He knocked softly on the door.

"Mr. Lyon?"

"Yes, Mr. Devaux please come in. Close the door."

"Yes sir."

Just as Malcolm turned to face him he felt Lucious' fist connect with his jaw. Lucious just stared at him, frozen expecting Malcolm to hit him back. When he didn't Lucious shook his hand and mumbled under his breath walking back to the desk.

Malcolm put a hand up to the side of his face, cursing because it would probably swell up. The punch didn't hurt as much as he thought it would but he was sure there would be a bruise there by tomorrow. He spit some of the blood out on Lucious expensive ass rug with a smug smile.

"Sorry about that." He offered in a sarcastic tone.

"You're not, just like your not sorry about fucking my wife behind my back."

"Wife? Last time I check you were divorced. She's fair game." He cringed internally, hating himself for referring to Cookie as fair game as if she were a prize, which to Lucious she probably was.

"Fair game. Listen to me motherfucker you don't own her."

"And neither do you."

There was an awkward silence before either man spoke. They were both making their claim, as if they were in the jungle each battling for control of the kingdom.

"You know she'll always love me right? No matter how long she's with you, how nice you are to her, how good you fuck her she'll always love me. She'll always come back to me, you know that right?"

When Malcolm didn't answer, Lucious took advantage of the silence. "I mean what do you expect to get out of this? Why are you even with her? A 44-year-old ex-con with three kids, I mean that's hardly anything to brag about don't you think? I know you got a nice little family, prestigious little group of uppity negros huh? You gonna bring Cookie home to meet your family? Is that where this is going? You gonna love Cookie, give her a bullshit dream of white picket fences and fucking sunshine and happiness? Well boy, newsflash that shit doesn't work for women like Cookie. So have your fun now, really, I want you to enjoy it while it lasts because it won't last long, I can guarantee you that."

"You're awful." Malcolm laughed incredulously.

"What?"

"I said you're awful. Everyone has been saying it but I haven't truly seen it till now and the crazy thing is, I admired you. That's why I wanted to work here, that's why I gave up other opportunities to work here. Lucious Lyon, that name was so relevant in the hood. Yeah, for your information I grew up in Newark no different from West Philly. Lots of gangs, lots of drugs, and lots of killing. My momma left and my dad wasn't shit. A lot like you and Cookie's story. I don't know what I'm expecting from it, but what I do know is she's more than you give her credit for. She's an amazing mother, producer, manager, and woman in general. You wouldn't know what she wanted because you don't even know her."

"I don't know her. I don't know Cookie. Nigga, I made Cookie. Without me she'd probably been got dogged out by her mamas boyfriend of the week, or better yet still running for him in the streets, still in West Philly. I got her out. ME. So don't tell me I don't know my wife?"

Malcolm laughed.

"That was then, Lucious. You don't know her now, you abandoned her for seventeen years, you know what that does to a person? Changes their whole outlook on life, makes them less trusting, more vulnerable. Cookie missed out on a lot of shit because of you. She sacrificed her life for you and you treat her like shit. Probably because its your own insecurities, because you know that Cookie is just better than you.

"You watch it."

"Or what. You gonna fire me? Go ahead do it, I don't care." That was a lie, he absolutely cared.

Lucious laughed.

"Why would I fire you?"

Malcolm was pleasantly confused.

"What?"

"Of course I'm not gonna fire you Malcolm. You do good work here, I want you to stay. I mean if you want to leave you can. Just where will you go? I know a lot of people Malcolm. Those other jobs you gave up, I know all about them. Real good friends of mine, just a call away. I'd hate to have to tell them some crazy shit about you, you know. Just because you cant keep you dick in your pants. I'd really hate to see you out of a job, then you can do anything for Cookie right? Because then why would she want you? Crazy. You should stay don't you think? I think so. Don't be stupid and risk your career over a woman you barely know. The sex aint that good.

But then again, if she's anything like she was 2 weeks ago, it's probably not that bad eh?"

The man was a fucking lunatic, Malcolm thought.

Two weeks ago. Lucious smiled at the other mans confusion.

"Oh she didn't tell you? Damn. My bad. You can ask her if you want I aint lying. Anyway, I got some stuff to take care of. I'm gonna change your schedule around a bit if you don't mind, of course you don't. Tonight is Jamal's listening party, I know you weren't on the schedule but I need you to work it tonight. You don't mind do you?"

Malcolm already knew the answer.

"No sir."

"Good. You can go now."

Malcolm walked back to the elevators livid. He got in and pressed the 14th floor in hopes to talk to Cookie. He was surprised to see Mendez outside her door and immediately panicked.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"You don't know?"

"Know what?"

Mendez looked around to make sure no one else was around. "You may want to go see her yourself, man."

Malcolm looked at him cautiously before opening the door to see Cookie packing up some of her belongings. She lifted her head to meet his eyes, a small smile gracing her lips before she spoke with a sigh, a hint of bitterness in her tone.

"Well I've been given 15 minutes to collect my personal possessions. So what reason did Lucious give for firing you, you know they gotta give you a reason?"

"He didn't fire me."

Cookie scoffed with a smirk. "So he told me to kick rocks for having sex with you, but you get to stay?" She tried not to be angry but it was fucking hard. Only Lucious would think of something so twisted to do. He wanted her to suffer and for the life of it, she had no idea what she'd done to deserve any of this. Lucious was the one who left her to rot in prison for 17 years, he's the one that got engaged to a little girl half his age, he's the one that tried to pawn his daughter off on Jamal, he's the one that paid Hakeem's girlfriend to leave, he's the one that told her he would never leave Anika for her, he's the one who had the ability to break her down and make her feel absolutely numb. If anything Lucious should be the one packing up his office. Keeping Malcolm was only the icing on the cake; Lucious saw this as a game. Even when she tried to move on Lucious always found a way to stay in the fucking mix.

"Cookie, I can quit if you want me to?" Malcolm finally spoke up after looking at her for a few seconds.

"What?"

"I don't have to stay here. I can leave. I can get another job."

Cookie shook her head.

"Doing what? Of course you have to stay here. Lucious would ruin your life if you didn't."

"Why?"

"Because it's what Lucious does. In that sick and twisted mind of his, he wants you to know no matter where you are, where you go he's in control. I'm sure he could find ways to make sure you never work anywhere else again. The sick bastard wants you to be stuck here."

In a few sentences Cookie summed up exactly what Lucious had just told him. She made it all make sense. Lucious wasn't letting Malcolm stay out of courtesy it was out of control. It was a damned if he does, damned if he doesn't situation and frankly it pissed him off.

"Fuck!" He lashed out, pushing his fist into a wall nearly crushing it, causing even Cookie to stop back. "He can't do this!"

Cookie walked over to Malcolm putting her hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look her in the eye.

"He already did baby." She was smiling and Malcolm was confused. "You wanna know the only good thing about this though?"

"What?" Malcolm replied not understanding her train of thought and he watched her face as Cookie's eyes darkened.

"He's dying Mal. And once he's gone, your deal with the Devil is up."

She was right. She was right, and for a second he almost felt bad for Lucious. That was only a moment because Malcolm then returned her smile. He wasn't usually one to wish bad things on anyone. When he was younger there was an elderly woman that lived next door to him that would pray with him. She always told him never to fight hate with hate. Never wish ill on someone. It's a code he often tried to live by. But this, this had to be an exception. Lucious Lyon was the Devil himself and deserved every awful thing that happened to him, death included.

Just then the door opened and Mendez coughed to get their attention. Cookie never took her hands from Malcolm's face, hell they barely addressed him.

"Um. Ma'am. You're 15 minutes is up."

Cookie sighed closing her eyes leaning in to Malcolm, her forehead resting against his chest.

"Give her 15 more."

"Sir?"

"I said give her 15 more." He was more sure this time, his voice gaining a bit of bass.

"But Mr. Lyon sa-"

"Is Mr. Lyon here?"

"No."

"Then for all he knows she just got here. Give her 15 more Mendez." He finally turned to look the younger man in the eyes.

"Yes sir."

Cookie's head shot up as she looked at Malcolm confused. "I don't need 15 more minutes. I already packed up most of my stuff, it should only take me about five minutes hon-." He silenced her with a kiss.

"I didn't say the 15 minutes was for packing."

Cookie smirked. "What's it for then?"

Malcolm walked away to lock the door, and then walked back to her sitting her on top of her desk, moving her belongs well out of the way.

"The last time we were in here, we got interrupted."

Cookie had already started to unbutton his shirt and he let it fall to the floor before grabbing at the fabric of Cookie's dress bunching it up over her hips. He dropped down to his knees in front of her, hooking his fingers on the side of her lace underwear and pulled them down her legs. He pressed his hand against her stomach making her lie back and scooted her closer to the edge placing both of her legs over his shoulders. He kissed along her thighs making Cookie shiver.

"I think it's only right to revisit a lost opportunity don't you think?"

Without hesitation, Malcolm slid his tongue inside her.

"Yesssss."

She was half answering his question, half relishing in the pleasure of his tongue against her.

Malcolm may have been soft spoken, but he did the most glorious, satisfying things with his mouth. Looking down at his head between her legs only seemed to turn Cookie on even more. His tongue was thrashing around and all Cookie wanted to do was desperate grab onto something and scream, she suppressed the urge when Malcolm's hands gripped her thighs as he literally sucked her dry, drinking in every last drop. The man was a fucking puss eating legend in her book.

He let her legs down and she sat back up pulling him to her, kissing him deeply. She helped him quickly get rid of his belt and forced his pants and boxers down his legs. Cookie used her teeth to tear the condom wrapper and quickly put it on him before positioning him at her entrance and plunged himself into her warmth. He and Cookie have had a lot of sex in their time together, but every time always felt like the first. It always felt so damn good. Malcolm reached down to pull her dress up and over her head and unhooked her bra, desperate to feel her bare skin on his own. He scooted her closer to the edge half holding her weight, half of it resting against the cool glass, the mixture of heat from their bodies and cold from the glass seemed to spur Cookie on. Her mouth was at his ear; he could feel her warm breath against his neck as he thrust in and out. He heard every moan, every whisper, ever call of his name.

He laid her back against the table and leaned over her, lifting up one of her legs and bending it at the knee to hit different angles. This time Cookie didn't suppress a her scream.

"God, Malcolm. Yes!"

Hearing her aloud only spurred him on more, he drove deep into her over and over again, relentless. Cookie gave up trying to be quiet and let out a string of profanities. Knowing that time was running out, Malcolm pulled her back up crashing his mouth against her pumping into her a few more times before she came, swallowing her cries in his mouth. Shortly after he followed suit, and they were both on the desk sweaty and panting. She rested her forehead against his chest, taking in deep gulps of breath then she started laughing.

"What's so funny?" He asked, lifting her chin up.

"Poor Mendez."

Poor Mendez indeed. He knew when Malcolm asked him to give them another 15 minutes it was code for "Get the fuck out and don't you dare come back in." So he did just that, nervously shifting his feet every time a minute passed by.

When he heard Cookie's screams and moans, he was on edge looking up and down the hallway to see if anyone was listening. Luckily it was the three of them, he checked his watch and noticed they had two minutes left. The sounds stopped and all he heard was laughing and a Poor Mendez. He nodded his head in agreement.

"She still in there?" Lucious Lyon had a tendency to just pop up, causing Mendezs' heart to race.

He stood still staring.

"Hello? No comprende ese? Is Cookie in there?"

Mendez didn't even need to answer because Cookie's office door swung open to reveal Cookie and Malcolm, carrying a box of her stuff.

"15 minutes. No more, no less. Thank you Mendez." Cookie offered him a smile and then frowned upon seeing Lucious, whose jaw was clenched.

"You got everything out?" Lucious asked annoyed. Clearly bothered that Malcolm was standing by her side.

"I don't know Lucious why do you fucking check?" She brushed past him with Malcolm Devaux behind her, who looked at Lucious the entire time even as they got on the elevator.

Lucious went in to check, it was mostly empty as he walked around the office. Then something caught his attention, a flash of red in the trashcan near her desk. He took a quick peek and felt his blood boil.

In the can; red panties he was sure were the ones Cookie was wearing earlier and a used condom.

Lucious was so upset he didn't know how to react. His first instinct was to go to the first floor to call her out on it, slut shaming her through the halls of Empire. But he realized he couldn't do that, he had to remain professional. Thoughts went all through his mind on his way down to the lobby; just the thought of Malcolm touching Cookie was enough to send his fist flying into the elevator wall. He hit it a few more times, before the skin started to tear and he drew blood.

"Bitch!"

The sight he saw on the first floor was enough to make him want to murder the both of them right then and there.

Malcolm had handed the box to another person in security that moved to place it in a black car. He watched from afar as Cookie and Malcolm publicly made it known that they were official. Cookie's arms were around Malcolm's neck and his were around her waist as she leaned in to kiss him. In front of any and everyone at Empire. Lucious looked around as the various groups and cliques whispered to each other, he even felt a few eyes on him. He couldn't stop looking. After what seemed like an eternity Cookie and Malcolm separated and he watched as she gave Malcolm a small smile and peck on the lips, reading her lips she told him "See you tonight." He watched Malcolm's smug smirk as he bit his lower lip and gave Cookie as small tap on her backside and she played coy walking away with a wave. Malcolm put his hand up to lips to wipe some of the lipstick from them. When Malcolm turned around, Lucious made eye contact with him. The cocky bastard offered Lucious a head nod before making his way down the opposite corridor with a little more confidence in his stride.

Malcolm Devaux had no idea; in that moment he became number one on Lucious Lyon's hit list. He was going to destroy him, by any means necessary.