Page 103 of The Love of Priest 2

Britain completely understood Priest and believed his feelings about Jazzlyn dabbling in the business were warranted.

After all, she was his little sister, and he vowed to protect her.

Having her dealing in a business he was trying to shake away from was just unacceptable.

At the mention of her name, Jazzy sat up straight, diverting her orbs over to Priest, who was awaiting a response.

"I handled the issue," she reluctantly informed him.

She could tell from her brother's body language that he was on the brink of flashing out.

He had specifically forbidden her from getting involved in the business Kaymen and J'Ru were taking care of, hence the fact he had her in charge of all the clean businesses like the residential building, restaurant, laundromats and the bodega.

Admittedly, he expected his rebellious little sister to find a way to weasel herself into some shit she had no business in; however, he also expected for his boys not to let her in with open arms. As he sat on the other side of the dining table fuming with rage, Jazzy was silently praying J'Ru or Kaymen would pipe in to take the heat for her.

"I move to Italy and it's like motherfuckas lose their fucking minds overnight," he said to himself as he lifted his napkin from his lap, tossing it onto the plate that sat before him.

He no longer had an appetite. His chest was scorching with anger, so much so that he wanted to flip the entire dinner table.

"Answer me this," he pointed his finger directly at the men. "This how y'all look out for her? By having her get her hands dirty?" He screwed up his face in distaste as he questioned them.

J'Ru smacked his lips. "Fuck is you talking about? We are looking out for her," he snapped in defense.

Britain, who was watching the scene unfold, felt her stomach tighten.

This was what Priest was referring to when he advised her that he and the guys were bound to go at it.

She wanted so badly to cut in and be the peacemaker for everyone, but with the way Priest and J'Ru were cutting each other with their eyes, she was afraid that either of them would jump down her throat for interrupting.

"J'Ru, y'all got my fucking baby sister touching dirty money!" Priest aggressively gritted out as his voice raised an octave. "Nigga, is you fucking crazy?! You of all people should know I keep Jazzy out the fucking mix!"

Kaymen leaned back in his seat. His temper never really flared as much as Priest's and J'Ru's.

Whenever the three got into heavy disputes, he usually spoke his piece once they were done hollering at each other.

It just made sense that way for him. He wanted to be heard, and he knew if he even attempted to get something out, these niggas would block him out with their tempers and loud voices. He didn't have time for that.

In response to Priest, as expected, J'Ru matched his energy.

"You got her doing the same shit, PJ! It's a fucking cycle, my nigga! Whatever money she’s touching at the restaurant, The Groves, and Bueno!

all comes back to us, and we flip it! Ain't nobody at this table hands clean.

We all touching dirty money!" J'Ru roared at Priest.

In a sense, J'Ru was right. They had created one hell of a system for themselves.

Even though the system was foolproof, it still deemed everyone guilty.

The money was not only coming from the drugs they were slanging, but it also invested in the drugs as well.

Britain glanced around the table, noticing that she wasn't the only one who felt small amongst J'Ru and Priest's tempers.

Jazzy sat with her lip crannied between her teeth, a look of worry washing over her face.

She didn't want either of the men getting too carried away and ending up saying something they would regret, but she was far too afraid to cut in and put an end to the dispute.

"Those are real fucking businesses, J'Ru! Y'all niggas got her running 'round the city with re-up money like some fucking goofy. God forbid somebody gets the drop on her and the paper! Then what?!" Priest snarled.

Kaymen shook his head as he remained laid back in his seat with his arms folded across his chest. "Priest, we don't have her doing shit," he corrected him.

"Like I said, we ran into an issue, and she had a resolution.

We, of course, had our reservations about getting her involved, but she sealed the deal with the accountant shorty.

We don't have her out in the city transporting millions because we know she ain't equipped for all that.

What we do have her doing is overseeing the numbers.

She deals with the accountant to make sure shit looking straight.

We trust her with that because she got history with shorty," Kaymen explained without the temper J'Ru currently had.

Priest frustratedly ran his hand down his face before averting his attention over to Jazzlyn. "Who's the accountant?" he throated out to Jazzlyn in his rugged baritone voice.

In response to her brother, Jazzlyn's orbs trailed over to Britain. "Avery Simmons," she informed Priest.

At the mention of Avery's name, Britain felt her mouth grow dry.

She shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Her hand gripped the stem of her wine glass as she nervously downed the rest of the merlot that lingered in it.

Seated at the table alongside Britain, Jazzlyn was the only one who noticed her reaction to the mention of Avery.

She knew and understood that Britain had history with both Cameron and Avery.

She wished that she had gotten the opportunity to go into full detail about the entire situation with Britain before she had to air things out at the dinner table.

"She only handles the re-up money right now.

Ru and Kay thought it would be a good idea to eventually split the paper route.

Your accountant handles the clean and consistent money while Avery handles everything else," Jazzlyn further explained, internally wishing Priest would see that even though they were working on change, it would actually be for the better.

Silence waved over the table once more as everyone waited for Priest's response.

Britain cleared her throat, no longer able to witness the menacing look of fury that flashed his dark orbs.

"I'm sorry, but this doesn't seem like a conversation I should be sitting in on, so I'm just going to excuse myself," she spoke up while rising from her seat.

They were aware that Britain was kept out of the mix when it came to business, so everyone understood her urge to quickly leave the table.

She took her plate along with her glass of wine, beelining straight to the kitchen, away from the dining room.

After trashing the remains of her dinner, she poured herself some more wine, immediately tossing it back.

At the kitchen island, she anxiously leaned against it, letting out a heavy sigh.

It was like she couldn't get away from Cameron.

He found a way to nestle himself into her life every chance he got.

She would have never thought in a million years Cameron's wife would’ve been the topic of discussion at her dinner table, but life had a funny way of playing out.

Britain didn't know what motive Cameron had, but there was no way Avery was miraculously placed in Jazzlyn's life to be her accountant. Cameron had to be running some sort of ploy or game. The tension in the dining room was already too thick to cut into. There was no opening for her to let Priest know that Avery was her ex-boyfriend’s wife, but Britain was definitely going to be telling him soon.

As she deliberated with herself in the kitchen about how and when she would be filling Priest in, she could hear him shouting.

"You don't have all the answers, Jazzlyn! This is not your fucking lane!" he snarled.

"PJ, I get it. You’re trying to protect me, but life is already turned upside down for me!

I'm not fucking normal, PJ! I have to walk around with security like I'm some celebrity!

I can't go anywhere without people giving me condolences because they think you're fucking dead!

Not to mention I'm out in the city by myself because you had to flee to Italy!

" Jazzlyn jolted up from her seat challenging her brother.

"I can't depend on these niggas to be there for me like you're supposed to be because they have their own fucking lives!

" She pointed to Kaymen and J'Ru as she continued to make her point.

"Maybe I've come to a point in life where I don't need the bubble wrap you're suffocating me with to keep me safe. "

Priest leaned back in his seat. Shaming Jazzlyn and her spiel, he shook his head with a disgusted grimace masking his chiseled face.

"Yo, you sound like a fucking idiot," he spat at her with his thick New York accent lacing his words.

"You want to get in the business of selling drugs because life ain’t normal enough for you?

Is that what'chu saying? Let me tell you something.

Life will never be normal for you!" he spewed harshly without an ounce of remorse.

"Because I busted my ass to give you this life!

You wouldn't be able to study abroad in Paris amongst the elites without me busting my ass!

You wouldn't be able to travel in a jet at your fucking leisure without me busting my ass!

You wouldn't be able to sign the checks you sign, drive the cars you drive, and buy the amount of designer you wear without me busting my ass!

You don't have a normal life, Jazzlyn! Deal with it!

" Priest slammed his massive hand against the dining room table.

"Because everybody at this table had it harder than you! "

"Yo, P, she gets it. Fall back," Kaymen attempted to calm Priest down so he wouldn't continue to be so harsh on his little sister.

A bitter chuckle drifted out of Priest as he shook his head.

"Nah, let me finish," he told Kaymen before reverting his attention back to Jazzlyn. "Aye, if your accountant shorty fuck up them numbers, make sure you get your lawyers ready because we all know bitches behind a desk who just handle the numbers fold quicker than anybody. Not mention you gone have the Italians coming for you too, ‘cause now you’re playing with their money. I pray you know what the fuck you’re getting yourself into because you see what I had to go through. I ain’t got it in me to fight that battle twice, so you're on your fucking own. I'm done."

Jazzlyn felt her orbs scorch with tears that she refused to let fall.

She eyed him as he rose from his seat before exiting the dining room, leaving her, Kaymen and J'Ru behind at the table.

He had just handed Jazzlyn her own shovel.

It was now up to her to figure out whether she was willing to dig her own grave.