“Oh Jesus, let’s hear it,” Tom replied as he rubbed his temples.
“What if we just feel them out? What if we file the paperwork and see what happens? Perhaps they’ll just agree to it.”
Addie smiled. She liked this kid. Tom exhaled loudly. “That is the worst fucking idea I’ve ever heard. For starters, any attorney worth his salt knows you want to be on the offensive.”
The kid continued, “Mrs. Greyer, what is the one thing you know your husband doesn’t want out there? Based on the research I’ve done, I know that affairs between colleagues, especially between higher ups and their subordinates, are forbidden within the company he works for. Isn’t it correct that he received a promotion that led to his leaving the family for the better part of last year?”
Yeah, she really liked this kid. “Yes, it is.”
“And would it be correct to assume that this affair between your husband and his boss began before this promotion?”
Addie exhaled. “If I had to guess, I’d say it did.”
“Huh. I like where this is going,” Tom Bradbury interjected.
The kid stood. “My idea is to file and let Mr. Greyer’s attorneys know up front that we intend call the mistress in—if we have to go to trial, that is.” He glared at Tom Bradbury. “I always find it interesting what people will agree to if a little pressure is applied in the right spot.”
Bradbury slapped the kid on the back. “I knew I hired you for a reason. That was exactly the approach I was gonna suggest, seeing that Mrs. Greyer kicked my legs out from under me, anyway. Usually, I’m all for playing hardball, but I really think we’re onto something here. This could definitely be a good angle. Mrs. Greyer, what do you say?”
“Patrick lives for his work. It’s the one thing he’d hate to lose more than his ‘ideal family.’ But I want it clear to all involved that I don’t want anything from him aside from a divorce and custody of the children.”
Bradbury’s phone buzzed. He picked it up and stared at the screen as he nodded. “All right, we’ll have the papers drawn up and sent over for you to sign tomorrow morning.”
Addison stood, extended her hand to Liam, and thanked him.
She walked towards the door then turned on her heel, eyeing Tom Bradbury, who was still lost in his phone. “Tom, I appreciate you agreeing to go about it this way. I know you think I’m being foolish. You see the thing is I know my husband. And I know what he responds to or what he doesn’t respond to, for that matter. Just so you know I’m prepared to play dirty. I just hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Tom looked up and met Addison’s gaze, his expression grim. “Let’s hope it doesn’t, Mrs. Greyer.”
Penny Greyer showed up with cash, a disposable phone, details as to Addison’s whereabouts, and a shared goal to mentally drive her to the brink. She made harassing that little bitch easy. Little did Penny know, Scott Hammons had so much more in store.
He was going after her instead of that varmint Hartmann, who had not only taken the business that HE’D built but who had driven his family away and sucked the life right out of him. William Hartman should’ve been smart enough to know that if you play with fire you get burned. Mess with the wrong person and eventually it will catch up with you.
His defense team had assured him that their defense strategy was foolproof. In his favor was the fact that he had no ties to Addison. He was brilliant in that way. He’d never been in any sort of trouble before because he was too much of a genius to get caught. Seeing that there were no ties to the dumb whore, it was going to be really hard to prove motive, further proving his brilliance. He hadn’t done anything wrong but was merely a client of the whore’s. He’d much rather have the world think of him as someone with no morals than a monster.
So, yes, for the time being, he was fine with this ridiculous cat-and-mouse game Penny wanted to play. But the good news was that, thanks to her dime, he’d be off of house arrest soon. Then all would be fair game. And he was finished playing. It was high time to settle the score.
Six
The last thing Patrick needed right now was for his boss and mistress to return to the States. In China, he could manage her. A few phone calls here and there and several emails a day were all he had to offer to keep her at bay. Michele knew Patrick needed to stay Stateside right now due to the unfortunate situation with his wife. He had explained that Addison had a long recovery ahead of her—even though that was mostly a lie—and that he couldn’t just leave now. Michele had taken it better than he’d expected, which made her return visit home all that more worrisome. Things had been going just as he’d planned. Now she’d urged him to take a weekend and go away with her just the way they once had.
At first Patrick refused, knowing not to let Michele get the best of him. She was also so good at that. It had been a little over a month since he’d returned home, and he was desperately trying to save his marriage. Patrick had been buying flowers and cards for his wife on a regular basis ever since he walked out on her at dinner that night. He’d done everything he could think of to try and win her favor, to try and change her mind. So after two weeks of trying to seduce his own wife for Christ’s sake, Patrick felt he deserved a little something.
Addie certainly wasn’t giving him any, and it didn’t appear that she was going to budge anytime soon. “A man has needs,” his father had always told him, and Patrick was no different. After the incident with the lawyer and all the talk of divorce, maybe a weekend away would do him some good. He needed to show Addison that he was secure enough that things were going to work out that he was stepping away. They both just needed a cooling off period. Just as he’d predicted, it wasn’t the cards or flowers that did the trick. It was his wife seeing that he was taking the lead. For the past few weeks, especially ever since they’d run into that asshole, William Hartman, Addie seemed indifferent and a little sad until the morning he told her he was going away for the weekend. The moment he said it she changed into the sweet, encouraging girl he’d remembered her to be. For a moment, he almost wanted to call the whole trip off, but she seemed so happy about his “fishing trip” that he considered that maybe it was all going as planned. He’d go and see Michele and end things once and for all.
Patrick packed his bag as Addie sat in the chaise lounge, pretending to read. He knew she wasn’t actually re
ading because she hadn’t turned a page in ages. Patrick couldn’t quite place the look on her face.
“Earth to Addie . . .”
Addie looked up.
“Hey, are you sure you think this is a good idea? For me to leave right now? With Scott Hammons on the loose, I really think maybe I should stay. I’m pretty sure he won’t try anything. You know . . . The more I think about it the more I wonder if everything that happened between you two wasn’t just a bad misunderstanding.”
Addie shifted, pulling her legs out from under her and glared at him. “Wow. You’re serious?”
Patrick glanced at Addie and resumed packing. “I don’t know, Addie. I was hoping we could put all of this behind us sooner rather than later. So what do you say? Should I stay? I mean I haven’t even gotten to say goodbye to the boys. I hate to call from the road. What do you think?