Alexis heard the sirens and had no idea where they were headed. She didn't care at this point enjoying her day doing last minute shopping and eating out with Carlos. He was an eccentric man, in that he seemed to have an air of danger about him from his job as an enforcer yet he clearly had an artistic side of him too. Shame, Julian couldn't have stuck to embracing his persona as a media mogul, a ruthless one to be sure but still someone who truly worked mainly as the new owner of both the PC newspaper and Crimson magazine.

Carlos would have made a great fashion editor or layout designer rather than serving as the second in command of a mob organization. Still Alexis decided not to focus on reality but on the fact that she was having lunch at Kelly's with a handsome, charismatic man. It'd take her mind off of Julian anyway.

"I wonder where they're going," Carlos mused over his soup, "Never a dull moment in this town."

Alexis had to chuckle at that because it was true. PC rarely saw a respite from its assortment of dramas, mob wars, family clashes, power struggles and even a mad attempt by her family to turn it into icicles on its way to dominating the globe.

"It's always something…"

"I can imagine. I suspect my boss and I are only the latest installment, portraying the role of the interlopers arriving on canvas to commit nefarious deeds against the heroic Sonny Corinthos."

Now she did chuckle again not entirely without humor.

"Something like that. But if it weren't you, it'd be someone else. It's always someone else. Even members of my own family have served that purpose."

His brows arched.

"Your family's not among the upstanding clans in this town?"

She snickered.

"Hardly. My family is the most villainous of them all, darkness personified in a sea of light. I mean you have the Quartermaines who lost their edge years ago and are not even living in the grey. You have an assortment of families with deep dark secrets in their closets…or attics. You have your ragtag group of mobsters…but they'd be no match for my relatives."

Carlos chuckled.

"You'll have to tell me about them sometime."

She sipped her drink.

"Perhaps I will…but on the bright side, it's highly unlikely any of them will show up anytime soon as they're all dead. Not that this state of being has any meaning in my family but they've all stayed dead…the latest going on six or seven months now."

"That's a good thing right?"

She reached for a bread stick.

"A very good thing…"

Julian and Jax watched as they saw the police including Dante and others tape off the corner of the gift shop that had blown up distracting them from their standoff. Carly had gone off to shriek some orders and bemoan what had happened to her hotel. Soon after, they sent in a bomb robot to check out the remains of the shop now littered with shredded stuffed animals and pulverized flowers.

"I guess it's not a gas leak."

Julian looked at the other man.

"No it's not. Not with all these police and fire fighters here. Someone targeted the hotel deliberately."

Jax shook his head.

"Sounds like my brother…but he's supposed to be dead."

Julian arched his brows.

"Your brother's a terrorist or a madman?"

Jax sighed.

"You could say yes to both. He did a lot of horrible things to people but then I guess you're no stranger to that."

Julian frowned.

"You don't know the whole story…"

"I don't care to know it Mr. Jerome," Jax said, "as long as you don't harm Alexis and her family or mine, I'll stay out of it."

"You've got nothing to worry about then. I certainly am not going to let anything happen to Alexis or her family."

Jax flashed skepticism.

"That might sound believable if you actually were a business tycoon and not using it as a front to be a mobster."

Julian saw the fearlessness on the other man's face and knew it was genuine. Jax really would do whatever it took to protect those he cared about, those he considered family. Not that he posed any threat to Jax but…he glanced over at the cordoned area where Dante questioned witnesses to the explosion.

It couldn't have been accidental but then who did it?

Carly approached the two men.

"I can't believe someone targeted my gift shop. Dante doesn't think it's an accident."

Jax knit his brows looking at his ex-wife.

"It wouldn't surprise me the kind of clientele in your hotel Carly. Present company included."

Carly scowled at them.

"I run a classy operation here Jax but I have to make money to send Joss to private school. You only want the best for our daughter don't you?"

Jax knew better than to fall into that trap again.

"Carly…I offered to enroll her in the Sydney schools. It's safer for her there than in a town with as high a crime rate as this one."

She shook her head.

"You're not taking my daughter away from me," Carly said, "It's bad enough Anna and some lady from child welfare dropped by to interrogate me about Franco."

Neither man looked surprised by that revelation. Jax shook his head.

"You know how I feel about your boyfriend," he said, "After stalking our daughter I can't believe you'd give him the time of day…let alone a job as assistant manager."

She shrugged.

"After Olivia decided to quit and focus on taking care of Sonny, I needed some fast Jax. I can't run this place by myself."

Julian's eyes wandered and focused on the gift shop. He thought when Carlos returned from his errands, he might have him do some investigating of his own to find out what set off the explosion. Where was Carlos anyway? Julian expected him back a couple hours ago and he wasn't answering his phone.

Maybe he'd run into Ava because Julian hadn't seen her lately either.

"Jax…Franco and I…we understand each other," she said, "Which is more than I can say for us."

"Carly…the man was a serial killer and I'm not buying the DVDs or the brain tumor excuse. I don't want him around our daughter."

Julian watched an investigator gesture to Dante who went and joined him. The man pointed towards what used to be the flower display.

Alexis laughed as she and Carlos entered the MC after their lunch. She had to pick up some flowers there but she saw police officers walking in and out of the entrance. Clearly this is where those sirens had been heading.

"What's going on?"

Carlos shrugged.

"Maybe they served some bad halibut in the restaurant and someone shot the cook."

Alexis shot him a glance.

"That didn't bring out the whole police force and the fire department's here too."

She looked up and saw Jax standing with Julian and Carly. A motley crew but curiosity got the better of her and she loved Jax.

Julian frowned when he saw Carlos.

"You're late. Those errands take longer than expected?"

Carlos smiled.

"I ran into an old friend and she introduced me to the marvelous clam chowder and bread sticks."

Julian looked nonplussed.

"You and Alexis?"

Carlos' smile widened.

"She's a great date boss…anyway what happened here?"

Carly's jaw dropped.

"You and Alexis…how bizarre is that?"

Alexis shot her a pithy look.

"A lot less than you and your flavor of the month. We ran into each other Christmas shopping. He helped me pick out a…gift and I treated him to lunch in gratitude."

Carlos beamed.

"I had a lovely time with lovely company…but what's all the excitement here?"

Carly sighed.

"Someone tried to blow up my gift shop. Dante said it's not a gas leak, it's an intentional crime."

Carlos looked puzzled.

"A gift shop?"

Julian nodded.

"It could be someone with a grudge against flowers…or the holiday season."

Carly glared at him.

"How do I know it's not you?"

He flashed her a condescending look.

"I love flowers and I love sending them when the mood strikes me. I would never blow up a flower shop."

Alexis tilted her face.

"It's not an entirely unfair question Julian," she said, "with you and Sonny having this need to compare caliber sizes all the time."

He sighed.

"I didn't have anything to do with this. It must be someone else that's responsible."

She arched her brows.

"I'll wait until I see the final report. You do know Dante will be questioning you."

He didn't appear fazed.

"I'll be ready but I'm not the one they need to go after. Jax hinted here that it's more his brother's style."

Alexis stiffened.

"You mean Jerry? It can't be him because he's dead. Then again after recently being reminded why that doesn't mean anything…nothing would surprise me."

Jax interjected.

"I'm sure he's really dead this time Alexis. He's not coming back."

She exhaled.

"God I hope not. I hope he stays dead."

Jax looked pained.

"No argument from me. But he's not responsible for this."

Carly brightened suddenly.

"I know who did it. It's Heather…yes it must be her. She's upset with me for spending time with Franco and threatened to kill me."

Alexis cleared her throat.

"Hardly surprising Carly him being a serial killer and all."

Carly snarled.

"A reformed serial killer…"

"Same difference..."

Alexis turned to Jax.

"Well since I can't pick up my delivery if there's no gift shop left I guess I'll head back to the office. I'll see you and Jossie later for dinner. Molly's cooking. I'm drinking egg nog by the fireplace."

Jax smiled.

"I look forward to it. I'll bring dessert."

"That'll be great. Sam and Danny will drop by as well."

"That'll be nice. Danny's grown up so much in just a few months."

Alexis glanced at Julian who watched them pensively. Carly looked shrewish. Nothing new there.

"I'll see you all later."

She left but a pair of footsteps followed her and before he grabbed her arm, she knew it was Julian.

"Alexis…"

She spun on him.

"Let go of my arm."

He did that and she folded her arms.

"Julian what do you want? I've got work to do."

"I think we need to talk."

She sighed.

"About what? We said everything that needed to be said. At least I did. You have your mob war, if it's not turning out the way you expected that's not my fault."

"This isn't about Sonny…"

She smirked.

"So this is about needing to use me to get the 411 on someone else in town? This information line is closed."

He looked almost hurt by her comment.

"No…I don't need any information. I just thought we could catch up…"

She narrowed her eyes.

"I don't think so. My life's been blissfully boring since…well the last time we saw each other and these mob wars, they start differently but they always end the same. It's like watching a movie when you already know the ending."

"Come on. Going out to lunch isn't going to hurt is it?"

She shook her head.

"I can't. I'm really busy…I'll be busy all day at the office and then I've still got to do some shopping."

He nodded, apparently conceding.

"Okay then how about dinner?"

She just stared at him.

"I've got plans with Jax. This isn't going to work. I'm not going out anywhere with you while you try and charm me into spilling information to help in your war against Sonny."

"We don't have to talk about Sonny…"

"I'm sorry I don't have time for this," she said, "I have to get back to work…"

She walked away from him heading for the front doors. He watched her go and didn't hear Carlos walk up to him.

"Boss…I guess she's not taking you up on your invite."

Julian didn't respond.

"She's a great lunch date," Carlos continued, "I had a good time at Kelly's with her."

Julian cleared his throat.

"Did you find out anything about the bombing from the cops?"

Carlos paused.

"They might have it narrowed down to a flower display but not which one yet. They think the bomber might have a deliberate target…but the bomb detonated early."

"Amateurs?"

Carlos sighed.

"Not necessarily. Some explosives are more…temperamental than others meaning that anything that surrounds them, a change in temperature, pressure or even vibrations from movement can set them off."

"They have any leads?"

Carlos shook his head.

"Hardly…PCPD is nothing but keystone cops."

Julian couldn't argue with that. Sonny's dominance on the mobster scene had over time diluted the effectiveness of the police. It sounded like Sonny and Jason Morgan even more so were auxiliary officers. As long as it served their own interests of course.

"You keep on it. Call me if there's any leads."

Carlos nodded and left. Julian knew that his side of the mob war hadn't been responsible and it was unlikely Sonny would target his ex-wife's hotel but someone had planted a bomb.

He decided he needed to find out who and why.