Force: A Driven World Novel (The Driven World)

to keep on. “I was scared. In the beginning, I was so damn scared every time I had to watch you get in the car, but I trusted you. I knew you’d always be as safe as you possibly could. But while my head knew all of that, I started to get these panic attacks.” She shakes her head as if the mere memory of them is enough to bring her pain. “I could control it most of the time, but the more it happened, the more I knew that one day you’d see. You'd see me lose it, and I couldn’t let that happen, Tuck.”
“Why the hell not?” I demand, pissed that she was feeling all of that without telling me. I should have known. I should have been there for her when she was going through it. Lifting her off my lap, I stand and start to pace around the bedroom. “Why wouldn’t you tell me?”
"I knew that if you had any idea how I was feeling, you’d quit. I couldn’t do that. I just couldn’t.” Her huge eyes stare up at me beseechingly. “I walked away so you could have your dreams,” she adds softly.
“You were my dream!” the words explode from me on an angry yell.
“I couldn’t risk it! I couldn’t live with the chance that you’d end up resenting me!” she yells back.
“Our future wasn’t your choice to make alone, Brooke.”
“I did what I thought was right at the time. I wouldn’t take it back, Tuck. Not a minute.”
“What?” I ask on an incredulous bark.
“I’ve missed you every day,” she tells me as she moves to stand toe to toe with me. “But look at us now. Look at how far we’ve come. I gave up on us so you could do the one thing you loved, the one thing you craved, without me holding you back. Don’t you see that? I gave up ten years of my life with you for all of that, and I’ll be damned if that bitch is going to make my sacrifice be all for nothing. We’re not letting her win.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
BROOKE
“We’re not letting her win.” Tucker’s slate gray eyes swirl with confusion as he stares down at me, and I feel a twinge of guilt at dumping all of that shit on him just now. But he needed to know. He needs to know that I’m not giving up. All these years without him have shown me that’s not the life I want.
It was time for him to finally know the truth, that it was never his fault that I left. I spent years trying to convince myself and my family that it was because I didn’t want to come second to racing, but that wasn’t the case. Not really.
“You should have told me.” His words are pained.
“I’m so sorry.”
“I’m not letting you go again. If you try to run this time, I’ll find you and drag you right back.” I don’t answer because he steals the words when he presses his mouth desperately hard against mine. This kiss is a domination. His tongue is in a battle with mine. But this is one war I’m happy to lose. As long as losing means I get to experience this with Tucker.
Lifting me in his strong arms, he starts to carry me toward his bed, but we don’t get more than a few steps before we’re interrupted by the sound of the front door buzzing. It takes a while for the sound to register through the lusty haze I’m in, but the door shouldn’t be ringing like that. We’ve had the press camped out for days now, and the security was increased to stop them from trying to sneak inside.
The only people with access are Tucker’s legal team, Colton, and Zander. None of those should be here when it’s barely eight-am. Fear prickles at my spine. Unless there’s something wrong. My heart sinks at the thought of there being more bad news. I’m trying my best to appear strong, but I'm not sure how much more we can take.
“Fuck. I didn’t realize the time.” Tucker drops me to my feet and drags a shirt off the floor next to the bed. “Get dressed, babe.” He drops a too quick kiss on my lips before he walks out of the room, leaving me wondering what the hell just happened.
Throwing on a pair of yoga pants and a crumpled t-shirt, I quickly race after him. The shirt is barely over my head when the sound of a familiar voice comes from the living room. What the hell?
Tears well in my eyes and an overwhelming sense of relief hits me when I turn the corner and see Bailey standing there. My sister. I had no idea how much I needed her until right this minute. I fly toward her, almost knocking us both to the ground as I tackle-hug her full force.
We’re both a tear damp mess by the time we let each other go. Turning to face Tucker, I see he’s wearing the first genuine smile I’ve seen on him since this nightmare began.
“Surprise.” Opening his arms for me, I burrow into him.
“Thank you.”
“Anything for you, my Brooke.”
***
Once we’ve finally gotten our emotions under control, I take Bailey to sit out on the balcony so Tucker can take a call from Colton.
“I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Tuck arranged it all. He was worried about you.”
“It’s him that’s going through it, not me.”
“That doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect you too, though,” she says, squeezing my hand that she hasn’t let go of since she got here. “How have you been?”
“That first day…” I suck in a deep, fortifying breath, the memories of watching Tucker being handcuffed and taken away replaying in my mind on a loop. “I was a mess. I don’t even remember most of it after they took him.”
“I wish I had been here.”
“Me too. But you’re here now, and that’s all that matters.”
“You’re lucky it’s just me. I