Traction - Dani Rene Page 0,10

a car the first time till the moment I did today, I’d never come second. But with her shoving me off the top podium, even though it wasn’t a real race, I felt the sting, and I took it out on her.

I lather up and quickly rinse off before killing the spray and stepping out of the shower. It doesn’t take long for me to get dressed and head into the living room to find my phone ringing.

The moment I see the name on the screen, I groan. I consider briefly if I should ignore it, but I know if I do, she’ll only keep calling.

“Mom,” I answer, shutting my eyes because I know what’s coming.

“Kayden, I’ve heard whispers from the social circles. What is going on with Mercer Industries? You know your father built that from the ground up. He would be so disappointed in you for allowing it to fall through the cracks like this.”

“Mom, please,” I beg, but I know it’s no use. Once she’s got her mind set on making me feel terrible, she won’t give up until I lose it and tell her to leave me the fuck alone. As much as I love her, she’s not the nicest person to be around. Which is also why I’ve never taken a woman home.

If my father were still alive, I would’ve done it no problem, but the moment I step foot in that house with someone who isn’t what my mother deems perfect, I know it will only end in tears.

“I just want you to be responsible.”

“I know what I’m doing. Can you please just allow me to make my own choices? It’s not like you want to take over or help in any way,” I bite out, my jaw ticking in frustration as I sigh when I realize I should’ve been nicer. But she always does this, has my blood boiling within seconds of talking to me.

She doesn’t speak for a long while, and I wonder if she’s just going to hang up on me. There’s no chance of that happening because when she wants to make a point, she’s not going to let it go. “Your father wanted that business to be passed down through generations. The fact that these men want you out clearly shows you’re not doing a good job. If you’re even doing the job at all.”

I’m tempted, so fucking tempted, to hang up, but it’s my mother. One thing Dad always taught me was to respect her, to respect women in general, and that’s when the guilt of what I did today eats away at me. The way I spoke to the woman who kicked my ass, how I lost my cool, wasn’t right.

I’ll make it right tomorrow. I’ll apologize, and hopefully, she can see past the asshole she met today and realize I’m not that bad.

“I’m going into the office tomorrow; I’m going to call a meeting, and I will talk to them. Feel free to attend. You do know where the office is, right?” The snark in my voice is ice cold, but I don’t feel guilt for it because I know it won’t even bother her.

The one thing I learned about my mother is that she’s an ice queen when she wants to be. Her feelings can be turned off so easily sometimes I wonder if she’s even human at all. Perhaps that’s where I got that side of me from.

My father was always a gentle, affectionate man. With me, he did have a stricter side, but for most people around him, they saw him as the kind man he was.

“This is your legacy,” she snaps. “I expect you to run it properly.” And then she does hang up, and I know I won’t hear from her again until she’s heard from those assholes. I’m going to make sure they listen to me tomorrow because I’m no longer a kid. I’m a grown-ass man.

Sighing, I set my phone on the counter and make my way to the fridge and pull it open to find a bottle of water. Twisting the cap, I take a long swig and try to calm myself.

There’s nothing I want more than to relieve some stress, but if I call Curtis or Pax, I know it will end in a late night. And that’s not something I can afford. Grabbing my phone again, I type a long email to the board, adding each member and hit send. Then, to add to that, I