Chapter 15
Samari pulled the covers over her head and frowned when she heard someone pounding on the door.
A week passed since her first session at Track Killaz and multiple followed.
The one last night had her in need of sleep.
She wasn’t expecting company and had spent her night with Asao.
He’d safely delivered her to her apartment at four a.m. with the promise of seeing her later tonight after demanding she get some sleep.
She stripped out of her clothes and climbed into bed with lingering reminders of their night present in his scent on her skin and the ache between her thighs.
She smiled and snuggled deeper into her mattress until the pounding disrupted her peaceful state yet again.
“Oh God, please go away,” she muttered into the pillow. After staying incredibly still like the lack of movement would somehow solve the problem, she gave up when the knocking persisted.
With anger pushing through her veins, she threw the covers back and grabbed a T-shirt before leaving her bedroom, yanking it over her head when she lifted onto her toes to squint through the peephole.
The large body that obscured her view had Samari swinging her head from side to side trying to locate something she could use to defend herself until she heard the rumble of a deep voice creeping through her door.
“Sao, wake yo’ ass up. I told you I have shit to do and you told me she was gonna be ready. We have to be at the studio by ten, and if she doesn’t open this door in the next two minutes, I’m kicking that shit in and dragging her up out of here. Call me back.”
Samari jumped when a fist landed on her door more aggressively. When she heard the heavy thump of footsteps, she lifted onto her toes and squinted through the peephole again, just in time to catch a very large man with a scowl dragging a hand over his head and down his face.
She recognized Asao’s friend from the night she’d run into Asao at the club and chewed her lip before she huffed and unlocked her door. She peeked around it, hoping her instincts were on point. The only way he could have known where she lived was if Asao had sent him to her.
“’Bout fucking time,” the man mumbled, glaring at Samari before he officially addressed her. “Why aren’t you dressed?”
“Why would I be and who are you?”
“Niles and ’cause you’re supposed to be downtown in less than an hour. So again, why the fuck are you not dressed?”
“Downtown for what?”
“Stop asking questions and go put some clothes on ’cause I’m not trying to have his ass spazzing the fuck out because you’re around me half naked.”
Samari wanted to be angry but Niles’s reaction had a smile surfacing. He very intently focused on her face only. She stepped back, allowing him space to enter, but he shook his head.
“Nah, I’m cool. Just get dressed and hurry the fuck up.”
“Can you tell me where I’m going?”
“Radio station.”
Asao’s words about doing press last night pushed through Samari’s mind along with the fact that she’d agreed to have Niles manage her. What she hadn’t expected was for Niles to be at her door a few hours later demanding her to go with him to an interview.
“Where is Asao?”
“Asleep apparently, but the interview is set up for just you.”
“With who?”
“Bruh, can you stop asking questions and go put some damn clothes on?”
She grinned and nodded when he crossed the hall and leaned against the wall facing her door. She no longer had his attention because it was focused on his phone, so she closed and locked the door, heading back to her room.
Twenty minutes later she was freshly showered and dressed.
Knowing most radio hosts liked to take pictures for their guest wall, she selected barrel jeans and a boyfriend tee that read The Manor Ain’t Teach Me No Manners, repping Crescent Manor.
The T-shirt was black with white and red print so she paired her fit with Chicago 1s.
When she stepped out of her front door, Niles allowed his eyes to touch more than her face and gave her a once over before grunting, “Let’s go.”
She locked her door and followed him out of the building where he walked right to a blacked out BMW.
The windows were so dark they had to be illegally tinted.
He walked to the passenger door and yanked it open before rounding the rear to get into the driver’s side.
She grinned before getting in because as disgruntled as he had been since showing up at her door, he was still a gentleman.
After he pulled into traffic, moving faster than necessary, she turned her eyes on him. “Can I ask questions now?”
“No,” he said, balancing his attention between texting and apparently trying to get a speeding ticket.
“Did I do something to you?”
He cut his eyes her way then dropped them back to his phone while tapping out a one-handed text.
“Other than having my boy out here wearing capes and shit? Nah.”
“If that reference is in regards to him saving a hoe, take that up with the hoe he saved because it damn sure isn’t me. I’ve never been loose with my pussy.”
Niles’s eyes were on her quick as hell and he chuckled, nodding. “You got that.”
His foul mood was due to a woman but not the one seated next to him. The source of his contention was the woman who’d disappeared on him and refused to return his texts and calls so he decided to let Samari make it.
“Weren’t you with Sao last night?” he asked, glancing at her now that her focus was on the device in her hand.
He could see why his boy was ready to step behind her.
Samari was pretty as hell and she tugged at his protective nature.
It didn’t make sense because they had barely even exchanged words but he knew he would be ready to step behind her too.
That reminded him of how quickly they’d all fallen for the last woman who had Asao’s nose wide open and it was all making sense.
“Yes.”
“He didn’t tell you about the interview?”
“No,” she stated without giving him her eyes, which made Niles chuckle.
“I need to apologize to get more than a one-word answer?”
“Yes.” She looked his way and smiled smugly.
“You had media training?”
“Yes?”
When he arched a brow, she lifted a shoulder. “You didn’t apologize.”
“Aight, you got that too. My bad for being an asshole.”
“Apology accepted.” She smiled triumphally and Niles smirked, shaking his head. “Who’s the interview with?”
“Beauty.”
“Oh…”
He noticed she tensed and frowned. “Y’all got beef or something?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t know her like that.”
“Then why that dry ass oh…” He pulled up at a light and stared at Samari.
“Everybody listens to her show.”
“That’s kinda the point. Getting you out there. Those songs y’all recorded are fire as hell.”
She nodded and Niles knew something was up. He would never claim to be an expert at reading women, but with Samari, he didn’t have to be. She wore her feelings all over her face and right now she was nervous as hell.
“Stop stressing, you’re gonna be straight. Beauty is cool and she fucks with us heavy. So she won’t hit you with any bullshit ass questions.”
Samari huffed and turned to face him. Niles was handsome.
He was tall like Asao but built like a football player.
His chocolate skin was almost as dark as the waves on his head and the beard that covered his jaw.
He had thick, bushy brows, a wide nose and lips.
There was a permanent crease between his brows and she surmised he didn’t smile a lot.
“It’s not that. They’re going to ask me about the festival and that means admitting on air that I’m doing music again.”
“Aren’t you an artist? Why wouldn’t you want people to know you’re doing music?” He frowned, looking confused.
“Not people, my label.”
Niles nodded, now understanding what the issue was. “Your label doesn’t give a fuck about you putting music out. In fact, that’s the point and I know you haven’t decided whether or not you’re gonna sign with us, but until you say no, we’re moving like it’s a yes.”
“I wasn’t talking about Track Killaz,” she admitted and he read between the lines.
“You’re not with Cobra anymore, Mari. Sao took care of that.”
“How?”
“He didn’t tell you?” She pulled her lip between her teeth and shook her head. Niles nodded again.
“You’re gonna have to wait until he does. We don’t work like that. Sao is family. I respect his moves just like he respects mine. You’re gonna have to do the same.”
“You can afford a lawsuit. I can’t,” she admitted.
“What did he tell you?” Niles had learned a long time ago to never insert himself between a man and his woman. He wouldn’t even cross that line with Asao and Dom and they were brothers. So he wouldn’t tell her shit Asao chose not to but he would give her something.
“He didn’t go in there and light that bitch up. Our attorney is handling it. Everything is pretty much finalized. You aren’t on Cobra’s label anymore. Whether or not you choose to be on ours is on you.”
She nodded and smiled, turning her head toward the window, looking his way a few moments later with an amused grin before she spoke. “If I sign to Track Killaz, should I expect guns to be used as a normal part of business negotiations?”
“Depends on the business and how willing they are to negotiate.”
There was no need to push further. Whether or not she knew the intimate details of who Niles and Asao were, she felt the warning of danger emanating from their beings.
They were men born in the hustle and raised by the struggle.
Kill or be killed was ingrained on their souls.
Where most would fear their danger, she felt safe.
“But you’re good with us, Mari. We’ve got you.”