There was not much that could surprise Alianna but the amount of time that she took to recover did.

She was so used to bouncing right back after an injury but recovering from her near overdose was a challenge. From dizzy spells to changes in her appetite, Alianna had been suffering, leaving Jax so worried about her that she was barely away from his line of sight but his protectiveness was welcomed and she was glad that he was not overbearing.

She was fragile, not like glass, but like a bomb.

Jax looked over at Alianna as he worked in his home office. Instead of her resting, Alianna was following up on the missing money she had discovered in New York. He knew shutting her out was not an option but they had not addressed the elephant in the room.

Alianna sucked her teeth loudly and grunted, "Nearly half a million dollars is missing in a space of a year." She was on Jax's laptop which allowed her unbridled access to all Boveri business since he had taken over. "Look at this," Jax leaned in closer as highlighted points striped the screen. "Same day, different amounts in total taken."

"A half a million taken but no product themselves," Jax mused, "and by our protocol, we have no way of tracing it."

Alianna raised an eyebrow and a small smirk tilted her lips, "By your protocol yes, but I was trained to elude all protocol." Alianna pulled up the second window she was working on. "Don't you find it strange that the missing money only originates from your Miami stronghold?"

"Our Miami stronghold," Jax repeated, looking at her meaningfully, "yes, go on."

"What can a half a million get you?" Alianna asked, Jax smiled at the return of her dramatics. "A trip through Europe? Another luxury yacht?" Jax grunted at her jab over his most recent purchase, "or," she picked up the laptop and sat in his lap, "it could be the difference between renting or buying a warehouse by the docks."

Jax's eyes hardened, this supported what he already knew, "Are you saying that we funded L'iiblis?"

"Are funding," Alianna corrected, "I haven't stopped anything and we shouldn't, if we cut it now they'll know we're on to them. It's not a huge lost from the figures I've been seeing."

Jax exhaled sharply as he mulled over his next move. Alianna studied him, analysing his inner debate. "I'm coming with you," she said in response to his unvoiced final decision.

A shiver crept down her spine at the look Jax gave her. Right now he was not Jax, he was Jax Boveri. "I know L'iiblis inside out, you're going in blind without me. "

"I am practically giving him what he wants," Jax mused.

"I'm giving you the upper hand you need," she countered. Alianna knew her worth, mafia bosses would kill to posses someone with her skills, Jax was at a huge advantage with her knowledge.

"A small group," Jax hypothesized.

"No more than four," Alianna thought it over, "we need the best of the best."

"You, me, Evan and Naveen."

"If something happens, we cannot lose all of us," Alianna reminded him.

"Me, you, Scott and Naveen," Jax offered. "The best and those who protect them."

"I will ask Naveen if he is comfortable with this," she mused, "I will not have his blood on my hands again."

Jax curled his arms around Alianna, securing her to his chest, "I promise."

Alianna looked at him, "Don't make a promise you can't keep."

~

"Our spies should be nearby," Evan's voice snapped Alianna out of her light doze. The fact that she was sleeping amused and unnerved Jax but Alianna was not worried; this was familiar territory for her.

Her eyes flitted to the window of the van as two cars pull alongside them. Her pulse raced in a familiar thrum as she heard the sound of the motorcycles that darted in between the cars.

"I'll get you one," Jax chuckled lowly as Alianna's eyes did not leave the cyclists. The entourage led them to the arranged meeting point. Naveen and Scott exited first before giving the all clear so Jax and Alianna could depart.

"One hour," Jax murmured, "if we're not back, send back up."

"Back up or a clean up crew?" Evan grimly joked over the ear piece, eliciting a small smile from Alianna.

Alianna was silent as she unknowingly led the group straight to the warehouse. Jax cocked an eyebrow as the front of the warehouse was unguarded. As Naveen and Scott looked around for the best way inside, Alianna walked straight through the front door.

"Alianna," Jax growled lowly. For a split second, he wondered if she was leading him into a trap but the scathing stare he received told him to trust her. Alianna opened the door and slipped inside, leaving the men shuffling to follow.

"She's going to get us killed," Scott grumbled lowly as Aliana walked ahead.

"She knows what she is doing," Naveen snapped back but Jax did not need to look behind to see the sceptical look on Scott's face.

Alianna walked through the warehouse as if she owned the place, waves of nostalgia washed over her as memories of reporting to Marino's office with the sinister man lurking in the shadow flashed through her mind. She walked through the corridors with no fear because she knew L'iiblis would not kill her, not yet.

Jax placed a hand on her shoulder as she stopped in front of a wooden door. She turned around, Naveen and Scott had gone off to scout and provide back up if needed, Jax looked at her meaningfully, asking if she was ready to handle what was undoubtedly behind that door. Alianna nodded and opened the door.

"Hello little girl." There was that voice, smooth as silk, almost inviting as it oozed out of the man who was staring out of the window. His body took up so much space that she could not see what he was looking at. "I was wondering when you would come to me."

"You're not going to kill me," she stated the obvious. There were no guards in the room, there was no weapon on his person, she knew Jax was watching from the shadow, perplexed but ready to step in if he was needed.

"No little girl, not today," L'iiblis turned to face Alianna and for the first time, Jax saw the monster he was up against.

L'iiblis was a living oxymoron, his beard was wild but tame, his tan skin worn but cared for, his black hair fell to his shoulders, straggly but strategically placed but his eyes, his dark eyes were hard, ready to kill but gentle and soft as they focused on Alianna.

"Who hurt you?" Alianna blurted out, her hand instantly reaching out to touch the scar on his eyebrow.

Jax was thankful that the darkness hid the surprise and fury as L'iiblis allowed Alianna to touch and examine him. Jax did not miss how Alianna's fingers ghosted over her knife and gun. Her throat was dry as she swallowed old instincts, Jax was beginning to understand the complexity of their relationship. L'iiblis had manipulated her, she would feel sorry for him and he used her to seek his vengeance. Looking at the pair was not unlike watching a father with his daughter.

"No one you need to worry about," L'iiblis produced a flask from his pocket. Alianna frowned as he tipped his head back and drank.

"Why did you let me find you?" she asked. She knew his games, the money trail was just bread crumbs for her to follow that would lead straight to him.

"You have always been more to me than my late partner," L'iiblis drawled, "so do for me what you never did for him."

"He knows there's a rat in his ranks." Evan spluttered loudly in her earpiece as Alianna willingly gave up that truth. "But he has no clue how to find him. They've moved warehouses as well."

"Where?"

"Abandoned one, 5 miles out of town."

"I am assuming you are staying with him."

"Hotel downtown."

L'iiblis eyes were fixed on her face, "How many?"

"Five hundred for the most, not trained, easy picking for us."

"And what is his weakness?"

Alianna swallowed audibly, "His family. His mafia. He will put his head on the block before he loses them."

"Where do I start?"

"Housing community on the coast," Alianna replied, "not far from the first warehouse."

Jax clenched his fist as L'iiblis traced Alianna's jawline. She did not take her eyes off of him as he leaned in closer.

"If only I believed you."

Alianna ducked as the window exploded. When she snapped back to as L'iiblis stood on the window still. She lunged but he jumped out, only to fall onto the roof of a truck. They were not high enough for the fall to cause more injury than a back pain. She grunted as the truck drove out of the back exit.

"You did well," Alianna jumped as Jax's arms coiled around her. He did not doubt for a moment that she would jump and follow.

"You guys fucking planned this?" Evan growled over the earpiece.

"Yes," Jax answered. "Scott, Naveen, is our tracker on?"

"It's on and it would be twenty hours until it activates," Scott replied.

"Good job, arrange pick up," Jax commanded.

"You should have warned us," came Rex's calm comment.

"The less who knew the plan, the better," Alianna replied, "I needed to fed him some truths with the lies."

"But the men in the community," Evan threw out.

"Have already moved out," Jax informed him. "We've been feeding orders through Naveen. Like Alianna said, there's a rat and I want to keep our plans quiet."

"Which means you do know who it is," Evan countered.

"No, that was not a lie." In the safety of the room he and Alianna exchanged glances.

"So what's our next move?" Evan rubbed his temples.

"I have bought us some time," Alianna answered. "Once he double checks my information with his informant and acts on it, he will attack hard and strong and we need to be ready." Jax rubbed her waist as the understanding of what was coming dawned on of them.

"This means war."