TWO CAN PLAY.
Requested by NylaaPhylaa I really appreciate it. Y'all are all so goddamn amazing, honestly! Even you silent readers who lowkey get on my nerves. I love you all! I'mma make it my mission to get more active too!
A knife could cut through the tension in the room when Jamal finished the song. Jealous swirled in Andre's eyes as he regarded his younger brother was disdain. Hakeem, while impressed, saw the underlying threat to the promise of the throne as he saw the magic and awe of the room when Jamal played. Lucious' eyes narrowed with tight pressed lips at the origin of the song and the realisation that Jamal really did have it. Maybe more so than Keem. Anika...well, she was closely watching the electricity between the former Mrs. Lyon and her man as they glared at each other with an unspoken understanding of something unknown to everybody else. It made her incredibly uneasy, considering Cookie had already made it known she was a threat. The uncomfortable silence was ended with a sudden round of applause. Cookie clapped her hands together, pride filling her heart, and jumped to her feet. Everybody followed suit, snapping out of their sullen, self-serving thoughts to play the role of a supportive family member.
"So, you went to see Puma..." Lucious drawled, clasping his hands together. The grin on his face said he found it amusing, but Cookie knew better from the calculating, sharp look within his eye as he stared at her.
"Yes." She replied, sharply. Why was he staring at her like she'd somehow betrayed him?
"Does he still like you?" That faux teasing grin still plastered on his face. Cookie's eyes narrowed. Lucious had some black audacity. It was none of his damn business. She thought back to Lucious' question...Does he still like you? Very much so. She blushed at Puma's sweet-talking words. She knew he was someone who would've treated her right. Hell, still would. But he didn't interest her, romantically or sexually. It seemed she was attracted to the unworthy kinds of men.
Lucious felt himself grow angry as Cookie remained silent but a shy smile worked it's way onto her plush lips. What the hell had her smiling? It better damn well not be Puma. Anika noticed the underline fury in Lucious' laid back persona and touched his knee, wanting to believe he was angry that he could no longer deny that Jamal was talented. She refused to believe it had anything to do with Cookie and whoever this Puma man was. Hopefully, this Puma would sweep Cookie off her feet and keep her far, far away from Lucious, and any temptation he might have to relive the past between Cookie's thighs.
"Poor brother just don't know how to quit, huh?" Lucious added with a low chuckle, probing Cookie to snap out of her daze and answer his question.
"Keep ya' beak outta my business, Lucious." Cookie snapped, refusing to feed into his immaturity.
Lucious slowly nodded. She wanted to play it like that, fine. Sitting up straighter, he shifted his gaze to his middle son. "You wanna know what is my business?" He mused. "That song." Cookie's eyebrows furrowed from the side-lines, whilst Jamal felt his heart plummet. He knew just from the mischievous look in his Father's eye that nothing positive was able to pass through his lips about his music. "I have never really liked it until I heard your version." Foolishly, Jamal got his hopes up and smiled at his Father's compliment. Lucious quickly turned to Anika and murmured lowly, but loudly enough for everyone else to hear; "I mean now I think that John Legend would-"
"Lucious." Cookie hissed. She watched her child's face drop at her Father's callous and felt anger pulsing through her veins. Did Lucious really want to fuck with her? Because he should know by now that she'd go to war for her babies...Maybe that's what he wanted. Did he want to play? Because she'd make him feel pain in ways, he didn't think were possible.
