Power Twist: Power Play Series Book 2

by Mitchell, Kennedy L.

  “You make me sound pathetic,” I grumble, shoving around the bits of creamed corn left on my plate with the plastic fork.

  “You were. We made you badass.” I incline my head, accepting his statement. “I took a chance on the poor girl, and it worked out for the both of us. Hardest worker I've ever had to date. On her breaks, you'd always find her with a cigarette in one hand and flash cards in the other.”

  I snort and push the near-empty tray across the rough wood table. “You and the other guys corrupted me in the best way.” I don't stop my smirk as I glance over to Trey, who's scanning the restaurant with his head tilted toward the table, listening to every word. “Someday I'd like to come in and actually pay to have more work done.”

  “You for real?” he asks, uncertainty lingering in his questioning tone.

  “Yeah. Why do you sound surprised?”

  His wide shoulders rise and fall, and I swear the bench bounces with the movement. Tiny might be his name, but he's the exact opposite. The man makes T look small with his tall frame and bulk. Sure, he's not as in shape as my guys, but the man could still own any person in the restaurant if they so much as looked at him the wrong way. I'd like to call him a gentle giant, but he isn't unless you're in his inner circle. Which, thankfully, I weaseled my way into somehow.

  “I watched you during the campaign and seen pictures since. You never show your tats. Figured you were ashamed of them or something now that you're big-time.”

  “First of all,” I interject, “I'm not big-time. I'm just as small-time as I ever was, believe me. Second, it wasn't my choice to keep your pretty art covered. The campaign manager thought it would better if I kept them covered since it would already be an uphill battle getting the shitheads in DC to accept me.”

  “Did it help?”

  “No,” I grumble. Reaching out, I tug on Taeler's long blonde ponytail to draw her attention back to the conversation. Her eyes stay glued to something in the corner of the restaurant. Huh. Leaning forward, I look around Tiny and follow her line of sight.

  My eyes narrow when I find what's snagged her undivided attention.

  “Taeler Lynn, don't even think about it.” I turn her face to meet mine, her eyes reluctantly following. “No.”

  “But he's cute,” she practically whines as she bounces on the bench.

  “No.” One hundred percent no.

  “Why?”

  “You can't find one of my agents hot.”

  An interrupting cough sounds from somewhere close. I roll my eyes and wave Trey off.

  “That doesn't make any sense. I'm just looking.” Her eyes slide back to the corner where Grem stands, hands casually clasped. “How old is he anyway?”

  “I don't—”

  “Twenty-seven.”

  Eyes narrowed, I turn to glare at a smiling Trey. “Stay out of this, Trouble.” For several seconds, I hold his stare in a standoff. “She doesn't need that kind of distraction.”

  “Oh, like you do?”

  Shifting along the bench, I turn my annoyed glare to Tiny. “And what exactly does that mean?”

  He laughs, smacking his palm on top of the table. The trays rattle and the roll of paper towels tumbles to the ground.

  “Seriously, you think I'm blind or something? You two,” he says, pointing between me and Trey. “There's something going on there.”

  “Tiny,” I growl in warning.

  “Mom! Wait, are you dating them both?”

  “Shh,” I hiss as I glance around, making sure no one's listening to our conversation. “No, I'm not dating them both.”

  “So you are dating one of them.”

  “Fuck me.” Leaning forward, I rest my face in my palms. “Why are you ganging up on me?”

  “Because it's fun,” Taeler says on a laugh. “He's cute though.”

  Peering between my fingers, I catch her blatantly checking Trey out. “Taeler, watch it.”

  “Real cute.” Leaning across the table, stretching out as long as she can, Taeler reaches out a hand to Trey. “Hi, I don't think we officially met earlier. I'm Taeler.” With a tilt of her head, she nods to me. “Her amazing daughter who stupidly picked the wrong night to sneak out and get tailed by some random person. So tell me, are you dating my mom?”

  With a smirk stretching his kissable lips, Trey grasps Taeler's hand and gives it a quick shake before resuming his 'high alert' stance.

  “Nice to meet you, Taeler. I've heard a lot about you, all good things.” My breath catches when his twinkling honey brown eyes meet mine. “And no, I'm not dating your mom, but I'd like to one day.”

  “Why not now?”

  My gaze volleys between the two, a held breath burning in my lungs as I wait for his answer.

  “Can't. Not yet at least.” Something smolders beneath his gaze, a promise of some kind, before turning back to Taeler. “When I'm not responsible for keeping her safe, then I'll be able to properly date her.”

  “So you're not properly dating now?” Taeler says with a smirk of her own. “Does that mean you're just friends with benefits?”

  “Okay.” I hold up both hands in surrender. “We're done with this conversation.”

  “Why? It was just getting good, Mom.”

  “I am not talking about this with you.”

  “You mean sex?”

  “Tiny!” I shout and immediately slouch lower to avoid the pointed glares from the other patrons. “Stop egging them on.” Gripping my light windbreaker, I tug the edges closed. “Okay, I have to ask, what's with the glares people are giving me?” Part of me actually wants to know while the other part just wants to break up this slightly embarrassing and very personal conversation.

  “Um, because they hate you,” Taeler says with a huff. “Come on, Mom. Don't tell me you're so busy you're not watching the polls anymore.”

  “Umm,” I draw out, trying to stall. Shit, when was the last time I checked our approval rating?

  Taeler rolls her beautiful blue eyes. “Well, to catch you up, everyone blames you for living paycheck to paycheck.”

  “What? How? I'm doing what I can,” I defend. My pulse races as I scan the restaurant again, finding even more glares focused my way. “I'm trying to stop it.”

  “How?”

  “I'm trying to whip votes in the House and the Senate—”

  “Mom, what the hell are you talking about?”

  “The voting bill. What the hell are you talking about?”

  “The stupid high gas prices.” Looking left and then right, Taeler leans forward, pressing her elbows to the table. “Gas prices have jumped at least two dollars a gallon since you took office. Everyone's blaming you and Kyle. Something about tightening EPA standards on drilling. I don’t know much. Do you really not know anything?”

  My mouth gapes, but no words come out.

  “I don't understand.” Shaking my head, I lean back, resting against the metal wall. “I haven't been briefed on any of this.”

  “Haven't you noticed? Watched the news at all?” she questions.

  Looking to Trey, I search his face for answers. “I don't drive anymore, so no, I haven't been to a gas station in forever. And honestly, I used to watch it every morning but lately I’ve been too busy stopping the ludicrous bill and focusing on other projects.

  “Well, you need to look into it and figure that shit out.” Tiny's hand presses on top of my own. “Rumors are it's only going to keep going up as the supply and demand continues to unbalance.”

  “What the hell is going on? Why would people think we are directly responsible for that?” I whisper to myself.

  “That's what we want to know,” Taeler says. Her phone chirps, drawing her worried gaze to the blinking screen. Immediately her eyes widen before flicking up to me. “Um, so Dad's here.”

  “What!” I shout and shoot off the bench. Only I don't have enough clearance to stand, and with Tiny's weight keeping the bench where it is, I bounce right back to the seat. “Why the fuck is he here?”

>   “I called him to let him know what was going on,” she whines. “He must have gotten in the truck and headed south.”

  “What's going on?” T demands, palms on the table and leaning in close like we're about to discuss a top-secret mission.

  “Taeler's dad, my ex, is here.”

  “Is he dangerous?” T asks, brows raised.

  “No,” I grumble, crossing both arms over my chest in a full-on pout. “Can this night get any worse?”

  “I need fucking snacks for this shit show,” Tiny says as he stands from the table. “Do not start the show before I get back. You want some banana pudding?”

  Nodding, I flip him the bird. “I thought you were on my side.”

  “Doll, I am, but this is the most entertainment I've had in years. Don't blame me for enjoying it.”

  I watch as he ambles through the crowd, bumping against several guest’s shoulders with his thick hips as he makes his way down the tight rows of benches and chairs.

  “Should I be worried?” I startle at Trey's lips against my ear.

  “No,” I whisper. “It's… we're… it's history.”

  “Not very convincing, Mess.”

  Taeler pushes from the table and hooks a thumb toward the door. “You two talk, I'll go get dad. He's headed to the restaurant from Hoodwink.”

  “I'll go with you—”

  A heavy hand shoves down on my shoulder, keeping me in my seat.

  “Not a chance, Mess.” Trey raises a hand and motions for Grem. “Go outside with Taeler. Make sure she's safe while she waits on her dad.”

  A sly smile spreads across Taeler's lips. “I like you already. Thanks, Trey.”

  The chatter of the restaurant filters in, providing the perfect background noise to keep our conversation private.

  “He's a good guy,” Trey says above me, his eyes tracking the entire restaurant. “Also he knows if anything happens, you'll have his balls for it, so she's safe on all fronts.”

  Not wanting to see another death glare, I keep my eyes on the rough wooden table. “What's with the gas price thing?”

  His shoulders rise and fall. “Not sure. I've noticed it too but never thought you had something to do with it. No clue why they do, though maybe that’s because I know what you do day in and day out. But it's not good. These people are not happy.”

  “Awesome. Just one more thing for me to fucking deal with.” Pulling out my phone, I quickly type a reminder note to look into it once we're back in DC. “The bill, Russians, Taeler's hormones, and now rising gas prices I have no damn idea what to do about. Good thing none of those are major,” I say with an incredulous laugh. “Fuck.”

  “You need more help, Mess. You need a team bigger than you, Jessica, and your admin.”

  “I know, but I don't have anyone else I can trust.” Rolling my shoulders, I shake out my tight fingers. “It's fine. I can handle it.”

  “Mess—”

  “It's fine. I have dozens of people working on other projects for me, so I do have help. I need to handle these things personally though. Especially the Taeler thing.” Craning my neck, I try to see to the front door. “Think they're okay out there?”

  “Pretty sure he already has her pants off,” T deadpans.

  I try to bolt off the bench, but two hands grip my shoulders, shoving me back into the seat with more force than necessary. “I'm kidding, Randi. They're fine. Grem just reported in. Your ex just pulled into the parking lot.”

  “I need a drink,” I grumble.

  “Not a great idea,” T says, glancing around the small eating area. “In fact, can we do this reunion somewhere else?”

  “Or avoid it altogether?” I say with a wince. “Ben's a great guy, it's just… awkward now. I haven't seen him since I left for the campaign trail, and that was what, two years ago?”

  “Someone ask the manager if we can use his private office for a while.” Relaxing his wrist from where it was positioned against his mouth, T purses his lips and looks around the restaurant. “Smells damn good in here.”

  I tug on his suit jacket, snagging his attention. “Once Ben's here and we're one big cozy family in the back office of this place, you and the guys rotate eating.” His brows furrow as he shakes his head. “T, it’ll be fine. Seriously, what else could happen tonight? China stopping by for a coffee?” I try to add as much humor into my voice as I can, but fuck, I'm exhausted.

  “I'll think about it,” he says with a sigh. “Only because as punishment for his going behind my back, Benson here will be stationed outside the door the entire time. I trust him to keep you safe.”

  “Me too.” I smile up to the frowning Trey. “Sorry about earlier. Kind of forgot that we're not supposed to be a thing.”

  “It's fine,” he grumbles. “But seriously, man, no BBQ? That's cruel on so many levels. Why you gotta be so mean?”

  “Did you just quote a Taylor Swift song?”

  “What?” he says, feigning shock. “I had no idea it was a song.”

  “Riiiight.” I playfully shove his hip.

  The feeling of being watched draws my gaze back to the front door. Ben's piercing blue eyes meet mine. Not sure what I expected, but the nothingness as our eyes remain connected wasn't one of them. I track his every move as he weaves through the crowded restaurant, Taeler several steps behind.

  “Hey, Rand,” Ben says, pausing on the other side of the table, both hands shoved deep in the back pockets of his Wranglers.

  My lips part, ready to respond, when T presses a large palm between my shoulder blades, stopping me.

  “The manager's office is clear. Let's get you off the floor.”

  “What?” All eyes turn to Tiny, whose tray is stacked with small Styrofoam cups. “I wanted to watch,” he whines as he drops the tray to the table with a huff.

  No one says another word as we shuffle through the kitchen's swinging door, down the dark hall, and then squish into the small office. Taeler asks Ben about his drive down, but I don't listen for his response as I turn to the still-open door.

  “I'll be right outside,” Trey says, looking at Ben instead of me. “You good?”

  “Yeah.” I glance over my shoulder. “This won't take long.”

  His lips purse, the edges turning white.

  “It's fine. He won't hurt me.”

  “That's not what I'm worried about,” he mutters under his breath as he closes the door. “Yell if you need me.” With an exhausted sigh, I turn toward the middle of the office. “And Randi.” Chin on my shoulder, I glance back to Trey with both brows raised. “You're mine. Don't forget it.”

  Wetness pools between my thighs as a quiver vibrates low in my gut at the intensity of his words and the blazing heat behind his eyes. Gawking at him, I hold a tight breath as the door closes, his face disappearing behind the thick door. I clear my throat, trying to regain some of the composure his claiming words stole. The edge of the desk presses into my backside as I sit facing Ben and Taeler. Once, twice, and a third time, I cross my legs and then cross them the other way, unable to get comfortable.

  Fucking hell, why does his dominant possessiveness turn me on so much? If he were in here with me instead of these two, I'd win a gold medal for the fastest undressing ever.

  I clear my throat and attempt to focus on their conversation, but the low throb between my thighs keeps drawing my thoughts back to Trey. I hope he's out there having to guard the door with a raging boner so he's as uncomfortable as me.

  “What do you think, Rand?”

  “Hmm?” I flick my eyes to the closed door. “Did you say something?”

  “What's wrong with you? You're all fidgety.”

  Taeler bursts out laughing. I narrow my eyes at her and shake my head.

  “Dad, seriously?” Taeler says, either not getting my ‘shut it’ hint or just plain not caring. “Have you never seen a woman turned on before? That's just sad.”

  “Taeler Lynn!” I yell and jump off the desk, ready to smack my hand over her lips to ke
ep her quiet.

  “Huh?”

  I roll my eyes at Ben's typical guy response. “For fuck’s sake.”

  “She and that agent guy. There's something—”

  “Out,” I screech as I throw a pointed finger toward the door like a spear. “Now.”

  “Fine by me,” she says with a wink as she shoulders past me. “I'll just wait right outside with Chad.”

  “Chad? Who the fuck is Chad?” I blurt.

  “The cute agent.” She cocks her head to the side, her blonde hair swishing over her shoulder. “What do you call him?”

  “Gremlin,” I grumble. Turning to Ben, I give him my best pleading eyes. “Do something.”

  “So women fidget when they're turned on?”

  “Oh, fucking hell. I seriously need a drink for this shit show. First the Russians and now my ex asking about the complexities of a woman’s hormones.”

  “A simple yes or no would be just fine,” Ben huffs, crossing his arms over his chest. The pearl snaps of his shirt pull at the movement, the sleeves tightening over his thick biceps. Before my world flipped upside down, that simple move was sexy, but now it's just a move.

  “Everything okay in here?” Trey's voice cuts through the hot office air and the rising tension.

  Sealing my eyes shut, I tilt my face to the ceiling. What gods did I piss off this time for this to be my day? First I got my ass beat, then my heart stopped when my daughter called scared, and now here I am with the man I'm sleeping with and my baby daddy all in one tiny office.

  Hell, I don't need a drink, I need a fucking bottle.

  “Taeler, leave. Trey, don't let her out of your sight. Ben, sit your ass down. We need to talk.”

  I swear a cricket chirps in the corner, which is concerning on so many levels.

  Behind me, the door quietly clicks closed. Peeling my eyes back open, I take a deep breath.

  “So you and that guy, huh?” Ben says, finally ending the awkward silence.

  I nod and shrug, then shake my head. “Maybe. I don't know. I kind of have a lot going on right now.”

  With a chuckle, he falls into the rolling chair and leans back. “You look good, Rand.”

  The earlier anger drains at the sincerity in his voice.