King of Ashes Chapter Twenty-Three: Forced Sale and a Fragile Romance
Spoiler Notice
This section contains detailed plot points for Chapter Twenty-Three (Chapter 25) of King of Ashes. If you haven’t read the chapter, proceed with caution.
Summary
Mike Handler, a successful construction owner and self-styled “good man,” goes to a private club called the Kingdom for a sexual encounter. After his companion leaves, three men—Roman and the Bang Bang Twins (Lucius and Lavon)—enter his room. Roman demands Mike sign over 51% of Guardian Construction to JCR Investments, claiming it is necessary for the upcoming Skids revitalization project. Mike refuses and offers money instead. Lucius tortures Mike with a vise grip on his belly and armpit, forcing him to sign. Later that night, Roman visits Jae’s apartment. They talk affectionately, but Roman lies about his relationship with Jae’s brothers, claiming a legitimate business connection. Jae reveals her brothers’ criminal history and expresses hope they might leave that life. Roman kisses her, suppressing guilt about the blood he has on his hands as he moves closer to achieving his family’s plan.
Key Events
- Mike Handler, owner of Guardian Construction, believes he is a good man despite his visits to the Kingdom for paid sexual encounters.
- Roman, Lucius, and Lavon confront Mike in the private room.
- Roman presents a contract transferring 51% of Guardian to JCR Investments and insists Mike sign.
- Mike initially resists, threatening to use his political connections.
- Lucius tortures Mike with a vise grip, first on his belly, then under his armpit, causing severe pain.
- Mike signs the contract.
- Roman later goes to Jae’s apartment late at night.
- Roman and Jae talk about his supposed wealth management work and her brothers.
- Roman lies about knowing Terrance and Tracy only for business.
- Jae expresses her desire to avoid her brothers’ criminal lifestyle.
- Roman contemplates the destruction he is causing and whether anything can end in anything other than ashes.
Character Development
Mike Handler – Introduced as a hypocrite who rationalizes his infidelity and coercion by framing himself as a “good man.” His physical and psychological breaking under torture shows the vulnerability behind his pride.
Roman – Deepens as a conflicted enforcer. He orchestrates the torture stoically but later shows tenderness with Jae. His internal turmoil grows as he realizes the moral cost of his actions: he is destroying families to save his own. His ability to lie to Jae—even about the man he tortured—highlights his compartmentalization.
Jae – Becomes a more rounded figure. She is perceptive, calling out Roman’s late-night visit. She openly rejects her brothers’ life of crime and hopes they can change. Her trust in Roman is based on his lies, setting up future conflict.
Lucius and Lavon (Bang Bang Twins) – Their coldly efficient torture underscores their role as Roman’s instruments of violence. Their lack of hesitation reinforces the brutality of the world Roman inhabits.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Moral Compromise – The chapter centers on the gap between self-perception and action. Mike sees himself as righteous despite visiting a club for paid sex and hiding it from his wife. Roman believes he is saving his family but uses torture and lies to do so.
The Body as a Site of Truth – Torture physically forces Mike to give up his company. The vise grip, the blood, and the screams become the undeniable evidence of his surrender, contrasting with his earlier bluster.
Ashes (Motif) – Roman recalls his father’s warning that the world will end in fire and ashes. After Mike signs, Roman thinks of the blood and wonders if his mission can end in anything other than ashes, linking personal destruction to cosmic prophecy.
Deception as Protection – Roman lies to Jae about his profession and his relationship with her brothers. He also lies to himself about the necessity of his actions. These layers of deception suggest that survival in this world requires constant concealment.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a turning point for Roman’s moral descent. He directly participates in the destruction of a legitimate businessman—Mike Handler—not for personal gain but to secure the Skids contract for his family’s revenge plan. The scene establishes that Roman will do anything, even torture, to succeed. It also deepens his romantic entanglement with Jae, creating a ticking clock: the closer he gets to her, the harder it will be to conceal his role in ruining her brothers. The chapter’s ending, with Roman kissing Jae while thinking about ashes, sets up the inevitable collision between his mission and his humanity.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Mike Handler believe he is a good man, and how does the narrative undercut that belief?
Mike lists his church attendance, coaching, donations, and his company’s employee count. He rationalizes that visiting the Kingdom is a “minor transgression” and not really a brothel. The narrative undercuts this by showing him lying to his wife, patronizing a paid sex venue, and ultimately being forced to admit that his goodness is fragile—he is crushed by the same violent world he thought he could buy his way out of.
2. What does Roman’s lie to Jae about her brothers reveal about his state of mind?
Roman tells Jae that he knows Terrance and Tracy only through his wealth management business and that they might want to go legit. This lie reveals several things: Roman is actively deceiving Jae to maintain their relationship; he is aware that her brothers are criminals (since he is working to bring them down); and he is still trying to convince himself that there is a clean, aboveboard version of his life. The lie also plants the seed for future tension when the truth emerges.
3. How does the torture scene differ from earlier violent scenes in the book, and what does it accomplish for the plot?
Earlier violence was often quick or wrapped in gang confrontations. Here the torture is slow, methodical, and emotional—Mike’s screams, Roman’s grimacing, the careful application of the vise grip. This brutality accomplishes two things: it proves Roman’s commitment to his plan (he can no longer plead ignorance or innocence), and it secures a crucial asset (Guardian Construction) for the conspiracy to control the Skids redevelopment. The scene also alienates Roman from his own humanity, which he acknowledges in the final lines.