Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
The hallway outside the courtroom buzzed with the murmuring voices of passing attorneys with their clients and reporters milling about, waiting for a story.
Ace stood off to the side with Joy, watching as she flipped through her notes for the hundredth time that morning.
Joy looked up and caught his eye. He gave her a reassuring smile that she didn’t return.
“Nervous?” he asked.
She shook her head but Ace saw the truth in her eyes and jittery hands.
“Just making sure everything is in order.”
“It is,” he assured her.
She looked up at him and Ace could see what was really bothering her.
He stepped closer and lowered his voice.
“He was put under investigation by Internal Affairs that morning,” he said.
“His car was abandoned at a train station and when cops went to his house, they found his suitcase gone along with some of his clothes. Sounds like he’s on the run to me, how about you? ”
Joy nodded, her shoulders dropping a bit.
“It’s all you baby,” he whispered. “I laid it up for you, all you have to do is dunk that bitch.”
Joy looked up at him, folder in hand. “Whatever that means,” she whispered back before straightening, flipping her hair over her shoulder and strutting through the open doors of the courtroom with the confidence of a seasoned vet.
Ace followed behind her with a grin.
The courtroom was quieter than Joy expected, even for a pre-trial hearing.
The jury box was empty and so was the spectators box with the exception of a few reporters taking notes on the proceedings.
There was no excitement or fanfare. To everyone else, this was simply a routine pre-trial hearing. Only she and Ace knew just how exciting things would be getting soon.
She sat at the defense table, fingers laced on top of the wood.
Across the aisle, DA Young shuffled papers that wouldn’t do him any good.
Joy was shocked to find out that he was trying this case himself. It made her believe this was about more than a little stash house in Manhattan.
“Counselors,” the judge called, peering over his glasses. “Are we ready to proceed?”
Ace inclined his head. “Yes, Your Honor.”
Young stood and cleared his throat.“We are prepared to move forward, pending?—”
“Your Honor,” Joy cut in smoothly, her voice calm but carrying. “Before we proceed, the defense would like to address a matter that directly impacts the integrity of this case.”
The room stilled.
Judge Ingals leaned back slightly. “Go ahead, Ms. Thibodeaux.”
Joy stood, taking one final glance at Ace who gave her a reassuring nod.
“At the time of filing, Detective Harris was the lead investigator. He oversaw evidence collection, conducted interviews, and established the narrative the prosecution now seeks to present to this court.”
She turned slightly, gesturing—not at the prosecution—but at the empty seat.
“However,” she continued, “Detective Harris has been removed from investigations of this case and is no longer available to testify.”
DA Young shifted. “Your Honor, the detective’s absence is temporary and?—”
“Temporary?” Joy echoed, turning her gaze on him.
“He has been missing for over a week,” she said. “And prior to his disappearance, he had been called in for an internal investigation regarding misconduct tied directly to this case.”
A heavy silence settled over them.
Judge Ingals’s expression sharpened. “What misconduct?”
Joy reached for the file in front of her, flipping it open with practiced ease.
“Tampering with evidence,” she said plainly. “Improper chain of custody. Fabrication of key details used to justify the initial charges. And manufacturing falsified evidence to obtain a warrant for the raid from this very court.”
One by one, the words landed like stones.
Joy slipped each one into the DA's pocket hoping to drown him along with this case.
She let them sit before continuing.
“The defense has submitted documentation confirming that multiple pieces of evidence presented by Detective Harris cannot be verified independently.”
She glanced toward the prosecution.
“Conflicting timestamps. No corroborating officers besides his direct reports. No recorded chain of custody.”
Joy paused, letting each infraction sink in.
“Just his word. Which he’s not here to give us himself.”
Young stepped forward. “Your Honor, we can still proceed. There are other elements of the case?—”
“There are no elements of this case,” Joy said, cutting him off again, “that are not tainted by his involvement.”
She faced the judge fully, then.
“Your Honor, the foundation of this case is compromised.”
She hadn’t raised her voice. She hadn’t needed to, but her words rang out through the courtroom.
“There is no reliable evidence. No credible witness. And no way to proceed without violating the defendant’s right to due process. The defense moves to dismiss all charges.”
Thick silence settled over the courtroom once again aside from the frantic scribbling and typing from the court reporter and journalists present.
The judge looked from Joy to Elliot.
“Counselor?” he prompted.
Elliot hesitated, his silence saying everything.
“Um… Your honor, the state acknowledges complications in the integrity of the evidence,” he said carefully. “However, we request additional time to?—”
“To what?” Joy asked. “To reconstruct a case built on a missing man’s word?” she continued. “One currently under investigation for misconduct and clearly has an agenda against my client?”
“Simmer down Ms. Thibodeaux, you’ve made your case,” Ingals reprimanded her interruption.
She nodded in apology.
“Both of you approach. Thibodeaux, bring me this evidence.”
Joy nodded, rounding the table and approaching the bench. DA Young stood next to her, his anger radiating off of him.
Joy handed the evidence of her claims over to the judge and they stood in tense silence as he looked it over.
After a long pause, the judge flicked his eyes over to the DA then exhaled.
“Motion granted,” he gritted the words out like they physically pained him.
The evidence was so airtight that without testimony from Harris himself, ruling otherwise would have him under investigation next.
Joy locked eyes with him and she could see that he knew she knew it.
“All charges are dismissed.” The gavel struck sharp and final with his ruling.
A wave of murmurs broke through the courtroom.
Blue let out an exhale so heavy it was like he hadn’t breathed since he was arrested.
Ace grinned.
Joy didn’t react immediately, simply closed her file. Composed and unmoved like she expected nothing less.
"Act like you been here before," Byron's voice whispered.
Joy felt eyes on her as she congratulated Blue and accepted — reluctantly — his hug of gratitude.
She felt the DA's piercing eyes full of hate burning into her back and she knew she’d earned herself a spot on his shit list along with the Kings.
Outside, cameras waited and so did more eyes.
The case was already high profile with the King name attached. It got even bigger once the DA began trying it himself.
Cameras flashed and questions were shouted at them as Ace guided them out of the courtroom and towards Ray waiting at the curb,
“Mr. King! What’s your response to the dismissal?”
Joy looked up at Ace, waiting for him to speak just like everyone else.
He didn't though.
Instead, he paused at the top of the courthouse steps and nudged Joy forward.
"Ask the woman who made it happen," he said.
Joy did her best to hide the shock from her expression.
She faltered for only a moment before she turned to the awaiting cameras and reporters. With a steady gaze and even voice, she spoke.
“The system worked exactly the way it was supposed to,” she said.
A reporter pushed forward. “Even with a missing detective at the center of the case?”
Joy’s gaze flicked to him. “Especially then.”
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
She continued.
“No one is above accountability. Not the accused. Not law enforcement. Not the people responsible for bringing these cases forward.”
Another reporter raised her hand. “Are you suggesting misconduct within the department?”
Joy tilted her head slightly.
“I’m not suggesting anything,” she said calmly. “I’m stating the facts already brought before the court.”
More questions flew at her from every direction.
“Do you believe this case was targeted?”
“Do you think your client was wrongfully pursued?”
“Is this connected to the DA's agenda to crack down on organized crime?”
Joy didn’t answer those.
She looked up at Ace who looked down at her with what could only be described as pride.
"Thank you everyone," he said with a small wave before leading Joy past the crowd and down the steps.
“I’m so proud of you,” Ace mumbled against Joy’s lips before kissing them again.
They laid diagonally across Ace’s bed, their limbs tangled. “We make a good team,” she beamed.
“Damn right we do,” he replied.
He didn’t pull away just lingered there, his forehead resting against hers like he didn’t have anywhere else to be.
Joy exhaled softly, her hands still braced against his chest.
Once she'd allowed herself to feel the weight of her accomplishment, she'd been on a high.
For once, she'd accomplished something that had nothing to do with her father. Nothing to do with the Cartel. Nothing to do with proving herself to people who were determined to break her.
“You were so cold in there,” Ace said, voice low and a small smile on his lips. “You tore that nigga up.”
Joy giggled. “That was the goal, wasn't it?”
"It was, but damn baby, you didn't come up off his neck until we left."
"And didn't," Joy said with a roll of her neck.
Ace chuckled.
"Did I do too much?" she asked, biting her lip as she awaited his answer.
"Nah," he pulled her closer. "You were perfect, Rose."
Joy simpered. "Okay."
They sat in silence for a few moments, Ace caressing her arms and back.
"I like it here," Joy thought out loud.
"Here with me or here in New York?" Ace asked.
"Both," she smiled. "I didn't think I would like it so much but I feel different here."
"Is different good?"
"I'm starting to think so, yes."
"Hm," he hummed.
“So what now?” Joy asked on an exhale. The past few months had been fast paced and now that Blue's case was over, she was anxious to find her next assignment.
Ace shrugged, leaning back and bringing her body down with him.
“I don’t know…” he hesitated, then continued, “things should be slowing down a little.”
Joy raised a brow. “Slowing down?”
“Yeah. No trials. No chaos. Just…” he flicked his eyes up to look at her, “…this.”
They hadn't discussed anything after the night they shared together.
Between the detective, the trial, and them tiptoeing around each other, they'd thrown themselves into work without addressing the shift in their relationship.
"And what is this?" Joy asked.
She internally blanched. She wasn't a what are we type of girl but she needed to know. She didn't assume that sleeping together made them a couple but she needed clarity because she was already gone and felt herself falling deeper each day.
"I like you, Joy, more than I've ever liked a person in my life."
Joy smiled. "I like you too."
"Yeah?"
She nodded.
"I don't share what's mine," he warned.
"Am I yours?"
"Do you wanna be?"
Another nod. She'd never wanted to belong to someone so much in her life.
“I'm not asking you for nothing complicated,” he added. “I just… want you with me. Nobody's ever made me feel like you do, Rose and I wanna hang on to this feeling for as long as I can.”
"Me too," Joy echoed. "I don't really know how to do this though."
"Shit me either," Ace laughed. "I thought you'd been in love before."
Joy shrugged. "I thought I was. I don't think that's what it was though. And he was... different."
Ace shifted. "Different how?"
"He would've never done what you did today at the courthouse. He would've taken credit for everything and pushed me behind him. You did the opposite."
"I don't have a problem watching you shine Rose. I enjoy it. I wish you'd do it more often actually."
His thumb traced along her spine as they laid in silence.
The world beyond the estate kept turning, oblivious to what was quietly unfolding in the house. Inside, time stopped, and everything felt still.
Joy wondered how long they could stay like this.
She wondered if she could stay here, in this version of herself that wasn't haunted by her past or afraid of her future.
She wondered if she could keep this.
Keep him.
A man who looked at her like she was something worth keeping.
Who didn’t flinch at the sharp edges she tried to soften before anyone else could see them.
Ace wondered how long they could stay like this.
He wasn’t a spiritual man. The only thing he put his faith in was his glock and his money but something about this felt divine. Like a piece of his soul had finally clicked into place. Like he’d walked this earth for 34 years missing something and had finally found it.
He wondered how long he could hold onto this version of a life that didn’t feel so empty.
How long he could keep her.