Beautiful Noise

Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

E zren.

“What have you been doing all day while I was gone?”

As we moved through the parking lot, Kori slipped her hand in mine and I pulled her into my side before I let go and dropped my arms around her shoulder instead. She wanted a connection and I wanted her close. It was a win-win.

“Chillin’, waiting on you to bring your pretty ass home.”

She looped her arm around my waist. “You weren’t in the studio?”

I smirked and released her long enough to open the glass door so we could enter the lobby. We stepped inside and I dropped my arm around her shoulder again.

“Nah, my lady just got a big ass promotion. Word on the street is she’ll be making some serious change. I think I’m gonna pull back a little with my grind and let her take care of me.”

Kori barked a laugh. “I guess that means you’re open to a change in lifestyle because your lady can’t afford the life you currently have. Not even with that big ass promotion. You might want to check your resources next time. I suggest you press the gas on your grind. She can’t take care of you, buddy.”

I grinned and pressed the button to call the elevator. After the doors opened and we stepped inside, I leaned against the wall and brought her into my chest, sliding my hands down her back to cuff her ass. “I don’t require much. In fact, what I need I already have. Unless you plan on dipping out, then I’m straight.”

A smile blossomed on her pretty face which I captured with a kiss that I only ended because I heard the doors open. We left the elevator and Kori was tucked at my side until we reached my attorney’s office.

“Don’t let her intimidate you. You don’t have to say a damn thing if you choose not to. Let JJ do all the talking. He’ll make this quick. I’m guessing twenty minutes tops and we’ll be out of here.”

I was fucking pissed that Chantel called herself trying to stick her chest out. Instead of doing what the fuck she should have, she threatened to show up today with her lawyer to fight for her company. There was not a damn argument she would present that my attorney, JJ D. Raines, wouldn’t chew up and spit back in her face. He was just that damn good and cost me more than I cared to think about to keep on retainer. Over the years, his services proved to be a valuable necessity. He saved me more than I paid for his services by helping me avoid frivolous lawsuits.

“Honestly, I’m okay with him doing all the talking. I’m over this and ready to get Chantel out of my life for good.”

“I’m almost disappointed you’re not going to give me pushback. I had my argument locked and loaded.”

She rolled her eyes when I reached around her to open the door. “I’m not that combative.”

I grinned, shaking my head, and she frowned. “What?”

“Combative?”

“What’s wrong with combative?”

“Not a damn thing but who the fuck uses combative in casual conversation? Difficult, complicated, hell… pain in the ass works.”

“Your girlfriend is brilliant. Get used to it.”

“My girlfriend ? I think I’ll focus on getting used to that.”

I checked in with the receptionist who directed us back to the conference room where we were meeting Chantel. JJ greeted us and motioned to the two seats next to him. We sat across from Chantel and her attorney who looked very disinterested in being here. JJ had already done his research. The guy was an ambulance chaser who only took the job because he was too stupid to do his own research on JJ. Chantel probably used my name and the guy was hopeful to get a quick payout by me settling something I wasn’t connected to.

JJ didn’t lose. I was one of many high-profile clients he represented and his specialty was destroying the lives of people like Chantel Dior. I was fucking annoyed that we were here but I decided to focus on the good and not the bad. Leaking Kori’s information to the press temporarily disrupted her life but it also brought us closer and would be providing Kori with the security net she believed she needed to have control over her life.

And I said believed because trust and fucking believe the only thing she needed was me . My lady spent so much time finding her voice that she was convinced she had to assert her independence to be seen and respected. To others possibly, but not with me.

“Okay, now that we’re all here, let’s get started.” JJ began separating stacks of papers which he placed in a single row in the center of the table. He pushed each one toward Chantel and her flunky, one by one. She glared at the stacks and back to JJ who placed a pen on the one centered in front of her.

“What are these?”

“The first one is for you to sign over ownership of Elite Cleaners to me. The second is a formal acknowledgment that in signing over your rights to Elite you are admitting to a federal crime, identity theft, by selling Ms. Griffin’s personal information to multiple online outlets. The third is a statement that you are agreeing to sell Elite Cleaners of your own free accord, without being coerced, and the last is a formal apology to Ms. Griffin for the pain and suffering you caused which will be posted on every media outlet that has at least one follower.”

Chantel’s vanilla hued skin turned red as fuck and her eyes narrowed on JJ’s face which was stoically calm.

“This is a joke, right? I’m not here to sign a damn thing. I’m surely not giving my company to you. I’m here to negotiate?—”

“Ms. Dior, let’s be clear…” he cut in calmly, leaning back in his chair before he continued, “You have no negotiating power. If you refuse to sign, your violation of Ms. Griffin’s rights will be handed over to a federal agent, one I’m personally tied to, and they will throw your ass in a federal prison for the next seven to fifteen years. I don’t care one way or another which option you choose, but I promise you should.”

“Can he do this?” Her eyes went wide with surprise before they landed on her lawyer.

I barked a laugh. “Why the fuck are you asking him? He’s not a gotdamn attorney. He’s a lawyer who isn’t licensed. Barely passed the bar. Did he bother telling you that if this were to go to court he can’t represent you?” I asked, amused by the confidence she had in the fucker sitting next to her.

Chantel swung her eyes to the poor guy who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here then back to me. “Lawyer, attorney, it’s all the same thing. They know the law.”

“It’s not, love. Do your research, but on your time not mine. Right now your focus needs to be on signing those.” JJ pointed to the documents and she glared at me then Kori.

“You’re such a bitch; I regret the day I hired you,” she sneered before turning to JJ. “I’m not signing a damn thing. She broke company policy and I’m suing her for misrepresentation of the Elite brand. She broke into a client's house…”

She was referencing our situation but there was one problem. She had to prove there had been a violation and I damn sure wasn’t on her side.

“Word, whose house?”

“ Yours .” She glared at me.

“Nah, you’re mistaken. My mother hired Kori to clean through your company while I was out of the country. She had full access to my crib.”

“That’s a lie. She…”

I leaned across the table, leveling my eyes on Chantel. “She is not your fucking concern. You don’t address her. You don’t look at her. You don’t even think about her because if you do, federal prison is the least of your worries. I will be your biggest gotdamn nightmare and I don’t sleep so that means twenty-four seven I will be thinking of ways to make you regret fucking with Kori. I have money, connections, all the fucking time in the world, and a passion for destroying anyone that threatens that beautiful smile I love to see on Kori’s face. Can you compete with any of these things?”

I recognized the moment she accepted there was no winning, so she resorted to begging. “My business is all I have…”

I smirked. “That’s not my problem but what I can offer is that you’ll have your freedom. As fucked up of an individual as you are, I will credit you for being an astute businesswoman. You did it once, you can do it again. You’re losing your cleaning company. Start a new one.”

“Can we at least negotiate the terms…”

“The terms have been negotiated. Sign the papers or go to prison.”

Her eyes bounced around the room. She conceded, picked up the pen, and began scribbling her name, just like I expected she would. As soon as her signature was on those documents, I was taking my lady home to celebrate her day. JJ already had a buyer for Elite. What was originally valued at nine hundred fifty-three thousand would be sold for 1.2 million thanks to another favor I called in. She was officially a songwriter and also a millionaire.

“Do we have to go?” Kori pouted and I kissed her forehead before stepping away to enter the closet. She was in a dress that would undoubtedly ruin my night because fuck, she looked good as hell. It was some wrap thing that crossed her breasts, barely covering them, and hugged her body the way her pussy gripped my dick.

Damn, I need another comparison or she damn sure won’t be wearing that dress tonight.

When I left the closet, securing a watch on my arm, Kori was standing in front of the full-length mirror raking her fingers through her hair. She chose to wear curls, which was my fault according to her. We’d fucked most of the afternoon then received the last minute invite from Leijah to join her at Rendezvous where she was doing a paid appearance. She wasn’t performing but after the success of her shows in Texas, Atlanta wanted to make sure Leijah knew they were standing behind her and showing love.

I walked up behind Kori, placed my hands on her hips, and moved them down her thighs. She smelled good, like melted caramel, and that had my mouth watering remembering how my tongue explored hours ago with a need to sample that sweetness.

“Stop stressing, you look good.”

“My hair looks like shit.”

I grinned. “Nah, it’s just not what you want right now so you’re being overly critical.”

“We’re going to a club which will be full of people who…”

“Don’t fucking matter. I said you look good and my vote is the only one that counts,” I murmured, leaning down to kiss her neck. She was a little over a head shorter than me but the heels on her feet placed the top of her head at my chin.

She relaxed against me and smiled lazily at our images in the mirror.

“We need to go. I plan on making an appearance then dipping out. I damn sure don’t want to get caught up for longer than we have to.” I kissed her neck and stepped away.

Kori finished last minute primping while I collected my phone, watch, and keys. Then the two of us were in my Lamborghini pushing close to one hundred while heading into the city.

The car’s interior isolated the outside world which faded into a blur of colors and sounds. The air was laced with a subtle hint of her favorite scent, an intoxicating blend of caramel and vanilla that wrapped around me like a soft reminder of how different my life was now.

I felt a sense of contentment as I shifted gears, embracing the thrill as the car responded to my touch, gliding through the lanes with precision. I smirked and glanced at Kori. My focus damn sure wasn’t on the road; it was on the woman beside me.

It was hard not to be entranced with the sea of brown skin exposed and glowing under the haze of lights from the city. She had me feeling like she was responsible for the secrets of the universe because how the fuck did this happen…

Me, in a relationship.

I smirked again and shook my head, stealing another glance.

“You gonna share?” She smiled softly and met my gaze.

“No.” My lips lifted into a cocky grin.

“Why not?”

“Because sharing means admitting how damn confused I am.”

“About?”

“How I fucked around and found out.”

Kori’s smile expanded and she leaned toward me, dropping her arm on the console. “What did you find out?”

“That the right woman will make you change everything you believed to be true about who you are and what you need.”

“That sounds deep.”

“It’s very fucking deep. You have me drowning, Ri. Lost out here with no lifeline.” I winked and she rolled her eyes and inched closer. “That’s not exactly true…”

I turned my eyes on her and she added, “I’m your lifeline, as long as you’re mine.”

I nodded. “I guess we’ll survive this shit then because I’ve got you. Always.”

After we pulled up to the VIP entrance, I turned off the engine, letting the silence settle in the car for a brief moment. Kori sat beside me, one hand rested in her lap, the other pressed into the side of the seat while she stared at the building.

“You good?” I asked with my eyes glued to her profile. The apprehension in her expression mirrored the last few times we shared the spotlight.

“I hate this part. Those people are like vultures ready to attack, maim, and kill.” She exhaled a sigh, biting her lower lip.

I reached over and brushed a finger down the side of her face. “Fuck them. It’s just you and me.” She smiled and nodded, so I got out while the valet approached, casually nodding as he moved out of the way when I reached her door. She hesitated, glancing at the mob of paparazzi waiting just beyond the entrance. I could sense her tension from the memories of their cruel comments, but again, fuck them. I blocked the view of everyone but myself and extended a hand which she accepted.

“Stay close to me.”

I turned back to the valet, handing over the keys, then took Kori’s hand, leading her toward the chaos of cameras and flashing lights.

As we stepped onto the curb, their voices fired off like guns.

“Eccentric! Kori! Over here!” The flashes sparked like tiny fireworks. I felt her stiffen beside me and I instinctively stepped closer, shielding her from the barrage of questions and greedy lenses.

“Don’t hide. Let them see how fucking beautiful you are,” I murmured, turning slightly to ensure she felt protected. I could hear the clicks of the cameras firing back to back.

“How’d you do it, Kori? How did you get Eccentric to give you more than one night?” a reporter shouted.

“Are you two serious?” another added and she tensed until I pulled her in closer.

“Very fucking serious so be careful with those questions!” I sent a warning glare to the woman who asked the first one and tightened my grip on Kori’s hand. The entire time we navigated through the mob of reporters, my pulse raced with the need to protect the woman beside me. I had done this a million times, but with her, it felt different. She deserved peace and I would do everything in my power to provide that peace.

As we approached the entrance with the music thumping from within the club, I stole a glance at Kori. Her lips curled into a reluctant smile. “ Very fucking serious?”

“You telling me we’re not?”

Her smile expanded and she shook her head.

After being greeted by security, we moved through the door and my guys who were already inside flanked us. One in front and one in back. I never left places like this to chance and I damn sure wouldn’t while having Kori with me.

A pulsating rhythm of bass-heavy music vibrated through the air. The dimly-lit interior was a blend of deep, rich colors, blues, silvers, and blacks. There were clusters of people moving chaotically but in sync. The lower level bar illuminated with neon lights that highlighted the space and all the high-end bottles that would be empty by the end of the night. Beautiful chaos.

“We’re up there.”

“I guess it pays to be connected.”

“For you, yes.” I kissed her neck. “Come on.”

We navigated through the crowd. Jon cleared a path but multiple people still spoke, stole pictures, and tried to get my attention. What had me most amused was some folks vying for Kori’s also. They recognized her as Bleu and were shouting and pointing.

Just before we reached the entrance to our VIP lounge I leaned to speak into her ear. “I know you hear that don’t you, Bleu .”

She lifted her eyes and smiled. “One person.”

“Nah, baby that was more than one person. Looks like I’m the one connected.” I winked and let my guys know they could relax for now. As soon as we crossed into VIP, Leijah damn near knocked my lady on her ass when she rushed her with a hug. The greeting meant I would be in the background while Kori and Leijah enjoyed the night with me as a second thought. I had no complaints, Kori was mine, and sharing her every once in a while was doable.