Chapter 15:
Elliot could only smile when he saw his brother approach him as he sat at the island bar in Ana's kitchen. He was enjoying a cup of coffee and had already scarfed down three doughnuts. Trista sat next to him having a bowl of cereal.
"Have a good night, little bro?"
"I had a great night." Christian went to the coffee pot to pour himself a cup. He turned back to see Elliot still smiling. "You look like an idiot with that goofy smile on your face."
"Hey, I'm just happy for you." Elliot took another sip of his coffee. "I hope Ana is happy."
"And why wouldn't she be?"
"Well, she could have had me, but settled for you." Elliot started to laugh when he saw his brother's shocked face. "I'm just playin' with you, bro. I think it's great that you two are finally together. Took you long enough!"
"Uncle Christian, why you sleep in my mommy's bed?"
Elliot raised his eyebrows and walked away to let Christian to field this question on his own. Christian could only look at Trista completely unable to answer her. "Well, I … I … Ana!"
Elliot's laughter filled the house!
Ana ran into the room thinking that something was wrong. Christian looked like he was about to faint, and Elliot was still laughing his ass off. "What's going on?"
"Trista asked her Uncle Christian why he was in your bed." Elliot offered in between bouts of laughter.
"Easy, he was sleeping." Ana answered casually.
"Oh." Trista thought for a while. She looked to Christian then to her mom. "He snores."
Elliot went into another round of laughter.
"Trista, we need to go over the rules once again about going into other people's bedrooms. What do we do?"
"We knock."
"And did you knock, honey before coming into my bedroom?"
Trista nodded her head. "You didn't answer." Trista sighed heavily. "I poked my head in and heard snoring, saw Uncle Christian and I left."
"What did you need, honey?" Ana asked going to her daughter and hugged her close. "Did you need something?"
"I wanted to sleep with you, but when I heard him." She pointed to Christian. "I went back to my room." She rolled her eyes. Elliot was still laughing. He was bent over the end of the island holding himself up. "Who could sleep with that noise?" Trista threw her hands up over her head to make her point. Elliot slid to the floor.
"Idiot." Christian mumbled.
"Okay, enough about snoring, and Elliot, get control of yourself." Ana gave her daughter another hug. "Do you still want to go to the zoo with him?"
"Yes, Mommy, Uncle Elliot makes me laugh."
After Elliot and Trista left for their private behind the scenes zoo trip, Christian and Ana sat at the breakfast bar. "We have to tell her soon that you are her father." Ana declared as she stirred a little bit of honey into her tea.
"Will she hate me for not stepping up sooner?"
"Christian, Trista adores you. We have been seeing each other for four months now. She knows that we are dating…and now she knows that we are sleeping together." Ana took his hand and brought it up to her lips. "I do love you, Christian and I am going to marry you when you finally get around to asking me." She leaned over and gave him a kiss. "We also need to get your Dad working on the court papers to get you declared Trista's natural father and on her birth certificate."
"What kind of wedding do you want?"
"Simple and quick. I don't want any fanfare, just family." She moved over into his lap. "If we try to have a big ceremony, the press will hound us."
"Okay, so…will ya?"
"Oh, Grey, I might not want a big fancy wedding, but you can do better than that for a proposal."
With a kiss and a smile, Christian only nodded as he began to think of ways to sweep her off her feet!
The proposal was the last thing on Ana's mind as the trial of the year was about to start. The State of Washington vs. Elena Lincoln. Ana found herself on pins and needles wondering how in the hell Elena expected to convince a jury that she was innocent. Would the pedo-bitch call Christian as a witness or Grace and Carrick? Would the bitch use this to try to cause harm to Christian? Her ex-husband and stepson had already changed their pleas and took the state's offer of 40 to 45 years with the possibility of parole in 30 years in exchange for their testimony against Elena. Only time would tell what fall-out would come from Elena's trial.
Christian refused to attend the trial unless he was called, so Ana attended with Grace and Carrick. They sat in the back so not to bring attention to their attendance. They stood as the judge took the bench and the jury was brought in.
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, that State of Washington thanks you for your time and service in this trial." The Prosecuting Attorney stated as he began his opening statement. He went on to itemize the State's case against Mrs. Elena Lincoln and would prove without a doubt that she was guilty of pedophilia, sex trafficking of minors, sex trafficking of adults, prostitution, and murder. Within moments, the State finished their opening statement to a shocked and silent courtroom.
Ana took a deep breath and held Grace's hand when Elena's attorney stood, buttoned his suit jacket, and began his statement. Ana's mind floated into the memory of Christian sitting in her living room with their cherished and beloved daughter on his lap. As the defendant's attorney continued stating that the State had only circumstantial evidence against his client, that he would prove her innocence beyond a reasonable doubt, Ana was in her home with her child and the man that someday she would call husband. They were sitting close to each other and talking gently to their daughter. Trista was told the truth that Christian was her father. The little girl only nodded with a smile and informed her parents that she already knew. She had overheard Carrick and Grace talking one evening when they thought she was in bed asleep. Trista turned and took Christian's face into her little hands and gave him a kiss.
"My Daddy." Christian began crying tears of joy and relief.
"Ana." A soft voice broke through Ana's memory. She turned to Grace who was still holding her hand. "The judge had called a recess."
Ana looked about the room. There was no reason for her to be here. She only nodded and stood with Grace and Carrick. "I am going home to my child. There is no need for me to be here. We know she is guilty as sin. I will return for the sentencing. I'm not going to waste my life anymore on this thing." She couldn't even call Elena a woman.
Carrick only nodded at her as he escorted her and Grace from the courtroom. Ana slipped on the overcoat that she had held during the court proceedings and gave both Grace and Carrick a kiss on the cheek. "Let me know if anything significant happens."
"We will, darling." Grace said with a gentle smile. They knew she wanted to be informed if Elena brought Christian into this nightmare. "Give Trista our love and a few kisses."
"I will."
Sawyer escorted Ana to her car and opened the door for her as her own security watched on. "Luke, take me to Grey House. I want to see Christian."
Christian sat at his desk reading an acquisition report that Roz had sent to him about a small tech company in Silicon Valley. He read over it a few times, but he couldn't concentrate on the numbers. His mind was full of his daughter. Trista's sweet face and buttery sweet kisses filled his memory. His daughter accepted him fully and was very demonstrative in her affections. When he tried to explain that he didn't know about her, she didn't care. She only knew that she had a daddy and a mommy that loved her. Even though she accepted him, he knew someday she would want a more in-depth explanation of how she was conceived and how he didn't know about her. He had to prepare himself that Trista's attitude may change toward him when she learned about Aurora. He could only hope that she would never blame or accuse Ana of not telling the whole story of how she became Trista's mother. For now, he decided to just accept that Trista loved him.
Christian pushed away from his desk and stood. His life was still a clusterfuck! Elena's trial was another worry even though he had not been called to testify or asked to be a character witness for the defense. His very life was in the hands of a pedophile who had no reason to protect him. She could easily destroy him! He was just waiting for the other shoe to fall, so to speak. He felt he was living on borrowed time before the whole world know that he had been in the BDSM lifestyle. He didn't care about his business. He was worried about public opinion and how it would affect his family and most importantly, Ana and Trista! He turned to the window and looked out over Seattle. For now, he was the King of Seattle, but just one word from Elena would leave him in shambles. How could he keep his past from ruining his future with Ana? How could he protect his daughter from those who would judge her because of her fucked-up father?
"Mr. Grey." A voice beckoned from the intercom. "Miss Steele is here to see you. Shall I send her in?"
Christian took three long steps to open the door. Ana stood in front of Andrea's desk. "You will always send her in, Andrea. Miss Steele is not to be announced. She always has access to me, is that clear?"
"Yes, sir."
Christian wrapped Ana in his arms for an embrace and then led her into his office. When the door closed, they were kissing each other with such ardor that it was frightening. He held her close. "I am so glad to see you…to hold you."
"I couldn't stay in that courtroom any longer. I had to be with you." She whispered into his chest. "I love you, Christian. I love you so much."
"I love you, too, baby." He lifted her chin. "I have never loved anything as much as I love you."
"Are you free? I mean, can you leave for the rest of the day and spend it with me and Trista?"
Christian smiled that tender smile that he reserved for only his daughter and Ana. "I am at your command."
After three weeks of the state presenting evidence, the prosecution rested. The jury had seen hundreds and hundreds of photographs of the children and adults that Elena Lincoln had sold into prostitution. The jury also saw the photographs and videos of young men and women being subjected to pure terror and pain. The judge had to call many a recess so that members of the jury could get themselves back under control after a few of them had gotten physically sick in the jury box. This was not a pretty trial. The evidence was raw and brutal. The judge then called a recess before the defense could present their case to let the jury rest and the trial would resume the next morning at nine o'clock.
The courtroom came to their feet as the judge stood to leave. Elena took a deep breath. She knew that the State had won this case. She was guilty as hell, but she stubbornly kept fighting. She was whispering to her attorney when she caught sight of Grace Grey standing at the back of the courtroom. She wanted to yell out to her old friend, but the look that Grace shot at her made her take a step back. It was pure hatred! Elena felt what the old saying of "if looks could kill" meant. Grace Grey wanted her head on a platter! Elena turned back to her lawyer. "Make the deal."
"I can win this case, Mrs. Lincoln." The attorney pleaded.
"You ass, we've already lost this case." She furiously whispered. "Make the deal."
Lincoln's lawyer was at a lost for words. For months she was adamant about fighting these charges. He didn't understand why she was suddenly wanting a deal.
"Mrs. Lincoln…"
"Just do it. I'll sign whatever. I want this done." She looked over his shoulder to see that Grace was gone. For the first time ever, Elena felt the guilt of her misdeeds. Grace had been her only friend in Seattle, but that didn't stop her for going after Christian. Grace had been the means for social position, but as Elena grew closer to Grace, she found that she admired the woman. Elena tried to change her ways a few times, but the need to sexually dominate overrode her want to be a lady.
"Fine, I will discuss with the D.A.'s office immediately."
Seattle's Own Madame makes a deal!
"Oh, my God!" Mia yelled as she ran into the morning room where her parents were having their coffee. She held her I-Pad in her hand. "You won't believe it. Elena Lincoln cut a deal!"
"What?" Grace declared standing up.
"It's here on the Seattle Times website, Elena Lincoln pleads guilty to all charges!" Mia showed her parents the headlines. "It's over. The article says she should get life in prison."
"The punishment is the same as if she went on with the trial since the death penalty was abolished in 2013." Carrick commented drily. He did not agree with the ruling from the governor's office and thought that the death penalty should be on the table to deter crime.
"Hopefully the inmates will take care of her since she is pedophile." Grace replied, returning to her seat. "I guess we should be grateful that she didn't drag Christian into this mess."
"There was no proof for her to merit such a deed." Carrick only smiled and quietly thanked a certain former FBI agent for her foresight to protect her daughter, her sister, and her child's father. "So, it's over except the formal sentencing."
"It will never be over until that bitch is dead and buried." Grace mused. Some days, not even ladies could be graceful. She still wanted revenge!
Freedom! He was free of being outed in a courtroom and he was finally free of Elena Lincoln! Christian read and reread the news article. The old bitch finally gave up the ghost! He turned to Ana and hugged her closely.
"Ana, we are free of the bitch."
She only smiled in agreement; however, she was not so sure! Evil such as Elena Lincoln hardly ever gave up that easy!
The whole Grey family sat in the courtroom a few days later for the sentencing of Elena Lincoln. Ana held onto Christian's hand as the judge began his reading of the verdict. When he finished Elena was led away to never be seen again. Elliot could only laugh out loud in glee! "Three life sentences is still not enough, but I'll take it."
"Ditto." Carrick agreed.
Grace only smiled as if she knew a deep dark secret.