Page 174 of The Fire We Make

He didn’t think he’d ever find someone who got him, saw him, and embraced him in all of his flaws but Joy was proving to be the kindred spirit he needed to fill the gaping hole in his life.

Joy smiled, pecking his lips a few times before settling back onto his chest. “Yes we do.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

“Rose. Baby.” Ace attempted to rouse Joy with kisses and soft words.

He’d been woken up 20 minutes ago by a crook in his neck and a call from Jrue requesting final approval for a crew looking to be supplied by the Kings. A part of him wanted to let Jrue and Von handle it but he knew he needed to vet them himself.

He knew his brothers could handle it, but they were both single minded in their own rights and Ace wouldn’t be settled until he looked the men in their eyes and evaluated them himself.

Still, it didn’t make moving from under Joy any easier.

Somehow they’d fallen asleep on the hard couch, papers and darkness surrounding them as the early evening hour turned to the middle of the night.

“Rose,” he tried again, this time shaking her gently.

“Hm,” she hummed as she lifted her head from his chest, her eyes still closed.

“I’ve gotta run, baby. I have some business to handle.”

Joy frowned. “Okay,” she replied. Her voice was still rough with sleep. She slowly rose until she was beside Ace rather than on top of him, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and smearing her eye makeup.

Ace helped her up, looking down into her face, the pad of his thumb stroking her cheek. “You gon’ be here when I get back?” he asked.

Joy looked up at him. “You want me to?”

“Yeah, I do,” Ace answered honestly. “I like knowing you’re here.”

“Then, I’ll be here,” Joy acquiesced easily. “Be safe,” she added.

Ace scoffed. A cocky grin spread across those lips she’d come to love. “Better tell them niggas to be safe baby, not me.”

Joy rolled her eyes then puckered her lips for a kiss. Ace held onto her face and obliged her.

He placed a series of soft pecks on her lips before capturing her mouth for a slow, passionate kiss.

They pulled away breathless and the look in Joy’s eyes gave Ace half a mind to tell Jrue to handle the meeting so he could handle Joy.

Instead, they shared one final kiss before he straightened and headed for the door.

Joy shook her head, then grabbed her shoes and bags and headed upstairs in search of the shower.

She stripped herself down, then took her time cleaning her face and body of all makeup and grime from her day, scrubbing until she was satisfied.

Once finished, she stepped out and wrapped a towel around herself, moving from the shower to the clawfoot tub to fill it with hot water and bubbles.

While she waited, she went back into the bedroom, pulling her weapons out of her purse and her cleaning solution and gun oil out of her suitcase. She queued up the jazz playlist of her favorites from Ace’s collection, connecting to the speakers in the walls and letting Frank Sinatra’s voice fill the room.

She grabbed the tub tray then sank into the water, letting the heat relax her limbs.

She disassembled her guns, and flipped open her knives, humming contently as she cleaned them.

A complete loop of the playlist and five cleaned and sharpened knives later, she had reached a peaceful flow state, moving on to cleaning her guns.

“Having fun?”

Ace’s voice pulled her from the trance she was in. She looked to the doorway and found him standing there.