CHAPTER 8
~Kenzie~
I didn’t sleep well that night. I kept tossing and turning while my mind spun. While Hayden never acted like he was awake as well, I got the feeling sleep had evaded him too…there was something in the haggardness of his eyes the next morning that confirmed long hours of restlessness.
Not wanting yet another outfit of mine to go missing, I dressed in my sleazy Benneti gear at the hotel. Hayden let me wear his jacket over the top, which helped a lot, but I still felt skanky and underdressed as I walked through the hotel lobby. I’d only just begun, and I was ready for the day to end.
When we got to the track, Hayden still looked speculative. I wanted to ask him what he was thinking about, but I already knew what—or who—he was thinking about, and I didn’t really want details on his thoughts. Especially if they were along the lines of: maybe I should talk to her, maybe I should forgive her, maybe I should get back to together with her. Just the thought of him thinking that, even only for the briefest moment, made me feel sick to my stomach. We were so great together, everything the two of them hadn’t ended up being, and he knew that. He had to know that.
The second Keith saw me, huddled up in Hayden’s jacket, he snapped his fingers and said, “That comes off the second you’re at the event. I want everyone to see the goods.” For a horrible instant, I wasn’t sure if he meant the logo plastered all over me, or my body. Both amplified the queasiness in my gut.
Hayden frowned at Keith’s pronouncement. “Keith, she just got here. Ease up.”
Keith frowned at his star racer, then a smarmy smile spread over his lips. “Hayden…the man, they myth, the legend…tell me you’re ready for this race.”
Hayden glanced at me once it was obvious Keith was going to ignore his statement, but then he nodded. “Yeah, my times are good. I’m ready.” The knowledge that he’d moved on and was now comfortable enough racing to procure amazing times without my help still stung. And the sad part was, I didn’t even know if the same held true for me. God, it had been forever since I’d pushed myself on a bike.
Keith wrapped an arm around Hayden’s shoulders, and started leading him away to a meeting for racers and the crew…basically everyone but me. Hayden looked back at me as Keith swept him from my side, but he didn’t get out much more than, “I’ll see you later.”
On the far side of the room, Keith and Hayden were joined by more team members, including Felicia. Keith dropped his hold on Hayden and stepped back, just as Felicia stepped into his side. Hayden looked uncomfortable to be walking side by side with her, but, uncomfortable or not, he left the room that way.
Keith’s crew chief, a beefy man very appropriately named Butch, was busy watching the bikes until they were inspected. That was where the problems had started last year—some time right after the pre-race inspection. While I knew there wouldn’t be any problems like that this year, the rest of the teams weren’t as sure. In a lot of people’s opinion, the ARRC had never adequately explained what had happened.
Since I’d never been a model before in my life, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was supposed to be doing. Keith usually hired a handful of girls for these events, but, for some reason, there was only me. I supposed that was to make me feel as isolated and uncomfortable as possible. Having females to bond with and complain to would have been an outlet. Maybe I should find other models to hang with. I had a feeling Keith would have an issue with me being around other team’s or non-affiliated sponsors’ models though. No, I was on my own.
I ended up grabbing some promotional material and wandering aimlessly around the property. Then I found myself in the stands, staring at the finish line. Sitting with a handful of strangers, I watched some practice laps and then some qualifying laps. Hayden had an amazing run, qualifying in the 3rd position. Myles qualified in 2nd. Felicia was going to start in 8th, a fact that both impressed and incensed me; I’d qualified 10th my rookie year. Every single part of watching them killed me, and yet, I couldn’t turn away. Each time a rider crossed that magic line, a small piece of me died. I felt numb inside.
“Hey, there you are. Keith’s looking for you.”
I glanced over to see Hayden walking down the bleacher, heading my way. Shit. I’d been so engrossed in watching the bikes, I’d forgotten all about the job I was supposed to be doing. “Is he pissed?” I asked with a cringe.
He scrunched his face in an adorable expression that made me want to kiss him. “Define pissed…”
Great. Groaning, I shook my head. “I just wanted to sit out here for a couple minutes, to remember why I was demeaning myself.” Smiling, I inhaled a deep, exhaust-laden breath. “Despite it all, it’s good to be back here.”
“I know,” he said, his voice low as he sat beside me. “I just wish you were out there with me.”
From his tone, it was clear he was saying he wished I was out there with him instead of Felicia. A pang hit me as I wished the same thing. “You’re starting in 3rd…that’s amazing.”
His grin was wide and pleased. “Thanks. I’m still a little shocked about that. I was just a hair below Myles too. Next time I’ll get him.”
I wanted to make a comment about Felicia besting my time, but I also didn’t want to bring her up. She seemed to hover in the air around us anyway, and I knew she’d linger there until one of us took the elephant in the room by the throat, so I decided to be the one to throttle the beast. “What Felicia said last night…do you really think Izzy forgave her?”
Hayden’s expression fell as he stared at his hands. “Yeah…I’ve been stewing on that. I don’t know. I really don’t see why she would after one conversation.” He looked over at me. “Felicia’s just messing with my head. She does that. If she wants something bad enough, she’ll do just about anything to get it.”
His words filled me with icy dread. “Well, it will be easy enough to solve this mystery. We’ll just talk to Izzy when we get back.”
Hayden nodded, then reached out for my hand. When I placed my fingers in his, he squeezed them tight. “I love you, Kenzie. That hasn’t changed, and it isn’t going to change…even if Felicia was telling the truth.”
My eyes stung as painful hope filled me. “I love you too.” And Felicia isn’t the only one who will do anything to get what she wants.
Knowing I couldn’t put Keith off any more than I had, I followed Hayden back to the Benneti area. Keith berated me for a solid fifteen minutes on what he expected from me during events, then he handed me an umbrella and told me to keep the racers cool while they waited in their grid boxes. I couldn’t believe it. I used to be the one lined up in the grid box, waiting for my shot at glory, and now I was a freaking umbrella girl. It was an additional blow that I wasn’t sure my ego could take right now.
To make it as bearable as possible, I made sure I was the one holding the umbrella for Hayden. His face was a mixture of pity and pleasure as he cast not-so-discrete glances at my body. I knew he wanted me to have more than this, but he was clearly glad I was the one on display for him.
Eventually it was time for the race, and the officials made everyone leave who wasn’t riding. Having to get off the track was like having a long piece of duct tape wrapped around me then slowly pulled off. I felt the burn all the way to the innermost part of my core being. I couldn’t even really watch the race either. Keith was hoping to land a new sponsor after today’s event, so I was sent to the VIP section to “entertain” them on his behalf. I spent the entire race getting the pair of men drinks and slapping their hands away from my ass. Keith probably would scold me for not letting them touch, but there was a limit to just what I’d do for this job. And for him.
When the race was over, I was as exhausted as if I’d participated. But I was brimming with anxious energy when I finally got away from the sponsors long enough to check out the standings. A part of me wanted Hayden to finish behind where he’d finished last year, but I knew that was born from insecurity, so I hurriedly pushed it from my mind. I loved him, and I wanted him to do well, even without me. When I saw the final times, my jaw nearly dropped to my chest. Myles won the whole damn thing! And Hayden was second. And Felicia…was fourth.
Seeing her name beside the placement I’d fought tooth and nail for last year—and lost—was like having a javelin punched straight through my chest. All the breath left me, and I couldn’t inhale again. She’d beaten me. She’d also beaten the record for a female racer on this track. Handedly. She was in the record books on her very first race. She did everything I couldn’t do. My mind swam, and everything in my vision suddenly tinted red. She was doing everything I wished I could be doing…and she was doing it better than I ever had. I thought I might throw up, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the board.
My vision hazed, and I felt darkness swallowing me. I fell into a crouch, with my hands on my knees, and finally drew in the breath my body desperately needed. Jesus. Why did she have to be good? If she had been lousy, I could have handled her living my dream more easily. But her excelling at what I wanted…it was too much, too painful. I shouldn’t be here. But sadly, there was nowhere else for me to go.
Not even caring if Keith fired me, I decided to go back to the hotel instead of back to the garage area. Fate wasn’t with me though. Maxwell spotted me plodding through the crowds, and stormed his way over to me. “Hey, Cox! Keith wants you with the winners. He wants you standing beside Hayden while he’s being interviewed.”
Well, of course he did. He could advertise Benneti with my chest while simultaneously embarrassing me and my family name on national TV. Maybe seeing how far I’d fallen would actually get my father’s attention, and he’d call a cease-fire to the cold war. Then at least one good thing would come out of all this.
Clearly not trusting me to go there on my own, Maxwell grabbed my arm and started pulling me. Feeling even worse than before—something I hadn’t even realized was possible—I let him lead me. Last year, I’d had so much anticipation and expectation placed on my shoulders, I’d felt a crushing amount of pressure. I’d doubted myself, but had wanted to rise above and prove my worth. Now there was nothing to prove to anyone, but I still felt laced with doubt. Had I ever been good enough to compete at this level? As much as I hated to admit it, without Hookup’s interference last season, I might not have done nearly as well as I had. Maybe it was all a fluke, and maybe I couldn’t get a job simply because I wasn’t good enough and the other teams knew that. Maybe Felicia was the one who truly belonged here, and I was the outsider.
When I got to the celebration area, I instantly spotted Hayden. His helmet was off and his sweaty blond hair was sticking up every which way. A broad smile was on his face and his jade eyes were gleaming with joy. He was mesmerizingly attractive, and I no longer needed Maxwell’s help to get closer to him; in his arms was the only place I wanted to be.
On my way to my boyfriend, I caught a glimpse of Myles. He was practically glowing as he shook up a celebratory bottle of champagne. The exploding liquid spewed out of the bottle, covering Myles in suds while he laughed; I’d never seen him happier. My heart felt lighter watching his joy—he deserved it, after his nightmare year last year. I couldn’t have been prouder of him.
Hayden was looking right at me when I shifted my eyes back to him. The expression on his face faltered, and I saw some of the light in his eyes die. He felt sorry for me. I was ruining his moment just by being here. Not wanting him to feel anything but elated right now, I threw on a smile. This is okay. You did amazing, enjoy it.
Holding my head high, feigning confidence I didn’t truly feel, I strutted up to him and tossed my arms around his neck. His arms wrapped around my waist, and I heard him laugh in my ear as he picked me up. “Second place! I did it, Kenzie!” Pulling back, his grin grew. “We did it.”
His lips lowered to mine, and bliss overwhelmed me; it was almost as sweet as competing. From all around us, I heard chaos, noise, and celebration. It was intoxicating, but not nearly as euphoric as Hayden’s embrace. There were reporters nearby asking Hayden to answer some questions, and he reluctantly pulled away from me. “Stay close?” he asked.
Indicating my outfit, I said, “Have to. Keith wants me as your window dressing.” Hayden’s smile started shifting into a frown, and I raised my finger to stop him. “Don’t. This is your moment, and for once, I’m glad I have this job, because otherwise I might have missed it.”
One side of his lip curled up into a crooked smile, making my heart beat faster and harder, then he turned that charming grin toward the camera; the red record light instantly turned on, capturing it. Hayden was going to ignite the racing world with a smile like that, and I knew that any female fan who had somehow missed him his rookie year, was not going to be able to miss him this year.
As Hayden began talking about his epic finish, I moved around to stand beside him. Throwing on a smile, I hoped no one recognized me. If all people saw was a random Benneti model, I might get through this relatively unscathed.
It was nerve-racking standing there, but after a few minutes with no outburst of recognition from the crowd, I started to relax. Then I saw someone who hadn’t placed in the top three, and who didn’t need to be a part of the post-race interviews: Felicia. Helmet off, long hair wild and free, she was swaying her way through the reporters, apparently on a path to Hayden. The smile on her face was enormous, and the feeling in my gut intensified, turning to concrete. I could easily imagine the after-race euphoria that was coursing through her veins right now—I’d been there myself before. Seeing the joy on her face and knowing I would never again feel that way…it killed me.
Hayden’s smile tightened when he noticed her, but it didn’t completely fade. While I watched in horror, Felicia wrapped her arms around his neck, then leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Congratulations, Haydey!”
The cameras caught the entire nauseating event, and the rock in my stomach started to boil, churn, and liquefy into white-hot molten lava. She had no right to put her lips on him—again—congratulations or not. And Haydey? What the hell was that about?
Hayden jerked away from her touch, but the reporters instantly latched onto the effervescent woman. “Felicia, please stay. We’d love to ask you a few questions.”
In a nonchalant way that made it look like Hayden wasn’t rejecting her, Felicia deftly removed her arms and beamed at the reporters. “I would be honored,” she purred.
“Well, first off, we must congratulate you on your record-breaking finish. We haven’t seen a ride like that in…well, we’ve never seen a ride quite like that,” the reporter said with a smirk.
Really? Never? My eyes narrowed with hatred at the reporter who’d spoken, and that was when I recognized him. It was the same asshole who’d aired that fateful interview I’d given last year, when I’d inadvertently slammed my ex-teammate, Jimmy Holden.
Felicia flashed a glance over her shoulder at me, and the heat in my eyes grew even hotter. I would have given anything to have superpowers at that moment. She would have been nothing but a pile of goo beside Hayden. “Thank you,” she answered the reporter, her voice both light and luxurious. “It’s a remarkable beginning to what I hope is a remarkable year…for both of us.”
She grabbed Hayden’s arm and squeezed, and hell if they didn’t look like some picture-perfect couple from some goddamn romantic comedy. If she didn’t back off right now, I was going to give the cameras a show they’d never forget.
The reporters beamed at Hayden and Felicia together, and I could already see them spinning a story about the two of them, and that was probably exactly what Keith wanted; a born-on-the-track romance was gossip gold. “You two were both brought into the ARRC by Keith Benneti. How has it been racing together?”
That made me want to scoff. They’d competed together once. Were they supposed to have developed a career-worthy bond in that short amount of time? Felicia gazed at Hayden like he was the beginning and end of her day. Hayden pointedly removed her arm from around his. He opened his mouth to say something, but Felicia beat him to it. “It’s been amazing. We’re teammates first, competitors second. We’re here to help and encourage each other. I couldn’t imagine a better partner than Hayden.”
Hayden’s eyes blazed as he looked at her, and I saw something in the gaze that iced my stomach. It wasn’t that he was upset, that was understandable—I was furious too. No, it was the level of anger that I saw in his eyes that concerned me. There was passion in the glimmering jade depths. A negative passion, true, but passion nonetheless.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without my team,” Hayden said, his jaw tight. That one simple sentence was oozing with multiple meanings. Hayden was being as politically correct as he could be for the cameras, but by his tone, I knew he wasn’t including Felicia when he said team. Regardless of her allegiances, she was on the outside looking in with him.
His double words were lost on the reporter though. With a knowing smile, he said, “I’m sure that’s true. Congratulations again on your second place finish, Hayden, and Felicia…it was wonderful talking to you. We wish you both the best of luck at Road America next month.”
The light on the camera died and the group left in search of new targets to talk to. A twinge of bitterness hit me as I watched them walk away. They hadn’t even noticed I was there; I’d wanted to go unnoticed, but what I’d become was invisible.
Hayden stepped away from Felicia. “What are you doing here?” he asked, the vein in his neck pulsing.
Untroubled by Hayden’s mood, Felicia calmly crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m doing exactly what I told them I was doing…supporting my teammate.” The way she said teammate was almost intimate.
Extending his hand, Hayden reached out for me. After I grabbed his fingers, Hayden pulled me into his side. “I have all the support I need right here,” he said, squeezing me tight.
He turned me to start walking away, and Felicia called out his name. I wanted to keep going but Hayden stopped. Inhaling a deep breath, he turned his head in her direction. A look crossed over Felicia’s face that was equal parts relief, equal parts pain. “I know what Hookup did around here last year, and I know you feel responsible…but it wasn’t your fault.”
Surprise washed over Hayden’s face, then he quickly looked around to see if anyone had heard her. When it was clear no one had, Hayden returned his eyes to hers. He opened his mouth, then shut it and clenched his jaw. He was silent a few more seconds, then muttered, “Thanks,” and started walking away. A small smile graced Felicia’s lips as she watched us leave.
“Fucking Izzy,” Hayden growled as he stomped off. The farther away we walked, the tighter his hand clenched mine.
“Hey,” I said, placing my other hand over the pair of ours. “Calm down.”
Stopping in his tracks, he rounded on me. “Izzy had no right to tell her everything that’s been going on with me! She shouldn’t have said two fucking words to her!”
Alarmed at his anger, I gently placed my palm on his cheek. “He’s her brother. Izzy was sharing her own story.”
Hayden sighed, “I know…but Felicia didn’t need to know. She walked away. She lost the right to care…” His voice grew heated again, and his eyes darkened to match. There was age-old hurt in his expression that I had no idea how to fix, if it even could be fixed.
“I’m sorry,” I told him. There wasn’t anything else to say.
His face softened as an exhale left him. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I didn’t mean to dump this on you.”
Hearing him call his feelings about Felicia “this” made a sharp pain go through my chest, like a burst of static electricity touching my soul. Ignoring the sensation, I wrapped my arms around his neck. Even though it upset me to see the hurt, seeing something real from him concerning Felicia was heartening. “You don’t have to be sorry. I’m your girlfriend…that’s what I’m here for.”
Smiling, he shook his head. “I guess I’m still not used to that. It’s been a while since I’ve…yeah…” He ran a hand through his hair, discomfort suddenly on his face. Right. His last serious girlfriend was Felicia. Again, I felt her presence hovering between us. Even when she wasn’t here, she was here.
* * *
We went out to celebrate that night, once again meeting up with Myles, Nikki, Eli, Ralph, and Kevin. Thankfully, Felicia didn’t crash the party this time, and the mood in the room was a lot less tense. Even Eli, Ralph, and Kevin seemed less stressed being around Hayden. Myles’s win had everyone riding high.
When Hayden and I stumbled back to his hotel room afterward, I wasn’t thinking about what I was missing, or how estranged I was from my family, or why Izzy had forgiven Felicia, or if she and Hayden would ever get over their past and find their way back to each other. No, all I was thinking about was how amazing my boyfriend’s hands felt on my body. The simplicity was refreshing.
But when I opened my eyes the next morning, the uncomplicated freedom vanished and the weight of the world settled in on me again. Would there ever be a time when everything in my life was going the way I wanted? Or was asking for perfect peace just too much? Yeah. Probably.
The flight back home to Oceanside was uneventful, although quiet. Hayden seemed lost in thought as he stared out the window at the blanket of clouds beneath us. Again, I didn’t want to ask him what he was thinking, and I again, I hated that I was too scared to ask.
After the plane touched down, Hayden’s phone chimed three times in a row with new messages. I peeked at the screen when he unlocked it, and was a little surprised to see that it was the same unsaved phone number—double fives and double sixes. Keith. I couldn’t read the messages from my angle, but I thought I saw the words “miss you” before he deleted them. What the hell?
Frown on his face, Hayden shoved the phone into his pocket and didn’t say a word. He clearly didn’t feel like he needed to tell me who was contacting him, and I wasn’t sure if I had the right to keep asking. This was one of those touchy, privacy gray areas that I was clueless about. Did I keep prying, or did I let it go and hope for the best? I tried to put myself in his shoes, to think about what I would be okay with, but the only thought screaming through my brain was—Was that really from Keith? Why the hell would he miss you? And why do you make a point of deleting all the messages?
Hayden could see me staring at his jacket pocket, where his phone was tucked out of sight, but he still didn’t feel the need to enlighten me. My skin felt tight as I slowly looked up at his face. Can’t you just make this easy on me? I shouldn’t have to ask.
Hayden’s expression was blank, and I didn’t know if that was because he was silently daring me to ask him, or if he was just genuinely clueless that I was beginning to drive myself crazy imagining who that text had been from. But he would tell me if Felicia was texting him. He wouldn’t keep that to himself. It must be Keith. He was giving him a ride home, after all; maybe he was just making sure Hayden didn’t miss his ride. The man had zero patience.
“Something going on?” I asked, hoping that was vague enough to be respectful. And hoping that he answered me with a hell of a lot more than a one-syllable answer.
I indicated his phone, just in case my question wasn’t clear, and watched as Hayden patted his pocket. “Huh? Oh…yeah…just…Keith. Everything’s fine,” he added in a hurry.
A flood of suspicion washed through me at his less than comforting answer. Feeling like my skin was a size too small, I snipped, “Why don’t you have his number programmed into your phone? After all this time…that’s kind of weird.”
Hayden’s eyes widened as he stared at me, and he chewed on his lip before he answered. “Yeah, I just…haven’t gotten around to… I was going to call Izzy when I got home, set up dinner with her tomorrow night. I think I should talk to her about…about what went down with her and Felicia.”
His abrupt change of subject hit my stomach like a wrecking ball. I couldn’t tell if he just felt stupid for not having programmed his boss’s number yet, or if he was hiding something. But then what he said sunk in, and a web of anxiety crawled up my shoulders, making a knot that no amount of massaging would loosen. “Yeah…that’s a…good idea.” Shit.
Maybe seeing that I wasn’t thrilled about the suggestion, Hayden slowly said, “I can go alone. I know you aren’t thrilled to be a part of a conversation about my ex.”
Inhaling a deep breath, I considered taking his offer as an easy way out. Then I groaned and cursed myself. Avoiding this wouldn’t solve anything. “No…I want to be there. She wasn’t just an ex-girlfriend, she was family…a part of yours, and a part of Izzy’s. I want to know why your family hurt you just as much as you…don’t want to know.”
Hayden shook his head, then turned his gaze to the window. “Yeah…” I was just about to ask him what he was thinking about, when he turned back to me and said, “I love you so much. I think you might just be the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” His words, and the sincerity I heard in them, soothed my fears. For a time.
We went our separate ways after the airport; Hayden went back to his place for clothes, and to catch up on his life, trivial things that often slipped by the wayside, like mail and bills, while I went back to my place. Hayden left baggage claim with Keith. Watching them be all buddy-buddy was still extremely difficult. It probably always would be. Keith was just so…vile…but Hayden had a different experience with him, and while he disliked how Keith treated me, he looked up to him. Kind of.
Casting aside all thoughts of the man I despised, I grabbed my bags, found my truck, and headed home. My mind still wouldn’t quiet down, so I turned up the radio and rolled down the windows. Noise was good. It drowned out the voices in my head, soothed my worried soul, and made me forget there was a uniform fit for a strip club in my bag.
As I pulled up to the driveway of my house, the radio blaring country music all but vanished to my ears. I was suffering from shock. I knew it, but I still couldn’t comprehend it. Parked in my driveway was my father’s enormous heavy-duty pickup truck, and the figure in the driver’s seat told me Dad was waiting for me. My heart began to race as I wondered if my outlandish job had somehow succeeded in breaking the ice between us. Would he forgive me now? Would I forgive him? He’d ruined my career, written me off and cast me aside, all because he didn’t like who I was dating. But he was my father, and I knew I’d forgive him of everything to have him in my life again. I was loyal too.
Pulling my truck up beside his, I turned off the engine, disbelieving he was really here. Had I fallen asleep on the plane, and all of this was just a bizarre dream? But no, as Dad stepped out of his truck, I knew this was reality. Even my own head couldn’t perfect the scowl on my father’s lips. If this wasn’t a thaw between us, then it must be something more sinister. But what more could he possibly do to me? That realization made me feel more at peace as I exited my vehicle. The worst was over.
“Dad…what are you doing here?” I asked, shutting my door and walking over to him.
Dad’s face hardened as he tried to stare me down. Raising my chin, I held my ground. “I saw you on TV,” he said. My gut clenched, but I did my best to not let it show on my face. Dad’s eyes glinted with distaste. “You looked like a two-bit whore, Mackenzie.”
And there it was. Dad truly wasn’t holding back any punches; he must be desperate to make me crack. Well, he wasn’t going to today. “It was the only job I could get, Dad.” Tilting my head, I asked, “Are you really upset about the outfit, or is it the name on the outfit that bothered you so much, you felt the need to wait on my doorstep to tell me how awful I looked?”
Dad averted his eyes, and his face grew stormy. He usually kept a tight rein on his emotions, but like water trickling from a leaky faucet, they were slipping through the facade. “You working for him isn’t right. You don’t belong there,” he said, his eyes snapping back to mine. There was pain in his features and in his voice. This was killing him. It was killing me too.
Taking a step toward him, I snapped back, “I know! I belong on a bike, racing for a team who understands and supports me. But you took that from me!” Before I could stop myself, I poked him in the shoulder.
Dad glanced down at where I’d touched him, and when his eyes returned to mine, the stern stoicism was back. “I did what I had to do to show you what a huge mistake you were making. As a parent, that is sometimes necessary. But not once was anything ever meant to intentionally harm you.” His arm lifted, and he extended a finger in the direction of the practice track. “But taking a job with him was a definite and deliberate attempt to harm me. Your mother would be horrified,” he said, lowering his arm. “If the sickness hadn’t already put her in an early grave, your betrayal would have.”
His words cut so deep, I felt like I was bleeding out; my legs even started shaking. “That’s not fair. I only took the job because you…you left me no…” My voice warbled until eventually the emotion swallowed it.
I couldn’t believe what he’d just said to me. It wasn’t just mean, it was cruel. Anger reignited my voice. “I’m sorry you lost Cox Racing, Dad. I’m sorry you’re eventually going to lose the building to Keith. And I’m really sorry you don’t like Hayden…but none of that should affect our relationship, it shouldn’t divide our family! My job aside, the man in my life aside…I’m blood, we’re blood! And blood should mean more than all that crap!”
Dad only raised an eyebrow at my outburst, but that one gesture spoke volumes to me. “Exactly, Mackenzie. Blood should mean more.” Heat flared in my chest as we stared at each other. He was calm and cool, while I was breathing so hard, I looked like I’d just run a marathon.
With those final words, Dad turned around and got into his truck. I stared in shocked silence as I watched him back out of the driveway. By his expression, you’d never know he’d just verbally slapped me in the face. Keith had called him manipulative, vindictive, cold, and I’d never once in a million years thought I would agree with anything that man said, but in this case…goddamn it…Keith was right. My father was taking this too far.
***