Aftermath

Chapter 19

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."