Protecting You - Complete

Chapter 17 - Ana

The second I was in Christian's arms, I felt safe. It was like my body knew he would let no one hurt me. As the tension left my body, I felt it fill his, and he quickly asked me where I'd seen the man and if I was certain it was him. Taylor was standing beside us, listening to every word, and almost before I'd finished talking, he and Reynolds were conferring.

"I want you to grab him now," Christian growled to Taylor.

"We can't do that, Sir. But once we ID him, we can hand everything over to the FBI and let them deal with him," Taylor said.

"The FBI?" I asked, wondering why the Seattle Police would not handle it.

"With six women confirmed missing, it will fall within their jurisdiction," Christian explained, placing soft kisses in my hair. Carrick was on the stage, opening the evening and introducing the MC, so happily our exchange had gone unnoticed. "Anastasia? We're seated over the other side of the room from the bar. Are you comfortable joining me at the family table? We can just eat and then leave... You don't need to worry about him—Taylor will make sure there are eyes on him the entire time."

"If he is here because of you, it will be less obvious we've placed him if you go about your evening like normal," Taylor agreed. "The last thing we want is to spook him and have him disappear."

It hadn't occurred to me the stalker was here because I was. I'd assumed it was a coincidence. Either way, now my initial fight/flight instinct was receding, I decided I'd be ok sitting with Christian and his family for dinner, but I didn't want Christian to leave my side, even for an instant, and I told him as much.

"Baby, I am going to be so close you'll never be able to get rid of me," he replied, his voice low, gravely, and oh so sexy. "Are you ready?"

I nodded, slipping my arm into his as we made our way through the marquee to where Grace and her parents were seated, arriving at precisely the same time Carrick did. The usual greetings made, I was soon seated between Christian and his Grandfather Theo. I hadn't got us drinks at the bar, so gratefully accepted a glass of wine from Carrick as Christian stroked my thigh under the table. All around us I could see people craning their necks to get a look at the Christian Grey, and by extension me.

Waiting until we were settled, Taylor exchanged a knowing glance with Christian before melting away into the crowd. I recognized another of Christian's security, Ryan, standing nearby, his eyes constantly scanning the now mostly seated mass for any threats. The MC was doing a superb job engaging everyone, explaining the format of the evening, and encouraging people to dig deep for a good cause. With my limited means, I knew I wouldn't be able to contribute anything to the fundraising activities which made me feel bad. As if reading my mind, Christian spoke, "There's a silent auction on a little later. They list the items in the program. If there's anything you'd like to bid on, let me know."

"I will not bid on things with your money," I whispered, hoping none of his family had overheard his offer.

"Fine. But I usually win two or three things, so if there's something you prefer, I'll bid on it." I tried to explain that was basically the same thing, but he was having none of it. Running my eyes over the program, I noted the offerings and their reserves. Everything donated was worth four figures plus! In fact, the cheapest item on the list was a $1,200 couples pamper session at Esclava Salon, donated by Mrs. E. Lincoln. Even seeing her name printed made me angry, and I turned to ask Christian where she was seated.

"I'm not sure. Mom spoke to her yesterday and told her I was busy working on a new deal and might not be coming tonight. Either way, she's bound to approach the family table at some point, but if we're here, security will head her off."