CHAPTER THIRTY
prayer worked
Royalty
Royalty was in bed listening to music. She was listening to the song Jamal and Hakeem had made. The original version. Not the Andre diss version. She was actually glad that version got erased because it was unnecessary.
Lucious, Hakeem, and Tiana came into her room and she sat up worriedly. If all three of them were there, it couldn't be good.
"What's going on...?" Ro asked nervously.
Lucious blurted it out. "Gram got shot."
Her eyes widened like crazy. "What?!"
Hakeem nodded. "Yeah. It's all over the news."
"Well, is he going to be okay?"
"Yeah, he's in stable condition," Lucious told her.
"Unlike Jamal," Hakeem grumbled.
"That's good, right? So why don't you guys seem happy?" Ro asked.
"I'm not happy because I feel like Empire artists are being targeted one by one," Tiana exclaimed.
"Because you are," Lucious confirmed. "But I don't think the person who shot Gram is the same person who shot Jamal."
Tiana agreed. "It's not. I know who did this now. Blake."
Hakeem was confused. "Why would Blake shoot Gram?"
Lucious knew why. "Because Gram was hiding Blake at his place, but for some reason, he snitched to the police and they almost caught Blake."
"He snitched because of me..." Tiana admitted sheepishly.
Ro questioned her. "What do you mean?"
"I told Gram that Blake attacked me in the studio, and he seemed really angry after that. The next minute, he was telling me he was calling the cops."
Hakeem wasn't happy. "Why you telling him all that?!"
"Why not? He should know how much of a piece of shit his former best friend is," Tiana argued. "And it's a good thing I did tell him, because he called the cops on Blake."
"But they didn't capture him sadly. Now Blake's retaliating." Ro frowned. "Thankfully, Gram survived."
"It's unfortunate," Hakeem said harshly.
That disgusted Royalty. "Can you at least act compassionate?"
Hakeem rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm not gonna pretend as if I like the guy, because I don't."
"That doesn't mean you should wish death on him."
"But he's not dying. He's in stable condition, unlike Jamal. Gram will be right back at Empire before we know it."
"But you won't be, Ro," Lucious told her.
"What do you mean I won't be?"
"You can't leave this house because you have no bodyguards."
"Yes I do."
Lucious broke the news to her. "Not anymore. I fired them."
"Why?!"
"Because they failed you once, and they'll do it again!"
"So get me some new ones!" she demanded.
But he refused. "No. I'm tired of paying for protection when they don't even protect."
"The world is out to get us," Hakeem said angrily.
"They are, including Blake. So you're staying home at all times, Ro."
She complained some more. "I don't wanna be on house arrest, Dad!"
"You're staying home! And don't even try to get your mother involved because she's gonna agree with me."
Ro sucked her teeth. "Whatever."
Tiana rubbed her shoulder. "It's for the best."
"I guess."
Hakeem was focused on the tv now. "Aye, turn that up!"
Ro turned the tv volume up and the news was talking about Gram again. "As we reported earlier, two Empire artists were shot in a 36 hour time span. One of them being newly signed rapper, Gram Miller, and one being Jamal Lyon. There's no word on who Jamal's shooter is, but police strongly believe the suspect in Gram's shooting is a man they're already searching for: former Empire rapper, Blake Hanks."
Tiana crossed her arms. "Well, that confirms it."
Ro nodded. "Yup. Blake isn't hiding anymore. He's angry, and he's out for blood."
"Yeah. So the question is, who's next?" Hakeem wondered.
They all looked at each other worriedly and then Royalty's phone vibrated. She got a text from a number she didn't recognize. The text said, One down. Two to go.
Cookie
Carol bounced her leg anxiously while looking around. "I don't like the atmosphere in here."
Cookie tilted her head at her. "It's a hospital, Carol. The atmosphere is never nice."
"Unless someone's giving birth. Then that's pretty nice," Candace inserted.
"Well, no one's giving birth in this family. Jamal is in there on the brink of death, and we're playing the waiting game."
Candace was saddened. "I can't believe my sweet nephew got shot. How did this happen, Cookie?!"
Carol had an idea. "I bet it was that Lucious."
"It wasn't Lucious, Carol!" Cookie yelled viciously. "Jamal decided to go clubbing because he was mourning Rhonda, and he got caught lacking."
"By who?"
"Remember when Hakeem put a hit out on him? Well, one of his fans went through with it. They texted Hakeem afterwards and everything."
Candace shook her head. "The police need to trace those texts or something because I'm getting tired of this mystery."
Carol leaned back in her chair. "There has been a lot of mysterious stuff going on in this family. Like Rhonda's death."
"I don't understand that either. How did she fall over a railing?!" Candace questioned.
"I think she was drunk," Carol said.
Cookie swallowed hard. "About that...can I ask you guys something? Do you think Andre's capable of murder?"
Candace gasped hard. "What in the world? What kind of question is that, Cookie? He's your son!"
"I know! I know! But I just found out Andre has bipolar disorder and he hit Rhonda because of it. Then she wanted a divorce, and the next day she ended up dead."
Carol gasped now. "Oh hell no! My nephew's a murderer?!"
"Is it that surprising? Hakeem's pretty much a murderer in the making. Look what he did to Jamal!"
Then Candace looked at Cookie worriedly. "Are all of your sons crazy, Cookie?"
Carol dissed Lucious again. "They get it from their daddy."
"Stop it, Carol!" Cookie scolded. "Now look, I'm not saying Andre killed her, but it does look suspicious, right? But Lucious is positive Andre's innocent, so."
"You believe that man?"
"Of course I do. He wouldn't lie about that. He wouldn't cover up a crime."
Candace disagreed. "He would if it was for his son."
"So y'all think Andre's guilty?"
Carol spoke bluntly. "Listen sis, if I was a judge, I would've had him locked away already."
"Okay...I'll take that as a yes."
But Candace thought otherwise. "I don't think Andre needs to be locked up. I think he needs help with his bipolar disorder."
Cookie agreed. "I think so too. Even Rhonda said he's an unrecognizable monster when he's angry. But Andre's a grown man, we can't force him to get help."
Candace shrugged. "Well, let's pray more family members don't start dying around him. And let's pray he's innocent."
"Yes, let's pray."
They really held hands and started praying, but a doctor came up to them. "Ms. Lyon?"
Cookie quickly stood up. "Yes, that's me! Is there any news on my baby?"
"Yes, good news. Jamal miraculously survived his injuries. He's stable now."
That made Carol say, "Damnnnnn! That prayer worked!"