Aftermath

Chapter 13

Alianna curled up under the cabana as she lounged by the hotel's Oceanview pool. The wind rustled the lace frills of her shorts and the sun kissed her legs. Naveen hung around the bar, chatting with the bartender while keeping an eye on her.

Ever since the cocktail function, Jax had eased up her security and she was now more comfortable exploring the hotel. Naveen was her constant companion but Emilio and Patrick were always lurking in the hotel.

Alianna turned the page of her newest book; she, Jax and Naveen had a laugh at how quickly she fell back into her habits. There were children playing in the pool but the noise reminded her of a job Marino assigned her to, it was near the ocean so she did not mind. Other women were relaxing under umbrellas and tanning, nothing out of the usual.

Alianna smiled at Naveen as he approached her with a cool glass of Sprite. "Thank you," she replied quietly. "Any updates?" Jax's presence was required at the warehouse this morning and from the hushed tones and the grim expression he had left with; it was something serious.

"None as yet," Naveen replied. It unsettled him whenever Alianna was worried, granted she only ever worried about Jax. He trusted Alianna's instinct more than his, he was trained for this life; she was born and bred into it. "I'm going to call Scott on the hour."

Alianna nodded and sipped her drink as she glanced around the pool distractedly. Her eyes stopped on two burly men decked in suits and shades. To everyone else, they seemed to be new guests who were just checking out the hotel but, even behind their dark sunglasses, Alianna found that they glanced in her direction a little too often.

"Naveen, is there another way back to the room?" she asked quietly and calmly.

"There's a gate that the maintenance crew uses that would take us around the outskirts of the hotel, we can use the service entrance," Naveen replied tersely. "Let's get out of here then I'll notify the others."

"On my signal," Aliana replied as she saw a group girls enter the pool area. As they passed in front their chairs, she tapped Naveen's knee and they moved with the crowd. Thankfully, they were heading towards the bar so the pair was able to exit through the gate easily.

"Where are Emilio and the others?" Alianna asked as she slipped her knife out from its sheath.

"Surveillance room," Naveen huffed as he balanced his phone on one shoulder and loaded a gun with a silencer with his hands. "Take this." Alianna didn't hesitate, welcoming the familiar weight in her hands. Naveen cursed as he dialled another number while loading his gun, "This is not the best time for a lunch break."

Alianna's heart started to race and her fingers searched for her phone and she pressed the first number she kept on speed dial.

"HEY YOU TWO!"

The phone dropped out of Alianna's left hand as she slipped the knife out of her firing hand. She pulled the trigger, landing the bullet in the man's shoulder. He wasn't alone as no less than a dozen of his colleagues ran over his body as if he were dirt. Old instincts came back to her as all her bullets landed right between her unfortunate victims' eyes. Naveen was cursing as he shot, hitting his targets in the knees and stomach.

"Move move move!" Naveen grabbed Alianna's shoulder and they ran, reloading their guns as what sounded like an army pursued them.