. After the first lap, she lowered her arms to hold on around his chest. He completed a dozen or so laps and then rolled over so that he was holding Ana against his chest as he swam backwards. She laid her head on his chest and it took him a minute to realize that she was crying.
"Tell me," he said.
"You don't have to take care of me anymore."
"What if I want to take care of you? What if I need to take care of you?"
"I don't understand. I'm not your responsibility, Christian. You can be free again. You can even build a new playroom and do things the way you want to."
"I'm freer now with you than I've ever been in my life. I don't want a playroom. If you leave me, if you really want to, I'll do everything in my power to help you have a good life…but I want to keep you…always. Ana, I love you."
Ana turned around in his strong arms, arms that could hold her safe in the water as he treaded. "I wish that I could swim like you can. You can hold me up and all you're doing is kicking your legs a little."
Christian smiled at her. "I'll teach you. Ana, did you hear what I said?" Ana lowered her head. "I'm not sure. I think I misheard you."
"I'm deeply, madly, forever and always, in love with you, Ana. Now, tell me what you heard." He lifted her eyes to his. "You said that you are in love with me," Ana answered.
"Do you believe me?" Her brilliant blue orbs were wide and scared. "I know that you've never known love and have a hard time recognizing it. Is that true?"
Ana nodded, not taking her eyes off his.
"Have I ever lied to you?" he asked. She shook her head. "I will hold you close to my heart and my body for the rest of my life, Ana. I will never let you down and I will do everything in my power to make you feel happy, to feel good and safe and wanted. How does that sound to you?" Ana whispered, "Good."
"Good. So, will you be beside me when I wake every morning? Will you always stay with me?" he beseeched of her.
"All those things you said, is that what being in love with me means, Christian?"
"Yes, that and so much more."
"Then I'm in love with you, too. I'm hungry, also," Ana smiled at him and then kissed him so hard, he almost sank.
CHAPTER 71
They sat side by side at the breakfast bar. Ana had a big pancake with pineapples and Christian had his usual egg white and spinach omelet. Ana stared at his plate and then turned to Gail.
"Gail, I think that I ought to eat that," she pointed at Christian's breakfast.
"Seriously?" Gail looked dismayed. Christian's healthy-eating habits made her a little ill. "Perhaps you're right, dear, but let's leave the yolk in and perhaps some broccoli instead of spinach. We could swirl a bit of buttery sauce over the top, too. How does that sound?" Christian was now looking dubiously at his meal.
"The yolk isn't good for you, is it, Gail?", asked Christian.
"That misinformation was popular years ago," Gail replied.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Christian frowned. "I could have been eating the yolk all this time."
"Until recently, you haven't taken well to contradiction….sir," Gail smirked.
Grey opened his mouth to protest but Ana patted his arm. "Do you want half of my pancake, honey? It's really good."
It was the first time that Ana had addressed him with an endearment. Dazed, he held out his plate for some pancake.
He hadn't had a pancake in years when one of his subs made them. She burned them and that was that…but this pancake was delicious.
"I have to go into the office for a few hours today. Is there anything you'd like to do later?" Christian asked as he eyed Ana's omelet. She cut it in half and slid it over onto his plate.
"Don't you have to work when you get back?" Ana asked.
"You mean, when I get home, don't you? This is your home now, Ana…yours and mine."
Ana opened her mouth to argue but thought better of it. She had to get used to belonging here. She'd promised Christian that she'd stay. So, she smiled and nodded.
.+.
As soon as Taylor pulled into the GEH garage, Christian asked him to go back to Escala.
"Keep an eye on Ana. She intends to stay but that doesn't mean that she won't unwittingly wander off and I want my best man watching out for her. Sawyer should be her permanent CPO, too. I don't think that we're out of the woods just yet."
"Yes, sir," agreed Taylor…thinking that swim must have been really interesting.
.+.
"Good morning, Mr. Grey. We really weren't expecting you for the rest of the week. How are you and Ms. Steele feeling?" asked Andrea.
"Ms. Steele shot the genitals off her rapist. Both of us slept very well."
Andrea grinned. "Have you been looking at the internet or social media? Ana is a folk hero. Victims and even their partners are cheering her. One man said that this is the first time in almost a year that his wife is cheerful. He wanted to get pictures of Jack Hyde's groin to frame on the wall."
Christian cringed. "Why didn't I think of that? I doubt that I can get a picture but I'll ask," he laughed.
"It's all anyone here can talk about. Ros, in the breakroom yesterday, asked if anyone was excited about the worth of GEH nearly doubling this year and everyone clapped politely and went back to talking about Ana Oakley."
"Good to know that all our hard work is appreciated."
"Well, we're used to GEH success."
"Sorry to bore you," Christian smiled slyly. "Ask Ros to come in. She and I will have our lonely little celebration together."
A few minutes later, Ros burst through the heavy wooden door like it was paper.
"Yeah, Ana!" she screamed. Christian winced. "Don't carry on like that in front of Ana, okay? She seems all right but I think that she'd feel conspicuous."
"Christian, the whole story was front page around the country. Don't you keep up? So far, a dozen petite brunettes from sea to shining sea have come forward to accuse Jack Hyde, the man in black, of rape and beatings. Ana took out a serial rapist. The police are even looking at Hyde for more murders."
"I didn't know. I've spent all my time making sure that Ana is okay. I'll have to talk with her. I don't even know where she's been. What a dope. How could I not think to ask her where else she's been living all these years. There is a lot I don't know about her yet."
"You know, Grey. The papers say that the prosecutor is looking to arraign Hyde and Lincoln sooner rather than later. I think that you ought to get in some vacation time before their lawyers get her on the stand and start chewing on her. They're going to take advantage of her timidity."
"I was hoping that all four would plead out," Christian said.
"The two guys hired to help kidnap Ana have already done so. Hyde and Lincoln are, according to their lawyers, firm in their claims of innocence…hilarious and delusional as that sounds. This circus could go to trial in a month, month and a half."
"That soon! Geez, I'd better talk to Dad about prepping Ana. Oh, god, I don't want her to go through this."
"Well, that may be what Hyde and Lincoln are counting on…getting a good plea deal because you don't want to put Ana anywhere near them again. Think of it, Grey. Two trials. Can Ana handle that?"
"Can I handle that?"
CHAPTER 72
"Your father on line 1, Mr. Grey."
"Hi, Dad."
"Well, hello, son. Your mother and brother and sister and I all want to thank you for keeping us in the loop. Elliot came charging into the house last night and he wasn't even looking for food. He yelled for us to come into the TV room and at the same time, Mia came running down the stairs, screaming and waving her phone.
"I had to keep everyone from dashing over to Escala. I said that we needed to give you and Ana your space and that I was sure that you'd be calling soon. Maybe you'd even come to the house to seek comfort in the bosom of your loving family. It got later and later and more and more news got out and I got calls from the DA's office…but, oddly enough, the stars of the drama did not contact us."
"Oh, Dad, sorry…really. I did leave you a voice mail warning about you being besieged by paparazzi but I didn't have time to explain everything. We had a lot going on. It was nearly three hours before the police finished checking out the scene and cleaning up the mess and then they questioned Ana for almost 90 minutes. She's too frail for that. She was drifting off by the time they finished. Then I had to go down to the station for more questioning. After that, they let me talk to Elena for a while. Then I had to call Ryan's parents. Ryan got hurt when the door blew."
"WHAT!"
"I guess the papers weren't as thorough as you thought. Yeah, while the police were arresting the decoys, Hyde was bombing his way through the panic room door. Ryan was ready to shoot when Hyde came through but Ana ordered him to the floor to minimize any injury. Ryan is going to live that one down for a while. Don't worry. His injuries were superficial.
"Dad, I was going to call you anyway. I'm really worried about these trials. Isn't there any way that we can force Hyde and Elena to plead out. I don't know that Ana could survive testifying at two trials."
"Oh, about Mrs. Lincoln. Your mother is near hysterical. The news says that her best friend of 20 years conspired with Hyde to kill Ana. What did she tell you when you talked to her?"
"Oh, Dad. I guess I have some confessing to do but I'm kinda terrified. You may not want much to do with me after I tell you the truth. Where is Mom right now?"
"She took a sedative and went to bed about 2 in the morning after pacing the house for hours. She's so bewildered. She doesn't know what is real and she doesn't know how to feel. Mia is sleeping with her. They're both messed up. I never liked the woman but to Mia she is Auntie Elena. At least to Elliot, she's that dragon lady next door…so he's okay. Son, I know that you and Ana are both shook up but we're your family. We need to talk with you, to help you….and we care about Ana, too…especially since we figure that she isn't going anywhere."
"No, Dad. She isn't. I love her. I haven't asked her yet, because she's still trying to process being loved, but I am going to marry her."
"Do you think you could come for dinner tonight? Your mother needs an explanation now. She can't take this for long and she needs to hug you."
"I'll talk to Ana, Dad. If she doesn't want to, I'll come alone. I promise."
"Will Ana be okay without you?"
"Hope so. Processing is hard for her. I'll see you around 6. Get out the Jim Beam, would you? I'll probably need it and Gail drank all of mine yesterday. Bye, Dad."
Carrick hung up and then looked at the phone for a moment. Gail?
CHAPTER 73
"Cary, who were you talking to?" Carrick looked up and opened his arms to his wife. She sleepily walked over and sat on his lap, laying her head on his shoulder.
"Our son. He's coming for dinner," Carrick answered, kissing his wife's hand. "Provided that Ana can handle his being gone for long."
"Isn't he going to bring her along?" Grace asked hopefully.
"Honey, you know better than anyone how fragile she is."
"Yes. She'd be falling apart and she'd try to cover it. Christian loves her, you know."
"Yep...and he's going to marry her, too. Says he'll ask once she learns to understand being loved."
"Did he say anything about Elena? It's all a misunderstanding, isn't it? I mean, she just happened to be leaving the building when that man was walking in. He's hoping for a better deal by implicating her, isn't he?"
"I don't know, dear. My contact in the DA's office says they have proof…on tape."
Grace curled up on Carrick's lap and sobbed. He held her as tightly as he could but it could never be enough to mend her broken heart.
Meanwhile, Grey had just gotten off the phone with McLarty, the DA. He'd pushed as hard as he could for a plea deal but the defense attorneys swore that their clients wouldn't listen to them. They were set on jury trials. They were quite upfront about wanting to somehow threaten and humiliate their delicate and vulnerable victim. After all, McLarty pointed out, isn't that what Hyde had been trying to do to Ana for most of her life? This trial would be his last chance.
What about allowing Ana to videotape her testimony so that at least she wouldn't have to see Hyde? McLarty promised to put that before a judge.
Grey knew that Ana could handle Elena….couldn't she?
He went over his schedule with Andrea and Ros to see when and how much time he could have to get away with Ana. Ros told him to find out how much time the prosecutor's office would allow and then take it all. Grey hugged her. Gwen would be understanding, too, he knew. He promised that when this was all over, he'd send the two to Aspen or Montana for two weeks. Sal could ride ponies at the ranch.
He needed to get home to tell Ana about his dinner plans. He was guessing that she'd rather stay home and would feel guilty about it. He was getting better at reading her.
.+.
"Gail, can I talk to you about something?"
"Sure, sweetie. What's on your mind?" Gail smiled at Ana warmly.
"It's embarrassing to admit but love has never been part of my life. I kinda knew that it existed, of course, but no one ever loved me and the closest I came to loving someone was my daddy Ray. I mean, he was nice to me and even took me fishing once with his buddy, Jose. Here." Ana produced a tattered old picture of her and Ray standing with fishing rods. Ray had his arm around the shoulder of a tiny girl with a big smile.
"Oh, Ana. This is a lovely picture! Tell you what. We'll get a picture frame and you can put this on your nightstand. Would you like that? It would help to have a nice memory."
"Yeah, I guess so. I was 6 when he died. The police told my mother and me that he filled his pockets with rocks and went for a walk in the lake after she put me in a foster home again. Poor daddy Ray. He was more like a grandfather and his health was bad and he couldn't help me. He felt so guilty. I told him that it wasn't his fault and that I couldn't wait to come back to him but mother had told him that neither of us was going to return to "that shack". I'd like to go back there some day."
"You tell Christian and he'll take you. Why, he's so in love with you that he'd lasso the moon for you…just like Jimmy Stewart."
"Who's Jimmy Stewart and how did he lasso the moon!?"
"It's from a movie, dear, a Christmas movie. We'll all watch it together, okay?
"Okay. I'll be right back," Ana said as she ran for her room. Gail smiled. She was going to google 'lasso', Gail knew.
"I wouldn't like to lasso, Gail," Ana said as she returned. "I don't want to scare cows."
"I think we got off track. We were talking about love. I'd like to say that your daddy Ray must have really loved you."
"Do you think he really did?"
"Yes. Did you feel safe with him? Did you feel good with him?"
"Sometimes. He was usually in his workshop while my mother was sleeping one off and I was doing chores. He couldn't stand to be in the house. He even slept on a cot in the workshop. I think it hurt him to listen to mother beating me. He tried, once, to stop her but she was really mean and she started beating him, too. I think it was a piece of wood, that time. I told Dr. Flynn about it and he thought that daddy Ray was humiliated and ashamed that he couldn't help me."
"How are the sessions going with Dr. Flynn?"
"Oh, he's really smart and nice. He asks lots of questions and gets me remembering. Sometimes I don't like to remember. He says that my ability to bury memories has been 'my savings grace'. He had to explain that but I guess it means that having all those memories at the front of your mind can cripple you. He says that I saved myself by putting them aside but that now it's time…it's safe to talk about them."
"Did you ask him about love?"
"Yes. I told him that Christian loves me and that I told Christian that I love him, too. Only, I'm not sure. I have to learn what love is first. You love Taylor, don't you?"
"Oh, yes! I'm crazy about him," Gail beamed. "But it took some time. He says that he was equivocating about taking this job until he saw me and that sealed the deal," she giggled. Then she wrote down "equivocating" for Ana to look up later. "Anyway, I'd been married when I was very young, right out of high school, to Buck Jones. I thought he hung the moon. So handsome and smart. He was my Mr. Grey. We were very happy together for several years. Then one day as I was making dinner and waiting for Buck to come home, the doorbell rang and it was two police officers along with Buck's boss. Buck was helping to build a house and he slipped off the roof. Broke his neck."
Suddenly, Gail looked very sad. "I was glad that the fall killed him and didn't just leave him a quadriplegic. He was a very physical man. He couldn't have lived like that. I wandered in a fog for a couple of years. I had several governess and housekeeper jobs but when I interviewed here, I felt safe….high in the sky with a CPO trailing me to the grocery store. And Mr. Grey had a way about him. I saw his vulnerability. I told him to redesign that useless kitchen and then I'd stay. He shrugged and said okay.
"I'd been working here about a year when Jason came to interview for the position of security chief, a job that Grey was sort of doing. When the elevator pinged and Jason walked out, I felt something that I hadn't felt in years. We just stared at each other. It took some time to accept my feelings. How, I thought, could I feel for someone else when I still loved my husband? But our feelings grew and one day, in the kitchen, Jason came in and took me in his arms and kissed me. This was a man. Buck was a boy. I loved them both but I sure wanted that man. We dated for a year and then we married in the backyard of Grey Manor. Neither of us had much family. I had my sister and he had his daughter but we had all the Greys and the entire security detail. It was a lovely wedding."
"What a great story. I'm happy that you found love again. Have I found love, Gail?"
"I believe so, Ana. I watch you and Christian and both of you just radiate love toward each other…even when you're fighting. Which reminds me. I'm trashing that game of monopoly. It's already verboten at Grey Manor." Gail wrote verboten down for Ana.
"I feel really happy around him and I love making love with him and he treats me so well. I guess I just need time to believe in something I know so little about."
"You give yourself too little credit, dear. You are full of love in all you do. It is just who you are. You just need to recognize it and accept it. It is a risk but you've been forced to take risks all your life and you've overcome all the ill that's come your way." Gail reached across the breakfast bar and gently tilted Ana's chin up to look into her eyes.
"You are a champion."
CHAPTER 74
"Ana! Honey?" Where was she? For that matter, where was everyone?
As he looked into the kitchen, he heard voices. He followed the voices to the laundry room down the hall. He found Gail and Sawyer standing by a large cabinet that had been moved to reveal an opening in the wall. A grate that had been covering the hole was lying off to one side. Sawyer was leaning over, looking down into the hold and shouting to someone.
"Please come back. Grey is going to kill me if he finds out that I let you go down there."
"Consider yourself dead, Sawyer," growled Grey. He crouched down and peered into the darkness of the ductwork. "Ana? Come back! Ana!" Silence. He was about to head down in himself when they heard voices in the hall. It was Ana with two strange old people.
Christian hugged Ana and then he yelled at her, "What the hell did you think that you were doing? You could have fallen 20 floors."
"It was a bit tricky. Gail, Sawyer, Christian…these are the Herberts. They live immediately below us in 19A. It was lucky that I only had to drop a floor. This duct branches off to their laundry room as well. This is how Jack got in. He took the elevator, broke into 19A and hunted down the vent leading to the ductwork. Then, like the spider he is, he worked his way up, used a reverse screwdriver and removed the grate. The Herberts were watching the TV and didn't hear him pick their lock. They didn't notice that the grate was off and the cabinet pushed aside until I walked into their living room. They don't do laundry until Sunday.
"Gail was doing a load when she hear the washer dancing around in here. When we came in, I noticed the cabinet was a few inches off. Then I went exploring. Don't blame Sawyer. I was safe in the apartment. How was he to suspect that I'm in the laundry room crawling down the ductwork?"
"This, this…is a serious security breach, Sawyer. Talk to Taylor and get on it right away." Then a very relieved Grey grabbed Ana again but this time he didn't let her go. "Please don't ever do that again. That was crazy."
"Well, I'm the only one small enough to fit. Jack is slender but I'll bet he had to squeeze quite a bit. And I don't know how he intended to get me out of here."
"How did he know about the vent? Gail didn't know. I didn't know."
"No reason you should. It's just a cold air vent. Jack probably looked up the blueprints of this building looking for a way in. I told you he's a genius."
An hour later, the police had been notified and forensics had a bit more evidence against Jack. His fingerprints were all over the grate, for one.
.+.
Christian sat back on the couch with Ana. Her legs were weak and wobbly after using them to brace herself against the sides of the duct as she worked her way down. She had fallen asleep as Christian talked with the cops and now he felt in need of a nap so he picked up his girl and moved into the bedroom. He set his alarm to 6 so that he could make it to dinner and then curled around Ana.
At 6 pm his alarm went off. Ana, still half asleep, hit the off button. At 6:45, Gail knocked on the bedroom door, calling out to Grey. Immediately, his eyes popped open as if a little voice in his head was reminding him of his evening's errand. He replied to Gail and then looked at Ana, still asleep. He kissed her and carefully slipped out of the bed. After quickly brushing his teeth and pulling on his suit jacket, he kissed Ana again and reluctantly closed the door behind him. This was going to be a terrible night and Ana couldn't even come with him.
After Taylor dropped Grey at the door, Christian instructed him to go back to Escala to keep an eye on Ana. Then he entered Grey Manor, greeted by a foursome of sour faced family members who were starving. Apologies made and explanations delivered, the family finally sat to eat. He was quickly forgiven as he related what he'd walked in on when he arrived home.
"Twenty floors!" Christian bellowed. "She can barely walk 20 yards without pain and she decides that she can use those legs to brace her as she heads down the ductwork. I don't know what Gail was thinking to let her do it."
"She is really something else, bro," said Elliot. "We wish you'd bring her by again soon. I'd really like to know how she's survived all these years. She's like Wonder Woman."
"If she knew what I was doing here tonight, she'd probably have demanded to come with me and hold my hand but she was fast asleep and, besides, I'm trying to keep her life calm."
Mia threw her head back and laughed. "Maybe she should be trying to keep your life calm. I don't think I've seen you so lively since you used to beat up Elliot."
"I let him win, Mia. Geez, look at the little pipsqueak and then look at me," Elliot said as he flexed his arms to show off his incredible biceps.
"All right now, you two. Everyone bring your dishes into the kitchen so I can serve dessert and Christian can have his talk with us. Cary says that you can better explain Elena's predicament to me. She called me today and asked me to come visit her. I felt so bad but I decided that I wanted to talk with my son first. She's expecting me tomorrow."
"Aww, Mom. Don't. Just don't. That is a 'friendship' that never was."
Carrick threw his younger son a filthy look. "Your mother has been best friends with Mrs. Lincoln for 20 years. I know that you don't understand that kind of relationship but this situation has hurt your mother terribly. Try to be a bit sensitive."
"You're right. Mom, I'm sorry. I'll explain." Christian looked shamefaced.
CHAPTER 75
Everyone was sitting around the dining room table eating cherry pie and ice cream when the doorbell rang. The coverts had been covering the front gates and chasing off paparazzi every day. So help me, thought Christian, if they let one of those arseholes get through….
Carrick returned with a petite, pale young woman with a blush to her cheeks. She shyly waved at the assembled, startled group which included her boyfriend who jumped to his feet.
"Ana!" Reaching her side, he scooped her up and ducked into a side room. "What are you doing here? You need to be sleeping!"
"I knew you were gone so I woke up. Gail told me where you'd be and I kinda guessed what you'd be talking about and I'm your girlfriend now and I promised that I wouldn't ever leave you and you love me and need me so I told Taylor to bring me but he refused so I said that I'd call a cab and Gail said that he might as well bring me because I'm more stubborn than you. Do you think that I'm stubborn, Christian?"
Christian pulled her into his arms and kissed her like his life depended on it. "You drive me crazy and I'm so happy to see you." Then he kissed her again until they were both dizzy. Drawing back to catch her breath, Ana giggled. Christian had a tent pole in his pants.
"Carry me. I'll let my arm hang down to disguise your penis and then I can sit on your lap."
"Sit on my lap. You'll break my cock in half."
"No. As soon as you sit, I'll get off and claim a chair of my own. See how clever I can be," Ana smiled at him triumphantly. Christian groaned and scooped her into his arms again.
After a bit of playacting, the group was all settled again. Christian tapped his glass and claimed the floor.
"First, I'll tell you what happened with Jack Hyde." Then Grey proceeded to fill in all the blanks to which the news outlets weren't privy. His family had a lot of questions for Ana.
"Ana, weren't you just scared to death?" asked Mia, staring at her in awe.
"I knew Jack. It wasn't like he was an unknown bogeyman. I'd been ducking him for years and I knew that I was about to end it. So, I guess I was a little nervous. Ryan was wonderful. If he'd been like a lot of men…you know, all macho…he wouldn't have helped me defend myself. He told me where to find a gun and when I told him to get down on the floor, he did it without arguing with me. So, I was ready when Jack blasted his way in."
"How did it feel to shoot Hyde?" Elliot put in.
"It kinda hurt, actually. I had never fired a gun and I didn't know that if you aren't prepared, there's something called a 'kickback' that slams the back of the gun into your shoulder. I had a beaut of a bruise that Christian got all excited about but it wasn't anything."
"No, darling, I meant what did it feel like emotionally to finally get this guy," Elliot asked.
Ana looked confused for a moment. "I have to ask Christian something." Then she whispered in his ear…"Why did your brother call me something you'd call me?" Christian smiled at her. "I suppose that he thinks you're darling, too." "Oh."
"Well, I'm not sure how to answer, sweetie," Ana replied as Christian struggled to avoid laughing out loud and Elliot looked confused.
"You see, I didn't hate Jack. I mean, I did when I was six because he was hurting Molly but when he switched his anger to me, I didn't think about my feelings. I didn't know how to. Dr. Flynn is working with me on my inability to acknowledge my feelings. He said that he's had a lot of practice with Christian.
"So, anyway, all I really felt was the need to shoot Jack so that he didn't get the gun and shoot Ryan. I knew he wouldn't shoot me. He just wanted to kidnap me and take me someplace where he could beat me up and rape me."
"So, did you intend to blast off his family jewels?"
Ana cocked her head to one side in that adorable way she had when she was really thrown. Christian whispered something in her ear and she nodded and said, "Oh, his penis and scrotum, you mean. Gosh, you guys have so many different words for private body parts. It gets confusing. Yes, I did intend to 'blast off his family jewels', Elliot. It seemed the sensible thing to do, don't you think?"
"Brilliant, honey. It was brilliant." Christian beamed at Ana who beamed back.
Then, before anyone could ask any more of Ana, she insisted that Christian had much more important things to say so she was just going to eat her pie and ice cream. Elliot looked crestfallen.
"Okay. Mom, I love you and Dad and you've been great parents. Nothing I did was your fault. That, I beg you to believe."
"Hmmm….this pie is even better than Gail's. Christian don't tell Gail."
"I promise, dear. Anyway, what you read in the paper and heard on the news was true. Elena met Jack in an underground BDSM club."
"Bondage, Discipline, Sadism and Masochism," Ana listed with her spoon in the air before returning to her pie.
"Elena owns a couple of clubs here in Seattle and a few elsewhere. Jack was definitely into sadism and he visited her club one night while Elena was there. They were drawn to each other and had a nice visit. When Jack mentioned that he had his eye on a girl that he wanted as a sub but that I had her locked up in my place, Elena saw her chance to get back at me. She gave Jack the codes to the elevator. You see, she knew that I had a girlfriend and she wanted to meet her. I refused her demands. So, she came by one day when her spies had told her that I'd be gone. She tried to intimidate Ana but Ana handled her beautifully and she left in a huff. Elena already had plans in place. It wouldn't have mattered how Ana behaved toward Elena.
"On the day in question, Hyde wasn't wearing black so Ryan didn't notice him. He got off at the 19th floor, broke into 19A and slithered up the ductwork and into Gail's laundry room. Our surveillance cameras caught Elena and one of the decoys exchanging information before he, the decoy, got on the elevator. He later admitted to the cops that Elena told him to rape and kill Ana. The police had a lip reader translate."
Grace sat frozen, her face ashen. "I didn't know her at all, did I? What did she have against Ana?"
Christian took a deep breath and haltingly related his relationship with Elena that had begun shortly after his 15th birthday. He kept his eyes on his mother the entire time and his hand squeezing Ana's. It was a long and very ugly story and, without directly saying so, Grace understood her part….years of confiding in Elena and giving her ammunition against her son. Christian tried to point out that it wasn't all bad. He did stop fighting at school. He did start getting A grades. He turned his life around. And his dominant training was quite useful in succeeding in business. Besides, BDSM was legal and healthy if practiced between two consensual parties.
"I want you to know that I tossed out my last sub about the time that I met Ana. Not because of Ana but because I'd just begun to get bored. After I'd know Ana for a while, I realized that I'd never want to go back to BDSM so I had Taylor demolish my playroom and put it all in the dumpster. Made his day."
Ana leaned over and kissed Christian's cheek. "Good job, Grey." Mia and Elliot just rolled their eyes. Grace ran out of the room. Without warning, Ana limped quickly after her.
She followed Grace into the side room and found her in tears. She awkwardly patted her back. "I've been a terrible mother. My son was in trouble and I just turned him over to a pedophile."
"I read up on pedophiles a few nights ago after Christian told me that that is what Elena is. They are really cunning people. No one sees them coming. They only get caught after they've done enough damage to be recognized for what they are. You're a fine lady who has never dealt with a lot of scum, except for probably drunks in the ER. And all your family and friends are well-behaved people so you wouldn't have had any practice in recognizing liars and cheats."
"I knew that Elena was rather crude and could be unpleasant," Grace confessed. "No one else would have anything to do with her. They patronized her salon only because the Grey family did. I ignored all of their good sense because I felt sorry for her because I thought that she was only trying to rise above her station in life."
"What was her station in life?"
"Oh, poor, ill-educated." Yes, Ana knew about that station in life.
"Well, it was kind of you to be good to her when no one else was and I'm sure that she just took advantage of that. You would have no way of knowing what she was up to. You can't blame yourself because it isn't practical and it will make Christian unhappy. So, now, forgive yourself for being a little naïve and a lot nice."
Grace chuckled, dried her tears and looked at Ana, this lovely creature that her son had found in a diner. She put her arms around her and hugged her hard. All Ana could think was how wonderful a mother's arms could be.
Grace stood up to return to the dining room and saw Christian standing in the doorway, his sleeves rolled up and his hands in his pockets. She embraced him and told him that she was fine. He needn't worry about her. She kissed his cheek tenderly and returned to the rest of her family who were chattering like deranged chipmunks.
CHAPTER 76
"Christian, did everything go all right tonight?" Ana asked meekly.
Christian brought her hand to his lips. "Yes, yes it did….especially after you arrived. Just in the nick of time, too. First, I explained all the things they didn't learn from the news. I was just about to start on the hard part, my years with Elena, when you walked in the door like an angel coming down from a cloud. Until I saw you, I didn't realize how nervous and scared I was. After you sat down and broke Elliot's heart by eating the pie he thought he'd get, I was fine. You were wonderful with my mother, too."
"She won't be out of the woods for a while and there will be a corner of her heart still bearing the pain for the rest of her life…just like you over your mother. It's hard to feel things. Dr. Flynn says that I might break down one day because I don't let myself feel pain over everything that my parents did to me. I tell him that I've never felt anything, except a little for daddy Ray. I'll only ever hurt bad over you."
"Then you'll never hurt. I won't allow it."
Ana was silent. She stared out of the window. Christian swore to himself that Ana would believe someday, would believe that his love for her was solid and true. She would never hurt as long as he lived.
Ana's heart did hurt. She did as Dr. Flynn advised…breathe in and out and eventually the pain would lessen. It did help. She shut her eyes tight. She was too prone to tears these days.
That night Christian used everything within him to love Ana so much that she would feel safe with him…really safe. He held her so tightly, trying to make it enough for her to know for certain that he loved her and always would.
She lay in his arms, understanding better what love felt like and how much she felt for Christian. Until she felt his breathing was deep and even, she held back her tears. She hadn't even lost him yet and the pain was unbearable.
.+.
"Well, I'd like you to be here the week prior to the first court date. We'll need to go over Ms. Steele's testimony and familiarize her with the courtroom and the procedures. From what you've told me about her life, I doubt she has any idea of what happens during a trial. I want her to be comfortable, Mr. Grey. So, I guess that gives you a month for a getaway. Leaving town is a good idea, anyway. This is going to be a big trial, well attended, news outlets a dozen deep. We're going to have to use the largest courtroom. We rarely have need of it. I won't lie. I'm worried about Ms. Steele's nerves. Hyde's and Lincoln's lawyers are going to be sure to position themselves so that Ms. Steele can't avoid their faces throughout their examination of her."
"Do you know what judge will preside? I'm hoping it's one who will keep those jerks from trying to torture Ana on the stand."
"Sorry, no one's been assigned yet. Now be sure to leave instructions on how to get ahold of you if necessary," McLarty asked.
"You mean if one or both defendants commits suicide to avoid trial?"
"Dream on, sir. I've never met any like these two. They'd go to trial tomorrow if possible. Enjoy your getaway."
Christian wandered back into the bedroom, laying down next to Ana to just look at her. She hadn't expressed any fear of being on the stand but he was scared to death. Everything she'd lived through, everything she said, it would all be twisted to Hyde's and Elena's advantage. Ana was very brave but it could all be too much. Getting back a week before was a good idea. Ana could have a session with Dr. Flynn every day to help prepare her.
"Why are you staring at me?" Ana smiled over at him, her sleepy eyes barely open.
"There's a lot to stare at. You're so beautiful. It's always hard to take my eyes off you when we're in the same room. Elliot says that I make googly eyes," he laughed.
"Make love to me before breakfast," Ana commanded and Christian was happy to obey.
CHAPTER 77
"So tell me," Christian asked as they ate their omelets. "Where would you like to go on vacation? We have a whole month before we have to return for the trials. We can go anywhere in all the world."
"Christian, you don't have to take me on expensive trips any more than you need to buy me things. I don't want things. I just want you," Ana smiled so sweetly at him that it made his heart swell.
"I want to take you everywhere and show you things you've only dreamt of, Ana. I want to…," Christian began before Ana interrupted.
"I don't know anything about the world and strange countries and beautiful places. I've only ever been to a few big cities when I was on the run and I like the woods around the house I grew up in but I've never been in the mountains or seen the ocean. You'll have to choose. I've never had any dreams."
"Then we'll take an ocean voyage to Europe and then we can take a smaller boat down rivers throughout the countries. Eat your fruit," he kissed her lips and hurried into his study.
"What's wrong, Ana?" Gail asked as she leaned across the counter to take Ana's hand.
"He's going to spend so much money on me," Ana lamented.
Gail laughed. "Well, he does have a penny or two. Besides, since he got rich, he's been spending money on toys to make him happy and nothing's worked. I've never seen him this excited about splurging. Dear, you have to accept that he adores you and wants to be with you and do whatever he can to make you happy."
"He could spend his money on people so much more deserving than me. I'm just…just nothing much."
"If you're going to face up to Jack Hyde in court, you're going to have to stop taking all the horrible things he's said to you as fact. You are loved, very much so….not just by Christian...but by everyone who meets you. Do you know that after Caroline Acton met you, she told Christian that he'd better buy you a lot more apparel because she thinks that you are wonderful and she wants to see you again? And not because of the money he spends. He's purchased clothes from Caroline for every member of his family, every sub, even me. You are the first customer she's gone all gaga over…and that's just a woman who's met you once.
"His family simply adores you, especially Grace. She asked Carrick if they could adopt you!" Ana laughed.
"It's so strange to me, Gail, to have people care about me. It's so new to me that it's hard to believe. For 24 years, I've been nobody and since Christian picked me up in a dingy diner, my whole life has changed. Sometimes I wake in the middle of the night, my pillow soaked, because I think it's all been a dream. And I look at Christian and I'm afraid to go back to sleep, scared that I'll wake up in that basement on Olive St…without him."
"It's only been a few months, Ana, that you've been safe and cared for. Someday when enough time has passed, you'll look back and that other life will seem like the dream."
Christian came dancing out of the study with a big grin on his face and whirled Ana off her stool and twirled around the room.
"Arrangements are being made and we are going to have the best damn time ever!"
He twirled and twirled until he got so dizzy that he collapsed on the couch, kissing Ana fiercely.
.+.
A few days later, with the Grey Jet's hold filled with clothes chosen by Caroline Acton and the family waving goodbye, Ana and Christian took off for New York and the Queen Mary 2 in which they would sail in old world luxury across the Atlantic. After a tour of England, they would travel down Europe's rivers in a private yacht to visit all the great cities of Western Europe. They would see places Ana had never known existed, learn history that Ana had not known even a bit about. When Christian told her about the Tower of London and it's bloody past, her eyes popped open so wide, he laughed. Don't worry, he assured her, the blood's been cleaned up.
Every morning when Christian opened his eyes, he'd see Ana sitting on the balcony of their QE2 suite, wrapped in a fluffy robe and sipping tea and staring out across the miles of ocean. He'd brush his teeth and don his own robe, pick Ana up and settle her on his lap. Sometimes they'd see whales and Ana would squeal from excitement. Later, after she studied all about whales of every kind, Christian would patiently listen while she explained all she'd learned. Once she started tearing up about the history of the whaling industry, he'd kissed her until she was thoroughly distracted and then love her until she forgot about whales.
It was the most wonderful four days of his life and it was only the beginning of Christian's dream come true…except, as with Ana, he'd never dreamt that anything or anyone so wonderful could ever happen for him.
.+.
"Where is he now? Where are they hiding?" Elena's mood was the sourest her lawyer had yet seen it. Sighing, he shoved a few newspapers across the table to her. The Seattle Times showed their favorite son waving goodbye to his family as he and Ana climbed aboard Grey II.
Seattle bids bon voyage to our own Christian Grey and his girlfriend, Ms. Anastasia Steele, as they take off for New York City from where they will sail on the QE2 to Europe for a month's vacation to rest up before the trials of Jack Hyde and Elena Lincoln. After all they've been through together, let's hope this vacation leaves them well rested for the ordeal ahead.
"After all they've been through!? Their ordeal!? What the fuck!"
Hiding his smirk, Elena's lawyer slid the society section of the New York Times across to her next. "Those are the hometown papers. The Nooz is in there, too. Here is the NYC paper."
Industrialists, celebrities, movie stars and the rich and famous of every stripe wave farewell from the deck to the crowd below as streamers and horns and cries of bon voyage fill the air as the QE2 slowly and majestically retreats from its berth at the New York docks. For four luxurious days, its passengers will sail the ocean blue on their way to England.
The Times has learned that among the usual suspects, multibillionaire wunderkind Christian Trevelyan Grey and his girlfriend, Ms. Anastasia Rose Steele, are sailing to Europe for a month's long trek around Europe, much of it sailing the rivers from capital to capital...surely a vacation suited to the wealthy. We don't know much about Ms. Steele except that it is reported that Mr. Grey is completely besotted with her and had kept her under wraps for months. Well, Mr. Grey, your secret is out now and judging by the photo below, it's a good thing you protected your prize.
Then below the fold there was a picture of the happy couple, arms entwined and beaming at each other. The caption mentioned that Ms. Steele was quite the beauty.
The lawyer sat still as Elena screeched and tore at the papers, dumping the scraps on his head.
"That should be ME! I made him everything he is and gave him everything he has and he turns on me like this and throws this trollop in my face! You destroy her in court, do you understand me?! Destroy her! DESTROY HER!
CHAPTER 78
Every day The Nooz had a new article about The Grey Gadabout in Europe, all of it 'borrowed' from the foreign outlets. Details about their itinerary, interviews with people with whom they dealt and a mass of photos. Pictures of Ana leaving a store, taken from several different angles to give the impression that she was leaving a series of shops. Images of a huge stack of packages being carried by and hiding a tall man purported to be Christian Grey. The same sort of photographic shenanigans were used on the couple eating at high end restaurants and visiting all the tourist sites.
The Grey family at home grabbed The Nooz from Margaret the moment she arrived in the morning. She couldn't wait for the travelers to return so that she could have her tabloid to herself. Elliot, who always came to Grey Manor for breakfast, ("It's a shame you couldn't afford a condo with a kitchen") would sit at the counter reading to Margaret and his father.
"Look at this one with Ana apparently 'quote, unquote', buying out the most expensive shop in Paris. They took the shot at five different angles and photo shopped different people into it. They did the same thing with some guy carrying the packages so it looks like he had to make a half dozen trips to the car. They're just making Ana out to be a gold-digger."
"Maybe the news wouldn't upset you so if you just left my paper alone," snarled Margaret as Grace laughed. "They're worse than gossipy women, aren't they, Margaret? Elliot, what else does it say?" Margaret just rolled her eyes.
The Grey Gadabout was worth a fortune to The Nooz. It sold out every day and people were buying subscriptions. With the front page devoted to the 'news' from Europe, the second page was devoted to the story of Ana who it seemed was a bag lady who, 'it was surmised', had been hit by a car…can't say whose car…and who was then rescued by Christian Grey. There was a lot of talk, but it couldn't be said for certain, that it was Grey who hit her and who then succumbed to extortion. This outlandishly expensive European tour was just part of his attempt to avoid the millions Ms. Steele would demand in court…so some people were saying. The Nooz could, of course, confirm nothing.
The next day there would be photos of Ana and Christian buying out an Italian shoe shop and a couple of obvious doubles attending the opera with the fake Ana loaded down with furs and jewels and posing coquettishly with a dispirited Grey standing next to her. On the second page would be another story about the possibility that Jack Hyde had followed her around the country trying to stop her criminal activities and getting shot for his valiant efforts.
"Thank god Ana and Christian aren't here to read this crap. Dad, can't you do something about this slander?" asked Mia.
"The Nooz has been served and they've learned to be very careful about how they word their garbage…just this side of saying things directly. Besides, by the time Christian gets home and tears into them, they'll have already made a fortune in sales. However, I think that this time their luck may have run out. No matter what it costs, he'll buy the paper and burn the building to the ground. This time they picked the wrong target…Ana…and this time Christian won't just get over it."
"Wow!" exclaimed Margaret, who was ignoring Elliot's pleas for sustenance. "They imply in this bit that your son is trying to buy the Eiffel Tower for Ana and that when he was unable to buy Notre Dame, Ana became enraged and tossed a burning cigarette onto the roof. Then they put an asterisk next to the article and down below they say that this was just a bit of local gossip."
"I think that I'd better give the publisher of this rag a call. They've gone mad over there," said Carrick.
"Here's another crazy article that implies that Ana is mentally deranged and has imagined her entire life. Christian and the SPD have kept most everything about her life out of the public record so people will read this and think that Ana has made up a whole crazy story so that when the real story comes out, no one will believe her," Mia said in dismay. "OMG, what Hyde's lawyer will do to her in court!"
"Margaret, I'm dying here," Elliot moaned.
.+.
Jack laughed with maniacal glee, slapping his hand on the table and jingling his chains. His lawyer, a man who enjoyed defending both the crazy and the vicious, smiled at his client's pleasure.
"When I get out, I think that I'll buy The Nooz. This dumb town loves the Greys and they'll eat up anything printed about them."
"When Grey gets back, I think that he'll beat you to it, Jack. However, his leaving town with his little doll was a great break for us. By the time this goes to trial, the prosecutor will have a hard time finding an impartial juror. The average citizen is pretty stupid and after a steady diet of this baloney, they'll be handing you punitive damages instead of a jail sentence," the lawyer sneered.
Jack pounded on the table with his chained fists and glared at his lawyer. "Don't get cocky, Cohn. You make certain that your partner gets Elena off first. That'll make Ana look like a liar. That's my best shot at beating this rap. And keep slipping these anonymous tips to the Nooz.
"Now, let's think what the sappy couple have been up to since yesterday."
CHAPTER 79
While Ana and Christian had spent almost a month exploring Europe, they had no idea that back home, they were being slandered on an almost daily basis, especially Ana. The Seattle Times, led by investigative journalist Kate Kavanaugh, had doggedly countered every slur and accusation made by the Nooz. Kate's approach was to find the source of each statement because she had a hunch that most were not gleaned from oversea sources. Carrick had libel petitions all set to go for his son's return. Margaret was even helping by spreading the word among her friends, neighbors and colleagues that anything that they read in the Nooz was false. These were the people who religiously read tabloids and tended not to question the "facts" therein…but if one of their own knew better, they listened.
Ana and Christian boarded the QE2 for the trip home…their hearts heavy. Their carefree time was almost at an end and they had so much ugliness ahead of them. The second night at sea, Christian arranged for a beautiful and romantic dinner in their suite. The candles were lit, the music was low and they were in each other's arms.
"Christian, thank you. I will remember this the rest of my life. No matter what happens, I'll always have this time with you."
"The next time we'll go to the South Pacific. We can sail among the islands," he said, kissing her lips and first realizing that she was crying. He stopped dancing and held her tightly.
"Ana, there will be a next time. There will." Ana simply buried her face in his chest. He took her face in his hands and made her look into his gray eyes.
"You are the most precious thing in the world to me. I have had so much in my life and yet I had so little before you. I will never let you go and you, my love, promised to never leave me, did you not?" Ana nodded but it was too much to believe. Christian took her hand and led her to the bed. He helped her to sit and he knelt before her.
"Now, look at me and listen, okay?" Ana nodded again as the tears kept coming.
"I had never been in love. I had never imagined that I could want someone like I want you and I don't just mean in bed. Anything can happen to people and their love has to be strong to withstand the tough times. I know that I can trust you to hold on to me and hold me up no matter what life brings us. I will always be by your side. I will always, always love you.
"Ana, will you marry me?"
He looked at her so hopefully and not at all certain that she'd say yes. She was so insecure and frightened of this new emotion. It was so powerful and overwhelming. He reached into his jacket pocket and produced a blue box.
"Ana? Give me your trust, your love and take my name?" Ana was still looking into his eyes and still crying. "I have nothing to give you while you give me so much."
"By much, do you mean material things?"
"No. Your heart is so big and open and I'm still scared to lose what I never dreamt of having."
"Don't you know what you've given me?" Christian gazed up at her in amazement. "You've made me happy, Ana, and I know that you always will. Sometimes, I wake in the middle of the night and feel you with me and I almost begin laughing with joy because I can't believe it's all real. Ana, answer me. Say yes, please?"
"And you'll never leave me either, promise?" She asked. "I promise," He stated firmly.
"Okay, Christian, yes, I'll always stay with you. I'll marry you, too." She smiled and then began laughing and bouncing on the bed as she hugged his neck.
"Hey, darlin', we have to seal the deal." Ana, of course, knew little about engagements so she didn't understand the contents of the little blue box. It was a delicate deep blue diamond with a band covered in tiny white diamonds. Christian took Ana's left hand and slipped it on her ring finger. It fit.
"This is the ring we saw in that store in Paris. You talked to the clerk in French and then we left. Is that what you were talking about? Buying the ring for me? It was the one I liked best but I didn't expect you to buy it."
"I had to get him to measure your finger by sight. These pros can do that. He did a rush job to deliver it to me before we boarded. I was a nervous wreck thinking that he wouldn't make it in time."
"I thought that you were just so sad about leaving. Is this what you buy to make someone your permanent girlfriend?"
"No, honey. This is an engagement ring. We're engaged now."
Just then there was a soft knock at the door. Christian left Ana sitting on the bed, staring at the ring and smiling while he answered. He held a quick conversation and closed the door.
"We have an appointment so we have to get dressed," he said as he opened the closet doors and pulled out two garment bags and two shoe boxes. Ana looked befuddled.
"We're getting married in about 30 minutes so we have to get changed. Here is your dress," he smiled, handing a bag to Ana. She opened it to find a beautiful, white gown. Then she opened the shoe box and found a lovely pair of slippers. She began laughing again and stripping off her clothes. Christian had to go into another room to change to keep his composure. After he had donned his tux, he knocked and asked Ana if she was ready.
"I need help with the buttons, Christian."
He entered to find that Ana was wearing the dress backwards. He roared with laughter and swung her around before he set her down and turned the dress around. "I'm going to love being married to you!"
Ana sat on the bed and he slipped on the shoes. Then he pulled out another blue box. This one contained a diamond necklace that he fastened for her. He gently brushed her hair. That was all she needed….no makeup…no embellishment at all. She was just breathtakingly beautiful as she was. He kissed her with as much love as he could show and then took her hand.
"People can get married on boats?" Ana asked in surprise.
"Captains can perform weddings, yes." He led her into a beautiful room, completely decorated for a wedding with candles and twinkling lights and several lovely tables, one of which held a gorgeous four-tiered cake. The captain in full regalia was standing behind a podium. A man was playing a piano and the two elderly people who'd befriended what they believed to be just an ordinary young couple, were acting as witnesses.
Ana greeted Herman and Gloria and they said how thrilled they were to be asked to participate and they hugged Ana and Christian. It was a brief ceremony. Christian knew that asking Ana to recite her own vows would be too much so they used the traditional set except, of course, for the word 'obey'. Christian didn't even want to get into that. Ana would have stopped the ceremony cold. They vowed to love and cherish one another until death would part them and then they exchanged rings. More rings kind of puzzled Ana but she said nothing. Then the captain, knowing full well whose nuptials he was performing, broke into a big smile and pronounced them husband and wife. They kissed, perhaps a bit indecently, and then embraced for the first time as mates.
It was a perfect wedding for two reticent people, one of whom would have had no one sitting on her side at a regular affair. Christian didn't want Ana to feel self-conscious about her lack of family. His would be none too pleased but they'd understand and he and Ana could discuss having a large reception in the backyard of Grey Manor to please his parents…oh, and Mia.
They danced. Everyone ate cake. Rings were examined and oohed and aahed over. The ship's photographer took several formal photos and a lot of candid shots. Then, summoning his courage, Grey and Ana stood before a large Skype-style screen as the captain dialed his parents.
CHAPTER 80
As it was Sunday brunch, most of the Greys were gathered around the table in the formal dining room. Kate Kavanaugh was present as well. The family, and more importantly Elliot, had really taken to the brash and assertive reporter who was championing the family in their current plight. Kate was a great conversationalist and no, she was not giving her pie to this Elliot guy. She wasn't sure what to make of him. First of all, he was huge…probably twice her height and weight. Fortunately, she was fond of stilettoes and, thus, she could almost stare straight into his blue eyes. Unfortunately, the eyes and, god help her, the rest of the man took her breath away…a fact that she adroitly concealed. She was, after all, accustomed to hiding her thoughts from interview subjects.
Elliot didn't have a clue. He had never met anyone like her. She was certainly not like his usual Saturday night Grey groupie. Being a Grey and the owner of Grey Construction and a millionaire in his own right, he was a popular guy with the ladies. He was king of the Fuck and Duck and he had no plans to ever abandon his throne. Maybe, when he was 50 like George Clooney, and his looks were beginning to go, he'd find a beautiful and brilliant 30 year to wed and impregnate. Kate had shown up 20 years too soon and he knew that she was no Fuck and Duck.
"Ana and Christian will be home in a few days," grimaced Mia. "I'm really worried about how they're going to take all the awful fake news that that tabloid's been pumping out. Christian will be apoplectic and Ana will blame herself for bringing shame to the family."
"Well, Mia, I may have something to improve matters by then. Don't worry too much."
"Are you going to tell us about your discoveries, Kate?" asked Elliot, just as Margaret rushed into the room, breathless and stunned.
"Margaret, are you all right?" asked Carrick. "Yes," their cook answered, "but I don't know if you're going to be."
Mia's tablet had been left in the kitchen and now Margaret switched the contents over to the 80 inch television screen in the media room. She gestured everyone to join her as she told someone on the screen to wait a moment. Then she pressed start.
"Hi, folks. It's great to see you. You're on a big screen here, too. Thanks for handling that, Margaret. I didn't know that you had such a grasp of technology," Christian grinned.
"The hell with Margaret's grasp of technology!" Grace yelled. "What are we looking at?"
"Mother," Christian scolded, "language. I'd like to introduce a few people to you. This is Captain O'Toole of the QE2 and our officiant. This lovely couple, Herman and Gloria, have been our friends on this journey coming and going and the witnesses to our nuptials. This is chef Martin who whipped up this incredible wedding cake in a couple of hours. We're bringing home the top layer so you can all have a taste. And these three people have been assisting us. Joe Kress here has been playing the piano. Denise and Lola have been serving us our wedding dinner. It's been an intimate affair."
Grace wobbled and Carrick helped her to sit. Kate was taking pictures. Elliot and Mia stood, mouths open.
"Mr. Grey, I'm Kate Kavanaugh, from the Seattle Times. I'd like to publish these photos along with the article. Is that okay with you? Your family and I have gotten to know each other quite well this past month and I'd like to maintain good relations."
"Sure, that's okay. You can do the announcement. Christian Trevelyan Grey and his girlfriend, Ms. Anastasia Rose Steele wish to announce their engagement and immediate wedding, etc. etc. I'm sure that Mom can help you with the rest. I've never read a wedding announcement and Ana didn't even know what the ring was for. Can you zoom in on our rings?"
Margaret expertly did so.
"Anyway, we'll finish up with the honeymoon and then come by the house. I'm sure that you'll have a few choice words for us. Dad, meet you in the study and don't bother with the pre-nup talk. Wouldn't mind a bourbon, however."
"Ana, is that Vera Wang?" asked Mia. Ana was perplexed and looked around her for someone called Vera Wang.
"No, Mia. I got it and the rings in Paris. I liked the dress and it looked like it might fit. It's the smallest they had but it's still kinda big. Isn't she stunning?" beamed Christian.
"Grace, I'm sorry. Are you very angry with me? Christian planned everything and you know how he can be. When we get home, you and Mia can plan a big reception for the backyard."
"Oh, no, dear, I couldn't be mad at you. Yes, I do know how Christian can be…certainly since he fell in love with you. I saw this coming a mile away….not a half mile…but close. We miss you very much. Call as soon as you land so we can come to the airport. Golly, I have a new daughter," Grace said as she dabbed at her eyes.
"And I finally have a sister. I'm no longer alone with these brutes," grinned Mia.
"I'm afraid that we're losing the connection, Mr. Grey. You are out in the middle of the Atlantic. Probably a storm brewing. We'll see you soon." Before the words were out of Margaret's mouth, the connection was lost. "Sorry, folks, I held on to it for as long as I could. Oh, by the way, there is another recording on here that Mr. Grey asked me to play after that one."
Carrick stared at her. "When did you get to be the house tech genius, Margaret? I can barely answer the phone."
Margaret smiled, pleased with herself, and handed the tablet back to Mia. "Hit play."
"Yeah, but can you make more pie?" Elliot demanded. "Ms. Kavanaugh hasn't eaten hers," Margaret pointed out. Elliot looked at Kate. "Touch my pie and it's the last time you'll use that hand to eat anything," she scowled at him.
The family sat in the media room and watched the actual wedding over and over. The ship's camera man had recorded the wedding and with the candles and the lights, it was a lovely affair. Grace couldn't stop weeping. Mia kept eyeing the dress and trying to work out the designer. Kate was typing furiously on her phone. She wanted the story and the photos in tomorrow's edition…and, oh lord, how she wished she could be a fly on the wall when Hyde and Elena saw the paper. Maybe she could even convince the Greys to give a copy of the wedding to the television station. Just the final pronouncement would do.
Elliot couldn't take his eyes off of Kate and her red hair and her passion and the fiery gleam in her eyes….and her slice of pie.
CHAPTER 81
Up until the moment the QE2 settled into her berth in New York, Christian and Ana lived in bubble of bliss, naked and holding each other all day, wearing robes only at night to ward off the cold as they cuddled on the balcony.
"How about we join one of those nudist colonies where we could be skin to skin all the time?" Christian chuckled.
"Those exist?" Ana asked in amazement.
"Yeah, no one is permitted to wear clothes. Of course, the downside is that nothing sexual is permitted in public so we'd have to stay in our room all the time."
"You really do like sex." Ana rightly observed.
"Since I met you, I do. Until then, I only thought that I did. BDSM is ostensibly about sex but I'd go all week without and then Friday night through Sunday morning, I'd be in the red room with my subs but the sex was just a tension reliever. And I still worked while the subs were there. I'd sit at my desk with a sub sucking me off and all the while I'd be working on my laptop until I came. Then I'd go right back to work. My subs could only come downstairs with my permission and then they'd walk around naked in high heels trying to get my attention. Geez, you walk in the room in a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt and my dick jumps up to say hi," Christian laughed.
Ana didn't laugh. She just stared.
"I'm sorry, babe. I shouldn't have been so crude," Christian apologized.
"No, that isn't it. I was just feeling bad for all those poor women who subbed for you."
"Why? It's what they wanted…looked for….asked to be. And they were generously rewarded for their service. They were basically employees although they usually forgot that and wanted 'more'. They wanted to be my girlfriend, to collar them."
"Collar? Like dogs wear?" Ana looked at Christian in disbelief.
"Depending on the Dom, the collar could be anything from a simple piece of silk to an elaborate diamond choker. Don't look so shocked. It's just a type of jewelry that's worn around the neck."
"Oh. And being collared meant that they were your girlfriend?"
"More than that. It was a commitment."
Ana was very quiet for a while. Christian held her tightly and waited. He liked her moments of contemplation. He never knew what would come out of her mouth next.
"Do you want to collar me?" Her voice quavered just a little.
He picked up her left hand and kissed the rings. "Done and done," he chuckled. "But don't fret, my love, collared subs wore it all the time and were even led around on a lease. The Dom could remove the collar anytime they wished if the sub displeased them. Marriage is not a collar. And no, I would never want to collar you. You are not my sub. You are my beloved wife. I am going to love saying that word….wife."
"That's good because I don't think that I would make a good sub. I love looking into your beautiful gray eyes. Your feet are nice but I don't want to look at them all day."
Christian let out a roar of laughter. "Even if I'm wearing my fancy new Italian loafers?"
"Even if you paint your toenails pink," Ana grinned. "Oh, I think that I'm being saluted."
"You bet you are," Christian smiled as he slipped his hand inside her robe and caressed her breasts. Kissing her, his hand moved down to her folds and he slipped a finger inside her. All the while, breathing hard, he watched her face. She was never self-conscious about her reactions to his touch. She was totally in the moment until she threw her head back and called his name. That was his second favorite thing about sex with Ana. She always called his name when she came. She wanted him. His subs didn't really know him. What they wanted was his name, his money, his station in society. They would beg him to take them out, he knew, so that they could be seen with the elusive and gorgeous Grey.
Ana didn't care about any of that. She truly just wanted him. God, that felt wonderful. Now he stood and carried her to bed so that he could have his first favorite thing about sex with Ana….being inside her, being home. After a few more orgasms, Christian and Ana lay sated and joyful. Ana kept looking at her ring. It was so beautiful, she thought, but it was more than that. It meant that everything she'd feared about the future was no longer. Christian wouldn't get bored with her. He loved her enough to want her forever. All of her life, he would be with her. After the life she'd led, after all the terrible aloneness, she could barely conceive of a life full of love and care. She was afraid to go to sleep….to wake and find it was all a dream. Months ago she was living rough, fearing for her life and no one to care. Now, she thought, look at me. I'm lying next to a man who makes women swoon, treats me like I matter more than life itself and I'm married to him!
"Ana," Christian mumbled, "why are you still awake? I thought that I wore you out."
"I was just thinking that I have everything I never dreamed of having. Now all I need is a social security number, a GED and a job." She kissed Christian and fell right to sleep. He, on the other hand, winced and lay awake staring at the ceiling.
.+.
When Kate Kavanaugh's article was published, Seattle was abuzz. She exposed The Nooz for the fraud that it was and soon the tabloid had few, if any, subscribers and those papers to be sold at the newsstand lay in great heaps, untouched and returned to The Nooz at end of day. Her article was brilliant and devastating for Jack Hyde's case when she proved that it was Jack and his lawyer who were contributing the gossip. Cohn was having to fight disbarment and Jack had to start over with a new attorney…albeit one from the same mob-connected firm.
While Elena was greatly disturbed that Ana's reputation was restored, Kate's next article, complete with photos and videos on the television, revealing Christian's marital status, nearly ruined Elena's health and mental stability. She fired her lawyer for failing to destroy Ana and hired a new lawyer from the same firm as Jack Hyde. Her only hope was that Ana could be broken on the stand. Even that possibility wasn't enough to help Elena sleep at night. Images of Christian and Ana in their wedding garb pounded in her brain. Her thinking was so unstable that she gave away her intentions toward Ana by sending letters threatening her death to both Grey households.
Taylor didn't want Christian and Ana to get off the jet in Seattle to face, unprepared, the dire expressions on the faces of the family so he flew with the jet to New York so that he could warn the couple. Unfair, he thought, that they should have to start their life together under these circumstances.
CHAPTER 82
DA McLarty was thinking much the same as he sat in his office, staring at the rain pelting the windows. His concerns about the cases of Hyde and Lincoln were many. Mrs. Grey's stability on the stand. Mr. Grey's ability to sit still and watch his wife being grilled. Both Hyde's and Lincoln's criminal connections and they're willingness to do Jack's and Elena's bidding.
In an effort to forestall a hired killing, McLarty had Hyde's assets frozen but Lincoln was another matter. She didn't need money. She had blackmail. She knew every BDSM practitioner in Seattle and those in law enforcement, especially, might be willing to kill to protect their reputations and jobs. She would be able to advise her counsel on which potential jurors to accept and which to decline. McLarty worried also about the presiding judge being a practitioner, there being no way for him to know. Although legal, society believed BDSM to be a heinous activity and exposure could ruin doms and subs.
McLarty didn't even know that one of his most important witnesses himself was a former Dom. He didn't know that Elena lay in her bunk quietly cackling to herself about exposing her disloyal and former pet's alternative lifestyle to the public. Oh, she could ruin the whole lot…Carrick, who refused to defend her…that simpering wimp, Grace, who betrayed her…and all their children. Carrick's law practice, his entire firm, would go out of business. Elliot's construction clients would go elsewhere. Mia's social life would disappear and Christian himself? What reputable firm would want to do business with a man who beat women on the weekends just for fun? Yes, maybe she'd spend the rest of her life behind bars but she'd rest easy knowing that she'd ruined an entire family's privileged existence.
There were, indeed, troubled times ahead and McLarty lost a lot of sleep trying to find ways to protect the innocent and punish the guilty.
.+.
Ana, sitting in her seat on the jet, was sleeping as she leaned against Christian's shoulder. Christian's brain was resetting to Seattle life. The halcyon days of his honeymoon were now behind him and the muck and mire of the days ahead were heavy on his mind. Protecting Ana was his top priority but it was going to be a herculean task. Even Ana, with her dreams of being out among the mongrel hordes earning minimum wage, contributed to his fears. Maybe Flynn could convince her of the folly of being a wealthy woman slinging hash. If she was determined to earn her own way, perhaps he could find her a job that offered less exposure to paparazzi. Besides, what business would want the wife of Christian Grey, with all its attendant and troublesome human traffic, working for it. Certainly, she couldn't work for a diner. Customers wouldn't be able to get in the door. She would be fired from every business that hired her until she was broken and discouraged. He couldn't let that happen to her. He'd have to explain to her that, certainly, with the upcoming trials, no business would want her. For his own peace of mind, he would have to look no further ahead than the sentencing of Hyde and Elena.
"Ana, sweetheart, we're home. You'll have to wake up now." He reached down and unbuckled her seat belt. She opened her eyes, looking blank for a moment and then realizing, smiled up at her husband.
"What did I miss, Mr. Grey?"
"All the sky above the continental U.S.A….around 6 hours. A lot of clouds. And Taylor catching me up on life at home. It was pretty interesting. I'll tell you later. Let's go. We're on the tarmac and our family is waiting for us."
"They're here?" Ana beamed. "Oh, my gosh, look at that rain. My basement on Olive St. will be flooding."
"You live in the sky now, baby. It's warm and dry."
Christian held a large umbrella over Ana as Taylor followed up holding a large umbrella over Grey. No one was holding an umbrella over Taylor. Ah, the life of a peon, he thought. The couple climbed into a large SUV where the other Greys were waiting along with a strange woman with blazing red hair. There was much air kissing and warm hugs and then introductions to Kate Kavanaugh whom Christian was particularly pleased to meet and about whom Ana knew nothing.
"Ana, while we were blissing out on our vacation, the tabloids were crushing our reputations until Ms. Kavanaugh here crushed them. She did us a great service." Ana smiled at Kate who found herself dazzled by the beautiful Ana Grey.
"Also, a great service to the legitimate press as well. Tabloids can be so ugly, can't they? Although I do love the ones featuring stories about two-head Godzillas rising from the sea to destroy Tokyo and alien babies being born to Midwestern farm wives. I read a lot of those while sitting in dumpsters having dinner."
"It is a great pleasure to meet you, Ana. Elliot talks about you all the time. Actually, all the Greys do."
"Well, I guess that I'm kind of interesting, that is, if you're not me. Christian says that you crushed The Nooz?"
"They were publishing a lot of misinformation, about you in particular. Most of it was of the gold-digging sort but some even about blackmailing your husband into buying out stores."
Ana giggled and Christian blushed at his adorable wife.
"The truth, Kate, was that I would sit outside feeding pigeons and people watching while Christian bought out the store. Shopping isn't something that interests me…having little experience with it."
"Really. Well, The Nooz did some mighty fancy photo shopping then because they printed pictures of you emerging from stores carrying bags of goods while Christian loaded the car with more packages."
"He did buy me this naughty lingerie but I was so confused by all the buttons and fasteners and such that he had to help me figure out how to get it on and by then he was so worked up that he just tore it off me."
"Ana, my mother and sister are in the car," he chided, red-faced.
Grace and Mia were bent over laughing both at Ana's story and Christian's discomfort.
"I'd like to see the stories of our disgrace and then read your stories, if I could."
"Oh, Ana, I don't know if that's a good idea. The tales from the Nooz are pretty hurtful," warned Christian.
"But if they aren't true?"
"They aren't, of course, but they were still disturbing and I don't want you to be hurt."
Ana smiled shyly at Christian as he took her hand and looked at her with concern and pure adoration. For a minute, they were back in their bubble. Everyone watching this loving display sat silently and sighed. It hit them all once again that these two were really in love. Kate was reassured because she hadn't known them before this and wasn't sure how much to believe of what Elliot and the others told her. It all sounded too too precious for a hard-headed journalist to believe. She, herself, wondered how much of a manipulative gold-digger Ana might really be even if she wasn't anything like the Nooz reported. But now, looking at two people who'd just checked out of the real world for a minute while they looked at each other…..well, Kate was won over.
The way that Christian Grey looked at his wife was the way that Kate secretly wished that a man she might someday love would look at her. But, no, she inwardly mocked, only one in a million couples actually had that kind of fantasy novel love in real life and she was not a sweet innocent like Ana Grey who could ever worship a man. She was more like Kate in the Taming of the Shrew.
CHAPTER 83
"This tears it, Dad. Stock in the Nooz is worth practically nothing now. Let's buy it and put them out of business," Christian suggested. When he first saw the articles, he blew like Mt. St. Helen's. Ana had never seen his temper before but it didn't frighten her. She just thought that it was interesting. While everyone else stood frozen at the sight of a riled Christian Grey, Ana just shrugged and went back to reading the articles and giggling. They were so very ridiculous that she found it hard to believe that people could believe such drivel. When Grey's fury was at its zenith, Ana was laughing at the pictures of herself supposedly taking shopping to new heights. One heavily photo shopped image of her in furs and jewels and six inch Manolo Blahniks with her hair piled high topped by a tiara made her laugh hysterically.
"Christian, oh, look at this one," she implored of him but he was too far gone in his ranting to stop. "Christian," she said as she stood on tip toe to kiss his cheek, "I want to have this one framed as a memento of our honeymoon."
Christian did an immediate about face, stopped dead in his furious tracks and looked at the picture. "Sure, honey. Mom has dozens of frames in storage. She could help you find one." Ana smiled and kissed him again as she pulled Grace away to hunt down the frame. Mia and Kate followed.
The last time that Elliot had seen his brother this out of control was their childhood when, though twice his size, Elliot had to run for his life if Christian got mad.
"Dad," said a calmer Christian, "let's buy out a controlling interest in many different names. Then, I can walk into their pathetic offices and fire the bloody lot before they see it coming.
"Bro, if I'd only know that your fire could be doused by a kiss on the cheek, it would have saved me some bruises when we were kids," Elliot chuckled.
"Son, I have to ask even though I know the answer. Could we discuss a post-nuptial agreement?"
Christian's face turned red again. "All right, all right. I've done my duty as your father and lawyer so I won't bring it up again."
"Dad, I also want whatever legal action we can take against the Nooz publisher for their knowingly accepting fake news from a criminal source."
"Well, son, we'd have to prove that they knew their source was Jack Hyde. I'm sure that they were very careful about the exchange of 'information'. However, I'll look into it. I'm sure that Kate can help. Perhaps you'd like to inquire about that, Elliot?" Carrick smirked.
"Kate and Elliot, eh? It isn't like you to go for a firebrand like that, El. Does she know how you feel?" asked Christian.
"No and there's nothing to know. We're incompatible. We'd fight all the time. Besides, I'm only just 30. I'm too young to be tied down. And stop grinning like a hyena!" Elliot swore at his brother. "I don't want to be pussy-whipped like you."
"Oh, yeah, you do. Anyone with any sense would want what I have. Don't wait too long to mark your territory because that girl isn't going to be single for long and then you'll be moping around here every Sunday."
"Have you told Ana yet about training for her testimony?" asked Carrick.
"No, Dad. I didn't want anything to interfere with our honeymoon. We'll have to start talking about it tonight but for now I just want to enjoy our family. Ana is very excited to have one, you know. She has no understanding at all as to how a good family works. She asked Mia if Mom is always nice to her or just when people can see. So. That's what she grew up with, thanks to Carla."
"Did Welsh ever find Carla?" asked Elliot.
"No, and I told him to stop looking. I just hope that she stays gone."
"Son, her daughter married one of the world's wealthiest men. You'd best prepare for her showing up one day," warned Carrick.
"Dad, I have Ana covered six ways from Sunday. No one is getting without 100 feet of my wife. Ana probably wouldn't even know Carla anymore. It's been eight years since she's seen her mother. Carla was an alcoholic, drug-addicted mess who is probably now beyond recognizable if she's even still alive."
Ana rushed back into the room with a selection of frames and made Christian sit on the couch with her to choose the best for her picture. Elliot and Carrick watched their usually sour Christian turn into an adoring husband who couldn't keep his hands and eyes off his wife. Throughout dinner, he looked at her and smiled and kissed her. As long as she was nearby, he seemed to glow.
After dinner, Mia, Elliot and Kate played Frisbee while Carrick and Grace sat on the wicker porch glider and watched. Though the threesome were a lot of fun to watch, it was Ana and Christian who grabbed most of his parent's attention. They strolled down to the dock, holding hands and leaning against each other, laughing out loud and standing with their arms around each other as they gazed at the city lights in the distance.
"Look at that, Cary. He's so affectionate with her. It's hard to believe that he's the same boy we've fretted over all these years."
"We had accepted him as he was, hadn't we, Gracie? We told ourselves that he's our boy and we'll take him just as he is. And we still will. He's happy!" Cary kissed his wife and wrapped an arm around her. One down. Two to go.
CHAPTER 84
Two weary attorneys sit on stools at the end of the bar in an establishment named The Verdict three blocks down from the courthouse and the adjoining jail. They're drinking…heavily. The whole place is full of legal beagles of every description but these two in particular stand out due to their extremely grim visages. They work for the same firm and like-minded clients. The past few days their clients have been in fouler moods than they usually are. Their scheme, so dear to their hearts, has blown up in their faces.
Naturally, they blame their legal representation. Everyone always expects so much of their lawyers. These two clients were especially demanding. They were both psychotic, clearly guilty yet certain of their innocence and hell bent on vengeance. They both felt that their clever plans should have worked, ruined their enemies credibility and the cases against them both.
However, things had gone south once their lies and those of The Nooz were exposed by Katherine Kavanaugh. The past few days meeting with their clients was like visiting a madhouse. Screeching at a level just short of a dog whistle. Threats to slit their throats. Reminders that they knew things that their bosses wouldn't want to get out. These attorneys were supposed to be preparing their clients for court but it was impossible to hold a semi-sane conference with these two loons.
Neither Jack nor Elena looked healthy these days and they certainly didn't seem sound of mind. Their attorneys had had them examined for their mental health but both clients had managed to seem lucid. Neither wanted to trade jail for a mental hospital. They wanted their trials which they were still certain would be their chance to see Ana humiliated and even driven mad from the stress.
The attorneys, each of whom absolutely loathed his client, were seldom completely sober these days. They were just desperate to hang on and get through the trials with some shred of their own sanity left to them. They wanted to get back to defending nice fellow mobsters.
.+.
Christian lay, staring at the ceiling as he held his wife in his arms. Tomorrow they had to face reality again and not just any reality but one filled with crazy people and trials and public exposure and intense pressure.
Ana was still fragile and might always be. John Flynn had volunteered to come to the trials every day to watch out for Ana. Grace told him that the new medication for Ana's hypertension was working but she didn't know if it would do the job if Ana was put under greater pressure than normal. This week would be tough, prepping Ana for her confrontation with first, Jack Hyde and second, Elena Lincoln. Grey was less worried about Elena. Ana had already shown that she could handle Elena. It had first been Lincoln and then Hyde until Jack went ballistic. He was not going to wait any longer.
Ana began to mumble. That was a sign that she was having a dream, good or bad. Grey didn't take any chances. He embraced her tighter, rolled from left to right, singing softly to her. It took just a moment and she grew quiet again. He tried to sleep but he kept seeing Ana on the witness stand, small and helpless as Hyde's attorney tore into her. McLarty had promised to be on him all the time, objection after objection. Still….
Ana moved. Christian opened his eyes to peer into bright blue ones that shone even in the dark.
"Why are you still awake, honey?" Ana asked. "We have a big day tomorrow. Is something bothering you?"
"Yes. You."
"Oh. Do you want to make love?" Ana smiled as she nibbled at his ear.
"Not that kind of bothered although if you keep doing that….. What was your dream about?"
Ana had an uncanny ability to remember her dreams. Some of them were wildly nonsensical but most had some element of the abusers in her life. She never had a pleasant dream but John Flynn told her that, in time, as she faced down her demons and built a life with Christian, that the demons would have less control of her subconscious.
"My mother. She was telling me how stupid and useless I was while I cleaned up her latest pile of vomit. John told me that lashing out at me was her way of covering her own embarrassment. She must have been embarrassed 24/7," Ana giggled.
Once again, Christian's heart broke for this woman he thought was perfection. Maybe her mother saw it, too, and hated her daughter for being everything she was not.
"Do you want to go back to sleep now?" he asked. Ana replied by diving under the covers in search of his favorite body part. One morning he'd awakened to Ana licking his cock. He was gasping for breath and couldn't speak until she'd finished with him. Then he asked where she learned to do that. Of course, the answer was one of her foster fathers who thought it was time for her to learn to earn her keep. He drank a lot so his semen tasted awful but she liked Christian's and she wanted to please him. At the time, he told her that she didn't have to do anything sexual that she didn't want to do. He was so in love with her that if their entire sex life consisted of him pleasuring her, he'd be a happy man.
Lord, she was good at blowjobs.
"Can you sleep now?" she asked. He was already out cold…and then she was, too.
CHAPTER 85
In the car, on their way to McLarty's office, Christian asked Ana a question.
"Ana, do you ever want to see your mother again?"
"NO!" She looked frightened for a moment. "Did you find her?"
Christian squeezed her hand. "No…and we quit looking. Welsh thinks that she might have changed her name, remarried, whatever. She's in the wind. All of my men have pictures of her. They're only mug shots but they'd recognize her. She wouldn't get anywhere near you. I promise."
Ana relaxed and smiled. "Thank you, Christian. Maybe someday when my demons are gone….like John says."
Their first session with McLarty went well. He asked Ana all the questions that he thought Hyde's attorney would ask. Many of them were objectionable and he promised Ana that he'd be leaping to his feet before she could answer.
He took Ana into the courtroom where the trials would take place. It was a huge room, rarely used except for cases of great public interest.
"Am I of great public interest, Mr. McLarty?" Ana asked quietly.
"Yes, Mrs. Grey, especially now that you've married Mr. Grey. All those stories in The Nooz may have been retracted and proved false but the public mind is a funny thing. People will remember and still wonder. Many will think that your husband used his money to, in effect, clear your name."
Christian tightened his arm around his wife. McLarty went on to point out all the places that had been reserved for the press. Ana's eyes opened wide in amazement.
"So many? Where are they all coming from?"
"Everywhere. This is a national news story. Your husband is a celebrity so any story concerning him or his family will be of national interest. I know that this is overwhelming, Mrs. Grey."
"That still leaves a lot of empty seats," said Ana. "Who will be sitting in those?"
"Well, this side is for the prosecution. Your family will be sitting here. Friends, sympathizers. I expect that this side will be filled. The other side will be reserved for the defense. I suspect that it will just be filled with curious people off the street. Neither Hyde nor Lincoln have family or friends. Mrs. Lincoln's lawyer told me that she wants to be certain that two seats will be reserved for her good friends, Grace and Christian Grey."
Christian had nothing to say about this ridiculous idea. He simply shook his head. Then he suddenly thought of something.
"Mr. McLarty, I'm assuming that the lawyers for both defendants will attempt to block Ana's view of the prosecution's side so that she'll have to suffer the stares of Hyde and Elena. Am I correct?"
"Yes, I've no doubt that will be one of their tactics. Oh, wait. I see what you're getting at. Say, that is a good idea. You'll sit right behind the defendants so that Ana can look at you. That would really piss off Hyde and Lincoln. Shall I reserve two seats?"
"Yes, please do so. I'll even bring a cushion for my mother so that she sits higher behind Elena."
"Now, Mrs. Grey," said McLarty, "why don't you have a seat in the witness box to get a feel for the room."
Hesitantly, Ana sat down in the chair and looked out over the courtroom. Christian sat in the first row with McLarty posing as Hyde. "Ana, just keep your eyes on me and Mom. Look right over Hyde's head and at me." He seemed so far away.
Ana concentrated as hard as she could, pretending McLarty was Hyde and ignoring him to look at Christian. He smiled lovingly at her and she retained a passive expression.
"Excellent, Mrs. Grey," McLarty congratulated Ana. "I know it won't be that easy on the day of the trial but you've got the idea. Now, I'm going to pretend to be the opposing counsel. He'll do his best to rattle you, to make you look confused and uncertain. You just have to keep your head and tell the truth. Answer with as few words as possible. When I question you, I'll make sure that you get to say all you want."
For the next half hour, McLarty did a perfect imitation of a vicious defending attorney. Then he spent another half hour being the prosecutor. Christian could see that Ana was struggling to stay alert. He knew that she could be on the stand for far more than an hour during the actual trial. He'd already spoken with McLarty about the strain this would be for Ana and McLarty had promised to ask for a short recess if necessary. Christian was worried about Ana getting through. She could easily be on the stand the entire day.
They broke for lunch. They had only an hour, just as they would on the trial day…not enough time for eating and napping….and Ana had to have both. McLarty again promised to speak with the judge about Ana's health. He was sure, however, that Hyde's counsel would strongly object to any "special" treatment.
They spent the rest of the afternoon going over the prosecution's examination and the defense's cross-examination of Ana. Every possible question, every possible trick, to prepare Ana. Even in a quiet courtroom with just the three of them, Ana had grown wan and weak and McLarty had had to call it a day. He asked them to return the next day to repeat the whole process. Perhaps if Ana grew used to it, she would be able to handle it better. He hoped.
Christian picked her up and carried her out to the car through a back entrance out of sight of the news media. She slept in his arms all the way home and he undressed her and put her straight to bed. He'd let her sleep for a couple of hours and then wake her to eat some dinner.
"How did it go today, Mr. Grey?" Gail asked.
"It was tough, Gail. Ana barely made it through. She fell asleep the moment I picked her up off the witness stand. I don't mind telling you that I'm scared to death. We're going back tomorrow and do it all over again. McLarty hopes to get her accustomed to the process. I'm afraid a week of this is going to do her harm.
"I'm beat, too. I'm going to sleep for a couple of hours with Ana and then we'll just heat up whatever you leave in the warmer."
"Nonsense. I'll have a fresh meal waiting for you as soon as you wake. Don't argue."
Grey smiled. "Thank you, Gail. I think it's going to be a tough week for you and Taylor as well. Tell Taylor that I want the whole team, with the exception of one man, to come to court to play observers tomorrow. Give Ana some idea of the crowd that will be staring at her."
Grey went back to the bedroom and removed his clothing. He set his alarm for a two-hour nap, spooning with Ana. He thought to himself that if he felt this beat just watching, how must Ana feel? She worked so hard today. Then he was out cold in a flash.
CHAPTER 86
The rest of the week was just as exhausting. McLarty was intensely thorough, increasing his questions of Ana every day, especially the questions he expected from Hyde's attorney. Twice he had to remind Grey that he was playacting to prepare Ana for the real thing. Ana was strong but a couple of times, she broke as he hammered away at her. McLarty was sympathetic but he stop his questioning, leaned close and looked into her eyes.
"You have to trust me, Mrs. Grey," he softly spoke to her. "I can see that your husband loves you very much and you know that he will be in the gallery watching out for you. However, he is rather helpless. He can't object. He can't rush to your side. Should he cause any disruption, the judge will throw him out.
"In this courtroom, I'm the only person who can protect you and save you from the opposing attorney's attacks. You have to trust me. Can you try to do that?" Ana nodded.
And the work continued. As the week went on and the work intensified, both Grey and McLarty were surprised as Ana's resilience grew. By Friday, they were convinced that she could handle the upcoming ordeal.
Gail was surprised to see Ana and Christian arrive home, cheered and with Ana walking on her own two feet. She did look quite tired and pale, however. She ate very little and went straight to bed. She and Christian had not made love all week…both too worn out to do anything other than hold each other.
On Saturday, Christian took Ana out on The Grace. This time there would be no Hyde lurking in a weedy inlet, armed with a high-powered rifle. It was a beautiful, sunny day on the waters of the Sound. Christian taught Ana how to steer the boat, knowing that it would help her self-confidence. At a perfect spot, they dropped anchor and shared the picnic lunch that Gail had prepared. Then they cuddled together as they admired the surrounding hills. Without intending to, they fell asleep.
Christian woke first and picked up Ana in his arms, carrying her down to the master cabin and laying her on the bed. He carefully undressed her and then himself and laid down to finish their nap. For the first time in a week, he felt his usual desire for Ana.
Apparently, she felt the same. He woke to the soft kisses and licks Ana was placing on his scars. She continued to nibble, suck and kiss her way down to his scrotum where she gently massaged his balls and then began to suck on the tip of his cock. He was ready to come before she even started rolling her tongue around his shaft but he steeled himself so that he could enjoy her ministrations. She took him as deep as she could and then sucked hard as she moved back up his shaft. A few of these and he could no longer hold back. He came screaming her name over and over.
Ana was pleased. She felt powerful and competent when she saw Christian come apart. She'd given her man great pleasure as he always did for her. She lay her head on his chest and watched him come down from his high. Eventually, he recovered and beamed at her. His subs gave him blowjobs all the time. Well, actually, that wasn't accurate. They lay, their heads hanging off the bed as he rammed his cock down their throats. They gave nothing. He just took. It was satisfying for him. He didn't care that they choked, gagged and were gasping for breath when he was done with them. Now he cringed at the images in his mind.
"Christian, what's wrong?" Ana asked as she noted the pained expression on his face.
He took her face in his hands, his fingers in her hair. With difficulty, he tried to explain the kind of man he used to be. He expected her to be disgusted but she only assured him that real men learn and grow. He was such a good man and she'd never known him any other way. With faltering words, she asked him if he would like to use her throat like that instead of….he stopped her. No, he said. I love when you give yourself to me, when you want to please me. Those girls didn't want me and I didn't care. I just took what I wanted and it never bothered me that they didn't want me. I need you to want me. That's what I care about now.
Ana smiled and leaned up to kiss him. As they continued kissing, Christian lifted Ana and settled her on his cock. This position was new to her but, as always, she was game to give it a try. At first rather clumsily, she bounced up and down, with Christian trying to conceal the discomfort he felt whenever she "landed" on him. But gradually, she got into a comfortable rhythm and leaning her hands on Christian chest, she slid up and down, savoring the feeling of him. She figured out how to position herself in a way that his cock rubbed against her clitoris and soon she was off to the races. Christian was laughing at her as she was laughing with the joy of the feeling. As the waves began and their strength increased, Christian sat up and wrapped his arms around Ana and began kissing her. As a tsunami of spasms tore through them both, they were still kissing and clinging to one another. Then Christian collapsed with Ana on his chest. They would have been laughing if they'd had any strength left at all.
"We should impose a dry spell on our sex life more often with these kind of results," Christian finally had the breath to say.
"No," Ana said. Christian laughed again. God, how he loved being wanted. It was the biggest high in the world. Nothing could compare, including the orgasms, to being needed by the woman he loved. He'd give anything, do anything, to keep that gift.
They slept again, made love when they woke and then slept again. When it grew dark, Christian reluctantly left Ana in the bed to check the boat's position, to take down the sails, and to turn on the navigation lights that encircled the boat. Wouldn't do to be rammed in the middle of the night. Then he returned to the cabin. Ana was sleeping so he gently washed her and then put the big bath towels under and around her. With the subs, he always wore condoms. Making love was wonderful but messy. The bed was wet everywhere. He would like to change the sheets but that would disturb Ana so he settled for the towels.
Then he opened the picnic basket from Gail and found dinner. Anticipating that they would be gone overnight, and looking forward to time with Taylor, Gail had packed enough for lunch, dinner and breakfast. She'd also packed fresh clothes for the both of them…should they ever get dressed. She thought that they might decide on brunch at Grey Manor. Of course, she was right about everything. How did she do that? Grey wondered.
Ana was stirring. Christian hoped that he could persuade her to eat something. Then he realized that she wasn't waking….she was dreaming and it didn't look like a good dream. He pulled her into his arms and began singing to her softly and rocking her gently. It wasn't working as it usually did. Ana began to cry and then she spoke. It was unintelligible but seemed to be begging. Suddenly, her eyes popped open. They were wide with terror.
CHAPTER 87
"Please, mommy, it hurts, it hurts. I'll be good. I promise. No, no!" She began to scream.
Christian held his wife close and tight and whispered over and over again in her ear that he'd make her mother go away. She just had to wake up. It took a while, an agonizing while but Ana calmed down and then opened her eyes. She looked confused and touched her face.
"Christian, why am I crying?" she asked. Then she noticed that his eyes were brimming with tears.
"You were having a really bad dream about your mother, honey. It was hard to wake you. How are you feeling now?"
"Fine. Good. I love when you hold me like this," she beamed at him and his heart soared.
"Can you remember the dream?" he asked, knowing the answer. She always remembered.
"Yes," she said haltingly. "My mother was beating me with her favorite weapon…the handle from a broom. She'd pounded nails into it so every time she hit me, the nails would hurt bad. Daddy Ray tried to stop her but he was so very afraid of her himself. I would be bleeding everywhere. When she stopped, I would fill the tub with water so I could soak until the bleeding stopped. We didn't have near enough band aids so to keep from getting blood all over everything, I soaked in the tub, watching the water turn red."
"How old were you…in the dream?"
"I was five. She was mad because I was reading a book that the teacher down the road had given me. It was a big book full of fairy tales. Mom didn't like it when I read. She said that I was trying to make her feel stupid. But then you came into the house and just looked at her and she dropped the stick. That's when I woke up.
"Christian, I'm fine. It used to take me a while to feel better but now I always wake with you and the feelings from the dream instantly disappear. Poof! You're a magician," Ana giggled. Christian smiled in spite of himself and hugged Ana hard, telling her that he'd always be there to chase away her mother.
He managed to get her to eat something and then they sat out on the deck in fluffy white robes and watched a meteor shower. There were several shooting stars and Ana clapped for every one. She told Christian that she had seen a lot of meteor showers because she was usually outside at night but still she found every one to be a wonder. She'd seen her first one when she was four. She was outside, hiding from her mother, lying in the high grass. She could hear her mother yelling for her….telling her that she was going to get it even worse because she was disobedient for not coming when called. She slept outside in the wet grass all night because she knew that her mother would pass out soon and in the morning leave the house right away to go to the casino.
Christian listened to these stories and swore that he'd find Carla and punish her. Now he no longer wondered about all those tiny hole-like scars all over Ana's back.
When the shower ended, Christian carried Ana back to bed, made love to her and then they slept 'til morning's light.
.+.
After they'd docked the boat, the couple made for Grey Manor. They'd need to see the family before all the drama began.
They were greeted as always, with hugs and kisses and back slapping for Christian. Grace grabbed her son's arm while Elliot put his arm around Ana's shoulder as they walked into the house. There were warm and delicious scents coming from the kitchen. Ana stepped into the kitchen to tell Margaret how much she looked forward to her cooking and to thank her. Margaret smiled and said that it was her pleasure and she looked forward to seeing Ana. Of course, Margaret knew both were merely being polite because Ana certainly didn't eat like she enjoyed Margaret's cooking.
After all the greetings were completed, everyone sat down to hear about the trial preparations. Grace would be called for certain to discuss Ana's injuries. Elliot and Mia would probably not be called but Carrick might be. Ana explained how she'd been prepped all week. She acknowledged that it was quite difficult and that she was nervous but glad to have been given some understanding of what was to come. Then Elliot stopped eating long enough to share the news that as of Friday, he was now a multi-millionaire. He had so many projects lined up that he'd had to hire a third crew and was now training two men to be supervisors of projects because he couldn't be in several places at once. He complained that everyone wanted their projects to be completed next week and that they didn't seem to understand that changes and additions would cost more money. He'd had to develop a thick skin to handle all the insults and temper tantrums dealt him by his clients. Next, Mia wanted to tell everyone about the outfits she was going to wear to court.
Grace and Carrick got their turns when dinner was over and Elliot was deep into Mia's and Ana's pies. Carrick told Ana that her social security number was on its way finally and so they discussed GEDs for a while. Carrick had a surprise for Ana. He'd gotten her a book to study for her test. He tried to ignore the dirty looks he was getting from his son. Christian suggested that Ana put the book away someplace rather than be overcome by all she had to do next…after the trials. Thankfully, she agreed that she had enough on her virtual plate. She had next to nothing on her literal plate so he encouraged her to eat pie.
As soon as everyone was up-to-date on the trials, Christian insisted that he and Ana leave early. They needed to get as much sleep as possible to be ready for tomorrow's day in court. McLarty was hopeful that they could conclude the trial in a week's time. Hyde, he'd told them, had a long witness list that consisted mainly of people willing to perjure themselves for a few dollars. He'd make quick work of them. Hyde had not decided if he'd take the stand himself. His lawyers advised him not to but he'd probably want to if only to accuse Ana of crimes against him.
When they arrived home, Christian and Ana went right to bed and made love, knowing that they may not have the strength for the rest of the week.
CHAPTER 88
"You are such a stupid, stupid piece of shit! I can't believe that I gave birth to you! Maybe I shouldn't have smoked and drank during my pregnancy but I don't think that that explains all the brain damage you seem to have."
Every insult was accompanied by a smack across Ana's face and head. Today Ana had made the mistake of collecting the mail in the morning while her mother was passed out and then giving the mail to daddy Ray. Unfortunately for Carla, it was the first of the month and the day that daddy Ray's military pension check arrived. Now Carla had to figure out how to get the check away from Ray so she could go to the casino.
"I want a sandwich. Do you think you can possibly manage to make lunch for me without screwing it up? If there's too much mayo on my tuna, I'll cut out your tongue, do you hear me?" She screeched at the little girl. "And where's that book you've been pretending to read just to avoid chores? Where is it?!
Ana was so hungry. She'd been sent to bed the night before without supper and warned to skip breakfast. Mommy said that she'd know if Ana ate and Ana believed her. Now she couldn't have lunch. Maybe after mommy left for the bars tonight, Ana could sneak a sandwich. Maybe mommy would be so hungover in the morning that she'd forget how many slices of bread were left in the bag.
Ana hurried to obey her mother's commands. She pushed a chair over to the counter and stood on it to reach the cabinet containing the bread basket. Just as she stood on her tip toes, the chair flew out from under her feet and Ana crashed to the kitchen floor, banging her head on the counter on the way down. She sat up dizzy and brushing blood away from her forehead. Her mother's maniacal laughter at her 'little' joke was loud and echoing in Ana's ears. She yelled again at Ana to get up and fix that sandwich.
Christian held Ana so tight he was afraid that he'd crush her. He rocked her and kissed her hair and murmured reassuringly that she was only dreaming. That she was safe. His comfort was the only thing keeping her hypertension under control but her nightmares were so strong that he could barely manage.
Within a few minutes of one ending, another began. Ana's skin was wet with sweat and her hair and pillow were drenched. It was impossible to wake her completely which made it worse. She cried out in pain and the only words that Christian could understand among all the unintelligible things that she said were "No, mommy". He wondered about all the nights when she was sleeping in basements and strange foster homes and she had no one to protect her in her sleep.
Christian wasn't a man to cry easily, if at all, but as he held that tiny little woman in his arms and felt the futility of his efforts to ease her pain, the tears came. From the sound of her voice, he surmised her to be very young, less than 10. Knowing that she was right back in that time with her tormentor, that the dream was as real to her, only made it worse. He was holding a child in his arms….not the strong and brave woman he knew. That she'd had to go through such hell as a child was bad enough but to relive it each night in her dreams….
Christian knew that when she woke, she wouldn't let on that she remembered the dreams. She had told him, at his urging, many of her dreams but when she saw how horrible he felt of late, she told him that the details were vague. She said that her sessions with John Flynn were helping her to forget the dreams. Christian knew that she said this only to protect him.
Since he'd begun sleeping with Ana, Christian rarely had the old nightmares. Even when he had to be away from her, his sleep was mostly peaceful, as long as he wasn't gone too long. Why, he berated himself, couldn't he protect her from her nightmares?
.+.
"Ana, are you about ready? McLarty wants us there before the courtroom fills up." McLarty had felt that it would be harder on Ana to walk into a packed room with everyone staring at her.
"Are you sure that I can't wear that necklace you gave me? It's so pretty," Ana protested.
"Sorry, sweetheart, McLarty thinks your attire should be as simple as possible. Nothing showy. Hyde's lawyer is going to make a lot of your being a rich man's wife as it is."
"Attire?"
"Apparel….outfit…clothing."
"Right. Attire..A..t…t..i…r…e?"
"That's right. Now, are you attired? Let's go." Ana emerged in a simple black dress with a white collar and a white sweater. As always, she wore simple flats. She looked so cute, so absolutely adorable that Christian felt his heart pound a little harder.
Ana ran into his arms and kissed him. "Goodbye, Gail. Wish us luck."
Gail waved but she was too choked up to speak. She felt like she was sending a lamb to the slaughter.
Taylor drove the couple around to the back of the courthouse and down into a private garage usually reserved for the judges. Still, they had to drive past the hordes of newshounds packed out front, waiting for the guards to open the doors. Once the judges called the court to order, the press would have to stop using their cameras so until that moment, the clicking would be deafening.
Taylor and most of the security team stationed themselves throughout the gallery. They were on high alert and, though trained and highly experienced, they were nervous. Their bosses would be swallowed up in the crowd and in danger every minute. Anyone in the crowd could be a potential assassin.
Ana and Christian greeted the family, all seated on the benches behind the defendant. Christian dreaded the moment when Hyde, fancied up in a suit and tie, would walk into the room and stare at Ana.
Shortly after the family took their seats, the doors were opened and people flooded in, everyone scrambling to get a good seat or any seat at all. The judge would allow a few to stand in the back but a messy courtroom would not be permitted. Christian put his arm protectively around Ana. Carrick did the same about Grace and Elliot around Mia. It was a sweet tableau if one had time to think about it. The Grey men protecting their women. Mia was shaking as the reality of it all began to strike her. Elliot made 'shush, shush' noises to comfort her. Grace was stiff as she gripped Carrick's free hand. Ana was looking around the courtroom with interest.
Then the jury marched in and took their seats. After that McLarty and Hyde's counsel took their places and then the bailiff entered holding the arm of Jack Hyde whose wrists were cuffed. He zeroed in immediately on Ana. She pretended not to notice him. She patted Christian's chest to comfort him. It was all he could do to not jump the barrier and go for Hyde's throat.
Everyone stood as Judge Whelan entered, pounded his gavel and called the court to order.
CHAPTER 89
Christian recognized the judge's aura immediately. He was a Dom. Whether this made him a pawn of Hyde remained to be seen. Grey himself looked deep inside himself to call forth his own Dom. He wanted the judge and Hyde to recognize their competition.
Both the attorneys made their opening statements to the jury. As expected, McLarty painted Hyde as an evil man who spent years stalking and attacking Ana. And as expected, Hyde's attorney painted him as a misunderstood man whom Ana had mistaken for her real attacker.
Then the state began to present its case. Surprisingly, McLarty did not call Ana first. Rather he called Christian Grey to the stand. There were five women on the jury and Grey could get them on his side simply by looking at them. A good way to start his case, McLarty thought.
"Mr. Grey, what is your relationship to the victim?"
"Anastasia is my wife." The women of the jury were both agog at this gorgeous man and disappointed that he'd been claimed. Some of them looked over at Ana curiously.
McLarty than asked Christian to detail how he'd met Ana and particularly how he'd come to be her guardian. When Christian explained Ana's condition on the night he took her to the hospital, McLarty presented pictures of Ana's face and arms to be exhibit A. As the pictures were passed among the jurors, their faces were alarmed and horrified. It had been so long since that fateful night that Christian had forgotten how badly Ana had been beaten, how long her arms bled.
"Is this what you saw that night, Mr. Grey?" McLarty could see that Christian was deeply affected and he wanted the jury to see it, too.
"Yes. She was so brave. She didn't want to be a bother, she said. She passed out before I got her to the hospital. Her ribs were cracked. Her arms were bleeding. Her blood pressure was dangerously high." The jurors could see the pain in his face.
"You stayed with her for hours, did you not? Why?"
"I don't know. She didn't have anyone but me. The doctor noticed that her blood pressure would decline somewhat if I was with her."
"You went home one night to sleep and were called back in the middle of the night? Why was that?"
"Ana was screaming and fighting with something no one else could see. The sedative they gave her wasn't working. She told me that the man in black had come into the room and tried to strangle her again. I thought she was just dreaming. I had a guard at her door. After I got her to go back to sleep, I got to thinking. Baxter, the guard, had been sitting still in his chair when I ran by but his posture was odd…slumped and leaning against the wall. I texted him and got no reply. I looked closely at Ana's neck and realized that there were fresh marks. I texted the nurses' station and the nurse found Baxter with a needle in his neck. The doctor x-rayed Ana's neck and found that her thorax was damaged. As the police and I discussed this down the hall, my man Ryan was watching Ana. The officer realized that the man in black could still be in Ana's room. We ran back to find Ryan just coming to after being attacked. The man had been hiding in the bathroom."
"Did you have any idea of the attacker's identity?"
"No. Somehow I knew that Ana knew but she had never had anyone to depend on so she thought it was useless to tell anyone. It was sometime later, once she came to live with me while she healed, that she told me that she did know."
"And whose name did she give to you?"
"Jack Hyde. She told me that he'd been hunting her since he first attacked her when she was six."
"She was six? She knew him when she was six? How could she remember him from 18 years before?"
Christian then told the jury about the night that he ran away and how he was in the alley to witness the assault. The jurors closest to him could see his hands clenched into fists in his lap. He explained how he himself had known Jack, having met him when he was just four and that Jack was violent even then. He was badly traumatized by what he'd witnessed and had never spoken of it…being unable to forgive himself for being too cowardly to help the little girl. As he grew older, he convinced himself that it was all part of a nightmare. He was astonished to learn of his connection to this strange woman he'd just recently met.
Hyde's counsel objected at several points but the judge overruled each time.
McLarty had Christian on the stand for quite some time. He wanted his viewpoint in hopes that the jury would adopt the same viewpoint. From the look on their faces, his strategy was working. He knew the women were enamored of Grey. He didn't know that the men were feeling the effects of Christian's Dom.
Hyde's attorney was smart enough to know that discrediting Grey's testimony was hopeless so he asked just a few smarmy questions about Grey's "adoption" of this helpless girl and then got him off the stand as fast as he could.
Grey's testimony, his devastating looks and his Dom persona had done a lot of damage and it was only noon. The judge called a recess. As soon as he left the room, the cameras started again. Ana had spent all of Christian's testimony with Carrick's arm around her. The rest of the family had never experienced Christian's Dom and had been completely mesmerized. Ana had never see his Dom either but she was unaffected. She stared at the back of Hyde's neck so that every time he turned around to look at her, he found himself being watched. Ana wasn't frightened. She just stared. It unnerved him.
CHAPTER 90
"Ana, are you all right?" Christian looked at her closely for signs of distress. She had a tendency to lie to him to protect him. She smiled and said that his testimony was wonderful. She thought it was quite effective. She didn't tell him that Jack kept looking at her. Christian wouldn't believe her if she told him that it didn't bother her. He'd just become upset.
The whole family took the SUVs to the Mile High for lunch. Christian had ordered it closed to other lunch goers for the week. This gave the security team some down time while they ate. He needed them sharp. He'd nervously looked around at all the people in the gallery. He didn't detect any Doms among them but Hyde could certainly have ordered subs to take some sort of action. Only Grey would be able to spot them and then alert his team.
Ana ate heartily which raised Grey's spirits. She hadn't eaten breakfast and she'd been quiet but now she was talkative and hungry. Not at all what he was expecting. He hoped that she wasn't in denial because reality would come crashing down on her when she was called to the stand. Hyde's counsel would try to keep her up there for as long as possible in an attempt to break her and trivialize her testimony.
Everyone in the family was in good spirits, as a matter of fact. Grey found it all very strange. He knew that when he was in Dom mode, his subs were calm and relaxed. They felt that he was in control and that everything would be fine. That was the idea….that they have complete trust in him. He wondered if his Dom had affected his family and possibly the jury and the gallery. He had been concerned that he was out of practice and that his once powerful aura would be weakened. He was beginning to think that that wasn't the case.
"Bro, I gotta say, you were great up there. Total control. I mean, except for the part where they passed around pictures of Ana, you were a rock. You had that jury in the palm of your hand," Elliot grinned broadly.
"I completely agree, Mr. Grey. Very impressive performance and very smart of McLarty to start with you." Kate Kavanaugh smiled warmly at the group. Elliot jumped to his feet and pulled up another chair.
"Join us, Kate."
"Oh, I don't want to intrude. I'm sure that you'd all like to talk among yourselves without fear of being quoted in the Times tomorrow."
"Nonsense, Kate," said Carrick. "After all you've done for us, have a seat. Please."
Kate looked around, seeing nothing but smiling and agreeable faces and decided to sit.
"How did you get past the closed sign and my little army," grinned Christian.
"I'm an investigative journalist, Mr. Grey. I have my ways of sneaking around barriers," Kate laughed. "Besides, I'm starving and this is the best food this close to the courthouse. Not for publication, I'm wondering how you're all doing. Must have been satisfying to see that monster in handcuffs. If I were his attorney, however, I wouldn't leave a pencil or pen within reach."
"That's a good point, Kate. We'll have to mention it to McLarty. Hyde is crazy, after all," agreed Elliot.
"I'm sure that I don't have to tell you, Mr. Grey, that putting Hyde in jail will not necessarily neutralize the danger he presents."
"No, Kate. My security chief and I have been working on ideas to keep him from getting someone on the outside to do his dirty work. Elena Lincoln presents the same problem."
Kate noticed that Ana was staring at her with bright eyes. She smiled and asked how she was feeling. Ana just said fine and then remarked that Kate fascinated her because she was so smart and sophisticated. Ana said that she would love to be like her.
"You are quite special just the way you are, Ana," Kate said, smiling warmly at Ana. "In fact, I wish that I were more like you. You're a flower. I'm a Uzi."
"Uzi?" Elliot turned to a questioning Ana…"a powerful weapon, Ana. And I disagree, Ms. Kavanaugh. You're a strong, capable woman. That's something to be admired…and I do."
"We all do," said Carrick. "A writer for the society column would have been no use to us."
The rest of the family nodded while Elliot blatantly stared at the beauty that was Kate. He wondered if he had a chance. She either had a boyfriend or didn't need one, he figured. Also, being someone in the know, maybe she knew of his fuck and duck reputation. A woman like Kate would certainly want nothing to do with him. In fact, to her maybe he was just fuck and duck material.
"Kate, I'm sure that we'd all appreciate it if you kept an eye out in the court room. You know, just in case." Mia was aware that they were all in danger if Hyde had associates willing to do a bit of damage.
"I've been studying everyone, Mia. There are a couple of snakes slithering through the door but I think they're probably free-lancing for outfits like the Nooz. However, I'll continue to keep an eye out."
"Would you like to sit with us in the courtroom, dear?" Grace offered. Kate smiled warmly again. She was really getting to be fond of this family, even the big blonde lug with the whorish rep.
"Oh, Dr. Trevelyan, that is such a nice offer…but I have to maintain some distance from the subjects on whom I'm reporting. This lunch is just a one-off that will have no part of my story."
"Well, certainly when all this is over, you'll come to dinner at Grey Manor," asserted Carrick.
"Well, we'll see. Now, I think we'd better get back to court. I know Judge Whelan. He is a stickler for punctuality."
Kate stood up and smiled goodbye, leaving an admiring Elliot to watch her go. Christian chuckled and teased. He'd like to see his big brother with a woman like Kate instead of the usual skanks with whom he chose to spend his Saturday nights.
CHAPTER 91
Grey expected that McLarty would call Ana as his first witness of the afternoon but again the DA surprised him. He spent most of the afternoon questioning a series of peripheral witnesses who supported Grey's version of events. He also called Tom Ryan to testify about the events in the panic room. His final witness of the day was a major surprise for Ana….Molly, the 10-year-old girl she'd saved from Jack Ryan 18 years earlier.
"Please state your name for the record," ordered McLarty.
"Molly Danvers Lewis, Mrs." The woman said firmly. She did not seem frightened to see her molester glaring at her. She smiled at Ana who beamed back at her.
"Mrs. Lewis, do you recognize anyone in this courtroom?" McLarty asked.
"Yes, I see my hero, my dear Ana Steele. I also see my molester, Jack Hyde, the defendant."
McLarty went on to ask Molly to describe her relationship with the two people she'd identified. Clearly and with no hesitation, Molly told of coming to live with the Collins after her parents were killed. She related how her first night there, Jack came into her room and threatened to kill her if she made a sound while he touched her. Her first two weeks were hell on earth, she said. She was deeply traumatized by the loss of her parents, the only family she thought she had. Then, as she cried her first night in this strange place, she was terrorized by the 17-year-old Jack.
"I was a shaky, quivering mess and the foster parents told me that I was imagining things. I didn't know then that he was blackmailing them. I was the sacrificial lamb to protect their license to take in foster children. I thought every day of somehow ending my life. Then Ana arrived one day. She was half my size, only six and very quiet. Impassive, I'd say. She didn't eat a thing. She was given the bed across from me by the window. When Jack arrived, I tried to be quiet, as he demanded, but I couldn't help whimpering from fear and pain. He was trying to put himself inside me and it hurt. Then Ana began tossing back and forth and saying no over and over and getting louder and louder. She spooked Jack and he ran out just before Mama Collins came in. She calmed Ana down and we slept.
"Jack came back again and again and each time Ana had a nightmare. One night when her nightmare began, he walked across the room and slapped her hard across the face and told her that he knew what she was doing. After that he ignored me and he began molesting her. He told her that if she made a sound, he'd go back to me. Somehow, she remained quiet though I could tell by the way she moved that she was scared and in pain. He kept telling her to "open up" as if a six-year-old could make her body accommodate a boy who was as big as a grown man.
"One night he shoved three fingers up inside of her and she couldn't stop herself from crying out in pain. He ran but no one came in anyway. I asked her if she was okay and she said it hurt but I shouldn't worry. I didn't know what to do for her. I wanted to get into bed with her and hold her but she said no. The next morning I saw all the blood on the sheets. That's why she didn't want me to get into the bed. Mama Collins accused her of masturbating and hit her and then made her wash the sheets. She had to scrub all day long."
At this point in her testimony, Molly broke down. "I'm so sorry, Ana. I'm so sorry, my beautiful friend." The judge called a short recess and Molly was taken to a back room. Christian had to hold Ana back.
"They won't let you go back there, Ana. It would be considered tampering with a witness." Then he enveloped her in his arms as she wept for Molly.
Fifteen minutes later, Molly retook the stand and told the court about the night that Jack tried again to rape Ana but Ana kicked him away and dropped out of the window. Jack walked back in the front door ten minutes later carrying a soaking and unconscious Ana. He told the Collins that Ana ran away and he brought her back. They put her to bed without checking her for injuries or a reason for her to be unconscious. When Ana didn't wake the next morning, they took her to the hospital and left Jack in charge of the children. All the kids were scared of Jack. All huddled together until the Collins returned with a social worker. The social worker told them that Ana had been badly beaten and that they were being removed from the home except for Jack who would be 18 in a couple of months.
"I was put into another home where I was treated well. One day a woman arrived who identified herself as my great-aunt and I went home with her. She finished raising me and I had a good life thereafter. I didn't go a day without thinking of Ana but we moved to New Jersey and never received word. When a man came to my law office and told me about this trial and asked me to testify, my in-laws took the kids and my husband and I got on the next plane to Seattle. Put this monster in jail for the rest of his life and I will finally get a good night's sleep."
"Thank you, Mrs. Lewis. Your witness…."
The opposing attorney looked into the glaring eyes of Molly and decided that he didn't have any questions. Hyde didn't care. He was waiting for his prize.
As Molly passed Ana, the two women embraced fiercely and the judge dismissed the court for the day. While Molly and Ana talked, Grey took McLarty aside.
"I'm confused here. Do you have more witnesses? When are you going to call Ana?"
"Tomorrow, first thing."
"Ana was very disturbed to relive those nights with Molly but seeing her grown and well and happy has made all the difference. She's always worried and wondered about that 10-year-old girl she knew. Ana, you see, had only ever known pain and the disdain of others so she thought that she could handle Jack better than Molly."
McLarty shook his head, patted Grey on the shoulder and left the courtroom with his briefcase. He was certain to tie this all up by late tomorrow. He was looking forward to the verdict and the backside of Jack Hyde.
Ana was waving goodbye to Molly when Christian returned to her side. He put his arm around her slender shoulder and kissed her head.
"Let's go home. Tomorrow we finish all this. You okay, honey?"
"She's fine, Christian. She's really just fine. She had therapy and then got a law degree and a loving husband and two children. He didn't wreck her life. She's just fine," Ana sighed and hugged her husband.
CHAPTER 92
"I'm tired of waiting, you lousy s.o.b. Get her on that stand tomorrow or I'll make you pay," Jack bellowed at his lawyer. The lawyer sighed. "She'll be on first thing in the morning and you can glare at her all you want. The DA has deliberately seated her family behind you so that she can look right over you and at them."
"Won't do her any good. She can't avoid seeing me. She'll pretend to be brave but I know her. She'll crack."
"Jack, you're an intelligent man."
"I'm a genius, a**hole."
"Right. Genius. Still, you must see that this case is not going your way. There is still time to ask for a plea deal. To protect Mrs. Grey, the DA might go for it."
"God damn it! I don't care about jail. I know where I'll be sleeping for the next 50 years! I just want one more shot at her. One more chance to mess with her head. When her time on the stand is done, I want to speak for myself. I can make her look pretty bad, too."
"No one will believe you, Jack."
"I don't care. It will be enough for The Nooz to print and for a lot of idiots out there to believe. I can ruin her yet. I'm going to sleep well tomorrow night."
The attorney wondered if he would ever sleep well again. Elena's attorney was afraid that no matter the trial outcome, Elena would ruin him and his firm by exposing their connection to her clubs. It seemed the entire firm was meeting up at the Verdict every evening to hang out at the bar.
.+.
After dinner with the family at Grey Manor, Christian and Ana headed home. The dinner had been relaxing and every one of the Greys had done everything they could to make it a good evening for Ana. Christian even agreed to plan piano and sing with his family to entertain Ana. Keeping her mind off the following day's ordeal was much on their minds. She seemed to be fine, even happy. She kept talking about the thrill of seeing Molly and knowing that her old friend had a good life. She'd thought about Molly almost every day since the last time she'd seen her. She'd worried that Jack had stalked Molly as well as her and perhaps even hurt her. To know that he'd forgotten all about Molly and become completely obsessed with Ana instead was a great comfort to her.
The news of the trial was national. McLarty had hoped that if any other girls had suffered at Jack's hands that they would come forward. None had, as yet, and Ana could only pray that there were no others. She lost herself in the evening with her family. She looked around as Elliot teased and Mia showed off her newest pairs of shoes and Grace and Carrick smiled at their children. Mostly she watched her husband, still not quite able to believe that this man wanted her. No matter how much he told her that he loved her, she still found it puzzling. She thought herself plain, even homely, with ordinary brown hair, nothing special blue eyes, a skinny body and so many scars….all over her back from her mother and all over her arms and over her eye from Jack Hyde. Ana had been to Christian's office and was awed by his army of beauteous blondes. Yet he looked at her with wordless wonder and told her all the time that she was the loveliest woman he'd even seen in all his life.
With warm hugs and kisses from all the family and assurances that she would be surrounded by love in the morning, Ana and Christian took their leave. Christian told Taylor to drive carefully as he pulled Ana onto his lap. Taylor frowned and texted Ryan in the forward SUV and Sawyer in the rear to stay alert. The boss wanted to use one seat belt again.
"Christian, you know that you make Taylor quite nervous when you put me on your lap."
"Well, I feel better when we're belted together. Tomorrow you'll be on the stand and for the first time since we met, I won't be able to walk over and put my arms around you. I'll only be able to sit still and watch as Hyde's attorney tries to hurt you."
"He can't hurt me, my darling. They're only words and they're coming from someone who means nothing to me. What kind of person would it make me to be injured by the verbal jabs of a stranger and his maniac? Quite shallow, don't you think? My whole family showers love on me and my husband thinks that I hung the moon. How could I let anything anyone else says mean more to me than your words?"
Christian pulled her lips to his and kissed her with a fierce need. She was everything in the world to him and he knew, despite her protestations, that she could be hurt. Her heart was so gentle and soft that being brave might not be enough to bar the wounds that Hyde's attorney would inflict. He would love her tonight with all he had to give in hopes that her nightmares would be few. She would need to be strong in the morning, stronger than he'd ever known her to be. God, he thought, let her rest.
CHAPTER 93
Well, God didn't, which only reinforced Grey's agnosticism. Still, in the morning, Ana seemed to be better rested and in better spirits than Grey himself. Ana picked out her own dress, a sleeveless number in pale yellow which deemphasized her paleness and over that, a white cardigan.
She found hot chocolate and eggs waiting for her at the breakfast bar. She managed the drink but could only eat one of the eggs. For once, Christian didn't argue. He wanted her to be calm. Of course, she did seem quite calm whereas he was jumpy. She patted his cheek and kissed his lips and smiled encouragement.
As they waited for the judge to enter, McLarty leaned down to reassure Ana that he would protect her but that he would have to ask her some painful questions. She, in turn, reassured him that she would be fine. It seemed, to the family, that the gavel came down all too soon.
"Please state your full name for the court record."
"Anastasia Grey," she answered in a strong voice. She looked toward her family but her eyes were on Jack Hyde. His furiously deranged glare bore into her. Her glance at him on the other hand was completely impassive.
"Mrs. Grey, do you know the defendant?"
"Since I was six-years-old, yes."
"Could you tell us how you met and where, Mrs. Grey?" Hyde's attorney immediately hopped to his feet and objected that other witnesses had already established the beginnings of their acquaintance. The judge overruled the objection.
Ana, aware that much of the story had been told, said that she certainly didn't want to be repetitious but she recalled meeting Jack on her first day in her new foster home. As she walked in the door, she saw two smiling adults, five small boys crouching together and one tall snarling adult whom she later learned was actually a teenage boy and the reason for the fear exhibited by the other children. It was later that she met a 10-year-old girl, Molly, with whom she would share a room. Her heart, she said, went out to the little girl who seemed badly traumatized. That night she would learn one of the reasons that Molly was so horribly shaken.
Many of the answers that Ana gave McLarty about her short stay with the Collins were already known to the jury…something to which Hyde's attorney was quick to object. He was overruled.
Ana gave McLarty a quick summary of her childhood and her many foster homes throughout the United States. She worried about Molly's fate but she assumed that Jack had aged out of the system and gone on to live his life. She aged out of the system herself at 18 and thereafter was homeless. She offhandedly explained that her mother never sent her to regular school and that her time in various classrooms throughout the years was brief and sporadic. Her mother had disappeared after once again releasing her to the state's care when she was 17 and Ana had soon discovered that one could not obtain employment without identification and a social security number. She was so woefully uneducated that she didn't know how to obtain proper identification so she was unemployed, homeless and basically lost. She left her last foster home with a black garbage bag of clothes and a few dollars given to her by the foster family.
"When did you next encounter Jack Hyde, Mrs. Grey?" Hyde's attorney, in a desperate move, jumped to his feet to protest the prosecution's "overuse" of the words, "Mrs. Grey." "We are all, I'm sure, aware that this woman is married to Christian Grey. We don't need to be constantly reminded that she is now part of Seattle royalty."
The judge asked the attorney if he'd prefer that Mr. McLarty refer to Mrs. Grey as 'Hey, you' and the courtroom had its first laugh of the day. Then he overruled again.
"That same day, sir. It had been 12 years but Jack looked much the same. After all, he'd been almost fully grown when I first met him. He was standing across the street from the house, leaning against a pole. I was surprised and a bit fearful but I didn't quite remember why. In addition to the injuries he'd inflicted on me, I'd taken quite a few blows to the head over the years from foster parents, my mother and my mother's boyfriends. I'd been beaten regularly and sexually assaulted so much that I was rather in a fog."
"Objection!"
"Overruled!"
"Go on, Mrs. Grey. Did Jack Hyde speak to you that day?"
"No, he just stared and I walked down the street, forgetting about him. I had to think what to do. I used the few dollars I had to eat at a fast-food joint until they closed. As I walked down the street, I passed an alley and was grabbed and thrown to the ground. By the street light, I recognized Jack. He picked me up and tossed me against a brick wall and then that night, when I was six, suddenly came back to me. He was ranting at me about ruining his life and how I thought that I could get away from him but he'd saved his money and spent the last year hunting for me. I guess he beat me pretty badly and raped me as well but I had been maltreated in that way for years and kind of tuned it out. I heard someone yell and next I knew I was in a hospital. The police asked me if I knew my assailant and when I said that I did, they asked me what it was that I had done to earn such a beating. They thought that it was a case of domestic violence between a girl and her boyfriend. They told me that they'd look for him but that I should try to avoid him."
The jury audibly groaned with disgust. Ana continued on to tell of her years on the run after that, of the occasions when Jack once again caught her, of how she kept getting away. "I ran from the east coast to the west coast, from Detroit to Chicago to Dallas to Las Vegas to Fresno. So many places…I hitched across the country. Periodically, Jack would catch me, beat me, rape me and try to strangle me but I always got away. I'd been living in Seattle for a few weeks and hanging out at Gene's Diner. I got too comfortable, I'm afraid. I was staying in a basement on Olive St. and Jack caught me one night and beat me again. Some people passing by saw us and screamed and Jack ran and I stumbled over to Gene's. Gene put a towel with ice on my face and I sat at my table. That's when Christian came in. He asked me what had happened and I just blew him off. I wasn't used to anyone caring about me so I was mainly concentrating on what to do when Gene's closed for the night. Christian left the diner but then he returned and insisted on driving me home. I figured that Jack was waiting for me so it might be good to have Christian drop me off several blocks away so that I could find a place to hide for the night. Next thing I knew I was back in a hospital….only this time, Christian was watching over me…as he has ever since."
Ana smiled sweetly at her husband, not even noticing Jack Hyde.
"Tell us about the day that Hyde broke into your home," McLarty requested.
"Objection to the characterization as a break-in," hollered Hyde's attorney who was growing hoarse from all his objecting. The judge warned him against any further frivolous objections and overruled.
Ana explained those events…Elena Lincoln's visit…the two decoys and, finally, Hyde's explosive entry into the panic room where after she defended herself and Ryan from Hyde's attack by shooting him in the groin.
McLarty stated that he was almost done with Mrs. Grey's testimony. There was just one more thing.
"You've told us that Jack beat you and raped you on numerous occasions. Can you tell how exactly he beat you? I'm sorry to force you to talk about this but I want this jury to understand what you mean by beatings."
"Hmm…he would, as I've mentioned, throw me against brick walls. He'd kick me in the ribs, the head, the back. He particularly enjoyed administering Indian burns. I'm sorry if I'm being rude…I just don't know what they're called. He would take hold of my arms and twist the skin in opposite directions until it tore. It was the worst thing he did as far as causing pain."
Jack was grinning maniacally and the jury could see it. He didn't care. It delighted him to know that he'd hurt her so.
"Mrs. Grey. I'm sorry to have to ask you this but I need the jury to see the scarring Hyde left on your arms." This Ana hadn't expected. She'd been cool and collected throughout the questioning but to expose the ugly scars on her arms…..she didn't want to embarrass Christian. Everyone would talk about his plain wife as it was but to let the public see her scars? She looked frantically at Christian. It killed him to see her the fear in her eyes. But he could do nothing for her. McLarty didn't give him a chance to object. The DA looked at Ana and in his eyes she could see the pain it caused him to put her through this.
She slipped off her cardigan. Then he helped her down from the witness box and had her walk along in front of the jury showing them her arms. They looked as though she'd been in a fire. Some of the jurors gasped and covered their mouths. Others immediately teared up and a few looked at Hyde with loathing.
McLarty slipped the sweater over Ana's shoulders and whispered "thank you". He helped her back into the witness box and turned to Hyde's table.
"Your honor, the state rests."
CHAPTER 94
"In consideration of Mrs. Grey's precarious health, I will allow a 90 minutes lunch break." The judge looked straight at Christian and then brought down his gavel. Christian leapt up from his seat and was at Ana's side as she came down from the stand. He picked her up and cradled her against his chest where she immediately fell asleep. The courtroom was still filled with people, all silent and observing Ana and her white knight. To them it was a touching moment. To Christian and his family it was a frightening moment. Grace grabbed her bag and cuffed Ana's arm.
"Her blood pressure is high. Let's see if it drops sufficiently within the next 15 minutes. If it doesn't, we're getting her to the hospital."
While the family gathered around Ana, the bailiffs herded people out of the room. Hyde's attorney was certain to object to the Judge's special treatment of Grey's wife. Christian held her, rocking her. The bailiff approached.
"His honor has offered the couch in his office if Mrs. Grey needs to rest. He'll be leaving it to go out for lunch to avoid the appearance of preferential treatment." He did a little bow and then left the room.
"Why don't all of you get some lunch? Maybe bring back a sandwich or two?" suggested Grey.
"Kate is taking care of our lunches, bro. We couldn't leave. And no, we don't need any air, either," smiled Elliot.
"Well, let's get Ana back to the judge's chambers," urged Mia. Christian stood and the family followed him to the door marked 'private'. Christian sat on the couch. He knew that the judge recognized a fellow Dom and was, thus, extending a courtesy to Grey. Grace checked her watch and then cuffed Ana again. She breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's down enough for safety. Maybe I should take yours as well, Christian. I think that you're paler than Ana."
"No, I'm okay, Mom. You know how I get when I don't have control. Watching her having to expose her arms like that….."
"Yeah, that was rough," said Carrick. "And I have to wonder if it was necessary. Ana was doing well up 'til that point."
The door opened and DA McLarty walked in. "Yes, Carrick, it was. You ought to know better. You're a lawyer. You know what Hyde's attorney will try to do to Ana's testimony this afternoon. I realize that it looked good out there this morning but he's going to try to shred her confidence into tiny slivers. Her lack of education, her brain damage, her memory issues…he'll want to make her look unreliable…and unbelievable."
"Of course, I get that, Mike, but we have Tom Ryan's testimony as well."
"Biased…defending one of his bosses. You've always had more faith in the intelligence of jurors than me," McLarty grinned. "How is our brave little trooper doing? Believe me, I was well aware of her hypertension issues but I had to play our last best card. The jurors are not going to forget the scars they saw on that tiny woman's arms. I just want to get the longest sentence possible for this whack job."
Christian leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes. The rest of the family found places to sit. Elliot chose a large club chair and Mia sat on his lap, resting against his shoulder. Grace and Carrick sat on the couch with their son and his wife. A while later, the door opened quietly and Kate walked in with a photographer trailing her…both of them carrying large bags of food.
DA McLarty dove right, enjoying lunch at the judge's desk. Kate began handing out sandwiches and chuckling that the DA's lap seemed to be the only one left. McLarty choked as he sipped on his cola. As much as he loved his baby sister, Elliot wished he could offer Kate his lap but alas….
"I'll wake her with 15 minutes to go. I want her to be rested. Mom, I'm really scared. That hyena that Hyde hired…."
"It's all right, son. I'll be able to see if she's in trouble. She was doing perfectly until she had to show her scars and I think that she was more concerned about you being embarrassed than she was about herself."
"I've told her over and over that her scars mean nothing to me," Christian protested as he leaned his head down to kiss Ana's.
"Yes, to you but she's conscious of the public's view of your wife and how it reflects on you."
"Christian," said Kate, "my father and I would never allow snide comments about Ana to be published by Kavanaugh Media but the tabloid are a different story, literally. They've been tearing her apart since the public first became aware of her as just your house guest. Since your marriage, it's only gotten more vicious. And I know that you think that you can just buy the Nooz but that's only the biggest of the bunch. There are dozens more and now stories about you and Ana have gone national. Did you notice the big story about the two of you in the Daily Mail? That's based in Australia, for heaven's sake….but you are news."
"Christ," Grey growled. "Will it ever end, Kate? From a reporter's point of view, will public interest in Ana die down after these trials are over?"
"Die down? Yeah, somewhat. However, if something else comes up…you've always sold out newsstands, Christian. Add an adorable wife and you'll always make sales. Haven't you ever noticed your handsome face popping up at least once a week?"
"His handsome face? I'm not exactly ugly," Elliot whined. Kate laughed as Elliot looked wounded.
"And your sister is an exotic beauty and your parents are elegant and prominent both professionally and in charity circles. Sorry, your whole family is chum for the tabloid sharks."
Christian groaned again and checked his watch. In 15 minutes he'd have to wake Ana and try to get her to eat something. They had to be back in court in 30 minutes. As he sighed with frustration, a small hand patted his cheek and then touched her lips with her little finger. His heart lightened and he leaned down to kiss his wife tenderly.
"How are you feeling, sweetheart?"
"I feel good. Did I pass out, Grace?"
"Your pressure was a little high but you're fine now. Kate brought sandwiches. I know you're probably not hungry but you have to eat or you'll be taking a dive off the witness stand. You don't want Jack Hyde to have a good laugh, do you?"
Kate passed an egg-salad sandwich to Ana along with a carton of milk. Ana wrinkled her nose and sighed as she bit into her lunch. To everyone's amazement, she ate the whole sandwich and drank all the milk. She giggled at the delighted expression on her husband's face.
"You're so easy, Grey." He stood up and placed her on her feet. "Just for that, you can walk yourself back to the courtroom."
At that moment, the judge popped his head in the door and asked if he could have a word with Christian. Everyone else removed themselves.
"Haven't seen you in the clubs in a long time, Grey."
"I've given up the practice. Not because of Ana but shortly before. It just wasn't doing it for me anymore. I never noticed you in the clubs."
"Always masked. Couldn't take the chance. There are some indiscreet subs out there. But I must say that your Dom is still working. The way you were looking at Hyde, I'm surprised his head didn't just fly off his shoulders. Be careful. I spied a couple of Doms in the gallery. If you can't control yourself while your wife is being questioned this afternoon, there might be an unappealing story in tomorrow's Nooz."
"Noted. Thanks. My Dom radar must be off. I didn't see anyone in there."
"You're focused completely on your wife. Tell your mother that if she notices anything off about Ana, she should just raise a finger and I'll call a recess."
"Thanks again, your honor…and thanks for the use of your couch, too."
Grey walked back into the courtroom and saw Ana beaming at him. Then Hyde walked in.
CHAPTER 95
"Your honor, I wish to fire my lawyer and to represent myself."
The courtroom gasped and the judge brought down his gavel.
"Mr. Hyde, you've heard the expression that a man who represents himself has a fool for a client?"
"Yes, sir. But I'm no fool. I have a genius IQ and I believe that I can do a far better job of representing myself than this hack. All those idiotic objections just made me look bad." Hyde's attorney looked up at him in astonishment. Hyde had demanded every one of those objections.
"If this is a trick to put off presenting your case while you prepare…." The judge warned.
"No, sir. I wish to begin immediately and I have only one witness to examine."
McLarty looked alarmed and glancing back at Christian Grey, he saw that he wasn't the only one.
"Your honor. I suspect that Mr. Hyde is hoping for grounds to appeal or perhaps even a mistrial. I ask that you not allow him to use this court in this way," McLarty pleaded with the judge.
The judge looked down at his desk for a few moments and then looked up at Hyde.
"All right, Mr. Hyde. I will allow you to represent yourself but heed my warning. I will not allow you to make a mockery of the justice system. Any funny business and you will sit and your attorney will take over. Is that understood?"
The judge saw Christian moving to the prosecutor's table to speak with the DA. He busied himself with papers for a moment to allow the two men to finish their convo. Then the DA got to his feet again.
"Your honor. In light of the charges of brutality against Mrs. Grey that Mr. Hyde is facing, I request that he be allowed no closer than six feet to the witness."
Hyde stated his objection and tried to persuade the judge that he should not be shackled in his defense. The judge rolled his eyes and said that six feet back from the witness stand should not inhibit his ability to question the witness. Hyde looked infuriated but agreed.
"I call Ana Steele to the stand," Hyde sneered. Ana would have to pass within a foot or two of Hyde on her walk to the witness box. The judge was no fool.
"Mr. Hyde, you must be missing a few of those genius IQ points if you've already forgotten that the lady's name is Ana Grey. Also, Mr. Grey, you may escort your wife to the stand."
Again Hyde was foiled and the redness creeping over his face was telling. Christian stood and put his arm around Ana. As they passed Hyde, Christian kept himself between Ana and Jack. When he helped her to her seat, he kissed her hand. She smiled at him reassuringly. Christian whispered something to Hyde as he passed on his way back to his seat.
"Your honor, the husband of the witness just threatened me!" Hyde exclaimed indignantly.
The judge looked unimpressed. "I didn't hear a thing, Mr. Hyde. Please get on with it."
Hyde marched straight for the stand and again the judge had to reprimand him.
"Are you able to calculate six feet, Mr. Hyde or shall I have the bailiff measured it for you. We could mark your spot with a masking tape X, if you like."
Hyde huffed and moved back a few feet. Then he looked at Ana with an expression that she had seen so many times before…fiery hate. She looked back at him with an expression of boredom.
"Ms. Grey, did you marry Christian Grey for his money, his name or both?" "Objection!" Sustained."
"Ms. Grey, you're an accomplished liar, are you not?" "Objection." "Sustained."
"Ms. Grey, you're not very bright, are you?" "Objection." "Sustained."
And so it went until his honor brought down his gavel and warned Hyde that if he insulted Mrs. Grey one more time in the form of a question, his attorney would be taking over. Hyde looked at Ana to see if his accusations had had the desired effect. They hadn't. Ana looked calm and unflappable.
"Ms. Grey,"….he began when Ana looked at the judge and asked if she could please be addressed by the title she preferred…Mrs. Grey. The judge chuckled and ordered Hyde to refer to the witness as Mrs. Grey.
Ana turned back to look at Hyde with the same impassive expression. She could see that he was already losing his temper.
"Mrs. Grey, you told this court that I abused you as a six-year-old but there really is no proof of that. We have only your word, isn't that true?"
"Mr. Hyde, were you not paying attention to my husband's testimony? He saw you."
"It was dark, raining and he was only nine. Surely, we're not supposed to believe him."
"Believing him would be up to the jury, I suppose. However, there was a streetlight illuminating the scene and he hadn't forgotten the time he spent with you when he was in foster care. You're rather unforgettable."
Some people in the gallery tittered and giggled until the judge called for order.
"Mrs. Grey, you make the extraordinary claim that I hunted you from the east coast to the west for 6 years. You also admit to being in a fog when you left your last foster placement. You also admit to taking blows to the head. Don't you think it possible that you imagined all of these encounters?"
"No. Your hateful face, your intimidating height, your black Columbine knock-off trench coat and that silly black fedora, not to mention your voice, make you easy to remember. How do you think I dodged you for six years? I could smell that foul cologne you wear…Hombre, isn't it?…a mile away. If not for you being so memorable, you would have caught me more offer than you did. I can't recall all the times I sensed you lurking nearby but I slipped away again and again. You even mentioned it whenever you did catch me. As the blows rained down, as the kicks found their mark, you would yell the same old trite garbage at me. Crazy accusations that I'd ruined your life and I was going to pay."
Hyde took steps forward, his fists at his sides. The bailiff stepped in front of the witness box and ordered him back. Hyde was breathing hard. Ana just stared at him. Christian wasn't so cool. He leaned over to speak again to McLarty. McLarty nodded and asked for a word with his honor. The judge waved him to the front.
"Your honor. Mr. Grey is concerned that Mr. Hyde may have picked up a pen or pencil from his lawyer, if you get my drift."
"Bailiff, search Mr. Hyde for hidden weapons."
"Objection!" Hyde bellowed. "Prejudicial."
Nonetheless, the bailiff frisked him carefully. He found two sharpened pencils. Ana suggested that the bailiff check under the collar of Hyde's jacket where he had secreted a toothbrush whittled into a shiv.
"Mr. Hyde, do you have a defense for carrying these weapons?" asked the judge.
"I'm living in a jail, your honor. I'm afraid for my life all the time."
"Mr. Hyde, do you have any other questions for the witness?"
"Yes, sir. Mrs. Grey, I gather that someone hurt you badly when you were younger but it wasn't me. Naturally, I'm upset that you've mistaken me for someone else. Your statements, intentional lies or not, are going to ruin my life. Please reconsider your testimony." Hyde now looked wounded and frightened in a bid for the jury's sympathy. Worse, it looked as though they were buying it.
"Mr. Hyde, am I imagining that you broke into my home and declared your intention to kidnap me?"
"Yes, you are, Mrs. Grey. I'm sorry for all you've gone through but it was not by my hand."
"Mr. Hyde, would you mind dropping your pants?"
"What!"
"Well, if my foggy brain recalls, I defended myself when you lunged at me by shooting you in the groin. If you still have a penis and a scrotum, I will repudiate everything I've said."
At that point, before the bailiff could move, Hyde lunged forward and over the barrier between himself and Ana. He was on top of her, with his hand around her throat and his thumb pressing down on the indentation in her neck. No one in the courtroom, including the bailiff, had as much motivation to get to Hyde as did Christian Grey. Within seconds he was on Hyde, grabbing his shoulders and tossing him over his head backwards where he landed on the DA's table. Before Hyde could react, the bailiff had him in cuffs.
Grace rushed forward as Christian held his wife in his arms. She applied the cuff to Ana's arm while Ana protested that she was fine. Grace looked up at Christian in surprise and said, "she is."
"May I assume that the defense rests?" asked the judge. "Of course, now we'll have to add another attempted murder charge. How many is that now, Mr. Hyde? The jury will now deliberate. It's only mid-afternoon so I'm sure that you'll return with a verdict soon. The jurors bobbed their heads up and down like the dolls people kept on their dashboards.
Hyde struggled with the bailiffs as they led him away. He turned the air blue with his obscene insults directed at Ana. The jury left the room and the judge dropped his gavel down. As soon as he left, the gallery erupted with applause and yelled at Ana and Christian to please pose for pictures on the front steps of the courthouse and answer questions. Christian simply picked Ana up and left through a side door with his family….Ana protesting that she could walk. Then she saw the look on his face. Hyde had nearly choked her to death and Christian was deeply shaken. So, she decided that she could use the ride. As soon as they were ensconced in their bullet-proof SUV, Ana climbed into her husband lap and held his face as she kissed him deep and true. They made out all the way home.
CHAPTER 96
Gail was wiping down the kitchen and considering what she'd make for dinner when the elevator pinged and Christian came rushing through, carrying Ana, and making a beeline for the master bedroom. Gail looked up flabbergasted and then to her husband.
"Is everything all right with Mrs. Grey?" Taylor laughed. "Com'on, darlin', let's go make some noise to drown out those two. Gail giggled like a girl as Taylor took her hand and hauled her back to their quarters.
Grey slammed the door behind him and pushed Ana up against it. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as he pushed his tongue inside her mouth and she tangled with it. He reached up under her skirt and tore off her lace panties. She encircled his waist with her legs as he dropped his pants to the floor and then drove himself into her, again and again. He simultaneously massaged her clitoris until she came screaming with Christian following just after.
Without taking a breath, he stripped off the rest of her clothes and threw her down on the bed. He stood over her, his eyes glazed over, as he removed the rest of his clothes. Then, opening her legs, he dove between them and greedily licked and sucked, telling Ana how good she tasted. She didn't hear him as she was arching her back and gripping the sheets and coming again. As soon as she was satisfied, he lifted her legs over his shoulders and dove into her again. He had more control this time and so he pushed in and out, going as deep as possible and looking into her blazing blue eyes with so much want and love that she was mesmerized. She couldn't take her eyes away from his.
"I'm so in love with you, Christian…and I want you. Oh, how I want you. Don't stop. Harder, harder. I need to really feel you."
Christian was doing his best to accommodate her requests but hearing her say how much she loved and wanted him made him come. He was suddenly flooded with powerful waves and overcome with a joyous feeling all through his body.
"Oh, god. Ana. Ana. My sweet, wonderful Ana. I love you, I love you. Hold me tight. Wrap your legs around my back and don't let go." Ana did as he asked and then he rolled over on their sides, his cock still nestled inside her.
"Can we just stay like this until we die? He breathlessly begged.
"Oh, I don't know. Poor Gail." Ana giggled and Christian laughed. "Then until dinner at least."
"All right, just until you recover again. I don't want to stop."
"You don't?" Christian rolled unto his back with Ana kneeling on top of him. "Brace yourself on my chest and ride me, baby." Ana was once shy about being exposed to Christian like this. She thought herself skinny and scarred and pale but she saw the look on his face as he watched her bouncing up and down and it was clear that he loved to look at her. And, oh, how she loved to watch as he came, arching his back and his eyes rolling back in his head. When she collapsed on his muscled chest, he enveloped her in his arms and whispered endearments. Sometimes, they could go on like this for hours, taking occasional breaks to talk and look at each other's faces. He loved to count the freckles on her nose and she just stared at this incredibly handsome man with the glowing gray eyes and felt sorrow for all the women who wanted him…but they couldn't have him, never would. It didn't matter how much prettier than her they might be or smarter, he thought that she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen and other women didn't even warrant a glance.
Around 8 pm. the Greys emerged from their shower, cozy in their fluffy, white robes and sated…for a while at least. Gail had left a note on the counter telling them to warm up the meatloaf and eat the salads in the fridge. Ana made a face at the thought of meatloaf so Christian ordered Chinese takeout. They didn't have to wait long. A Grey order meant a big tip so there was a step up in service.
Christian and Ana sat on the floor in front of the fire, eating noodles with chopsticks. Ana explained that the dumpsters behind Chinese restaurants contained chopsticks, not forks, so she'd learned how to use them. She was better than Christian who had to work hard at his dinner. They had a nice wine with their dinner and Ana got a bit tipsy. She wanted to be entertained by the resident pianist so he sat down with her at the baby grand and played…the two of them singing old forties tunes.
"Christ. Now he's starting in early evening," Taylor groused while Gail laughed. "And he's has a singer with him, too. At least, they both have good voices and they're not doing a Chopin duet." Taylor laughed, too, and went back to cuddling with Gail.
"You know, honey," said Christian, "the jury probably returned with a verdict tonight before they went home and tomorrow the judge will sentence Hyde. Do you want to go to court for that?"
"Nope. Someone will call us with the details. Let's go out on The Grace if the sun is shining. I'd suggest inviting the family but we'll see them Sunday and I want to drop anchor and spend a few hours in the master cabin. But if you really want to go to court…."
"No, no, no. I like your plan. We need to relax. Next week we have Elena's trial which will be a piece of cake after Hyde. Neither one of us have much to contribute so we'll only be on the stand for a short time. I can't wait to see jailhouse Lincoln."
"I feel kind of sorry for her, Christian."
"Now why in hell would you feel bad for a woman who treated you like gum on the bottom of her Louboutins and set you up to be raped and killed?"
"Aw, she is not growing old gracefully. She's all alone. She feels cheated and she hates her life. She's pretty pathetic, don't you think?"
"Indubitably, my dearest. She's also vicious, self-centered, greedy, duplicitous, and the most mean-spirited person I've ever met."
Ana picked up glass of Sancerre and announced a toast to Elena Lincoln. They clinked glasses and drank them dry.
Then Christian picked up Ana and carried her off to the master suite again. They had all the time in the world.
CHAPTER 97
Elena lay in her bunk, sleepless. She was finally going to have her day in court and be vindicated. She hadn't really done anything wrong, after all. Yes, she had tried to have Ana tortured and killed but those plans had fallen through. Ipso facto, she had committed no crime. Her lawyer had explained to her that she was not being charged with committing the crime. She was being charged with conspiring to do so. Well, Elena thought, that was just silly. People thought of wanting to kill others all the time but they didn't and they weren't being arrested for just thinking about it. Her lawyer would explain that Elena was just expressing her dislike of Ana Steele. She wasn't responsible for that dufus believing her words to be orders. Besides, he failed to follow through for which he would pay dearly when she was released.
Tears of despair and anger came to her eyes when she thought of her Christian having married that plain, skinny thing that he picked up out of the gutter. She had raised him to feel superior, to treasure his specialness. How could he expect to have the respect and admiration of the masses when he had none for himself? My god, this girl had never even been educated. Elena had sent him subs with college educations, even MBAs…women of sophistication and elegance. She wondered what Grace must think of this homeless tramp trapping Christian into marriage. Her heart must be breaking…not that Elena cared how Grace felt anymore. Grace's feelings were of some interest to her once upon a time but not since Grace had abandoned her. No, that woman didn't deserve her loyalty any longer.
Elena couldn't wait to get out of this hellish place. The food was fit only for pigs. The other prisoners were always staring at her in the shower. She could understand that they were awed and envious but she couldn't help that they ate candy bars all day and were all out of shape. Her cellmate was always trying to engage her in conversation….as if Elena had anything in common with a woman who'd robbed a liquor store. The worst of it was the lack of bathroom privacy and the constant racket. The only time of the day that she found tolerable was yard time when she could find a corner to herself. The hardest part of the day was visiting time. No one came to see her. Every day she waited for Christian to come. Did he feel no compassion for her after all they'd been to each other?
She did feel rather badly for poor Jack. He'd struck her as a quite intelligent man who only wanted to speak alone with Ana to try to clear up all the misconceptions she had about him. She was spreading horrific lies, he told Elena, and he couldn't get an audience with the little princess since Grey had locked her in his tower. He'd found a way in and with a little bit of help from Elena, he could finally talk to Ana, straighten out her strange ideas about him and then go on with his life. He was a well-educated man who could easily get a job in Seattle and then perhaps he and Elena could spend some time together.
Unfortunately, the cards were stacked against him. The Greys had seen to it that he was arraigned on bogus charges of breaking and entering. Ana wasn't even called to account for shooting and maiming him.
Tomorrow it would all be over. Her lawyer had been unable to find any character witnesses for her which she found very strange. Her defense was mainly that the charges were in error and that should be plenty since, of course, they were a mistake made by an overzealous district attorney. He was probably in the Grey's pocket. What she was most looking forward to was seeing Christian again and the little surprise that she'd arranged for Ana. They would be quite pleased with her and perhaps all would be forgiven. By this time tomorrow, she'd be sleeping in her own bed again.
.+.
"Now, as soon as this circus is over, you must come over to the house for dinner and we can celebrate." Grace was tired but happy. The DA had said that Elena had no defense and no witnesses speaking for her. There really wasn't much for her attorney to do but put Elena on the stand to say "it isn't so" and no one would believe her. McLarty had every intention of ending this trial today.
Christian looked at Ana and smiled, thinking of the celebration they'd had at the end of Jack's trial.
"I don't know, Mom. Perhaps we could celebrate at Sunday brunch. You forget how tired we all were at the end of Hyde's trial."
"Yes, but that one took longer and was far more stressful. Elena has no defense and the DA thinks we can finish this one today. Margaret is cooking up a feast, looking forward to a family gathering."
"Mom, you shouldn't have had her do that without clearing it with us first," Christian said with a sigh.
Ana could see that a family party meant a lot to her mother-in-law and suspected that the rest of the family felt the same way. She leaned over to whisper to Christian.
"Sweetie, your family has stood by us throughout this entire ordeal. I believe that we owe this to them, don't you?" she looked up into his eyes. He laid a gentle kiss on her lips and turned back to Grace.
"Dinner it is, Mom. Can't wait," Christian smiled. Grace just beamed. All her children under her roof and all their troubles at an end.
"Satisfied?" he asked Ana. She winked at him. "Not yet but I'm sure that you'll see to that later."
Christian looked his wife askance….as though appalled at her suggestive language.
"Also, I thought it might be nice of us to pose for the photographers on the front steps as we leave. You have to admit that even the Nooz has been behaving itself lately. What do you think?" asked Ana.
"Good grief! The thoughts coming out of your mouth today. We owe nothing to the Nooz or any of them…except Kate, of course. And she'll get her photos and her exclusive…but all right, whatever my wife wants, she gets." He managed to get in another kiss just as the bailiff called out, "All rise."
CHAPTER 98
Elena was surprised and delighted to see that all the Greys would be sitting behind her, offering her their support. She hadn't expected this at all. She turned around and bestowed on them her brightest smile. They didn't smile back. They simply looked stunned. They were probably just amazed that she was so forgiving.
They were stunned all right and not just because Elena smiled at them. It was Elena herself, her appearance, that knocked the wind of them. The perfectly coiffed and made-up woman they'd always known now resembled a frightening forest hag who stuffed little children into ovens. Gone was her blonde tower and in its place a scraggily mass of steel gray twisted into a skinny bun at the back of her head. Somewhere she'd gotten hold of lipstick in a shockingly bold red color but that was her only make-up. She was pallid and gaunt and orange was definitely not her color. Jack had been allowed to wear civilian clothes but, for some reason, Elena was not.
She turned around again to smile at them and especially at Christian. Ana was with him. Elena assumed that she would not allow Christian to come without her. She grinned like the joker at Ana.
"Christian, she doesn't look well at all."
"I think that we're seeing the real Elena," Christian replied.
"Is the state ready to begin its case?" asked the judge. Christian didn't know this man but he could see that he was not a dom. Hopefully, Elena's dom would not overpower anyone.
"Yes, your honor. I have a brief opening statement and just a few witnesses."
McLarty told the jury that Elena Lincoln had supplied Jack Hyde with the password to the Grey's apartment and with a couple of men to act as decoys so that Jack could sneak in through the air duct in the laundry room. He said that both men would be testifying and that an expert in lip reading would also testify that Elena had instructed one of the men to rape and then kill Ana Grey.
In his opening statement, Elena's attorney protested the legitimacy of the testimony of both men…who were being given deals by the prosecution…and the competency of the lip reader.
Then the prosecution began its case. The henchmen went first, swearing that Elena had approached them at one of her BDSM clubs and offered them money to act as decoys. The second man to testify swore that, in addition to the initial payoff, Elena had surprised him as she got off the elevator by asking him to rape and kill "the skinny little tramp" upstairs for a higher payoff. He agreed, he said, because he was afraid of Elena and that he didn't think that he could have gone through with it.
Elena's attorney objected several times and mostly because these men were not to be believed. Then the DA called the lip reader to the stand. He put her through her paces to demonstrate her competency. Then he called for a showing of the surveillance tapes showing Elena speaking to the man. The witness was able to read Elena's lips because she was facing the cameras.
Finally, he called Ana Grey to the stand to speak to her relationship with Mrs. Lincoln. McLarty knew that Elena intended to say, while on the stand, that she had no disagreement with Mrs. Grey other than her concern that she was an unknown entity who, Elena worried, had somehow conned her dear friend Christian Grey into a relationship. Elena's version of their conversation would, of course, be one different from Ana's.
"Good morning, Mrs. Grey. Here we are again," smiled McLarty.
"Yes, Mr. McLarty," Ana smiled in return.
"Mrs. Grey, could you tell the jury about your first encounter with Elena Lincoln?"
"Christian was out of town. The elevator was supposed to be locked but it wasn't. Mrs. Lincoln still had the code and so she came up and walked right in. I was startled. I knew that Christian didn't like her and wouldn't want her there but I was polite nonetheless. I told her that Christian wasn't home and that she would have to return another time. She seemed put off by this and informed me that the penthouse was as much her home as his.
"Then the conversation escalated. She was angry to find me there and accused me of not belonging. She called me a few names and a liar. She was quite angry and threatening in her voice and demeanor. Then she swiftly turned on her heel and went into the elevator. As soon as she was gone, I went into the security office and watched her on the monitor. I saw a man who appeared at first to be Jack Hyde. When Mrs. Lincoln got off in the lobby, she stopped to talk with the man and then went on her way.
It was after she left that I realized that the man was a decoy. That was my only encounter with Mrs. Lincoln. The elevator codes were changed."
"Thank you, Mrs. Grey. Your witness," McLarty said, turning to the opposing attorney.
"Mrs. Grey, did you not understand that Mrs. Lincoln, a long-time friend of Mr. Grey's and someone with whom he'd entrusted the key to his home, might be suspicious and threatened by your presence, your underdressed presence?"
Before Ana could think to answer, she noticed the door to the courtroom open and a figure all in black slip in. It was a woman. She stared directly at Ana and grimaced at her. Ana felt suddenly terrified. She began to shake. She didn't know what to do. All the blood left her face and her eyes looked about wildly. Christian saw her gasping for breath.
"Mrs. Grey, did you understand the question?"
Ana looked at the attorney but she couldn't speak. McLarty saw what Christian saw. As he rose to ask the judge for a recess, Ana called out to Christian in a quavering voice.
"Christian, Christian?" she held out her arms to him just as he reached the witness box and then everything went black.
CHAPTER 99
"I'm here now, Anastasia. Mommy is here. I'm taking you home."
The social worker who was releasing Ana to the care of her parents didn't see how tightly Carla was squeezing her hand. Ana knew better than to cry out. The beating she got at home would only be that much worse. All the way home, riding in the front seat of her father's rusty old pickup truck, her mother complained, scolded and warned Ana that she'd better get the house in decent shape the minute she walked in the front door or she'd go to bed with no supper. It was mid-afternoon and Ana had already eaten lunch at the foster home. She'd stuffed herself as much as possible, knowing that it would be at least 24 hours before she would eat again.
Her mother's breath stank of alcohol…perhaps Carla would pass out soon. Ray said nothing to her. If he'd even attempted a comforting word or touch, Ana would surely be done over with the nail studded broom handle. This foster home had been all right and Ana had hoped to stay. She could imagine the mess that Carla had left for her.
Carla had tricks to further torment her daughter. She'd smash a beer bottle into a million pieces and make Ana pick up every sliver with her bare hands. She'd leave feces and urine in the toilet. She'd loosen all the lightbulbs so they gave no light and then she'd make Ana run around tightening the bulbs. The lamps were okay but the ceiling lights would be too high with Ana having to stand on several books on a chair to reach. If she didn't fall on her own, Carla would pull out the bottom book. When Ana fell, her mother would laugh maniacally. If Ana happened to be holding the bulb when she fell, Carla would cuss at her for being clumsy and then cut her hand with a piece of the bulb.
"Get me a defibrillator!" Grace yelled. While the bailiff ran for the defib hanging on the wall in a back room, Grace blew air into Ana's lungs as Christian pumped on her chest.
"Get me a beer! Don't walk. Run, you brainless cockroach!"
"Clear!" Grace yelled. Christian took his hands off Ana's chest. His sweat was dripping down on her.
"If I detect even one particle of dust, I'll beat you within an inch of your life."
Ana knew that she could clean meticulously. She was highly motivated and had a lot of practice. Unless Carla passed out, it wouldn't matter if the house literally sparkled. Ana would still receive, at best, a lecture and several slaps. Then she would be sent to bed without supper. That would be okay. She didn't feel like cooking tonight anyway.
"Thank god. I have a pulse. Where is that ambulance? Ryan, take your team outside and ask the paps to let the EMTs through and then lead them to this courtroom."
As Ryan and the rest of security ran out of the room, Grace caught a glimpse of Elena, grinning like a Cheshire cat. If not for having to keep Ana alive, Grace would have tossed Elena out of the second floor window. Suddenly, Ana began to seize up and her body shook violently.
"If Ray was any kind of decent provider, I could hire a cleaning service. Wouldn't have to take you out of that foster home. Get moving! At the pace you're keeping, you won't be done cleaning until midnight. This dump has to look immaculate when the social worker comes tomorrow. Or maybe the little sneak will wait a couple of days. She's always trying to catch me so she can accuse me of being an unfit mother. You'd like that, wouldn't you, you ugly little bitch."
As Ana frantically cleaned, Carla drank and tapped the floor impatiently with the nail-studded broom handle..
The EMTs checked all of Ana's vital signs. "What medication is she taking for her hypertension? Okay, good job. How long was she missing a pulse? All right, it's thready but it's there. Let's get a move on."
Ana's stomach hurt. She was so hungry. Worse than the hunger was the agony from all the open wounds on her back. She wanted so badly to climb into bed but if her mother discovered that she'd bled on the sheets….it was better to lie on the floor. She'd removed her blouse and left it to soak all night in hopes that most of the blood would fade. If Carla saw it in the morning, she'd beat Ana again for bleeding. So, Ana lay naked on the cold floor.
"Ana! Ana, baby, don't go. Please don't leave me," Christian begged as he ran alongside the gurney. He'd been able to stay in the ambulance with her but now they were taking her through doors that warned Authorized Personnel Only. He simply stood at the door, face pressed against the glass. When he couldn't see the gurney anymore, he broke down in jagged sobs. Grace took his arm and steered him toward the waiting room where the family had already taken their seats. He sat between Elliot and Carrick who put their arms around him.
"Take it easy, Chris," Elliot urged him. "You and Mom kept her alive. She's a tough little cookie, you know."
"I'm going to see if they'll let me stay close," said Grace. "They may refuse because I'm family but it's worth a try. I'll bring back any news I can."
Elena had been returned to her cell. She felt better than she had in some time. She had thought that seeing Carla in the back of the courtroom would distract Ana so badly that she'd mess up her testimony and give Elena's attorney the opportunity to depict Ana as unstable and her words lacking in credibility. She had never dreamed that she would get to watch Ana die…if only for a minute.
Elena lay back on her bunk and laughed at the memory of Ana cracking up the moment her mother walked into the courtroom. She congratulated herself on her brilliant move.
CHAPTER 100
After an eternity had passed, Grace and another doctor appeared in the waiting room. Christian jumped to his feet, steeling himself for bad news.
"Is she alive?" he asked tensely.
"Yes, darling. She's alive. This is her attending, Doctor Linden. This is Ana's husband, doctor."
"Your wife is continuing to experience high systolic numbers. This is quite concerning. However, there doesn't appear to be any permanent damage to her heart. This is the good news. We'd like her to wake up and we'd like to see her blood pressure return to normal. Your mother tells me that during her episodes of hypertension in the past, your presence could bring those numbers down. So, we'll give that a try, shall we?"
"Please. I really need to see her."
"I can see that you are terribly distraught, Mr. Grey. Try to be calm and soothing. Assure your wife that all is well."
Christian nodded and took deep breaths, in and out as he and Doctor Linden walked down to Ana's room. Her appearance was making it hard for him to be calm, however. Were it not for her dark hair, her pallid complexion would have her disappear into the white sheets. He pulled over a chair and sat down as close as possible to Ana's side. He took her hand in his and with his other hand, he gently stroked her forehead. He gulped, trying to get his breathing under control.
"Ana, sweetheart, I'm here. Everything is fine. You're in hospital and you're safe. You know that I'll always protect you. Can you wake up and tell me what scared you back in the courtroom? Ana, please try to open your eyes. I know that you're afraid but I'm with you now and I won't let anyone or anything hurt you." He kissed her hand and then leaned over to kiss her lips. When he sat back in his chair, he saw Ana's beautiful blue eyes slowly open. When they opened fully, she seemed to be looking into the distance and then she gasped. Quickly, Christian sat on the bed and, putting his hand on her cheek, forced her to look right at him.
"Ana, do you see me?" It was a plea.
Slowly, her eyes focused and gazed into Christian's. Tears brimmed. "Hold me," she whimpered. Christian moved up on the bed and drew her into his arms.
"It was her, Christian. She was in the courtroom. She came in the door so quietly that no one noticed. She must have been listening at the door until she heard my voice. Then she showed herself. She smiled that hateful grimace that she always had when she was beating me. I remember calling out to you and then I must have fainted. I don't understand why she came. I was so frightened that she'd take me away from you," Ana sobbed.
"No one will ever be able to take you away from me, Ana. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you by my side. Trust me?" he said as he gently wiped her tears from her cheeks.
Doctor Linden had tried to stay in the background so as to give the couple their privacy. He stared intently at the blood pressure monitor over the bed. As Grace had predicted, Ana's blood pressure swiftly lowered to normal. He breathed a sigh of relief. He left the room and headed for the waiting room.
All of the Greys and Kate stood up, looking at the doctor's smiling face. Grace sank against Carrick.
"Mrs. Grey is much better. Grace, you were right. Ana's blood pressure began to drop as soon as your son took her hand. I'm going to need her to overnight for observation and Mr. Grey will, I assume, stay with her. However, since no further damage was done, we'll release her in the morning."
"Thank you so much, Dr. Linden. You're certain about the lack of damage to her heart?" Carrick asked.
"Well, I know from Grace that Ana's medication has been keeping her on an even keel so we'll just continue that, perhaps a temporary stronger dosage, but otherwise she'll be fine."
"Can we see her?" asked Mia, disappointed when Dr. Linden asked her to be patient until morning.
"Do we know what set her off like that, doc? I mean, she's been calmer through this ordeal than we have and all of a sudden…boom! Out of nowhere," questioned Elliot. He didn't want any surprises.
"There are surveillance cameras in the corridors and in the courtroom proper," said Kate. "I'm sure that with your father's help, we can get those released to us. Perhaps they'll give us the answer."
"Forgive me, I was so anxious to give you the good news that I forgot to tell you that Ana said that a woman came into the courtroom. The sight of this woman seemed to set her off. She didn't identify the woman but Mr. Grey seemed to know."
"Dad, let's get down to the courthouse asap," said Elliot.
CHAPTER 101
As Ana was wheeled out of the courtroom, Elena watched the DA and her attorney approach the bench. Her lawyer would be demanding a mistrial and she was sure that he'd get it. It was only fair. After all, he'd hardly begun to cross examine the witness and now her collapse would prejudice the jury. The other witness' were unreliable due to their criminal behavior so the judge would have to dismiss the charges.
The judge pounded his gavel and called the room to order.
"Due to special circumstances, the witness, Mrs. Grey, will not be continuing as a witness for the state. However, the state feels that the testimony of the previous witnesses will suffice for its case against Mrs. Elena Lincoln and, therefore, has rested its case. The defense will now continue with its case."
Elena grabbed the sleeve of her attorney. "What is going on? Don't I get to question my accuser?"
"Mrs. Grey is not your accuser. She was simply a corroborating witness who the states feels is not essential to its case. Her testimony thus far will be stricken from the record and the state is relying on its previous three witnesses. There is no benefit to my questioning them.
"Your honor, the defense rests."
"No! I demand to be heard!" yelled Elena. Her attorney tried in vain to discourage his client from taking the stand. He told her that she'd seal her fate but she insisted.
"All right," said the judge. "Mrs. Lincoln, take the stand."
Elena strutted haughtily to the witness box, forgetting what she really looked like. She was certain that she could summon her dom and convince the jurors to believe her. She didn't testify so much as she made a statement. When her lawyer tried to caution her, he was told to shut the fuck up. In a voice reminiscent of a hyena, Elena complained about the treatment she had received from everyone…the Greys, Ana, the police, the state and its jail. She even complained about her ill-fitting orange jumpsuit.
"I made Christian Grey the man he is today and what did he do in return? He pushed me aside for that dull little girl who couldn't even get her own mother to love her. Everything that she said about me is a lie. Christian had asked me to check in while he was gone to see that the housekeeping was up to par."
When speaking of Christian and her importance to him, Elena consciously lowered her voice and spoke in dulcet tones.
"Poor Christian. His mother disapproves of our age difference and keeps setting him up with very young girls. Naturally, when I arrived at our place and met this strange girl, I assumed that she was just the latest sent over by his mother. Perhaps I was a bit harsh with her but I knew that Christian wouldn't want her there while he was gone."
After Elena had gone on for quite some time and after several objections from the Da, McLarty cross examined her.
"So, Mrs. Lincoln, how old are you?"
"A gentleman does not ask a lady her age," Elena huffed.
"I'll just quote from the court record then. You are 52. Christian Grey is 27."
Elena's face turned bright red. "You believe that Mr. Grey intended to marry you. Is that correct?"
"We had made plans but his parents made such a stink about it that he was forced to marry that nobody. However, he isn't happy and misses me terribly."
"If he's in love with you, why is he currently at his wife's side at the hospital instead of here in court where your freedom is on the line?"
"I'm sure that he'd try to return but I'm also certain that his family is preventing him from leaving the hospital…probably have guilted him into staying by the side of his insipid little tart of a wife. Christian is a lovely boy but he is, unfortunately, something of a mama's boy. He must be terrified right now...so worried about me and feeling so helpless.
"Mrs. Lincoln, the courtroom, jurors and the judge all saw Mr. Grey's reaction to his wife's collapse. He was frantic, deeply disturbed and working desperately to save her life. How do you explain this reaction in light of your belief that he feels nothing for her and deep love for you?"
"My Christian has a very big heart. He would also want to impress me with his need to do the right thing. Compassion is all it was."
"Your honor, we've received word from the hospital that Mrs. Grey is awake and alert. We've also been informed that Mr. Grey has no intention of returning to this courtroom. Mrs. Lincoln, how many times did Mr. Grey visit you in the jail?"
Elena had an answer for everything. "I refused to allow him to come to the jail. I'm proud of him for sticking by the side of a woman who is basically a stranger to him. She may be a simple bag lady but he is very kind."
"But you aren't, are you, Mrs. Lincoln? We have you on tape walking into Mrs. Grey's home uninvited and then asking a man to rape and kill her."
"That penthouse is mine as much as it is his. He owes me! And that lip reader is nothing but a cheap carney." At this point, Elena went off the deep end as McLarty pushed her with contradictions to her lies. She refused to leave the stand, demanded that that little tramp be punished for telling lies about her, slapped the bailiff who tried to remove her from the stand and attacked the district attorney. Mrs. Lincoln had to be removed from the courtroom in handcuffs.
The defense rested its case and it was turned over to the jury.
.+.
The next morning Christian awoke in Ana's hospital bed, holding her. It had been a rough night. Ana's dreams were frequent and frightening. Christian would sleep for a short time, awakened by Ana's restlessness which could quickly escalate into terror. She would curl into a ball, cower with her arms over her head, whimper and cry. It would take Grey quite a while to get through to her, to soothe her. She would gasp for breath and say his name. Finally, she would burrow into his chest while he murmured to her over and over that he had her. She was safe.
For a while, it would work. Before the bit of rest he did get, Grey would have a hard time turning off his mind. Seeing the hell his wife was going through, suspecting it was more than Jack Hyde, he tried to calm his own anger. Ana had been handed a life full of pain and yet she was an angel, a joy to everyone who knew her. And he had to try to ease his own fear. Ana's hypertension could do damage to her heart. He could lose her. Oh, god, he couldn't lose her!
Suddenly, it was morning. Somehow they'd made it through the night. There was bright sunlight pouring in the window and Ana was sleeping peacefully, nestled against him. Would there ever come a night that her heart and mind felt only safe and loved? Of course, she had been doing better since her weekly sessions with John Flynn but yesterday….something about yesterday…
Looking down at her now, Christian could see that she was deep in sleep. Perhaps he could leave her for just a short while. It was after 9 a.m. and he wanted to know if the jury had yet returned a verdict for Elena. Hyde had, of course, been found guilty and received, as Ana would put it, Buck Roger's Time. Still, Taylor was working on a plan to limit Hyde's ability to outsource his hatred for Ana. Hyde was currently in solitary confinement but he was a genius and might easily find a way to contact a thug or two on the outside. There was the same issue with Elena. He wondered what she had to say yesterday while on the stand. Would Margaret's morning Nooz have an expose on Christian's BDSM past? Most importantly, was the woman who terrified Ana in the courtroom, her mother? Even though he was almost certain of it, Grey needed to find her and deal with her before she got anywhere near her daughter.
CHAPTER 102
"Elliot, did you and Kate get ahold of the CCTV tapes?"
"Piece of cake. The judge was very helpful. As Ana was giving her testimony, a woman in black slipped in the door and grinned at her…a real ugly grin, too. Seconds later, Ana couldn't breathe. As soon as Ana fell into your arms, the woman, still grinning, slipped back out."
"I'll lay odds that that was Elena's doing. Mom described seeing the same kind of grin on her face as Ana lay on the floor. That was, without a doubt, Ana's mother…Carla."
"That was a mother? She looked more like someone's worst nightmare," Elliot groaned.
"She is. Ana's. Every night…over and over. We've got to find her and get her out of Ana's life forever."
Christian and Elliot spent some time tossing ideas back and forth….the most obvious idea being to pay Carla off to stay away forever. Concentrating so hard on Carla, Christian didn't realize how long he left Ana alone until he heard her scream. Running like a man on fire, he tore down the hall from the waiting room and burst into Ana's room in time to see a woman in black twisting Ana's arm.
"You're coming with me, you little slut," the woman swore at Ana. Seeing the pain and fear on his wife's face, Christian didn't hesitate to act. He pulled the woman away and then reared back and smashed her right in the face with a hard right hook. As she crashed onto the floor, Christian pulled his wife into his arms. Seeing her mother being socked by her husband…seeing the stuff of her nightmares laid out on the floor, stunned Ana so that she stopped crying. She looked up at her husband, tears staining her cheeks and then stared down at her tormentor….out cold, helpless, weakened and harmless for the first time in Ana's life.
A nurse and an orderly rushed into the room and were shocked to see a woman lying on the floor. They looked at the gorgeous man with the red knuckles and connected the dots. He looked a bit sheepish as he remarked that normally he was a gentleman but….
Carla groaned and struggled to sit up. As the orderly and the nurse tried to help her, she flew into a rage and lunged for Christian. Suddenly a small fist flew out in front of Christian's face and landed on Carla's nose. Once again, she fell to the floor, flat on her butt. Blood spewed from her nose and she looked dazed. The orderly got a towel and dabbed at her nose, observing that it might be broken. The nurse, meanwhile, was checking both Ana's and Christian's hands.
Ana and Christian looked at each other and began laughing.
.+.
Meanwhile, at the courthouse, the jury had returned with a guilty verdict on all charges for Elena Lincoln. Naturally, she made a cacophonous scene and had to be carried, kicking and screaming, from the courtroom.
Soon, both felons would be transferred to the state penitentiary and both would be under special guard because of their danger to others. Their mail, their phone calls, their visitors….even their relationships with other prisoners would be closely watched. Elena had already been making inquiries into which prisoners would soon be released…no doubt to hire their services upon hitting the streets. Hyde had tried to bribe a couple of guards as well as offering rewards to any prisoners who wanted to take up murder for hire as a post-incarceration career.
Taylor had more than doubled the Grey security team, for all the Greys. Buck Roger's Time wouldn't keep them safe. There were always threats and there were always coverts but Lincoln and Hyde had really upped the game. Two very evil and obsessed people, with nothing to lose, were living for the chance to kill Christian Grey's wife.
Gail watched as her husband spent ever more time trying to keep his boss's safe…and not just the Greys but anyone close to them…like, for instance, their well-loved housekeeper and Taylor's wife. Every time Gail went down to Eddie's for groceries, Taylor had her heavily covered. He was fearful of having his daughter come for visits. He figured that there had to be a way to keep everyone safe from these two maniacs.
Meanwhile, late into the evening, the attorneys drank alcohol sitting at the Verdict's bar. They were concerned for their own safety as well.
CHAPTER 103
Ana's hand was badly bruised but otherwise uninjured. Christian's larger and stronger hand was fine. With the hospital's cooperation, a charge of unauthorized entry into a restricted area was placed against Carla Wilkes Lambert Steele Morton Jones Helling. Husband #5 was a very old man who'd died. To Carla's surprise and fury, he'd not changed his will as promised and had left her nothing. Everything had gone to his second cousin, his only living relative, and to his church. Carla had immediately set about securing husband #6 but it was getting difficult. Her years of addiction to smoking, drugs, alcohol, junk food and no exercise….all had aged her decades beyond her 42 years. Like Elena, she had been bleaching and dyeing her hair since she was 14. Between that and her lifestyle, her hair was thin and dull. To attempt to counter the damage to her face and neck, both sagging and wrinkled, she applied copious amounts of makeup. She choose to wear black because she thought it was sophisticated and because Angelina Jolie wore black.
Because she was also charged with assaulting a patient and attempting an assault on the patient's husband, the DA had enough to arrest and hold Mrs. Helling pending her arraignment. There was no judge available for a week so Mrs. Helling was given accommodations in the local jail.
She was also given treatment for her broken nose. It merely required an adjustment.
Ana was released to go home and for several days she was quiet and subdued. Everyone understood and tried to give her space to grieve. It was only at night while being loved and held by her husband that Ana gave way to her grief. This woman, this creature that sought her out only to hurt her again was her mother, her only living blood relative. Her new family was wonderful and she was so grateful for them but she had no one who was hers alone…except this hag who tried to abort her, tortured her and left her. This realization hurt her, embarrassed her and saddened her beyond measure.
"Ana?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you want to see her?" Christian held her close and kissed her head. He'd watched her wander about the house for days, sometimes stopping to just stare into space. She politely refused to speak with John Flynn who come by every day. It was he who suggested that seeing her mother in a safe place and telling her how she'd affected her life, might help Ana.
"She'd be cuffed and chained to a table. I would be there if you wished. There could be a guard in the room if you wanted one. You could look at her, really look at what she's become, from a safe distance. You could empty all your anger unto her. John Flynn thinks it can help you."
Ana lay silent and mulling the idea. Although being near her mother was a frightening idea, Flynn was right. And Christian would protect her. It would be the first time in her life that she could confront her mother rather than hiding and crouching. And it certainly felt good to punch her. Right now, she daily dealt with the roiling fear in her gut. Even though she'd been told that Carla was in jail, she was on edge.
"When could I see her, Christian?"
"I could arrange it for tomorrow."
"She might refuse, you know. She mightn't want to give me any advantage. She loved to hunt for me, to sneak up on me."
"We'll tell her that her lawyer wants to talk with her. Not entirely kosher but the Grey name can be useful sometimes."
"What if I can't do it? She could always say things to me that…that…"
"There is a window, one way window. You could observe her unseen. She looks like a ragged old lady, Ana. She has ruined her life. She had a beautiful, kind daughter who is now well loved while she has nothing but anger. You can face up to her. I know you can."
"Okay. Tomorrow." She kissed several of his scars, something that always aroused him. He rolled over to look down at her, her eyes, her smile…all for him. She reached around him to touch his broad, muscled back. Oh, he felt so good against her. This wonderful, absurdly sexy man, was all hers. That thought always aroused her. She'd had nothing in her life for 24 years and now she had everything. She had Christian. As he nuzzled her neck and kissed her sweet skin, she felt him growing hard…for her. Only for her. He'd told her so many times that nothing else could do it for him but her. Other men would express interest in a beautiful woman walking by, would be excited by a pair of long legs in high heels, would notice women's breasts. Christian saw nothing, felt nothing. A parade of naked women could march by him and he'd only wonder why they were undressed. But Ana. Ana could shuffle into the room in sweats and bunny slippers and Christian would be mesmerized. His mind, all of his attention, his heart and his dick would be totally focused on this one person.
Flashback
"Why are you here, Elliot? Don't you have a thriving business that requires your attention?"
"I screwed up, Chris. I went into Design and Construction. You went into a business that has you surrounded by tall, shapely blondes. If I were you, I'd be spending all my lunch breaks screwing the help."
"I don't screw the help, Elliot. I barely talk to them."
"Aren't you the least bit tempted? Geez, man. Are you low on testosterone?"
"I don't see them as women, Elliot. They're my employees. That's all."
"You're one odd duck, Chris."
Present
Wrapping his arms completely around her, Christian slipped inside his wife and groaned with the pure pleasure of her warmth and her cushioned walls hugging his cock. She would automatically tighten around him as if she didn't want him to go. He propped himself up on his elbows and looked down into her eyes. With each thrust, his breath came harder. He touched his forehead to hers as he quickened his pace. He often wanted to say something to her but the pleasure he felt flooding through him took his breath and all he could say was her name. Oh, Ana, Ana. Until the deluge overcame him. He would hold tight to her, their legs entwined, their bodies tight together as he rolled unto his side. At that moment of absolute joy and connection to Ana, he couldn't let go. They would lie together and just look at each other. He would study her face, tracing it with his finger. Then grasp her hair and pull her lips to his. He would hoover over her mouth, gently touching lips. After a while, he would reluctantly pull out of her and begin to kiss and touch his way down her body. Before he even reached her soft folds, she would be moaning and whispering his name. He would take his time, wanting to extend her pleasure. He knew it was time when she began begging him. "Please, Christian, now." And then he'd take her to an avalanche of physical and mental joy. She'd call out his name and he'd feel like the king of the world. Nothing, absolutely nothing, gave him more happiness than knowing that she was coming for him. Only he could give her this moment. She wanted only him. This was absolute happiness for Christian….to know that he was loved, needed and wanted by his wife, his Ana.
CHAPTER 104
"What should I wear, Christian? I'm so nervous. Maybe we should just go back to bed," Ana whined.
"Don't tempt me, wife. Wear that red suit. I read somewhere that red irritates people like Carla."
"Are you sure that you're not thinking of bulls, honey?"
Christian chuckled. "Would you like to go to Spain, see a bull fight?"
"Spain, yes. Bull fight, absolutely not. They're barbaric. I saw one on Youtube."
"Maybe wear the high heels, too. Carla won't be able to stand and you could just loom over her."
"I could carry them with me and put them on just before I entered the room."
"Good idea. You could finally make use of that Hermes bag."
Ana had no appetite for breakfast. Christian figured that he fill her up at lunch. He clutched her hand as they walked down the corridor to the visitors' room. Ana had decided to face her mother alone. If someone else went in with her, Carla would make fun of Ana for needing help. Outside the room, Ana switched to the high heels, wincing as she walked. She handed the Hermes bag to Christian who went into the observation room. Ana took hold of the door handle and turned it. Christian's stomach clenched.
Carla sat at the table, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, her hair thin and messy. She'd been wearing a wig of late but this wasn't permitted in jail. Her nails were chipped and dirty. Her face was wrinkled and worn. Her neck was sagging. If Ana hadn't known that her mother was 42, she would have thought her to be closer to 70, a very out of shape 70.
She walked into the room and placed herself near the wall. She didn't want to sit across from Carla. Neither said a word until Ana looked out the small window and commented that it was a lovely day.
"Well, look at you. Spend enough money and you look presentable. That rich husband you snagged must have worked hard to make you look good." Carla threw out a few more insults as Ana just stared at her, tuning her out.
"I haven't seen you in years. I barely recognize you. Those must have been hard living years, mother."
"Well, I didn't get me a rich husband like you. I didn't get a good enough look at him when he hit me but I'll bet that he's older and dumber and just wanted a sweet little virgin to fuck," she snarled at her daughter."
Ana smiled at the observation window. "Well, he is older than me, almost 28. He built his company into a multi-billion dollar business in less than 10 years so he's quite smart. And he didn't get a sweet little virgin. He got a very damaged woman who may never be completely well. Despite all the baggage I've brought to our marriage, he loves me. He loves me something crazy."
"Huh. I never figured you for having the cunning to grab up a guy like that. I saw an article in the Nooz. You were buying out a store in Paris. He was carrying so many boxes that I couldn't see his face. He must be pretty homely."
"I didn't come here to discuss my husband, mother. I came to see you…to see what you've turned into. Except for your haggard appearance, your vile personality hasn't changed a bit."
Carla swore and tried to jump up but the chains stopped her. Ana found herself smiling. For the first time in her life, she was in her mother's presence and she wasn't in danger. Carla was chained and Christian was nearby.
"Thanks to you, mother, my life was hell. No education, no job of any worth, living on the street. This was after years of foster homes with men molesting me only for you to pick me back up and put me back to work for you. You know all those men who wanted to take you to dinner? After they hauled you home, too drunk to fuck, they'd rape me."
Carla began to laugh. "Well, that was the deal, really. They were mostly old or ugly or smelly and I didn't want them but I knew the deal. Dinner was on them, drinks and gambling, all payment for a fuck but I offered them something better than me. I offered them my underage daughter, my little virgin."
Christian watched Ana blanch as she realized that her mother's dates didn't molest her because she happened to be there but because this little girl was the tradeoff for her mother's night out. Carla traded Ana for drinks and dinner. Ana was pale but she recovered her calm and looked at her mother.
"I don't know whatever happened to you, mother, to ruin you…to make you such a vile, worthless hag but I'm very sorry for you. Truly. Will you tell me? Can you tell me why you hated me so? Do you even know?"
"Yeah, I know why I hate you. I was 16 and pregnant but it was okay. My parents kicked me out but I had Frank. He loved me. He was the only person who'd ever loved me and I knew that he'd take care of me. He was thrilled that I was pregnant. I only wanted you for him. I would have gotten rid of you but he wanted you. So, we had a small apartment. He worked for a garage. I was gonna have a life. Then I went through 24 hours of labor just to get you out of me. I couldn't wait for you to get out of me. Frank was over the moon. He couldn't stop talking about his pretty little girl. I tried to be enthusiastic but it was all fake. I figured that after a month or two of no sleep, he'd change his mind. Then you'd die."
"I'd die?! You were going to kill your baby?"
"I was thinking of ways to do it that would make it look like an accident when one of Frank's buddies came to the door and told me that Frank was dead. He was under a car when the lift broke and the car fell on him. He was crushed. He was dead because of you!" Carla fairly spat out the words at Ana. Ana was paler and Christian wasn't sure if he should leave her alone any longer but Ana looked at the observation window and very slightly shook her head.
"Tell me, mother. How in your deranged mind was Frank's death my fault?"
"If you didn't exist, I would have been living at home and Frank would have stayed in school. He wouldn't have been in that garage." Carla's voice grew louder and louder. "He wouldn't have been under that car. He wouldn't have been crushed to death, you worthless mistake. You killed him!"
Ana stared at Carla's beet red face, the spittle on her chin, her wild red eyes. With a low, calm voice, she replied to Carla's accusations.
"I think, Carla, that you understand something that you don't want to admit. I think that you are so filled with hate but not for me….for you. You made a mistake, didn't you, mother? You allowed yourself to get pregnant. Why? Maybe you knew that your parents would boot you out and that Frank would get a little home for you that was all yours. Were you excited about quitting school and spending your days picking out curtains and bed linens? Wasn't that the deal really, mom? Your parents were awful and school was hard and you just wanted a different life. You wanted to be a wife who didn't have to work. But the only way to get Frank to drop out of school was to give him something to work for. What did you do, mom, huh? Did you stick holes in the condoms? Or maybe get Frank so wound up that he forgot about protection? That was it, wasn't it, mom? That way he'd blame himself. Guilt is powerful. He'd believe that since everything was his fault, everything was up to him. Did Frank even love you, mom? Did you even care if he didn't as long as he was willing to give up his dreams and plans to get a job in a garage so that you could stay home and do nothing?
"Poor dumb Frank. He was a good guy but then he was gone…along with all your plans. Why didn't you give me up for adoption, mom? I think it was because you needed someone to blame and who better than a helpless child. You didn't mourn Frank, anymore than you mourned daddy Ray. You drank and you gambled and you never did a lick of work all your life.
"You hate me, mother, because you hate yourself so much, because you made nothing of your life!"
Carla spit at Ana but missed and Ana laughed at her. Carla wrestled with the chains. She tried to overturn the table. She swore at Ana and called her terrible names but nothing she did seemed to affect Ana. Christian could see that Ana was tired and he suspected that her blood pressure was rising. It was time to get her out of that room.
As Carla spewed hatred and pounded on the table, Ana simply watched her, standing like stone. She still kept her eyes on Carla as Christian entered the room. She seemed unable to look away. This was her mother….her mother. Christian put his arm around Ana and kissed her temple. Carla looked at them. Christian was the handsomest man she'd even seen. Her wretched daughter had a handsome husband who loved her and he was rich. All Carla could do was glare at them with loathing.
"Hello, again, Mrs. Helling. I'm Christian Grey, Ana's husband."
"Then you're a damn fool. She's useless and probably a bad fuck, too."
Christian smiled at Ana, remembering last night. She smiled back and melted into his embrace.
"Sweetheart, I'd like to talk with your mother for just a bit. Would you mind waiting for me in the hallway? I won't be long." Ana nodded, kissed him and left the room without looking back.
"My wife, Carla, is the best thing to ever happen to me. I never take her for granted for a moment. She's in my thoughts all day long, even while I'm working at my company. Nothing matters more to me."
Carla cackled. "Did you ever think that maybe she likes that nice life you can give her. If you lost your money, she'd be gone in the wind."
"No, Carla. I know my wife. I'm a multi-billionaire. I own the company. I have a yacht, a helicopter that I fly, a penthouse. For our honeymoon, we spent a month in Europe. But if I had no money, if I lost it all, if I was too sick to work, Ana would take care of me. Despite my wealth, she wants to get a job…even if it's just a job in a diner."
"Well, that should tell you something. She's stupid."
"She is smart, brave, selfless, loving, funny and the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. You, on the other hand are none of those things. You are a danger to my wife so here is the deal I'm going to make with you.
"I am going to arrange for an apartment for you in Las Vegas. You will receive a monthly stipend for expenses, including a bit of gambling money. You can spend the rest of your days doing nothing but drinking and gambling, Carla. I'm sure that you'll even find a man or two to play with but you will never, under any circumstances, contact my wife. You will be given a number to call should there be need. You will be watched. Should you make any attempt to contact Mrs. Grey, I will end my support and you will be on the street.
"I'm going to see to it that you do some time. An attorney will contact you with a contract. Sign it. When you are released, you will be met by a man who will provide you with a plane ticket, money enough to get you started, the address of your apartment and other necessary information. You will get on that plane and disappear. Do you understand?"
"You think that you can run my life 'cause you're so rich…" Carla began. Christian raised his hand and felt his Dom emerging.
"If you say another word, my offer is off the table. Stop and think for a moment, Carla, because if you refuse my offer, I will use my money to make your life a living hell. Now, simply nod if you understand."
Carla stared at him for a long moment. She had the strangest urge to lower her eyes. Instead, she nodded.
Christian turned and left the room. Ana was sitting in the hallway, wearing her flats and holding her Hermes handbag. She was staring at the floor and Christian was momentarily disturbed. Then she looked up and beamed at him. She always beamed at him when they came together again even if they'd been apart for only a short time. She was always happy to see him, to be with him.
He took her into his arms and held her fast. "It will be all right now, my love. I'll tell you about it in the car. Let's have lunch."
"Let's go down to the water and eat in that little tavern. We can watch the water."
"Taylor, you heard the missus." He turned to Ana. "You've made Taylor very happy. He loves lobster."
CHAPTER 105
"So, what do you think of my plans for your maternal bio-unit?"
Ana giggled at Christian's description because she couldn't bear to think of Carla as her mother any longer. "Just as long as we never have to go to Las Vegas! Seriously, why were you so kind to her?"
"I wasn't being kind to her! I was looking for a way to get her away from you….permanently. If she wants to keep her cushy life in a city that is her idea of paradise, she'll be gone for good. And no, we're never going near Las Vegas."
"So, we're down to only two people who want to kill me?"
"I don't want you to worry about Hyde and Elena. We've got them covered."
"And me, too, right? Don't think I haven't noticed all the strange men in black lurking everywhere. Kind of ironic." Ana smiled but inside was worried. She knew that she was in danger but she also knew that her new family was in danger. She'd was still adjusting to dependency on a husband and having to worry about all of his loved ones.
"Say, some news on the home front. Elliot is dating Kate Kavanaugh and I don't know her feelings but his are serious already. Mom is over the moon. I hope she doesn't get her hopes up."
"Why not? Elliot is a great guy. He's handsome and funny and so good-natured. He's rich, too, although I doubt that would mean anything to a Kavanaugh."
"True. However," noted Christian, "dating a guy known as the premier man-whore of Seattle might. Kate doesn't strike me as the kind of woman who'd find that reputation appealing. He's going to have to prove himself to her."
"Do you think he wants to?"
"Oh, yeah. This attraction to Kate is a whole new thing for him. Kind of like me. I never dreamed that I could feel this way. I never expected to fall in love or to get married. Elliot thought that maybe, when he got to be 50 or so and his looks were fading, he'd find a nice 30-year-old to settle down with and maybe have a kid."
"So, he's 20 years ahead of schedule? Maybe Kate is ahead of schedule, too," Ana said. "She's only 27 and she's a career girl. She wants to be a big-time investigative journalist. She mentioned the New York Times to me as a possible destination. Does Elliot realize that she may not be ready to let go of her ambitions in order to be a wife and mother?"
"He's in denial, I'd say. Like a lot of men who think that they're in charge of the future. It doesn't occur to them that their girlfriend may not want to live in Alaska or spend their honeymoon backpacking around Africa. I just got lucky that you were so cooperative," he chuckled.
"What would you have done if I'd had my heart set on living in Alaska?" asked Ana.
"Hmm…open up a remote office, I guess," he replied with a completely serious expression. "You hold all the cards, my love. You always have. It just took me a while to realize." He leaned in for a kiss. Then he asked, "Are you happy, Ana? Do you have what you want?"
"Almost. I want a GED, some kind of work to do and a baby." Christian's eyes popped open. "Oh, not right away, Christian. I have a lot to do first. I have to get my GED before anything else and I want to audit some college classes or maybe even take them for credit. I want to get really healthy and strong. My doctor says that hypertension could make a pregnancy impractical. We might have to adopt. Would that be okay with you?"
Christian pulled her onto his lap and kissed her fiercely for a long time. When they could breathe again, he said that anything that Ana wanted was okay with him. After all, now he had the world in his arms and all he'd wanted was a latte.
EPILOGUE
Elliot continued to pursue Kate…even after she left Seattle to pursue an internship in New York. He said that he'd learned a thing or two from his little brother. He now knew what happiness looked like and it specifically looked like Kate. It was certainly handy that his little brother owned a jet or three.
On a beautiful autumn day, Grace and Carrick threw a wonderful anniversary party for Ana and Christian in the family's backyard. Mia had a great time decorating and flirting with the electrician who owned the company that filled the yard with twinkling lights. Everyone was dazzled by Ana and Christian's affection for his wife.
So, they guessed, Grey isn't gay?
Oh, and Hyde and Elena soon found out that the mob doesn't appreciate threats.