Page 23 of The Love of Priest

"Hopefully!" she shouted from her bedroom where she was standing in her closet just staring at the array of clothing options. Priest chuckled before putting his phone away and reclaiming his gun from the table. The feeling of the weapon back in his waistband gave him the security he felt he needed as soon as he stepped out of the door. Britain heard the door shut behind him, indicating he had left.

Getting into his car, Priest pulled off in the opposite direction of his house. He planned on heading home after handling some unfinished business. It was still daylight, which allowed the busy atmosphere of New York to engulf Priest. He didn't want to deal with traffic, but he didn't have much of a choice. He preferred a silent car ride, so he simply sat through the traffic until he got to his destination. Getting out of his car, Priest navigated to the back of the building, where he utilized a keypad to gain access.

After he entered, he made sure the door shut and locked behind him. The temperature within the building was humid and the light fixtures were dim. Priest’s eyes scanned the area, but he didn’t see or hear signs of anyone. He trudged further inside and was met with a thick steel set of elevator doors. Pressing his finger against the only buttons on the panel, he took a step back, waiting for the doors to open. He stepped inside, applying his finger on the last button on the panel. The elevator ride was swift. Priest paid no attention to the slight bumps, flickering light, or the number of cobwebs woven through the corners of the lift.

The doors glided open, and Priest's attention was drawn to the small puddle that was beginning to accumulate due to a leak generating droplets of water every few seconds. He stepped around the puddle, entering the basement of the building.

"We ready for ya'." J'Ru smirked before dapping Priest up.

"Good looking out," he thanked J’Ru while he led the way to the three chairs in the middle of the floor that had men bound to them.

A chuckle filtrated out of Priest as he stepped around the chairs to stand face to face with the three niggas who recklessly completed the job they were hired for. Remy was seated in the back with a blunt to his lips.

"Yo, Kaymen! Bring that shit in for me." Priest’s head shot up as his attention diverted from the three men who seemed scared shitless at the predicament they landed themselves in. Although their mouths weren't covered, they wouldn't dare utter a word. They were a little shaken up at how they were just snatched up sporadically in broad daylight. The ride to the unknown location was stressful since they all were wondering who could have possibly done this to them.

Priest stood tall as he peered down at them. It was like they were eyeing him as if he were their maker. They were positive the end started here. Priest pulled his jacket off, handing it to J'Ru along with his jewelry. He then proceeded to pull a pair of black leather gloves over his hands.

Kaymen hauled in a portable table that he pushed around on squeaky wheels. The table held a spread of different weapons that could bring the toughest man to his knees. Priest glanced down at the table with a satisfied look on his face and thanked Kaymen before returning to the stance he took before the three men. Reaching behind him, he clutched the padded handle of an eighteen-inch barong bladed machete. The machete was so sharp, the blade was nearly invisible. Priest took a moment to admire its quality, which brought a smirk to his face. A tightness surfaced within the chests of the three men once Priest extended his arm, stopping the machete right at the tip of the nose of one of the three men.

"Gimme your name," Priest ordered a baritone voice that let everyone know what type of time he was on.

The male clenched his jaw, surveying the end of the machete nestled practically between his eyes. He was sure if Priest moved forward just an inch the razor-sharp blade would be puncture his skin.

"Ale," he mustered out. Out of the three, he kept his head held high, keeping precise eye contact with Priest. His body tensed in fear, but his heart was pushing him toward bravery and courage, both of which Priest didn’t give a fuck about. Priest nodded before going down the line to the male who sat in the center.

"You?" Priest raised a brow at him.

"Nate," he gritted out.

Priest shifted his attention to the last guy with the crest of the machete only centimeters from his chest. "Don," he informed Priest.

"Well, I'm glad you three could join me today. I have to admit, it was pretty fucking easy to find you flashy motherfuckers." Priest shrugged, earning some amused laughter from J'Ru, Kaymen, and Remy.

"Details of a particular job were discussed with you guys by my family, Remy." Priest glanced over at Remy who nodded in confirmation. The three men shot lethal glares over at Remy who wasn't in the same predicament as they were. Instead, he was leaning back in his seat, smoking some exotic bud. "Instructions were pretty fucking easy to understand. We pretty much handed you niggas the entire play. I had my boy Kaymen endlessly on watch for that house for about four days. Kaymen, these niggas wasted your time and work?" Priest averted his attention to Kaymen who stood off to the side watching everything unfold.

Kaymen nodded his head. "Sure did. I gave these niggas a detailed run down of how shit operated. Times were down to the second. I'm not sure how they fucked up." He shrugged his shoulders in disappointment. The nightly work he put in to ensure these niggas had a fool proof mission without any slip ups costed him some time with Jadey. He was now seeing the opposite side of happy wife, happy life.

"You niggas were told to off Tony and Tony only. I'm not sure what part of those instructions fell on deaf ears. And not only did y'all blatantly go against instructions, but y'all niggas senselessly pulled up to Remy's spot, demanding a bag as if y'all actually pulled through." Priest shook his head, shaming them. "You niggas lack brains and fucking respect.

"All of this isn't just you niggas’ fault. I'm gonna take blame for not being strategic enough when it came to appointing you niggas the job. Clearly, y'all niggas’ work ain’t on my level." Priest shrugged his shoulders while waving the machete in the air carelessly. The eyes of the three men began to bulge as he got closer to them with the flesh puncturing blade.

"Remy, since these niggas disrespected you and your home," Priest looked over his shoulder and said, "I'll give you the honor of picking."

Remy pulled his blunt from his lip, a smirk dancing on his face. "Get Mr. Tough Guy on the left for me," he chortled out.

Priest nodded as he sauntered over to the left. Lifting his right foot from the ground, Priest kicked one of the metal legs of the chair, sending Ale down onto his back. His eyes fixed themselves on the ceiling as he cried in agony at the impact his head made against the cement flooring and the disturbing popping sound both of his shoulders made due to his hands being restrained behind the chair. Priest stood over him. A daunting and menacing smirk etched his face as his watched pain mask Ale's face. Lifting his foot once more, Priest applied pressure onto Ale's neck.

The man gasped for air as Priest continued to restrict his airway. Unable to claw at Priest's leg since his hands were bound, Ale simply had no choice but to squirm. His fawn-colored skin tinted a crimson red as he slowly felt himself falling limp.

God answered his prayers when Priest lifted his foot in perfect timing. While he gasped for air, Priest lifted the machete above his head and brought it straight down through Ale’s chest. Blood clogged Ale's throat as his eyes bulged out of his head.

The spear headed barong machete pierced through the surface layer of skin, along with multiple layers underneath. Priest pressed down, applying more pressure and sending the blade straight through the entirety of his body. Crimson red blood erupted from the wound, and Priest marveled at it. Ale's life ended in a matter of seconds, his glazed eyeballs staring directly into Priest's.

"That was for Remy." Priest retracted the blade out of the body, the steel drenched with Ale’s blood, which formed a puddle on the cement ground underneath Priest. Terror and regret flashed in the eyes of the remaining two. They knew they were about to pay.

Trekking back to the table, Priest sat the blood-stained machete down. "Kaymen, J'Ru, y'all can handle that." He motioned his head toward the two remaining guys who weren't sure what their demise consisted of. Priest suavely began putting his jewelry back on, along with his jacket. Once he was set, he glanced at Ale’s lifeless body bleeding profusely on the ground.

"How you want shit cleaned up?" Kaymen asked.

---