Page 2 of The Love of Priest

That night, Priest was mad as hell at his mother. He was livid that she could just sit up in his face and lie like that. Sylvia claimed the last she heard of Leonard, he was dead and gone. She decided not to find out more because she knew it wouldn't be beneficial to her or the child Leonard claimed didn't exist.

That was when Priest caught the hint. Leonard wasn't around just because he was invested in the streets. He wasn't around because he didn't believe Priest Kanaz Justice was his. He had neglected Priest a multitude of times, and Priest was sure there was nothing that could make him think otherwise.

Priest was now 23 years old, and he was comfortable with the fact that he grew up without a father. He taught himself how to fight. He taught himself how to play ball. He taught himself how to shave. He taught himself how to approach women. Last but not least, he taught himself how to be a man and get shit done so people at his table could be fed. Whether Leonard was coming out of Rikers with a new perspective of life and was willing to accept Priest wholeheartedly wasn't any of Priest's business. He surely wouldn’t be around to witness it.

"I heard." Priest slowly nodded his head once he cleared away his thoughts. "He ain't my pops by the way. Just some random nigga to me."

After finishing his last sandwich, J'Ru wiped his face of any crumbs left behind. "I mean, I know he ain't do much for you growing up, but he did nut you out." He glanced over at Priest as if he had made a valid point.

Priest chuckled, agreeing with him. "He did, but that don't make him no father, especially not one I would respect or claim."

"You don't even gotta rock with the nigga," J'Ru suggested. "Just get close to him to see where he hid that paper and flip his ass." J'Ru's laughter filled the car.

There was some crazy tale circulating through the hood that Leonard had money stashed so well that it wasn't confiscated by the Feds. When niggas heard this through the grapevine, the streets went wild trying to find the stash. They hit up all of Leonard's favorite spots and his old neighborhood back in East Tremont, and they even held Leonard's mother at gun point. The cash sent everyone into a frenzy, even Sylvia, who claimed Priest deserved all of it since Leonard wasn't much of a father. Priest, on the other hand, wasn’t excited by the cash. It didn't make him jump, just like his father's reputation didn't make him feel untouchable.

Priest waved J'Ru off. "That money don't interest me."

"Alright now. Don't be hating when someone else come up on it," J'Ru warned.

Priest chuckled. "It's been fifteen years. Ain't no way someone coming up on that cash, if it even exists in the first place." Until Leonard could confirm he did have a couple hundred thousand stashed away, Priest wasn't going to give the tale an ounce of attention.

"You got a better chance of finding that damn money than winning the lotto. I'll tell you that," J'Ru laughed as he flicked the lotto ticket Priest kept in his hand from their stop at Bueno!.

Priest glanced down at the lottery ticket with a light laugh. "Whichever comes first, I'll pay my tickets off so I won't have to ride with your dumbass no more."

J'Ru threw his head back in laughter. "Be my fucking guest."

ChapterOne

5 YEARS LATER

Priest’s eyesseared into the mirror. He was staring back at his reflection as he did every morning. He felt a tender pair of hands smooth down the shoulders of his navy-blue Tom Ford suit. Behind his tall frame, the rounded and un-aged face of his mother popped out from the side of him. Her stature was small and could be easily swallowed by her son’s frame.

"You look nice and polished." She smiled.

Priest eyed her through the mirror. "Thanks, Ma. You got my cufflinks?" He looked over his shoulder, peering down at his mother.

She nodded, handing him the suede box which contained his platinum Cartier cufflinks. "Let me help you." With a pinching motion, she extracted one of the cufflinks out the box before securing it on the cuff of his Tom Ford suit. She did the same with the other.

"You ready?" She peered up at him. His mother looked beautiful in her long-sleeved chiffon Dior dress. The contrasting colors of coral and beige looked gorgeous against her smooth honey-golden skin. She lined her lips with a thin layer of a warm nude lip stain, which brought her light make up together. With her hair pressed straight, the short blunt-cut bob cupped her face beautifully. Sylvia was a gorgeous woman, and Priest was glad she could finally sit back and enjoy the fruits of her labor of being a mother. He was taking care of it all.

Priest nodded his head as he checked the time on his Audemars Piguet diamond encrusted watch. "Yeah, the car should be downstairs. Did J'Ru check in yet?" He raised a brow at his mother.

She nodded in response. "He has Talia preparing a bacon-egg-and-cheese for him right now."

Priest chuckled. Only J'Ru could have the finest chefs in his chambers and still request something he could get from an everyday bodega. "Tell him we gotta go, will you?"

"Of course." She grabbed her Louis Vuitton bag and exited Priest's bedroom, shutting the door behind her, as he always requested. Standing in the mirror, Priest took in his own attire. His mother was right. He did look polished. The suit was tailored to fit his frame.

Priest released a sigh before adjusting his posture. "Priest Kanaz Justice," he recited to himself, almost as a reminder. He smoothed down the front of his suit before exiting his own bedroom.

His loafers tapped against the polished wooden planks that floored his penthouse. He navigated through the extended hallway before landing in the kitchen where J'Ru sat at the marble island with his face far into his breakfast sandwich.

"It's crazy how you only on time for your court dates," J'Ru scoffed, causing Priest to chuckle.

"I'm always on time." Priest sent a hand upside J'Ru's head. "The cars are waiting. You ready?"

J'Ru finished off his breakfast before brushing away any crumbs that sprinkled over him. "As ready as I can be." He stood up. Talia quickly took J'Ru's dish to the sink to clean it.

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