Page 84 of Love me Like XO

“Course I do. Everyone does,” I responded nervously. Truth was not everyone knew where Zero lived because he had finessed the system to keep his address private, but here I was about to give it up.

“Then that is what we do.” Rikov was a little too excited at the thought of bombing my brother’s home. You’d thing he had some beef with my brother, when in reality he was Given’s bitch. Givens had beef with my brother and hated him from a far which made Rikov fee the same.

“Why blow it up and bring so much attention to it? You can’t hire someone to be there when he gets there?” I asked.

Givens nodded. “That’s a good idea. Quick and easy. You have anybody in mind, Rikov?”

He thought for a moment, before he spoke. “My brother will take the contract. They won’t even know what hit them.”

That fracture of a plan bought me some time. Now, where was Celia and I had to wonder when they’d attempt this. Both of their greed and hatred toward my brother blinded them from the odds. The stacked odds because my brother wasn’t a mark. The one thing I was sure about was when shit hit the fan I didn’t want to be here, I didn’t want to be in the vicinity to see it. I needed to find a way to be disappeared before that happened.

“Good plan, I’ll be in touch. Call me when Celia comes off her binge,” Given’s voice broke my thoughts.

I blinked a few times and nodded. My distraction was taken as fear, because within moments his hand was on my shoulder.

“Don’t worry we’ll get him, and you won’t have to live looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life.” They trusted me too much, because they thought my hate for my brother ran as deep as theirs. It didn’t though, because truth of the matter is I was about ready to put all of this shit behind me. I almost died, hell I did die on the table, but thankfully I’m still here. Now it was up to me to at least try to stay here, and not actually get myself killed. So, the last thing I was worried about was my brother.

EMPRESS

My eyes glossed my office as a smile came to my face. Though I had a major headache throbbing headache I was in a good mood. I was finally a bit freer since they’d taken the cast off my foot. Of course I had an ugly boot, but I could do more with that. I couldn’t do any hair, but I could be here. I could be present while my money was made because my baby daddy knew I didn’t play about my money. That didn’t stop him from being on his way to bring me lunch, because he was convinced I wasn’t eating while I was here. All lies because I had busted my snack drawer down the moment I walked in here. I didn’t fight him on that though, because him bringing me lunch would be my first real meal since the breakfast my mother prepared this morning. That was one thing she could cook, so I ate up. She went home today, and even though I was lowkey ecstatic, I’d miss her hovering ass. I also promised her I’d call more since she said I acted like I was allergic to my phone.

“Why are you in here smiling to yourself?” Ree’s voice interrupted my mental tangent.

“Nothing really. Just thinking. What’s up with you?” I rubbed the side of my temple where the headache throbbed, just looking at her.

She shook her head, before slouching against the sofa in the corner of my office. “What is it with hood niggas and babies? Why is their first thought babies? Well not Malik’s because he wants me to move in, marry him and have a baby all within the next year.”

I cackled thinking about the irony of her situation. “Mother-fucking to the side, don’t you see you’re getting what you asked for? You felt like you were stuck in the same space with Hadees, but Malik is a man who knows what he wants right?”

She sat up straight and looked at me, forgetting to blink for about ten seconds, before pointing in my direction. “You’re fucking right. I asked the universe and I received. I love him, and I mean that but now. Why now?”

I looked down at the small pudge I had, then back up at her. “Why not now? Love a hood nigga ‘til infinity.” I laughed at Irish’s stupid ass, saying. “All jokes aside you love him and he loves you, right? Don’t be in no rush, but I don’t be so quick to panic.”

“I’m not panicking. Why do you keep rubbing your head? Are you okay?”

“Then let things come as they do. Of course I didn’t plan this, shit had a many of panic attacks but as time goes on you settle into the pace of life set for you. Life is goo?—”

The knock at my open door, broke my sentence. “Hello, I’m looking for Empress.” Her eyes traveled between me and my sister before they ultimately landed on my stomach.

“And you are?” My hand went protectively to my belly because her fixation rubbed me the wrong way.

“My name is Celia. Zero and I are good frien?—”

“If so, then why the fuck did you come to see her? You bitches and this pop-up shit get you fucked up every time.” By now Ree was in her protective mode.

She looked toward my sister, before back at me. “Is there somewhere we can speak alone?”

“Nope. State your reason for this pop up,” Ree answered for me.

“This ghetto shit. I can’t believe this is what he chooses. I came here to deliver a message, one that you can pass over, you too bodyguard.”

Re laughed. Not the normal laugh, but the one that old girl should’ve taken heed to.

“Your man shouldn’t allow you to be so accessible, especially when he had beef with some very powerful motherfuckers. My blood included.”

I blinked, and the next thing I saw was Taree cock her fist back behind her head before sending it into Celia’s direction. That hit was so lethal, so heavy that it sent Celia to the ground making a loud thud against the floor. “That’s accessible. You came in here to deliver a message and got your stupid ass touched. Fuck type of messen?—”

“The fuck is this? What happ—” Malik’s voice filled my office as his eyes scanned the room. Within seconds Zero entered behind him carrying my food, and his eyes landed directly on me. I looked away keeping my eyes on the scene unfolding in my office. Malik lecturing Ree about keeping her hands to herself, while also instructing somebody to come to the back of my shop. This was all too much, too much going on. All I’d asked for was a normal day in my shop, and I couldn’t even have that without a bitch pulling. What the fuck had my life become? A circus or some fucking action movie with too much action?

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