Aftermath

Chapter 21

Alianna knew she was alone even before she opened her eyes.

Her body was so attuned to Jax's presence that she definitely noticed his absence and sure enough when she sleepily glanced at his spot on the bed; it was bare. Alianna sighed before getting up and freshening herself before heading downstairs. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach as she brushed her teeth as she and Jax were hardly ever apart since meeting L'iiblis. He was not working in his office or he would have told her in that quiet murmur she loved.

She could only assume he was with Evan or Rex as she changed out of his shirt and into fresh clothes before heading downstairs. She smiled and greeted Genevra and they chatted as Genevra finished up breakfast for Alianna.

"Morning," Genevra greeted Evan and Rex as they walked in. "Where's Jax?"

Evan raised an eyebrow, "Is he not here?"

"Isn't he with you?"

All attention snapped to the lady at the table as Alianna's fork clattered on the plate as her stomach filled with dread as she realised what Jax had done. A string of profanities left her mouth as she ran upstairs. She heard Evan and Rex follow her up to their room.

"He's gone," Alianna uprooted every weapon she hid in the room and tossed them onto the bed. She did not care about the men in the room as she changed into the clothes she wore yesterday.

"Gone where?" Evan asked evenly as Alianna pulled her black vest over the custom bullet proof vest Jax commandeered for her.

"To find L'iiblis," she murmured. "He's gone to get himself killed."

Evan swore, "This bastard." He looked at Rex, "Get men to the address he left." Alianna started to follow Rex but Evan stopped her. "There are some people I would like you to meet."

Alianna stood up straighter, catching on to Evan's tone. The pair walked in silence to the foyer where twenty men stood in a circle around the Boveri family crest, all dressed in black, guns gleaming at their waists. They looked up as Evan and Alianna descended the grand staircase.

"Good morning," Evan said. "I would like to introduce you to the Boveri rose, Alianna."

"Mistress Alianna," the men bowed in unison to a full 90 degrees, a gesture she returned. "We are the Keepers."

"These men keep the key members of the Boveri family safe," Evan informed her. "Their sole mission at the moment; protect you."

Alianna sighed as she saw Naveen and Emilio staying in fringe. She gestured to them, feeling more at ease with her guards with her. She scanned each one of the men, learning their faces and build, just as they were doing to her; learning each other to distinguish their friend from their foe.

"This man we're dealing with," her voice echoed through the house, drawing the attention of all the men, "is meticulous, psychotic and ruthless. He has no intention to kill Jax, he only wants one thing; me." She could feel Evan bristle next to her as he caught on to her plan. "We're going to make a trade, me for him."

"Alianna!" Evan and Naveen exclaimed. 

She did not care for their reactions as she kept her eyes trained on the legion in front of her. The Keepers understood, Jax's life was worth more than hers. The Boveri family will crumble without him, Alianna was dispensable with no ties and responsibilities to her name; though many of the men thought that without her, Jax would be worse than dead. It was an unconventional situation but it was choice that needed to be made.