Cross My Heart, Hope To Die

Ready?

"You ready?" The guard asked.
"Yeah." I whispered.

Flashback
"I'm not coming back, Cookie." Queeny said. I stared at her through the glass and she stared back. Tears slid down her face and that's when I knew she was dead serious. Queeny have thug in her blood, she don't cry for nobody.
"Why?" I asked.
"I did you wrong. Girl I did something unforgivable. You my sister and to do something like that to you is wrong. So, I gotta go because I can't change what happened."
"Queeny, just tell me what happened. We can talk about it, we can figure everything out." I told her as I began to shed tears.
"I got to go." She said standing.
"QUEENY, PLEASE DON'T GO. I NEED YOU. YOU ALL I GOT. PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME HERE." I screamed at her. She just cried harder.
"I'll send you money every 2 weeks. I love you, Loretha and if this is a lie. I cross my heart and hope to die. I love you sis." She cried out then like slow motion I watched her turn around and run out.
"QUEENY!" I shouted for her but she never looked back. The guards grabbed me and dragged me back to my cell. "I love you too and if this is a lie, I cross my heart and hope to die."

END OF FLASHBACK

"Hurry up!" I heard the guard yell at me.
"I'm ready." I told him again.
"Then let's go." He grabbed me by the arm led me to my freedom.
There was a car waiting for me. A black man stepped out.

"Ms. Cookie, I am here to drive you everywhere you need to go." The guy opened the car door.
"How I know yo black ass ain't bout to kill me." I asked with my hands on my hips.
"I guess you'll have to trust me, ma'am." He answered.
"I got trust issues. I think I'll walk." I turned to leave.
"Patricia White assigned me to you for a week." I turned to look at him.
"Queeny. Is she in the car?" I asked ready to dive in.
"No, ma'am but she left you a package." He said opening the door again. This time I got in. He closed the door and got into the driver's seat. He handed me a locked briefcase. I already knew the code, it's the same 4 digit code we use for everything the year we met. I quickly unlocked it. There was a wad of 100 dollar bills with a note saying 'this all the money I got to give', an iphone, a pistol with a note on it saying 'Only if ABSOLUTELY necessary', 2 letters one blue the other green and a package with a note saying 'read the blue letter first'. I decided to wait until I found somewhere safe to go so, I put my belongings from prison which was pictures of the boys that Queeny sent me every month while I was in prison into the briefcase.
"So, I'm guessing you can't take me to her."
"No, ma'am but you tell me what you need and she'll get it. She set you up a home or I can take you to Empire, the place you and Mr. Lyon built together." He suggested.
"How do you know I have a part in that company?" I asked as he started the car and drove off.
"Ms. White informed me ma'am." He answered.
"Why would Queeny tell you something like that?" I questioned.
"We're close." He responded.
"She always liked her chocolate. What's your name?" I asked.
"Malcolm."
"Nice to meet you, Malcolm. So about my company."
We talked for around a hour about Empire but it didn't do justice for when I finally seen it.
"Wow, it's beautiful." I exclaimed.
"Yeah, come on." He got out and opened my door. We walked into the buildings and we're stopped by 3 security guards.
"Hello, Malcolm. Who's your friend? You know we can't allow strangers even if they're with someone."
"You ever been in Mr. Lyon's office." Malcolm asked standing in front of me protectively.
"Yes." The man looked annoyed.
"Have you ever looked at the picture of his wife and kids?"
"I've glanced a few times at it." He answered and then he began to eye me.
"Yeah, keep looking at her until it clicks." The guy seemed to put two and two together but he continued to stare.
"Hey. That's enough. Move." The three men stepped back and said in unison. "Welcome. It's nice to meet you." I nodded and walked farther into the building. I quietly followed Malcolm.
"Never go anywhere alone with those 3 men. Can't be trusted around women." I nodded. We got to a desk with a lady sitting behind it.
"Hey Becky. I'm here to see Mr. Lyon."
"Okay and will you be joining them." She asked directly to me.
"Yeah." I answered. She called Lucious and I guess he said let them in because she said go right in. Malcolm turned to me,
"Tell me what you want to happen."
"I want to talk that's all no touching nothing like that." I told him. He nodded.
"Stay right here." I agreed and he walked in. The door was cracked open.
"Hey, Malcolm where's Queeny. I was told you were here with her."
"When she comes in there will be no touching. You will stay behind that desk. If you move from behind that desk. We leave." Malcolm said
"What the hell." Malcolm came and opened the door.
"Come on in." Malcolm ushered me in. I looked at Lucious and he looked back. He held a glass of scotch that he quickly released at the sight of me.
"Hello Lucious." I decided to talk first because obviously he was struggling.
"Cookie baby." He started to walked from behind his desk so I stepped behind Malcolm. "Oh yeah, behind the desk." He stood behind the desk.
"I want to see my children if they're here."
"Alright, cooks." He pulled out his phone. "Becky send the boys up for an emergency family meeting. Tell them they got 5 minutes or I'm taking money out of their paychecks and send somebody in here to clean this mess I made. Thanks bye." He said hanging up. "Sit cooks. What do you think of the company?" He asked as me and Malcolm sat on the sofa.
"I think you spent my money wisely."
"I missed you cooks." He began.
"Keep talking and I will be gone like your good looks." I replied. We sat there quietly, I had my briefcase sitting on my lap. 3 quiet minutes later, the door flew open.
"Why you playing with my money man.?" Hakeem bust in followed my Andre and Jamal.
"Line up from youngest to oldest." They did as he said facing him but one person was watching me and that's Andre.
I got up and walked in front Hakeem. Finally looking at my babies the only confused one was Hakeem. It was extremely quiet, Hakeem walked to his father's desk and picked up a picture.
"Cookie Lyon. My mother." He announced.
"Hakeem Lyon. My son."
"I've been wondering how I'd react when I met you. I've been memorizing you my whole life so I can know who you are."
"I would have loved for you to know who I am but your father took that right from me. I had pictures of you all taped to my cell wall because when I seen you I wanted to KNOW you are my son and without a doubt you are."
"I got all the cards you sent me and the bears. I got them all. The valentine's day card, white chocolate, and Teddy bear, Happy easter card, my birthday cards. Halloween gifts and thanksgiving and Christmas and new years. I got them all. Well besides the food. We all kept ours." He said turning back to me.
"Boy, hug me." I held my arms open and he rushed into them. A few minutes past,
"Move, your soft ass out the way." Jamal said ready for his turn. Hakeem moved.
"I'm not soft, punk." He replied. I wrapped my arms around Jamal. "It takes a real man 2 show emotion." I told them.
"I missed you so much mom. I started to forget what you look like." He whispered. I held him in my arms, I knew he missed me but what I also knew was NOBODY missed me more than Andre not even Lucious or Queeny.
"Alright, let me hug your brother." I pat Jamal who reluctantly let me go. I turned to Andre who just stared at me, his hands were shaking.
"Hey, baby. You okay?" I walked closer to him. He was just shaking, he stared right past me.
"Andre?" Lucious tried to get his attention. At this point everybody was standing around Andre calling for him but as soon as Lucious touched him he kind of threw himself into my arms. I wrapped my arms around him and he started to sob.
45 minutes later,
Me and the boys somehow found our way on the floor huddled together with Andre head in my lap, one arm was wrapped around Hakeem, and Jamal was back to back with me. Lucious sat behind his desk working while Malcolm sat on the sofa texting.
I was ready to go to my place and of course I would invite the boys along but I didn't get the chance to because a white ass stick walked into the room
"Baby, you had an emergency family meeting without- who is she?" She sized me.
"Don't ask him who I am, ask me. You're the cock-juggling thunder cunt. I am formerly known as Cookie Lyon. Empress of this damn building. Bow down bitch.