The bar.
I order a bourbon on the rocks and take the cool highball glass from the bartender’s extended hand. Turning, I survey the room. Most of the faces I know, and most I don't like, but hey, it's politics—no one likes each other. My searching gaze lands on one sneering face. Lifting my glass, I tip it toward Mr. Hindle. Why the fuck he's here, who knows. Not my party.
A calloused hand caresses my shoulder. I smile behind the thin glass at my lips.
“Careful, Paul went to a lot of trouble to cover up my tattoos. He'll be pissy if you mess up his work.”
“And Tiny will be pissed when he learns you covered up his art.”
“Touché.”
Finally I slide my gaze to Trey, and my stomach flips. Fuck, he's gorgeous. The dark navy suit fits him perfectly, showing off his long muscular legs and trim waist. The crisp cream dress shirt brightens his honey eyes, which are just as greedily taking in every inch of me as I am him.
“You look stunning,” he says, leaning close and ghosting a kiss to my left cheek.
“Same, handsome,” I reply with a wide smile. Taking another sip, I allow the smooth burn down my throat to ground me. I can't jump him in a roomful of people. “How's the happy couple doing this evening?”
“Ecstatic, if anyone else is asking,” Jessica says, coming out of nowhere. Sliding her thin pale hand over Trey's shoulder, she shoots me a sympathetic smile. “I'm sorry, Randi. I know… I mean, I didn't… it's not personal, I swear.” She turns her worried gaze to Trey. “I know who his heart belongs to, but… you wouldn't understand.”
Jealousy blurs my thoughts as I glare at her hand on him. This is the first time we’ve been together since Trey revealed everything, and it’s just as awkward as I knew it would be between us.
“Try me,” I deadpan. My grip tightens around the now-slick glass, threatening to shatter it into a million pieces. How can she say it isn’t personal?
Dropping her hand from his shoulder, she holds it out to me. “Let's go somewhere a little more private.”
Ignoring her offered hand, I shoulder past her and Trey toward a more secluded area of the crowded room. Taking a left down a dim hall, I pause after a few steps and turn.
“Explain, then,” I say with a swipe of my hand, indicating Jessica has the floor so to speak.
She wraps her arms around her middle, her eyes flicking from me to the floor and back again.
“First of all, I didn't know you two were so involved when I conspired with his mother on the new agreement. I had no idea that he… that Trey loves you.” I arch a brow and take a sip of bourbon while holding her imploring gaze over the rim of the glass. “He told me after, but honestly, it wouldn't have changed anything. I'm nothing, no one without being tied to someone like him. Sure, I have some pull, but with Trey, with the Hawthorne and Benson families tied together like this, I'll finally be someone in this town.”
I feel my lips tug downward. “You're saying you’re nothing without a man to stand behind?”
Her slim shoulders rise and fall in a small shrug. “We can't all be like you, Randi.” Her voice is low, but the bite in each word snags my attention.
“Sure you can.” Not sure what the hell possesses me to do so, but I reach out and gently squeeze her thin arm. “Who says you can't?”
She shakes her head. When her gaze finally lifts from the floor, there are tears dampening her lower lids. “Everyone but you,” she chokes out. “I've used my looks and my family name to get where I am today, but that will only last for so long. I need him to survive in this town, Randi. I'm not saying I'll ever compete with you for his love. You already have it. All I'm asking is to borrow him in a way.”
Maybe this is my role in this city. To show all these ass-backward medieval-thinking asshats that we don't need a man to stand behind to be seen. Fuck that.
Maybe that's why I love Trey like I do. He's never asked me to stand behind him, never made me feel like—
What the what?
Maybe that’s why I love Trey?
This isn't the first time the phrase has flitted through my mind, but it is the first time I've said it and had my heart swell with the word.
Good thing it's not bad timing or anything.
“I don't want to hurt you, Randi,” Jessica says, drawing my attention back to the conversation. “I like you. You're amazing, and I want to continue working with you and helping you get a foothold here in DC. I have your back, I swear. I just need him too. It's a long history between our two families. His mother wasn't the only one pushing this coupling.”
“Agh,” I growl. “Coupling. It sounds so ancient. Did y’all’s parents just read Pride and Prejudice or something? I swear this is a play created by the evil aunt from that book.”
Jessica smiles. “If you knew the inner workings of this town, the deals and bargains made, you'd realize this is all a tragedy, not a romance.”
Well, shit. Her words constrict my heart in a vice grip.
Why didn't I just stop all this when I had the chance? Guilt rolls in my gut, turning the bourbon sour.
“I really don't have a choice, do I?” I say on a heavy sigh. “Let's agree on one thing. I won't stop this, but it won't last forever.” Her smile falls. “But in the meantime, we work on you and this town. Let everyone see I'm not the only strong woman in this city, that you don't need a man to prove your importance.”
“Madam Vice President.”
Jessica whips around to find the owner of the voice just down the hall.
“Todd,” I say. “Haven't seen you around in a while. What's shakin’?” Seriously? What the hell is wrong with me?
“I'll leave you two alone,” Jessica murmurs. Turning back to me, she searches my eyes. “Thank you, Randi. For everything.” With that, she ducks her head and slips past Todd to head back in to the celebration.
“We need to talk,” he says, following Jessica out with his eyes on her ass.
I snap my fingers, drawing his attention back to me. “Then talk.”
“I know about your meeting in Chile with the Russian president,” he says too loudly for my liking.
“Shh,” I scold. “That's on a need-to-know basis.”
He steps closer, bordering on entering my personal space.
“Do you know what that means?”
“I get a discount on vodka?”
His brows furrow in a scowl. “This isn't funny, Miss Sawyer.” He says my name like a curse. “That country has been tied in years past to espionage, collusion on cyberattacks, and much, much more. What the hell do you think you're doing?”
Pursing my lips, I force a tight smile. “Pretty sure I don't answer to you, Mr. Secretary. I don't have to explain anything to you. Now get out of my way. I need another drink.”
Todd steps in my path, pressing the heels of his palms to my shoulders. “This could ruin you, Randi. I don't want to see you get mixed up with the wrong people.” Wrapping his fingers around my arms, he rubs his soft hands up and down in a comforting gesture. “The attorney general and Department of Justice, they're circling, looking for who knows what.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. My breaths quicken as I fight the urge to yank free of his grasp. Between it being him and my avoidance to touch, I'm a hairbreadth from screaming.
Sarah's latest training session snaps to the forefront of my mind. With my free hand, I snake my arm around his and grip his shoulder before using the angle to twist him around, slamming his chest to the wall.
“Don't you ever touch a woman without her consent, do you hear me, Todd?” Relaxing my grip, I step back and smooth out my dress in case the scuffle caused the material to ruffle. “Now, I'm going to get my drink, and you're going to keep your mouth shut on what you know. It's not what you think. I can trust them. More than I can you, actually. So don't you act all chivalrous in trying to manage my friends list. I'll see you next month for the G-20 summit.”
Without looking back, I stride down the hal
l. Cutting the corner into the lively party, I nearly smack into Trey.
“Hey,” I huff and make to skirt around him toward the bar, only for him to match my steps, preventing me from passing by.
“Nicely handled, Madam Vice President. Sarah will be proud.”
I pause my attempt to sneak around him. Tilting my chin, I get lost in his beautiful brown eyes that are staring down into mine adoringly.
“Thanks,” I say with a small smile playing at my lips.
“What did you and Jessica talk about?” he asks as he takes a step closer, putting us nearly chest to chest as a waiter passes by with a tray full of tiny hors d’oeuvres. Seriously, why do they think this fancy food is impressive? Why not have a full tray of fried cheese sticks or potato skins? Now that kind of appetizer I can get behind. These fancy caterers need to take a hint from Applebee’s and adjust their menus.
“You, me, you two as a couple.” Saying the words leaves an ache in my chest.
“Please tell me you didn't tell her the plan.”
“Of course I didn't,” I snap. Tipping the highball glass back, I knock an ice cube into my mouth. “Trey,” I say hesitantly, “there's something I need to tell you.”
Almost like he can read me, knows the words I want to say, his facial features soften with a shy smile.
“Not here, Mess. Later, when it's just you and me.”
Swallowing back my rising emotions, I clear my throat and force a smile. “Okay, yeah, that sounds good. So, are you coming—”
“There you are, honey.”
My shoulders tense at the fakeness in the voice, and the earlier love and adoration shining through Trey’s face shutters closed, leaving behind a blank expression. Looking over my shoulder, I keep my features neutral.
She's beautiful, no doubt. Perfection personified. Plump lips pressed into a tight-lipped smile, thin delicate nose that no one is born with, and just enough filler to make her years younger. It’s when I catch her eyes, the same beautiful honey brown of Trey’s, that I put two and two together.
Ah. The evil mother.
“And you must be Randi,” she says with a fake smile.
“It's Madam Vice President, actually,” I correct her as I spin on my heels to face Trey's mother. “And the pleasure is mine, Mrs. Benson. I believe I have you to thank for the bill's failure in the Senate.”
Her gaze quickly flicks to Trey. “I'd do anything for my only son.”
“Tonight, Mess. Wait up for me,” Trey mutters before slipping through the crowd and leaving us alone.
“Love your dress,” she says just before taking a sip of champagne. The judgy look on her face tells me she's lying through her veneers.
“Let's cut the bullshit, shall we?” I laugh and smile in case anyone is monitoring our conversation.
His mother does the same, tilting her glass to me in a mock cheers. “Let's.”
“He told me what he did for your help, how you turned the tables and upped the ante.” To keep my hands from trembling, I grasp the empty glass in both hands. “Brilliant. It really was, the whole thing. But there's a loophole,” I whisper conspiratorially.
For a blink, that fake-ass smile falters before recovering. “Oh, do tell.”
“You see, it doesn’t matter how you gained the information you believe is true on Trey and that man in Boone. There is no proof. You’ll have zero leverage when I tell Trey of the dozens of cases which were found not guilty or outright dismissed based on little to no proof.”
“I have eyewitnesses—”
I hold out a hand, stopping her. “Ah, see, that's another flaw in your plan. I was there too. Two eyewitnesses contradicting each other is never looked upon well by a jury.”
Like a cat backed into a corner, her face contorts, ready to fight her way out of this conversation. “Randi, you poor thing. You don't know how this town works yet. All it takes is the mention of wrongdoing and he's finished.”
“And so are you. Pretty sure you two share the same last name, if I'm not mistaken.”
Her eyes, Trey's eyes, flick around the room as she laughs nervously.
“But I'm here to make a deal with you, Mrs. Benson.” The fingers flittering over her delicate neck settle as her attention falls to me. “I know you're formidable in this town; you proved that helping the bill fail. All I'm asking in return for keeping this little bit of information to myself, is your continued support.”
“You'd do that?” she questions, and rightfully so. “I've heard you two are… intimate.”
I nod and conjure up my best sly smile. “That we were, but that doesn’t mean anything when considering an alliance such as this one. I’d rather have your support than him in my bed.”
A true, easy laugh pushes past her plumped lips. “You know, I might actually end up liking you. All you want is my support in return for keeping this information to yourself?”
I nod. Fuck, I should've gotten a drink before I started this. It would've made the lies and deceit go down easier. “You get him on track for his political career, Jessica gets him, and I get your help in this town. It's a win for everyone.”
Except Trey.
“Agreed. But I will tell you that if you plan to go back on this agreement, double-cross me in any way, I will find out. I keep my loyal listening ears eager to pass on any information.” Okay, well, if that doesn’t confirm we have a snitch on the team, and that she’s fucking them, I don't know what does. “And I will do everything in my power to ruin you in this town, your entire life, if you do.”
“Is that a threat?” I bite out, taking a menacing step toward her.
A flash of hesitation blinks across her features before she schools them back into the perfect hostess mask. “No. It’s a promise.”
The air between us crackles with animosity. Only when her name is called does she end the stare-down. Without another word, she tips her champagne flute in a goodbye salute and glides around me, her arms opening in greeting to the worthy guest behind me.
Around me, the party continues. Laughter bounces off the walls, and servers weave in and around the tipsy crowd, keeping their bellies full and alcohol flowing. In the right corner of the room, Jessica stands partially draped over Trey’s shoulder as they laugh in unison at something another couple has said or done. His hand snakes around her thin waist, tugging her closer to his side.
I suck in a quick breath, unable to look away from the happy couple. Alone in the middle of the celebration, the need to escape strangles my throat, making it difficult to breathe deep. Gut wrenching pain strangles up my throat as I watch the happy couple. As I watch the man I might love in the arms of someone else. Desperation itches beneath my skin, I twist toward the exit but don’t move. I can’t. Glancing to my feet, I half expect the hardwood to have grown around my heels, keeping them sealed to the floor.
A high-pitched laugh seems to slice through my ears. The closeness of the bodies packed into the room causes my skin to itch. The sense of the room shrinking, pushing the people closer, envelops me.
Frantically I scan the area for a friend. T’s dark eyes meet mine. With every ounce of energy I have left I pour out my desperation for an escape through my eyes into his. Immediately he’s in action, shoving his way through the crowd toward me. His hot hand presses around my waist, tugging me against his side. With his help, I put one foot in front of the other, shouldering through the crowd.
At the front door, he mumbles something into the sleeve of his dress shirt. Before stepping over the threshold, I dare a glance over my shoulder. Our eyes lock across the room. Trey’s happy expression falls, a look of concern washing over his features just before I’m tugged outside, snapping him from my field of vision.
What have I done?
Dread sets in my stomach. What if what we’ve put in motion can’t be undone? What if he’ll never be mine again?
“Did you do what needs to be done?” T asks as he tugs me down the front walk.
I nod, unable to speak with the
fear choking my words. I didn’t expect the weight of what we set in motion to be so… overwhelming. I just locked my future, and Trey’s, into this political shit storm for the next three years, and for what? Power, money, control?
T slows his steps before pausing, his head tilting like he’s listening to something in his ear. Out of the shadows, a man steps from behind one of the awaiting cars. T tenses but doesn’t shove me to the ground or haul me away. As the unknown man steps into the lighted path, I can’t help but hold a breath.
Where Trey is handsome in his mischievously good looks, this man is breathtakingly beautiful in a dark, intense way. Much like Trey, his suit is expensive and tailored to his fit frame. Cropped jet-black hair seems to soak up the night, whereas his light green eyes reflect every ray of light, giving them a shimmering brilliance.
Too soon, the man is in front of us. T’s hand slips from mine to step back, giving us space. I shoot a worried glance over my shoulder. He nods and motions to the man.
I turn back, a hint of familiarity hitting me. I filter through the thousands of faces I should know in this city, trying to figure out who he is before he speaks.
“Madam Vice President.” His voice is low and gravelly.
Not wanting to miss a word, I step closer. Shadows dance around his face, making it hard to place him.
“Sam Pierce. Department of Justice.” He reaches out a hand, which I take and give a tight squeeze. “We need to talk.”
Continue the story with Power Switch!
Coming April 20th, 2020!
Also by Kennedy L. Mitchell
Standalone:
Falling for the Chance
A Covert Affair
Finding Fate
Memories of Us
Mine to Protect
Series:
More Than a Threat Series:
More Than a Threat
More Than a Risk
More Than a Hope (Coming late 2020)
Power Play Series:
Power Play - Book 1
Power Twist - Book 2
Power Switch - Book 3 (April 20, 2020)
Power Twist: Power Play Series Book 2 Page 23
