Rapper's Delight: The Mogul Series Book One

by Kenya Goree-Bell

  Delightful watched his head turn. He looked so lost. Broken. She stepped into the shower. She touched his arm. He turned into her open arms. His body bowed as he folded into her. She just held him close. She stroked his back, trying to pour comfort as an intention into him. He held her like he never wanted to let her go. And she didn't want him to. She wanted to hold him forever. She wanted to heal him like he’d healed her. She could admit that now. Just as she recognized how one sided everything was. He had only given. She took. What could she offer besides pleasure that he’d take after what she’d done? No one wanted to see themselves as a terrible person, but that was what she felt like. She might as well call herself, Lex.

  He pulled away, not looking at her. “Uh-uh.” She took his face in her hands. “We don’t do that.” She got on her tiptoes and kissed him. He drew her into him with a drugging plunder of her lips. He devoured her. His mouth slanted over hers.

  Like a dry tinder thrown onto a barn fire they came together hot, burning, crackling, threatening to combust. His lips were everywhere and so were hers. There was not one inch of skin that their lips did not touch. She sobbed when his fingers slipped inside. Reaching down, she slicked her hand over his length from base to tip.

  “FADE,” she whimpered. So close. He took his hand away and turned her away towards the marble. Her breath caught as he thrust deep and slapped against her ass. Her face pressed against the wall as she worked against his length, offering herself up to him completely.

  “Touch yourself,” he ground out fucking so hard his hands would leave marks where he gripped her hips. “Come on your fingers and my dick.” He commanded. Thier bodies were smacking hard as she did as he commanded, touching herself with deft flicks of hers fingers. Her breath was warm against the tile as she came crying out his name.

  “Turn around.”

  She obeyed and saw that he was not done. She dropped to her knees and took him in her mouth. He held her head as he pushed deep into her throat over and over again spilling his essence.

  They finished the rest of the shower with kisses, taking turns to bathe one another. When they stepped out of the shower he gave her a heavy white robe that felt like a cloud.

  She had him sit again to take pressure off his healing leg as she spread mango butter over his body.

  “Do you have anything I can use on my hair? Your hair is a wavier curl pattern but I could be able to use it.”

  “I only need juices and berries.” He winked, and she threw a towel at him.

  “Yeah, Prince Akeem,” she laughed. He knew she loved that movie.

  He watched as she grumbled the whole time she detangled her hair, but he didn’t mind she was so adorable when she fussed.

  “C’mon.” He threw his arm around her as they headed back to the bedroom, “I know you’re hungry. Do you want Fish Market or Eagles?’

  “What brave soul do you have willing to go all the way over to Eagles?” She dead eyed him.

  “Everyone loves their food so… everyone.” He quipped walking over to his side of the bed retrieving his phone.

  “Don’t worry about your clothes.”

  “Why?” She stopped as she bent to pick up her crumpled pajamas and looked over her shoulder at him as he typed into the phone. “You have on sweats.”

  “I’m going to be taking you right back out of them in a little bit. So why bother?” He quirked an eyebrow at her.

  Her body liked the sound of that.

  When he finished, he pocketed his phone and reached for her. He pulled her into his arms. He felt so good. He smelled clean, with the faintest hint of soap they’d used. She’d never tire of being held by him.

  She had to drag herself away from that kiss. “You’re a terrible influence.”

  She shook her head and pulled him along behind her into the living area.

  They both stopped short when they saw Ghadi’s long frame lounging in the all white seating area.

  “What the hell is she doing here, FADE?”

  Chapter 15

  Just Work It Out

  Delightful stood at FADE’s side looking at Ghadi sprawled with his arms spread across the white linen sofa in the living area. He’d not let her hand go, in fact he moved closer to her.

  “What are you doing here, Ghad? Who’s minding the store?” He tucked her into his side and walked with her to the seating area. She made sure her robe was tucked in securely and faced her would-be judge.

  “This is sight. By that, I mean this is some of the weakest shit I have ever seen. My brother hugged up with the chick who almost got him killed. Man, you don’t care about your career at all, do you? Everyone is is talking about how they just know you’re going to dead whoever did this. It’s a miracle and by that I mean the Al Rasheeds and CC vast connections and bots zapping any mention of her involvement that it hasn’t gotten out yet. If they get a whiff of this…” He shook his head, disgust blanketing his face.

  “Are you done?” FADE asked. She could tell without looking over to him with her gaze trained on the coiled cobra before her, he’d spoken through clenched teeth. She didn’t want to come between them but she knew that if she made a move to leave he’d see that as her running again. Her fingers curled into the softness of the robed as Ghadi threw his hands up in a ‘what ever’ motion. His eyes said so much more, though.

  “I’m here to pickup our baby sister, remember her? The one who’s loyal, loves you unconditionally, who’s been here for your ass since day one. The woman who has foregone her dreams to help us with ours. The young lady who’s heart is fucking broken while you were knee-deep up in this shorty. She’s shown you who she is, bro.” He might as well have slapped her. Heat rushed to her face as shame and humiliation slammed into her.

  “Get out.” FADE’s words were cold. Her head swung to him, then back at Ghadi. The very thing she thought to avoid by remaining quiet was happening, anyway.

  “No, FADE…”

  “It’s cool.” Ghadi stood up facing his brother, wiry aggression wrapped within every fiber of his tall form. “Just know this. Flower was a mess this morning. She looked like she’d been up crying all night. You haven’t been there for her,” his voice was raw with worry and fury. She felt horrible hearing him say the very thoughts she’d had talking with their sister the previous evening.

  FADE stepped closer to him, menace pouring off him. “We’ve never fought and we won’t today because I’m going to excuse your disrespectful ass attitude toward Didi and me because it’s obvious it stems from your concern for Flower. Never do this again, Ghadi. I’m handling my life. Flower has been here the whole time, just as you have held it down for us while we’ve been away. We have been taking care of each other.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Funny you didn’t have your Didi here to take care of you.” He waved them away like he was over it. “I’m taking her home and having her see a therapist. This has gone on too long.”

  “Well, thank you thinking y’all are going to manage my life. I have been seeing one along with FADE.” They’d been so engrossed in their argument they’d not noticed their sister had been standing just inside the suite. Delightful peeked around FADE’s body blocking her, to see Flower standing before them in a white eyelet dress and pink heels. Gone was the distraught woman from last night replace by the calm COO of Creative Chaos. It was as if she’d allowed herself that one last ugly cry before she gathered herself and pulled together a semblance of the woman whom everyone knew to be the power behind her brothers. She speared Delightful with a look and walked around FADE with a package in her hands. “I figured you’d need these this morning,” she said handing it to her.

  “Thanks,” she nodded, tucking the package under her arms.

  “You saw each other last night?” FADE asked, his gaze swing back and forth between the two.

  “Yeah,” Flower said. “I asked her not to say anything because I was fine. It’s okay that I cry guys even all night if I have to. Pushing my emotions down l
eads to bigger lows. So, I will cry when I feel like it, thank you very much.” Her hands were on her hips, facing them like a little general.

  “Wow,” Ghadi gave a low laugh. “I guess you’re ready to come back to work then?”

  “I am. I’ve been away too long. And what happened to FADE falls squarely on my shoulders.” She held up her hand when her brothers moved to deny it. “No, it is my responsibility, ‘Yoroshiku onegaishimasu’ as the Japanese term it. I learned that there and if I were anyone other than your sister, you would have fired me.” The respect Delightful had for her former friend shot up hearing her words. Along with that thought slithered in the realization that she needed to do the same not just in her words but actions. She thought back to the picture of the gorgeous couple that Flower had on her phone and wondered how those people played into all of this.

  “Well, we are not firing you. You can go back to New York, reorganize what you feel is lacking in security and require more training from the team.” Ghadi nodded as FADE spoke.

  Delightful watched as Flower took in those solemn words, then shook her head slightly and walked over into FADE’s open arms. “I’m going to miss you, baby-girl.” He bent low to hug her.

  “Willow is the baby, not me.” She pushed at him playfully before turning to Ghadi. “When are we leaving?”

  “Whenever you are ready. The plane is fueled and waiting on us.” That was his first smile in the whole time he had been there. “Next week I want some peach cobbler for coming all this way to get you.”

  “Okay, well this place doesn’t have a valet so y’all need to go get my bags which are a lot because Bridget and Evangelina sent the rest of my things I left in my haste to get here,” she ordered to her brothers. They rolled their eyes and grumbled but did what she said, heading to the door.

  “And y’all make up or I’m telling daddy,” she called to them as they reached the elevator.

  Delightful saw they had obeyed her as they turned to face one another in low conversation as the doors closed.

  “That has always worked.” Flower turned to her. “I heard what Ghadi said to you but I trust FADE enough to know that he will do what he’s always done to protect his interest. I was all for having you fired and slapping a restraining order on you.”

  Delightful couldn’t hide the stunned surprise that marked her features. “What changed your mind?”

  “Nothing. FADE wouldn’t do it. He still loves Justice and your family no matter what. He’s given you a lot of leeway. You being here and being seen with him is not the best look. We have a plan and strategy that could possibly work to savage his legacy and our company, but it doesn’t include you. So I’m asking you to leave him alone. To let him heal and get his life back. I hate to play the family card, but I will. He’s done so much for y’all do it for him even if it hurts. He’s not going to let you go. He loves you.”

  “You don’t know how he feels.” Delightful felt like the rug had been pulled out from under her.

  “You’re not an idiot or would it make you feel better if he were just using you and for what? Sex? He can get that anywhere. My brother has loved you forever, and I was so happy when you finally came back in his life, but you’re problematic. I’ve been to therapy and I suggest you go as well. You’re not dealing with Justice’s death and what ever survivor's guilt you are experiencing is causing you to lay waste to everything that matters to you. You’re stuck and now you’re bringing my brother down and that I cannot allow.”

  Her words were like bombs of truth that blanketed every space that she’d inhabited, and Delightful could not duck and hide from those words. She’d made a mess of things and she’d not regretted anything she’d done before now because her cause had been pure, or so she thought.

  “I needed to know what happened to Justice,” she kept her voice strong and unwavering despite the tumult she felt hearing Flower’s words.

  “You got that and more, but that wasn’t enough. I wonder what will be. You resent FADE for living when your brother died. You wish it had been him lying in that road.”

  “Now, that’s a lie. I would have never wished that on FADE. I loved him.” She stepped closer to Flower. She was brimming with anger.

  “And now?”

  “I love him,” she sighed clutching the package closer to her chest trying to ward off any more of Flower’s truth bombs doing her more harm. She knew she would not stop til she drew blood.

  “Well, you have a funny way of showing it.”

  “All right, I get it. You want me to leave him alone.”

  “No. I want you to do something for him for once. I told you about what he’s done for you and your family all this time. Now you can do something for him. Let him heal free of feeling any obligation to anyone. Help him finally break this shackle of obligation that been hanging over him for twelve years.”

  “If I do that. He’s going to think I’m not choosing him. That I’m disloyal. You just want us to not be together.” Hearing the desperation in her own voice made her wince. Flower was making so much sense.

  “Is this how you want him? Both of you broken?” Flower demanded, her eyes growing cold. “If you love him. You will do the work on yourself because you’re too toxic. You’re going to always find a way to mess it up. Trust me. I have been there and to be honest I’m still trying to find my way out at times.” Her honesty almost broke Delightful, as she saw the anguish and shame flit across her face.

  “Flower, I know you are hurting and if you ever want to talk, I’m here…” her words were cut off as she was nearly hug-tackled.

  “I know and I know you are still hurting. You are vibrating with it. One day we are going to be best friends again, I know it.” Flower squeezed her and stepped away.

  She could find no words as she walked away, but she knew what she had to do. She also knew that he may never speak to her again if she did. She loved him too much to stay.

  He knew she was gone when he came back. He’d known from the moment his siblings had left maybe before but didn’t want to believe it. It was as if Flower and Ghadi had communicated silently from the moment Flower joined them down stairs saying she’d left Delightful to get ready. Get ready for what? He’d left her in his robe for a reason. To chill and make love to her as many times as he could until they wore each other out, collapsing onto each other until neither could think about what they were doing or what lie ahead.

  This wasn’t on them now. This was all her, he thought walking into the silent, bleak expanse of the suite. Gone. Desolate. He wanted to roar. Grief and anger coalesced to cold fury. Part of him wanted to go and drag her back, another wanted to lay waste to everything she held dear. That would mean ripping his own heart out. He already felt hallow. Bereft. How fucking dare she after what they shared? She kept ripping his heart out. She was just cruel.

  He walked into the bedroom and saw the neatly folded pajamas and folded stationary atop his robe. Hope sprung in his heart as he opened the note.

  FADE,

  Twelve years ago I gave you a promise. I was ready to keep that promise then and honestly I had been ready since the moment you came over our house to play video games with Justice when I was in the third grade. Now, if I kept that promise, it would be unfair to both of us. You deserve more than that. I realized as I listened to Flower speak about taking responsibility that I have only been paying lip service to you to get your forgiveness. I am sorry.

  Something broke inside of me when Justice died and I have made no effort to repair that. I realized seeing you recover from injuries caused by my actions that I need to work to fix me or I will continue to hurt those I love. What happened to you was wrong and my fault. One day you may want to take your forgiveness back when you have time and space away from me. I will understand if you do.

  Love is an action. You have loved me, and my family for years and I took that love for granted. I won’t anymore. I won’t ask you to wait for me. I won’t ask anything other than you to be well and be at
peace.

  Delightful

  “Go to hell, Delightful,” he first whispered the words. Then he shouted then crumbling the pages in his hand. Finally, when he could get them through his sobs as he sat down on the edge of the bed. “Go to hell.”

  Chapter 16

  Just Relax

  “Are the edits ready?” Lovie-Belle asked, standing over her like she was some type of principal.

  “Yes, Ms. Lockett,” she responded referring to their elementary teacher who’d been stern but taught them to be excellent writers.

  Lovie-Belle laughed and waved her off, plopping down beside her. “Just make sure it’s done by the morning. They are ready to put this to bed, this should be the last scene you’ll have to do.”

  “It’s not a problem truly. I’m lucky they didn’t fire me.” She grumbled, looking from the notes that had been sent over and back to the computer screen. It wasn’t a lot, but it was important that she got it right. When he saw she didn’t want any misunderstanding about what she thought of him.

  “Are you coming to the screening or are you going to wait for the premier?”

  “Your tone is very bossy, little sis.” She cut eyes over to her and went back to writing. “If you’ll excuse me, then I can get back to work.”

  “Not bossy — assertive. I get it from my momma.” She laughed at her own joke. Then somber her tone softening. “Are you worried that FADE will be there? He won’t they sent him the film, and he loved it. This is the only thing he wanted changed.”

  Delightful dragged her eyes away from her work. “So this is him. He wants his move to New York to include the help he gave to the police to bring Savelle to justice, why?”

  “I don’t know. He’s been giving interviews in the last three months. He’s not been shy about telling his side. He’s even done pressers with community leaders and ex-gang members, talking about the need to stand up to these vultures that destroy the community. There is nothing wrong with the culture, but there are problems we have to address to move forward. It isn’t like he’s ever lied about his past, he’s just never discussed it and get this, girl. He did an hour on the news with pundits about his depression and how he got help for it. He’s started a program for Black men to mentor and help younger guys about dealing with it. When Sadiq told me about it I thought it was just performative, but he’s the real deal.” Lovie-Belle was leaning in, her eyes sparkling as she spoke.