Owned: A Driven World Novel (The Driven World) Read online

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Introduction

  Copyright

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  Other Books

  About the Author

  Also Written by K Bromberg

  Dear Reader,

  Welcome to the Driven World!

  I’m so excited you’ve picked up this book! Owned is a book based on the world I created in my New York Times bestselling Driven Series. While I may be finished writing this series (for now), various authors have signed on to keep them going. They will be bringing you all-new stories in the world you know while allowing you to revisit the characters you love.

  This book is entirely the work of the author who wrote it. While I allowed them to use the world I created and may have assisted in some of the plotting, I took no part in the writing or editing of the story. All praise can be directed their way.

  I truly hope you enjoy Owned. If you’re interested in finding more authors who have written in the KB Worlds, you can visit www.kbworlds.com.

  Thank you for supporting the writers in this project and me.

  Happy Reading,

  K. Bromberg

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead are entirely coincidental.

  © 2020 KB WORLDS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people.

  Published by KB Worlds LLC.

  Cover Design by: Tugboat Design

  Cover Image by: Reggie Deanching at RplusMphoto

  Cover Model: Ryan Stanton

  Editing by: Missy Borucki

  Proofreader: Natasha Carrere

  Formatting by: Champagne Book Design

  Published in the United States of America

  KJ

  “Come on, sweetheart. You have to congratulate Rusty on his win.”

  “But, Dad, Rusty cheated. He shouldn’t have won the race.” I know I sound like a brat, but I don’t care right now. Rusty is a jerk for cutting me off. I should’ve been in first place instead of second. Quarter midget racing is tough. Being the only girl on the circuit makes it even worse.

  “Kathy Jo Lennon, now!” my dad yells at me from the winner’s circle.

  Ugh. I take my helmet off, throwing it onto the seat of my car. My dad may be convinced he’s a nice kid, but Rusty and I are in the same third-grade class, and I know all about him. Rusty Morris cheats on his math tests just like he cheats in racing.

  I rub the sweat from my forehead and redo my ponytail as I take my time heading Rusty’s way. Of course, all the other kids and their families are congratulating him. It’s the last race of the season, and I came in second for the year. I could have won first place if I finished ahead of Rusty today. But because he’s a cheater, I have to settle for next best.

  Being a professional IndyCar racer, I know my dad doesn’t like cheaters, so why does he let Rusty get away with it? He said something once about when it matters cheaters don’t win. But he won today, and that makes me mad.

  I continue my slow walk over to where the cheater and his family are celebrating. My dad bumps my shoulder silently telling me to put my feelings aside and be a bigger person. So I do, but I don’t like it.

  “Congratulations, Rusty.” I shove my hand out to his.

  The jerk doesn’t take it, instead he smirks. “Tough luck about your spinout.”

  My fists clench as I imagine popping him in the nose. But before I can teach him a thing or two, my dad places his strong arm around my shoulder. It’s Alexander Lennon’s way of telling me to cool my engine. He knows how I feel. After all, my dad is a champion. He’s been tapped and spun out a lot. I guess there are grown-up jerks too.

  “If you’re going to continue to race, you need to learn to be gracious when you win and when you lose. Learn from each loss and see how you can improve. There will always be someone who won’t want to see you do well, KJ. Use how that makes you feel and focus on winning. That’s the best way to prove them wrong.”

  “Is it because I’m a girl?”

  My dad picks me up and places me on top of the wooden fence that lines the parking lot. “I suppose some people won’t like racing against a girl. But I have a feeling, by the time you’re old enough, it won’t matter much. Your talent is your talent, no matter your gender. Just flash them your beautiful smile and then leave ’em in the dust.”

  “I’ll get him next year, Dad. I promise.”

  The whole day isn’t lost, though, because my dad takes me for ice cream on the way home. It’ll probably be the last time we go for ice cream since we will be on the road in a few weeks for another one of my dad’s races. This time we’re heading to Pennsylvania for a race in the Poconos. My tutor, Nina, will come with us because we will head to California for a while after the race. She keeps me on track with school. Sometimes I think she and my dad like each other the way grown-ups do.

  Two days later, I’m reading in my room when my dad calls me downstairs. I throw my book onto my bed and make my way down to the kitchen where I see him sitting with a man and a young boy. I’ve never met them before, but the boy looks to be around my age.

  “KJ, I want you to meet Mr. Donavan and his son. I think you’ve heard me mention Donavan Racing before.”

  “Nice to meet you, KJ. And please call me Colton. And this is my son, Zander. I think you two are about the same age. Your dad tells me you’re a great driver.”

  “I only came in second in the Quarter Midgets this year because Rusty cheated,” I blurt out. Zander, who has said nothing, giggles for a second, then covers his mouth when I glare at him.

  “Why don’t you take Zander out back and show him your remote-control racetrack?” my dad says to me with a wink.

  I don’t know if I like this kid or not. I guess we’ll see if he can beat me. “Come on, Zander. I’ve got something to show you.”

  His eyes go from mine to his dads with a questioning look. “It’s all right, Z. I’ll be right in here.”

>   My potential new friend follows me out to my backyard. When Zander sees the large track taking up quite a bit of space, his eyes go wide. “Wow, this is cool,” he says as he runs over to the controls. “I’ll race ya.”

  I don’t think he knows how good I am. I’ll let him think he can beat me. “Okay, what color car do you want?”

  “Red!”

  “All right, Zander. Take the red controller. I’ll be green. Let me line them up at the starting line. How many laps do you wanna go?”

  He wrinkles his nose while he thinks. “How about five?”

  That’s nothing, but I don’t tell him that. He’s going to eat my dust and never want to race me again.

  “I’ll line the cars up and I’ll switch on the lights. Red means stop, and green means go.”

  Zander rolls his eyes at me. “Duh. I’m not stupid, KJ. I watch my dad race.”

  “Geez, okay. Are you ready?”

  He nods as he stares at the starting line.

  I flip the switch that starts the timer. The red light comes on and I see Zander flinch. I’m surprised when he restrains himself. He’s an amateur, after all.

  My hand grips the controller tightly. I can’t let him beat me. I glance over at him for a second. His eyes are focused as he bites into his lower lip. Suddenly, the light turns green, but I don’t see it because I’m still looking at him.

  I’m broken out of my trance when I realize I hear his car buzzing past me. Damn it! I hit my controller with all my might, but Zander has a lead on me as we go into turn one.

  “Shit!”

  Zander glances at me out of the corner of his eye. Must be because he’s never heard a girl swear before.

  “Come on,” he mutters under his breath as I inch my way closer in the last turn of the course. I’ve made up some time, but he still leads me through the next three laps.

  My heart pounds in my chest as I close the gap, inching closer to the back of Zander’s bumper.

  “Shit!” he responds. I giggle because the kid has hardly said anything since he got here, and now he sounds like me.

  I finally pass him on the fourth lap, but he’s right behind me. I can’t gain enough momentum to put some distance between us. His car is right on my bumper. I shift my feet, willing my car to go faster. He’s still too close as we cross the start-finish line for the last lap. Maybe I should’ve said ten laps minimum.

  My car pulls away just a bit into turn one, but I make a mistake. My finger twitches as I mistakenly relax, and Zander passes me in the third turn.

  Pressing the control harder doesn’t make up for my mistake as Zander takes the advantage and increases his lead into the last turn.

  I feel the tears well in my eyes as I realize this kid, who probably has never raced before, is going to beat me. And then he does it. Zander Donavan takes the checkered flag as he crosses the line first.

  “That was so much fun!” he yells as I try to control my emotions but fail miserably.

  I throw my control down. “It’s just a stupid game anyway. If I ever see you on a real racetrack, you better know, you’ll never beat me.”

  I storm off to my room, hoping never to see the likes of Zander Donavan again.

  KJ

  Seventeen Years Later

  The jazz music pipes into the bar from the banquet hall as the gala’s attendees air kiss each other. The charity event is for a good cause, so I don’t really mind being here. It’s the fakeness of some people that drives me crazy.

  I lean against the bar in my red Giorgio Armani dress. Several people throw me looks that say a woman shouldn’t be hanging at the bar. But I don’t care. My feet are killing me and the Spanx I’m wearing makes it difficult to breathe.

  “KJ Lennon?” I hear from behind me. I hesitate to turn because I’m somewhat socially awkward when it comes to these types of events.

  Placing my glass of champagne down, I turn to find a very sexy silver fox standing in front of me.

  “I’m Declan and a big fan. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Nice to meet you too,” I almost gasp when his hand takes mine. He has strong hands and a killer smile.

  “Mind if I join you? Social events aren’t really my thing.”

  I stare at him for a moment because . . . damn. Yeah, he’s probably ten or so years older than I am, but the man is sexier than any of the young hotshots here tonight. In fact, he may be one of the most perfect men I’ve ever seen.

  “Of course,” I finally stammer out.

  “Bushmills, neat,” Declan orders from the bartender.

  “So, do you come here often?”

  We both laugh at his classic pickup line. “I’m not comfortable at these events either.”

  “I hear ya. I would much rather write a check than rub elbows with the socialites.”

  His throat bobs as he takes a sip of his whiskey. And did I mention his lips? The way they glisten with small remnants of his drink—why is it sexy? I mean, why do I want to lick them clean? Declan is a stranger to me.

  My heart races at the thought. I’m not a prude, and yeah, I’ve had a few one-night stands. Don’t judge me. It’s hard to date when you’re in the public eye as much as I am. I’m a no strings attached girl.

  Declan turns to me. His blue eyes lighting up. My stomach does a flip when the corners of his mouth form into a sexy smirk, as if he knows I’ve been staring at those lips.

  “You’re off to a good start this season.”

  We are only three races in, but I feel pretty confident about placing in the top three this year.

  “Thank you. So, you’re a race fan?”

  “You could say that. But you probably don’t want to talk shop tonight, huh?”

  He’s right. Although I love racing, during the season, it consumes me. Once in a while, I try to escape from the pressure.

  “It’s that obvious?” I smile.

  “No, but I imagine it can get tiring after a while. After all, there’s more to life than business, right?”

  “Absolutely,” I smile at my new friend.

  “Should I worry that your boyfriend will show up here wanting to tear me limb from limb?”

  Okay, so here’s the thing. Usually, I act as if I have someone waiting for me, even when I’m dateless, but Declan intrigues me with his forwardness.

  “No boyfriend,” I admit before taking another sip. Liquid courage is a good thing right now because this man is making me nervous. But it’s a good kind of nervous.

  “I find that hard to believe. You’re absolutely stunning, but I guess dating can be difficult when you’re in the spotlight so much.”

  I swallow the sudden lump in my throat. He thinks I’m stunning? I could say the same thing about him. Although, I’m not sure men like to be called stunning.

  “Thank you and yes, it’s hard.”

  He raises an eyebrow. Oh god. He’s flirting with me. The question is, do I want to flirt back?

  Declan

  God, I’m an asshole. Here I am leading KJ to a more private place to continue getting to know each other. If I were a better man, I’d stop this right now and be honest with her as to who I am. But I’m not, and now her hand is on my ass as she’s glued to my back.

  “Here,” I whisper as I open the pool house door.

  KJ giggles behind me. “This is crazy.”

  She’s right, even though she doesn’t know just how crazy. Sure, we’ve spent the last hour making small talk and laughing at some of the old stodgy socialites. But when the flirting started to get a little too sexy for the room, I knew we needed to go somewhere private.

  Once the door shuts behind us, I pull her up against my body. My hands go to her face as I slam my lips to hers. I’m brutal, but she responds with an equal force. She licks my bottom lip while my hands move from her face down her body to her hips.

  I moan into her mouth as she presses her hips against me. There’s no way I can hide just how hard I am for her. And maybe I want her to know.

 
Just as things heat up, some fucker walks in to check the place out.

  KJ jumps out of my arms, and her hand quickly covers her mouth.

  “Oh shit, sorry,” he announces. He’s in and out quickly, but it’s just enough time to break the sexual tension.

  “What are we doing in here, Declan?”

  I run my hand through my hair. “Well, I thought we were getting to know each other better,” I huff out, still trying to catch my breath from that kiss.

  As soon as KJ smooths her long blond hair, I know our time has ended.

  “I think maybe someone is telling us this isn’t a good idea, Declan. Obviously, we are attracted to each other, but we probably shouldn’t be doing this since we’ll never see each other after tonight.”

  My chest tightens at her comment because she doesn’t know just how wrong she is.

  I haven’t been able to sleep much since I met KJ at the charity event in Atlanta a week ago. Worrying about her reaction once she finds out who I am, left my mind spinning until four o’clock this morning.

  “Hey, what’s wrong with you? Have you changed your mind about this?” my brother, Patrick, asks as he hands me another cup of coffee.

  “Of course not. I’ve thought long and hard about it. You need to take some time and enjoy your new life. I just hope I can live up to your expectations.”

  My older brother has finally decided to go on the road with his fiancée. She travels for her job and it’s been stressful on them both.

  “Brother, once I’m gone, you can do as you wish. It’s your company after this year. You know I’ve left my legacy. Maureen can’t take over, so unless you’re ready to sell it, then you’re the only option.”

  I’m the only option, which is laughable. Perhaps I should sell the company, but it just doesn’t seem like the right thing to do just yet. Not so soon after Patrick gives me the reins.

  Patrick glances at his watch. “You about ready to make your debut?”

  My debut? Well, that was last week. But I guess I can’t put it off any longer. “I’m ready.”