Page 32 of The Fire We Make

She’d given her blood for the Cartel and she wanted blood in return. She’d given her life to it and now, she wanted a life in return.

She’d done everything she was supposed to do, been everything she was supposed to be. Yet, in their eyes, she took it too far. She was no longer under control. She was a liability.

Joy tamped down her bloodlust, feeling her body grow hot and her vision blur.

“Aye and you wild as fuck for Captain Hook’in that nigga. I almost fell out laughing when I heard you did that shit,” Glock continued, cackling.

“How did you hear?” Joy asked.

“Key and his niggas were there picking up work and heard all the commotion. Of course, Cleve is going around saving face saying he got into it with some Louisiana niggas.”

Joy shook her head. He’d rather give credit where it didn’t belong than admit to being bested by the Princess. The Princess he’d played a hand in casting out.

“Of course,” Joy rolled her eyes.

“So wassup? You gon’ make a play to come back? I’m not advocating for war but this is yo shit. If you tryna take it back in blood you know I’m with you.”

Joy hesitated for a moment before she answered. Glock was her oldest friend, closer to her than her own blood brother. If she could trust no one else to help her with her plans, she could trust him.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day and it wasn’t built alone. Every great ruler needs a great team.”

“Since I fucked up the alliance with Jermaine, I’m up here trying to form new ones to prove I can still be useful. Keeping my head down, staying out of trouble to prove I’m not a liability anymore. Hopefully once my dad sees that, he’ll let me come back. Peacefully.”

“Okay okay. That’s a good plan. I’ll keep you updated on shit through our old cloud drive. You have access to a secure connection?”

“I can get one.”

“Bet, I’ll send the encrypted reports through there.”

Glock’s unwavering loyalty in the face of her circumstance was appreciated but it made her miss the power she once wielded. Glock was the head enforcer of the Cartel and together, they’d commanded an army of niggas who were trained to go.

“I appreciate you, Glock.”

“Don’t even mention it. Me and my soldiers still serve at the pleasure of the princess. Take your time and make sure your head is straight, we ain’t going nowhere.”

“Try to keep those peons from ruining my shit before I get back okay?”

Glock chuckled. “I’ll do my best. I ain’t gone hold you up. Don’t be a stranger, aight?”

“I won’t,” Joy smiled. “And Glock?”

“Uh huh?”

“Thank you.”

“You know I got you. You’ll be back where you belong soon.”

After a train ride and short walk, Joy made it back to the building where she’d had her three rounds of interviews. Just as she did the last three times, she gazed at the sight in awe. The building was tall, with six stories, and had all glass windows that couldn’t be seen into. The grounds were full of lush grass and blooming flowers.

A slow trickle of people in suits, mostly Black, hustled in and out of the building either heading to the parking garage or starting their walk in the direction Joy had just come from to the subway. Knowing the organization inside was owned and operated by Black families made it that much more impressive.

She took a seat on one of the benches in front of the building and pulled her compact mirror out of her bag. She gave her reflection a final once over before she went inside. She fluffed her natural hair that hung past her shoulder blades ensuring each tight coil framed her face perfectly. Her eyebrows were shaped and filled to suit her face and each blemish and pore was expertly concealed. She swiped on a layer of her signature red lipstick, smiling as she took in the final look.

When she finished, she directed her attention to her eyes.

There wasn’t anything truly that special about them by most standards. They were almond shaped, a deep brown that was almost black and held no gleam or sparkle. In fact, she had spent many years using the blankness of her eyes as a canvas to create whatever she wanted people to see in them.

However, she knew what anyone who dared look too closely would see.