Break Me

by Logan Chance

  Remember I told you I had a plan? I wasn’t scoping out the company to buy it.

  No, this has always been the goal. The end game.

  To break him.

  I wait a minute or two for the chatter to die down, then I smile to the band, to the lighting guy, and to Katy. I walk on stage and grab the microphone.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention,” I say.

  It takes a moment for the cacophony of laughter to die.

  All eyes are on me.

  “I have a video in honor of our dear Mr. Craig Kendall.”

  Craig’s smile widens, and he straightens his bowtie. Asshole thinks I’m actually honoring him.

  I chuckle and click the remote to the PowerPoint.

  The screen lights up with a picture of Craig, and the crowd settles in to watch the show.

  Slide after slide, people learn the true story of Kendall. The things I have gathered over the years. The intel Charlie and I have stockpiled to bring to light at the perfect moment.

  Embezzlement.

  Using the company money for hookers.

  Countless cheating.

  Bribery.

  Insider trading.

  Every illegal activity he's ever partaken in, flashes on the screen for all to see.

  Gabi walks away halfway through the video, but not before she slaps the fuck out of Craig. The board is appalled. But, it’s the ending of the video that brings the tears.

  Pictures of Harper.

  Pictures of Nathan.

  Pictures of every life ruined by Craig Kendall. Picture after picture.

  Finally, Craig leaves, but security stops him at the door.

  The cops are waiting for him right outside, and they handcuff him and take him away as the crowd stares in shock.

  I wrap an arm around Katy’s waist.

  “Let's get the hell out of here.”

  The next day, Katy tells me she has a surprise for me. A New Year’s present. We step inside the gallery, and she flips on the lights.

  She beams at me. “I resigned.”

  “What? Why?” I’m startled by her admission, by the fact she would give up after she worked so hard to achieve her goal.

  I’m sure they would have made her partner. Hell, I would have.

  “I realized it wasn’t what I really wanted anymore. I’d been living the life I thought I was supposed to live. There was no passion. No fire.”

  “And what do you want to do?”

  “This,” she shows off the gallery, “all of it.”

  And then a framed piece of artwork in an alcove catches my eyes. I move closer.

  It's a sketch I know well—a lighthouse on a deserted island.

  Harper drew this one morning after she graduated high school.

  She laughed about not going to college, but instead, traveling through Paris to study art.

  “This is perfect. Thank you,” I say, touching the edge of the frame.

  “I think it goes great in the gallery. If you have anymore of her sketches I'd love to show them as well.”

  I face her, her gentle beauty enrapturing me. And the simplest of words fly out of my mouth, “I love you.”

  Her eyes widen. “Love?”

  “Yes, Katy. Love. I’m crazy in love with you.” I hold up my hands. “And I don’t expect you to love me back. I know it would probably be impossible.”

  She doesn’t say anything, and I look away from the pain in her eyes. Impossible to fall in love with someone whose life you ruined.

  Impossible to not let it break you.

  But, damn if I’m not in love with everything about her. Her passion for art. Her fire for hard work. Her desire to succeed.

  She grabs my hand with tears in her eyes. “Ford,” my real name on her lips sounds so good, “let’s walk to the middle of the ocean together.”

  The End

  Epilogue

  Written by PD

  There’s a saying if you bend you won't break. I can't count the number of times I've heard it. I'm sure you’ve heard it, too. The full meaning never resonated with me until one summer afternoon sitting on the rooftop watching Katy paint. It's one of my favorite things to do. She's a tempest when she creates—dark hair in a sexy mess on top of her head, no makeup, biting her plump lip, narrowing her brilliant blue eyes.

  Her brush dipped and stroked until whatever was on her mind formed on the canvas. And then I saw it.

  A storm.

  Wind blew sheets of rain across the canvas, and in its midst, was a palm tree, swayed from the howling winds and bowed down to the ground.

  Unbroken amid the storm.

  It was then I realized how you survive the unimaginable. How someone like Houston could move forward and rebuild. How the woman who owns me can forgive my lie. How she can love me as fierce as I love her. You don't stand rigid as the storm roars, destroying everything, including you. No. Lean into the wind, sway with the havoc and ruin, bow to the ground under the force of devastation. Until the storm passes. And you survive.

  Tragedy splintered us all. But it didn't break me.

  Bent but never broken.

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you for reading Break Me.

  This was a difficult book for me to write, and mainly it was because I wanted Pollux’s pain to be real. I wanted the accident of that fateful day to impact many lives.

  Because that’s what loss does. It affects everyone close to the person.

  If you’ve ever felt sad, lost, or broken….remember you’re not alone.

  I know sometimes life gets hard, the storm is relentless, but I promise just keep going. I’m not one to preach about things I don’t understand, but I know there are tons of help and support options for people who feel a little lost.

  Just always remember, stars can’t shine without darkness.

  And if you ever do feel like you can’t move on you can always call: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

  A big thank you to Paula Dawn for all of your insight into this book. Your editing is amazing, and you’re always pushing me to put out my best work ever. No shortcuts, No cutting corners, although many times I may want to.

  Thank you to Lauren Valderrama for all of your constant help with marketing.

  Misty, thank you for all of your help.

  I truly do appreciate all three of you.

  Thank you to all the bloggers who constantly support me. I appreciate every like, share, and mention of my books.

  Thank you to everyone who supports my journey and growth as an author. I appreciate it more than you know.

  And thank you to anyone who has ever taken a chance on any of my books.

  Thanks.

  I hope you enjoyed this book and I would love to know what you think, please think about leaving a review on Amazon.

  Come join my reader’s group on Facebook. Lots of fun and giveaways, and I love to hop in there and hang out.

  Logan Chance’s The Dark Side

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  Other titles by Logan Chance

  Current Releases

  The Boss Duet

  Like A Boss | Love A Boss

  The Sex Me Novella Series

  Date Me | Study Me | Save Me

  After Class (Behind the Scenes of Study Me)

  Aces & Eights Series by Logan Chance & Jacob Chance

  RANSOM

  FUTURE RELEASES

  I’m happy to say the Sex Me Novella Series is done. You may see some of the characters down the road, like Lexi, Devin, and Lance.

  But, I’m excited to introduce my next novel.

  PLAY BOY

  By Logan Chance

  A Sexy RomCom. Read further for a sneak peek

  PLAY BOY

  I’m Jonah Black.

  They call me a play boy. But, I don’t think I am.

  Sure, I lik
e to have fun with the opposite sex, but hey in my line of work, who wouldn’t?

  I work for Bunny Hunnies, a swimsuit magazine.

  Taking pictures of gorgeous women is every man’s fantasy.

  That is until Chelsea Silcott walks onto the set of one of my shoots. What is she even doing here?

  And does her brother Declan know? Did I mention he’s my best friend? Has been for years.

  I’ve known Chelsea since before she was this hot as hell vixen wearing nothing but a bikini.

  This is going to be hard, I mean, difficult to work with her.

  But the more and more I look at her through the lens of my camera, the more I realize I’m in way over my head.

  Little does she know how much I’m fighting this attraction for her. That I’ll keep fighting it off.

  Because there’s no way in hell, I would ever, ever fall for my best friend’s little sister.

  Even if one night she gets drunk.

  And crashes on my sofa.

  Even if in the middle of the night she finds her way to my bed.

  Even if she’s one of the prettiest models I’ve ever seen.

  And especially, even if she stares at me with those baby blues.

  No, I would never fall for her.

  Ever.

  Enjoyed this Sneak Peek of PLAY BOY?

  You can add it to your TBR on Goodreads : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35289148-play-boy

  About the Author

  Logan Chance enjoys the simple things in life. Star Wars, music, and pretty girls. Always in trouble at school, he was made to copy the dictionary while the others played. This began his word fascination.

  With a love of words he then realized he loved stringing those same words together to create stories to inspire all.

  From Boston, and relocated to Florida, he lives out his days writing, reading, and avoiding the beach.

  Not afraid to tell it how it is, Logan is definitely a man of his own.