Stroke chp04 Summer Sun stroke

The dining room is a loud ruckus as we enter. The room goes dead calm. I walk Anna to a seat, fetching her a plate of food. I get my own from the buffet on the side board. Not a sound echo in the room. Sitting, I look at my family.

Anna reaches over, placing her hand on my chest. I hold it there. Loving the feelings and thought. The room explodes with a thousand questions and demands. We answer some, ignore some, and just relax in the safety of our families.

Afterwards, Dad, Ray, Jason and I sequester ourselves in Dad's study. Laying out what is known. It's not a lot. Bennet in Texas and Lampworks Company in Ohio, both file legally to vacate the marriage on guardian ship grounds in their respective states. The both claim guardianship of Anna. They argue Ray's adoption was never legal, since they didn't sign off on it. The filing never mentions why or how they have legal claim to my girl.

Roz in Texas is at a loss to explain anything that is happening. She called a former classmate at Harvard in New York. They're digging. I stare at the documents Anna managed to steal from the ranch. Petroglyphic Lambda and Lampworks are fighting for control of a larger company called Frankenstein Mobile Technology. All three are privately owned and operated. No links to explain what is going on.

I check the clock. Check the information sheets. Call the COO of Frankenstein Mobile. The receptionist answers. "Hello, CEO offices of FMT, how may I direct your call?"

"This is Christian Grey of Seattle, I would like to discuss with the COO Mr. Thomason, my newly acquired interest in FMT thru my marriage to Anastasia Steele. I will hold." The adults look at we in awe and shock.

"Mr. Grey, my name is Henry McCallan. I'm Mr. Thomason PA. what are you exactly claiming?"

"My wife's birthrights. We married Yesterday at Fort Jackson Army base in South Carolina. Which grants her legal adult hood. So, I suggest Mr. Thomason get his Ass on a plane to Seattle and explain why He and the others denied my wife her inheritance. Here is my Lawyer Carrick Grey of Windsor, Lordemoor & Grey" I hand the phone to Dad who goes all legal on their dumb asses.

I walk out to find my girl baking with Grace and Mia. Hugging her, licking the smug of flour from her nose. Feeling her perky ass on my hard rod. I smirk, retreating outside to Elliot and Parks.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Three days later:

The conference room at Windsor, Lordemoor & Grey is quiet as the FMT people walk in. Seven lawyers, three accountants and COO and PA with an elderly man in a wheelchair. The evil pours from them like cheap aftershave. They reek of evil and misery; carelessly and wantonly handed out. He stares at Anna, leering at her. I want to tear all three to shreds. She stops me from going over the table and destroying the perverts.

"Gentleman you have the floor, explain your actions?" Dad says.

"For starters Grey, we are moving to annulment of the marriage on the grounds of age, and larceny to defraud Miss Lambert of her estate. We feel confident the courts will rule in our favor." The head slimy lawyer talks. I let Dad, Ray and my Godfather(the Seattle DA) wage the fight.

"We'll that funny, because this morning we injunction you and the other two to hold in escrow Mrs. Grey estate. The marriage is legal, beyond reproach and you're mostly going straight from here to jail. Unless you can show just cause for your actions." Dad speaks like he' going to kill them. Personal and in court.

The old man reaches into his blanket, I leap over the table: clawing for traction; as a small gun appears. Throwing my body at the old evil shit in the wheelchair. I see the gun blossom with fire. My leap carries me thru him, to the floor. Rolling away. I see his head explode.

Xxxxx

Minutes later:

Anna holds my head, as we rush into the hospital. A bandage about my chest. I feel weird, out of my body. Like I'm looking down at the scene. Ray and dad carry me, as my wife holds my head, scream love, and caring words at me. I watch the hospital gurney roll under me. Mom, all doctor Angel, and Dr. Westfield ripping my shirt. working on my body. I see two holes in my chest. Both high to the left shoulder.

They should hurt, shouldn't I feel something. I drift down into my body, blackness fading to peaceful sleep watching the nurse puts a black mask over my mouth. I dream of our lake, and Anna. Laying in the cool water, talking about dreams and needs. The future. I will crawl and claw every step to get back to her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Anna-pov

I sit in the hospital recovery room, holding my husband of four days. A wild ride this
August month for sure. Rescue from a Texas ranch, married, and now fighting for what I don't know. Against who I don't understand and fathom. Why an old man would want to kill me? Worse of all Chris is shot protecting me. laying here in this bed. I beg god for him to wake up.

Carrick enters, seating next to me. "Anna, the old man was Thomason Sr. the former COO and the current one's father. He claims not to know his father planned to kill you. Their lawyers don't understand why the fight either, we have the other two company owners flying in tomorrow. Federal Marshall are making them."

"I want Christian there, I can't do this without him." I Shakely say.

Whispered words echo in the room. "Yes, you can, babe. You're my Anna; wise and strong. I love you!" Christian words haunt and excite me. I leap up, kiss his cheek, the oxygen mask gets in the way. I don't care, he's awake. The nurses rush us. I refuse to release his hand. My husband. My man.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Next day: Noon at the conference room in the federal court house.

High noon shows down, I should have worn my cowgirl costume from Halloween several years ago. The three antagonists of my life sit around a square of tables. They refuse to sit next to the others. Thomason in prison orange. Elderly Sarah Bennet in a ten-thousand-dollar designer power suit that can't hide her slimy evil core. An William Post from Ohio, a kindly looking Santa Claus shaped man, with leering, red tinted evil eyes making me need a shower.

An elderly man enters, the other's recoil in fear. I stare at him, he looks at me, measuring me. "Ladies and Gentlemen. The war is over. Pursuant to the terms of the last will and testament of Franklin L. Bennet. Anastasia Grey is now a legal adult, thus she inherits all of the estates. Pursuant to the clause of the companies' charters, the inheritance buyout. Mrs. Grey will exercise those clauses."

The three look down and break down. "Law enforcement will take you home to your respective home states to face criminal charges. Officers, escort the scum out of here." he waits till there gone, drags a chair over to sit in front of me.

Everyone is asking questions, he just stares at me. I stare back. "who are you?"

"I am the last partners of Lambert & Sinclair & Merriweather Law firm of Cleveland Ohio; my name is Floyd Merriweather. I have the honor and privilege to represent your great grandfather Alexander Lambert and your father Franklin Lambert Bennet."

"Alexander's only child, his daughter Miranda, your grandmother married Carl Bennet, Sarah is your grandmother's sister-in-law. They had two children Franklin and Lewis. Franklin, the youngest, left home, joined the military under his mother name. you know the rest. Carl remarried Karen Post, after Miranda's death giving birth to Franklin. William Post is her younger brother. They had a son Thad, who died in 1989, in an airliner crash in Europe. They died in 1990 in a car crash in The Hamptons."

He takes a drink of water. "Lewis, your uncle, in a hostile takeover, took control Frankenstein Technology, re-branding it Frankenstein Mobile Technology. With Thomason SR. as COO: The company explode in wealth and patents moving the million-dollar company into the billion-dollar range."

"Lewis with his wife, Thomason daughter, Drualla died in another plane crash, in Nepal, about three years ago. Leaving the will up for grabs, till you turned up during the search for Frank. Which no one knew had died."

"So! what exactly have I inherited?"

"About four billion dollars in various companies, two billion in stocks and bonds, and three hundred million dollars in cash. Your fathers trust fund in independent of all that, about 50 million dollars, spread over thirty years till you get the full amount, tax issues. I understand why you got married, I respect Mr. Grey courage to help you. But the marriage must be annulled. You are a wealth young lady, we will find a man for you to love." He says.

"Mr. Merriweather. This is my father Raymond Steele, my father-in-law Carrick Grey. They will work out the particulars of this inheritance. I am going to the Hospital: to be with the man I love. He is and always was the one person: I planned to marry! I can thank the evil shits who were dragged out in chain for making that glorious event happen so soon." I start to walk away, a errant thought crosses my mind. I stop, turning, I stare at them, the adults?

"Let me be clear! THERE WILL NEVER BE AN FU #$ #$ #$KING ANNULMENT OF MY MARRIAGE! Am I crystal clear to everyone in this room." I walk out, down the hall, leaving to be with my wounded husband!

His dreams of a company are realized, ready-made for us. I play with company names on the ride. I think Grey Enterprise has a nice ring and punch.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Time warps: June 10

The auditorium is packed, I nervously wait in my lane. The student shuffle around. My name is called: I mount the steps and receive my high school diploma. The Lancer Academy of Cambridge Massachusetts is graduating today. I walk off, skip past the seating and jump into my husband's arms.

Mr. joe college sophomore in Harvard yard, kisses me like I dreamed he would. I always dream of his kisses. It's always better in reality! We bounce to the party at OUR house down the road. Chris works part time as college guy; a part time as CEO of newly branded and exploding Grey Enterprise and Holding Inc. Roz from Texas is his COO. I greet my aptly named boys. Henry Fifth of Scotch and Sir Needs A Bath: our mismatched mischievous multi-breed rescue dogs. I dance about the guest and family. What a great day is this.

Graduated at sixteen, married going on close to three years. In our house on the Mystic river flowing past "Over the River Poem House" up the South St... Childish dreams born on a lonely lake in Washington State Mountains cannot compare to the reality of my and our lives.

I waltz thru the party is love with the present and future. I claim my husband, kissing him deep and passionately, to the shouts of get a room, not in public, and Eliot's show us how it done! Christian!

We end up staring at a picture over the mantle. Of green woods on a watery shore, with a little spit on sand stringing out into the water, forming a little bay. A tree with a heart craved in it can be seen but not read. Chris holds me, kissing my hair.

We remember not so long ago. Craving the message, binding our dreams and lives. Two lost souls on Lost lake in the mountains of Washington state. Half alive till the other came and made the other whole.

Chris rubs my soon to be showing belly. We are adding to the mix. We will take them one day to the lake. Baptizing them in the sacred waters. The place love jumped up and bit two lost wayward soul, us.

Taking Chris head in my hands. I kiss him with all my love and devotion. Silly dreams of a young girl, perhaps. But you must dare to live and live to love. Even in the throes of despair.

Christian never ask why I was out so far on the lake that day. We know what drove us both there. We found each other. Saved each other. Learned to live for ourselves and the other half of our soul. Love is grand when two people joined in soul and spirit embark; love is sweetest when tempered from the harsh and trying journey of life. The bastions loom ahead to conquered and cherished in time. Right now, here in our home: we let our love shield us, embrace us, and surrender us to the future.