Page 116 of The Fire We Make

He had Isaac hemmed up on the hood of his car with a hand around his throat. “You still got that knife on you beautiful?” he asked. His honey colored eyes were blazing with fury and if Joy thought he couldn’t get any more beautiful earlier, she had been mistaken.

She nodded. “Yes,” she answered.

Marco spoke up for the first time, stepping up again in his defense. “Man fuck th-,” he started but didn’t get far as a gunshot cracked through the air.

Without moving his grip from Isaac’s throat or his eyes from Joy’s, Ace sent a shot tearing through the man’s shoulder. Mel shrieked and jumped into Von but Joy didn’t move.

As Marco choked on his cry of pain and crumbled to his knees, holding his shoulder, Ace turned to him and kicked him in the chest. “Didn’t I tell you not to move, motherfucka’? You think I’m playing with yo ass? Why y’all niggas testing me tonight?” he barked down at him.

“Lemme get that knife, Rose,” he requested, his tone softened slightly as he addressed Joy.

Without hesitation, Joy walked toward him and slowly pulled the blade from her bra, extending it in his direction. Ace took it and immediately created a long, deep slash across Isaac’s face eliciting cries of agony from the man.

“I can't kill you, so throw some steaks on the altar for your grandfather tonight and thank him for saving your life. But, let this scar serve as a reminder for you every time you look in the mirror that you’re on thin fucking ice with me. The next time you walk up on my family or fix your lips to disrespect me and mine, you gon’ get a matching one across yo neck. Feel me?” Ace warned, pointing the bloody blade at Isaac as he spoke.

Ace didn’t wait for an answer, just released him, letting him slump against the hood of the car then fall to the concrete. He took Joy’s hand leading her away from the broken and bloodied bodies. Without looking back, Ace returned his gun to his waist and gripped Joy’s hand, tugging her along.

“Let’s get y’all home.”

He led her by the hand to an all black Rolls Royce waiting nearby. Mel and Von trailed closely behind them.

Ace helped her into the backseat, avoiding eye contact as he ensured she was situated. Von did the same for Mel before they closed them inside the car.

Joy didn’t move or look around.

Not when she heard the muffled crack of a gunshot through the car windows.

Not when Ace and Von slid into the front seat.

The car was quiet. Mel, exhausted from the night of work, partying, and the eventful ending of their night, had dozed off, her head falling to rest on Joy’s shoulder. Von was typing furiously on his phone. Ace was driving but his eyes kept drifting to find Joy in the rearview mirror, and Joy kept her eyes on him.

He eyed her warily like he was trying to gauge her reaction to it. A silent question of whether whatever had been brewing between the two of them for the past few months had been snuffed out by her new view of him.

Silently, Joy hoped her eyes conveyed that it hadn’t. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Discovering this side of him. Seeing his darkness and violence on display. It made Joy want him more. It became clear to her as she watched him put her blade to Isaac’s cheek with a smile on his face that the pull she felt to him wasn’t that of opposites attracting but of sameness. What she saw in his eyes wasn't judgement but recognition.

She no longer saw him as a cure but a kindred spirit. A twin flame who burned just as fiercely as she did. She didn’t know the extent of his dealings outside of the firm but context clues were painting a picture for her that showed they were more alike than Joy had originally thought.

She smiled at him through the rearview. One that she hoped said, I see you and I still want you. All of you.

He smiled back and it told her, I see you too. You can have all of me if I can have all of you.

And for the first time since Joy was released, she considered it.

Halfway through the ride, Ace summoned Joy to sit up front with him, sending Von to the back with Mel. They said nothing, just listening to the hum of the engine, the whistle of the wind and the faint whispers of Mel and Von in the backseat.

When they finally made it to Mel’s apartment, she and Von hopped out immediately with him holding her purse and duffle bag. Joy moved to open her door to do the same but was stopped by a hand on her thigh. She paused and turned to Ace.

“What you saw tonig-,” he started.

“-I didn’t see anything,” Joy cut him off.

The corners of his mouth tipped up in a grin. “Is there anything you want to ask me?”

“Is there anything you want to tell me?” Joy responded with a raised brow.

Ace chuckled, diverting his eyes from her for a moment then bringing them back.