𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 ²

twelve.

CHAPTER TWELVE
amp up security

Hakeem

next day

Remember when Gram had talked about Hakeem and Blake's rap battle? Remember when he had said he wanted the world to decide who won? He sure wasn't lying because the song had gotten leaked this morning, and it was obviously Gram's doing. Hakeem didn't understand how though. Did Blake help him? But they weren't even friends anymore.

"You really recorded a diss song behind my back?" Are you out of your mind?!" Lucious said angrily.

"That's why we didn't tell you! Because you'd be angry!"

"I'm angry at the fact that you didn't tell me! We could've released this a long time ago! Look at the buzz it's creating!" Lucious exclaimed.

Cookie hit him. "Do you ever stop thinking about money for one second, Lucious?"

"Hell no. Money keeps this family on top."

Cookie rolled her eyes as Ro looked at her phone. "Someone did a poll on Twitter."

Hakeem questioned her. "About what?"

"About who won the rap battle. And...Blake's winning."

"How?!"

Ro read the tweets. "People are saying he had better bars. But others are saying your flow and emotion was better, so that's good, right?"

"No, this ain't good. Let me see that!" He snatched her phone and saw the poll. Blake was at 60%, and he was at 40%. Hakeem put his face in his hands because he couldn't believe this. This was humiliating.

Cookie was puzzled. "How the hell did this get out?"

"Gram released it!" Hakeem answered.

Lucious furrowed his eyebrows. "Gram? What are you talking about?"

"Jamal and I had a run in with him yesterday, and he was telling us that he used to be Blake's best friend. Blake had showed him the song, and Gram thinks Blake was the winner, but I challenged that. Gram said he wanted the world to decide who won, and then this got released."

"But how? How does he have that power?" Cookie asked.

Hakeem shrugged. "Blake probably helped him."

Royalty let out a deep exasperated sigh. "God, why did Blake have to enter our lives?"

Hakeem blamed Lucious. "Because Pop wanted to sign him, which was a mistake. Signing Gram was a mistake too. You need to fire him!"

"I wish I could, son."

"Why not? You fired Blake!"

Lucious spoke seriously. "Lyons don't run from beef, Hakeem. We crush that. That's why I'm not firing Gram. I know you can handle him."

Hakeem sucked his teeth. "Man, I don't wanna beef. I just got done handling Blake."

"Now handle Gram," Lucious hissed. "Unless you want him taking your girl from you?"

Lucious had him fucked up now. "That ain't happening, Pop. I'mma handle him." Right fucking now.

Gram's bitch ass was probably at Empire, so that was where Hakeem would go. He stood up and walked out, but got a notification from Instagram. From his biggest fan.

He opened the message, bracing himself for what he was about to read. They were probably threatening Jamal again. But they didn't. They just said,

keemsbiggestfan: You'll always be my winner.

Royalty

Hakeem was getting ready to leave, but Royalty stopped him. "Wait, Hakeem! I wanted to say thanks to whoever bought me those McDonald's nuggets. I appreciate it."

Hakeem was confused. "What are you talking about?"

She explained. "After dad told us Andre has to mentor me, I went to my room and there were nuggets waiting for me in one of my books."

"I didn't buy you any nuggets," Hakeem said.

"So mom or dad did."

Cookie shook her head. "No, I didn't buy you anything."

"Me either," Lucious said.

Royalty froze after that because if they didn't, then who the hell did?

Hakeem spoke. "It was probably Jamal or Andre."

She didn't think so. "No, Jamal wasn't here. And I highly doubt Andre would do that under the circumstances."

"Then who the hell did?"

That was when it hit her. "Blake."

"Blake?!" they all shrieked.

Ro nodded vigorously. "It had to be him. He knows McDonald's nuggets are my favorite."

"Doesn't mean he bought it."

"He has before. And it makes sense for it to be Blake because there was a note attached to the book that said, 'hope you like the gift!' Blake always got me gifts. It was him!"

Cookie freaked out. "So you're telling me that boy was in your room? You're telling me he was in this house?!"

Hakeem wasn't sure. "How would he get in? There's security outside. Unless they're some snakes too."

"They better not be, or they'll get laid out again!" Cookie threatened.

Lucious said, "I don't know how Blake got in, so I'm about to check these damn cameras." He rushed to the study, and they followed behind him. He pulled up the security footage on the computer, and they didn't see anything suspicious from the other day.

"Well, there's nothing."

Ro shook her head, refusing to believe this. "No, this can't be right. I know it was Blake!"

"Maybe some footage was erased," Hakeem pointed out.

Lucious shut that theory down. "No. Everything's here."

"Well, we saw Andre go upstairs at one point. Maybe it was him, after all," Hakeem added.

"We won't know unless we ask him. So call your brother, Ro."

She sucked her teeth as she pulled out her phone because the last person she wanted to talk to was Andre, but they needed to solve this mystery. A part of herself hoped it was him who had bought the nuggets, but she knew it was Blake.

Andre answered the phone. "Hey, Ro! What's up?"

"I'm not trying to chitchat, Andre. I need to ask you a question."

"Anything."

"Did you buy me McDonald's nuggets recently?" she asked.

"No. I haven't even been to McDonald's. You know I don't eat that."

"Nice talk." She hung up and threw her hands up. "See? It was Blake!"

Cookie was on high alert now. "Alright, amp up security, Lucious. I want them covering every perimeter of this house. That boy isn't getting close again."

"What about the cops?" Ro mentioned.

"We don't have proof, baby."

"But we know Blake's crazy. That's enough proof right there," Hakeem said.

"But he wasn't trying to hurt her. He bought her food, so what can the cops do?" Cookie countered.

"He broke in!" Ro cried out.

"It's not going to happen again. Just focus on Empire, okay? Your mother and I will handle this Blake mess," Lucious told her.

She hoped they would handle it because Blake was stalking her and she was terrified. He might've played nice this time, but that didn't mean he'd be nice next time...