Page 32

The money he was sending over for tuition had now been deposited into Jazzy's bank account to support her lavish living expenses in Paris. Alongside her tuition, she was also enjoying the constant money Priest granted her for personal spending. Jazzy could admit that for the past two months she had been living stress free without the constant burden of stressing over classes and grades. Now that she was back in New York, all she could do was stress about telling Priest she had dropped out.

For the past couple of weeks, she had been glad the girl J'Ru was telling her about was keeping her brother far away from her.Jazzy only complained about Priest not spending time with her so she wouldn't look too suspect while avoiding him. Now that he actually made time for her, she was scared shitless. She knew tonight was the night. She no longer had it within her to lie to her brother anymore.

It didn’t take much time for Priest to find his way out of his bedroom. He was completely dressed, and the outfit was Jazzy-approved. "Yo, I got the flyest pair of heels to go with that shirt," Jazzy pointed out as she pinched the material of Priest's black Palm Angel graphic tee.

Priest mean mugged her before swatting her hand away from his shirt. "If I find my shit in your closet, I'm fucking you up," he warned her.

Jazzy smacked her lips as she grabbed her Fendi purse to compliment her attire. "Fuck me up? Wasn't I the one who had to save you from getting fucked up that one time?" Jazzy reminisced with an obnoxious laugh.

As they got onto the elevator, Priest side-eyed her, trying his best not to convulse in laughter. "I'm not even gonna lie. You looked out for ya boy that night." Laughter drifted out of him as he shook his head while thinking back to the moment.

That night, he was ass drunk and talking reckless to a gang of niggas that Jazzy had to persuade to turn the other cheek. Jazzlyn knew her brother could have taken at least two out of the five men, even as drunk as he was. However, niggas nowadays never really fought fair.

"Always," Jazzy assured as he allowed her to step out of the elevator first.

Upon their exit, Cyro stood at attention, immediately doing his job of keeping her and Priest safe. "Don't ever say I never did nothing for you," she teased him while looking over her shoulder at him as Cyro ushered them to the car.

Priest assisted his sister into the passenger seat of his Bentayga before going around the vehicle so he could get in. "Yo, Cy. Make sure you stay right behind me," he instructed Cyro, who was already getting into the chartered black-on-black SUV, taking his job as Priest's security seriously.

"I got you, Mr. Justice," Cyro assured him.

Once Priest got into the car and started it, Jazzy laughed. "Why do you make everything so formal with them?"

Priest shrugged. "I told this man about a hundred times to call me Priest, and he just refuses to.Whatever keep his swole ass around is what we gone do," Priest concluded, causing Jazzlyn to agree.

She let out a light sigh before slightly nudging his shoulder. "I missed you, bro."

They hadn’t had a chance to have a loving conversation since she came home. Jazzy knew she ruined the moment when she got really disrespectful while speaking on Sylvia the day she touched down. She was hoping they could have one now. Hopefully, it would soften the blow to the chest Priest was about to feel when she broke the news about school.

"I missed you too, little one." Priest smirked as he kept his eyes on the road. "But Paris is what's best for you. When schooling is finished, I'll let you choose wherever you wanna go, and we can start on that career," he told his sister, taking quick glances away from the road to eye her.

She kept a tight-lipped smile on her face as she nodded. "Yeah, absolutely."

Priest furrowed his brows. "You don't sound as excited as I thought you would be."

"I don't know," she sighed. "I'm just scared of being an actual adult, I guess. Bills, responsibilities, no more bedtimes" She screwed her face up in a frightened manner, which Priest found comical.

"Yo, shut the fuck up," he cackled. "All you did was talk about being grown."

"I just wanted to be grown to have sex," Jazzy muttered in pure honesty, forgetting she was in a car with her brother and not one of her homeboys back in Paris.

"You fucking crazy?!" Priest roared as he abruptly hit the brakes of the vehicle. "Jazzlyn, don't make me drive this shit off the road and kill both of us," he warned her, ignoring the swamp of cars that were now honking behind him and Cyro due to his sudden stop in traffic.

"Alright, my bad. Just drive," she apologized through her laughter. Priest stared at her for a few more seconds before he proceeded to accelerate the vehicle.

Now that he felt like the vibe was completely killed, Priest didn't bother to continue conversation with Jazzy. "You need to learn that a lot of shit could go unsaid," he murmured in annoyance as he shook his head.

Jazzy tried her best to conceal her laughter but failed miserably. "Sorry, PJ. Your little one is no longer a little one," she shrugged carelessly.

Priest cut his eyes at her before opting out of responding to her. Priest expected it, but he honestly thought she would gradually introduce him to the more mature side of her. Just now, she ripped the Band-Aid off without warning or any remorse. Upon arriving at La Lealtá, Priest handed his vehicle over to valet. He let Jazzy lead the way inside, and he opened any door that stood in her way.

"You and Ru actually kept this place together while I was gone." Jazzy nodded her head with a satisfied look etched on her face. It had been a year since she'd been back to New York, and she had been expecting a few changes. However, Priest had kept everything exactly how she left it. Priest was a firm believer of not fixing it if it wasn’t broken.

Priest chuckled as he took a proud look around the restaurant. "Yeah, we have."

As they walked through the restaurant, it felt as though people were clearing the path for them. They remained approachable and polite, greeting the staff that had been a part of La Lealtá from the start with warm hugs and smiles. To the outside world, Priest truly was a cold-hearted unapproachable person. However, to anybody who supported him and was on his side, Priest was nothing but kind and generous. He dedicated a lot of his time and funds to making sure that not only were his businesses running smoothly, but the staff was treated with the upmost respect. He offered grade-A benefits and excellent pay to fight the rugged economy of New York. If they scratched his back, he'd scratch theirs.

As the hostess appointed both Jazzy and Priest to their reserved table in the back where they always dined, Priest and Jazzy could hear J'Ru's laugh not too far away. "Who the fuck entertaining this goofy-ass nigga now?" Priest chuckled as he got a look at who J'Ru was holding conversation with. Due to their back facing him and Jazzy, he didn’t have the slightest clue who J'Ru had laughing it up with him.

Before Priest could go any further, Jazzy reached her arm across his chest, stopping him. "Be smart," she advised Priest with a side-eye. "We only know one bald bitch with smooth-ass skin."

Priest craned his eyes down at his sister. He seemed unconvinced until he heard the voice that was all too familiar to him. "That ain't her." He shook his head, remaining in denial.

Jazzy smacked her lips as if he were stupid. "Nigga, who the fuck else would it be?" she gritted.

Priest dismissed his sister by pushing her arm away gently. He proceeded toward the table, heading straight for J'Ru. "What's good?" Priest slapped hands with him.

J'Ru stood up, giving Priest a brotherly hug. "Chilling, waiting for your late ass like always," he jested, causing Jazzy, Priest, and the woman across from him to laugh.

"My bad. The drive was crazy ‘cause of this one." Priest put the blame on Jazzy and the absurd comment she made in the car.

Jazzy laughed as she went ahead and hugged J'Ru, greeting him. "Priest is just over dramatic." She waved her brother off. "But you didn't tell me you were bringing a guest. I would have invited my ex," Jazzy stated while nudging Priest in his side, signaling for him to fix his eyes on the person seated across from J’Ru.

Priest’s eyes finally gravitated to his right, and he was stunned to see that Jazzy was right; it was her.

He saved face, keeping a stern look as he eyed her up and down. She was just as gorgeous as he remembered. Smooth, golden caramel skin, daunting brown eyes, and plump lips. Whenever she spoke or smiled, her gorgeous face would indent with two dimples in her cheeks. Her smile was always a contagious one. She could convert anyone's mood with it. She had the stature of a model- slim, tall, elegant and graceful. At one point, Priest never even believed she walked. It seemed like she floated on clouds most of the time. She could make the simplest outfits so chic. Her basic black crew neck tee fit her nicely as she paired it with a retro pair of Levi jeans. She dressed the outfit up with a pair of nude snakeskin, open-toe stilettos.

J'Ru eyed Jazzy, scolding her silently for her little remark. "Paula actually finished having dinner with her folks, and she noticed I was waiting for y'all’s late asses and came to say what's up," J'Ru explained. "She cool people," he vouched.

Paula smiled, thanking J'Ru for referring to her as cool people. "Long time no see, Priest," she finally spoke to Priest.

Jazzy’s eyes widened in shock at how bold Paula was to even attempt to have a conversation with Priest. She was old news, but if anyone knew how to make Priest fall to his knees, it was Paula.

Priest noticed that far too late, which was why he had to take to extremes to distance himself from her. It was just way too toxic. "I've been around," he shrugged as he took a seat at the table. Everyone could tell he was nowhere near interested in the conversation, even Paula.

She let a light chuckle grace out of her. "You lost my number?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

Priest cut his eyes at her. The look within them was a vile one, indicating he was disgusted and wanted her out of his sight immediately."Probably did, probably didn't. I had no intentions of using it anyway," he spewed without any remorse. His attention averted from Paula and landed on J'Ru. "Yo, what’s this all about? Seem like y'all like fucking up family dinner every chance y'all get." He shook his head.

"Chill, man. It ain't even like that," J'Ru claimed.

"Yeah, Priest, it isn't even like that," Paula agreed. "If I'm that much of a bother, I'll leave." She stood to her feet, grabbing her clutch off the table.

"Yeah, you do that," Priest dismissed her without sending another glance her way.

Paula let out a sigh of disappointment. She didn't know why she even expected anything else from Priest. When he was hurt, he turned cold. "You have a beautiful establishment, Priest. Good luck to you and enjoy life." She remained positive with a smile gracing her face. For a second, Priest could feel himself falling for her soft voice, but the feeling left as quickly as it came.

Paula realized Priest wouldn't be rendering her a response or even offer her a second of eye contact, so she refrained from saying anything else to him. "Jazzy, J'Ru, it was nice seeing you two again." She waved at the two as she began making her way out of the restaurant.

Jazzy chucked up the deuces, sending Paula off as J'Ru mouthed an apology to her. He honestly hadn’t expected Priest to be that cold toward her. Jazzy and Priest took their seats at the table, both letting out deep sighs.

With Paula now out of his presence, Priest seemed to revert back to his laid-back personality. "Stop meddling," he pointed a finger at J'Ru, warning him.

J'Ru scoffed. "What you talking about? I don't meddle."

Priest wasn't buying anything J'Ru was telling him. He knew J’Ru thought Paula would be the quickest person to get him to forget about Britain. He didn’t think it was in Priest’s best interest to be getting comfy with the woman writing front-page stories about him. It was a conflict of interest.

"We'll chop it up after this," Priest advised J'Ru.

J'Ru nodded before shrugging. "Cool with me."Seeing Priest pay Paula dust truly shocked J’Ru. He really thought a blast from the past would’ve had Priest reconsidering his situation with Britain, but he was wrong.

As the awkwardness and hostility Paula left behind subsided, Priest, Jazzy, and J'Ru enjoyed each other’s company at the table.

"I'll have a glass of Merlot," Jazzy attempted to order herself an expensive glass of wine with a smile on her face.

Both Priest and J'Ru cut in, not giving her the chance to fool the server. "She'll have a sparkling water," they both said in unison while shooting her chastising glares. Jazzy let out a groan. Dealing with Priest and J’Ru together always managed to give her a headache, especially when they both acted like they were her father. The two were so overprotective of her that sometimes they even argued with each other about her. Jazzy was grateful to not only have Priest, but also J'Ru, but sometimes they both got on her last nerve.

"You guys do know I drink while I'm in France, right?" She looked between the two.

They both shrugged their shoulders carelessly. "You're in the U.S now," Priest reminded her.

After finalizing their orders, Priest, J'Ru and Jazzy picked their conversation up right where they left off before the server swung by. "So, how are things looking? Is Abraham confident he got this?" Jazzy questioned her brother about his case. She reminded him so much of Britain at the moment. She had that same tone of worry and concern Britain had when she got to overthinking. Unlike Britain, Jazzy had never attended a trial date, so the things being told on the news and the blogs kept her up to speed, especially because Priest never liked to discuss anything with her.

Priest’s eyes bore into his sister. "Don't worry about it," he told her. "Just enjoy me as much as you can."

"You take everything so lightly." Jazzy rolled her eyes with deep annoyance. She hated how he could just brush the entire situation off as if the harsh reality of him not being around wasn’t hovering over everyone’s head. If Priest got put away, Jazzy would have no idea what to do with herself. All her life, she looked at her brother as a father figure. He raised her, despite the fact that he needed someone to raise him as well. Him being locked up and not within arm’s reach would be devastating.

Priest shrugged as he leaned back in his seat. "If you look at life so black and white, you'll be dead before you even get the chance to live. You gotta find the silver lining and just live in the gray a little," he wisely preached.

Jazzy screwed her face up in a questioning and confused manner as both J'Ru and Priest laughed at how his words went right over her head. "You would get it if you weren’t out in France drinking with your underdeveloped brain,"J’Ru poked fun at Jazzy, playfully shaming her.

Jazzy rolled her eyes before waving him off. "Shut up."

Once the laughter died down between Priest and J’Ru, the three caught each other up on their lives. "Priest is never around. He's always busy with the new woman in his life," Jazzy pettily let out with a laugh.

Priest cut his eyes at her jokingly. Of course, she was just going off an assumption. Priest never mentioned anything about Britain to Jazzy, but he was sure J'Ru wasn't denying a thing whenever Jazzy drilled him about it.

"Chill. I'm here now." He gestured around the table to allude to the fact that he was with family.

"So, when am I gonna meet her?" Jazzy fluttered her lashes in an innocent manner.

Priest chuckled. "I'm not hiding nothing." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright, then. Can I get a name, a picture, something?" his sister pried, attempting to subdue her own constant curiosity.

Priest took a drink from his glass, a smirk playing out on his face at the thought of Britain. "Her name is Britain."

J'Ru laughed at the screwed-up expression that panned out on Jazzy's face. "She's a cool girl," he vouched.

Jazzy waved him off. "Same shit you said about Paula, and look how that turned out," she reminded him, causing Priest to laugh.

"Nah, he's right about this one," Priest agreed. "She's cool. Her career is questionable to J'Ru, but she's cool nonetheless.” He was glad J'Ru didn't just start off with the fact that he didn't like Britain's occupation. He wanted Jazzy to get a feel for Britain for herself.

Jazzy raised a brow. "She's a stripper? Ain't nothing wrong with shaking some ass for some cash. If I had to, I would." Jazzy shrugged her shoulders, causing both J'Ru and Priest’s eyes to sear into her. "I'm playing!" She waved them off as she let out a timid laugh.

"She's not a stripper," Priest clarified.

"She writes for The New York Times ," J'Ru informed Jazzy. "She's actually the lead reporter on your brother's case now."

Jazzy shifted her shocked expression from J'Ru to Priest who had a laid-back smug look on his face. "Again," she prompted. "What type of fucking paradox are you trapped in? I'm really trying to be as reckless and laid back as you when I grow up." Jazzy shook her head.

Priest chuckled. "It's not that serious," he shrugged. "We have an understanding."

"Two steps ahead?" Jazzy raised her brow, asking her brother.

Priest confirmed with a nod of his head. "Always two steps ahead."

"So, what's been going on with you, little one?" J'Ru averted the conversation from Priest onto Jazzy. Jazzy shifted in her seat nervously as she used her fork to pick at her pasta. "Uh, I'm good."

"What about school? Why you been dying for a break?" Priest chimed in and asked. As far as he knew, Jazzy enjoyed Paris. She was always sending him pictures and videos of her and her friends doing different things and having a blast. Priest could agree that he could be a bit more involved with her schooling and check in periodically with her grades, but he never wanted to seem as though he was hovering over her. She was nineteen and schooling abroad, away from parents. She had freedom, and he wanted her to enjoy that.

"School," she stretched out while scratching the back of her neck. "Uh, I mean it's cool— if I still went, of course." She tried her best to play off what she had just said with a shrug of her shoulder.

J'Ru and Priest both dropped their eating utensils and darted their eyes over to Jazzy who had a frightened look on her face. She knew she was about to get pressed by not only Priest, but by J'Ru too. "Yo, what you mean if you still went ?" J'Ru asked as he pushed his plate away from him.

Jazzy’s eyes trailed down to her hands and freshly done manicure. "I dropped out," she admitted.

"Son, I really wanna knock this girl whole head off." J'Ru shook his head in disbelief. "You don't got nothing to say about this, P?"

Priest shrugged. "You can take a cool little break now, but as for you quitting, that's out the fucking window. I worked my ass off to put you in the position to follow your dreams. You have shit easy, Jazzy. The fact that you’re even comfortable enough to sit here and tell me and Ru some shit like this after all we done for you is just a slap in the fucking face," Priest shamed her. Fussing about it wouldn't do much for Jazzy. Once she made up her mind, that was it, and it was over. However, Priest wasn't going for any of that.

"You guys can't keep shipping me off so y'all can maneuver however y'all want without me here. I'm tired of Paris. I'm deprived of being home in New York so you guys can have one less thing to worry about. I picked Paris because I was stupid and just wanted a thrill. I thought it would be all glitz and glam because that’s what the little girl in me wanted. We were touching new money, and you offered, so I jumped at the opportunity. My life isn't something you two can just toss aside. You can’t just pamper me until I shut up," Jazzy groaned in frustration. Priest was a damn good father figure, but the way he was setting her life up made Jazzlyn feel forgotten.He made sure to give her a say in things, but it just wasn't enough for her. She didn't understand why he was so hell bent on her staying out in Paris when her heart was no longer there.

"Alright, if you don't want Paris, pick somewhere else," J'Ru suggested, hoping to reach a compromise. "But you're going back to school."

"No, I'm not," she gritted firmly.

"Yes, the fuck you are, and that's final," Priest ordered while slamming his hand against the table. "I don't ask for much from you, Jazzy, and you mean to tell me you want to quit doing the bare fucking minimum?! Everything you have is granted to you! You have nothing to fucking stress about! One thing I taught you is to never fucking quit, so, no, you're not quitting school!"

"Who's gonna fucking stop me, Priest?" Jazzy folded her arms across her chest with a roll of her neck.

"Who's gonna be supporting you too?" Priest narrowed his eyes at Jazzy while asking her.

Jazzy scoffed. "Wow! You think your fucking money will make or break me?! Let me make some shit real fucking clear for you. I've been without, and I don't need you or J'Ru for shit, Priest!" she jeered at her brother as she stood from the table, grabbing her bag in the process. "I ain't your mother, Priest. Remember that," she reminded him as she began making her way out of the restaurant.

J'Ru let out a deep sigh as he ran his hand down his face. "I'm about to go get her. I can't see her walk out like that." He stood up.

Priest immediately stuck his hand out, halting J'Ru. "Don't. Let her learn. If she claims she's ready, then let her prove herself."

"This is setting her up for failure. I'm not gonna let her fuck herself over," J'Ru refuted, ready to drag Jazzlyn back to the table.

"J'Ru, I meant what I said. Let her learn. Besides, I'm tired of chasing everyone down to benefit them," Priest finalized before gulping down the rest of his drink.

J'Ru reclaimed his seat. His appetite was ruined, and he no longer had the will to indulge in his food. Taking his phone out of his pocket, he dialed Cyro's number. "What you doing, J'Ru?" Priest asked with a sigh.

"Making sure she's good, something you need to be doing too," he spat at Priest before averting his attention back to his phone call with Cyro. "Yo, keep eyes on Jazzy. Trail her and make sure she's safe. Kidnap her stupid ass if you have to," J'Ru advised Cyro before standing up to put his coat on so he could leave.

"You heard what I said, Cyro," J'Ru clarified as he began leaving.

Priest sighed at the fact that he was the only one left at the table. As difficult as it was, he no longer longed to please everyone and be the glue that held everything together.

For the remainder of the night, Priest continued to finish his meal, not letting his mind drift to either Jazzy or J'Ru.