1927: Redemption

Surprise Entry by Him!

“Would you like to know your future?

If your answer is yes, think again. Not knowing is the greatest life motivator.

So enjoy, endure, survive each moment as it comes to you in its proper sequence -- a surprise.”

-Vera Nazarian

21 DECEMBER 2021- MIAMI, FLORIDA

For perhaps a split second her grief was suspended, the surprise protecting her until it shattered like glass. Maybe you could call it a shock, but to Adeline, they were the same thing for the first fraction of a second -an inability to compute.

“Missed me, Adeline Martinez?” He asked with a smirk on his face, enjoying the expressions on Adeline’s face.

He saw the shock register on her face before she could hide it. A small smile played on his lips, and Adeline guessed he got that a lot. It wasn't what he said though, his words showed how confident he was as if he knew how she would behave when he’ll appear in thin air.

Adeline’s then widened honey brown eyes now have gained their usual size as rolled her eyes, asking, “What are you doing here Ace?”

Arris Johnathan, being the most generous person on earth for five seconds straight, gave her a big toothy smile, replying, “How could I have left you all by yourself Adeline Martinez? You are my family.”

Draping a hand around her shoulders, pulling her at his side, he turned towards the cab driver with his typical Ace’s look, he said, “Want me to extend an invitation, leave.”

The cab driver cursed something in his native language, which Adeline did not understand but she knew by looking at the driver’s face, it should have been a curse.

When the cab driver drove away, Adeline shoved his hand off her shoulder.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Adeline shrieked when she finally got Ace’s attention.

“Helping you.” He stated in a flat voice. “And you should really start working on your planning part, ‘cause you suck at it.”

Adeline narrowed her eyes at him, her foul mood worsening slightly. “You don’t even know my plan, and I don’t need your help.” She said, pointing a finger at him.

Okay, so maybe she was lying just the slightest bit when she said that because it was plainly clear to her that getting there was going to be a hell of a lot worse and she would want a trustable hand in this work. The possibilities of upcoming problems were endless, but Adeline did not really want to dwell on that at the moment.

“If you are finished with the tantrums already, I need to eat, chloroform does not have nice effects on mind for empty stomachs.” Subtly making a comment on her actions, Ace started to walk in the opposite direction with an underlying warning in his tone to follow him.

Adeline resisted the urge to smack him with her duffel bag and instead settled following his trail, occasionally glaring over at her brother.

It was settled that Ace would not leave her now, so why not just try and settle the mood, thought Adeline. Taking in her surroundings, in the refreshing light of early morning, the streets had the hues of artistic Dreamtime, soft yet bold pastels.

Increasing her pace, she levelled Ace’s speed of walking, and asked, “How did you know I was coming to Miami?”

“I have a copy of your bookings.” Replied Ace, without glancing at her as his eyes were in search of a nice place to sit and eat.

Her eyes widened, again. “What? H-how…. I m-mean-” She stuttered and got cut off by him.

“Someone sent an envelope to me, it had a copy of your tickets in it.”

Listening to him her heart started pounding against her chest in a disjointed rhythm, which was stupid because there was not anything she needed to be getting nervous over.

But, who sent him that envelope?

Was it…. No, no! He left and there was nothing else to be pondered upon.

When she looked for Ace, he was way ahead of Adeline as she joined the throng of people rushing towards their destination.

God, she needed to stop freaking out. This was not the time to be acting like an emotionally confused teenage girl. Hell, she had to be an adult about this. She pushed her way through the crowded street and eventually managed to spot Ace entering ‘Milo’s Bar and Grill’.

She pushed her way through the crowded area and managed to get in. Standing on her tiptoes, trying her hardest to spot Ace’s recognisably dark hair. This was easier said than done, considering how many people were present in the cafe. It was downright ridiculous.

At that very moment, Adeline spotted Ace out of the huge mass of people. He was sitting towards the far end of the cafe, his things strewn about the small table in a disorderly manner, almost as if he was trying to give off the air so nobody would approach him.

He looked like he reached way before Adeline, looking at his sitting style. He was launched forward slightly in his chair and it looked as if he had seen better days.

Well, here went nothing. Literally.

Adeline marched her way across the cafe, heading in Ace’s direction. The closer she got the more it became just the slightest bit difficult to breathe, she felt a burden of guilt on her shoulders, like she had betrayed him or something. But, she forced herself to get over it. It would not do her any good if she has to start everything from scratch with Ace.

He whipped his head up and stared at her incredulously as she dropped into the seat across from him, throwing her bag in the chair beside her.

“You took your time.”

“Yes,” Adeline sighed, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice. “You should have been a bit slower.”

“Or maybe you should have been a bit steadier on your feet. You will need it for sure, Martinez. But don't worry I'm here to help.” He commented with an underlying tone of sarcasm in his voice.

Adeline snapped, “I don't need your help.”

“I thought the whole ‘I don’t need your help’ thing was just a cliche people say when they are in dire need of help,” Ace commented, just the slightest bit annoyed. “I can’t imagine you pulled that stunt on me, Martinez.”

“Of course I did!” She scoffed, rolling her eyes. “That was the best I could come up with, I didn’t want you to be involved in all of this anymore.”

“And why would you want that?”

The underlying layer of emotion in his voice made a shiver of fear slip down her spine. There was that look in his eyes that clearly said he wasn’t about to take anything less than the truth as an answer.

“Because,” Adeline said shakily after a moment, swallowing hard. “When I saw fear in Talia’s eyes for you, the fear of losing you in that accident which we both know who did it, I just had it in my mind to not involve you anymore, but here we are.”

He might have ordered the breakfast when he came here as the waiter halted at their table, placing their breakfast on the table, the all-day breakfast was the expected avocado toast and egg sandwich but also the new and decadent, the Cinnamon Toast Crunch french toast and cookies and cream pancakes with mascarpone and chocolate.

When the waiter left, Ace made a thoughtful noise as he grabbed one avocado toast and took a bite of it, his brows pulled down in a way that made it seem as if he were deep in thought.

“That seems like an acceptable answer,” he said after a moment. “Except I don’t believe you. Has your opinion of me changed that fast?”

Well, yeah, she thought with a mental eye roll, she had no idea he could be so rude. Adeline was going to have to put that behind her, however.

“Well, I was thinking of how you will make an entrance like five years ago,” she pointed out, raising an eyebrow. “You did impress me here, Jonathan. Now, tell me who gave you the envelope?”

“Guess who, Martinez?” Ace smirked while enjoying his part of breakfast.

“So, you both have teamed up now.” She snorted out a laugh, rolling her eyes again.

If that beast of a living creature wanted to help, why did he go? Thought Adeline.

Adeline watched Ace for a few minutes in silence while he grabbed the plate of breakfast and started eating it for himself, wondering why on earth he was being so difficult, well, not more than William the beast. Adeline was being nice, wasn’t she?

Or maybe it was just her?

“Look, Ace,” she said, ignoring her grumbling stomach. “You won’t be there with me when I would go back in … you know… right, so why not let me do this alone? Why are you so opposed to this idea?”

Ace made a ridiculous face while he munched on the toast, staring up at the ceiling as if he were in deep thought.

“You are an intelligent, capable, temperamental, but ignorant brat who overlooks the obvious dangers in the path,” he finally said, just the slightest bit blunt. “That’s probably why I’m so opposed to the idea of going alone.”

The way he sneered out the word ‘alone’ made her irrationally angered and she had to resist the urge to throw the plate at him.

“First of all,” she grounded through clenched teeth. “I am not temperamental. And damn obviously not the ignorant Bart. Plus, I am capable of defending myself!”

Ace raised an elegant dark eyebrow, not looking convinced at all. “Oh, really?”

“Really!”

“I don’t believe you.”

“You don’t even know me entirely, Ace! Why are you having such a thick head?”

“Oh, believe me, I know enough. But, looking at you I feel you don’t know me at all Martinez.”

This entire time she had no idea that they had been unconsciously leaning across the table towards each other, their eyes locked in a furious glaring match. And he had already finished all of her toasts, darn him.

But she was not going to be the one to back so easily from this. Oh, hell no.

“Then can you please tell me everything Ace?” She pleaded quietly, trying hard to keep from blushing.

Ace’s fathomless dark eyes travelled over her face, almost as if he were searching for answers there, before he let out an aggravated sigh, leaning back in his chair as far away from her as possible.

“Fine,” he gripped, sounding very unhappy. “I’ll tell you everything. But just so you know, you are annoying, stubborn, and you get on my nerves easily. I’m not sure I like you.”

That, for some odd reason, made her burst out laughing.

“All right, Ace,” Adeline said, just the slightest bit sarcastically. “It’s not like you haven’t known me enough. If you think I’m annoying now, just wait until we spend more time together.”

“Oh, lucky me,” he retorted sarcastically.

Rolling her eyes, she asked, “Will you start?”

Ace remained silent for a moment, he sighed and spoke with tense lines on his forehead, “James sent me as a spy to join Archer Lewis’s secret wing of WIC.”

What?!

Is it true?

Is it the time when all the truth unfolds?

Let's see what Ace has to say next.