Sam looked at her mother incredulously.

"Julian is throwing a party?"

Alexis nodded as she sipped her drink at the Floating Rib. She and Sam had met up there for lunch after both had been out shopping.

"He and Ava are holding it at the MC," Alexis said, "At least that's what Carlos told me."

"Carlos?"

Alexis smiled.

"He's Julian's enforcer…but I think they're close friends as well. Before you say anything, he's actually very nice, quite intelligent. Good taste in wines."

Sam pursed her lips.

"You give him your phone number?"

Alexis gave her daughter a piercing look.

"Hey that's not fair. I'm not having anything to do with Julian either. I meant what I said when I told him as long as he used Danny as a means to free him up to go after Sonny…"

Sam sighed.

"I'm sorry it's just that Silas reminded me of that this morning," she said, "He said I shouldn't ever trust Julian to do what's right. He's a very selfish, egotistical man."

"True…but this party he's throwing might be his way of trying to get the people in this town to view him more positively…since the article didn't convince everyone he's really changed."

Sam tilted her face.

"He hasn't…Silas told me he was beyond ruthless back in the day. He terrorized a lot of people. He'd never be a good role model for Danny."

Alexis leaned back.

"In all fairness Sam, Julian's been a father for a short period of his own life and it fell on his lap," she said, "I don't think he's sure how to handle it or fit it in with the rest of his life."

"Mom he made a choice and it wasn't us."

Alexis paused.

"I know…but it's going to be okay Sam. Danny's surrounded by people who love him and will look out for him."

Sam smiled.

"I know. He's a very lucky little boy and I'm so lucky…it's just that I thought Derek Wells was the nicest man especially when he offered to bank his marrow and then…he turned out to be something different altogether."

"So how are you and Silas doing?"

Sam paused, sipping her drink.

"He…I…we're getting closer Mom," she said, "He's very protective of me. He stood up for me when I ran into Julian at the docks and well…I didn't have to say very much. Julian knows I want nothing to do with him."

Alexis ate a bite of her food.

"I've run into him several times. He and Jax…they haven't been getting along very well."

"Good for Jax," Sam said, "He's a very good man…even after being married to Carly."

"I know and he's having friction with her over dating Franco. Not that I blame him after everything that man's done including to Jossie."

Sam shook her head.

"Some woman are so desperate to not be alone that they'll hook up with any man even a sociopathic serial killer."

Alexis shrugged.

"I don't get it either. There's nothing wrong with being alone."

Sam arched a brow.

"Oh so that's why you don't date…"

"I don't have the time with all the workload I've got on my desk," Alexis said, "and besides, my relationships with men always wind up the same…disastrously."

Sam frowned.

"There's plenty of good looking decent guys out there."

Alexis sighed deeply.

"Sam, those aren't the guys who attract me," she said, "My built in GPS is for bad boys. It's never been wrong though there were times with Derek Wells when I thought maybe it'd changed direction."

Sam nodded.

"Yeah now there was a nice guy. Too bad he didn't turn out to be any more real than his name."

Alexis tried to make light of it.

"Besides Derek Wells was more into women like Carly," she said, "after all she was the woman he was seeing."

Sam snorted.

"Only because he used her to get information on Sonny," she said, "I imagine since he's Julian Jerome now the bloom went off on that rose."

"Yeah it did…not that it matters."

Sam sipped her drink.

"So what are your plans for Christmas?"

Alexis smiled.

"We're having the usual gathering. I'm late on decorating this year but Molly got it mostly done. Jax will be spending Christmas with us…when he's not with Jossie."

"That's great…Silas and I will bring Danny and Rafe over…"

Alexis nodded.

"Jax and Molly have decided to do the cooking," she said, "I'll be in the living room sipping apple cider on Molly's strict orders."

"Yeah Mom…no need to interrupt the holiday of the fire department for the third year in a row."

Alexis chuckled.

"True…this Christmas will go much more smoothly. I'll make sure of that."

Julian watched as Dante interviewed Jax. He didn't know what questions Dante would ask given that Jax had just dropped in PC for the holidays. But if Jax were a target…he didn't want him anywhere near Alexis and her family.

Anything that put them in danger…

Despite what she might think he did plan to look out after them even if that meant at a distance for now. He wondered who would want to target Jax and why. The man was a corporate raider sure, and often ruthless. He'd faced off against the tycoon as Derek Wells a time or two. But Jax didn't make enemies outside the office or conference room. Besides if anyone wanted to get at him, why would they wait when he'd dropped by town for just a visit when they could hit him elsewhere including at his home base in Sydney?

Dante left Jax who looked a bit tense and Julian watched as he went to the elevator.

"Your turn…I thought we could do it here rather than make it formal at the police station."

Julian folded his arms.

"I'll see if I can help you. I don't think I or my sister were the targets. Your father is the only one who is after us and he wouldn't hit his ex-wife's hotel."

Dante grimaced.

"Look despite what you might be implying, I'm an impartial party here solely here to investigate a bombing. I am not an advocate for my father or what he does for a living."

Julian smirked.

"Sure Dante, now with the questions."

Dante frowned.

"So if you're so sure you're not the target, then we have to move to the other side of it. Are you involved in the bombing?"

Julian shook his head.

"No…I'm not."

Dante looked doubtful.

"Come on, you'll actually say that after you blew up one of Sonny's boats and messed up his warehouse?"

"There's no proof I did any of that," Julian said, "That's based solely on Sonny's word that you seem to be giving more credibility than it deserves. He's a mobster after all."

"So are you."

Julian smiled.

"Yet you're not giving my statement any credence at all. Perhaps you should remove yourself from the investigation and assign someone else who's not the son of a mobster Dom."

Dante glowered.

"I can handle this investigation just fine," he said, "so you're claiming you had nothing to do with this explosion?"

Julian nodded.

"It's someone else. Someone or a group of people who are pretty sophisticated in this kind of thing," he said, "so any evidence pointing to a particular target?"

Dante hedged.

"We've got the list narrowed down but we're not sure yet."

"You might need to protect that person because more than likely the person who did this will try again."

Dante narrowed his eyes.

"Is that a threat Mr. Jerome?"

Julian sighed.

"No…just an observation. You know you're a bit uptight. You might want to take some time off and relax."

"Just doing my job. I will find the person responsible and bring them in to face charges."

Julian nodded.

"I hope you do that."

Dante released him but made it clear there might be more questioning ahead. Julian didn't think Dante had much of a clue who'd done it or even who was supposed to die in the explosion.

He intended to find out and hoped that Carlos' digging up information would help him.

Alexis said goodbye to Sam and walked outside bumping into Shawn. She hadn't seen him since…she and Derek… Julian had been trading verbal barbs at Kelly's months ago.

"Shawn…"

He nodded coolly.

"Alexis…"

She thought he looked worn, almost strung out most likely from a crash of that adrenalin he seemed to crave almost like a drug.

"How are you doing?"

He clenched his jaw, eying her suspiciously.

"You really care to know Alexis?"

She recoiled a bit. He'd been cold to her since their breakup. She knew he'd gotten even deeper in with Sonny taking over Jason's job completely and that had concerned TJ. Not that Shawn cared, nothing made him more alive than stalking a target and wiping it out on Sonny's orders.

"Yes I do. I worry about you even though we're not together…"

He chuckled without mirth.

"Yeah right…you're with him aren't you?"

"What?"

"Julian Jerome. Damn Alexis…how stupid can you get? Sonny's right. He's the scum of the earth."

Alexis felt anger fill her. How dare he or any man for that matter call her stupid simply because she didn't heel when ordered to do so?

"Shawn…I'm not with anyone not that it's any of your damn business…and as for one mobster calling another the scum of the earth. Pot meet Kettle."

He didn't like that response. Tough, she thought.

"Alexis, you'd seriously call Sonny that after everything that he's done? You work for the guy don't you?"

Alexis paused, unable to respond to that. Her usual defenses felt hollow in her own ears.

"I…I'm not sure that'll be for much longer…"

He read that the wrong way of course.

"Oh so you're going to switch ships and work for Jerome?"

She shook her head.

"Damn it Shawn, don't put words in my mouth," she said, "I'll work for myself. I'm damn good at my job."

He shook his head.

"I never thought you'd betray Sonny," he said, "You share a child…I mean that's what you told me was why you didn't drop him like you did me."

She remembered that conversation.

"Shawn…Sonny and I have to be civil for Kristina's sake," she said, "Sonny has his faults but he loves his daughter. You and I…we didn't share that."

He didn't like that answer either and grew more agitated. She wondered when had been the last time he slept.

"No, what I think is that you moved on from one mobster to the next…what I wasn't bad enough for you to want? Alexis…"

She saw something in his eyes and decided to end this conversation.

"Shawn just…"

"What? Don't tell me to shut up…"

He stepped forward but at that moment, another man stepped in between them.

"I think you need to end this," Jax said, "Or I will…"

Alexis watched as Jax squared off with Shawn.