Alexis rolled her eyes watching Shawn in one of his moods again. He'd turned into someone she'd barely recognized. Gone was the kind, if somewhat conflicted man who managed Kelly's and looked after a troubled young teenager cast aside by his own mother that he'd taken into his home. She had bonded with the ex-Marine over raising teens as single parents, especially when their kids became friends and then paired off. It'd been great to have someone to compare notes with when Molly had one of her rebellious episodes or TJ had been suspended in school.

She knew he felt the pull, the seductive forces of a past life she knew barely anything about and Sonny had been the catalyst once again for drawing a man in her life down the dark path. But Shawn had gone down it with his eyes opened…like he'd told her the adrenalin rush of the job was more powerful than any drug.

He couldn't resist it. She'd lost him to the adrenalin rush, what he called his need to feel alive again but then if she'd really loved him…she didn't want to think about it. She focused on Jax and Shawn glaring at each other in front of her.

Shawn spit on the ground.

"This is none of your business...you better leave."

Jax shook his head.

"You are out of line and you need to go someplace and cool off."

Shawn didn't back down, his eyes piercing.

"We were just having a conversation…that's all."

Jax' face remained immovable.

"That's not what it looked like."

Alexis moved between the two men. Jax meant well but she needed to fight her own battles.

"Look…the both of you. I can handle myself," she said, "Shawn and I were talking but that conversation is over…you do understand that Shawn?"

He just stared at her.

"Alexis I'm not done…you're hanging out with that piece of filth…"

Her eyes flash.

"That piece of filth as you called him fathered my daughter. He might not be the pillar of this community…he might even be as bad as Sonny…but he's still Sam's father."

Shawn sneered.

"You sure know how to pick them…"

Jax grabbed the man and slammed him against the wall. Shawn pushed him off of him and it looked like they'd start brawling. She rolled her eyes. The last thing she wanted was two men engaged in hand to hand combat over her.

She wasn't Carly after all.

"The both of you…"

Neither listened and Shawn returned the favor pushing Jax against the wall, his face close to his own.

"That piece of filth tried to blow up Carly's hotel…"

Jax gritted his teeth pushing back.

"You might be right but the police have to sort that out don't you think?"

"I know Julian Jerome planted the bomb or his explosives expert Carlos Rivera did it."

Jax sighed, after pushing Sonny's enforcer off of him.

"I'm not arguing with you," he said, "but when a woman tells you she's done talking you walk away."

Shawn shook his head and grabbed him again.

"What are you doing back in town anyway? After all the trouble you caused Sonny…"

"I'm here to see my daughter…to make sure she's safe," Jax said, "given what you and Sonny have been involved in lately. I don't want Jossie to be in the crossfire."

Shawn sighed.

"She's perfectly safe…as long as we get rid of the Jeromes."

Alexis watched the two men facing off against each other as they jockeyed for position, just shaking her head.

Julian left the MC and headed to the Floating Rib, deciding he needed a Scotch on the Rocks after his conversation with Dante.

The detective was so biased because of his father that he seemed eager to suspect that Julian or someone else in his organization was responsible for the bombing. Not that it concerned him that much because he'd never find any evidence tying it to him because he hadn't done it. What puzzled him is that he didn't think it likely that Sonny would blow up Carly's hotel to get at an enemy including him…and why target the gift shop?

He listened to the radio which warbled Christmas music as he headed to the bar. Ava had seemed enthusiastic about planning the party. He was getting into it too, not so much the Christmas spirit but that he could improve his image in town so that people could forget or move past his notorious mobster image.

The sky looked like snow. A storm was forecast to blow through PC just after Christmas. He turned onto a side street wondering how Alexis and Sam would be spending Christmas. He'd figure there would be some family celebration. Sam had been seeing that annoying doctor, Silas who seemed to be awfully judgmental of him and his choices.

Then there was Jax who was staying with Alexis. Her ex-husband who didn't seem to be a fan of his and made sure she knew it.

He could send them invites to the party he and Ava were throwing but more than likely they wouldn't accept.

The Floating Rib parking lot looked empty save several cars. He noticed a group of people near its entrance as he parked his car and got out.

Alexis stood between the two men.

"This is enough. Shawn you need to go back to your corner. TJ hasn't seen enough of you in a while. Why don't you go spend some time with him?"

He shot her a look.

"I'm taking care of him…I've just been busy."

She sighed.

"I know…but he needs you."

"Don't tell me what my boy needs."

Jax interjected.

"She's giving you advice. I suggest you take it. Maybe you should rethink your line of work."

Shawn glared.

"Don't tell me what to do Jax."

Alexis just rolled her eyes and then she saw Julian approaching from his car. As if things couldn't get more interesting…with two men going at it. Throw original alpha male in the mix…as Jax and Shawn continued to circle.

She wanted to get out of here.

"Jax…I'll be heading back to the house…"

Both men remained focused on each other. Alexis knew how much Jax resented anyone in Sonny's organization including the capo himself as it had put his daughter in so much danger…so much she spent most of her life with her father in Australia across the world from this madness.

But this was getting stupid. Julian walked up to them.

"Alexis…"

Before she could respond, that's when the shots were fired and they all hit the ground.