Page 63

Chapter Forty-Nine

HARLEM, NEW YORK

"Mirsad, you gotta make sure you hit those corners!"Remy shouted over the running lawn mower as he stood at the top of his porch.

Mirsad looked over his shoulders, shooting Remy a lethal glare before proceeding to take the mower up and down the front lawn.

Extracting his lighter from his front pocket, Remy chuckled in amusement at Mirsad's frustration. They may have gotten closer within the time Mirsad had been kicking it with him, but that didn't mean he disciplined him any less. Remy was still being stern and strict, but Mirsad was much more receptive of it all.He took himself a seat, keeping his eye on Mirsad and making sure he manicured his front lawn just how he wanted. Remy couldn't deny the fact that although Mirsad started off being a pain in the ass, he had grown on him.

Holding his rolled blunt to his lips, Remy sparked it with the lighter to take a pull from it. He hadn't been his best self these past days. Britain had gotten back to him about Seven celebrating her birthday and showed him a few pictures too. Remy wasn't afraid to admit that he had let his young mind run off the only woman he found most suitable for him to be with.

The more he thought about Seven, the more he thought about how much he got the short end of the stick. He had missed out on a life with her and with Britain. The chance of making her his wife. Giving her his last name. Buying that house for her. Being by her side when she opened her first medical office. Graduating medical school. Her first surgery. Just everything. Along with that, Remy felt like he was the only one getting blamed for all of this, but Seven also played a part.

The woman was stubborn. She liked proving a point and making it stick. Remy definitely felt like her point was taken way too far once she kept his daughter a secret from him for 28 years. It just didn't sit right with him.

Straying away from his deep and regretful thoughts of Seven, Remy cast his attention onto Mirsad once he heard the lawn mower turn off.

"Priest's here." Mirsad pointed to the dark tinted, black Lamborghini that had stopped directly in front of his house.

Remy put his blunt out while standing to his feet. "That ain't Priest." Remy shook his head. Remy had taken note of every car Priest ever pulled up in, and he was sure Priest never found it suiting to cop a Lamborghini. "Get inside,"he instructed Mirsad.

"I ain't done here," Mirsad said to him, pointing his finger at the other half of the lawn that hadn't been mowed yet.

"It's cool. Get inside.”Mirsad obliged Remy's request, heading inside and leaving him alone.

Once the door clicked shut, Remy began making his way down the porch. He trekked down the path to his gate and stepped out. He leaned against his gate with his arms folded across his chest as the darkly tinted window of the vehicle descended, revealing who had popped up at his curb.It was no surprise that it was June. Word about his feelings toward Priest was spreading quickly, and Remy knew that in no time shit was about to turn upside down. Remy had called Priest, chastising him about the risky move of expanding without any fair warning or even a conversation, but Priest simply dismissed him and assured him that he was good.

Remy knew how Priest took care of things. It was pretty effective, and most importantly, he kept everyone safe. He had declined Priest's offer to have anyone on watch near his house because he simply didn't need it. Remy was a laid back and chill guy who had left that life alone. He had cut all loose ties a long time ago, so there wasn't anyone gunning for him as far as he knew.

Remy never really had a problem with June. They used to kick it back then, but it wasn't ever anything too close. He had much more of a bond with Leonard. Although Remy was familiar with both June and Leonard, everyone knew his loyalty lied with Priest. Just like Remy grew up having no one, so did Priest.He connected with Priest like he was his own, and he actually commended Priest for never expecting a father figure out of him. Priest understood that Remy couldn't provide him something he wasn't fit for. Remy just kept him safe, put him on game, and pushed him in front of the right folks. Remy was a mentor to him, some would say, never a father figure because Leonard was Priest's real father.

"Notorious Rem!" June chuckled with a smile that was decorated with a few gold caps. "Niggas told me you still stayed in the hood, but I was just too fucking dumb to believe it." June shook his head as he extended his hand to Remy, offering a greeting.

To everyone who knew how much Remy had hustled back then, Remy was nothing short of peculiar. Instead of keeping himself out of the hood and living the life of luxury and riches as he always desired, he settled down in the very place he wanted to run from when he was on the rise.

Remy's paper was hefty. He hustled enough to never have to work again in his lifetime. Luxury and profile just didn't excite him anymore. After spending so much time in prison and then being thrusted out into society again to find his own way, Remy realized there was just so much more to life. Instead of shitting on niggas with the flashiest watch and the most pimped out car when he first got out like he expected, he just bought his childhood home. He was happier this way. He didn't care that he was still in the hood and people thought he fell off. What mattered was that his bank accounts were still healthy, and his wallet remained swole.

Remy smirked as he nodded his head while slapping hands with June. "Yeah, I couldn't take being too far from where I started,” he shrugged. "What brings you by, man?"

June glanced through the street, his eyes surveying his surroundings momentarily. "We were just in the hood, taking care of business."

"We?" Remy asked.

June nodded his head as he rolled the back window down, revealing none other than Leonard Priest Justice . "You chauffeuring niggas around now?" Remy’s brow rose at June’s comment with a bit of amusement.

Both Leonard and June shared a laugh with Remy. "Nah, man. It ain't nothing like that." Leonard stepped out of the vehicle with a gleeful smile on his face. He extended his hand to Remy so they could slap hands with each other.

"Then what is it? Rolling up on me like you got some score to settle," Remy said to him as they pulled away from the greeting. He was skeptical of both June and Leonard pulling up on him so casually and unexpectedly.

Remy would’ve thought Leonard would’ve made himself scarce since there were so many things being said about his unbelievable release, but he seemed to be putting himself out there. The last time he saw Leonard, homie didn't look too good. Unlike Priest, he didn't handle the allegations and the heavy penitentiary sentencing with style and grace. He went out pretty dirty with a grungy shootout with the Feds. There had to be more to the story than Leonard was telling for him to be walking around New York as a free man.Now, he was standing before Remy in an Emporio Armani tracksuit and thick authentic gold jewelry gracing his wrists and neck, along with his ear that he decorated with a single small hoop. Leonard was a handsome looking guy, and he carried himself as such. Despite his many years of being locked up, he still contained the same swag he had when he got caught up decades ago.

Leonard shrugged Remy's questions off vaguely. "I just got back into town, and I wanted to check up on you."

Still unconvinced, Remy’s brow rose. "You sure you ain't here to talk about your son, Priest?"

Leonard smacked his lips while shaking his head. "C'mon, Jeremy. Don't do that shit."

"Don't do what? It takes one hell of a coward to deny his own. I can't ride for that shit," Remy disclaimed with a look of distaste etched on his face.

Leonard chuckled. If there wasn't anyone else who could give it to him straight, it would be Remy. He kept it real about everything, no matter how bad it sounded. "Now, Remy, you know Sylvia wasn't the toughest cookie to crack or the hardest bitch to nut in. Priest belongs to anybody. He could be yours, he could be June's, but he damn sure ain't mine." Leonard shrugged his shoulders carelessly as he dismissed the thought of Priest actually being his son.

Remy screwed up his face at Leonard, disturbed by his mentality. Back then, Sylvia was definitely a pass around. It was evident that she was just young and looking for the love she couldn't get from her broken home. The worst thing she ever did was get tied up with Leonard. The man manipulated her and embarrassed her in front of anyone he could. Sylvia tarnished her own reputation out in the streets, but Leonard stripped away all the dignity she had.

"That denial shit won't make him any less of your blood," Remy reminded Leonard with a shake of his head.

Leonard let out a sigh. He had his mind made up that Priest wasn't his and felt like it should’ve been left at that. He was far more interested in business than kicking it with Priest to make up for lost time as a father.

"It's facts, Rem. I don't know what fucking folk tale the bastard told you, but he ain't mine. He knows it, Sylvia knows it, everybody does."

"Why'd you leave him the money then, Leo? Think about that shit," Remy said to him, hoping he could get Leonard to loosen up.

Leonard smacked his lips. "I left you that money to hold down for me. You gave it off to charity. That little nigga probably flipped my money trying to knock June off his square." Leonard shook his head with a bit of amusement. He pitied Priest. The boy was clinging to his false connection to the Justice family for dear life. As far as Leonard was concerned, Priest wasn't a Justice.

"The boy ain't no fucking charity," Remy refuted. Remy had given Priest access to the money, despite how headstrong Priest was about not touching it. Hearing that Priest had gone ahead and claimed the cash was news to Remy, but he wasn’t going to let Leonard nor June know that. He still had Priest's pride along with his to protect.

"Whatever he is, tell him he owes me my paper. Whether it’s coming out of your pockets or his, I'm coming to collect tomorrow," Leonard spat to Remy as his demeanor shifted.Remy's speculations were right. He knew Leonard and June didn't roll up to have a candid fucking conversation. He came for business.

Remy chuckled dryly while shaking his head. "We don't owe you shit," he gritted to Leonard before entering his gate to head back to his porch.

Leonard and June both expected this from Remy. He wasn't some regular who they could rise fear within, but they knew Priest was. "Make that tonight," Leonard smirked, correcting the time he would be collecting the money he thought was owed to him.

Remy took a seat on one of the chairs on his porch as he relit his blunt and took a pull from it. "Suck my dick!" He held his middle finger up to Leonard before the Lamborghini sped off.

Mirsad, who couldn't contain his curiosity about why Remy suddenly sent him inside, wasn't too far from the door. He pulled it open, popping his head out of the house. "Fuck was that about?" he asked Remy with a look of confusion etched on his face.

Remy kept his attention straight ahead as he ashed his blunt. "Pack your stuff, man. You gotta go home for tonight," he concluded.