Breaking Bedrock (Book Two) Read online

  “Sometimes it feels as if I don’t even know myself.” Addison chuckled.

  Not letting her off the hook, Jess pressed on. “Okay, go on.”

  “Come on, Jess. You know the story. The media’s plastered it everywhere.”

  “I don’t give a fuck what the media says. I want to hear it from you.”

  “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. It just kind of happened. I made a mistake that day in the elevator. I guess that’s where it started. It was so out of character for me to have sex with someone I didn’t even know. But the odd thing is I felt as though I did know him, Jess. There was something in his eyes I saw . . . I can’t exactly explain it, but there was something I recognized. And I realized right then and there, that I wanted whatever that thing was without even thinking really . . . I just thought what the hell? So . . . I just let myself go with it. I don’t know why I chose to do what I did. For once, I guess I just listened to what my heart was telling me and drowned out the voice in my head. And you know what, Jess? That’s how it is with him. I just feel. It’s different. I can’t explain it . . .”

  Jess reached for Addie’s hand and squeezed. “Oh, honey, you’re in so much trouble.”

  Addie waved her off. “No, I ended it. It’s done.”

  Jess tossed her head back and laughed before her face grew serious again. “For whom?”

  Addie pondered her question for a moment before speaking. “For everyone. I need to focus on my family, on the trial, and on work.”

  “And Patrick? Wait? You’re going back to work? So soon?”

  “I have to. I mean . . . I need it, Jess. Sitting around that house, I’m losing my mind.”

  “But do you think it’s really a good idea? And what about Patrick? You never answered me.”

  Addie stared out the window, watching the rain as it hit the pavement. “Yeah, actually, I do need the work.”

  Jess frowned. “Addison?”

  Addie turned, looking her friend straight in the eye. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Jess. Patrick’s blackmailing me to stay in a marriage I don’t want to be in. He’s threatening to take the kids if I leave. Does it even matter that we’re strangers sharing a bed, a home, and a life? Should I stay in this marriage? I don’t know. I don’t even know where to start to unravel the mess that it is. Quite honestly, I’m just trying to get through each day alive and stay sane in the process. Aside from that and my children, that’s about as much as I can focus on at the moment.”

  Jess nodded towards the door. “Who are the men following you?”

  Addie sighed and spoke without looking in their direction. “Security. Employees of William’s. I ignore them mostly. I guess . . . In some ways, it’s nice knowing they’re there.”

  “Because you know it’s not over if he cares enough to send them?”

  “No. Because I’m not sure that the threat of Scott Hammons is gone. I think he’s going to try and finish what he started.”

  “Was he really a client, Addison? And why in the fuck would you get mixed up in something like that?”

  “Was who a client?” Addie replied, fidgeting.

  Jess scoffed and shifted in her chair. “Seriously, Addison! Is this that bad? So bad that you don’t even know which one of them I’m talking about?”

  Addie downed the last of her coffee and slammed her cup down on the table. “I don’t know, Jess. It seems that, just like everyone else, you believe the lies the media is feeding you.”

  “I don’t know what to believe.”

  “Scott Hammons tried to kill me. He kidnapped and beat me. No, he wasn’t a client. He . . . He just has something against William, and I happened to get caught in the crossfire. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time; that’s all.”

  Jess rolled her eyes. “You don’t say.”

  Addie threw her head back, laughing maniacally. “Ha. Well, if my best friend doesn’t even believe me, then who will?”

  “No one . . . if you go back to that job.”

  “I’m not working as a Domme anymore if that’s what you’re suggesting.”

  “Isn’t it one and the same?”

  Addie reached for her purse, gathering her things. “Look, Jessica, I’m trying here. I’m really trying. I’m not pretending that I’ve made the best choices lately, but I have to go back to work. I’m not like you. Some of us do have to work for a living.”

  Jessica grabbed Addie’s forearm as she stood to leave. “I know you’re not like me, Addison. I know you’re hurting. Anyone can see that. And I wanna help you, sweetie. I love you. But you have to let me in, okay?”

  Addie sank back in her chair, the desperation in her best friend’s eyes dissolving any anger she’d held back. She let it all pour out in a hushed whisper, as though maybe if barely audible, what she was saying wouldn’t be true. “I didn’t mean to fall in love with him, Jessica. And now I can’t make it stop. I can’t just wish it away. It hurts like hell, and I don’t know what to do about it. Sure, I can double down in my marriage and forget about him. That’s the right thing to do; I know it. But my heart, Jess, it won’t let me. It’s futile, so I ended it because I know it’s what’s best for everyone. My heart is broken, Jess. And I don’t think anything will ever or can ever be the same. I love him . . .”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  Addie let the tears spill over. “I don’t know.”

  Jess took both Addie’s hands in hers. “Oh, honey, you’ll figure it out. I know you.” Jess glanced at her watch and frowned. “I’ve gotta run. But what do you say . . . same time, same place, next week?”

  “Jess.”

  “Yes?”

  Addie bit her bottom lip. “I’m scared.”

  Jess smiled a little. “You should be. You’re head over heels in love. Love is about as scary as it gets. The rest . . . Well, the rest will work itself out.”

  Determined to clear her mind, Addie used the ladies’ room and slipped out the back door, happy to have to walk a little farther than necessary back to her car. Thankfully, the rain had let up and was once again just a light drizzle. Addie stared at her phone. Maybe she should call Patrick and ask him to dinner. She needed to tell him she was going back to work, and knowing it wasn’t going to go over very well, she figured it might as well happen in a public place.

  As she reached to dial her phone, it rang, startling her. “Uh. Hello.”

  The deep voice that responded threw her off. “You’re looking incredibly beautiful today, Mrs. Greyer. That shade of blue when damp . . . Wow. It really compliments your eyes”

  Addison inhaled sharply, noting her surroundings. She didn’t even have to ask who it was. This was one voice she’d never forget. Stay on the phone, until you get to safety. It’s your best bet.

  “What? Cat got your tongue? Such a silly girl, losing your security detail like that. Don’t you know I’m always watching?”

  Addie picked up her pace until she was practically sprinting. Run towards the crowd. “You’re under a restraining order, Scott. Why are you calling me?”

  “Ha. Ha. Oh just a little hello for old times’ sake. You get brownie points, you know, for staying away from that loser, Hartman. Such a good girl. But you fucked up, Mrs. Greyer. You know it, and I know it.”

  Click.

  Sondra left the baby with the nanny and suited up. True to form William Hartman showed up at Sondra’s place exactly to the minute, wearing faded jeans and a black T-shirt. It wasn’t like William to dress so sloppily for a session. Sondra knew he needed to be worked hard. This was William’s way of being asked for punishment. She knew her client well, and she understood that with everything going on he felt more out of control than ever. That was the thing about men with his persona, especially men who had been abused as children. They required control but they also needed an outlet in which to let it all go.

  Sondra intended to give William exactly what he needed. The problem with William, though, was that every time he walked throu
gh the door, he took her breath away. He was one of the most beautiful men Sondra had ever seen. He was the teacher’s-pet type; that was for sure. But it was William’s charm that drew you in and held your attention. He had a gentleness you could see underneath his tough masculine exterior that made you want to be tougher on him and coddle him at the same time.

  William entered Sondra’s personal dungeon and closed the door behind him. He didn’t make eye contact, but his mere presence made Sondra a little uneasy. William Hartman had always been one of her favorite and most difficult clients. William sat in the chair in the middle of the room, eyes glued to the floor. Sondra brought him the iPod and instructed him to press play. Handing him the bottle, Sondra lowered her voice. “Make me a drink the way I like it.” William poured the drink with extreme care as though his life depended on it. He lifted the glass towards Sondra without meeting her gaze. Taking a sip, she choked. “This tastes like you look. LIKE FUCKING SHIT.” Sondra slammed the glass onto the floor, startling William. “You never can get it right. Can you? No. That’s just what happens with fuckups.”

  Sondra leaned over, her lips grazing William’s ear as he continued to stare at the floor as though his life depended on it. “Get on your knees and pick up this goddamned mess you’ve made.” Pulling his hair and shoving him to the floor, Sondra pressed her heel into glass, smashing it further. Meticulously picking up every single tiny piece, William quickly found his large hands full of glass shards. He held it up towards Sondra like an offering, but she raised her nine-inch heel and drop kicked his hands, causing glass to go flying. William stayed put, eyes glued to the floor.

  Sondra grabbed him by his left ear, dragging him towards the chair. “Guess you can’t fucking hear either, huh? Such a worthless piece of shit, you are. A fucking waste of space.”

  Placing a few glass shards on the seat of the chair, she ordered William to sit and placed a rope around his chest, tying it as tightly as she could. Once William was secured and bound so tightly it made it difficult to breathe, she placed the blindfold. For this, Sondra left out the gag on purpose. William Hartman needed to be able to speak. Getting this out was imperative to his recovery; it was time to cut to the core.

  “Today we’re going to play a little game otherwise known as a Q&A session, okay? Can your inferior stupid little mind grasp this concept, William?”

  Head hung, William nodded.

  “Good. Now what would put the idea in that small little mind of yours to have me blackmail that silly girl to come back to the company? Do you really think she wants you, William? Do you think you’re capable of being loved?”

  When William didn’t respond, Sondra struck him across the chest with the whip. “Let’s try this again. Shall we?”

  It took five more lashings for William to respond. He drew in a deep breath and whispered, “Because I love her, and deep down, I know she loves me too.”

  Sondra hit him again. “She left you, can’t you see that? You are unlovable, aren’t you? That’s why she doesn’t want to be with you. Isn’t it?”

  No response. Whack. Sondra put all of her force into it this time. William flinched as she moved closer, tangling her fingers in his jet-black hair and pulling. Sondra drew her hand back. “Answer me, William. You’ve got one, two—”

  “Okay. OKAY! No. I mean, yes. She called it off, but she does love me. I know she does.”

  Sondra pulled harder. “And how do you know this, Mr. Hartman. Do you think you’re capable of being loved?”

  “I don’t know. But with her, I believe there’s the possibility.”

  She released his hair. “So you believe this girl loves you? That you are capable of loving and being loved?”

  “Yes.”

  Sondra slowly untied him and removed the blindfold.

  “My work here is done for today.”

  William smiled. “That’s it?”

  Sondra poured a drink and raised her glass. “Here’s to the possibility, Mr. Hartman. Now get out.”

  William stood to go.

  “Oh, and William?”

  He turned and eyed her quizzically.

  “If you ever fucking smile at me again in my dungeon, I’m going to make you wish you hadn’t.”

  Four

  Addison asked Patrick to meet her at their favorite downtown restaurant. The lighting was soft, and the food amazing, but the best part was the ambiance was neither too loud nor too quiet. She knew she would have her work cut out for her with Patrick, but she was done with words left unspoken, with pretending that everything was okay. It clearly wasn’t. Even though she’d ended it with William, she’d realized that her marriage had been over a long time ago and it was time to get her life together.

  Addie had been well-prepared to do what she needed to do up until the second she saw Patrick walk in. He was dressed in his business suit, tie unfastened, and Addie watched as he talked with the maître d’, certain she could almost see the young man in him that she’d met on that college campus years ago. Way back when love was enough and neither of them could foresee any of the issues that would eventually lead to their demise. The only thing worse than losing her gumption in that moment, was the fact that she couldn’t pinpoint just when the demise of their marriage had begun. All she knew was that somehow they had each in their own way equally contributed. That was the thing she found difficult about marriage—it was so individual, so complex.

  Patrick spotted her and smiled slightly. He bent down to kiss her on the cheek and then quickly slid into his seat and motioned to their surroundings as if to say, “What’s up?”

  Addie inhaled sharply as the waitress finished taking their drink order. She’d originally chosen a glass of the house wine, but Patrick had insisted on ordering their finest champagne. He always had known how to deter her. “So—” she began.

  “We’ve always loved this place.”

  “Patrick, I need to talk to you, and I need you to listen. And I mean really listen.”

  Leaning back in his chair and intertwining his hands behind his head, he smirked. “I’m all ears.”

  “I’m going back to the agency on Monday, resuming my position as an account manager. I’ve decided that not only is it time but that it’s in everyone’s best interest.” Addie insisted.

  “The hell it is.” He replied sharply.

  “Look. I’ve made my decision, and I’m letting you know. How long do you intend to keep this up, Patrick? I think we both know it isn’t working. Our marriage has been over for a long time.”

  “Says who?”

  “I say.”

  “Well, I beg to differ. Tell me you don’t love me anymore, Addie. I dare you to say it. Thing is you can’t, and we both know it.”

  So he was going in for the kill. “Of course I do. You’re the father of my children, but that isn’t enough.”

  Patrick leaned forward and lowered his voice almost to a whisper. “Who says you get to decide what’s enough?”

  “I’m not happy, Patrick. Are you?”

  “I’m happy enough. Jesus, Addie, what do you want from me?”

  “I want a divorce, Patrick.”

  Patrick ran his fingers through his hair. “Well, there’s one I’ve never heard before.”

  Addison sat up straight and looked him straight in the eye. “I’m serious, and I’m hoping that we can work together civilly so that it happens as smoothly as possible for the kids.”

  Patrick swallowed hard. “That’s bullshit, Addison. You want this to work as smoothly as possible for YOU. You don’t give a fuck about anyone but yourself.”

  Addie shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “That’s not true. Deep down you know that, Patrick. I’m sorry you’re angry. I’m sorry you find it necessary to try and blackmail me by threatening to take the boys. But I mean . . . Come on. Is this really how you want it to end? Do you want an all-out showdown? Or can we, please, just settle this like responsible adults? Like responsible parents? Please, Patrick? I’m asking you not to
tie my hands here.”

  “Now that’s an expression you know well, isn’t it? You’re used to being the one to tie hands. Guess isn’t so fun when the tables are turned, now is it?”

  Addie sighed. “Patrick, please.”

  Patrick stood and walked to Addie’s side of the table. Leaning so close she could feel the heat of his breath on her ear, he whispered. “I’m not breaking my family apart unless you’ve got a better goddamned reason than you not being happy. Give me a fucking break, Addison. You want a divorce, huh? Well, go for it. Just don’t expect me to make it easy on you as you tear our family to shreds. I know what you’re up to. And good luck, honey. I say, ‘May the best man win.’”

  And with that he turned and walked out on her.

  Patrick was damned if he’d let his wife make a fool out of him anymore that she already had. His life was slowly unraveling, and he had to do something about it. Yeah, okay, sure, he loved Addison, but what woman was worth any of this trouble? He’d always been a good husband, a little absent, maybe, but he’d always provided for his family.

  He knew Addison though, and he knew that when she wanted something sure enough she’d find a way to get it. So he did what he’d always done when he was scared of losing and dialed his mother, who insisted on scheduling an appointment with the family’s attorney, which was how Patrick found himself sitting in an oversized office chair, staring at his wedding ring and wondering how it had come to this.

  “So let me get this right, Mrs. Greyer. Your daughter-in-law was unfaithful, is currently about to take the stand in a case where the defendant is proposing that she was involved in some sort of sex scene gone bad, and you are telling me that she is planning on filing for divorce and asking for full custody of the children? Patrick, how about you? Would you agree with your mother’s account of the situation?”

  Patrick stared blankly but said nothing.