Power Switch (Power Play #3) - Kennedy L. Mitchell Page 0,66
back. “Kyle wants to meet with me at some point too, so best we meet before that.”
“Night.”
I mutter a similar goodbye, still staring at Taeler. After the door clicks closed behind the retreating agent, I give her shoulder a hard shove to gain her attention.
“What was that about?” I hiss.
The bed doesn't jolt, doesn't wiggle as she stays facing the wall. “I've chosen my side.”
“What the hell does that even mean?” The entire bedframe shakes as I flop onto my back and begin to massage my temples.
“It means I'm Team Trouble.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. That man wants you, Mom.” Finally the bed shifts under her weight as she rolls to face me. “What guy walks into a woman’s room looking like that if he didn't?” I open my mouth to defend him when she holds up a hand, stopping me. “Now I'm going to bed.”
“Team Trouble,” I grumble over the rustling of the sheets and quilts as I snuggle deeper. The thick duvet between my curled fingers, I draw it up close to my chin and stare at the slightly outdated wallpaper. “There are no teams,” I whisper against the soft fabric.
“Oh, there are teams, Mom.” How the hell did she hear that? “And if you haven't chosen a side, then shit's about to get real messy.”
“Language,” I hiss over my shoulder. “And it's not like that.”
“Okay,” she replies, her tone letting me know she clearly thinks I'm an idiot.
“It's not. It's business, not personal.”
“Sometimes I worry about you,” she says with an annoyed sigh. “Good night, Mom.”
I pat her tiny heinie under the mountain of covers and close my eyes ready to beg sleep to come.
As the long “to do” list, “not to do” list, and “holy hell, why haven't you done this yet” list flip through my overactive mind I can't help but wonder if Taeler is right.
If I had to choose right here, right now, whose team would I be on?
It's the easiest answer I've ever had to give.
Trey. One hundred percent Trey.
So if that's my answer, then why aren't I with him? Why am I letting this stupid fake game with Kyle ruin the one good part of my overworked life?
Or did I leave one “team” out of the equation?
Maybe I'm not Team Trouble or Team Sam.
Maybe I'm Team Randi.
And you know what? For the first time in my life, I'm okay with that.
16
Randi
The black SUV speeds down the drive, growing smaller and smaller with each passing second until it vanishes below the horizon. Fingers against my lips, I huff hot, humid air into my frozen hands, desperate to keep frostbite at bay. Even though the SUV is long gone, here I stand in the early morning frigid air, wishing I could've had one more day with Taeler.
“You okay?”
I turn toward the deep voice, my hair whipping across my face. Reaching up, I tuck the few dark locks behind my ear and hold on to the strands to keep them in place.
I quickly scan Sam, who stands just inside the large double doors, hands tucked into the pockets of his slacks. He looks good again. Of course he does. That's him. But do I feel that pull, the fire Taeler spoke of last night? Yes, I'd love to see him naked, but do I want to be naked with him?
Is that an odd question to ask?
“Not sure,” I say honestly, somehow answering both my internal ramblings and Sam’s actual question. Does that mean I get a triple-point score like in Scrabble? “I didn’t want her to leave, but I was desperate for her to go.”
“Conflicting,” he says with a small smile.
“Very.”
“Seems to be your life these days.”
I meet his knowing gaze and dip my chin in acknowledgment. “You have no idea.”
“You wear your emotions on your sleeve, Randi. It's not that hard to figure out.”
“Not the first time or the last, I suppose.”
“No wonder you never went the corporate or defense attorney route after school.”
I snort. “That among other things.”
“Yet you went the political path. Strange, if you ask me.”
The few agents and Sam follow me as I move through the front doors. Inside the house, dry warm air warps around my chilled body, slowly thawing my fingers and toes.
“We all do what we have to do,” I say with a shrug. “I've always wanted to help people, and what better way to do that than at a large scale. I have billions at my disposal, yet you say this role is a strange path.”