Page 64 of The Love of Priest 2

Her attention was pulled away from Priest upon noticing the new scenery that was passing them by.

Priest hadn't taken her sight-seeing far from their neighborhood because of how busy they’d been.

He had only taken her to the nearby places that surrounded their home.

Now on the opposite side of town, Britain was seeing sights that had her in awe.

She was used to tall buildings that scraped the sky in New York, but Italy had a different spin on things.

Their architecture stood tall with intricate designs and details.

She thought New York was extra, but it seemed like Italy had back home beat.

Structures were made of stone with spiral pillars that decorated the entrance of the buildings.

At this point, everything reminded Britain of either a palace or the White House in Washington, DC.

Glancing away from the road briefly, Priest was pleased to see the awe in Britain's face. She was coming around slowly but surely.

"Why is everyone so fashionable here?" She pointed to woman who was strutting down the crosswalk with her Prada boots.

Priest chuckled. "It's Italy, Brit," he reminded her.

Eventually, he took a turn into a neighborhood that reminded them of the one they lived in.

The homes were spaced far away from each other, and the distance between them was filled by dense woods.

The homes were a lot more contemporary compared to her and Priest's modern home.

They were built decades ago and were purchased with new renovations and additions.

Britain noticed Priest slowing down before they stopped at the gates of a massive home with a grand fountain at the center of the stone driveway.

"Damn, this house is big as hell!” Her eyes widened slightly as she marveled at the luxurious house.

Priest laughed as he nodded his head. "It is,Gioia."

The steel gates pulled open, allowing him to drive into the driveway.

The driveway was already decorated with matching sterling white luxury cars: a Maserati, a Rolls Royce, and a convertible Mercedes.

The sight of the cars made Britain's mouth grow dry.

It was evident that whoever these people were, they were the elite and at the top of their social class.

She knew Priest assured her she wouldn't have to impress them, but clearly, she did.

"Relax," Priest said as he sat his hand on her thigh after he put the car in park.

"This shit don't make them any better than us.

You gotta be confident,Gioia," he coached her.

Britain let out a light breath before she released the tension in her shoulders and the nerves that fluttered around in her stomach.

"You ready?" he asked.Britain nodded her head in response.

Priest exited the vehicle, making his way around to open her door.

Her hand fused into his as he shut the door behind her and began leading the way toward the grand entrance of the home.

It didn't take long before the double French doors were pulled opened.

A smile spread onto Priest's face at the sight of the small statured woman.

She stood no taller than five-foot-three with a thick mane of spiraled jet-black curls that graced down to the small of her back.

Britain could see that the woman had aged finely.

Her blue and white floral sundress was complimented by her matching diamond earrings, tennis necklace and bracelet.

Her ring finger was decorated with a massive diamond ring that put Britain's engagement ring out of the running.

"Priest! Mi amour!" She flung her arms around Priest, pulling him into an excited embrace.

Over the course of a few weeks, Britain had grown accustomed to the Italian accent, and by the way the woman spoke, she could tell it was far from an Italian accent. Her accent was more of a Spanish one, which let Britain know that she too wasn't from Italy.

"Hey, Nonna. It's been a while," Priest said to the woman.

Nonna nodded her head, agreeing with him. "It has, and who is this beautiful young lady?" Nonna shifted her eyes from Priest onto Britain. She had an inviting smile on her face as she waited for Priest to introduce Britain.

"This is my fiancée, Britain," Priest introduced her, causing a light gasp to flee from Nonna.

"Oh, mi amour!" Nonna exclaimed. She immediately pulled Britain into a very accepting embrace. "My name is Suzette, but you can call me Nonna. You are so beautiful. Come in, come in," she excitedly invited Britain and Priest inside.

"So nice to meet you, Nonna. Your home is lovely," Britain politely said as her soft brown orbs wandered around the extravagant foyer of the home.

"Thank you, my love." Suzette peered over her shoulder with a smile. "It's so lovely to have Priest back in Italy. He hasn't kept in touch like he's promised, but now I see why."

"Why is that, Nonna?" Priest chuckled as he cupped Britain's hand in his.

"Because you were too busy proposing!" Nonna exclaimed with a clap of her hands.

Nonna was an exuberant person. She was always laughing and full of so much joy.

She and Priest met some years back when she was doing business in New York.

With her assistance, Priest really started moving heavy weight and covering his tracks the legal way.

Suzette was the mastermind behind many of the legal businesses Priest had going for himself, one being La Lealtá, the Italian cuisine restaurant that she invested in with no expectations in return. She considered it a gift.

"I'm so happy for you, Priest. Britain seems like a lovely young lady. I can't wait to learn more about her," Nonna beamed.

Britain couldn't help but feel more at ease than she did when she arrived. Suzette was welcoming her with open arms. She wished Priest had told her more about Suzette so she would know what to expect, but as of right now, things were going well.

"Me as well, Nonna. You seem to be a joy," Britain responded with a reflecting smile. The three of them graced the marble floors of the home, and Britain was in awe as she gazed at all the beautiful furniture, portraits and sculptures that decorated the rooms they briefly walked through.

Nonna led Britain and Priest to the den. The furniture was still very expensive and very white, but the den had more of a leisurely vibe to it, differing from how formal the rest of the home was. "Matteo, Priest is here, and he's engaged!" Nonna called for someone else's attention.

Britain caught sight of a slender man taking a few puffs from a thick cigar.

His jet-black hair was slicked back in a short haircut as he jolted to his feet, showcasing his eye-catching height.

He seemed to be just a tad bit older than Nonna.

His face was blemished lightly with a few wrinkles and bags underneath his eyes, but they didn't take away from his good looks.

He was fitted in a multicolored Versace button down that he matched with an ironed pair of black chino slacks.

Removing the cigar from his lips, he held it between his fingers as he opened his arms for Priest. After slapping hands with each other, the two men embraced one another with widespread smiles.

" Piacere di riaverti figlio!" Matteo's hearty voice settled into Britain's ears as he spoke with Priest. With her lack of comprehension of Italian, Britain was completely oblivious to the men's exchange.Matteo had just told Priest that he was glad to have him back in Italy.

" è bello essere tornati ," Priest responded with so much ease, letting Matteo know that he was happy to be back. It was fascinating to Britain how he was able to grasp the language so quickly. It was almost natural for him.

Britain shifted her eyes between the men, hoping someone would stop speaking Italian and converse in English.

Priest noticed the confusion in Britain's face, causing him to chuckle lightly.

"I'm mad disrespectful. Teo, this is my fiancée, Britain.

She doesn't speak Italian, so out of respect for her, can we just speak English?

" Priest requested, not wanting Britain to feel left out in any way.

"No, it's fine. I can't ask for such a big request," Britain attempted to recant Priest's request. She didn't want to come off as overbearing in Matteo and Suzette's home.

"Nonsense, Britain!" Matteo shouted as he opened his arms for her.

"We want you to be comfortable. Give us a few months, and you will speak more Italian than this guy ever will.

" With his hearty laugh, Matteo pointed at Priest. Suzette and Matteo were very animated, which was amusing.

They seemed to be filled with laughter and joy.

Britain could see why Priest ultimately gravitated to them.

He was always the best judge of character.

"Thank you," Britain expressed her gratitude as she shared a hug with him.

Suzette offered both Britain and Priest a seat along one of the plush couches.They grabbed a seat, sitting directly across Suzette and Matteo. "So how long has it been, a little over a year?" Matteo asked Priest with his thick Italian accent.

Priest shrugged lightly. "Yeah, a little over a year. I was supposed to come back, but I got a little tied up." Priest glanced down to Britain's engagement ring as he cupped her hand in his.

Suzette couldn't help but smile. It seemed as though Priest had finally begun opening up to the world.

During the first few months of knowing him, it was hard for him to even have a conversation simply because he always thought someone was trying to get over on him.

Suzette and Matteo both had connections out in the streets of New York, so they had heard some things about Priest and his crew.

They liked his work and how he moved, so of course they pulled him under their wing during his stay in Italy.