Page 39 of Power Play

Her bare feet barely touch the ground before she wobbles toward the trailer, stumbling up the two steps only to fall face first on the landing. Jimmy chuckles as her frail arms give out under her light weight each time she tries to push up.

“Mom.” She ignores me. “Mom!” I shout and step closer to the trailer. A tight grip on my bicep prevents me from moving closer. Whipping around, I scowl at Trouble. “I need to help her.”

The shake of his head is barely noticeable. Eyes on the two addicts, he steps closer, putting his chest against my back. “Who is he?” The tension in his voice, the silent command, brings the whole situation into focus.

I glance around, looking at each of the agents. Everyone stands close, tension radiating off their stiff postures, hands at their hips in case they need their weapons quickly.

Shit, didn't think how this looks to them. To me it's a common scene. No doubt this is a first for them.

“Mom's new boyfriend, apparently. That’s Jimmy Caster, criminal and drug dealer.” A demanding throb pulses through my head. I tip my hat back and press both palms to my temples to ease the pain. It doesn't help.

“Damn, woman,” Jimmy says, drawing my reluctant attention back to him. Bile rises up my throat at the sight of Mom hanging on his bony shoulders, rubbing herself against his side. “Look at ya.” My back vibrates at Trouble’s low growl. “Come on inside and I'll show ya what you been missin' out on.” Mom giggles beside him. Fucking giggles. He tilts his head down to her. “If yer a good girl, maybe I won't tell everyone about your mama here.”

My stomach lurches. This time there's no stopping it. Squatting to the grass, I vomit the water and bits of food from the light breakfast on the plane.

Shit, this is bad.

“Get her out of here,” Trouble orders.

I don't fight it as I'm hauled up to a standing position and directed away from the trailer toward the Suburban. A blast of cold air at the open door has goose bumps pebbling my skin. A gentle hand presses against my lower back, urging me inside.

“I can't leave her like that,” I tell Gremlin as realization dawns. “I can't leave her with him.”

“We'll handle it, ma'am.”

“This can't get out to the press. Kyle will kill me,” I whisper.

“We’ll handle it.” A commotion draws my attention, but Gremlin stops me from looking around the door with a gentle hand to my cheek. “Sounds like Benson already is, ma'am. She'll be fine, but we need you safe, and that's inside here. Understand?”

I swallow down the lump clogging my throat.Do not cry, Randi. Not here. Not yet.

With a shaky nod, I climb inside the SUV and slide onto the soft leather seat. “Thank you.” Meeting his light blue eyes, I attempt a grateful smile.

I expect to see pity written across his face and in his gaze, but instead all I find is something like compassion. With a quick nod, he shuts the door, enclosing me inside alone. An agent stands on either side of the passenger doors while the rest of the team forms a short line, shoulders touching, blocking my line of sight to the trailer. After a few minutes of gnawing on my thumbnail almost to the quick, the line finally breaks apart. T and Trouble wear similar grim expressions as they approach the SUV, Gremlin following, while the other agents march to the second Suburban and file in.

I keep silent, my frantic gaze flicking between the three men as they climb in. Unseeing gaze focused on my clasped hands, I clear my throat, trying to ease the tension-filled quiet. Everything feels heavy. I need one hour alone to process it all.

“I want to stay overnight in Dallas.” My voice breaks from the lump of unshed tears in my throat. “We'll go home tomorrow.”

“Ma'am, Mr. Birmingham said—”

Anger washes away the pity party I was starting at the mention of his name. Snapping my gaze up, I meet T's dark sunglasses in the rearview mirror. “I don't give a fuck what Kyle wants right now. I need one night away, an hour alone to deal with all this shit. Do you realize what happened last night?”

“Someone tried to off you.”

I side-eye Trouble. “I was thinking about how I somehow won to potentially become the second most powerful person in the country, but yeah, toss me almost dying in there too. And this today.” I shake my head and immediately regret it. I squeeze my head between my palms, attempting to alleviate the throbbing. “I can't go back tonight. Plus, I have to figure out how to fucking keep Jimmy quiet and what to do with Mom—”

“It's taken care of.”

I shift in the seat, angling toward Trouble.

“What does that mean?”

“I made sure he understands the consequences if he speaks to the press.” His shoulders rise and fall in a shrug, but his eyes won't meet mine.

“And that means what, exactly?”

“He beat the shit out of that fucker and told him worse would happen if he said anything about your mom.” My eyes widen at Gremlin's words. “Oh, and told him to stay away from your mom.”

---