I only own the storyline Nothing else. Thanks to Ari for being an amazing Beta!
Jose watched as his former lover and her pest of a best friend left the restaurant. He knew he was getting to her finally, but he still had a few more things in play before the last part of his plan would be revealed. Licking his lips, he couldn't help himself as she got into the car. Jose was determined to take Ana away from the billionaire. "Oh, I'm going to make you pay… Both of you." Jose wouldn't stop, there was no stopping him until Christian handed back the company that was rightfully his. Christian had everything Jose wanted. The money, the houses, the cars, his family business, but the most important thing was he has his woman.
Closing his eyes, he cracked his neck as he watched Ana being rushed into one of Greys' black SUVs. "I'm sorry it took a minute. I had to try to get them off my trail." A voice came behind him, Jose didn't have to look. The man was a friend, a friend who was right under Christian's nose. "Word is she's going to be lacking in security while her father is in town. Her choice."
Jose smiled viciously, watching his prize drive off quickly. "We're moving into phase two. I don't know how you'll do it, but I want to know her plans for her birthday this year. I think it's time to play my cards quickly. I feel like Leila and I are ready to put pressure on them. I want them to suffer…"
The man behind him nodded before checking his phone again. "I have to go, boss. Grey is calling another meeting later tonight and I'm supposed to be doing security checks in her building. I'll let you know when I can get an update."
Jose just smirked before nodding at him. He was excited to see how the events unfolded. "Don't fuck it up, Reynolds."
"Where is she?" Christian ran inside the house with Ray quickly shadowing him to see Kate and Meghan sitting on the couch.
Kate stood up and shook her head at Christian; she didn't need him going into the room with Ana hot-headed. She needed Christian to be calm and keep his shit together as much as he could. "I'm going to say this once… If you do not deal with Jose, I'm going to kill him myself. I don't know why he's becoming this crazed madman, but it needs to end. He's openly taunting her and now it's getting to a level I'm worrying that he'll become more dangerous if we don't do something." Kate never worried. Truly it was usually Ana that worried about things, but here it was, the moment where Kate was not only worried but pissed.
Ray looked at the group of people. He noticed things were more serious than he thought before. He was sure that things weren't so cut and dry as Ana had made it seem. "I'm assuming that my daughter has kept things from me. It seems Jose is not letting this go…" It upset Ray that Ana was keeping things as serious as they were from him. It worried him she was hiding something so scary from him, and now he didn't know what he could do to protect her.
Kate hugged her second father tightly. Ray was a simple man and constantly tried his best to make sure Ana was happy and loved. Whenever things were crazy, Ray did everything in his power to protect her, but here he was in the dark over everything going on. "There is so much you need to be caught up on Ray, but I'll catch you up." Christian laid his head down in defeat as he could see the frustration in his brother's girlfriend's eyes. He hated to admit it, but he deserved it. He would kill whoever dropped the ball today. "try to talk to her, but this is it Christian Grey; I swear it."
Christian didn't waste any time, he moved down the hall to the farthest room to see Ana sitting up staring off into space. She looked innocent wrapped in her blanket, her wet hair wrapped up in a towel. It pissed Christian off knowing that he couldn't even protect her the way he wanted to. Jose would not take the joy from this woman, Christian wouldn't let him no matter what it took. He would deal with him alone if he had to. "Can I join you?" Ana's eyes found his as she moved a little to the side to make room for him. Resting his back against the headboard, he wrapped Ana in his arm, Christian felt Ana's entire body relax the second her head hit his shoulder. He didn't know if that made the situation better or worst for him, but he needed to ease her into a better mindset. "Your dad is here. He's worried because you haven't told him about how bad Jose has become."
Ana sighed before snuggling a little closer to Christian. She thought the two of them could handle what was going on without involving her dad. Honestly, no one truly thought he was this insane or go this far. Ana just didn't want to involve Ray, knowing he was dealing with her grandparents and such...But it was becoming too out of control and unmanageable. He is coming unhinged and for once she was becoming concerned with the safety of her friends around her. "I thought I was protecting him. I never thought I'd admit it, but I'm actually scared. If this is how he's acting, I can only imagine how Leila is. I mean, I've never seen him like this. I just don't understand why he's acting so strange towards me." He was the one who cheated, yet he was acting as if she broke his heart.
Christian wished he could hurt Jose, honestly, he was just over this shit. He was almost sure it was his fault at the extremeness he was going. Something told him he wasn't through yet either. It worried him that someone in his team was helping Jose and Leila; it pissed him off even more that he couldn't alert Ana because it could put her in more danger. "I want to explore the idea of you moving in with me."
This was always the conversation that caused her a tad bit of anxiety. She didn't want them jumping into living with one another just because it was not safe for her. Ana didn't want this to be out of oblation. She wanted to happen naturally… not out of fear. "Christian, we just talked about this last week."
Christian would not hear about it, it was getting worse and how was he supposed to protect her if he wasn't able to be there. "I'm sorry, Ana, but I can't trust to leave you here. What if he breaks in? Am I supposed to just lay in bed hoping that I see you the next day?" He was trying his hardest to not let his emotions get the best of him, but to be honest, it wasn't exactly easy. He couldn't stand the idea of something bad happening to the woman he was falling for and she was willing to be so stubborn then just understand he's trying to do what was best for both of them. "I get why you are being stubborn, I truly do, but this is now going past stubborn and into stupid decisions. Something that could cost you your life." Christian's mood went from frustration to pissed quickly. She was being very irresponsible.
"I am not being irresponsible." Hastily she pulled away from Christian. This was becoming a cycle of the same frustrating conversations they seem to keep repeating. "Christian, I get the protective DNA men to seem to have…"
Christian watched as Ana got out of bed and faced the large window door. He knew she worried about the situation more than she was letting on. From the time he spent in the car with Ray, he could see how Ray and Ana were definitely similar in personality and mindset. He didn't want to burden her with the information that he possessed. Nor did he want to have her live in fear with the knowledge of Jose creeping in the window staring at her. Sighing, he got out of bed and headed towards her, engulfing her in his arms tightly. Her back relaxed against his chest, Christian didn't want to fight at all. He wasn't about to waste any time as he did in May; he just would have to push her to see his way without pushing her away to any degree. "Ana, please understand I'm not trying to be an ass about this, I'm honestly trying to protect us without my usual need to control. I care a lot about you and want you to stay safe."
Ana's eyes closed as she took in all his words, trying to take them in. She wanted to see his side of things, but it was hard to not let Jose get this win. To have Jose trying to control her life again. Taking a deep breath, Ana tried to focus on the logic rather than her stubborn track. She knew he was trying to what he thought was best, but it wasn't easy to feel this out of control. "Christian." She turned her body to see him staring at her with this unknown emotion. It was almost like it was begging her for something. "Look let's just get through these few days with my dad and we can reevaluate it. We can sit down and consider all options." Ana pleaded with her eyes, trying to calm him and just end the conversation.
He really wanted to be pissed, but he couldn't when he looked into her eyes. Ana was his weakness or his strength, depending on the way the outside world saw it. The light she gave off was easy to get lost in it; something that caused him every time to back down from whatever they were disagreeing about. With ease, he wrapped his arms around her waist, looking down at his girlfriend. "You know, you are dangerous with those eyes. I could easily give you the world just staring into your eyes."
Ana shook her head before stroking his cheek. Her eyes never left his. It was weird, she never pictured finding the person she'd want forever; yet when she looked into his orbs, all she saw was her future laid out so clearly. "I just want you. Honestly, there is nothing in this world I would want more Christian." Both leaned down to kiss one another. It felt like coming home instantly. So free and careless. All issues they had floated away with their kiss and instantly she melted. "I'm sorry for making you pick up Ray. I'm thinking I should've."
Christian shook his head just before kissing her forehead. "It honestly wasn't bad. I think I almost gave him a heart attack after I got the message from Sawyer. I couldn't sit still and I wanted to run to you. I honestly just needed to hold you." Christian moved to sit on her bed after they pulled away so Ana could take her towel off her hair he couldn't help but stare as her glasses came on and her hair went into a messy bun. "Ana, I know we're tabling the move in conversation, but Ana, we have to talk about how dangerous he's becoming. I want to add an extra two people to your security team. He never should've gotten that close. If I wouldn't have called a meeting before leaving to pick up your dad, he would've been there."
"Christian." Ana couldn't help but frown, seeing how bothered he was by the whole situation. Yet deeper than that, she knew he blamed himself and it wasn't fair because it was Jose's fault. Glancing up, Christian's eyes met hers. "Jose has issues. Even if we weren't together, I feel like he would've still been doing this. Yes, it is terrifying not knowing when or where he's going to show up, but what gets me through it is you. Do I think he's going to do something stupid? No. I don't think he'd go to that extent, because it doesn't change us or our relationship. He's just wasting his time and energy on something that won't make me sway away from you." Bending down their eyes never leave one another. "I think that he'll get bored and ride off into the sunset with Leila. And that's okay cause we have one another."
A piece of him felt guilty not telling her about the leak in his team, the video of her sleeping, or even the fact that both he and Taylor thought Jose was actually capable of a lot more damage. "Ana…" But he chickened out. There was still time to protect her, to still keep her safe. "Let's go see your dad. All he talked about was seeing you. He was thrilled well until I told him that something happens and nearly had Taylor speed faster than he was used to." Ana rose from the ground while laughing at how true the statement was.
They both gathered themselves before they made their way out to the living room. "Dad!" She hurried over to her dad, squeezing him tightly. She honestly couldn't stop the tears falling from her eyes. "God, I've missed you!"
Ray's smile was glowing as he held Ana closer. Inhaling her scent, it transported him back to when she was little and all he wanted was to do was hold his angel. "My sweet Annie." He smiled as they pulled apart. "What is going on? I find out that this breakup isn't as smooth as you told me it was." His father gave her the dad stare while she looked down nervously. "Ana, what's going on?"
"Jose is currently having a few issues with our breakup. Even though he was the one that cheated on me; he seems to have forgotten that part." Ana couldn't help herself but bask in the excitement of seeing her father here and not over FaceTime or email.
Ray waited till Ana turned away to eyeball Christian, he knew what he was thinking. He would talk to him later today when Ana wasn't around. He needed to know what they were truly up against. He'd hate for this to be that dangerous because he knew Jose and his family. Jose Sr wasn't an angry person; he loved Ana as if she was his own, and it would disappoint him if Jose truly had been stalking her and making her feel unsafe. "Oh, Grandpa George wanted me to give you something, I just have to unpack. He was grumpy when I left, but Aunt May told him to suck it up. Should've seen his face, if looks could kill…"
"Aunt May would lie in a ditch and grandma would pray that no one caught Grandpa while he tried to get away... I know." Blood may not relate to Ana, but her personality was twinning with her Grandpa George. He was overly stubborn and couldn't help himself in whatever came out of his mouth. "I'm sure aunt May will be fine. We both know he wouldn't do it, anyway Grandma Lynn would definitely bury him first before she let her favorite child leave this earth." Both laughed, knowing how accurate it was. "I was thinking of making Grandma's favorite tonight, a little barbecue pork chops with homemade cornbread and potatoes."
Christian watched the interaction between father and daughter, it caused him to think of the possibility of his own family someday. It was strange for him to go from not wanting kids because of his past to consider the idea even for a minute. How could he have gotten this lucky to have found someone like Ana who just projected such strength, but also had an ease about her; yet here he was hiding something again from her. What did that say about him? So much. "Ana, I have to run home to grab a few things. I was going to send Taylor, but his daughter had a fall and he wants to check on her. But I promise I will be back in time for dinner with the three of you."
Ray looked from his daughter to her boyfriend, he could simply feel the emotion between the two of them. It was electric, even in the distance. He couldn't stop smiling knowingly. "Why don't I tag along with you, Christian? Gives us time to get to know one another while Ana cooks. Friendly tip, she doesn't like people intruding on her cooking time so you'll be saving me from a headache." Ray was going to use this time to not only get to know Christian, but he needed to find out what was REALLY going on. Ana would not tell him everything, which was frustrating, but he understood to an extent her reasoning. She was afraid that he would stay in town longer than needed, even though he needed to be in LA with his parents. "I just want to chat with Christian a bit more about his business."
Christian and Ana eyed him suspiciously. Christian knew that something was off about his desire to come with him; Ana was trying to put her finger on her father's reasoning, it was something Ana wasn't used to. It was different for her. "Dad, I don't mind you staying here while I cook. Kate will be here and honestly, she's over most nights snacking on whatever I cook while I'm doing it.
"Ana, it's fine. I'm sure your dad and I can survive spending a little time together. I promise we'll come back quick, you won't even know we're gone." Ana eyed both of them curiously. Christian just smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead. Ana smiled lightly as she relaxed against his lips.
Ray watched the interaction between the couple. It was interesting to see how at ease Christian and Ana were in the short time they've been in one another lives. This was the polar opposite of how she'd interacted with Jose all those months ago. He welcomed it though; it was exactly how expected a real romantic relationship should work, especially with his daughter. After only having his and her mother's relationship be the only one she'd seen in the past. "Okay Annie, we'll be back I promise," Ray reassured his daughter again before both he and Christian headed towards the car.
It wasn't long after Taylor pulled out into traffic that Christian noticed Ray's tense demeanor came back. "How bad is it, Christian? I just want the truth. Please don't sugarcoat it for me." Ray wasn't a person who liked to beat around the bush and just remain in the dark. No, he needed to know how bad Jose was becoming and if Ana was in trouble, how much of it was she hiding.
Christian didn't want to betray Ana's trust, but how could he as a man not inform Ray of the dangers of what was going on. "It's pretty bad. I mean, we are pretty sure Leila and Jose have something big planned. This isn't the only bad news, there is someone on my team who is helping Jose and Leila gain access to Ana. That seems to be how they know where she is, and what's going on between me and her. Taylor and Ana's personal bodyguard are the only two I trust at the moment, other than that I'm worried about Ana's safety." Christian raked his hand across his face, rubbing it. He didn't want Ray to think he couldn't protect Ana, especially with someone from his own team messing up everything. He wanted a future down the line with her, and if he couldn't protect now, what business would Does Ray have to give in to his request? "Taylor is making sure everyone's accounted for and dumping their phone calls and money transactions. It's taking a little longer because of having to do it alone with Sawyer, but I'm going to see to it whoever is doing this pays for all of it."
Ray stared out the window, trying to collect his thoughts. A piece of him hoped that there was still a chance to get through to Jose, to keep him from making a dangerous mistake. He'd known Jose for years, even before Ana and he got together, and deep down, he hoped it was still inside of him. He had to find out. "What if I tried talking to him?"
Christian looked swiftly at him before shaking his head. "I can't let you risk it, Ray. He isn't the same person you think he is. He's becoming unhinged, we're not sure what he could do." He quickly typed in his password to his phone before handing over the video to Ray. Christian hated to burst his bubble, but he needed to know about the video and how close he's gotten to Ana. Ray needed to know what they were up against after everything. "So I don't think you'll reach him, Ray." Christian watched as he watched the video. Ray's emotions varied as he watched it, it would jump from sadness to anger the longer he watched his sleeping daughter. Most would ask why they were reacting so strongly, but this was scary knowing that he was in her house while she was sleeping. It was frustrating.
"She doesn't know or did she decide to not tell me Christian." Ray was resisting the urge to throw the billionaire's phone.
Christian ruffled his own hair in frustration. He knew the answer that he was going to give Ray wasn't exactly what he'd want to hear. "She doesn't know. I got this today before I picked you up. I was trying to figure out the best way to break it to her… I was trying to convince her to move in, thinking that would solve my problem, but she is insisting that she'll be fine at the house." He knew it wouldn't solve the problem completely, but he doesn't like to sleep knowing that he couldn't watch her full time if they didn't fix the living situation.
Ray nodded, agreeing with him. He knew his daughter would push back if she felt like she was being manipulated. "I get it, I think you should probably tell her… It'll make it easier to get her to understand. The longer this continues, the worst it becomes, my friend."
Christian knew he was right, honestly, he wanted to tell Ana as soon as possible, but it wasn't exactly what he wanted to do. After not telling her about the whole Leila situation, Christian knew better, but he wasn't ready. He needed to get everything under control before Ana gets involved. "I'll think about it Ray, I just want to make sure everything is straightened out first before I let her into everything. I will talk to her about how bad it's getting soon, but I don't want to spoil her time with you. I'll talk to her… Just let her enjoy her time with her dad; it has been all she's talked about these last few weeks."
The rest of the night flew by, Kate had left to go see Elliot once Christian and Ray had returned. Before she had left, she'd warned Christian one last time to deal with the Jose problem before it escalated. At the dinner table, Christian enjoyed watching Ana and Ray interact. The carefree attitude was something that Christian wanted to bask in, to erase the issues that Jose had caused her. He wanted a chance to enjoy this side of Ana. He was looking forward to their New York trip a few months from now. He hoped that being out of Seattle she could enjoy her 25th birthday without the fear of Jose trampling on it, without fear something may happen. They could spend a few days in New York for her actual birthday, then fly out to LA to see her grandparents and dad for a special big surprise.
A few days before
"I just know… I've never felt this way. I thought after everything in my past I wouldn't want this, but I do." Christian looked up at his mother with a knowing smile. It was a shock to his family knowing this was his own end goal. To have Ana be a part of his life in the long scheme of things.
Grace smiled up at Christian as he closed the box. The ring was simple but extravagant. Something he thought she deserved. "I think it's amazing that you've found someone you want to settle down with. I love knowing that you've finally opened your heart, Christian. You've been alone for so long."
Christian nodded, looking at the box nervously. He wasn't the type of person to get nervous, but with Ana he just wanted her to be with him forever. In the short time, they've known each other, Christian couldn't imagine anyone who made him happier. "I just need her dad to like me. Then I can plan."
"Christian…"
"Christian?" Ana laughed as Christian came back to reality. "I was telling Ray that we should have dinner with your family and him. He's been wanting to meet everyone. It would mean a lot if we could take him to your house on the water." Ana wanted the two of them to get used to one another because it meant the world for the two of them to get along. She had hoped that Christian would be in her life for a long time, and that meant Ray's approval was important to the relationship. "I know the other day during lunch your mom was planning on inviting him over, but I thought you all could go fishing if we did it at your lakeside house."
Christian laughed internally, knowing that his thoughts were on the ring box at his house. He was planning on waiting till her birthday to ask for his permission, but the sooner the better. He nodded nervously; he was sure Ana was in his head. "Yeah, I'll let Gail and Taylor know to set it up, we can all stay there for a few days. I think it would be fun." It was a perfect excuse to get her out of town for a bit of time, Sawyer can conduct a sweep of the house and trace anything he found. "I think Elliot and Carrick will be happy to break out their fishing rods."
Ana was happy to see Christian taking the time to get to know Ray. This was her ideal situation between her father and boyfriend. She wasn't sure that her 29-year-old boyfriend would have much to talk to her father, but they got along without issue even in a short time. "That sounds fun. I think Kate, Ethan, and Meghan will come up for a day. I know David will be excited to see uncle Christian." Ana blushed, she couldn't stop thinking of how connected David and Christian were together. David never took to Jose, which should've been the biggest red flag, but she attempted to make it work. She was wrong.
Ray wanted to get to know Christian, it was important for him. The best way to see how a man will treat your daughter is to see how he is with his family. "I love this idea. I know you couldn't celebrate your birthday cause of work, so let's celebrate it with a fishing trip." Ray was looking forward to the few days with Christian and his family.
Eating dinner was enjoyable after their plans were complete, Ray said a quick goodnight to Christian and Ana before heading off to bed in the spare room. Ana sat down on the couch next to Christian before handing him a glass of wine. Ana rested her head against his shoulder; it was nice to unwind with just the two of them. "Thank you." Ana finally spoke after they both settled on the couch for a bit.
"For?" He asked as he began playing with her hair.
Ana just shrugged before turning to face him halfway. "For just being kind to my dad. You seem to put him at ease with whatever is going on with Jose. The Ray I grew up with as a dad would've tried to kidnap me and bring me back to LA; so you must be doing something right." Ana didn't know what was happening between Christian and Ray, but she was happy that it was something good. Ray liked Christian, it meant the world to know that, especially after everything Jose had done. Closing her eyes, Ana just enjoyed the moment; just the two of them, just enjoying one another's company. At this moment, Ana's heart fluttered because all she could think about is how much she desired this to be her future. Evenings after work lying on the couch watching tv in each other's company; this is what she lacked in her own life growing up.
Last Month
Ana sat in the window watching as the sun dropped behind the hills. She was attempting to keep herself busy until Christian came over for dinner and a movie. The last few weeks after they made love, Ana couldn't get enough of being around Christian. If it wasn't for how scared she was after her and Jose's relationship, she probably would've been trying to push them quickly through each stage of their new relationship. Ana, though, didn't want to make the same mistake. This truly was the first time she felt like everything she was missing was a reality. The young brunette finally found herself complete without the need to fill a certain role to fit in. Except for Ray, his family, and Kate's family, she felt like she had to push herself to be someone else to keep people around. With Christian, especially the last few weeks, she hasn't felt the desire to push herself to impress him.
"You seem lost?" Ana smiled seeing her 'sister-in-law' Meghan staring at her. The all-knowing look plastered on her face was the indicator that she knew exactly what was going on in Ana's head. "Ethan was going to come by, but I figured you wanted to talk to someone who would not talk your ear off." Meghan was definitely a cut-and-dry kind of person. She could see through any wall someone attempted to put up. "Ethan was going to chat with you about trying to let Christian in a bit more, but I thought maybe if you and I talked it would help. I know it isn't your favorite subject, but have you talked to Christian much about your past? I mean, Christian would understand more than most with his past."
Ana sighed before turning away from the window to face Meghan. "I'm scared…" Ana had a hard time admitting it, but this was why she constantly worried about where she stood with Christian. Every chance a relationship popped up with her, it felt like it set to fail. Her mom, Jose, her mother's parents, her biological father…it just felt like she wasn't sure if things could work with Christian with her track record. "I wish I could just let go of everything or even ignored the threat that Jose and Leila posed, but it's a failure. Meghan, I just don't want to drag Christian into this mess and him not thinking I'm worth it." Meghan shook her head. She didn't understand how someone who owned one of the best businesses in Seattle and was one of the most outspoken people Meghan knew, had such low self-esteem. "I know what you're going to say, I've heard it all. 'Why do you wine so much? How can you let people walk all over you? Don't let a guy define you, be your own person.' But those people don't get it. Abandonment has a way of fucking up your life." The closest people in Ana's life knew about her mother dropping her off with Ray in the middle of the night to move on with her life. Ana was only 4 when Carla left, it was like a domino effect. "I just don't know how to erase this feeling."
"Ana…" The pain in Ana's voice was beyond sad to anyone's ear. Meghan moved over to her sister-in-law and sat down next to her. "Christian loves you. Most people probably won't get it and will judge, but it doesn't matter, to be honest. Ana, love is something that we don't always find when we're looking for it. You've spent so much time chasing love and what it means that you've almost missed it in front of you. You have to be able to open your eyes to see that man will walk through fire to make you see what you two could have. Christian isn't running away, he isn't like Jose or your mom or your biological dad; your past nor his past should matter anymore, you've got to hold on to this because Love like this is amazing." Ana watched as Ethan's wife took her hands to cover her own. She cared a lot about Ana, she'd been in her life for the last 4 years and they've been able to grow closer every day. These conversations were some of the best between the two of them. "Ana don't let how you've navigated through your past define you and your future. It's how you let go of it that truly shows the strength inside of you."
Looking down, Christian noticed Ana was deep in thought. Puzzled eyes traced her face as the TV shined onto it. He continued to play with her hair, not wanting to disturb her, instead, he just ignored the stress of Jose and focused on the upcoming weeks before New York. All he could think about was their future together.
Hope you all enjoyed it! Sorry, it took a little longer, I'm back working and been taking time to be with my family after everything! But next week's chapter will be up soon, and Best Thing I Never Knew I Needed will be updated in the next few days! As Always Read and Review!