Page 50

THE NEXT DAY

Priest was trucking through the day with a heavy feeling of grief pressing down on him. Together, he, J'Ru, Kaymen, Jazzy, and Britain were set to appear at the Liberty Gala in a few hours.

Their preparations for the gala had been stalled by Priest's emotions. He truly had no energy to be around or speak to anyone besides Britain. She had convinced him to find the strength to get up this morning. Priest had no idea how he was going to keep face today after losing Jamari in his arms just a few hours before.

He let out a groan as he grabbed his phone from the cup holder of his vehicle to answer the call that was coming in. "I know shit is hard right now, but you need to get to the penthouse to get ready. You and Britain only got four hours," Kaymen spoke to him on the other end of the call.

Glancing at Britain who sat to the right of him in the car, Priest nodded. "We're on the way," he told Kaymen before ending the call.

As he let out a sigh, Britain reached over, lacing her hand within his. "You sure you're okay to do this today?" Britain asked in a light voice, her tone full of concern.

Priest cleared his throat before nodding. "Got no choice." He shrugged his shoulders. "Life goes on, right?"

A light smile masked Britain's face. "Right. Life goes on," she agreed.

Moments later, Priest and Britain were pulling into the parking garage of his penthouse. Once he parked the car, he got out and made his way around to help Britain out. Hand in hand, they made their way toward the elevator where Priest bypassed the security measures, and they were lifted to the top floor.

As the thick elevator door glided open, Priest and Britain set their eyes upon the many people in the living room. Britain was shocked to see that there was actually some sort of production put together to get them ready and out the door to the Gala. Things were finally beginning to set in that this was real, and she was about to be attending the Liberty Gala.

"Finally!" J'Ru clapped, glad that Priest and Britain had shown up.

He was currently seated in a chair with a cape around him, getting a fresh and sharp hair cut from a barber. Priest chuckled lightly. "We made it. No need to trip," he assured as he led Britain further inside the penthouse.

Britain greeted both J'Ru and Kaymen as Priest figured out where he and Britain needed to begin. "Where does she need to be?" Priest asked Kaymen as he got settled into a seat to begin his haircut.

"Kenya has Jazzy getting her hair done right now, so I'm guessing she starts there." Britain immediately felt a ton of nerves take over her body at the mention of Jazzy. She didn't expect to meet her in this way. The men noticed the flushed look that developed on her face.

They chuckled, aware of how overbearing and intimidating they made Jazzy sound when either of them described her.

"C'mon." Priest halted his haircut, standing up to usher Britain toward the back where Jazzy was getting ready with the styling of Kenya and her team.

"I'm nervous," Britain whispered to Priest as they continued down the hallway.

"I know, but my sister isn't anything you can't handle. You handled Sylvia, so you can handle Jazzy," he told her with an encouraging tone. Timing honestly couldn't have been any worse on his part. Due to his negligence, Jazzy was already feeling some type of way that Britain took up all his time as it was. There really was no telling how Jazzy would react to finally meeting her in such an impromptu manner.What Priest used to consider his man cave had been turned into a hair and makeup station for Jazzy and Britain.

Entering the room, he immediately caught sight of Jazzy. "Hey, PJ," Jazzy beamed. She knew things were hard for him at the moment, so she was putting her bratty attitude aside to be the best sister she could be during these trying times.

"What's up, Jazzy-Fae?" He gave her a quick side hug so he wouldn't interrupt the process of her getting her hair done.

"Could be better. You?" Jazzy stated honestly with a shrug.

Priest let out a sigh. "Same here, but I'm gonna keep it pushing," he admitted before stepping aside to reveal Britain. "This my shorty Britain." He pulled Britain before him to introduce her to Jazzlyn.

Her eyes glanced over Britain, and a light smile graced her face. "I'm Jazzy," she introduced herself while sticking her hand out for Britain to shake.

The first interaction was going smoothly. The first thing Britain noticed about Jazzy was how beaming her smile was. Her pearly whites were aligned perfectly, and whenever she smiled, her eyes seemed to squint because of her high cheek bones. Jazzy had a gorgeous face that was hinted with small features of Priest, her beautiful smile being one of them. She had skin that resembled fresh golden honey, which contrasted perfectly with her jet-black hair that was currently being styled. Her features were sharp. If she was interested, Jazzy could pursue a successful career in modeling.

"Nice to finally meet you," Britain replied in a sweet voice.

Priest couldn't help but glance down at Britain. Just yesterday, she had used a tone with him that he never thought she could produce, but now she had such a sweet and innocent tone that could fool anyone.

"Pleasure is all mine. I've been begging for PJ to let us meet, but he always felt like the timing was bad," Jazzy told Britain as she jokingly cut her eyes at her brother.

Priest chuckled, accepting the fact that he was automatically the blame for everything. "That and the fact that Brit was nervous to meet you." Priest hooked his arm around Britain's shoulders."You got a reputation, Jaz."

Jazzy laughed. "I'm assuming you've heard nothing but bad things about me?" She shifted her attention toward Britain.

"No." Britain immediately shook her head. "He's joking." She jabbed her elbow into Priest's side.Jazzy and Priest both laughed.

Jazzy’s reputation was pretty much set in stone, so no one who came across her would mistake her as weak and simple-minded. Overall, she was a nice girl, but when it came to Priest, she could be hell on earth. Britain was the first girl Priest had brought around since Paula, and from how things ended with Paula, Jazzy knew it was taking her big brother a lot to love again. Jazzy was going to give Britain a genuine chance. She wanted to see what about her had her brother’s nose wide open.

"I know," Jazzy assured her before shifting her attention from Britain and onto Priest."How about you let us get ready? I promise to be nice," she teased.

Priest chuckled as he nodded his head. "No doubt." He unhooked his arm from around Britain’s shoulders so he and Jazzy could slap hands with their signature handshake from when they were kids.

Priest then averted his attention to Britain, who had already gotten sat into a seat to begin on her hair. "I'll see you in a bit. Look beautiful for me," he said to her with a wink before finally exiting the room, leaving her alone with Jazzy.

Once he left Britain’s presence, the smile that masked his face disappeared, and his mind instantaneously traveled to thoughts of Jamari. Priest was sure Jamari's spirit had traveled up to heaven already, but his physical being was still in the morgue. Tasha was awaiting the results of the autopsy of Jamari's body in hopes the investigators would have a quicker and better chance of discovering who killed him. Priest definitely wasn't a fan of the autopsy being done. Jamari already had a painful death as it was. He didn't need his body being cut up and mangled. That wasn't Priest's call to make, so it happened. Priest was already making funeral arrangements for Jamari. He wanted little man's farewell to be a beautiful one.

The ladies sat alongside each other as their hair was styled for the gala. Britain wasn't sure how to start a conversation with Jazzy, so she just remained quiet. The sounds of the hair dryer and the different members of Kenya's team talking flushed out the awkwardness that Britain was starting to feel.

"I heard you had a run-in with Sylvia," Jazzy spoke up, catching Britain’s attention.

A smug smile pulled at the corners of Britain's lips as she shrugged. "It wasn't a nice one. I don't think she likes me very much."

Jazzy let out a light laugh. "We have something in common already," she joked, causing Britain to laugh.

"Your brother said that," she recalled the joke Priest made.

"Sylvia is a lot to handle, so kudos to you for still being around after meeting her," Jazzy praised her. Britain was hoping Jazzy wouldn’t go on a rant to bash Sylvia because she wouldn't know what to say, and she wouldn't want to participate. Yes, Sylvia got on her last nerve, but out of respect for Priest, she just would rather not.

Britain chuckled lightly. "It's gonna take a lot more than a not-so-nice mother-in-law to run me off."

Jazzy angled her head to eye Britain."Y'know, I like you!" She stuck her hand out for a high five, which Britain granted her with a laugh.

"I like you too," Britain admitted. "Your brother tells me a lot about you, and you really were the girl I wanted to be when I was your age.”

"What'd he tell you, that I was a loud mouth know-it-all?" Jazzy scoffed jokingly at the way Priest always checked her about her reckless mouth.

Britain laughed. "He did say that," she stated truthfully. "However, he also said you were strong, independent, and self-aware. When I was nineteen, I was none of those things."

A small smile played on Jazzy's face. For so long, people made her feel like her tough demeanor painted her out to be a bad person. She was just a chick who knew her worth and didn’t take shit from anyone, not even Priest sometimes. Although she and Britain had just met, she quickly realized why her brother had fallen so quickly for her. She had a way with words that made every bad thing in life seem as though it would be alright.

"Britain, we're gonna have fun together," Jazzy told her, causing Britain to grow amused and let out a light laugh.

Jazzy and Britain continued having seamless conversation with each other while the guys were outside getting ready.

"How Tash holding up?" J'Ru asked Priest as he secured the top button of his dress shirt.

Priest sighed. "I called this morning. She's still distraught, but she's keeping it together."

Hearing Tasha's voice put a strain on Priest. All he could remember was how much Jamari loved making her happy. He talked about his mama day in and day out. At twelve years old, all he wanted to do was get his mama out the hood. Although Britain had advised him not to take on the promises of others, Priest had big plans when it came to supporting Tasha and Jamari's siblings. Jamari, who considered himself the man of the house, had passed, so Priest was going to step up for him. Tasha was getting out the hood, and Priest promised Jamari that.

Kaymen let out a sigh himself. "That shit was crazy." He shook his head as his mind flashed to the moment he held Jamari in his arms.

"Yeah," Priest agreed. "I'm helping Tasha set up his funeral. I want little homie to go out nice."

"Let me know if you need me to do anything," J'Ru offered.

Kaymen nodded. "Same here."

Although four hours seemed to be too long to take to get ready, for the full look the gala required, the ladies were actually going over the allotted time. Kaymen checked his watch, letting out a stressed sigh.

"We should've been in the car twenty minutes ago," he groaned lightly.

Priest chuckled. "They're women. It's expected." He shrugged his shoulders as he rose from his seat. He smoothed his hands over his cobalt blue Giorgio Armani double breasted suit.The color of his ensemble coordinated perfectly with Britain's gown, which was Kenya's doing, of course. "Let me go see what's up."

Priest proceeded down the hall, leaving a restless J'Ru and Kaymen in the living room. He applied a light knock on the door before he was granted permission to come in. In the center of the room, Jazzy was stepping into her heels while Kenya was securing a necklace around her neck. Priest glanced to the left to see Britain getting the finishing touches done to her hair.

"I don't want to rush anyone, but we gotta go," Priest announced.

"They're ready." Kenya nodded as she took a step back, taking in the final looks of Jazzy and Britain.

A light smile stretched across Priest's face. Jazzy and Britain looked gorgeous.

Jazzy had designed and made her own dress, stepping out of the restricted zones of the usual gala attire. The glitzy and sparkly hand-sewn Swarovski crystals of her dress complimented her golden skin perfectly. Her light curls cupped her face beautifully as her hair graced down her back. Due to the dress being an attention grabber, she sided on light makeup, along with small details of jewelry.

Priest's mouth watered slightly as his dark orbs bore into Britain. The cobalt blue gown was constructed with a high split that went up to her hip. The material of the dress draped along her shoulders perfectly, holding up her ample breasts well. The contrast of the blue against her umber skin was gorgeous. She matched the dress with a bold makeup look of red lipstick. Her hair was pulled to the side with big, dramatic curls that reminded others of a vintage model. Kenya not only highlighted Britain's beauty with this look, but she also amplified it.

"You two look gorgeous," Priest complimented Jazzy and Britain, causing wide smiles of confidence to etch their faces.

They both thanked Priest for the compliment before thanking Kenya and her team for their amazing help. Priest smirked as Britain placed her hand into his. "You look handsome," she complimented Priest.

The color coordinated attire fit them so well and seamed together perfectly. They even had complimenting jewelry. Britain had a tennis necklace set lacing her neck and wrist. Priest also had the same necklace and bracelet.Britain couldn't help but to fawn over Priest. He was so handsome, and she loved the fact that even though he cleaned up nicely, he still had that hood appeal to him.

The doubled breasted cobalt blue blazer was layered over a black turtleneck, and his navy-blue slacks were perfectly tailored to his height. The haircut and beard line up he had just gotten sharpened his facial features and his intricate jawline. The suit pretty much covered all his tattoos except for the ones that inked his face and both of his hands. The man was living up to his name. He was New York's very own poster boy.

"Thank you, Gioia," he said as he brought her hand up to his lips.

The three made it to the front of the penthouse where Kaymen and J'Ru were overjoyed with the fact that the woman were finally done. "Beautiful, beautiful!" J'Ru complimented the women before quickly averting his attention to the lack of time they had."Cars are downstairs. Britain and Priest are riding with Cyro. Kaymen, me and Jazzy are riding right behind y'all with Stu," J'Ru delegated as he pressed the button for the elevator. Once it opened, he rushed everyone inside for a quick trip down to the lobby of the building.

Priest actually hadn't used the lobby exit since his last trial date. Luckily for him, there weren't any reporters crowding the doors. After a smooth exit, Priest slid into the back seat of the SUV with Britain while J'Ru, Kaymen, and Jazzy filled the one behind them.

"Why are we in different cars?" Britain asked. She was used to everyone being divided after Priest's court dates simply because they went their separate ways afterward. However, now they were all headed to the same place, so she didn't get why they were divided.Priest glanced at her. "Safety precautions," he enlightened her.

Britain wanted to question him and ask how that was keeping them safe, but she didn't. As they pulled off, Britain noticed once they got further up the block that two similar black-on-black SUVs cut in front of them just as two more cut behind them.

"Safety precautions?" Britain raised a brow, referring to the extra four cars they were now accompanied by while Cyro and Stu switched from lane to lane.

Priest nodded in confirmation as he glanced out the window. In the lane to the right of them were J'Ru, Kaymen and Jazzy. "Why do we have to do all of this?" Britain asked Priest.

Priest eyed Britain, his hand conforming into hers. "Bullets went flying yesterday," he sighed. "Someone I care for died. In this car and the next car holds all the family I got. I can't risk any of you.”

His cold tone caused a shiver to run down Britain's spine. "Your safety matters too, y'know," Britain reminded him.

Priest shrugged his shoulders in a dismissive matter. "It matters until it doesn't," he stated dryly.

"When does it not matter?" she asked for clarification.

"When your safety is breached.” His raspy voice caved into her ears as he pulled her closer."Let me protect you. I'll protect myself after."

Britain held his face in her hand, pulling him down so his lips could meet hers. The kiss was light and quick but contained so much passion and emotion. Priest had endured serious trauma that he hadn't attempted to heal from. All he did was improvise and tiptoe around it. Someone died; get extra security. Someone double crossed him; kill them. Someone he loved got hurt; make them happy. Priest was a fixer. He fixed everything around him… except for himself.

"God, I have to fix you," she breathed with a light chuckle.

Priest’s orbs peered down at her, a slightly amused look panning his face. "Word? What you mean by that?" he asked her with a little laugh.

"You heard me," she scoffed with a smirk as she readjusted his arm around her. "I don't mind, though." She shrugged her shoulders.

Priest leaned his head back against the plush leather seat of the vehicle, a content smile gracing his face. Britain was just so refreshing.

"I love you, playa," Priest professed in a soft voice.

Britain let out a light sigh as her thumb caressed over his tattooed knuckles. "I love you too, playa."

They eventually arrived at the gala. Passageways for vehicles were becoming more and more restricted by officers who were patrolling and guarding the perimeter of the Liberty Gala. As they drove through the roads that led closer to the gala, Britain kept her eyes fastened outside of her window. She didn't want to miss a second of it.

Priest cleared his throat, catching Britain’s attention. "When you get in there, don't try to fit in. They're all fucking simple-minded snobs," he scoffed. Although he was there to play nice with the simple-minded snobs, that didn't mean he had to actually like them.

Britain laughed while nodding her head. "Noted," she confirmed.

Once their vehicle was stopped at the front of the venue, Priest let out a heavy breath, preparing himself for three to four hours of listening to honorary guests rave on and on about their philanthropic efforts. As others used the gala for an annual fancy night out amongst New York's best of the best, Priest used it to network.

Cyro got out of the car, aiding both Priest and Britain out. "Look above anyone who has a camera head, so the flashing won't irritate your eyes," Priest advised Britain once more. She nodded her head, being receptive of what he was teaching her before they went in.

"Don't let anyone lure conversation out of you. Mostly everyone in this motherfucka has a motive or has a long-standing contract with a tabloid. You will be a quote in the next issue of whatever's published tomorrow."

"Should I share my credentials?" Britain asked in a low voice as her nerves began to take over. Showing up to this gala on the arm of Priest Justice was an open invitation for judgement. Britain was prepared for all the ridicule she was set to receive for being the leading reporter on Priest's case while screwing him. It was far too late to back out now. The closer they got, the louder the flashes of the cameras and the questioning of the reporters grew.

Priest shook his head. "Just be my lady tonight and enjoy yourself, Gioia.” He smiled down at her. She gave Priest’s hand a light squeeze, indicating that she understood.

Jazzy, Kaymen and J'Ru caught up to them. At check-in, before they stepped into the mayhem of the media and flashing lights of the cameras, Jazzy halted everyone.

"I know today is a rough day for everyone, but I don't want us suppressing what we're really worried about," she announced to everyone as she reached into her clutch. Extracting a total of five medium sized brooches, she handed them out to each of them, keeping one for herself. The brooch contained a picture of Jamari as the perimeter of the pins were decorated with diamonds. "I made them last night. Everyone we meet tonight, he'll meet them too," Jazzy explained as she pinned the brooch to the upper right part of her dress.

Priest reached out and pulled his little sister into a hug. This was sentimental and sweet. He had begun to feel guilty about being at a gala just a day after Jamari passed in his arms, and this brought him comfort.