Page 139 of The Fire We Make

“Mmm,” she groaned as she came out of her slumber.

“Wake up, Rose,” Ace’s deep voice rumbled in her ear.

“Five more minutes,” she protested as she stretched.

Ace chuckled. “We have a long day ahead of us. You gotta get up, baby.” He waved the fresh cup of coffee beneath her nose like a smelling salt and strangely enough, just the scent was enough to rouse and energize her.

“There she is,” Ace grinned when she popped an eye open. “Take this and come downstairs for breakfast. April and my stylist will be here in a few hours to help you pick a dress for tonight.”

Joy wracked her sleep fogged brain for what tonight was before it came to her.

“The charity gala,” she sighed.

“The charity gala,” Ace confirmed.

He climbed out of bed with a final kiss and Joy watched his strong back exit the room as she sipped the perfectly made coffee. A content sigh seeped from her lips.

Joy was happier than she’d been in a long time and for the first time since she was exiled, she felt like things weren’t that bad. Her performance at Blue’s trial weeks ago had garnered her media coverage and her a solid place in the firm as the top associate.

She and Ace had fallen into a domestic comfort and Joy wondered how long they could live like this. Tip-toeing around each other with lies and half truths about who they really were.

They hadn’t discussed what happened that night with the detective but Joy saw Ace in a new light and not for the first time, she realized she wasn’t the only one who had something to hide.

After handling her hygiene, she slipped on the Versace robe Ace had gifted her a week before and met him downstairs.

She found him in the kitchen, a cup of coffee of his own resting beside him as he folded omelets at the stove. He looked up and smiled when she entered.

“Almost done,” he promised her.

The news played softly on the kitchen television, and Joy turned her attention to it while she waited to be served.

She listened to the reporters give the latest in the city as Ace moved around the kitchen behind her. The clinking of utensils and the low sizzle of the pan competed with the reporter’s voice.

“…Another arrest tied to the Black Mafia…”

Joy’s grip tightened slightly on her coffee. The organization’s name instantly rang recognition but her face remained neutral.

Were these Ace’s men?

“Investigators seem to be unswayed by the recent acquittal of “Blue” Hill a few weeks ago…”

“Busy morning?” Joy asked as Ace lowered her plate in front of her.

“Always,” he sighed as he took his seat across from her.

“That DA just doesn’t quit huh?”

Ace shook his head with a deep sigh. “No he doesn’t.”

“I thought Blue’s trial was the end of this,” Joy mused.

“It’s never over. This is a witch hunt. Luckily, we established a bias against them so arguing these new cases won’t be so hard.”

“Hm…,” she hummed, stabbing her omelet with her fork. “I’ve been meaning to ask you about something…”

Ace looked up at her. “What’s that, Rose?”

“That detective…”