Page 118 of The Fire We Make

She looked up, sliding her laptop away. “Is there something you really want to ask me?” she asked, her arms folding as her defenses rose.

“No but there’s something I want to tell you.” April swung her legs down from the desk, staring squarely at Joy with cold eyes that betrayed her warm nature.

Joy raised her brow, barely able to conceal the amusement on her face. “The floor is yours.”

“Don’t hurt my brother. He’s let you in, in a way that he hasn’t let anyone else…not even us,” she said, the last part coming out on a whisper. “He doesn’t trust easily so if you break his trust and hurt him, you won’t like the outcome.”

The corner of Joy’s mouth rose. “Is that a threat?” It now made two King siblings who’d threatened her behind Ace, and she couldn’t help but find it endearing.

April shrugged. “It’s simply a warning.”

“An unnecessary one. I have no intentions of hurting Ace. I… I care about him.” Joy’s eyes diverted to the surface of the desk, anxiety coursing through her at how true the words were.

April’s eyes softened. “Yeah, he cares about you,” she nodded, warming up again. Joy smiled at that, her heart fluttering. “And if he likes you then I love you.”

Joy laughed and closed her laptop before sliding it into her bag. She shook off the emotions that arose and gave April a smile. “Good talk. Let’s go.”

Ace had always been a control freak. A meticulous planner with a tight reign on everything around him.

Control, Ace learned at a young age, was the thing that would ensure the success and survival of his family.

Control the narrative.

Control his team.

Control his emotions.

Zachariah had instilled the value of preparation and planning to maintain control, and Ace had applied that to every part of his life.

The past few months of unforeseen deviations caused Ace stress and an antsiness that he needed somewhere to place.

The issues plaguing his organization and Joy — the all-consuming feelings he’d developed for her and the secrets she harbored — had taken up all of Ace’s time and attention. Both made him feel like his control was slipping and with it, his sanity.

Sex or violence were his outlets of choice. Unfortunately for him, he hadn’t had a desire for his usual roster since meeting Joy and since becoming the head of the family, the opportunities for the latter had been slim.

Ace returned to his office expecting to find Joy where he’d left her but instead, found his brothers spread out around the room.

Von was sitting on the couch going in on a bag of chips, August sat in the corner, looking out the window, and Jrue had helped himself to Ace’s mini bar.

“The fuck y’all niggas doing in my office?” Ace asked by way of greeting as he walked deeper into the office.

Von looked up from his phone with a smile.

“Don’t look so happy to see us, big brother,” he replied. “Expecting someone else?”

He punctuated his taunt by licking the Hot Cheeto dust from his fingers with a smirk.

Ace’s nostrils flared as he watched his little brother in disgust. It was bad enough to put that poison in his body but to lick his fingers had Ace’s blood boiling.

Von burst out laughing. “Man, look at you! You ready to crash out ‘bout me licking my fingers. Crazy ass.”

“Told you,” Jrue chimed in, ice rattling in his glass with each step he took towards them. “Nigga on edge like a motherfucka.”

Ace smacked his lips but didn’t argue. They were right, he was on edge and every day that Harris spent above ground, and Joy made his chest feel funny, he grew more and more tense.

He put his keys and coffee cup down, settling behind his desk with a deep sigh. He looked around the room at his brothers.

Jrue and August wore European suits similar to the one Ace had on, blending in seamlessly to the firm. Von on the other hand, couldn’t blend in if he tried. Regardless of the street wear he wore, the tattoos covering almost every piece of skin visible below his chin made him stick out like a sore thumb.