Chapter 16

Hyde PoV

I parked my car outside Anastasia's palatial mansion. How the hell did she get this house? Did she really make that much money at her job? I bet she fucked her way to the top. Her mom could have done that if she wasn't so hooked on drugs. I only got her on the one drug, but she wanted more. Always wanted more. Looked like little Annie girl was doing much better, which meant even more money for me. Hell, maybe I wouldn't kill her. Maybe I'd just make her my own personal servant. I'd fuck her whenever I wanted. Make her fuck and suck my friends. I could even make more money by filming it and selling it. Yeah, Little Anastasia Steele was going to make me a very, very rich man.

I saw the little twat run out of her house and jump in her Audi Q7. The bitch didn't deserve such a nice car. It would be so much fun to slash those tires and scratch up her custom paint job. Shortly after she left, her red headed boyfriend emerged trying to chase after her. There was something about his hair color that was way too familiar. And the line of his jaw reminded me of something too, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Not that it mattered.

The tabloid I sold those pictures to said his name was Christian Grey, super-billionaire at 27. I'd have to look into his background to see if I could find the connection. In the mean time I'd go to the little bitch's work and try and charm my way into her office. I took off towards downtown and parked my car a couple blocks away from Steele Designs. I'd wait a while before making my move.

A platinum blonde in her forties entered the building on a mission. She looked very fuckable, even though she was more my own age. I usually liked them nice and young, but she'd do in a pinch. I wondered what her business at Steele Designs was.

Shortly thereafter, the boyfriend, Christian Grey walked into the building. He looked desperate but angry, too. Looked like he fucked up somehow, and wanted to fix things. If their relationship was on the rocks, it was the perfect time for me to jump in and tear them apart for good.

I dialed my contact at the police department and asked him for a thorough file on Grey. I wanted to know everything about the little twit. He called back a few minutes later with a summary.

"Adopted in Detroit 24 years ago," he began. "Birth mother was Ella Martin, died due to an overdose when he was four. Then Grace Trevelyan-Gray and Carrick Grey adopted him and moved to Seattle." He went on to talk about Christian's education and business ventures. But then I knew the connection.

I knew his mother. She was my first conquest before I moved to Carolina. She got pregnant so I dropped her ass and left. Given his hair color and the line of his jaw, there was a good chance that Grey was my son. And that made this little plan all the more interesting.

Peyton emailed me the rest of the file, and I skimmed through it. Looked like the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Grey liked to whip women with belts, canes, floggers, the list went on. There were even pictures at my disposal. Peyton deserved a nice bonus for what he just provided.

"Daddy's back."

Christian PoV

"Sir, someone has accessed your personal background files through the Seattle Police Department," Welch said as I answered the phone. "He's hacked into your home computer somehow, broke through my firewall. I don't know how yet, and stole a bunch of files, including photos of you with your previous um, girlfriends?"

"What? Who?" I demanded. Fuck, fuck, fuck! I had that shit under lock and key! Welch himself built the security system around it, promised me that nothing and no one could ever get in.

"An officer Peyton," he replied. "As I look at his record, he is suspected of being a crooked cop sir; he may be associated with Hyde."

"How the fuck did he break in?" I demanded.

"I haven't figured that out yet sir, but Peyton has a similar background in IT to mine. He might have understood the system and wormed his way in. But as soon as he was in I caught it and shut him out. He didn't get much, but he got enough. I'm sorry sir."

"He's fired!" I told him. "Right now! This minute! Make that happen." I slammed the phone down and ran my fingers through my hair. I had enough brass in this town to ensure the dirty cop was fired in seconds of my demand. The mayor was in my back pocket and the police commissioner and chief of police were both members at my country club. They did what I wanted when I wanted it.

Anastasia ran away from me today. I told her about my past with Elena and she ran. And she told me not to follow her. I didn't know how I was going to obey that command; I needed her like I needed air to breathe.

Worried about what Hyde might do with his new found information on me, I left GEH and ran to Steele Designs in a full sprint. I probably looked like a lunatic sprinting down the street in a three piece suit, my tie flying all over the place, but I didn't care. I had to get to Ana, and I had to get there quickly.

I ran into the building and up the stairs, not bothering with the elevator. I'd never been inside Steele Designs before, but it was obvious that one of their top designers had decorated this building. There was even art in the stairwell. I finally reached the twenty-seventh floor, panting and out of breath.

Anastasia's PA, Anita Baum was fussing over me trying to make me leave. "Miss Steele specifically told me that you are not allowed in her office, Mr. Grey. I cannot let you through." She was a tough little thing; I had to give her that.

"The situation is dire, miss Baum. I would respect Miss Steele's wishes under any other circumstance, but this information cannot wait."

"You can leave a message and I will be sure to inform her as soon as her current visitor has left."

"Current visitor? Who?" I asked.

"I'm not at liberty to say, Mr. Grey."

Before I could press for more information, Ana's office door opened and closed with a slam and an angry threat. I couldn't believe my eyes. What the fuck was she doing there?

Ana PoV

"Send her in," I clipped.

"Hello dear," she greeted warmly. "Do you remember me from the benefit?" she asked.

"I have eidetic memory, Mrs. Lincoln. I remember everything," I replied shortly.

"Oh, well that must be both a blessing and a curse," she said. "Um, I don't suppose you know why I'm here. Our mutual friend Christian Grey informed his mother that you are evidently my biological granddaughter, and I wanted to officially introduce myself as your grandma."

"I neither need nor want another grandmother, Mrs. Lincoln." She looked crestfallen. Good.

"Oh, I understand. I wanted to look for my daughter many years ago, but my husband at the time wouldn't allow it. I finally was able to recently and I found out she died. Could you tell me about her? If you have eidetic memory, I'm sure you can recall some details of what she was like before she died."

"Yes, indeed I can." Oh she was going to love this. "Your daughter was a prostitute, alcoholic, and drug addict. She hated her children, neglected us most of the time, or would beat us within an inch of our lives when she did pay attention."

"Oh, Anastasia, that can't be true," she replied, pursing her lips. "I'm sure she loved you."

"That's Miss Steele," I snapped. "And you don't believe me? Well take a look at these scars from where she tied me to my crib for days at a time, causing me to nearly die from starvation and from sleeping and breathing in my own urine and feces because she forgot about me and I couldn't hold it anymore." I showed her the scars on my wrists. "Or these scars from where she whipped me with a belt or had her boyfriend do it when she was too blitzed out to aim properly." I lifted up my shirt and showed here the multitude of scars across my back.

"Oh and we can't forget the moment that she gave birth to my baby sister and slit her own wrists with a pair of scissors because she was too much of a coward to own up to her mistakes and actually take care of us. And then that caused her pimp to get really angry and take out on me. He beat me, breaking several bones and then raped me. I was five years old. If that's love, then I don't want to know what she would have been like if she didn't love me." The words came out of my mouth in a bitter, clipped tone. I wanted this woman to know exactly what kind of girl she birthed. Even if she didn't raise her, she gave her life, gave her genetic traits that aided in becoming who she was.

"Ana—Miss Steele… I don't know what to say," she said quietly.

"There's nothing you can say. You were young and stupid getting knocked up at what, fifteen years old? Well, like mother like daughter. She got pregnant with me at sixteen. Made my life a living hell for nearly six years. Thank god I had Miranda to raise me properly and help make me who I am today. You and your unnatural blonde hair and fake breasts can leave." I was seething; smoke was probably pouring out of my ears, sparks out of my hair.

"Anastasia! You will not speak to me that way! I am you grandmother!" she yelled.

"You are nothing! Nothing to me! Don't even pretend like you can have a relationship with me. Like I said, I neither want nor need another grandmother. I already had one who was the most amazing woman on this planet and you couldn't hope to hold a candle to her. Now get out before I call security." I glared at her and she shrunk against the door under my gaze.

She scoffed at me as if she couldn't believe I just spoke to her that way. "Steele Designs will not get any more of my business." She stomped out of the room in her Louboutin knock-offs and slammed the door.

"Thank god," I replied. God I hated that woman. And I didn't even breach the Christian topic with her. That would be another interesting conversation, though I hoped I never had to see the troll again.

I sank into my chair and began to cry. I wanted Christian here, but I was still so angry that I couldn't even imagine what I might say to him. Something I'd regret that was for sure.

"Miss Steele?" Anita said over my desk speaker phone. "Christian Grey is here. He just saw Mrs. Lincoln leave and is insisting he speak with you. I informed him that security would have to remove him if he didn't leave on his own, unless you've changed your mind on that policy today?"

"Yes, he's cleared to enter now." I sat at my desk resting my head on the smooth leather surface, not wanting to make eye contact with him.

"What did she say?" he asked. His tone was cold and quiet.

"She wanted to know about Rebecca," I replied. "And I told her all about her. And then I kicked the troll out."

"Oh, that explains the hysterics, then. Ana, may I please touch you," he requested. I nodded into my desk. He was at my side in a flash, coaxing my head away from the cool surface of my desk. He swept his thumb under my eyes, removing the tears. "Baby, please don't let her affect you. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you about her from the beginning. Please forgive me."

"Christian, when I left this morning it wasn't because I was mad at you. Well, I was a little, but most of my rage was reserved for that bitch troll. She molested you, Christian. I don't care if you were a teenager whose hormones were out of control. She took advantage of a child. And then she showed up here. Why did Grace tell her? Didn't you say it was up to me, Kate and Ethan to make that call?"

"Yes, and I'm sorry, I didn't have the chance to communicate that with my mother. She thought you all were so excited about the idea of having a grandma again that she couldn't contain it. I'll speak with her. Elena shouldn't have just shown up here."

"No, don't blame your mother. She didn't know any better. And she doesn't know about your history with that vile woman. Please tell me that you understand that what she did was wrong." I searched his eyes for understanding.

"Yes, I know it was. I didn't always see it that way. But the moment I realized the gravity of her having already been your grandmother when she seduced me. You would have been fourteen years old. If you'd been in the same school as me, I probably would have fallen for you even then. Instead, she distracted me, and while she did help me, it was for all the wrong reasons, and in all the wrong ways."

"You could still press charges," I said.

"No, I don't think I need to do that. I will pull my investments from her business though; she's made enough to be stable on her own now anyway. I will cut all ties from her, Ana. I promise you that. She'll have no part in our lives, okay?"

"She'd better not," I replied. He smiled at me. "I love you Christian."

"Oh, I'm so happy to hear that today. After everything." He pulled me into his arms. "I love you, Anastasia. More than anything."

"So, other than groveling at my feet for forgiveness, what else brought you by today? Especially when I specifically told you not to follow me today?" I asked.

"I have never groveled in my life, Anastasia, and I certainly didn't today. Secondly, I didn't follow you. I went to my office and then came over here after learning some distressing news."

"Oh now what?" I asked, exasperated. Ever since I met this man, nothing but drama has befallen us. I loved him more than air, but Jesus, when would it end?

"Welch discovered that someone accessed my personal background information, photos of me with my subs, the whole nine. They know nearly everything about me. It was an officer at Seattle PD who was already suspected of being crooked. Welch thinks he may be associated with Hyde."

"For god's sake, this is getting ridiculously out of hand. I want that fucker found and killed as soon as possible."

"Baby, I'll do it myself if it comes to that. I'll do absolutely anything to keep you safe. You know that right?" He leaned his head against mine.

"Yes, I know. Now would be a good time to kiss me," I told him. He grinned and pressed his lips to mine. I responded in kind by threading my fingers into his hair and pulling him to me. I wanted him. Right there on my desk. I made us stand up and I reached down and undid his belt and pants, sliding them and his boxers down to his ankles. I then pushed him back on the desk and climbed atop him.

He was already rock hard and waiting for me. I was very glad I wore a floaty skirt that day as it enabled me to simply slide aside my panties and impale myself on him. My phone was ringing on my desk, and Christian's in his pocket, but I ignored them. I couldn't stop; I didn't want to. "Oh god, baby." He hissed. "Yes, ride me." We hadn't tried it like this before with me making all the moves, but I liked it. A lot. He gripped my hips tightly and helped lift me off him and slam back down.

"Yes, Christian. Oh it's so deep this way," I cried. I bounced up and down on him, rocking back and forth and rolling my hips. I could feel all of him in all of me, and it was glorious. He reached up and pinched my nipples through my blouse. It caused my impending release to rush through me, making my whole body shake with pleasure as I came. He came with me, thrusting up into me wildly as he cried out.

I leaned down and kissed him passionately before lifting myself off of him and climbing off the desk. I quickly fixed my panties, straightened my skirt and smoothed back my hair. "Well, now I know what a desktop quickie is."

"Indeed, Miss Steele." He pulled up his pants and fastened them quickly. "You never cease to amaze me."

"Miss Steele!" Anita barked into the speaker.

"What is it?" I barked back. I was getting irritated with all her pestering. She should have known we were busy when I didn't respond the first three times she tried to call me.

"There's a man downstairs holding several guns and a grenade. He's strapped one of the designers with a bomb and is threatening to blow up the place if you and Mr. Grey don't come downstairs."