Epilogue #2
Ace held his hand up, silencing his pleas. “You tried to take the crown. This is the risk.”
Before Isaac could say another word, Ace pulled the trigger.
The sound cracked through the room—sharp and final.
Isaac’s body dropped back into the chair like the strings holding him upright had been cut.
Silence followed.
Ace didn’t move or look away for a moment. The weight of what Isaac’s greed and impatience had almost cost him and his family finally being removed from his shoulders.
The clean up crew who’d been standing just outside filed in and Ace lowered the gun slowly.
“Take him to his father,” he said, giving the instruction emotionlessly.
Ace finally turned to find Joy was already looking at him.
“You good?” she asked.
He nodded. “I am now.”
He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Joy’s forehead. “Let’s head out before April has both of our asses.”
April waited for them at the airstrip, her arms crossed over her chest with a scowl as she stood between her two security guards.
“This couldn’t have waited a day?” April asked once they were close enough.
“No,” they said in unison.
April huffed, rolling her eyes. “Whatever. Come on Bonnie and Clyde. We have a wedding to attend.”
Joy chuckled, looking up at Ace. “See you at the altar,” she smiled.
Ace gripped one side of her face and pulled her close, taking her lips in an unhurried kiss.
“I’ll be waiting.”
At Last by Etta James flowed over the speakers as Joy walked alone down the aisle.
Glock had offered to give her away and even Pops had offered to accompany her, but she declined both.
“No one has the power to give me away, but me,” she’d said.
Ace grinned as he watched his at last approach, the bouquet of roses in her hand standing out against the white gown.
“Hi,” Joy beamed when she reached him.
“Hi baby,” Ace said, returning her smile.
The pastor began speaking but Ace tuned him out, getting lost in Joy’s eyes and finding a renewed excitement for life thanks to the future he saw reflected in her eyes.
He didn’t tune back in until he was prompted to repeat the vows.
He stared into her eyes, hoping to convey every ounce of his sincerity and devotion as he repeated the words.
“To have and to hold.”
“To have and to hold.”
“From this day forward.”
“From this day forward.”
“For better, or for worse”
“For better or for worse.”
Tears slid down Joy’s face, and Ace caught them with his thumb.
“For richer or for poorer.”
“For richer or for poorer.”
“In sickness and in health”
“In sickness and in health”
“To love and to cherish.”
“To love and to cherish
“Till death do us part.”
Ace shook his head. “Not even then.”
Chuckles went up around the room but Ace’s face was stone, deadly serious. She was his in this lifetime and every one that followed. He’d waited 34 years for her in this one and he’d do it again and again if he had to.
Joy was next to say her vows, then with trembling fingers, she slipped the diamond encrusted wedding band on his finger. He gripped her hand in his once she was done, lacing their fingers.
Her full lips spread and her cheeks heightened as she smiled. Ace mirrored her then tugged her close until the small space between them had been obliterated.
He stared down at her pretty red lips and a hunger built inside him to taste them. To claim her in front of God, his family, and his world and put her on the throne as his queen where she belonged.
He didn’t wait for the pastor's prompting before scooping her into his arms, dipping her, and claiming her lips.
Ace held Joy close, breathing in her scent and savoring the feel of her against him.
He was sure God wasn’t listening to a man like him but he sent up a prayer of thanks anyway, feeling like the luckiest motherfucker alive that this woman was his for an eternity.
“I love you,” he whispered into her curls as they swayed. He’d told her a thousand times that day alone but he couldn’t seem to stop. Each time the feeling welled in him, the feeling he thought he’d never experienced, he let the words flow freely.
In addition to the vows they’d said at the altar, Ace vowed to tell Joy he loved her as many times as he could. He vowed to never let a day or moment pass without ensuring she knew just how much.
She lifted her head from where it rested on his shoulder and smiled. “I love you too.”
Ace grinned, then leaned down. Joy met him halfway, lifting to seal their lips in their hundredth kiss that day.
“I can’t wait to get you out of this dress,” he growled against her lips, his hands tracing her curves over the ivory fabric.
“Neither can I,” Joy whispered.
“Them panties soaked for me, huh?”
A mischievous grin spread across her face and a wicked glint lit her eyes. “They would be… If I was wearing any.”
A hungry growl rumbled in Ace’s chest and he was three seconds from dragging her to the nearest room to see for himself when a throat cleared beside them.
“Excuse me.”
Ace dropped his forehead to Joy’s. “Go away,” he grunted without looking up to put a face to the voice. “Don’t you see me dancing with my wife?”
Joy giggled in his arms, gripping onto him tighter.
“I hate to interrupt, but you’re gonna want to hear what I have to say. This is important. Very important,” the voice stressed.
Ace huffed and stood up straight. “It damn well better be,” he said, finally turning to the man.
Vincent Price stood before them in a suit that was too nice to have been paid for with his government salary alone.
“What is it?” Ace asked.
“Is there somewhere we can speak privately?” Vincent asked, looking around the crowded ballroom.
“My bridal suite should be empty,” Joy answered, unwinding herself from Ace and standing at attention.
Vincent flicked his eyes to Joy then Ace, a silent question in his eyes.
“Whatever you need to say can be said in front of her,” Ace assured him. They’d stuck to their vow of no secrets. Joy was as much his partner as she was his wife now—the queen of two kingdoms.
Vincent nodded with a grin. Joy took Ace’s hand as they slipped out of the reception and into the hallway with Vincent following closely behind.
Once the door to the bridal suite shut behind them, engulfing them in a concoction of sweet smelling perfumes and hair spray, Vincent faced them.
He eyed Ace and Joy with a small grin, his eyes falling to their interlocked hands.
Ace huffed but couldn't help but grin too. “Get on with it, Price.”
Vincent chuckled before he sobered. “You have a problem with law enforcement,” he said.
“We handled that,” Ace said, putting his hands in his pockets.
“No, not local law enforcement. The issues you had last year put a target on your backs. Well, a bigger one. DA Elliot Young wasn’t happy about the way you slipped through the cracks.
He’s been petitioning lawmakers on the state level and even up in DC to get involved.
He’s heavily backing new legislation that would put your family and all of the Council families at risk. ”
Ace’s jaw tightened. “What kind of legislation?” he asked.
Vincent slowly produced a folded manilla folder from the inside of his suit jacket and handed it over to Ace.
“They will be presenting legislation to the Senate in six months that will create more lax surveillance laws. There’s a bunch of legal jargon but essentially, anyone arrested in connection to organized crime related charges will automatically be able to bypass judge approved surveillance for any of their known associates.
Anything found in that time will be completely admissible in court. ”
Ace ripped open the folder and sure enough, it was all there, legislature that would take cases like Blue’s from troublesome to catastrophic.
Joy looked over his shoulder and her grunt of disapproval let him know that she saw exactly what he did.
“How likely do you think it is that this will be passed?” she asked.
“Honestly? Young has been doing a good job at lobbying this but there are still a few senators on the fence. Senator Edwards has the most sway so a vote nay from him could turn the tide.”
“Thank you Vincent, we’ll look into this.”
“Of course. And congratulations to you both. You’re a beautiful and… scary couple.”
They both beamed. “Thank you,” they said in unison.
Once Vincent left the two alone, Joy and Ace sat, flipping through the file, already shifting into strategy mode.
“So we need to get Jrue to speak to Senator Edwards,”Ace said.
“Not necessarily,” Joy answered. “We could go straight to them, but do we want to threaten a Senator? Even if there’s no proof, if they squeal about the big bad King family threatening them, it’ll only add fuel to the fire and turn fence voters into yays. We can’t take that risk.”
Ace grinned. “We?”
Joy smiled sheepishly, holding up her left hand, the glittering six carat diamond ring catching the light. “We.”
“They likely have a policy analyst, someone who advises on these things. It would be a better shot for him to speak to them.”
Ace looked over at her, never ceasing to be amazed by her brilliance.
Joy cackled, slapping him on the shoulder. “Focus, baby.”
With a sigh, Ace flipped through the file, looking for any information on a policy analyst. He found what he was looking for on the second to last page but the photo paper clipped to the corner brought him up short.
“Fuck,” he cursed under his breath.
“What?” Joy asked, scooting closer to get a better look.
“Who is she?” she asked, turning sharp eyes from Ace to the beautiful woman’s photo.
Ace swiped a hand down his face, not sure how even he could ask this of his little brother.
“Jrue’s wife.”