Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Joy woke up to Ace’s soft lips on her cheek and neck. She would never get tired of that.
It had been two weeks since their relationship shifted.
No more masks. No more secrets. No more hiding.
Every morning she expected to wake up to find it was all a dream but every morning, Ace woke her up with kisses and sweet words that she knew were just for her.
He kissed her a few times before dozing back to sleep, his arms wrapped around her like he was afraid she’d slip away and his heavy breaths against her shoulder.
Joy tried to go back to sleep as well but she was up. For the first time in a long time, she was excited for her day. Not anxious to complete something or excited about the possibility of accomplishment but happy to just… live.
Subconsciously, she followed Ace’s routine, having memorized the steps and little details of his morning over the past few weeks.
After her hygiene, she slipped his Columbia Law sweatshirt over her head, letting the excess fabric swallow her and his scent wrap around her as she tipped downstairs.
She browsed the collection of vinyls in the living room, settling on one and placing the needle down on it.
The sun shone through the windows as it came up to greet the earth, the bright, warm light contrasting the dark interior.
As the music played, she started on their coffee, putting extra pumps of caramel syrup in Ace’s, the sugary morning drink, she learned, was one of the only indulgences he allowed himself.
She smiled. No one would guess that the brooding man with a physique that looked to be carved from stone had a ferocious sweet tooth.
She felt Ace’s presence behind her just as she finished stirring in the cinnamon in her own cup.
“Morning,” his sleep gruff voice rumbled in her ear as he slipped his arms around her waist and placed kisses along the side of her neck.
“Good morning,” Joy replied, turning in his embrace and handing over the cup she’d made for him.
“Thank you, baby” he said as he took it from her, placing a kiss on her lips before bringing the cup to his mouth.
He backed up a bit, giving himself just enough space to drink comfortably and her just enough space to get an unobstructed view of the gray sweatpants sitting low on his hips and exposing the deep v that served as an arrow, pointing to the place that she couldn't seem to get enough of.
“You better stop looking at me like that, or we’re going back up to that bed,” Ace warned, staring at her over the rim of his mug.
Joy giggled, caught, but unashamed.
“What do you have planned today?” she asked, changing the subject from her ogling. It was Saturday and the firm was technically closed, but you were never truly off the clock when you charged $1,500 an hour. Especially when the building has your name on it.
“I have a few things to go over with Jrue, then I might go to the office for a few hours to catch up on some things,” he answered.
Joy could see the fatigue in his eyes, both old and new. She placed her mug down and stepped closer, falling into his arms and giving him an embrace that seemed to relax them both.
“Are you okay?” she asked, raking her nails lightly up and down his back.
Ace groaned a little, his eyes shutting as he surrendered to the soothing motion. “I'm good baby. Honestly, I'm more worried about Pops. Isaac’s grandad was like a brother to him. This will break his heart.”
Joy nodded. “I bet. But he knows the rules of this life and Isaac broke several.”
“Exactly.” Ace pulled back, just gazing down at her face. “What do you have planned for the day? You rolling with me?”
Joy shook her head. “No, I’m being kidnapped by another King today.”
Ace’s brow rose. “Who?”
“April,” Joy laughed.
Ace rolled his eyes. “Lord. What do you and my sister have up your sleeves?”
“Sushi and shopping,” Joy said, mimicking April’s bright tone.
Ace threw his head back and laughed. “Of course. Her two favorite things.”
Joy hummed in agreement.
“Well I’ll miss you today.”
Joy grinned. She and Ace had been attached at the hip for weeks. It was like now that they had each other, truly and fully, neither of them wanted to let the other out of their sight.
Ace pulled her back into his arms, like he couldn't bear to not be touching for too long.
“I’ll miss you too,” Joy said, sinking into his embrace easily.
She thought there would be an adjustment period when navigating this new relationship with Ace. She thought she would need to learn how to do it. How to embrace a side of herself that wasn't necessarily soft but warmer.
She’d fallen into it easily though. Naturally. Like it was in her all along and all her body and soul needed was someone to bring it out. Someone that made her feel safe enough to be tender with.
Ace made that easy. It was in the way he was just as obsessed with her as she was with him.
The way he integrated her into his life, his world, without asking anything of her except to just be.
The way he reassured her not just with his words but with his actions, with the possessiveness he had over her that made her feel wanted.
Ace watched Joy flit around the kitchen, cleaning their coffee mugs as he got started on breakfast.
It felt so domestic. So comfortable. So foreign having someone else in his home, but now that he knew what she looked like in his space, what it felt like to wake up to her every morning, he couldn't imagine his days without it. Without her.
“I’m really glad we’re doing this,” April said, spreading a thin layer of wasabi over her sushi before popping it into her mouth.
April’s security detail sat a table away, their various bags from their day of shopping nearly dwarfing the mountain sized men.
They’d hit nearly every store in SoHo and Joy didn’t think anyone could rival her love for the finer things but April King had her beat.
The Kings were at another level of wealth.
Theirs was generational and reputable. If it wasn’t clear by the way they handled themselves and the way they lived, it became so to Joy when the sales associates at every store they entered knew April by name and informed Joy that Ace had already called ahead to put her items on his tab.
The shock of it only lasted a moment before she got sucked in by the fabulous materials and luxurious designs, and April’s insistence on doing some damage.
“Me too,” Joy admitted, taking a sip of her diet coke.
April nodded. “Can I make a confession?”
“Of course.”
“I’ve never really had girl friends,” April whispered.
Joy raised a brow. “Really?”
April nodded. “It’s tough when you live this double life.
I always had to keep my friends in the civilian world at arms length because they can't see too much.
The women I befriended in the mafia world either didn't understand my role as most of them are stay at home wives and daughters, or just wanted to be close to me to marry one of my brothers.”
Joy’s upper lip curled slightly at the thought of women coming after Ace before another thought popped into her head, and she cringed. “You don't think that’s why we’re cool, right?”
April waved her off. “Girl no. I practically twisted your arm. And I've seen the way my brother looks at you. He’s the one doing the chasing, not the other way around.”
Joy chuckled. “That’s true.”
“Honestly, I’ve never had girl friends either. I had Mel but she despised anything to do with the underworld. Which is understandable because this life took her dad away. I’ve only ever been able to share half of my life with her,” Joy added.
April nodded. “Exactly.” She lifted her cocktail, prompting Joy to lift hers. “Cheers to girl friends we can go shopping and shooting with.”
Joy giggled. “Cheers!”
They stayed there for a few hours, enjoying the expensive sushi and bonding over their shared love of designer and desert eagles.
When the restaurant was about to close, a waitress came by to let them know, only to change her tune once she saw who was occupying the table.
“Oh, have we overstayed our welcome?” April asked, flipping her sleek tresses over her shoulder.
“Oh no, Ms. King. You’re always welcome to stay as long as you like. Is there anything I can get for you and your guest?” the waitress asked with a permanent smile etched on her face.
April returned the smile. “Just the check, love. Thanks.”
The woman nodded before quickly scurrying away. April produced a black card and a thick wad of cash, putting the card in the billfold and handing the cash to the waitress.
“Let me get you back to my brother before he comes looking for you,” April joked.
Joy laughed as she stood, gathering her purse.
Joy stepped through the front door of Ace’s home, her bags in tow.
The house was quiet aside from the soft jazz spilling out of Ace’s first floor office. The music beckoned to her, and she knew when she found it, she’d find him.
Sure enough, the door was slightly ajar and when she pushed it open, Ace sat at his desk. His tie was discarded, his shirt was unbuttoned revealing a few inches of his chest, and his sleeves were rolled up putting his corded forearms on display.
A glass tumbler was filled with scotch and sat among the various papers strewn across his desk.
He looked up when Joy entered and the stress and anger on his face just a moment ago melted into a small smile.
“Hey baby,” he greeted her.
“Hey,” Joy smiled, setting the bags down at the door.
Ace’s eyes flicked to them. “Did some damage?”
She nodded. “And did. Your bill is gonna be longer than a CVS receipt,” she replied with a grin.
Ace chuckled, unbothered. “I look forward to it.
Joy stepped closer until she stood right in front of the desk.
She peered at the upside down documents and photos until she pieced together what she was looking at.
Photos of Isaac and Marco, and documents with dollar signs made her turn her head, realizing that she wasn’t looking at firm business but family business.
“Sorry,” she muttered, realizing she’d intruded on a space that didn’t include her.
Ace silently rotated a few documents to face her fully, his eyes and actions conveying his trust and invitation.
No secrets.
Joy smiled, then looked down at the papers before her.
Security footage.
Bank transfers.
Text messages.
Access logs.
Each one told the story of months of betrayal and an attempt on the lives of the family she’d come to love.
Without thought, Joy snatched a pen from the holder on Ace’s desk and began circling and underlining things, making notes in the margins like she did when building a case.
They worked in a steady silence, no different from how they did at the office.
Joy slid a page back over to Ace, the red nail of her pointer finger tapping on a timestamp.
Ace nodded with a grunt, tabbing it and setting it in the ‘evidence’ pile.
Ace pored over a still from a security footage and huffed. He slid the page over to Joy and within seconds, she’d clocked the same thing he did. He nodded and placed the photo in the pile.
Before long, Joy had slipped out of her shoes and Ace had abandoned his desk chair. They sat on the couch by the window with Joy curled into his side and her feet kicked up. They worked in a silent efficient ease that they found easily at the office, and it seemed to translate in other matters too.
Ace slapped the pages of text messages down on the side table to his right and sighed.
Joy did the same, reaching over to deposit her own stack before snuggling deeper into him.
“This is…. Undeniable” Joy said.
Ace nodded his agreement. The digging they’d done had unearthed Isaac’s plot that went far deeper than Ace had imagined.
The fact that all of this had slipped by him was a hit to his pride but he hadn’t given Isaac as much credit as he should have. He’d broken one of Pops’ golden rules and that was a mistake he wouldn’t make again.
“It is. This is everything we need to bury him,” Ace replied. He wrapped his arms tighter around Joy, closing his eyes as he breathed in her hair products.
“Thank you for helping me with this. This would’ve taken all night if I’d done it alone,” ace mumbled into her curls.
“No problem,” Joy said. She lifted her head and Ace used that opportunity to take her lips in a kiss.
“We make a good team,” he muttered against her lips. It seemed like he’d echoed that sentiment a hundred times already, but it still amazed him every time to realize he’d found his equal in Joy in every way.
Ace reveled in how well they fit together. How seamlessly she fit into both of his worlds.
Ace felt comfortable having Joy in his space and in his world and each day he saw her becoming more comfortable too.
He didn’t think he’d ever find someone who got him, saw him, and embraced him in all of his flaws but Joy was proving to be the kindred spirit he needed to fill the gaping hole in his life.
Joy smiled, pecking his lips a few times before settling back onto his chest. “Yes we do.”