Chapter 11

Carrick Grey carefully pulled the vibrating cell phone out of his pocket and glanced at the name flashing across the display. He frowned in recognition, and carefully excused himself from the table under the glare of his annoyed wife. Well what the hell did she expect after the third ignore? he wondered as he skirted the ball room and, as inconspicuously as possible, put the phone to his ear. "Taylor, this has better be good. Grace it not happy with me right now as we're at a charity event. Frankly, I'm fine with the excuse to get away from the table and the over blown ego of the keynote speaker who happens to be droning on.
I'm also assuming this is not about my son, as you only called me."

"Christian's involved in a roundabout way, Sir," Taylor started.

"What the hell does that mean?" Carrick bit out earning a glare from one of the society matrons who was sitting nearby. Returning her glare he continued on his way to the exit. "Is he hurt?"

"Only emotionally, and I will be calling Flynn next."

"Oh, for pity's sake, Taylor! Stop talking in riddles. What did you and my son get yourselves into this time? And is that a siren I hear?" Carrick pushed as he crossed into the lobby.

"We didn't exactly get ourselves into anything," Taylor started. "He finally decided to track down Ms. Steele."

"Track down? Isn't she in NY with that harpy?"

"She left earlier this week. Was staying with friends there for the last few weeks till she could get things set up here in CO."

"So this involves her somehow?" Carrick wondered as he ran his hand through his hair in the same fashion as his younger son did. "What happened?"

"We made contact. Had a plan on how they would talk. She went to her car in the back of the building we were at and we went to the front to get ours…"

"For Fuck's sake, Taylor, this isn't a security briefing! What happened?"

"She was attacked in the parking lot. Another car's occupants scared off the attacker, who was Jack Hyde by the way…"

"Hyde's supposed to be in jail. We weren't informed…"

"Well, he was dragged back by the other driver while the driver's girlfriend got help," Taylor explained. "Christian went after him. Took three retired Marines to get him off of him."

"Charges?"

"Only against Hyde.
No one saw Christian do anything."

"Cost?"

"None. Served with one of the guys," Taylor told him.

"How bad's Ana?"

"Unconscious and she hasn't regained conscious fully. She has been muttering… can't follow much. She has called for Christian. We won't know the extent to her injuries to she has tests done. The only thing we know for sure is that Hyde was send hitting her head against the frame of her car and kicking her in the chest after he dropped her to the ground," Taylor paused, then decided it was best to let Carrick know everything. "Sir, Christian's the one who found her.
We also need to know who to contact for her medical.
A friend of hers is a social worker and has her WRAP, but we need the actual paperwork to keep her mother out of this and from making decisions for Ray."

Carrick nodded: "I don't have it on my phone, but call Andrea. She'll be able to get you a copy the fastest. Both you and Christian are listed on Ana's."

"Should I be surprised?" Taylor sighed as the EMTs started to bring the gurney to the ambulance with the retired Naval Corpsman who had identified himself as Marc got in with them. "They're moving her now. One of the guys she's friends with here is going with her because of his training. I'm going to let them know that we're getting her POA. I don't think they'll be room for Christian in the bus, but we'll follow."

"Fine. Let me know what's…" Carrick started as Grace reached him, her annoyance at his behavior clear. "Going on.
I suppose you'll also need Ray's?"

"Yep. She didn't have time to file it after the move."

"Ask Andrea for it as well," he said as Grace tapped her foot impatiently in front of him. "Keep me informed. I want to know why the hell we didn't find out about Hyde being released," he said causing Grace to blanche. "And if there are any consequences for our side."

"Will do," Taylor said by way of signing off. At the sound of the click on the other end, Carrick disconnected as well and looked at his wife. "Did I hear you right? Hyde was released?"

"Apparently.
He attacked a… a friend of Christian's outside a club in CO. I don't know all the details, but it doesn't sound good," Carrick informed her as he put the phone back in the pocket of his pants.

"This friend have a name?" Grace pressed.

"Yes."

"Cary…"

"It was Ana Steele," he answered categorically.

Grace rolled her eyes: "do I even want to know how he and she hooked up again? How Hyde found her?"

"It would appear to be a coincidence," he said evenly. "She left NY last week. Christian tracked her down to CO. He and she were going to leave together to go talk, and all of this is from what Taylor told me, not our son."

"Does he think that Hyde was following Christian? How much danger is the family in this time?" Grace wondered.

Carrick pulled her into his arms and kissed her head: "do you really think if there was trouble of that sort I would've been the only one at the table to get a call?" he asked pulling away only enough to look down at her and take in her reaction.

"You're right; Sawyer would've probably been called first."

"Probably?" Carrick teased.

"Argument made, counselor."

"Why, thank you, doctor," he sighed. "Taylor said he'd call Flynn, but I think he's going to have his hands full for a while…"

"I'll call him when we're ready to leave," she told her husband. "Which shouldn't be too long now."

"Oh?"

"Mia's getting uncomfortable. Sawyer's getting irritable. Elliot is being… well, Elliot, and I think that Samantha and Finola talked to all their business associates tonight," she commented as she automatically straightened his tie and smoothed out his shirt. "But let's not say anything to them till we know more."

"About which part? Hyde or Ana?" Carrick wondered as they started back to the ballroom.

Grace sighed: "you know perfectly well that I mean both. The children still haven't forgiven her for hurting Christian, and Manni is starting to push for Nula and Christian again."

"Is it just the children?" he wondered.

"Well, not all of us are privy to the privileged information you are," Grace sniped.

"Dear, if you thought about it, you'd realize that you knew plenty of it yourself.
Christian has asked for your help when it came to someone close to her…"

Grace stopped short: "Carrick Grey, what… something happened to her father didn't it? I hear you mention his name…"

"Ah huh…"

"When?"

"Around Hyde's last go round."

Grace closed her eyes: "so that's where Christian was and where he went off to afterwards.
I suppose that changes something… but I don't understand how that girl could walk away after finding out why Christian left for a day or two."

"Because our son never told her," Carrick said as they neared their table.

"She didn't know…"

"Just that it was important to him. No more or less," Carrick shrugged as he looked down at his wife. "Never did fully understand it all myself. I think she needed a reason to stick to her guns."

"And I suppose he needed to stick to his pride," Grace sighed as she smiled as her daughter: "hopefully now they'll get to talk it over. I just still don't understand how he got out without the police notifying interested parties," she finished as they reached their table.

"Last name starts with an L ends with an N if you ask me," he replied as he pulled out his wife's chair, earning a glare.

"I know you have never liked the woman, but she isn't the be all and end all of evil in the world."

"Only as far as you know," he muttered, wishing he hadn't had to keep this one of his son's secrets- yet glad he was trusted with it- as he took his seat, a partial truth on his lips to appease their dinner companions on what had taken him away…