Fiction: Serving Up Trouble (chapter 16)
I'm so, so, so sorry for the delay in this chapter. I really have no excuse other than my own laziness. This chapter has been a bear to get done and so I've been putting it off. *laughing* Please forgive me for not updating in a timely manner. I hope the next chapter will not take me as long as this one did. Once again thank you to all that have read and reviewed each chapter of this story. I can't tell you how much it means to me to have you all behind me. I really hope you like this chapter. Please let me know. **hugs**
Title: Serving Up Trouble
Author: Jailynn
Rating: PG-13
Warning: I can't edit to save my life. Please forgive all mistakes. NOT EDITED!! The mistakes will be embarrassing and horrible. Please forgive me...
Disclaimer: Not mine
Fandom: Y&R/GL
Type: Crossover, romance, friendship, humor, drama, angst, AU
Author's Note: I'm really trying not to be mean to Chloe and write her fairly, but my dislike for her is growing again. *sigh* And Phillip is still not around yet. It just goes to show how Alt-Universe my story really is. *laughing*
Feedback: Please and thank you
Word Count: 3086
-[]-
Grady moves through the town with the wad of cash Jill handed him in his pocket. His left hand curls around the bills, feeling the thickness of the paper. The sound of folding money sends a thrill down his spine. He can't help but think coming here is the best thing he has done in a long time. He smiles at the beautiful women he passes on the street. Turning his head slightly to continue to watch them walk away. He lets out a low whistle at one sexy redhead with a nice set of everything. The smile turns into a full-fledged grin when the beauty winks at him then continues on her way to meet her friends. He faces front again, moving further through the small town.
The main street of the town is lined with businesses. He looks in the windows of various establishments and sees some with blacked out windows and signs proclaiming the space is for sale or rent. He shrugs a little to himself and grips the money in his hand a little tighter. As long as he isn't the one struggling, he can't seem to give a fuck. Grady stops in front of a little coffee shop at the end of the road. It's bright neon sign screams, “Crimson Lights” at him and the fragrance of deep, rich coffee calls to him. He pulls the door toward him and enters the funky world of the coffee place. In the far right corner were three computers set up with internet and games. Eight teenagers were gathering around the machines laughing and typing. An old time jukebox is on the opposite side of the room. The music it plays is pumping through the sound system along the ceiling. A long bar is to the right of the front door with two people working on making drinks behind it.
Walking up to the counter, Grady leans on the wood, looking around him again. The circular tables in the middle of the restaurant were almost filled. Each table had a different vibe. One had a couple staring at each other in happiness. Another had a single man looking over the paper in a gray business suit. His crisp white shirt broken up by a yellow and red striped tie. A couple tables away from him were four guys with their heads together, talking in quick words. They were obviously teenagers with way too much time on their hands. There is two single women by the condiment bar. One with long dark brown hair that curls lightly around her shoulders, the other has blonde hair that went straight down her back. He turns back toward the Batista. Grady grins at the female that is standing behind the bar before him. Her dark black hair, that had a blue streak in it, is pulled into a high ponytail. Her brown eyes were outlined in blue eyeshadow and long dark lashes. She smiles at him, showing off a perfect set of teeth. “What can I get for you,” she asks in a British tone.
Her big eyes get larger when he leans closer to her. The sweet smell of her perfume fills his senses and he inhales deeply before responding to her question. “Well, darling,” he emphasizes his own accent, drawing the sound out. “How about an iced cappuccino and your name?”
The British woman looks shocked and then quickly around her. When her eyes return to his, she shakes her head. “I'll get you your drink, but I'm afraid it won't matter if you know my name or not.” She holds up her left hand and a large diamond sparkles in his direction. “I'm very much off the market and wouldn't be interested even if I wasn't.” Grady swallows back a flare of anger, closing his right hand into a fist under the bar and tries to keep his face neutral. He didn't need to draw attention to himself...at least not until he's finished his business with Ashlee. The brunette finishes making his drink and reaches under the bar for something. She holds up a can of spray cream. “Would you like some on your drink?” He nods, his smile relaxing on his face. He has had a lot of practice being calm when he needed to be. She shakes the can and then pushes against the white tip to swirl some cream onto the cold beverage. Grady pulls out his stack of bills Jill gave him and tries to hold back a whistle. He selects a twenty from the middle and forces the rest back into his front pocket. “That will be four dollars and eighty-five cents.”
He slides the bill across the counter and she takes it to the old fashion looking cash register. The brunette swings back around with his change in hand. Grady smiles again, taking the ten out from the pile and sliding it into the tip jar. The look of surprise on her face makes him want to smirk in a knowing fashion. She'll be thinking about him long after he leaves. She might even think about him when she's with her husband. Tipping his head, he lifts the drink and purrs, “Thank you,” then goes to find a quiet spot to think about his next move.
Picking a table in the far corner where he could see all the exits, just in case, Grady sips his drink slowly. The amount of people changes over time. The business man leaves to be replaced by a harried mother pushing a stroller. The four teenage boys jump up to follow the teen girls they were flirting with. The computers open up as the group disbands to do whatever they were going to do. He watches them all with a keen, clear vision. The best way to know a place is to watch it's inhabitants. That's how he knew Ashlee would be the perfect girlfriend. He acted the part of friend for years, not to gain her trust, Ashlee was always so willing to please, no he had to gain her mother's trust. Doris Wolfe is one fierce lady and a mayor to boot. Grady couldn't afford to rush things, so he waited, anticipating the moment when he would have all he wanted. And he wanted it all.
Even as a teen, he knew Ashlee was going to go places. Her intelligence and wit were magnetic. The only reason she wasn't “one of the popular people” was because of her weight and self-esteem. It was those weaknesses he recognized and used to his benefit. Slowly she started losing weight, but her confidence in her self stayed low...which is just how he liked it. Grady was able to make her anything he wanted and if that meant roughing her up a bit, it was for her own good. She needed to know her place. She needed to know that she was beneath him. It took him five years to get her where he wanted and one night, one faceless bastard over the internet to destroy it all.
The blood pumps through his veins remembering that night, her leaving him in jail and finally her display of disrespect tonight. She'll have to be taught all over again. He'll have to make sure she knows that no one, especially a slut like her, treats him in that manner. His thoughts get interrupted by a twosome entering the coffee shop. The male, tall and dressed in his best Richie-rich attire, places his hand on the lower back of the female. The woman is shorter with layered, wavy, brown hair. Grady recognizes both of them from the mansion. He sinks down a little in his chair, careful to go unnoticed by them. The couple walks up to the counter and the British woman greets them warmly, “Hello, Chloe, Billy what can I do for you?”
“Hi, Jana,” the guy, Billy says while moving closer to the counter. 'So the unique Brit is named Jana,' Grady pockets the information for later. “I'll have a tall black coffee and...” He turns to the woman he wasn't holding at the mansion, another piece of information for Grady to lock away, and waits for Chloe to answer.
“Give me a low-fat iced mocha with caramel sauce on top,” she responds leaning a little into Billy. Grady smiles and quickly swallows some of his drink to cover his laugh. It a classic territorial move. This woman Chloe is laying claim to a man that wants nothing to do with her.
“I'll get right on that,” Jana tells them then turns to make their drinks. The couple- or once couple, they have been intimate, that much Grady can tell by their body language- moves out onto the porch and takes a seat just outside the doors. Grady moves his chair closer to the opening to hear their conversation.
“Can you believe all that happened tonight?” Chloe starts much to Grady's glee. “I mean who knew someone from your family tree could be hot and noble.”
“Chance might be noble, but he's in over his head with this Ashlee girl. Did you see her reaction to her ex-boyfriend? That's not normal. My little nephew needs to watch his back or this girl's past might stick a knife in it.”
“Not that I'm defending her, because I don't know Ashlee that well,” the table creeks and Grady envisions Chloe leaning her elbows on it. “But having been down the “bad boyfriend” road a couple times, I can say that Ashlee's reaction wasn't that shocking. If Kay's implications are any indication of what this guy's like, then I'm surprised all she did was faint. Besides,” she pauses for a moment and Grady shifts in his seat. “I think Chance can handle himself. The guy did survive Iraq and growing up with Jill as his grandmother after all.”
“Ha ha ha,” Billy says blandly, “that is my mother you're talking about.”
“And you've said worse about her after having sex,” Chloe throws back. “I'm just saying, Chance can probably take care of himself. Hell he is probably handling more than that right now. There is nothing sexier than a man willing to battle for you. I bet Ashlee is thanking him with more than just words as we speak. I know I would be.”
Grady clenches his hands into tight fists as the images of her with that piece of shit slam into his head. He stands quickly and pulls a crumbled up piece of paper from his back pocket. Ashlee's address is written in blue ink with some smudging around the edges. He picks up his cup and tosses it in the trash, then stalks over to the front door. He has some work to do.
-[]-
His heart beat is steady against her ear. Ashlee counts the pumps silently in her head. Each one lures her back into a feeling of calm safety. A safety she thought she had found on her own before the bomb was dropped on her this afternoon. In her darkest nightmares, she would picture Grady standing in front of her ready to take revenge out on her. It always ends the same- with her name written on a toe tag. When she would wake up, she would remind herself that it was only a dream...it wasn't real... What can she say now? How can she comfort herself now that the Boogie- man is in this town waiting for her? She curls her hand into the material of Chance's shirt as the cold hand of fear starts to envelop the warm feeling of tranquility she feels in his arms. Ashlee shivers slightly and moves more closely into his side.
His arm around her back tightens and his hand pulls her into him, so that he is hugging her. He moans and his chest rumbles with the sound. She shivers again, this time, though, it isn't fear making her insides shake. His lips press into her hair and he takes deep breaths before pulling back. “He won't hurt you again Ashlee,” Chance whispers against her ear. “I'll always be here to protect you.”
Reluctantly, she pulls away from him and moves toward the edge of the bed. Her muscles seize at the chill that works it's way through her blood. His warmth kept most of the terror at bay, but she didn't want to depend on him to be her survivor. This is her past, her mess and she had to be the one to clean it up. Turning her head slightly, she looks at him over her shoulder. “You can't protect me from everything.” Dropping her voice lower, she adds, “I never meant for him to come here and screw with your life. Chance you have no idea how good Grady is at getting what he wants. He's spent his life mastering the ways to manipulate the people around him. It took me over five years to see and break free from his control. And I did it in the wrong way.”
Chance moves off the bed and comes to kneel in front of her. He takes her shaking hands in his and brings them up to his mouth, kissing the backs of her hands. “No matter what happens from here on out, I want you to know that you are strong and smart and kind.” She ducks her head to hide the tears building in her eyes. He tips her face back up and wipes the moisture away with his thumb. “You did what you had to do to get away and even if it was wrong, I don't think anyone would blame you. If you feel the need to face him, do it, but understand that I'm going to be standing right next to you. Ashlee- I don't have to be your survivor, I just want to be with you.” He leans up and she wraps her arms around his neck. The tears she has been trying not to show, flow down her cheeks. “Come here,” he says a second before his lips press into hers. His smooth mouth opens slowly under hers and she lets him deepen the kiss. Breaking the touch, he rests his forehead against hers. “No matter what happens, Ashlee, I'll stand beside you.”
“Thank you,” she whimpers against his lips. “Thank you for being what I need. I'm so sorry Grady is in your life too now. I hoped that would never happen.”
“It isn't your fault,” he sighs, rocking back on his heels. “I'm the one that should apologize. It was my grandmother that did this.”
“She couldn't have known,” Ashlee says even though she isn't so sure Jill didn't have some clue as to what she was doing. Jill hasn't liked her since she stepped foot into the mansion. Chance levels her with a disbelieving look.
“You and I both know that isn't true. I don't know what she was thinking, but I know she had some plan up her sleeve.” Ashlee fidgets nervously with the hem of her shirt. “Listen why don't we talk about something else?”
“What do you want to talk about?”
“Well,” he climbs back on the bed and smiles at her. “Before all this happened you were getting ready to tell me something, what was it?”
Her mind clouds with confusion. It's hard for her to think of anything but the fact that Grady is back in her life. She closes her eyes and tries to work through all the fog to get to the information he is talking about. A wave of comprehension washes over her and her lips quirk up a bit. Katherine's words and her warmth fills her heart. Turning her body so that she's facing him, Ashlee touches the side of his face slowly. “Katherine said that I could stay here at the mansion. She's letting me stay in one of the guest rooms and keep Moxie here and everything.” She looks down and sighs. “When she told me about it, I thought that I would finally be in a place Grady couldn't touch, but...”
“Hey listen to me,” he waits until she looks into his eyes. Ashlee gets caught up in the beauty of them and the hope she feels when she looks into them. “Katherine will make sure that Grady never steps foot on this property again. She's very protective of her family,” he places a finger over her mouth when she opens it to speak. “You are family Ashlee. If you weren't that to her, she never would have offered to let you stay here. You mean so much to all of us.” He drops his voice to a lower octave and she shivers at the pleasant heat that spreads throughout her body, sinking lower in her belly. “You mean so much to me.”
Her heart pounds in her throat and she swallows it back. “How much?”
“More than I can possibly say,” he wraps his hands in her hair and pulls her face close to his. “I don't know what you've done to me Ashlee. I've never been here before, but I know that I don't want you to leave or go through anything alone again. You've helped me in so many ways, let me help you.”
She inhales sharply. Her soul opens up to him more fully. Her emotions were making speaking almost impossible, she pushes through them to say, “You already have.”
Their lips come together again in a collision of need and desperation. He wraps his arm around her back and lays her gently onto the bed. The heat of their bodies was making Ashlee sweat. She arches her back into his solid chest and runs her hands through the short hairs on his head. The burn of her lungs forces them to break apart. His gray eyes darken in passion, fire blazing from the orbs. Her palms begin to sweat, her body shakes and she flashes back to another man, a different man with long dark hair, above her. Ashlee pushes against Chance's body and rolls from underneath him. Her stomach lurches violently. She jumps from the bed and runs from the room.
TBC>>>