Page 58 of The Fire We Make

Insanity?

Joy’s rage began to brew at the word. Their defense was that she was crazy? Her reaction was a bit overboard perhaps but no less justified in her eyes. Look no further than her damaged vocal chords and the bruises on her neck and cheek.

“You won’t do any jail time but you’ll need to spend a few months rehabilitating so they can be sure you aren’t a ‘danger to society’,” he said the last part with air quotes.

This caused Joy to sit up straighter and snatch her hands away, dread already forming a pit in her stomach. “Rehabilitating? Rehabilitating where?” she asked, trying to keep her voice even. Melodramatics wouldn’t help her case.

Byron just waved her off. “An inpatient facility near Galveston. They specialize in… people like you. Who have mental disorders that make them violent. I think it might do you some good.”

People like me? She thought.

Until then, it had been people like us. The two of them, a team. The King and his princess. The General and his soldier. Doctor Frankenstein and his monster.

Joy’s heart sank.

“So you’re sending me away,” she said. It wasn’t a question. She knew his mind was made up and his decision was final. Her father sighed and placed his hand on her shoulder causing her to look up at him.

“Just for a little while princess. Whatever happened that night…” he trailed off. “Right now, you’re a liability. Your temper is too hot and your mind is weak. We have no use for weak minded soldiers. We gotta make sure you can control yourself before we bring you back. One episode can burn down everything we’ve built. Everything we’re building. You understand right?”

She nodded.

Byron kissed the top of her head and gave her a weak smile.

“Don’t worry about it princess. They’ll get you back to normal and back to work in no time.”

She nodded again this time adding a small smile and her father gave her one last glance before turning and taking his leave. Joy’s face balled up in a sob and the strain caused an excruciating pain that brought her attention to the bandage covering the deep cut on her head. She fingered the bandage and it suddenly occurred to her that her father never asked if she was okay.

Chapter Sixteen

Ace walked out of the precinct with Marco following close behind.

“Ace what’s going on, man?”

Ace wished he had an answer. “I’m handling it. But from now on I need you to stop doing stupid shit. Riding around doing double the speed limit with shit in your car is stupid. That ain’t even got nothing to do with everything going on, you just made yourself an easy target.”

Marco’s bloody face screwed up at Ace’s chastisement. “A few months ago, them motherfuckas would’ve looked the other way, too afraid to cross us. I guess, you don’t strike the same fear in their hearts as Senior did.”

Ace released a humorless chuckle and stepped forward putting his hand on Marco’s shoulder. From afar, it looked like Ace was simply talking down his client. Up close, you could see Marco’s wince as Ace dug his finger into a pressure point.

“Stop fucking playing with me, Marco. They know what the fuck it is and so do you. You definitely know what the fuck it is. I always thought you were smarter than Perry but if you keep talking out the side of yo neck like that, you gon’ be stinking next to yo cousin.”

Ace snapped his fingers and stepped back like he’d had an epiphany. “That’s the problem. It’s you motherfuckas who’ve been playing like shit is sweet. I’ve been keeping it cool but maybe I need to remind y’all why they call me Menace.”

Marco’s eyes widened and at the fire in Ace’s eyes, he took an instinctual step back. “N-nah Ace. You right, I’m tripping. My bad man.”

Another unmarked SUV approached and Ace shoved Marco away from him and towards the car.

“Make sure my mans makes it home aight?” Ace spoke to the driver then turned to Marco who looked at him with contempt. “I’ll see about getting those charges dropped. In the meantime, I hope you stay out of trouble and keep your fucking mouth shut.”

“Now you think I’m a snitch?” Marco exclaimed.

“Did I say that or did I issue a reminder?”

He slammed the door then turned back to walk to his own vehicle.

Ace’s nostrils flared and his eyes blazed as he adjusted the collar of his suit jacket on his way to the car. He took his shades out of his breast pocket and slid them back on his face.

He slid in and his attention immediately turned to Joy. “Hungry?” he asked.