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"Kay and I talked J'Ru out of doing something I've always wanted to do," he opened up with a heavy sigh. "I know J'Ru will probably hold it over my head for the rest of my life, or even clown me about it, but I feel like I did the right thing."

Despite the fact that he and Kaymen were the sensible ones out of the three, it really took everything in him not to go along with J’Ru’s instinct and put Leonard and June down on the concrete.

"Can you disclose what it was?" Britain asked in her light voice.

Priest shook his head. He rose from his comfortable position on Britain's chest, once again heading to the bathroom to clean himself of the evidence from the traumatic day. She sighed in defeat after hitting another dead end with him. She couldn't even have a moment with him right now. He was out of it.

Before he could enter the bathroom to start his shower, he grabbed her television remote from her dresser, turning it on. Britain's attention retracted from him and was set on her television mounted on the wall. He flipped to the local news that would have usually been airing updates about his upcoming trial. Instead, the broadcast was all about Leila's assassination.

"All you’re supposed to know is what they tell everyone else," he stated before shutting the bathroom door behind him so he could shower.

Britain sat up in bed, sitting Indian style. Her eyes remained glued on the screen as she anxiously toyed with her fingers. She was the public, despite sleeping next to the man who had paved Leila's way to success with nothing but his finances. She knew what everyone else knew. She wasn't meant to know more thingslike the inside details, the secrets, or the plans.She was the public.

Britain rose from her bed, grabbing the television remote to turn the television off. She shuffled into the bathroom, feeling the steam from his hot shower surround her body. "Britain, could you fall back… just for tonight?" Priest requested while in the shower. He assumed she came in to search for answers he wouldn't be giving her.

"I didn't come in here to badger you with questions, Priest," Britain said as she stepped out of her velour pants and shed her plain tank top.

"Then what are you in here for?" He pulled the sliding door back a bit to pop his head out to eye her. She was down to her panties and lace bralette. His dark orbs gazed at her as she stripped off her garments to join him in the shower.

Priest stepped aside, allowing her to step directly underneath the shower head. He watched as her hair melted down to the middle of her back as the water rained down on her tresses. He admired her natural beauty as her petite frame stood underneath his.

Craning down, he kissed her plump lips gently. As they parted from the kiss, Britain posed a question. “You want to know my earliest childhood memory?"

Priest felt his chest clench. He wasn’t sure he could handle another deep dive into her past at the moment. Instead of shaking his head, he nodded, causing her to exhale a deep sigh. "The earliest memory I can recall is of my grandmother constantly telling me that my mother was studying," Britain said. "No matter what day it was or the time, she was always studying. I barely saw her face most of the time. She locked herself in the basement and read every medical journal she could get her hands on. She was just always studying.

"Then Henderson came in, and all of a sudden, my mom had time for me. She would dress me up, do my hair, take me out. I was her little baby doll, as everyone else would say," she laughed as she thought back to how cute and dolled up Seven kept her. "At one point, I forgot my mom was even studying to become a doctor. She delegated her time so well. Between her internship and me and Henderson, she was being somebody for everyone.

"I remember moving into the brownstone with Henderson and my grandmother helping my mom settle in. I recall her praising my mom for finding a man who brought the mother and the nature of a woman out of her. It wasn't until I got older that I realized that my mom initially was never a mother to me. She was more like an older sibling who prioritized me at the last minute when she had free time. It took her getting with Henderson for her to realize that in order for him to accept her, he had to also accept me, which meant she had to prioritize me more. He brought the mother out of her. He brought the woman out of her,"Britain went on.

Priest found it fascinating that Britain never found herself broken when she recounted her past. She seemed at peace with everything and told her story like she was telling someone else's. "What are you saying,Gioia?" His low voice waved through her ears as he used his tender hand to caress her face.

"One, I used to have serious mommy issues," she stated in a joking manner, causing her and Priest to chuckle. "And two, I'm aware of what you're doing. You know what you're capable of bringing out of me, and you know the damage it would bring. Instead of putting me through that, you protect me from anything that has the potential to dim my light," she explained as her deep brown orbs seared into his dark ones.

Priest nodded in confirmation. "You're too bright," he said to her as he nestled his head in the crook of her neck. "If you go dark, I have no way out.”

Britain relished the feeling of having him close again. She was no longer fighting him for an understanding. They had found at a common ground that was sufficient for both of them.

After getting cleaned up, they stepped out of the shower and dried themselves off. Britain had wrapped her damp hair in a towel in hopes of getting most of the water out of it. She stood in the mirror with her towel draped around her body. A light smile graced her face as Priest stood close behind her. They eyed each other through the mirror, a smile taking over his lips as well.

He reached over with ease, grabbing her raw shea butter container. He pulled the lid off, taking a good amount before melting it down in the friction of his hands. He proceeded to moisturize her back like he did whenever she asked him to. Her body relaxed at his soft touch. "I love you," he professed to her before sitting a kiss onto her cheek.

Britain’s hand reached up, her fingers running through his neatly lined beard. "I love you too, P," she replied with an infectious smile.

Rotating around to face him, she draped her arms loosely around his neck, standing on her tippy toes to kiss his lips. "I'm glad we could come to an understanding,Gioia. However?—"

Britain screwed up her face at him in confusion. "Did you just however me? After all you did today?" she asked for clarification.

A smooth chuckle flowed out of him as he nodded his head in confirmation. "I did. I made one request," he reminded her as he wrapped his arms around her slim waist.

Britain could hear the lecturing tone peeking through his voice, which ultimately caused her to sigh defeatedly. She was on the verge of pleading her case about why she left the Hamptons to return to the city after he issued specific orders not to, but Priest quickly interjected. "Let me talk," he ordered with a warning eye.

She pursed her lips shut before nodding her head. "I don't give orders just because. If I want you in the Hamptons, your best bet is to stay in the damn Hamptons, Britain. Jazzy follows orders, and so does Taylor and Jadey when given by J'Ru and Kaymen, so something tells me that you were the ringleader behind it all."

A guilty look spread across her face as she briefly looked away from Priest. "In my defense, we all were pretty worried."

Priest smacked his lips. "Bullshit! Jazzy of all people knows when to and when not to intervene."

"Okay, fine." Britain threw her head back in defeat. "She didn't want to come, but I couldn't help myself. I'm not accustomed to being out of the loop. I know everything, and I assist. This takes a lot of getting used to, especially when my man gets splattered with brains on live television."