Page 146 of The Fire We Make

Silence stretched, only the labored breaths of the man’s wheezing being heard. Ace’s first thought was that Joy was right. This was internal and it was bigger than just sabotage.

This was a coup.

Ace was hardly shocked by anything anymore but he couldn’t say this new information didn’t surprise him. He didn’t know what Marco would gain from his death but he had a nagging feeling in his gut that he knew who did. A few months ago, he would have dismissed the idea immediately but now—especially after the confrontation at the club—he wasn’t so sure.

Ace’s gut was hardly wrong but he would need hard proof if he were to act on it.

“Who was Marco working with? Cause he couldn’t pull all this off on his own,” Ace asked, fishing for an answer he hoped he didn’t get.

“I don’t know, man. He didn’t say. He just said he had someone backing him who was gonna take over once you were out the way.”

Ace straightened, looking over at Jrue, then Von, murderous looks in both of their eyes.

Sasha peeked her head into the room where Ace was carrying out his interrogation and he paused, turning to his brother’s right hand. “You found her?”

“Oh they found her alright. She sent three of my fucking men to the doc,” Sasha spat, jaw tight. Her irritation was clear but so was the underlying respect she wouldn’t dare voice.

Ace’s lips twitched with a smirk. A hint of pride welled in his chest. “So they lost her.”

Sasha nodded.

“Aight,” Ace grabbed his jacket off the chair and nodded to the men bleeding out on the floor. “Finish this. I’ll get her.”

He exited the room and went out into the larger warehouse space where the rest of the family gathered per their protocol.

The main floor of the warehouse was loud with movement, voices, and tension charging the air as they all waited for answers and next steps.

Remy sat at a table, going through surveillance. August leaned against a crate, tapping a rhythm on his thigh. April paced. Senior and Pops sat in the middle of the room, calm and unmoved, waiting for the new leader of the family to call the shots.

Ace’s grandmother sat beside Pops, his queen ready for war.

June sat beside Senior, his calm in the midst of the storm.

Ace couldn’t help but think of Joy, how she was the best of both worlds— both his calm, and his queen.

He needed to find her. He needed answers.

“I should go too,” Jrue said, following him out.

“For what?” Ace asked incredulously.

“I know you trust her and everything, but you blinded by pussy right now. Clearly our assumptions about her were right, the girl ain’t normal. I need to get a read on her and make sure she isn’t a part of what’s going on.”

“Nigga I⁠—”

“You killed a detective for her,” Jrue cut in. “The same detective you told Von to leave alone.”

Ace had no rebuttal for that.

Jrue clapped Ace on the shoulder as he passed. “Don’t take offense, better men than you have fallen victim to pussy power man.”

Ace rolled his eyes but didn’t protest further. His mind had been gone over Joy for months and as confident as he was in her innocence, he couldn’t let his love for her cloud his judgment.

“And I’m going too, fuck that,” Von exclaimed.

“Why do you need to go?” Ace asked with an exasperated sigh.

“Maybe you didn’t hear Sasha earlier. The bitch sent three of my best men to the doc on her own. What makes you think you could take her if some shit goes south? Plus I don’t trust that you’ll be able to put a bullet in her skull if needed.”