Page 64

Chapter Fifty

With a smile etched on his face, Priest handed Britain the bag of take-out Chinese food he picked up on his way back. Glancing up from her laptop, she eyed the food before averting her brown eyes to him.

"Wow, you're spoiling me. You came back early and got me food." She grinned while taking the food from him.

Priest laughed as he took a seat next to her. She had found herself sitting comfortably with a glass of wine and her laptop, finishing some transcriptions for “Humans of New York.” She felt like she had sulked enough about getting the boot from The Times, so she was on the verge of figuring out her next step. With the help of Priest, Britain had finally found enough courage to look into starting her own magazine that she could eventually build from the ground up.She dreamed of having her own magazine company, but she let that dream slip away from her since she had grown content with the front-page coverage she had been getting from The Times .

There was no better time to start up that dream again than right now. "Yeah, I figured I've been away from you long enough," he teased, receiving a side-eye from her, only for him to laugh a bit more.

Priest leaned in a bit to catch a glimpse of her laptop. "What you in here doing?"

Britain pursed her lips as she turned the laptop a bit so he could get a better view. "My story," he said, recognizing it instantly.

Britain nodded her head. "I started with yours first. I hope you don't mind." Her eyes filled with guilt since she thought she should have spoken to him about it first.

"It's cool, Gioia. I gave it to you with the intent of you sharing it with the world. I expected it,” he assured her, washing away all her nerves.

"You sure?" she asked just for clarification. Priest, who was in the middle of un-bagging his food, nodded his head. "I can change the names and stuff like that if that makes it any better," Britain suggested since she wasn't fully convinced about him granting her permission to exploit it all.

Priest once again shook his head. "Then it wouldn't be my story," he pointed out to Britain. "I trusted you. Now do your due diligence and turn it into greatness." Priest shrugged, causing a smile to surface on her face.

"Awe, P," she cooed as she sat her laptop aside to lean in closer to him. He chuckled as he placed his lips against her puckered ones. Parting from the kiss, he grabbed her hand so they could join in a prayer over their food. He kept the prayer short and simple so they could get to eating.

"How's it going so far?" he asked her, referring to her attempt to put his words into writing.

Britain let out a sigh. "It's going," she shrugged. Priest's story was so complex and long that all the audio was broken into pieces. Priest and Britain couldn't necessarily sit down and have him spill it all like the other people she had written about.

She was sure if their arrangement hadn't blossomed into a full-blown committed relationship, it may have been possible. "One of the audios includes us having sex." Britain shook her head, shaming herself and Priest. "I guess I forgot to hit stop."

Priest laughed in amusement, recalling the time they had transitioned from a confiding moment to an illicit sex session. "It sounded good, didn't it?" He smirked tauntingly.

She laughed while hitting his arm lightly. "I didn't listen to it," she screwed up her face in distaste. "And I don't want to.”

Priest waved her off. "I'll listen to it later," he shrugged.

Together, they ate their food, enjoying some conversation. Britain was glad he had made his way back sooner than she thought he would. She felt a bit stagnant since she didn't have much to do or many people to socialize with. She blamed letting work completely overwhelm her life. Britain had always kept herself busy, whether it was getting out to stack up on interesting “Humans of New York” stories or taking extra hours at her mother’s clinic. She could admit that things came to a decline only because she realized she didn't live it up as much as she should. Priest was changing that for her.

Having had enough of his lo mien, Priest sat it to the side. Britain was enjoying Priest's company as she leaned against his chest while she continued to eat her crab rangoon. "I gotta let you know something," Priest mentioned as he slowly kneaded his thumbs into her waist, causing the tension to melt away from her body.

Britain looked up at him, her brows raised. "What?"

He applied a gentle kiss to her lips before sighing. "I… um—" He cleared his throat, causing Britain to furrow her brows. "I had a meeting with Leila today to get Jamari's case reopened. I brought Paula on board since she has more connections than I do when it comes to all of that."

He vowed to be a hundred percent honest with Britain. Although nothing alarming happened between him and Paula, he still felt obligated to let Britain know. Paula was an issue in their relationship, and he didn't want Britain finding out the wrong way, which would only cause Paula to become more of an issue.

She sat her food aside to turn around so she was face to face with him. "You serious?" she questioned with an intimidating attitude in her tone.

Priest nodded in confirmation. "Yeah. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but I’d rather be the one to tell you, Gioia. It's just business, nothing more nothing less," he explained to her while placing his hands back onto her waist.

Britain screwed up her face as she brushed Priest's hands off her. He could tell she definitely wasn't pleased to hear he had been with Paula today, but she was trying hard to keep her composure instead of lashing out. "Just business, right?" She hitched her brow up at him.

He nodded his head. "Just business. I don't want to associate myself with her, so Kaymen's taking over. I just needed to show my face to seal the deal. Sending Kaymen and Paula alone wouldn't have done shit.”

Growing defensive, Britain quickly built her guard up. "Should I trust you? Can I trust you?" she questioned him through hopeful eyes.

A sigh slipped out of him. "That's not for me to decide, Britain.”

"You make it so hard not to trust you," she huffed absentmindedly.

Priest licked his lips as he gazed into her brown eyes. Britain could see the darkness that usually took over his eyes lighten. "I love you too much to ever lie to you," he professed as he reached out to her.

She glanced down at his outstretched hand. How could she not trust him? He had devoted so much to her. Without any hesitation or reluctance, she placed her hand into his. He pulled her closer so she could straddle his lap. Cupping his handsome face in the palm of her delicate hands, Britain angled his head so they could lock eyes. "I trust you. Please, don't fuck this up."

"I won't," he asserted. "You've got my word, Gioia.” Like always, he sealed his promises with his right hand resting over his heart.

She dropped her hands from his face with a light sigh. Honestly, Britain loved Priest far too much to do much of anything if he wasn't being completely honest with her. She had gone down the road of infidelity and manipulation before, and senselessly, she was willing to do it again for Priest. Britain was praying Priest was being the good man she knew him to be, the honest, loving, and committed man he'd shown her he was from the start.

A tired breath escaped him as he heard his phone go off nearby. She attempted to get out of the embrace so he could take his phone call, but he continued to hold her. Grabbing the phone, he answered the call once he realized it was Mirsad hitting him up.

"What's up, ‘Sad?"

"Nigga, you ain't hear it from me, but there's some shit going on!" Mirsad stressed.

Priest scoffed while furrowing his brows. "Fuck is going on?"

"Remy just dropped me off at The Groves. Leonard and June stopped by earlier, and I'm not sure what they got into it about, but them niggas ain't seeing eye to eye at all," Mirsad explained.

Luckily, his eavesdropping had allowed him to catch who exactly Remy had got into it with. The names were familiar, bringing him back to the straining and boring family reunion his mother forced him to attend. He recalled the table Sylvia was seated at while she talked in hush tones about Leonard's release and how June was going to reintroduce him to the streets.

Mirsad knew Priest never claimed Leonard as a father, but that didn't stop Sylvia from bragging about having Leonard Justice's first and only son. At the mention of June and Leonard, Priest could feel his anger overcome him. It was clear as day that they were trying to find him. They went to hunt down Remy since they couldn't get within reach of him.

"You and Nia be ready to head to my spot. I'm sending a car over now," Priest informed Mirsad as he sent a light tap to Britain's waist, signaling her to get up.

Britain could hear the urgency and tenseness in his voice, so she did as he requested.

"Why can’t I roll with you?" Mirsad asked in disappointment.

Priest stood from the couch, slipping his shirt over his body. "Nigga, if Rem don't want you there, you think I would?" he scoffed. "I'm serious, ‘Sad. Be ready for that fucking car."

"This some bullshit," Mirsad muttered with a deep sigh. If push came to shove, Mirsad definitely wanted to ride out with Priest and Remy. Leonard and June didn't seem like some easy-going guys, so Mirsad thought they needed as much manpower as they could get.

"Nigga, be ready," Priest spat at him before ending the call. He slipped his phone in his pocket, causing Britain to stand up, following him around the apartment as he hustled to get ready to step out.

"Grab your stuff. You gotta go to the penthouse," he told her once they got to her bedroom. Priest made his way to her closet and lingered off to his side. Britain watched him reach up, effortlessly grabbing his gun. He had been working on keeping his promise to Britain and actually stopped carrying it around on him. It hadn't become a normality yet, but he was trying.

"Kanaz, what is going on?" Britain demanded with her arms folded across her chest.

With his gun in hand, Priest checked the magazine, ensuring it was loaded. "If I knew, Gioia, I would tell you. Hurry up and grab your stuff."

"Tell me what you do know. I feel like I deserve to know something. My father is involved," Britain persisted with her arms folded across her chest. She was preparing not to budge if she didn't get a bit of insight into what was going on.

Priest sighed. "You trust me?" he asked her.

Britain's arms dropped to her sides. "Yes, but?—"

"Alright, then. Trust me enough to know I'm not gonna let anything happen to Rem or myself," he asserted while tucking his gun into the waistband of his pants.

With that, Britain went ahead and grabbed her phone and purse after putting on a random pair of jeans. Once she was ready, she followed Priest out of her apartment with her hand in his. He aided her into the car where he proceeded to make numerous phone calls.

"I need Jazzy back at the penthouse now. Tell her it's my orders," Priest said into the phone while speaking to Stu, the bodyguard who was appointed to Jazzy's security while Cyro was with Britain.

After he made his orders, Priest made another phone call. "Yo, Cy, have the penthouse covered, and have Sylvia's spot-on watch. Ain't no telling what these niggas capable of," Priest told Cyro once he wrapped up explaining the mere details of what Mirsad had just told him.

Priest didn't stop making phone calls until he reached J'Ru and Kaymen. The two men agreed to drop whatever they were up to and meet him at Remy's spot.

"I'm coming with you," Britain told Priest once he ended his phone call with J'Ru.

Priest, who had his jaw clenched in anger, shook his head. "You're better off at the penthouse."

"He's my father!" Britain raised her voice, hoping Priest could see the importance of her coming along with him.

Priest glanced over at Britain. "You don't think I fucking know that?! He wouldn't want you there, and I sure as hell wouldn't want you there! Have some fucking trust in me!" Priest lashed out in frustration.

She felt her lips seal, no longer having the courage to shout back at him. He made his decision and stood on that.Arriving at the penthouse, Britain helped herself out of the car, earning a loud and frustrated huff of air from Priest. She led the way to the elevator, where she bypassed the security measures with the palm of her hand. The elevator trip was quick, and before they knew it, they entered the penthouse.

The penthouse was empty due to Cyro making sure that no one got up without his clearance. Mirsad and Nia would be arriving in a few, along with Jazzy, so Britain wouldn’t be alone for too long. "I'm gonna take care of this," Priest said to her in a much more soothing voice.

He took ahold of her hand, bringing it up to his lips. "Don't be mad. I know you're worried, but I got you. Trust me." He leaned down, applying a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Please stay safe, P," she nervously said in a light voice.

"Always," he asserted while placing his hand over his heart to seal the promise. "I love you,Gioia."

"I love you too, P." She kissed his lips. Priest gave her a few more kisses before saying a goodbye to her.

"Nia, Jazzy and Mirsad will be here in a few. You're safe. I got the whole building locked."

Although she was worried about him leaving, she put her trust in him and nodded her head. Priest made his way to the elevator, shooting her a light wink, which evoked a soft laugh out of her. No matter the situation, Priest was going to be as charming as ever.

The elevator doors glided shut, separating Priest and Britain. As he descended back down to the parking garage, he said a quick prayer.He made his way to his car, getting in and setting off in the direction of Remy's spot. His mind was running a mile a minute. He just couldn't understand why Remy didn't shoot him a call informing him about Leonard and June rolling up to his house. Remy didn't have shit to do with the havoc that was about to transpire within the city. In fact, Remy was trying to prevent it, which was why Priest was feeling a heavy amount of guilt as he thought about the awful outcome of the situation if he didn't handle it correctly. Britain would be devastated.

Once he pulled up to Remy's spot, Priest could see Kaymen and J'Ru at the front door banging loudly. "What the fuck going on?" Priest asked as he rushed through the gate to get to Remy's front door.

"Fuck you think going on?" Kaymen smugly smacked his lips. "Nigga ain't coming to the door."

Priest jogged down the steps of the porch, cutting through Remy's lawn to gain access to the backyard. Priest remembered always gaining entry into Remy's house from the back. Everyone in the hood rocked with Remy heavy, so no one got the wrong idea or ever decided to mess with him or his home. Bypassing the gate, Priest turned the corner around the back of the home. There Remy sat in the back yard, a pearled blunt between his fingers while he took long pulls from it.

"We've been knocking," Priest told Remy, standing before him with his arms folded across his chest.

Remy's eyes were shuttered low and tinted red, indicating he was high. "I heard," he said while nodding his head and then giving Priest a nonchalant shrug.

J'Ru and Kaymen made their way around the home, a sigh of relief flowing from them at the sight of Remy alive and well. "We was banging the door down, and you mean to tell me you ain't even flinch?" J'Ru scoffed while shaking his head.

"Go back to where y'all came from. I'm good," he assured them as he ashed his blunt before bringing it right back to his lips.

"Why you ain't call me to tell me Leonard and June rolled up on you? If Mirsad ain't call, I would've been clueless. I don't appreciate that." Priest shook his head. If Mirsad hadn’t run his mouth, Priest was sure Remy would have tried to handle his issue with Leonard and June by himself. He didn't need Remy fighting any of his battles, nor did he need Remy involved.

Remy cleared his throat. "Where's my daughter, Priest?" he asked, completely disregarding Priest's attempt at scolding him for not shooting a phone call his way.

Priest smacked his lips. "She's good. That's not the point, Rem. You not letting me know about them pulling up could've turned out bad."

Remy chuckled while waving Priest off. "Nothing happened, and nothing's about to happen. Leonard and June ain't got no business coming 'round here, and they know that," he shrugged.

"What was said?" Kaymen asked.

"It don't matter," Remy dismissed.

"The shit do matter. This shit don't got nothing to do with you, but now you’re involved. Why?" J'Ru furrowed his brows, trying his best to find a connection within the entire situation.

Remy let out a heavy sigh while rising from his seat, leading them into his home through the back. The men loitered in the kitchen while Remy grabbed a glass and poured himself a drink. "Priest, you ain't think to tell me that you took that money?" Remy’s brow rose as he sat his glass back down on the counter after taking a drink.

Priest shrugged his shoulders. "It slipped my mind. I didn't even use any of that. I gave most of it to Sylvia."

"The rest?" Remy asked.

"I gave that away too," Priest admitted.

"Wait. What money you niggas talking about?" J'Ru butted in as he shifted his eyes between Priest and Remy.

Remy chuckled. "Oh, he didn't tell you either?"

"It’s not that big of a deal," Priest scoffed.

"Then lay that shit out for me," J'Ru shrugged.

Priest sighed before running his hand down his face. "I found that money Leonard kept hidden."

"Recently?" Kaymen asked.

Priest shook his head. "Nah, man. Years ago.”

J'Ru screwed up his face as he turned to face Priest. "How long is fucking years ago?" J'Ru asked for more clarification.

"Seven years ago," Remy cut in.

J'Ru’s eyes widened. "Nigga, what?! You mean to tell me you knew where that cash was stashed the whole fucking time, and you ain't say shit?! Nigga, we were piss fucking broke around that time!" J'Ru reminded him. He definitely wasn't pressed about the money now since they were all well off, but he just couldn't understand how and why Priest didn't make use of the cash then. He preferred to struggle over using his resources.

"You don't think I knew that? I was fucking there, J’Ru!” Priest scoffed through clenched teeth. "But we ain't need nothing from that nigga! We good now, ain't we?!"

J'Ru nodded his head, confirming that Priest had a point before he went ahead with his rebuttal. "Yeah, but we could've been good seven fucking years ago! It's money!"

Priest cut his eyes at J'Ru. They had been brothers for a long time, but sometimes they just could never see eye to eye. J’Ru thought Priest's pride would kill him, while Priest thought J'Ru's impulsive reactions would kill him. Ethically, they were structured differently, and although they would get into aggressive spats about it, they understood that not everything could come to an equal understanding.

"Yeah, but all money ain't good money!" Priest spewed toward J’Ru.

"Can y'all chop up the fucking differences and realize that shit doesn't matter anymore?" Kaymen cut in, diffusing the bickering between Priest and J'Ru. "Remy, why they roll up on you?" Kaymen averted the attention back to Remy.

"Apparently, we owe him a mil." Remy motioned his hand between himself and Priest.

"You don't owe him shit," Priest spat, clearing Remy of the debt.

Remy chuckled. "Oh, I know that." He nodded in amusement.

"So, you coming off that?" Kaymen asked, wondering whether Priest was really going to hand over a million dollars to Leonard.

Priest screwed up his face. "Fuck no," he uttered sharply. "He took the fucking bait. Now we dead all this shit.”

"So, what we do now?" J'Ru asked as he extracted his piece from the waistband of his jeans, sitting it on the table before taking a seat.

Priest did the same, copping a seat next to him. "We wait.”