Page 12 of The Fire We Make

“Thank you man. Thank you,” Keyshawn expressed his gratitude as they dapped.

“You know I got you,” Ace whispered back before straightening his suit jacket to cover the droplets of blood and turning to face the judge. He felt Thomas’ eyes staring holes into the side of his face as the judge gave his final remarks and instructions regarding his ruling.

Once court was adjourned and they were dismissed, Ace saw Keyshawn off then pulled his phone out of his Louis Vuitton briefcase to check for messages he missed during the hearing.

He felt a pair of eyes on him and looked up to find Detective Mark Harris standing on the steps of the courthouse watching Ace with a red faced scowl. Thomas stood beside him, arms folded like a child who’d gone crying to the teacher.

Ace took personal pleasure in the furious expression on the detective’s face. Harris had a vendetta against the King family for reasons unknown to Ace. For years, he’d led the witch hunt against Ace’s family when much of the city had long since fallen in line.

Harris seemed intent on putting the Kings and their soldiers behind bars, so Ace took pride in each case he was able to close in their favor.

“Have a good weekend,” Ace smiled as he passed them, making his way to the blacked out SUV waiting for him at the curb. Ray stood leaning against it with his hands in his pockets. Though his eyes were covered with dark shades, Ace knew his eyes were moving, surveying the surroundings for a threat.

“Cut the crap, King. You people won’t keep getting away with this,” Harris snarled.

Ace’s steps faltered and he pivoted, turning to face the man. “Excuse me?” he asked, stepping closer.

Harris’ eyes widened slightly, having enough sense to realize his mistake but to his credit, he kept going. “The people you represent are criminals and so are you. I know it. You know it, and Judge Holcomb knows it too. You probably bribed him like you do everyone else.”

“Bribe?” Ace laughed in his face. “I’m sure Judge Holcomb would love to know you think so little of his integrity.”

“Your clients and your whole thug family have been getting away with this shit for too long. I look forward to the day I can personally lock your ass up and throw away the key.”

From the way the man’s face paled, Ace was sure the mocking smile he was sporting had morphed into a sinister scowl. Detective Harris had been a thorn in his family’s side for years but he’d hidden behind bogus arrests and brutal interrogation of his men. Ace wasn’t sure what brought about this sudden boldness but he needed to nip it in the bud. He took another step until the tips of their shoes damn near touched.

Leaning down, he spoke low into Harris’ ear. “I don’t take too kindly to threats and neither does my family. If you’re gonna take shots at the Kings you better have a full clip and you better not miss.” He straightened and patted the man on the shoulder. “Have a good evening, Detective.”

Turning, he headed in the direction of his awaiting car then doubled back once more.

“Oh and congratulations to you and the Mrs. on the new baby boy. I’ll have my assistant send you a gift,” he called over his shoulder. “Still live in that cute blue house over in Millburn, Jersey?” The look of fear and confusion that crossed over Harris’ face would fuel Ace for the rest of the weekend.

With a grin, Ace continued down the steps of the courthouse to his car without a second glance.

“Wassup Ray,” Ace greeted as he slipped into the backseat.

“Wassup Boss,” Ray returned.

Ace loosened the tie at his neck, bracing himself for his final obligation of the day.

Chapter Three

“Good evening, Mr. King. Your party is already upstairs. Your drink will be sent up right away.”

Without pausing his stride, Ace turned to the Sapphire Lounge hostess as he passed her, giving her a small nod in thanks.

He walked through the ground level of the lounge, noting each face present. At 7pm on a Friday, it was packed with businessmen making deals over cigars and whiskey and other patrons relaxing before heading to the ground level that housed the nightclub that would be opening soon. A few people looked up and nodded as Ace passed. He nodded back but kept his feet moving in the direction of his destination.

“New York City still has a very serious problem with organized crime and I plan to do something about it. For too long these criminals have run our city with violence and corruption. I will make it my mission to bring order.” Ace recognized the aggravating voice belonging to the man he hadn’t yet had the displeasure of meeting but knew much about, coming from the television. “That was New York’s new District Attorney, Elliot Young this afternoon at a press conference discussing his plans to crack down on organized crime in the city,” the news reporter recapped.

Ace chuckled. Young wasn’t the first and wouldn’t be the last. With the introduction of racketeering laws in the 60s, a lot of mafia families like his died out. The Kings adapted and that was why they were still on top and always would be.

Together, Ace and his looming shadow, Ray, walked through the dining area and to the back where they entered an elevator that carried them to the top floor not open to the public.

When they reached the door to the meeting room, Ray stood sentry at the door beside the other stone faced guard and Ace entered the room.

Inside, navy blue velvet chairs with gold trim circled an espresso wood conference table. Around it, Ace’s father, Adonis King Senior sat at one head while their patriarch, Zachariah King sat on the other. Between them sat Ace's four siblings and Remy Toussaint, Ace's best friend since high school and the third son of the Jamaican crime family.

Though he wasn't a King by blood, Remy had become as much a fixture in their operations as anyone at the table. His cybersecurity expertise and data company made him an invaluable asset, but it was his unwavering loyalty to Ace that had earned him a permanent seat among them.