Page 10 of The Love of Priest

"Keep playing your cards right, little nigga." Remy chuckled with a satisfied nod.

Priest took his privacy extremely seriously. J'Ru and his mother were the only ones who had the leisure to come and go to his home. Other than them, no one else was allowed. The media managed to crowd the lobby of the building where he was residing temporarily during his trial. He didn't too much care about that since the place he considered home remained unknown. He had everyone fooled into thinking he resided in the 212 Fifth Avenue residential building.

Priest nodded his head with a smirk. "I came here to holla at you about something."

Remy was a well-known figure in the streets. Although he felt like his reputation had run its course and he was ready to put it all behind him, everyone still showed him mad love and respect. He felt old in spirit since he had been running the streets for so long, but physically, he looked as if he hadn't aged at all. At 48 years old, he remained built, and his stature was somewhat burly. Tattoos inked both of his arms entirely. Priest met Remy when he was young and doing dumb shit. Remy saw the potential in both Priest and J’Ru, so he groomed them to be young men and took their mind off the mentality of having to sell drugs to survive. J'Ru listened while Priest, on the other hand, continued to rebel.

Remy knew he couldn't force Priest to listen, so he just let Priest do him until one night, Priest came by searching for guidance. He and Remy sat down and just talked for hours upon hours. Priest broke down and shed a few tears, and Remy gave him the proper essentials he needed to live life as a man instead of a little boy. Remy gave him wisdom, hope, and encouragement, all of which Priest lacked at the time.

Remy scoped the area before he killed his blunt and rose to his feet. "Come inside." He led the way into the home. Priest was always welcome; however, he hadn't been by in a while. In all the years he had frequented Remy's place, it was always cold, bland and empty. Remy had no wife, nor did he have much family. He always told Priest and J'Ru that God made him to die alone, and he was okay with that. Sometimes, Priest and J'Ru felt sorry for him, but Remy immediately ridded them of that feeling once he told them why he preferred being alone. It just meant there were less people he had to look out for. J'Ru and Priest respected that.

"It looks different in here. It’s finally got some color." Priest peered around, admiring the added pieces and decor of the home. The splashes of royal blue that were added to the place blended perfectly with the dark gray and black color scheme Remy preferred.

Remy chuckled as he led the way to the living room. "Yeah, my daughter insisted on putting some spirit, as she calls it, in here." He shook his head at how incapable he was of saying no to his daughter.

Priest eyes widened. "Since when did you have a daughter?"

"Found out about her a couple of months ago. Missed out on 28 years of her life, but she claims we can spend the rest of our lives making up for it." A loving look flashed his eyes as a smile graced his face.

"That's what's up, man. Not a lot of kids would be able to put the past aside and accept the present and future. I know for damn sure I can't." Priest shook his head with a grimace. The thought of being that accepting and willing to build a relationship with his father was sickening. The way Leonard neglected him when he needed him the most prepared Priest to neglect his father when the roles are reversed and his father instead needed him the most.

Remy agreed with Priest. "What's up with you, though? I been peeping the news. They pretty hot on your ass."

Priest waved the mention of the news off dismissively. "Nothing I can’t handle, especially if I get your help with something."

Priest turned his phone off since he was about to talk about something confidential. He eyed Remy, whose brows were scrunched together. He was slightly alarmed since he wasn't sure what he could assist Priest with. "Pertaining to?" Remy asked.

Priest cleared his throat. "Remember that cat Tony? The one me and Ru was running with a while back?" Remy nodded, signaling Priest to proceed. "He crossed me. The Feds got him flipped on his back like a bitch. He's at a safehouse out in Rochester. I need him out before they get him up on that stand next week."

Remy sighed. "You know I don't get down like that no more. I'm too old for that shit."

Priest sighed in return. "Man, you know if I could do it myself, I wouldn't even ask you. I just need this one favor."

Remy shook his head. "I can't, but I know someone who can. He's legit. How much you putting up?"

"Forty bands, but it gotta be easy in, easy out. I'll pay them twenty up front. They get the rest once the job is done," Priest explained.

Remy nodded while running his fingers through his facial hair. "He's gonna be interested. Contact goes through me, right?"

To keep himself out of the loop and avoid any additional charges, Priest wanted absolutely no contact with whoever Remy felt was suitable for the job. "Right," Priest confirmed. He reached into his back pocket, extracting the piece of paper J'Ru had given to him the day before with the Rochester address on it and sliding it over to Remy.

"I'll hit you when everything’s in motion," Remy assured.

Priest stood up, initiating a handshake with Remy. "I appreciate you for looking out," he expressed his gratitude. "Remember, if you need anything, I got you."

"You stopping by is enough. Keep your chin up, young man. Don't let the negativity and hate turn you into a coward," Remy spat words of wisdom that Priest remembered Remy telling him when he was younger, bringing on a sense of nostalgia.

The two shared a hug. "Love," they said simultaneously before pulling away. Remy began walking Priest out. Priest waved goodbye to Remy once more before turning on his heels to head to his vehicle.

Priest noticed a deep gray Dodge Charger as it pulled up right behind his vehicle, causing his brow to furrow a bit. The door of the Charger swung open, causing Remy to chuckle.

"Hey, baby girl! I didn't know you were stopping by!" Remy stood tall on the porch with a smile on his face.

The woman closed the car door while balancing two styrofoam to-go plates in her hand. "I have to meet with my friend in a few, but I thought it would be fun to stop by with breakfast," she explained while her attention was focused solely on the placement of her feet, afraid that if she took one misstep, she would go tumbling down in her heels and the breakfast would be all over her.

"Priest, help my baby girl with those plates, will you?" Remy requested as he lit his blunt again.

At the mention of the unique name, her head shot up, snatching her attention from her feet and onto Priest's familiar frame. Her soft eyes locked with his dark and hooded ones, which ultimately resulted in her losing her balance in her heels. Priest reacted quickly and held his hands out for her, securing them at the small of her back and allowing her to regain her balance. Once she was stable on her feet, he took the two plates out of her hands.

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