Traction: A Driven World Novel (The Driven World)

by Dani René

  “He makes me feel special.”

  A gentle smile crosses her lips. “That’s because you are special.”

  “I know, but that’s you saying it. When I’m with him, I don’t feel like the outcast being shunned because I didn’t belong in the suburbs.”

  Her gaze glistens, and for a moment, I feel terrible because I don’t want her to think I’m ungrateful for them taking me in. “You’re worthy of being anywhere you want to be, Haelee.” This time, she looks directly at me, and I realize I know what she means.

  It’s something my mother tried to teach me since I was a kid. Knowing where I’m from, where my birth mother came from, I’ve never felt like I was worthy. I felt like an imposter, and perhaps the jeers from the other kids made it worse. But since I can remember, I believed I wasn’t good enough. Now that I’m older, looking at my adoptive mother, Mom, I realize I am good enough.

  “I’m sorry I never believed you in the past.”

  “You don’t have to apologize,” she comforts me. “Growing up with what you had to for eight long years before we found you must have broken you. I can’t imagine being a child in that situation.”

  “I’ve blocked a lot of it out. Even just thinking about it makes me shiver. Perhaps I’ve just forced myself to forget it. Deep down, I know I belong here, but sometimes it’s difficult to realize.”

  “You should never forget who you are,” Mom says vehemently. “You are a beautiful, strong woman, and you’re special in every way. If someone can’t see that, it’s because they’re blind.”

  The lump in my throat chokes me, and I try to swallow past it. Tears sting my eyes, and I set my brush and straightener down to go to her and hold her. It’s been such a long time since I’ve snuggled my mother, and I enjoy the moment. The warmth of her arms around me settles the pain I felt moments ago.

  “I think I’m falling for him,” I mumble against her shoulder, and I feel her laugh. There’s a gentle hum that comes from Mom’s chest, and I wonder if she knew before I did. She’s always been perceptive. And this time, it’s no different.

  “Allow time to lead you,” she advises. “You will probably fall for him, yes, but don’t rush things. And you’ll find with each day, that feeling you’re currently cultivating in your chest will only flourish.”

  “I’m not rushing. I’m only doing things when I’m comfortable. And Kayden is a gentleman. He’s never forced me to take steps I’m not comfortable with.”

  This time Mom smiles. I’m sure she knows what I’m talking about, but I don’t want to get into that, so I step away and finish up my hair while she watches. When the doorbell rings, my heart skips a beat, knowing it’s him.

  “I hope you have a wonderful night,” Mom says. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Nodding, I smile. “Thank you.” She leaves me to finish up and goes to answer the door. As much as I want to stay at his place tonight, I should work on my project. It’s not due for another few days, but I don’t like to rush. And staying at Kayden’s will not have me focused. Not on school at least.

  By the time I make it downstairs, Kayden and Mom are sitting in the living room laughing about something. When I walk in, he looks up, and his eyes widen.

  “Hello, beautiful,” he greets. Pushing to his feet, he closes the distance between us and places a chaste kiss on my lips. I can tell he’s shocked at the change in my look, but it’s not bad. Not bad at all.

  “Have fun, both of you.”

  “Thanks, Caroline.” Kayden grins at my mother as he takes my hand and leads me out to his car. Tonight, he’s driving his Rover, which I love because I can settle in and enjoy the comfy seats. I love watching him drive, and once we’re on the road, I can’t drag my eyes away from him.

  “Are we going to your place?”

  A small smile dances on his lips, and he nods. “You wanting some of this?” he asks with a cocky wink as he grabs his crotch with his free hand.

  “Ugh, you’re so full of yourself.” I roll my eyes, but I can’t stop the giggle that falls from my lips. “I am never asking you anything ever again.” My words are filled with annoyance, but when he grabs my thigh and gives it a squeeze, I melt into his touch.

  “We’re going to dinner at my favorite place, and then we’ll hang out until I need to bring you home,” Kayden tells me as he drives through the city until we reach a small, intimate restaurant I note has photos of noodles and sushi on the door.

  “Chinese?”

  “Japanese,” he informs me as he parks and kills the engine. “Is that okay?”

  “Of course. I actually love sushi.” When I tell him this, the smile on his face is pure happiness. “I love learning about you.”

  “You know pretty much everything about me.” He pushes open his door and heads my way to help me out. The alarm clicks, and we head into the restaurant that’s not at all busy, which is nice.

  We’re led to a booth where I slip in, and Kayden shocks me when he slides in beside me instead of opposite. A server appears, offering us a friendly smile to take our order. I allow Kayden to do the honors since he seems to know what’s tasty.

  Once we’re alone, he sits back and rests his arm across the booth behind me, the warmth of him keeping me safe and comfortable. I’m tempted to lean into him, but I want to talk.

  “So,” I say. “Since classes are going to only get more intense as the year progresses, what are we going to do when I don’t get to see you often?”

  “I’ve already got a plan,” he announces. “I’ll be picking you up from school every single day because, after class, we’re going to get started on the car you and your dad were meant to fix up.”

  “You remembered?”

  “Of course,” he tells me honestly. “I want you to have that memory, and I want it to be a happy one.” There’s affection burning in his eyes, and even though I want to admit I’m feeling more than I thought I would, I don’t. Mom said to take it slow, and I plan to do that. But it’s times like this that make me want to just say fuck it and tell him just what’s racing through my mind.

  “What?”

  I glance up, noticing he’s staring, and I realize I lost a few moments thinking about telling him. “Nothing. You make me happy.” That’s the truth. I have always found it difficult to admit my feelings, to tell someone how I’m feeling or what’s bothering me, and with him, it’s just as hard. But, with those piercing eyes looking right through me, it’s almost as if I don’t need to tell him. He knows.

  “You’ve changed me a lot, Haelee,” Kayden admits, using my real name and not the nickname he calls me. “When we first met, I had a feeling you would rock my world and knock it on its axis, but I didn’t expect to be here almost a month into this strange relationship and not want to run a mile.”

  “Strange relationship?” I test playfully with a poke in his ribs. The lightness of our conversation sets me at ease. And I’m thankful for it because when I start thinking about feelings and emotions, my chest still hurts from the past. At some point, I’m going to have to put everything behind me and stop looking back. But sometimes, it’s more difficult than I can imagine.

  “Yeah, it’s not like we started off on the best foot,” Kayden reminds me with a grin. That’s also the truth.

  “But then you realized how amazing I am, and you didn’t want to let me go.” I laugh out loud at my words, but Kayden doesn’t laugh. He looks serious, as if he’s about to admit something, and for a second, I pull in a deep breath and wait.

  He slowly nods. “Yeah, that’s exactly it. A beauty who stole my heart and mind and kept it locked up in her dainty hands.” And at his words, my stomach tumbles. Even though it’s not what I thought he would say, it still makes me feel like I’m floating.

  “I promise to keep it safe.”

  “And I promise to keep yours safe,” Kayden attests before leaning in to kiss me, and as always, my toes curl as pleasure rockets through me at the contact. It doesn’t matter what he does, he always se
nds my body and mind into disarray.

  He pulls away and locks his gaze with mine. The electricity zinging in the air around us sizzles with promise, with something even more intense than I’m expecting.

  “You’re mine. I meant it when I said it.” His words are a salve, a balm to the usual worry that snakes its way through me, and I allow it to calm the tension. As much as I want to relax and enjoy our journey, there’s something that’s still bothering me, and even though I know I should bring it up, I don’t want to break the spell.

  So, instead of mentioning it, I revel in the warmth of Kayden. Our food arrives, and even as we enjoy the meal and head back to his place for dessert, I know something is coming.

  A storm.

  A tornado.

  Something is about to crash into our lives, and even though I’m not sure what it will be, I know it’s going to wreck the happiness we’ve found and leave destruction in its wake.

  20

  Kayden

  Walking into Mercer Industries with the memory of Haelee on my mind and on my lips has me grinning even though I’m about to step into a board meeting I’ve been dreading.

  I took her home after our lunch, but I can’t stop craving more of her. There is something about being her first, and it comes out every time we’re together, including fucking her again right after we ate our lunch. I knew she was mine the moment I laid my eyes on her, but it was when she clawed my back, when she wrapped her legs around my waist, and when she pulled me closer, wanting me to take the one thing she held dear that I knew I couldn’t, wouldn’t, deny her anything.

  The sun is out today, and being in a fucking suit and tie has me uncomfortable. I’ve always hated dressing up. The noose around my neck is frustrating as I push open the door to the boardroom. All eight men sit around the large table, but what shocks me is that at the head of it is my mother.

  There’s a look of disdain painted on her face as if it’s been etched in those lines and wrinkles she tries so hard to hide. But I see her. I’ve always seen the way she looks at me.

  I never understood how a mother could be so unloving. There’s not a bone in her body that’s maternal in any way. I’m convinced she only had me because my father wanted an heir.

  “Mother,” I greet her, then take in each man as they watch me settle at the opposite end of the table. “Gentlemen.” Once I’m seated, my mother rises and makes her way toward me. Something seems off, and I’m almost certain she’s about to deal a blow that’ll hit me right in the jaw.

  I wouldn’t put it past her to steal something my father left to me. Yes, I wanted her help with this company because my focus was on racing. But to have her claim it fully, that’s not something I’m prepared for. She sets a folder on the shiny mahogany in front of me.

  “I think you’ll find the board will agree with me. You’re no longer fit to run your father’s company. I’ve spoken with them, and we’ve agreed to buy you out.” Her words are cold, pure ice.

  I pick up the folder and flip it open. A document with information about the company being handed over. The sale of my shares. It needs my signature. But then I flip it over and find an envelope, rip it open, and inside I find photos. A lot of fucking photos.

  “What the fuck is this?” My teeth grit, my jaw clenching painfully as I flip through them, but I don’t need to see each one to know what the fuck my mother’s problem is.

  “You’ve become a liability to everything your father believed in,” my mother says. “It’s time for you to hand over the reins. We’ll take over from here, and you’re welcome to go racing around with your … girl.”

  Anger surges in my veins. Nothing could have prepared me for the fury that burns me from the inside out. I’ve always known my mother was a bitch, but this is nothing compared to what I thought she would do.

  “I’ve already had a talk with her,” she informs me, and her words send ice-cold dread racing through my veins. “Depending on her choice, you’ll either leave with no company, or she’ll find it in her little heart to allow you to have the one thing that you were born to do.”

  Shoving the chair away from the table, I spin on my heel, rounding on my mother. The closer I step toward her, the more she backs away. She has the balls to look afraid of me, and she fucking better because if she’s done anything to Haelee, I will fucking lose my mind. She won’t get away with it.

  “What. The. Fuck. Did. You. Do?” I enunciate each word, my voice barren of any love or affection. Every syllable drips with malice and indignation. I’m almost certain my eyes are glowing because the bitch’s eyes widen as she takes me in. She’s no longer a mother. She’s nothing to me.

  “I just ensured she understood what she’s doing to you.”

  “Doing to me?” My hands fist at my sides in a move to tamp down some of the resentment currently surging through me. “She’s done nothing to me. Do you understand that? This company is mine. Dad gave it to me, not you, not those assholes sitting around the table. Or is it because you’re fucking them all so they’ll agree to sign over the company to you?”

  She doesn’t even flinch when I say it, and I’m almost certain I’ve hit the nail on the head. I wouldn’t put it past my mother to do something like that to Dad. She was probably having affairs all their lives. But right now, I know I need to get to Haelee. Whatever my mother said to her will more than likely result in her running off. And I can’t lose her.

  My phone buzzes in my pocket, and when I pull it out, my girl’s name flashes on the screen. My stomach twists and my chest tightens. Fear so painful grips me. Opening the message, I scan the words. I read them and reread them, but I don’t believe them.

  I snap my gaze toward my mother once more. “If you attempt to take anything from me, whether it’s the company or the woman in my life, I will come for you. I will take every single fucking penny Dad left you.”

  The threat hangs in the air for a moment before I walk out. I’m already hitting dial on the number I know I’m going to need.

  “Mr. Mercer.”

  “Mr. Paulson, I need your help. We’re suing my mother. She’s trying to take the company from me. Can you get to my place in a couple of hours?”

  “Of course, Kayden,” he affirms, and I hang up. The man is a shark in the courtroom, and I know my mother will never see it coming. She may think I’ll play nice after having Haelee break up with me, and perhaps I can let her believe that for a short time, but it won’t be long before my mother will be begging for mercy.

  In the car, I hit dial on Haelee’s number, and as I expected, she doesn’t answer. I know she’s at home because when I call Colton, he confirms she called in sick this morning. Frustration ebbs through me, flowing like a raging river taking out everything in its path.

  I can’t think about losing her. I can’t even fathom losing her. Whatever the fuck my mother said, she’s obviously gotten to Haelee. But I’m going to make Haelee see that it’s all a lie.

  Pulling up to the house that’s become like a second home, I’m out of the car in seconds, and my knuckles rap at the door. I know she’s home, so if she doesn’t answer, I’ll sit out in the car and wait. I’m not leaving until she gives me a moment of her time.

  I need to make this right. Anxiety twists in my gut at the thought of losing her, and I know even though I haven’t admitted my feelings to her, it’s more than I ever anticipated. She’s burrowed herself inside me, and I can’t get her out.

  I don’t want to get her out.

  When I knock again, I listen for any movement inside. Soft shuffling comes from the other side of the door, and then I’m met with familiar cocoa eyes. They’re puffy and red, so I know she’s been crying.

  “Haelee—”

  “Kayden, I need you to leave. Please,” she begs, her plea slamming me right in the chest. “I can’t do this. It was a mistake.”

  “No, it wasn’t. Just let me in, and we can talk.”

  “We can’t. There’s nothing more to say.” Her voice cra
cks and the shimmer of emotion in those pretty eyes makes my anger surge. I want to kill my mother for this fucking game she’s playing with my life.

  “Haelee, I want you. I can’t lose you.”

  “It’s over, Kayden. I can’t do this anymore,” she insists adamantly, but her voice is a husky whisper. “Please, just listen to me. It’s over.” She doesn’t look at me, doesn’t meet my eyes, which means she’s lying. She can’t tell me it’s over while looking at me directly.

  “I won’t stop.”

  Haelee shakes her head just as a tear escapes and trickles down her cheek. She’s trying so hard to be strong. My mother must have done a number on her.

  “My mother was lying. Whatever she told you was all lies. Are you listening to me?”

  “It doesn’t matter, Kayden,” she responds but still doesn’t look at me. “It’s done. Okay? Please respect my decision.”

  “Fuck, Haelee, I lo—”

  “Please, just go.” She pushes the door, but my foot stops it. I don’t barge my way in like I want to. But I need her to look at me. I need her to see the truth in my eyes. This isn’t the time to tell her what I almost did. The pain and heartache I see etched across her expression won’t change if I say those three words, so instead of admitting it now, I come to the conclusion that I need to deal with my mother first.

  Haelee needs time.

  And I need her.

  When she finally looks up at me, I see it dancing in her eyes—the love that I feel for her is looking right back at me. She feels it, too; I knew she did.

  “I am not giving up on this,” I proclaim confidently. “Do you hear me, Haelee? This isn’t over. I’m going to sort my mother and this company out, and I’ll give you time. But I will be back. And when I am, I’ll make sure you’re mine.”

  I turn and walk away. I don’t hear the door click. She’s watching me; I can feel her gaze burning into my back as I reach my car. When I turn to glance over my shoulder, I see the door sliding closed.