FYI: Christian's POV is in present day and in flashback so please take note of the different time jumps.

Enjoy

Sin of the Father

Chapter 5

Small Pieces of the Past

Present Day

Seattle, Washington

Christian's POV

"You're late," I say to her as she rushes into the great room.

I have been pacing back and forth waiting for her arrival for the last twenty minutes.

Each second that ticked by made my palm twitch even more than the last and right now I am furious at having been made to wait. I don't fucking wait for subs.

"I'm sorry, Sir. But it couldn't be helped. The rain brought the traffic to a crawl."

"Stop making excuses for your incompetence. You know how much I hate them."

"Yes, Sir. I apologize. It won't happen again."

"I'm going to make sure of it. I hope you are prepared, Miss Johnson. I am in an extremely bad mood and I have no intention of going easy on you today."

"Yes, Sir."

I am just about to dismiss her to the playroom when my phone rings. I roll my eyes, annoyed at yet another delay until I see the name on the caller ID.

I stare at it for a moment, making sure my eyes are not playing tricks on me.

"Playroom. NOW."

I dismiss my latest stress reliever, tossing the keys to the playroom at her stilettoed feet.

I watch feeling some grim satisfaction at her obedience as she quickly bends down to pick them up before turning on those red heels and rushing up the stairs.

Dragging my finger across the screen, I hold the phone to my ear as memories of the past three years overtake me in one big wave.

...

Three Years Earlier

"Taylor, lock the elevator. I'm in for the night and I don't want any visitors," I instructed him, not bothering to wait around for his response.

"Understood, Sir. Have a good evening," I heard him say behind me anyway.

I went straight to my home office, shrugging out of my jacket, pulling off my tie, and undoing the top two buttons of my shirt.

I tossed the jacket and tie toward the couch. They missed their mark and ended up in a ball on the floor. Not giving two shits about it, I left them where they lay as I sat behind my desk to make my nightly phone calls.

The first one was always the most important, even though I knew my efforts were futile at that point because she refused to speak to me.

I had never dealt with a woman so stubborn as Miss Anastasia Steele. And there I was wanting her submission. I roll my eyes now at that idiocracy.

At that point, it had been fifteen days since I spoke to her last. Fifteen days since the disaster of my birthday party sent her running out of my parent's home and subsequently out of my life.

I knew there was a fucking reason I hated my birthday and the parties that resulted from it. I then had reason to hate them all the fucking more since they cost me her.

All due to my relationship with Elena Lincoln.

What the fuck did Ana expect me to do? Change my whole damn world for her.

Elena is my only friend. My only confidant.

And that day, I was painfully aware that she was the only reason I was in a clusterfuck with not only Ana, but my entire family.

As fucked up as it was, I thought once she calmed down, I could make her see reason. But she still wanted nothing to do with me after fifteen damn weeks.

Every gift had been returned. Every text and phone call went unanswered. Yet I remained undeterred in making her mine again.

I didn't get where I was by giving up and I had never wanted anything more than her. I was not going lose her.

Losing has never been a part of my world and I wasn't going to allow it to be then.

We'd already been apart once before.

After the belt incident when she first ran, I was convinced I had lost her forever.

I was in hell for five damn days before I figured out how to get her back.

And I was prepared to do it all again.

I admitted it was taking me a bit longer. Her hatred where Elena was concerned was far stronger than it was over that fucking belt I hit her with.

I knew her misunderstandings about our relationship caused her to hate Elena, but she needed to understand that the woman saved me from myself.

I still don't know where I would be without her.

As much as Ana meant to me, I couldn't just turn my back on a friend who had done more for me than anyone else ever could.

She helped me control my demons. She saw past all the anger and believed in me when no one else did.

I would have destroyed myself years ago without her in my life.

...

Three months later

"Christian Grey," I answered my phone without bothering to look at it.

I was somewhat annoyed and sexually frustrated and beyond pissed at the way Ana was acting at that moment.

That game of breaking up and getting back together we'd been playing for the last three months had gotten to me on way too many levels and I was about ready to storm over to her place and pull her across my knee for my pleasure, not hers.

On top of that, she was still not over her hang-up about Elena.

"Hey bro. It's me, Elliot."

I frowned at the phone. He is my only brother so why the hell was he telling me his name.

"What's going on, Elliot," I asked him. I knew it must have been something by the tone of his voice.

"I just heard it from Kate and I thought you should know."

"What? What the fuck is it?"

I knew instantly it was about Ana.

"Look, man, they'll both kill me if they find out I called you, but I just couldn't do it you, bro. I know how much she still means to."

"What the fuck is it, Elliot?"

"Ana's moving to New York."

"She's what?"

Two Weeks Later

I walked through the foyer of my penthouse like a raging bull in a china shop not giving a damn what was in my path of destruction.

I had been a force to be reckoned with for the last damn two weeks and no one was safe from me. I even bit my mother's head off when she came calling to check on me and I was deeply ashamed of myself for it.

I still couldn't believe she'd moved all the way across the goddamn country just to get away from me.

She hadn't even fucking said a word to me about it. I found out from Elliot only when she was already half way there.

I took out my cell phone and went straight into my office without a word to Gail who I knew was waiting to speak to me about dinner. I hated to brush past her, but I had more pressing matters to be discussed with my security advisor.

"Welch, anything new to report?"

"Negative, Mr. Grey. The status on Anastasia Steele remains unchanged. As far as my guys in New York can tell me, she is settling in to a fairly decent apartment, getting a pretty good routine down."

"Has she started work yet?"

"Her first day was Monday and it's at McSullivan Publishing, as you already know. I found out today she is under the direct supervision of the company president, John Thomas."

"I want a full background check on that fucker. On second thought, I want a full background check on everyone in the whole damn company. I already have Ros working on acquiring it."

"Will do, Sir. It may take a few days for the reports to come in."

"As soon as possible. In the meantime, what about her bank account? Any activity?"

"The 40,000 you deposited last week still remains untouched as of the close of business today. She is aware that it's there. My guy had eyes on her when she went to the ATM. He could see she was shocked when she read her account print out. He described her demeanor as pissed, Sir."

I all but laughed, knowing that reaction from her all too well.

"How the hell is she living then? Who's supporting her?"

The idea of someone else being that important to her had me silently fuming as I was thinking up ways to cause the poor unsuspecting fool's demise.

"The harassment suit she filed against Jack Hyde and Seattle Independent was settled and the payment was substantial."

"I'm aware."

I dumped that dead weight of a company right before they had to pay up the ass for all the law suits filed against them thanks to good ol Jack.

"Also, since she has a Department Head position, McSullivan paid for her move. The company name was on all of the deposit checks used for those expenses, as well as her rent for the first three months."

"That's to be expected."

"And as far as my guys can tell, her father and mother may have played a hand in helping her find her current residence as they were both there upon her arrival. Her father stayed with her for a few extra days just to make sure she was settled in. I'm sure he was scoping out the neighborhood for any issues that might arise with her safety. He left Monday, so it appears everything is to his satisfaction. Her address is in the email I sent you earlier, along with a few pictures of the building."

"Very good," I said, pleased with his efficiency. I turned on my computer and opened the email. The place was a tad dated, but it was also quaint and inviting. It fit her. It reminded me of the place she had here with Kate. "Does this place also meet your approval?"

I was already entertaining thoughts of buying the building as I looked at the photos of it.

"Yes, Sir. It's a bit rundown on the outside, but the area in general is safe by my standards. Miss Steele is cautious. She only goes to and from work but today she went out with a few of her co-workers. And yes, all female, Sir."

I smirked at him answering the question before I could even voice it.

"Very good. Keep the tail on her and whatever you do, don't let her get on to you. And send pictures of her next time, but tell your guy to watch it. I want you to keep an eye on him and the photos he is taking of her."

"You got it, Sir. I'm all over it."

Hanging up with Welch, my curiosity about Ana was somewhat satisfied, but my determination to know more was far from quenched.

I got up from behind my desk and ventured over to the wet bar, pouring myself a tumbler of bourbon and downing it in one gulp. I shook my head at myself. I'd been home for less than an hour and I was already reaching for a drink.

Just thinking about Ana living her life out of my grasp sent me into a rage.

Images of me dragging her to the playroom invaded my brain. They were quickly followed by images of her in tears, clutching her naked body in an effort to protect herself from me. Much like she did the day I hit her with the belt.

"FUCK THIS SHIT." I threw the empty tumbler against the wall and watched it shatter.

Now, as my latest submissive disappears up the stairs from my view. I answer her call, speaking her name out loud for the first time in two years.

"Anastasia?"

...

Present Day

New York City, New York.

Ana's POV

"Anastasia?"

"Christian, how are you?"

"I'm well. I'm at a loss to be perfectly honest. You are the last person I expected to call considering our last conversation. Is there something you need from me?"

"No, nothing. I know it's strange hearing from me. Especially after I asked you not to ever talk to me again."

"You didn't 'ask', Anastasia. You forced my hand."

"Well, you didn't give me much of a choice. What was I supposed to do? You expected me to keep your dirty little secret. To not tell your parents about their son's 'special' relationship with their best friend?"

"My FRIENDSHIP with Elena is nowhere near dirty. And it wasn't your place to say anything about it, Anastasia. You broke my mother's heart for no other reason than to be spiteful towards a woman you hated me being close to. A woman I knew long before I met you, but it never stopped you from being jealous."

"Jealous? Are you serious? Grace asked me right out about what my issue with Elena was. I couldn't lie to her. You had just asked me to marry you. I was ready to spend the rest of my life with you, Christian. But I sure as hell wasn't going to let it include that bitch troll."

"Elena had nothing to do with us."

"Oh my God, you still refuse to see it. After all this time, you still can't see why I did what I did, can you? Will you at least tell me that you are not still involved with her?"

"For fuck sakes, Ana. Are you still sitting in judgment about who I choose to or choose not to have in my life? Is this the reason you called me?"

"No. No, it's not. I got sidetracked with everything. Hearing your voice bought it all back. I'm sorry."

I take a moment to calm down. I don't know how this conversation took such a turn. Our past has nothing to do with the reason I called. It wasn't my intention to attack him.

"It brought it all back for me too. Just seeing your name on my caller ID feels like it happened yesterday."

"I'm sorry to call you like this out of the blue. I can understand if you don't want to talk to me."

"Anastasia, I can assure you, if I didn't want to talk to you I wouldn't have answered the phone."

"Okay, good to know. I feel better about calling, I guess."

"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, how are you?"

"I'm fine, really."

"Forgive me for continuing to ask, but I can only imagine something must be wrong for you to call. It has me more than curious."

"Curious or on edge?"

"The former."

"Well, I wouldn't want your curiosity to kill you, so I'll tell you. I was just calling about Kate and Elliot's wedding. I found out about it earlier today from Kate. She asked me to be her Maid of Honor and I'm going to be in Seattle soon, hopefully. If I can get the go ahead to leave, that is. I just wanted to see if maybe we could talk when I get there."

"Talk about what?"

"Not about what happened between us. You don't have to worry about that. But, we need to talk about something very important, Christian. Something that has suddenly come up and I'm hoping to get your cooperation in handling it the best way possible."

"Now I'm on edge. Why wait until you're here when you're not even sure when you're coming? We can talk now."

"I can't discuss it with you over the phone though."

"Fine. I'll fly there."

"What? No, that's not what I meant."

"You called. It's clearly important. I'm not going to wait and drive myself crazy until you come to Seattle. I'm on my way there so we can talk."

"No, Christian, I-"

"I'll leave here first light and text you when I'm close to your place."

"Christian-"

"See you soon, Anastasia."

"No, wait-" I say to a now dropped call.

I press a pillow over my face to muffle the scream I let out in hot frustration.

Two damn years and he hasn't changed at all. He STILL refuses to listen to me.

Author's Note:

Ana is in trouble now

As for Christian, the story isn't called Sins of the Father for nothing. :-)

You can find me on Facebook under lanieloveu or in the group The Playroom of the FSOG Sisterhood.

Thank you for reading and reviewing.