It was quiet, too quiet.

Alianna walked around the warehouse, analysing every member of Jax's family as they trained. Training had gone smoothly for the past two weeks and that put Alianna on edge. She did not confide her fears to Jax but the silence from the opposing side worried her.

"Hit harder," she said quietly as she observed Patrick and his partner wrestling, "you're training for the real thing; just don't kill your fellow men."

Her calm, quiet instructions scared the men more than Joel's bellows and the latter man particularly did not like the shift in power at the warehouse to a woman but he held his tongue as he sat in the ground office. Jax always ensured that he, Rex or Evan was always at the warehouse when Alianna was there, not that they doubted her ability to protect herself, but to provide backup in case a mutiny did break out.

The hair on the back of her neck rose, causing her to turn around and meet the pair of eyes focused on her. Jax had stepped out of his office for his cigar break. She raised an eyebrow as he smirked and exhaled slowly. Alianna rolled her eyes playfully and turned her back to him; she was busy, if he wanted her attention; he had to come get it himself.

Jax growled lowly at her dismissal but he walked down the stairs, ready to play Alianna's game. She looked over her shoulder, smirking as she spied Jax talking to his men as he ever so slowly made his way to her. She grinned and moved further into the mass of bodies giving tips and keeping an eye on Jax along the way. Jax smirked as he stalked her, unsure of who was the predator and who was the prey.

This game of cat and mouse continued as Alianna made her rounds. Jax's patience was slowly wearing thin as he was blocked by men with questions every time he got close to her, causing him to wonder if their concerns were valid or if Alianna put them up to it.

Alianna smirked as she slid into a hidden corner of the warehouse. She was soon enveloped by the scent of Jax's cologne as two arms boxed her in on either side. Jax lowered his head to meet her eye to eye. Alianna looked at him smugly, her message conveyed loud and clear; he did not catch her, she wanted to be caught.

"Hello my rose," Jax murmured, his fingers leaving the softest of touches as he traced her jawline before tilting her head up, "enjoying yourself?"

Alianna chuckled lightly, "Yes, both training your men and playing with you entertained me."

Jax smiled and stepped closer, her body moulded to his as their lips met in the softest of kisses. Alianna smiled slightly as she pulled back to look at him. While he did not show her much affection in front of his men, being in the warehouse revealed a different side of Jax, one that was dangerous but she loved danger.

Jax brushed some of her hair aside with his finger, "I am glad that I could be a source of amusement, but those services do not come without a price my darling."

Alianna bit her lip before leaning in to whisper in his ear, "Name your price, I am all too willing to pay it." Her lips travelled to his neck as his grip tightened on her waist, to create a reminder that two could play his game but her plans were interrupted by the sound of the warehouse alarm.

Jax pulled Alianna closer to him immediately as she jumped and they instinctively reached for their guns as they stepped out of their hideaway.

"What is it?" Jax called out to Joel as his men lined up at the door. Alianna looked at the roof as shadows of men lining up along the roof fell onto the warehouse floor.

"Jeep out in front," Evan grit his teeth as Rex pulled up the footage as all cameras were trained on the front of the warehouse. Sure enough, a solitary Jeep was parked outside, windows tinted dark so that the occupants remained unknown.

"How many?" Jax asked.

"Two," Evan relayed from the surveillance room. "Any chance he's in there?"

"No, he doesn't like to sit in the front seat," Alianna murmured, looking at the thermal image that played side by side. "They unarmed as well," she noted.

The men were silent as they awaited orders. As one, everyone loaded their guns as the Jeep door opened.

"Shoot or don't shoot?" Evan asked.

"Don't," Alianna said as she watched the young man walk halfway to the warehouse door with a box in his hands, Jax's men not allowing him to come closer. "I am going to meet him."

Jax grabbed her wrist and pulled her back, "You will do no such thing," he growled. He motioned to Joel who was the only man donned in a bulletproof vest. Alianna did not miss his eye roll as he walked out.

The anticipation was palpable as all eyes watched Joel walk to meet the young man who could not be more than sixteen. Joel was visibly dumbfounded as the man bowed and extended his arms with the box. Joel gestured for the man to place it on the ground, awaiting confirmation that it contained no explosives.

"It's safe," Jax relayed Rex's message, his tone betraying his surprise and confusion. Joel grunted as he picked up the box. The young man bowed before returning to the Jeep. The snipers on the roof trained their guns on the two vehicles as they drove off. The crowd parted as Joel entered the warehouse, he laid the box on a table as Jax, Alianna, Evan and Rex crowded around.

"Does anyone have a knife?" Joel asked.

Jax pulled the box to him, Alianna's knife in his hand. "Nothing explosive?" he looked at Rex for reconfirmation. Alianna bit the inside of her cheek as Jax sliced the glaring clear tape open.

Evan swore as Jax held out the box for everyone to see. Alianna made a sound of annoyance as he had his back to her. She stepped to his side and her blood ran cold as she what was inside.

A single black cassette.

A haunting laugh rang her ears as her body broke out in a cold sweat. A voice that plagued her nightmares whispered in her mind, memories that would never leave her. She gripped the table for support as she tried to pull herself out from her mental hell.

Jax wound his arm around her waist. He had learnt that talking to Alianna when this happened made it harder for her, providing a physical anchor that she could use to pull herself out worked best for her.

"Time to go to the pawn shop," Evan mused.

~

It was not until late afternoon when Evan and Rex showed up in Jax's office with a old stereo with a cassette player and speakers. He looked at the door to the adjoining bedroom. It had been closed for hours and he wondered if Alianna would come out to listen to what L'iiblis had to say.

"Ready?" Evan's jaw was tight as Rex finished setting up the device. Jax saw Joel enter the room out of the corner of his eye. He knew that Alianna would not want Joel present for this but he had the right to know what was going on. With one last look at the door, Jax pressed play.

"Hello little girl," the voice was smooth as an oil slick and disconcerting. "You have grown so much haven't you? I remember teaching you how to walk with the quietest footsteps, how to run into the shadows, how to dance with the devil. We paid so much attention to you, we poured everything into. Why did you hurt us like this little girl? Why did you hurt me? The one who protected you when Marino wanted to kill you? I asked him to spare your life and do you know why? Because I saw the potential in you, I saw your worth. You are priceless little girl, there's no one else in the world like you, trust me, I've looked. But I understand why you did it. He hurt you, I know, but you hurt me even more little girl. You disobeyed orders and we both know the consequences for that."

Rex grunted in annoyance as the tape came to an end. The room was quiet as he flipped the cassette.

"There's nowhere you can run Alianna." L'iiblis' voice was darker now. "Death and destruction will follow you. You cannot hide in that room forever. Boveri's men are going to fall, and their blood is going to be on your hands, just like your friend's. Do you want that Alianna? Should hundreds of men die because you do want to face your fate? What makes your life worth a hundred dead men? Save them Alianna, come to me. You can save them Alianna, come to me."

Jax jumped slightly as there was a thud on the floor. They had been so fixed on the stereo that they had not noticed when Alianna had emerged from the room. Jax could not decide which of their enemies was more dangerous. Marino physically controlled his men whereas L'iiblis got into their minds like a snake, he was that one quiet voice of doubt that whispered in the weakest moments.

"He's right," she said as Jax knelt to her side. "My life is not worth the lives of your men."

Jax growled, "Don't you ever think like that. My men are willing to risk their lives."

"Are they?" Alianna snapped back, surprising everyone as she sprung to her feet. "You go there and ask them right now if they are ready to die tonight for me?" Jax remained impassive as he followed her pointing finger to the warehouse floor.

"This is my fight," she continued, "and I will not have any more of your men fight it for me; nor you."

Jax grabbed her hand as she attempted to leave, "Alianna, do not give him what he wants. You cannot win against an entire mafia."

"This is one fight that  I do not intend on winning," she murmured darkly.

Evan and Rex opened their eyes in horror as Joel rolled his eyes and left the room. Jax and Alianna were locked in a showdown, they knew each other too well. Jax knew Alianna was going to try to escape, Alianna knew that Jax was going to increase security around the house and around her, Jax had the intention of placing a tracker on her, Alianna had plans to fool him and remove the tracker anyways. Back and forth they went, besting each other in every mental scenario.

"But you don't know where he is,." Jax smirked as their battle came to a halt for now.

"You can either tell me when Evan finishes analysing the audio for background noises," Alianna countered, "or I let him find me like how he always does."

Jax closed his eyes and exhaled slowly as Alianna broke his grip and walked back into the room, slamming the door with enough force for him to know that she was angry but not to be dramatic.

"This isn't the end is it?" Evan pulled the decanter of scotch from the cabinet and placing it on Jax's desk.

"No," Jax sighed as he poured some into his glass, "the war is just beginning."