Page 96 of Love me Like XO

“Yeah.”

“Boy, I didn’t raise you to answer no damn phone like that,” she fussed within seconds of me answering the damn phone.”

I laughed. “My bad.”

“Naw, not your bad yet. It will be as soon as I see you in person.”

Malik chuckled. “Hey auntie.”

“Hey Malik, baby. I got a cool thirty if you hit his ass in his jaw,” she playfully offered causing both of us to laugh. A few moments later he got out of the car and went to meet Gram at the door.

“Anyways I called you for a reason. Well a few. Your mother is in town. She stopped by here, and she wan?—”

“Respectfully, next topic. I don’t wanna hear anything about Aurora.”

“And I understand that. Just thought I’d let you know. Asha said the same thing, and lord knows I don’t know where that sister of yours is.” She sighed into the phone.

Silence filled the space, then she started speaking again. I had a feeling I already knew what she was about to ask. “Look, for the most part I mind my business, but can you please talk to Empress? I’m not saying her father is right, but her silence and her not talking to hi?—"

“You know I’ll do anything for you tete, but I can’t make her get over her problem with her father. She gotta get over that in her own time.”

She sighed. “I know. He just misses her. She’s his baby girl.”

“I hear you, but again that’s between him and her. Plus my baby is stubborn. I’m sure he knows that.” I chuckled a little.

She laughed as well. “She and the babies are doing fine now, right?”

“Yeah, she’s been cooling since we left the hospital.”

“What hospital? What do you mean since you left it? She was in the hospital again?” my aunt threw like three questions at me in less than ten seconds.

“Yeah. Her blood pressure did some dumb shit, but she’s straight.”

“What do you mean she’s straight. Why didn’t any of you call anybody.” She was angry, but most of all hurt that she didn’t get a call.

“It was quick tete. She’s fi—They’re fine. If you don’t believe me, gone ahead over to the house. Ree should be there to open the door.”

“I just might go myself since nobody is keeping me in the loop.”

“Alright. I gotta handle something, so I’ll hit you up when I’m done. Be easy old lady, love you.”

“You as well, be safe.”

After I hung up with her, I hopped out of the car to go in and see what I missed. When I walked in, Malik was on the side with his phone to his ear while Gram was walking Rikov into the room. Celia and his brother were already seated in chairs with niggas standing behind them. Yep, this shit was about to be good. Once Rikov was seated , and Gram had his piece to the back of his head, it was time to begin.

“See anybody familiar?” Malik asked Celia who had the most horrified expression on her face. Shorty looked like she had seen a ghost.

“What is this?” Rikov asked.

“Not your turn to speak, bud.” I walked over and took a seat in the chair in front of them. They had the chairs set up like a peace circle, but there would be anything but peace in this motherfucker.

“Now since it’s time to get this show on the road, I’ll start.” Malik also took a seat in the circle.

“You know you’re going to pay for this? My brother is going to murder you where you sit. You?—”

“Yo, shut all that up. Yo’ fucking brother is dead. Shit resting in a state that you’ll be resting in soon enough. It’s up to you if you wanna make this a quick or long process.” I sent a glare in her direction, before looking back toward Malik.

“Yo, Gram is Cee here?” he asked.

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