Page 195 of The Love of Priest

At the mention of Paula working alongside Priest to make what he wanted happened, Leila retracted her hand from Paula. Clearing her throat lightly, she nodded her head. "Of course. How about you take a seat, and we can discuss your plans further?"

Priest let out a chuckle before rising from his seat. "I'll take that as my cue," he said, preparing to leave. Priest had done his due diligence by getting Paula on board, despite how at odds they were. He didn't trust her, nor did he feel capable of working alongside her alone, so Kaymen filled in for him. He was going to take the back seat on this one.

"‘Preciate doing business with you, Leila." He winked at her with a smug laugh.

He and Kaymen slapped hands, saying goodbye to each other. He bypassed Paula without uttering a word to her. He exited the office feeling accomplished. Surprisingly, Leila didn't give him as hard of a time as he had expected. Pressing the button for the elevator, he heard his name being called in the direction he had just come from.

Turning on his heels, he was agitated to see Paula flagging him down. "You got until this elevator opens up to speak, so make it quick," he warned her in a cold tone, making it evident that he didn't want to have a conversation.

Paula glanced at the flashing numbers of the elevator before she shifted her attention back to Priest. "I'm sorry."

He scoffed. "We done here?" He glanced around her with an uninterested look etched on his face.

"No," she demandingly stated. "Talk to me. We should be adults and be able to have a civil conversation."

Priest screwed up his face. He felt like she was belittling him and his maturity. Standing before her this long required a whole lot of fucking maturity, so she should’ve been grateful.

"You don't deserve shit from me, Paula. Everything you thought you deserved, you took," he spat at her harshly just as the elevator dinged and the door parted for him to enter.

He pressed the button to head down, releasing an exasperated breath as Paula rushed into the elevator right behind him.

"Yo, do you not fucking get it? I don't want shit to do with you!" he jeered down at her as his jaws clenched in irritation and fury.

"Yes, you do!" she persisted. "You loved me!" She tried her hand at inching closer to him, only for Priest to push her away.

"Past tense, Paula. That ship has long fucking sailed. You're a treacherous-ass bitch who don't deserve shit from a nigga but mercy. Be appreciative that I'm even offering you that." Priest peered down at her with his dark eyes as his malicious and vile words punctured her heart with no remorse.

Reaching his desired floor, he scoffed before exiting the elevator, leaving Paula there to gather herself from his slashing words.As he exited City Hall, Priest could feel the anger pumping in his body. Paula was really taking him as some sort of gullible guy who would fall for her pretty face and soft voice. She was bad news, and he was starting to regret bringing her on board.

ChapterForty-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.

---