Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Ace knew something was wrong as soon as he left the courtroom.
He’d just finished his third hearing that day for his soldiers who’d gotten caught up for some reason or another. Ace’s first few weeks as the Boss had been rough and when he exited the courtroom to see Jrue waiting there for him, he knew it was about to get worse.
Jrue silently fell in stride with Ace as they took quick strides down the courthouse steps. It wasn’t until they were secured in the back of the car did Jrue speak. “We had a problem in Manhattan. Their warehouse got raided this morning and they took Blue in,” he said without prompting.
“What?” Ace exclaimed.
Jrue just nodded. “They got a few of his soldiers too but Senior was able to get them out. They weren’t budging on Blue though.”
Ace sighed. “Fuck.”
“Where’s Peanut?” he asked through gritted teeth. He wanted to hear from the man he’d put in charge of this borough. Since Blue was out of commission, the next best was his right hand.
“Waiting at the office for you,” Jrue informed him.
Ace nodded and sat back, his leg jumping and his hand working his lighter the whole ride back to the office.
The door thumping against the wall announced his arrival and the room stilled as he entered.
He rid himself of his suit jacket slowly as he walked deeper into the room.
Peanut shifted uncomfortably in his seat situated across from Ace’s desk. He moved to stand but Ace silently held a hand up, halting his movements.
He made a detour before getting to his desk to pour himself a drink at the mini bar in the corner of his office. He wanted a blunt but this would have to do until he got home.
He moved slowly, unhurried as he draped his jacket across the back of his chair before sinking into it.
After hours of standing before judges, his limbs exhaled but Ace was far from relieved.
He flipped the switch below his desk and the hidden device scrambled any listening devices that may have snuck their way into his vicinity.
He felt around his pants pockets and produced his lighter. He took a slow sip of his drink, flipping the lid of his lighter open and closed several times before acknowledging him.
“Speak.”
“Mannnn the shit was crazy—,” Peanut started but was halted again by Ace’s hand lifting.
“—Without the theatrics.”
Peanut nodded. “My fault. So boom, we in there chillin doing our thing. I was at the machine counting then all of a sudden, some motherfuckas bust in. They came in hot with they guns out and yelling and shit. We about to up on them then we realize it’s the cops but I’m not worried cause all our shit is put up.
Only thing really suspicious is the money but they can’t lock me up for just that so I’m chillin. ”
Ace nodded for him to continue.
“So they cuff everybody right being all rough and shit then they start pulling out our product. Don’t even have to look for it or have anyone tell them where it is. Shit was crazy, it was like they knew exactly where to go and what to look for.”
Ace paused the progression of the glass to his lips at that and looked to his left at Von. Von’s brows were already raised at him, confirming they were both suspecting the same thing.
“They grab up all our shit and the cash then they start taking us out to the cars. They brought like five of ‘em,” Peanut continued.
“Where was Blue in all this?” Ace asked, taking a sip.
“Blue pulled up while they were loading us up and he tryna figure out what’s happening. I didn’t see the rest cause they put me in a car but they knew who he was so they start putting his ass in cuffs too.”
“What did they say when you got to the station?” Ace asked. It seemed the room dropped several degrees at the cold tone of his voice. Everyone knew what Ace was really asking.
Peanut visibly swallowed, his adam’s apple bobbing.
“They tried to say I was gon’ go down for a while and told me to talk before Blue did.
They asked who supplied us but I didn’t say shit.
You know that bullshit they be talking. I didn’t say nothing though, I was prepared to sit down for whatever but then yo peoples showed up and got me out. ”
“Hm,” Ace hummed, silently observing the man in front of him for a moment. “Aight,” he said, settling back in his chair.
Peanut brows furrowed. “Aight… We straight?” he asked warily.
“Yeah we straight. I don’t need to tell you what’s gon’ happen if your story doesn’t check out. Give me an inventory of what all was taken,” Ace instructed, tilting his head to the doorway.
Peanut nodded and quickly made his exit, his marching orders clear. Sasha, Von’s right hand, exited behind him leaving Ace, Jrue and Von alone.
“Whatchu thinking?” Von asked.
Ace pulled at the hair on his chin. “This has that fuck ass detective written all over it,” he answered.
It was no coincidence that all of these issues start popping up when Detective Harris became more overt in his threats.
He was sure Harris had something to do with his recent woes but he was also sure there was something he was missing. The thought drove him mad and kept him up at night.
“I need to talk to my contact at the precinct but I need to see that warrant and figure out how they got it without my knowledge and how the fuck they were able to find the product. Sounds like they’re trying to single out Blue to squeeze information out of him.”
Von nodded in agreement. “Let my niggas take care of him,” he suggested.
Ace shook his head. “We don’t know what he knows or who he’s told. Hang tight on that. For now.”
As he and Von walked out, Ace’s mind was already running through who he needed to make bleed.
Ace rolled up to the gate guarding the 17,000 square feet Westchester County estate he’d grown up in. After rolling down the window to show his face, the guards let him through and Ace saluted them as he passed.
He parked his Maserati up front amongst the other luxury cars belonging to his siblings.
Before he got out, he took a few deep breaths to steel himself for the interrogation that was surely ahead.
He’d tried to wiggle out of family dinner this week but Sunday dinners were non-negotiable in the King family and had been since Senior was a kid.
It didn’t matter what you had going on, Ella King expected everyone at her table for dinner to gather as a family.
“Everyone’s already in the dining room,” Mrs. Connie, the family’s cook and his former nanny, informed him as she greeted him at the door.
Ace gave her his first smile of the day and bent down to her level to accept the hug and kiss on his cheek she gave him in return.
Then, she headed back to the kitchen, no doubt to yell at the kitchen staff about something.
Voices and silverware clattering greeted Ace as he entered the dining room, seeing his parents, grandparents, and siblings already seated.
After giving kisses on the cheek to his mama, granny, and little sister, he dapped up his father, grandfather, and brothers then took his seat.
The staff soon brought out the meal of smothered chicken, rice, greens, and Mac and cheese with cornbread.
All around the table, plates were piled high and glasses were filled to the brim with sweet tea, liquor, or a combination of the two.
During a lull in the conversation, Senior cleared his throat and Ace knew immediately what was coming.
“So son… You’ve been the Boss for almost a month now. How are things?” Senior asked.
“Things are fine,” Ace answered, picking up his scotch to take a sip.
“It seems you’ve had an eventful first few weeks,” Senior pushed.
Sighing, Ace set his glass down on the table with a thud. “Ask what you really wanna ask me.”
“Do we have to talk about business at the dinner table?” June cut in.
Ace’s mother, though not coming from a mafia background like the rest of the women gathered there, had taken it in stride when she found out about Senior’s lifestyle.
However, she still tried to keep some semblance of normalcy where she could.
“I’m just making sure everything is copacetic,” Senior said. “I’ve been hearing things so I’m just checking in on the boy.”
Senior put on a front for June but Ace knew better. Senior wasn’t checking in on him, he was checking him. If things had gotten back to Senior, that meant Ace was losing control — and Senior was putting him on notice.
“I’ve got everything under control,” Ace said, shortly.
Unconvinced, but satisfied that his point had been made, Senior let it go and moved on to another topic. “You know, I wouldn’t have made it through my transition if it weren’t for my Juney,” he said, leaning over to place a kiss on his wife’s cheek.
June giggled like a schoolgirl and if it weren’t for the deep hue of her mahogany skin, she surely would have blushed. She turned to face Senior and brought him in for a kiss that lasted too long to be considered appropriate for a family dinner.
“Ew. Can y’all not?” Von gagged.
They pulled away laughing and Senior said, “Boy, how you think you got here?”
“I was delivered by a stork,” Von answered petulantly.
“No actually we picked you up from the fire station,” Jrue corrected as he poured himself another glass of whiskey, causing the rest of their siblings to laugh.
“I thought we found him on the side of the road?” August quipped with a fake confusion that was so believable it made them laugh harder.
“Stop bullying my baby,” June demanded while trying to suppress her own laughter.
“You know Ace, I still think you should be open to an arrangement. You’re familiar with the Washington’s youngest, Dana right?”
Snickers erupted around the table.
“Oh he’s real familiar,” Von mumbled.
Ace shot him a glare that instantly wiped the grin from his lips.
“That’s not happening mama,” Ace replied simply, unable to disguise the disgust written on his face at the insinuation.
June raised her hands in mock surrender.
Dinner continued and with business talk banished from the table, conversation moved around Ace. He contributed when necessary and emoted where appropriate, but for the most part, he silently forked his dinner into his mouth as his mind raced.
Hours later, when the family had been fed to capacity, the siblings lounged in the living room long after their parents and grandparents had retreated to their separate wings for bed. Too tired and stuffed to return home to their own places, they opted for a sleepover.
Ace laid stretched out on the couch with one arm over his eyes to shield them from the bright light of the 100 inch television August and Jrue were watching to catch up on the basketball game they missed earlier.
“Yo Ace, you up?” he heard Von’s voice ask, paired with tapping on his arm.
Ace opened his eyes and sat up. “Wassup?”
Von jerked his head towards the backyard and together they walked outside together. Sitting in one of the pool lounge chairs, Von rolled up a blunt before speaking.
“Been keeping my ear to the streets after that shit went down in Manhattan the other day and just thought I’d let you know I’ve been hearing some mumblings,” Von said after taking a puff and passing it to his big brother.
“Fuck they mumbling about?” Ace asked, lifting the blunt to his lips.
“The lieutenants and their soldiers are nervous about all this weird shit going on. The arrests. Missing shipments. It’s making them antsy and they’re turning it around on you.”
“The fuck?”
“I’m just the messenger,” Von said, raising his hands. “You know I ain’t gone tell you how to do yo job, I just wanted you to know what you up against. It’s probably just growing pains but they ain’t gon’ keep quiet about it for long.”
Ace nodded. “I hear you. ‘Preciate it.”
Von nodded and watched as Ace stood. “You out?”
“Yeah I got shit to do.”
With one hand on the wheel and the other flipping the top of his lighter open and closed, Ace opted to make the hour drive to his place in the city.
He was restless, the stress of his new role settling on him like a ton of bricks.
Ace couldn’t fail.
This was what he was born for. He’d been raised to continue the legacy his grandfather started and he couldn’t fuck it up.
He’d spent his whole life preparing for this.
He’d endured isolation from his siblings and loneliness as he trained.
He’d sacrificed his own desires in favor of his duty to the family.
It couldn’t have all been for nothing.