Fifty Shades Freed (Fifty Shades #3)(42)
Author: E.L. James

"Can you take us to the Zig Zag, please, Sawyer?"

Sawyer turns to look at me, and I know he wants to say something. He’s obviously been given his orders. He hesitates.

"The Zig Zag Cafe. We’ll only have one."

I give Kate a sideways glance and she’s glaring at Sawyer. Poor man.

"Yes, ma’am."

"Mr. Grey requested you go back to the apartment," Prescott pipes up.

"Mr. Grey isn’t here," I snap. "The Zig Zag, please."

"Ma’am," Sawyer replies with a sideways glance at Prescott, who wisely holds her tongue.

Kate gapes at me as if she can’t believe her eyes and ears. I purse my lips and shrug. Okay, so I’m a little more assertive than I used to be. Kate nods as Sawyer pulls out into the early evening traffic.

"You know the additional security is driving Grace and Mia crazy,"

Kate says casually.

What? I gawk at her, baffled.

"You didn’t know?" She seems incredulous.

"Know what?"

"Security for all of the Greys has been tripled. Gazillioned, even."

"Really?"

"He hasn’t told you?"

I flush. "No." Damn it, Christian! "Do you know why?"

"Jack Hyde."

"What about Jack? I thought he was just after Christian," I gasp. Jeez. Why hasn’t he told me?

"Since Monday," Kate says.

Last Monday? Hmm . . . we identified Jack on Sunday. But why all the Greys? What’s going on?

"How do you know all this?"

"Elliot."

Of course.

"Christian hasn’t told you any of this, has he?"

I flush once more. "No."

"Oh, Ana, how annoying."

I sigh. As ever, Kate has hit the nail squarely on the head in her usual sledgehammer style. "Do you know why?" If Christian’s not going to tell me, then maybe Kate will.

"Elliot said it’s something to do with information stored on Jack Hyde’s computer when he was at SIP."

Holy crap. "You’re kidding." A surge of anger pulses through me. How does Kate know about this when I don’t?

I glance up to see Sawyer eyeing me from the rearview mirror. The red light turns to green and he surges forward, focusing on the road ahead. I hold my finger up to my lips and Kate nods. I bet Sawyer knows, too, and I don’t.

"How’s Elliot?" I ask to change the subject.

Kate grins stupidly, telling me all I need to know. Sawyer pulls up at the end of the passageway that leads down to the Zig Zag Cafe, and Prescott opens my door. I scoot out and Kate scrambles out after me. We link arms and meander down the passage, followed by Prescott, who’s wearing a thunderous expression on her face. Oh, for heaven’s sake, it’s just a drink. Sawyer drives off to park the car.

"So how does Elliot know Gia?" I ask, taking a sip of my second strawberry mojito. The bar is intimate and cozy, and I don’t want to leave. Kate and I have not stopped talking. I had forgotten how much I like hanging with her. It’s liberating to be out, relaxing, enjoying Kate’s company. I contemplate texting Christian then dismiss the idea. He’ll just be mad and make me go home like an errant child.

"Don’t talk to me about that bitch!" Kate splutters. Kate’s reaction makes me laugh.

"What’s so funny, Steele?" she snaps, but not seriously.

"I feel the same way."

"You do?"

"Yes. She was all over Christian."

"She had a fling with Elliot." Kate pouts.

"No!"

She nods, her lips pressed together in the patented Katherine Kavanagh scowl.

"It was brief. Last year, I think. She’s a social climber. No wonder she has her sights set on Christian."

"Christian is taken. I told her to leave him alone or I would fire her."

Kate gapes at me once more, stunned. I nod proudly, and she lifts her glass to salute me, impressed and beaming.

"Mrs. Anastasia Grey! Way to go!" We clink.

"Does Elliot own a gun?"

"No. He’s very antigun." Kate stirs her third drink.

"Christian, too. I think it was Grace and Carrick’s influence," I mutter. I’m feeling a little tipsy.

"Carrick’s a good man." Kate nods.

"He wanted a prenup," I mutter sadly.

"Oh, Ana." She reaches across and grasps my arm. "He was only looking out for his boy. As we both know, you have gold-digger tattooed on your forehead." She smiles at me, and I poke my tongue out at her then giggle.

"Mature, Mrs. Grey," she says grinning. She sounds like Christian.

"You’ll do the same for your son one day."

"My son?" I gape at her. It hadn’t even crossed my mind that my kids will be rich. Holy crap. They’ll want for nothing. I mean . . . nothing. This needs further thought – but not right now. I glance at Prescott and Sawyer seated nearby, watching us and the evening crowd from a side table while they each nurse a glass of sparkling mineral water.

"Do you think we should eat?" I ask.

"No. We should drink," Kate says.

"Why are you in such a drinking mood?"

"Because I don’t see enough of you anymore. I didn’t know you’d up and marry the first guy who turned your head." She pouts again.

"Honestly, you married with such indecent haste that I thought you were pregnant."

I giggle. "Everyone thought I was pregnant," I mutter. "Let’s not rehash that conversation again. Please! And I have to use the restroom."

Prescott accompanies me. She says nothing. She doesn’t have to. Disapproval radiates off her like a lethal isotope.

"I haven’t been out on my own since I got married," I mutter wordlessly at the closed toilet door. I make a face, knowing that she’s standing on the other side of the door, waiting while I pee. What precisely is Hyde going to do in a bar anyway? Christian is just overreacting as usual.

"Kate, it’s late. We should go."

It’s ten fifteen and I have downed my fourth strawberry mojito. I am definitely feeling the effects of the alcohol, warm and fuzzy. Christian will be fine. Eventually.

"Sure, Ana. It’s been so good to see you. You just seem so much more, I don’t know . . . confident. Marriage obviously agrees with you."

My face warms. Coming from Miss Katherine Kavanagh, this is indeed a compliment.

"It does," I whisper, and because I’ve probably had too much to drink, tears prick the back of my eyes. Could I be any happier? In spite of all his baggage, his nature, his Fiftyness, I have met and married the man of my dreams. I quickly change the subject to stem my sentimental thoughts, because I know I will cry otherwise.

"I have really enjoyed this evening." I grasp Kate’s hand. "Thank you for dragging me out!" We hug. As she releases me, I nod at Sawyer and he hands Prescott the keys to the car.

"I’m sure Miss Goody-Two-Shoes Prescott has told Christian I’m not at home. He’ll be mad," I mutter to Kate. And maybe he’ll think of some delicious way to punish me . . . hopefully.

"Why are you grinning like a loon, Ana? You like making Christian mad?"

"No. Not really. But it’s easily done. He’s very controlling sometimes." Most of the time.

"I’ve noticed," Kate says wryly.

We pull up outside Kate’s apartment. She hugs me hard.

"Don’t be a stranger," she whispers and kisses my cheek. Then she’s out of the car. I wave, feeling strangely homesick. I have missed girl talk. It’s fun and relaxing, and reminds me that I’m still young. I must make more of an effort to see Kate, but the truth is, I love being in my bubble with Christian. Last night we attended a charity dinner together. There were so many men in suits and well-groomed elegant women talking about real estate prices and the failing economy and the plunging stock markets. I mean, it was dull, really dull. So it’s refreshing to let my hair down with someone my own age. My stomach rumbles. Jeez, I still haven’t eaten. Shit – Christian! I scramble through my purse and fish out my BlackBerry. Holy crap –

five missed calls! One text . . .

*WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?*

And one e-mail.

From: Christian Grey

Subject: Angry. You’ve not seen angry

Date: August 26, 2011 00:42 EST

To: Anastasia Grey

Anastasia

Sawyer tells me that you are drinking cocktails in a bar when you said you wouldn’t.

Do you have any idea how mad I am at the moment?

I’l see you tomorrow.

Christian Grey

CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.