Page 69

Jazzy shrugged her shoulders. "Things aren't that different. PJ and I did the whole long-distance thing while I was in Paris. I think I can survive without him being around." Jazzy didn't like when people worried about her. It made her feel like she was doing something wrong. Was she supposed to be distraught and missing her brother like they all expected her to be?

Kaymen and J'Ru glanced at each other before shrugging. They were really anticipating Jazzy being emotional and venting about how she didn't like the change, but she seemed to be taking it better than they were. "I ain't even gone hold you. I miss my homie," J'Ru admitted shamelessly as he leaned back in his seat.

"It's only been three days, Ru," Kaymen laughed.

J'Ru shrugged his shoulders. "It don't matter," he scoffed.

"If you're done being a little girl about your homie," Jazzy teased J'Ru, causing Kaymen to laugh harder. "I spoke to Carlito while I was at the store earlier," she enlightened the men.

J'Ru smacked his lips. "What his short crazy ass say now?" As much as Carlito liked to deny it, he was a known gossiper.Bueno!was a communal spot, so the word got to him fairly quickly.

Jazzy’s orbs scoped around the restaurant to ensure that no one was in earshot of their conversation. "He told me that people were saying that P got hit by his brother," she revealed as her face formed a puzzled look.

Kaymen and J'Ru glanced at each other in confusion. "Did you do it?" Kaymen asked J'Ru.

"Hell nah," J'Ru laughed. "Did you?"

"Fuck no," Kaymen denied while shaking his head.

Jazzy rolled her eyes at how lighthearted they were being about the rumor that was making its rounds. "Obviously it wasn't you guys," she muttered.

"Exactly," Kaymen shrugged. "Why are you even feeding into what Carlito’s nutty ass got to say? The man takes anything and runs with it. Whoever did get PJ wasn't his brother, but you don't need to be looking into it ‘cause that's something me and Ru have to handle," Kaymen assured Jazzy.

A frown embedded itself on Jazzy's face. She didn't think this was something they should casually brush off. If this rumor held even an ounce of truth to it, they needed to handle it fast. "I'll just call PJ." She shook her head, on the verge of retrieving her phone from her Goyard bag.

J'Ru quickly reached over, pulling her hand out of her purse. "It's only been three days," J'Ru reminded her. "I already had to hit him with the extra shit Sylvia did. He hasn't even gotten back to me about Sylvia, so I just know that's not where his focus is right now. I don't think he needs another phone call,” J’Ru explained, and Kaymen agreed. Calling Priest up for any and every inconvenience would’ve completely defeated the purpose of him leaving New York behind.

There were things that just had to be handled without him, or they may have to be completely ignored altogether. "You can't tell me when I can and when I can't call my brother," Jazzy retorted, screwing up her face. Priest never put limitations on the contact he and Jazzy could have, so she didn't understand why J'Ru and Kaymen were trying to set them.

Kaymen shook his head. "Jazzy, don't make that call. He's on an island with his lady right now, and you wanna bring him even more negativity just to remind him why he left the city behind in the first place." Of course, Priest had the right to know what was being spread around in the streets about who shot him; however, there were certain times for everything. For right now, Priest could go without. This wasn't an urgent matter, especially if thisso-calledbrotherdidn't have plans of firing anymore shots.

Jazzy folded her arms across her chest as she rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "So, when can I tell him?"

"Wecan tell him when we find out if this shit is facts or not. For all we know, Carlito could just be talking out his ass," J'Ru said to her.

She nodded her head. That sounded fair enough.

As the gentlemen they were, J'Ru and Kaymen treated Jazzy to lunch. Once their midday hunger was appeased, the three called an end to lunch. J'Ru and Kaymen ushered Jazzy out the restaurant where she waited for the valet to retrieve the Porsche.

"Walk around with security next time," J'Ru instructed her as he waved the valet off so he was the one assisting Jazzy into the vehicle.

"PJ always had security with him, and he still managed to get shot," she replied to him, ultimately causing J'Ru to nudge her head at how stubborn she could be.

"I'll have Cyro with you tomorrow," J'Ru asserted before he shut the door of the vehicle so Jazzy could drive off.

IBIZA, SPAIN

Priest’s eyes peered at his dim phone screen. The sight of his mother being her theatrical self with tears staining her face made his stomach churn. If she had put even half of the effort she used to seek attention and money into being a better mother to him, then maybe he would have had a slight chance of believing she actually cared. At the moment, he saw past her tears and her broken voice.

Priest had cut all communication with anyone outside of his camp, Sylvia included. What she really cared about was who was going to supply her with funds to maintain her newfound lifestyle once Leonard's money ran out. Priest had completelywashed his hands clean of his mother and didn't see himself giving her a dollar any time soon.

"She needs a fucking Emmy for this shit," he chuckled as he blew out a cloud of smoke from his rolled joint.

He had come to terms with the fact that allowing his mother's tactics to fuel his anger was just redundant. He was sure that the media would just write her off as some lunatic and find their next story in a matter of days. He continued watching the video J'Ru sent him, taking in everything Sylvia was feeding the public.

"They are refusing my rights to view my own son's body. How could any mother find peace in this situation without the closure of being able to say goodbye?" Sylvia pleaded into the multitude of microphones and cameras that crowded the podium. "I just want answers, whether they come from the investigators on his case, my daughter, or Priest's girlfriend, Britain. Please stop shutting me out. I'm his mother, and I deserve to know."

Priest screwed up his face once Sylvia decided to drop Britain’s name. She had some nerve. He turned the video off, no longer wanting to watch her make a fool of herself. He took another pull from his joint, allowing the smoke to stream out of his nose.