“God damn it” was all William could manage before he rushed out the door.
There wasn’t a doubt in Sondra’s mind where he was headed. This may have been her best work yet. Finally, they were getting somewhere.
William caught Carl off guard as he grabbed him by the collar just outside Sondra’s doorway. “Are our guys still detailing Mrs. Greyer?”
Carl swiftly grabbed William’s wrists and maneuvered himself away. “Mr. Hartman, I kindly ask that you keep your hands off me, or this will be the end of our working relationship?”
William backed away, gritting his teeth. “I’m sorry, Carl. But, please, just answer the question.”
“Yes, sir, we have three guys on her.” Carl replied, straightening his collar.
William started for the stairs. “Take me to her. Now!”
“Mr. Hartman, please, calm down.” Carl replied as he hurriedly whispered orders into his earpiece.
“I’m not going to fucking calm down. Don’t tell me to calm down. That bastard contacted her, and what I want to know is why in the hell I haven’t heard about it.”
Carl opened the car door as he ushered orders to the driver and the man seated in the passenger side.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Hartman. I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”
William rubbed his swollen eye and winced. “Damn straight you are. And from now on, you’re the point man on her security detail. I’m not taking any more chances.”
Jessica had kindly offered to take the boys for the night so that Addie could begin packing the stuff she didn’t want the movers to touch. She wasn’t taking much, so as not to upset Patrick, and she’d already picked out and purchased much of the furniture and belongings for the new house with assistance from some of the employees at the agency. Thankfully, Sondra had been extremely helpful, throwing assistance her way that Addie hadn’t even known she’d need.
In the morning, Addie would pick the boys up and tell them about the move. She was dreading it. They’d been so excited to sleep over at Aunt Jessica’s, and Addie felt terrible, thinking about all of changes they would all face over the next several months. Addie had placed the last of her favorite coffee mugs into the box when her cell phone chimed. She read and then reread the text message.
Mrs. Greyer, I’m coming in through the side entrance. We need to talk.
It was from Richard, the man in charge of her security detail. With everything going on, the message unsettled her even further. While she didn’t really enjoy being followed or announcing her every whim, she had grown fond of the men, baking them cookies that she’d allowed the boys to deliver, along with the custom artwork they’d made for them.
Addie heard the key turn in the lock at the back door as she poured herself a glass of wine. “In here,” she called over her shoulder as she brought the glass to her lips. Addie blinked and attempted to swallow the lump that had just lodged in her throat. She did a double take before her brain could process what she was seeing. Yes, it really was William standing in front of her.
William stood there staring for a moment before he finally spoke. “Why didn’t you tell me about Hammons contacting you, Addison?”
Addie gulped the wine in her glass down and poured another. “Would you like a drink?”
William lowered his gaze. “No. I’d like you to answer my question.”
“William, what are you doing here?” Addie surveyed her kitchen and continued. “You know we’re not supposed to have any contact with one another. My attorneys tell me it’s the worst thing I could do for myself.”
“I don’t care what your attorneys think. I asked you a question,” William replied, moving closer.
Addie backed away ever so slightly. “Oh, I don’t know, probably because I expected you to do something like this.”
William moved in for the kill, their eyes never leaving one another. He grabbed Addie by the waist and pushed her against the counter, holding her in place with his body. They stood staring at each other, searching one another’s eyes for answers that wouldn’t seem to come, before William finally pulled her in tight. He inhaled the scent of her as he whispered in her ear, “Damn it, Addison. I’m not sure whether to make love to you or kill you. Do you know how fucking scared I was when I heard that asshole is bothering you again? I was sure he’d hurt you again, and I had to see for myself. Why are you here alone? And God damn it, Addison, why didn’t I know about this? Why didn’t my security know about this?”
Addie shrugged. Feeling faint, she pushed away and put some distance between them, for the first time seeing William’s face up close. “What in the hell happened to your face?” Addie gasped.
William reached for his eye instinctively. “Nothing.”
“Hold on. I’m going to ask you again. What happened to your face, William?” she scoffed.
“It’s nothing.”
Addie reached for the wine bottle and poured herself another glass. “So you’re seeing Sondra again? She did this to you, huh?”
William chuckled and took the glass from her hand. “Maybe it was Hammons. Why do you care anyway?”
Addie reached for the glass, but William was much too strong to wrestle it from. “Oh, I don’t know, probably for the same reason you’re here. Wait. Why are you here, again, William?”
So she’s pissed. That’s a good sign. William grabbed her by her wrist and flipped her around so that her back was to his stomach. Her mouth might be telling him she was pissed, but her body certainly wasn’t. “Because I need you, Addison. Because I’m a mess without you. But most of all because I love you, and I’m tired of hiding it.”
Addie couldn’t speak. It was just too much. She could feel every inch of his body on her. She could feel the heat of his breath on her neck, and she was quickly losing the will to fight. “William, please.”
William traced her ear with his tongue. “I’ve always liked when you beg. Just stop fighting it, Addison. Stop fighting us. Can’t you see you aren’t going to win? Let me make love to you, and we’ll sort the rest out later.”
Addie used one of the self-defense moves she’d learned to untangle herself and swiftly jabbed William in the ribs.
“You seriously think I’m that easy, do you, Mr. Hartman?”
William groaned and tried to pull himself upright. “It worked the first time, didn’t it?”
Addie deadpanned. “Fuck you, William. That was a low blow.”
“Tell me about it.” William grinned.
Addie downed the last of her wine as she surveyed the mess. “You wanna get out of here?”
William reached for her hand and interlaced his fingers with hers. “I’ve never wanted anything more.”
Seven
Addie climbed in the dark SUV with William close behind. She whispered the directions to Carl who simply nodded.
William looked at Addie in disbelief. “So where are we headed?”
Addie scooted over in the seat, putting some distance between the two of them. “You’ll see.”
“Whatever you say.” William replied, closing the distance. “I’ve missed you. God! You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.”
Addie again scooted over, trying to get as far away as she could. What was it about this man that made her lose all rationality? “There’s a lot we need to talk about, William.”
William pressed the button to pull up the privacy divider between them and the men upfront. “So talk.”
“We will. There’s a time and place for everything.”
Addie and William pulled up to the unassuming building they’d both come to know as the Dungeon. William cocked an eyebrow. “Really? You want to talk here?”
“We’re here, aren’t we?” Addie smirked.
Addie ordered William to go into room number two and sit in the chair in the center of the room so that she could get changed. He knew the routine. Hell, they both knew the routine.
She entered the room, dressed in the leather catsuit she’d worn be
fore, only this time without the mask. William eyed her from head to toe, seemingly amused. She walked to William, bent down, and pecked him on the cheek before she asked him to press play on her phone. He seemed surprised when Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees” belted out instead of his usual.
Addie picked up one of the riding crops from the table and placed William’s hands behind his back, carefully tying them as she’d learned. It was like riding a bicycle, all of this.
He smiled as Addie stood there, admiring her work. “You like this one, huh?”
William shrugged.
“I need to know you, William. I mean really know you.” Addie said as she slapped his thigh gently.
William glared at her with an intensity she hadn’t seen before. “You do know me, Addison.”
Addie ran her fingers underneath his collar and then slowly unbuttoned his shirt. She got to the last button before she spoke. “Do I, though?” She asked, as she gently traced his jawline with her tongue. When she noticed the chills she gave him, she slapped the crop against his pants without much effort behind it. “Why are you seeing Sondra again? Why do you need this?”
“I don’t know,” William whispered.
Addie stepped back and paused. “I think you do know.”
William sighed. “Sometimes I just need it. It’s like a release. It keeps me in control when things get out of hand.”
She stepped forward and touched his swollen face. “Do you think you deserve this, William? Do you think I deserve seeing you like this?”
“No. I don’t know,” William replied as he stared at the floor.
Addie tilted his chin so that his eyes met hers. “If we’re going to do this, I need to know that I’m enough.”
William looked her up and down and grinned. “Baby, you’re more than enough.”
“Ouch.” William called out after Addie slapped the crop across his chest.
“I’m serious. Damn it.” Addie slapped him, again.
“Okay. Okay. What is it you’re asking for?” William laughed.
“I’m asking you to trust me to give you what you need.”
William chuckled. “I do.”
Addie slapped him again, hard this time. She bent over and whispered in his ear, “Is this a joke to you, Mr. Hartman? Because I’ll leave and come back when you’re able to take shit seriously. Don’t worry. I’ve got all night.”
William inhaled her scent. This was the worst kind of torture. He couldn’t take anymore. He wanted her so bad. “I trust you, Addison. Damn it. I trust you.”
Addie straddled his lap and slowly kissed his chest. “So then you’ll stop seeing Sondra, because I need a man, William. I need a man who will give me what I need and who’ll allow me to give him what it is he needs. And I think we both know what that is.”
“Yes! I’ll stop. Please, Addison.” William begged. “Mercy. Okay, mercy. There I said it. There’s my safe word. There it is.”
Addie walked around, untied his hands, and slowly undressed. “Make love to me.”
William was rougher than she’d expected. He pushed her against the wall, shoved himself between her thighs, and pushed into her hard. As soon as Addie climaxed, William grabbed her hips and pushed into her harder and harder as though he couldn’t get enough, until he finally found his release. Out of breath, he kissed her face over and over before stopping to search her eyes. “Mercy. Huh. I’ve never used my safe word before, you know, but I have to say it felt pretty good on my lips.”
Addie picked the boys up from Jess’s Saturday morning and took them to their favorite Austin ice-cream shop, the one with the shady playground outside, and let them each pick their own flavor.
She watched them carefully, eavesdropping upon their innocence as they ran around playing with ice cream dripping down their faces, and wished that she could freeze that moment in time. She wished that things would always be this sweet and innocent for them, that she wasn’t about to change life as they knew it.
In the past few weeks, she’d poured over books on how to help your children through divorce. In fact, that was what she’d been reading as Patrick packed. Admittedly, a small part of her wanted him to notice, wanted him to beg her to stay, to fight. When he didn’t, it only solidified in her mind that this is how it would always be. But the latest handbook on the care of children during divorce didn’t help her much. It seemed there was just no right way to go about it.
Addie intended to feel the situation out that afternoon and finally decided to tell them in the car on the way home. At first, she thought she’d gather them together in the living room on the couch and tell them, just as she’d always seen done in the movies. In the end, though, she changed her mind, hoping that she could make it more of a casual conversation than a monumental one. But as they piled in the car, sweaty and sticky, she almost lost her nerve until Connor spoke up. “Is Dad going back to China?”
Addie eyed him in the rearview mirror. He always had been a very perceptive child. She gathered perhaps that was why he screamed so much as an infant, that maybe he was simply more sensitive than the rest of us. “I don’t know, sweetie, but there is something I wanted to talk to you and your brothers about.”
Conner sighed. “I already know. You guys are getting a divorce.”
“What’s a divorce?” The twins shouted in unison.
Addie cleared her throat and kept her eyes on the road. “Who told you that, Connor?”
Connor slapped his little brother on the arm. “A divorce is when your parents don’t talk to each other anymore and then you get two houses. That’s what happened to Lucas’s parents, and now he has two bedrooms. He likes it because he says he gets more Christmas presents than he used to get.”
“Connor, I asked you a question. Who told you Daddy and I were getting a divorce?” Addie probed.
“Seriously, Mom, I’ve seen your book. I can read, you know.”
“Oh.” Addie bit her lip and glanced in the rearview mirror. “Well, I want to talk to you guys about that. Daddy and I love you all very much, but we decided it’s best if we don’t live together anymore.”
“So we get two bedrooms and more Christmas presents now!” Parker yelled.
“No. I don’t know about that.” Addie pulled the car over, put it in park, and turned around. “Do you guys remember when you kept fighting at bedtime and I made you separate and start sleeping in your own rooms and how then I would sometimes find you guys curled up in bed together? Well, that’s how it is with your dad and me. We love each other, and we love you, but we need to get our own houses so we don’t fight so much anymore. We’re going to be moving to a new house in a few days, not far from home. You can bring anything from home you want, but we’ll have new things too. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Connor stared out the window. “What about Max?”
“Max is coming with us. Our new house has a big backyard and even a little surprise for you guys.”
“What about Daddy?” Parker chimed in.
Addie reached for Parker’s hand and studied his tiny fingers. “Daddy is staying at home, but you guys can visit him whenever you want. And you’ll still go to the same school with your friends.”
“Is Kelsey coming too? James interjected.
Addie smiled faintly. “She is. And whenever you’re ready, I’ll take you by and show you the new place.”
Connor continued staring out the window as the twins begged to go right this second. Their pleas grew louder and louder.
“Shhh, boys! That’s enough. Connor, so what do you say?”
Connor shrugged his shoulders but continued staring out the window.
“Connor, I know this is hard for you, sweetheart, but I promise—”
Connor interrupted and pointed his finger at a car nearby. “You see that man staring at us. He looks like the guy I saw on the news, the one who hurt you.”
Addie froze. “Where?”
“Right over there in that car that’s backing out.�
�� Connor replied, straining in his car seat.
Addie grabbed her cell, dialed 911, and put the car in drive. “Boys, put your heads down and keep them there, until I tell you otherwise, okay?”
She instinctively drove towards the police station as she rapidly fired off details to the 911 operator. “I’m being followed by a man I have a restraining order against. I’m at Lamar and—” Addie cut herself off suddenly remembering William’s security detail was behind her.
The 911 operator interrupted. “Ma’am, I need you to calm down and tell me your name. What kind of vehicle are you driving?”
Addie tried to catch her breath. “Addison. Addison Greyer. I’m in a silver Tahoe. My children are with me. My kids are in the car.”
“Okay, Mrs. Greyer, I need you to tell me name the closest intersection and a description of the vehicle following you.”
Addie’s heart raced, and her mouth went dry. “His name is Scott Hammons. The man following me is Scott Hammons. I’m at Lamar and Manchaca. I, uh, I think he’s driving a red sedan, a Ford maybe. I didn’t get a very good look.”
The operator spoke slowly and calmly. “I have an officer in route, ma’am. Stay focused on driving. Keep your eyes on the road. He’ll be there shortly.”
“There’s a black Tahoe following me too. It’s my security team—”
“Your security? Is your security team armed, Mrs. Greyer?”
Addie checked on the boys in the rearview. “It’s all right, boys. Everything is going to be okay.”
“Mrs. Greyer, I need you to answer my question. Is the security team armed?” the voice in the phone demanded.
“Um, uh, I don’t know.”
“Do you have a way to contact them?”
“Yes. I can call—”
“Are they aware of the situation? Can you give me their phone number, Mrs. Greyer?”
Breaking Bedrock (Book Two) Page 5