Ineffable (18 page)

“You’re being way too cavalier about this.”

“How you figure? In all these years, George has never come near me, never called, nothing. The letters may not even be coming from him.”

“That’s no better! If they’re not coming from him, and they do coincide with the men you date, it means you have another stalker, a complete stranger. You have to be careful, baby. I think we should move into my apartment for the time being. There’s a doorman and more security.”

“No, I gotta work.”

“We can bring all of your tools and materials and set up a studio for you in one of the bedrooms.”

She shook her head. “No, babe. I appreciate that, but I’m not letting some bullshit run me out of my home.”

“Please? For me?”

“Don’t do that,” she said, slanting him a stop fucking with me look before she left the room.

He ground his teeth impotently, took a few calming breaths and then followed her to her bedroom.

“Margot –”

“Have you ever had somebody beat the fuck out of you?”

“What? No.”

“Ever had somebody tell you, you can’t do something, and then physically prevent you from doing that thing?”

“No, of course not.” Jesus. Had George done that to her?

“Of course, not,” she repeated. “Well, I have. And it was the most fucked up time of my entire life. I will not allow another person to dictate my movements, Nori. No one, and that is motherfuckin’ final, got it?”

Nori threw up his hands in defeat. “I got it.”

He backed down with Margot, but not in his efforts to keep her safe. When Tom’s investigation suggested George had skipped town, he gave the man a blank check to follow him. He wanted to know every move the cretin made. “Find him,” he told the detective. “And look into his history 15 years ago and any connection to Margot. We’ve been too focused on recent events. I need everything.”

But there were other things brewing. As Margot’s popularity increased and anticipation for the new Ineffable collection grew, the rumors started flying. Tabloids flooded the internet with old and fake stories about Margot Temper-tantrums. Photos appeared of her with strange men – one a handsome business lunch date; Jordan, not pictured were Lani and Tommy – and then Nori himself laughing with a tall, voluptuous red head – one of his employees wives come to visit the office for the day.

Neither believed the other had betrayed their trust, so the barbs bounced off, as harmless as child safety scissors. But one day paparazzi were camped outside her house. A story had appeared in the RedEye suggesting her temper tantrums had begun to affect profits for the Ineffable chain, and that his father was considering ousting him from the CEO position.

No fool, Aro called immediately to deny having anything to do with the story. He insisted it was no more than yellow journalism. But then the story about her first husband broke.

Tom reported that George had finally emerged from the drunken stupor he typically operated from in Iowa. Upon learning of all the press his ex was generating, he rightly concluded that she was about to blow up. Like all no good, lazy degenerates, he promptly decided she owed him some of her success, and he began selling stories to whoever would buy them.

He happily leaked salaciously exaggerated details about Margot from their brief time together, conveniently forgetting anything about the abuse he’d inflicted. And soon, having acquired a taste for the easy money he earned from selling fabricated secrets, he attempted to shake Margot down for some more.

It turned out he hadn’t known Tom was onto him. He’d fled Indiana for Iowa to escape a bookie he owed money to. But now he was pissed Tom was around, and he’d threatened them both. Not terribly worried about the ramblings of a drunken, degenerate gambler, the investigator nevertheless immediately informed Nori what was going on.

Guts churning, Nori fled work as though his tail was on fire. He broke every speed limit, parked illegally in front of her building, running to let himself in and check on her. Eyes narrowed, he scowled when he realized his urgency was justified; George had called to hit her up for money.

Margot laughed into the phone, and told him “your low-lifed, black ass can do your worst, ‘cuz you ain’t gettin’ a slug from me.”

She hung up the phone so hard, Nori was surprised it didn’t crack in two.

“I’ll die and go straight to hell before I give that bitch a motherfuckin’ dime!” she fumed, pacing back and forth in the living room.

“He’s not going to stop,” Nori said, collapsing onto the couch. His heart needed to settle down before he had an attack.

“I know that,” she snapped, then softened, coming over to whisper her apology into his neck as she curled up on his lap. “I’m sorry, baby. I’m just frustrated. I just can’t believe all this shit! What the fuck is going on? If it ain’t one thing it’s another. Why is everybody so negative and in my mix all of a sudden?”

Nori stroked her back and nuzzled the soft scented skin behind her ear. “You’re a star, baby. It happens, and I’m afraid some of it is because of your association with me.”

She’d appeared in most of the fashion bibles for the past few months, on numerous websites and a few radio and TV shows. Everyone, said Tommy, was clamoring for this new collection with Ineffable. And that was the way she – and Margot – liked it.

Margot laughed. “Okay? Sometimes I think she’s pissed I’ve already been in all the heavy hitters. There are no more coups for her win. I told her she’s too efficient.”

“You can never be too efficient.”

“Says the CEO,” Margot teased.

“The CEO whose car has probably been stolen,” he smiled, kissing her hard before he left to move it.

He told her what his detective had shared.

“So you rushed right over?” Margot shook her head. “Nori, George ain’t shit. He is no threat, and even if he was, I can handle him. He can’t hurt me.”

Nori admired her confidence, but he refused to underestimate a credible threat. “Why don’t you leave your wayward ex-husband to me, hmmm?”

She looked at him suspiciously. “Why? What are you gonna do?”

“Me? Nothing. What do you think, I’m going to travel to Indiana to beat him up?” he laughed.

Not at all. He would be getting a visit, however, from Nori’s lawyer, also known as Lado, who would arrive all official like, full of information on how statutes of limitation for domestic battery did not run out. And that the threat of jail time for battery thanks to the photographs and doctor’s reports Margot’s parents had insisted on, was a very real and serious thing. Then, of course, there was the harassment, the letters and slander in the media. All trumped up nonsense of course, but it likely would do the trick to get the creep to back off and stop feeding the bullshit press frenzy.

“Well, do your thing,” she said, shrugging. “I really don’t give a shit what happens to that loser.”

“I’m surprised you’re letting me interfere.”

“So am I,” she admitted. “I don’t usually lean on people like that. But –”

“But?”

She dropped her head back to his shoulder, breaking eye contact. For a moment he didn’t think she was going to answer. And he wanted her to. He wanted her to say that she trusted him, that she needed him to take care of her. That she would always need him to take care of her.

“You’re my baby,” she whispered.

His heart jumped a little, and he smiled as he squeezed her close. It wasn’t the declaration he craved, but it was close enough for now. “Yes, my girl. I am.”

She looked up at him again. He smiled and blinked lazily. It was one of the more subtle signals he used when he wanted to make love. It always worked.

Her work was often luxurious and fierce. Most pieces were a study in excess, but he’d quickly learned that Margot appreciated subtlety. She never failed to pick up on his body’s cues when he wanted her. It was yet another of her more fabulous qualities.

“Let’s go to bed,” she whispered.

He pulled her laughing down the hall.

She yanked free. “Strip,” she ordered. “I’m about to shut the house down for the night.”

He pretended to growl at her, but complied. He was nude in less than 60 seconds. Another 90 seconds had his face and hands cleaned and his teeth quickly brushed and flossed. It only took three seconds to turn back the sheets and throw himself down on top of them. What was keeping her?

He scowled, hand stroking his erection consolingly as he waited.

“Margot,” he called, impatience audible.

No answer.

“Margot! I’m going to start without you,” he warned.

No answer.

Thoroughly irritated, he rose and stomped from the room naked, intent on dragging her away from whatever piece of jewelry had captured her attention. Really, the woman gave new meaning to the word workaholic, which was something coming from him.

“Margot! What the hell are you –” He stopped dead.

The front door was open, and George stood there, rather unsteadily, in the living room. Nori looked around, scowling. Where the hell was – “Margot!” She was lying on the floor by the door. He hadn’t seen her right away because the couch blocked his view. He rushed forward, completely forgetting that he was naked until the man began to laugh.

“That bitch’ll be a’ight. She done took worse hits than that lil’ love tap I just gave her.” George gestured at Natty’s cock, weaving in a slow circle before stumbling forward. “But you might need to get dressed. ‘Cuz I don’t get down like that, partner.”

Nori didn’t even think, he just swung. Later he’d admit he hadn’t even looked to see where George landed, he’d been so intent on getting to her.

“Baby,” he whispered, kneeling to touch her carefully. Her lip was cut. That bastard had hit her hard.

She moaned softly as he gently examined her head and neck for visible injuries. He exhaled roughly in relief when her eye lids fluttered and opened.

“Nori,” she began confused, then her eyes cleared and narrowed. “That bitch George hit me! Where is that mother fucker?” she began to struggle to her feet.

“Take it easy, baby,” he said, laughing in relief. “That must have been some punch he gave you; you were unconscious.”

“Shit,” she touched her lip. “Yeah, well, a sucker punch’ll do that to you. That no good ass prick. Where is he?”

They both heard George groan at the same time.

Nori looked sheepish. “I got him back for you.”

“Baby, put some clothes on, ‘cuz I’m about to call the police and have that bitch arrested.”

“And the police were extra rough with George’s ho’ ass,” Margot told her girls the next day. “Thankfully, that drunk bitch was nice enough to argue and struggle, adding resisting arrest to the litany of charges I filed on that fool.”

Tommy and Lani were agog at the drama.

“That nigga must be bat shit crazy,” Tommy said, shaking her head as she applied Neosporin to Margot’s face.

“Crazy and fucked up,” Lani laughed. “I am too tickled ole’ Nori knocked that punk out with one blow!”

“My baby ain’t no joke,” Margot said, grinning proudly.

“Where is Sugar Ray?” Tommy asked. “I’d have thought he’d be right up under you.”

“He was, but he had to go into the office for a little bit. He’ll be back.”

“I still can’t believe George’s dumb ass had the nerve to come over here drunk, startin’ shit!” Tommy said.

“Okay? I had just got off the phone with his bitch ass. Turned out he was around the way talking shit on a cell phone. He told the police he didn’t hit me, I tripped and fell. But his low life ass started stuttering when they asked him why he was at my door drunk, uninvited, in the first place.”

“He was probably still drunk when he made up that lie,” Lani guessed.

“Okay? Dummy. I had to file a restraining order, all type a shit. Low life. Once you let a loser in your life, it’s like trying to get rid of roaches to get ‘em out.”

“Hard as hell,” Tommy finished. “’Cause they keep comin’ back.”

“I never seen nothin’ like it! Let a bitch start doin’ half way decent, and he pops out the woodwork like some demented ass fairy. I couldn’t believe it when he tried to make out like Nori attacked him. Thank God the police weren’t buyin’ it.”

“How could they?” Tommy asked. “This ain’t his house, and there you stand with your face all fucked up.”

“Okay? They threw so many charges at his poop butt ass he’s literally gonna drown under the weight.”

“One can but hope,” Tommy muttered. “Feel like talking some business?”

“Always,” said Margot. “I need a distraction from all this mess. I barely slept a wink. Poor Nori was so shook he spent most of the night pacing, barking into his phone to every lawyer he know, then got up at the crack, ran, then went to work!”

“I’m gonna go clean the closet,” said Lani. It was her go to activity in times of stress.

“Don’t make no mess!” Margot called after her.

“Like that’s gonna help,” Tommy laughed.

Margot just rolled her eyes. They spent the next hour discussing the fine jewelry line Tommy was pushing. She wasn’t sure she wanted to get involved. It was a completely different price point, and part of her appeal to her fans was her affordability.