Page 52 of Power Play

“I know how much this means to you,” he mutters. “Have you found a rehab center for your mother yet?”

The sip of water I just took sputters back into my glass. “What?” I say on a deep cough, trying to clear the rest of the water from my lungs and give me a moment to wrap my head around his words. “How did you—”

“Enough money in the right hands and you can find the truth in anything.” I balk at his cold sneer. “You see, Randi, this is in your best interest. We can make a deal, you and I.”

“And what deal is that?”

“Eager,” he says, digging his fingers deeper into my flesh. I hide my wince of pain behind the water glass at my lips. “I like that.”

“What do you want, Mr. Hindle?” I straighten my spine. I will not bow to this fucker. “I thought this was about your business and your donation to the campaign.”

“Ah, that. Kyle and I already discussed the terms.”

“What?” I gasp.

“You didn't know?” He releases my thigh. Immediately I move out of his reach, sliding to the other side of the booth. “Figures he wouldn't fill you in.”

“In on what?” I grit out. Fuck Kyle and his power moves. Moving me around the country like his little pawn protecting the damn king.

“You sealing the deal, of course.”

I slump forward, all fight draining from my muscles.

“Don't look so repulsed. I'm not that bad, am I?”

I school my features, keeping the hint of excitement from showing.Thisis my opening.

“Depends,” I say in the meekest tone I can muster. “What… what do you want from me? I don't understand what you’re referring to.”

“You want me to spell it out for you, sweetheart?”

I fight a cringe.

Fluttering my lashes, I glance around the restaurant, pretending to ensure no one is around. I moisten my lower lip with a slow swipe of my tongue. “Yes.”

His cold eyes fall to my wet lip as he licks his own in anticipation. I battle internally to not shudder in disgust. “Come to my room and I'll show you.”

Well hell. Maybe a different angle?

“If I do this, if I come up to your room, you'll keep my mom out of this? You'll give the money to the campaign?”

“We can work out the terms upstairs, but yes, in a nutshell. Give me what I want, and I'll make sure the money is deposited tomorrow.”

Rallying what bit of courage I have left, I scoot along the booth, our hips now touching. “So how does this work? A promise of a hundred grand for you to fuck my mouth? Five hundred for me to spread my legs?”

His eyes darken with lust, beads of sweat glistening across his creased brow.

This is where I want him. On the edge of reason, tipping over into the abyss of dark desire.

“And how much for my ass?” I whisper into his ear. Ugh, I’ll need two scalding showers to remove the ick from my skin. “How much is my entire body worth to you?”

“Two million.” His voice is coarse with the gallons of desire pumping through his veins. “Two million dollars to the campaign if you let me pound into your ass.” His rapid, hot breaths brush over my face as he leans close. “Another million, and my promise to keep your family’s finances out of the press, if you make that arrogant agent watch.”

Fucking creeper.

I open my mouth to tell him just as much but gasp at the panic in Mr. Hindle's bulging eyes. The leather slips beneath my sweaty palms as I scramble down the booth.

Trey sits on the opposite side of Mr. Hindle, their shoulders close enough to touch.

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