A/N: The next installment is here! Enjoy this chapter lovelies! Things are about to heat up!
Ailee fiddled with her fingers as the car came to a stop in front of the Reyes' home. Jin was sitting beside her, watching on with an amused smirk on his face.
"I always liked Angel," Jin broke her out of her stupor of watching her fingers fiddle around. Everyone in Maquina knew of Ailee's first love, the one she let go to fully commit to Maquina. "Your reasons were always understood, but I always thought you would go back to him after Theo moved on."
Ailee shrugged. "There was nothing to go back to."
"Or you were afraid that there was something, but you've convinced yourself how much of a monster you've become and decided not to go back."
"I'm not the same person."
"People change all the time Gracie," Jin was the only person besides Vince who called her Gracie. Ailee Grace Cruz, that was her full name. After Vince died, only Jin continued to call her by her middle name. Angel did from time to time, but he was fond of calling her Lee, Baby, querida, the list goes on really.
"Angel doesn't need my baggage." Ailee knew this was a mistake. She should have gone to LA with Michael and Jennifer, to enjoy a night in the city. But instead, she chose to go to this family dinner so she can get close to Angel again. As much as she didn't want to make the mission personal, she did. Whoever was gunning for Angel, she had to assure they were far away. Angel was her kill, not theirs.
"He isn't a saint either Grace, he's had his fair share of demons." Him pointed out. The Mayans have always been a friend to Maquina. They weren't the police, that wasn't their purpose in this gray world they live in.
"Yes, but we both know he couldn't even touch mine." The more blood Ailee shed, the more she began to hate herself. But it was helping her cope. It was a terrible coping mechanism, but all the anger she felt after her brother passed away, she took it out on her targets. The bolder she became, the more killing became easier for her. After all, after you kill one person, it becomes easier and easier.
Jin sighed. "This contract I hear of, do you plan to honor it?"
"I accepted it."
"That wasn't my question."
"Of course, but I have to kill whoever decided to step on my territory first."
Jin worried for Ailee, he's been worried about her, but as the head of a secret organization, Ailee was his best employee. When she first started, Ailee was the perfect student. Vince was able to mold her to follow the rules to assure that the mission of Maquina could be carried on. Ailee was the most efficient when it came to missions. All of their orders were done under the proper protocol. But then Vince passed away and the lines began to blur. Ailee's kill rate rose, instead of focusing on the target, anyone in her way was killed. But Jin couldn't stop her. He wouldn't stop her simply because she got the mission done. He thought she just needed a few missions to let out the anger that began to consume her, to let out the hurt she experienced after her brother's passing.
But it became evident it wasn't going to stop.
These past two years, Ailee has been making noise within the special counsel and it wasn't the good kind. They believe that while she was still their most valuable asset, she could easily be replaced. After the incident in Turkey, he had to keep Ailee in the United States to let things cool down. The Turkish government was not appreciative of her lethal force when it was specifically requested to be non-lethal.
"Ailee, for what it's worth, I am very sorry for what I've done to you." Jin felt some guilt for what he did to Ailee, he turned her into a killing machine that had no off button. That's why he had hoped that Angel's reemergence in her life would let the old Ailee come back.
"It wasn't you," Ailee gave him a bitter smile. "It was all me."
Felipe welcomed the Cruz's to his home, ushering them inside. Angel and EZ were running late, which was no shock to him. Thankfully, the food needed 15 more minutes before it was going to be done.
"Still hasn't changed," Jin smiled fondly as he looked around the Reyes household. "As clean as can be."
Felipe chuckled. "You never did believe me when I told you I cleaned the house for Marisol."
"I always thought it was a combined effort," Jin sat on the couch besides Ailee. "Where are EZ and Angel?"
"Club business, should be here soon." Felipe knew there was a chance that they weren't going to make it, but that was fine with him. He understood what they had to do, did he agree with them? Of course not, but he wasn't exactly a saint either.
Jin just nodded his head. "It must be good to finally have Ezekiel home."
"It is," Felipe nodded his head. "Never thought it was possible, but by some grace of God, it did."
"I'm happy for you as well Tio Felipe, I'm sorry we couldn't help you." Ailee was fully aware that the patriarch of the Reyes family was well aware of their organization. Once upon a time, he was part of Maquina after all.
"Mija, I know how Maquina works. I was angry at first, but it's the reason we're able to operate as long as we have, personal affairs were hardly done."
"Do Angel and EZ know?" Ailee questioned. She was almost certain Angel knew, just due to the fact of how close he was to Vince. But at the same time, she wasn't certain, as he never mentioned it to her. Angel wasn't an idiot, he must know something was up. Half of the excuses she gave him, she was expecting him to at least question her or be suspicious she was cheating on him. But he was always so understanding.
"No," he shook his head. Felipe would rather have Angel and EZ to be a part of the MC than Maquina. Both were equally dangerous, but the amount of enemies one made as a part of Maquina was something else. To this day, he was still cautious. He was certain he outlived his enemies, but at the same time, it was never bad to be cautious.
And he would much rather for them to not be in debt to the government. Maquina was a vigilante group that wreak havoc to help the poor in San Diego. Instead of hunting them down like the government usually did, they saw the potential and did what they did best.
They militarized Maquina.
As time went on, the rules changed. The President no longer had direct control of Maquina and people were hand selected to be a part of the council that helped govern the group.
Much like other government agencies, they were unbiased. That's why personal affairs should never affect their work within the government spectrum of their job. But due to the agency not existing, Maquina agents were allowed to take contracts outside of the agency as long as it did not go against the United States Government.
Ailee remained quiet then, letting Jin and Felipe catch up further in the privacy of Felipe's home. Though Maquina was all about secrecy, it was difficult to not tell people close to you. Felipe knew of most of Maquina's dealings due to Jin sharing it with him. The old comrade that Jin trusted with his life, with full confidence that he would never betray him.
EZ walked in, with Angel not far behind. Whenever someone died in front of him, EZ always thought how surreal his life was now. If anyone asked him 10 years ago if this would be his life, he would have laughed and thought they were insane. Yet now, this seemed to be the normal happening in his life and the troubling thing was, he wasn't all that opposed to it.
Felipe, Ailee and Jin turned their head towards the two men. Jin stood up along with Ailee, smiling at the young men he used to watch as children.
"Wherever Angel is, Ezekiel is never far behind," it was a saying they used to say when they were children. EZ adored his brother, looked up to him. Angel was always thankful when EZ left for Stanford, his brother was going to make a life outside of Santo Padre, a life he never chose to do. But then EZ came back and Angel helped him ruin his life. It was something Angel held onto to this day. He should have known that EZ was going to do something with that gun, he should have looked out for him as he always had.
Angel and EZ both greeted Jin, hugging Ailee right after. When Angel wrapped his arms around Ailee, she wanted to do nothing but to immediately pull away. Not because she didn't want the hug, she just knew she would further be conflicted due to this. It was such a simple gesture, but Angel just had such an effect on her.
"I'm going to check on the food, EZ set the table." Felipe walked to the kitchen with EZ and Jin following after him.
If Ailee didn't know any better, she would think that she was being set up, but she had to be alone with Angel at some point.
"How are you?" Angel questioned her, the question she didn't answer since Michael pulled her away earlier.
"Good," Ailee nodded her head, hating how nervous she felt.
'It's just fucking Angel, Ailee, stop being an idiot,' she scolded herself.
"You want to give me a bit more details? For example, I've been good Angel, made a life outside of Santo Padre. I've been so busy that I didn't have any time to call or visit you." The bitterness was clearly heard in his voice and Ailee expected this, she didn't expect anything less from Angel. Though, she definitely imagined more words added to that speech, but that was good enough.
"I'm sorry for the way I left things," Ailee was sincere in her apology. She could have said goodbye in a better way, but she chose to be a coward and run. "You didn't deserve that."
"No, I fucking didn't," he hissed. "I always knew you were too good for me, but I never thought you would up and leave just like you did. I trusted you."
And that was a dagger to Ailee's heart. She knew how trust was for Angel and he was right, she broke his trust. The fact that he didn't think he deserved her, that crushed her. If anything, she didn't think she deserved him.
"What do you want me to say Angel?"
"Definitely not what you just fucking said." Angel was standing by the dining table, arms crossed in front of his chest. "Why'd you come back?"
"To open up a coffee shop." Ailee wasn't exactly sure how to handle this situation. Way back when, she always knew what to say to Angel to calm him down, but at this time, she didn't. How could she reveal Maquina to him after all? It was opening Pandora's Box and right now wasn't the time or place.
Before Angel could even say anything, EZ walked back to where they were, plates in hand. EZ didn't want to walk back in, but Jin pushed him out to save his niece. Ailee's phone began to ring, breaking the stare down she had with Angel. She took her phone out and her face immediately changed.
"Hey Michael, what's going on?"
"Ace, I need you in LA, the helicopter is waiting at the base outside of town." Michael informed her.
"I'm in the middle of something, family business." She muttered an excuse me before walking out of the front door.
"Yes, well, this is family business. John needs to meet with you."
"For?"
"I'm not going to play messenger between you two, he needs to speak to you. After you're done with your reunion, come to LA."
"Might not be done till late," she can feel EZ and Angel staring at her through the window. She kept her back towards them, walking a little further away in case they could hear what she was saying. "John can always come here."
"Ailee Grace Cruz, if you would answer your fucking phone we wouldn't need to have a sit down." John's voice filled her ears. "Uncle Jin isn't going to talk to you about this since he gave me the task to do so. As your commanding officer, I need you at Maquina headquarters at 0600."
"John, I am currently on a mission, unless you have something life threatening to inform me I do not give a shit." She hissed, her voice as low as possible. Ailee's relationship with her siblings has been tense since Vince's passing. She moved away from them, not wanting to let them in to her new way of living.
"Do not make me get Xander and Michael to drag you to LA, we both know you don't want me at Santo Padre, it raises too many questions."
"No, it doesn't, you lived here once upon a time. Visiting Santo Padre isn't that farfetched."
"Must you give me grief about everything?"
"Wouldn't be a younger sister if I didn't."
John sighed. "I'll be there in two hours, I'll meet you at your place."
"Hey, is everything okay?" Ailee knew it had to be serious if John was coming to see her. They had spoken to one another not too long ago before she went to Argentina, but it's been radio silence till tonight.
"No, but it will be."
John hung up then causing Ailee to sigh. Her family was definitely dysfunctional. Slipping her phone back inside her pocket, she walked back inside and found everyone sitting around the table.
"Who was that?" Jin asked.
"John," Ailee saw that the seat they left her with was right next to Angel. Not that she minded, but she could tell they were up to something. "Business."
Jin nodded his head. "I thought your brother was in Singapore." He knew of what John wanted to speak to Ailee about. As much as he wanted to do it, he felt that John may get through to her better than he could.
"Guess he's back, he said he's coming here." Ailee looked around the table, feeling all eyes on her. "Shall we eat?"
"John is coming to town?" EZ questioned. He has spoke to his old friend from time to time, but not as often as he would like.
Ailee nodded her head as she scoop some rice from the bowl. "You know John, he's a workaholic."
"He mentioned that work was driving him crazy when he visited me a few times." EZ knew of Ailee's involvement in Maquina. Whenever John came to visit him, he gave him an update on his crazy little sister who was digging a hole for his early grave.
Jin looked over at Ailee, who had a small smile on her face. "Yes well, you know how real estate can be," Jin chuckled. "How does it feel to be out Ezekiel?"
"Really good tio, I never even thought it would be possible for me to see the outside of a jail cell, but I'm thankful." EZ replied.
"Never lose hope, that's what keeps us going," Jin advised. "And you Angel, how has the MC been treating you?"
"You know me tio, I live a simple life. Being a part of the MC is great." Angel knew that Jin was well aware of the illegal activities he partook in, but that didn't mean he was going to discuss it over dinner. "How's business going Lee, seems like it's booming."
"It's good, one of the three locations I have in California," Ailee hated this small talk she had with Angel. Their relationship was hardly ever awkward. The only other time they spoke in this way was when she was between the age of 13-16, otherwise, they've always been able to talk to one another freely. If she was going to get Angel to trust her again, she knew she had to make her way back in.
"You have 2 other coffee shops?" EZ was surprised. As far as he knew, Maquina was the only job Ailee had.
"Have to utilize what I'm good at." Ailee smirked. "Selling coffee."
EZ and Angel knew something was off with that comment. But they decided to let it go, the last thing they wanted was to interrogate Ailee in front of her uncle and their father.
Angel knew what he had to do. Evangelina had requested for him to help Ailee and the only way he knew how was as he did before when they entered that awkward phase when she was 13.
Make his presence known and be around at all times.
Well, as much as the club, Adelita and the cartel permitted.