"Trey," Alexa murmurs. "Trey."

Trey hears her as he comes into the room. "I'm here, Alexa." Trey says hurrying to her side and placing his hand on her face. "I'm here."

Trey sees a tear and wipes it away frowning. He doesn't like to see her cry. Alexa is a warrior queen, a mafia queen and should never cry. "I'm sorry I wasn't here, earlier Alexa. I'm here now. You're safe, now. I have some of your people watching your room."

Alexa relaxes now that she knows that Trey is there and seems to fall into a deep sleep.

He looks at Blaze, "Has she awakened?"

Blaze shakes his head. "This is as close as she's come. She's been calling for you for the last five minutes before you came in. I think she thought you were dead."

Trey closes his eyes in pain, "I should have come back sooner. I got too caught up in my questioning."

Blaze looks at him in interest, "You questioned the traitor?"

Trey clenches his jaw in anger before replying, "Yes."

Blaze is smart enough to not say anything after that. Trey's anger is legendary and is well known even among other mafia's. That Alexa has contained that is beyond amazing to him.

Alexa has told Blaze that she hasn't contained it, the conditioning will one day fail and he'll come after her. He has been given specific instructions when that happens. Ones that he's not happy about following, but he will because Alexa has ordered him to. He'd do anything for her, even if he hates it.

Allowing her to die, well that's an order he never thought he'd be given. Then to accept her killer as his new boss. He's not sure how he will be able to do that one.

"I thought Alexa might want to take part in the questioning," Blaze is pulled away from his thoughts by Trey's words.

"That's a pretty good bet, Mr. Michaels. I'm sure that she will be more than willing to participate. She really liked Jeremy."

"Did Jeremy not make it?" Alexa's groggy voice breaks the silence of the room bringing the attention of both men to her.

But Alexa's eyes are on Trey, demanding without words an answer to her question.

Trey takes her hand in his as he tries to find the right words to tell her. He sighs, "He's not dead, but there's a better than fifty percent chance that he won't make it. The next twenty-four hours, well, if he makes them his chances increase, but he'll still be in danger. If he makes the following seventy-two hours after that he'll likely make it."

Alexa closes her eyes. She doesn't like losing any of her people. All those she trains are hers, even Trey, although she might give them freedom they will always be hers.

Her eyes pop open once more, "Who!"

The anger behind her words makes Trey and Blaze both swallow with nervousness. Blaze has seen what happens when she gets like that, but Trey hasn't. Even though he hasn't, he has a very good idea that it would be very bad to be the recipient of that hatred. "Ken-"

Before he can finish the name Alexa is trying to get out of bed and get up.

"No, Alexa, he's been dealt with remember? He's dead, I heard a policeman before we were brought in for medical care. Ken is dead, he just tried to kill me at the same time."

"Wrong, Trey, he tried to kill us. You found a traitor?" Alexa demands as Trey holds her down on the bed. He doesn't want her to further injure herself.

"Yes, and he's in my cells waiting for you to question him."

"Why?"

"I don't-" Trey is saying when Mickelle knocks before entering. He goes up to his boss and whispers in his ear.

Stepping back he nods to Blaze before addressing Alexa. "Miss Alexa, on behalf of the men we wish you a speedy recovery. We are very sorry that we weren't able to protect you appropriately and we are deeply shamed."

Alexa looks at the new comer, she's seen him around and so she knows that he's one of Trey's men but she doesn't know his name.

Alexa looks at Trey for answers, "His name is Mickelle, he works for me primarily in the cells. He's one of my questioners and maintains the cells." Alexa smiles at his euphemisms.

"I see, thank you Mickelle. You and the others have done an excellent job and I don't hold you or the others at fault for the traitors actions. Will you please let the others know that?"

Mickelle smiles broadly and assures her that he will do just that before leaving to return to his job.

Alexa turns her rather bemused face from the door where he left back to facing Trey. "What did he say?" 

Normally Trey would be upset if anyone asked him what his man said, but he has offered to place his mafia under Alexa and so she has the right to know. Even more right since it has to do with Mark, the traitor. "He just told me the reason why Mark betrayed me, us."

Alexa knows Mark and is upset, "Mark betrayed us? Why?" She demands allowing Trey to see just how upset she is.

"He foolishly went to one of Ken's gambling hell's that I said were off limits. All of Ken's games are rigged and so Mark lost a lot of money. Apparently Ken threatened to take Mark's wife and daughter to pay off the debts if he didn't betray us."

Alexa becomes furious, she's angry at Mark, but understands people make mistakes and for some the forbidden becomes all the better. Many in the mafia are like that, she just hadn't known that Mark was one of them. No she is furious at Ken and if he was still alive she would be going after him all on her own. Or rather with the Silver Dragons.

"I want his territory, Trey. Well, half of it anyway. You deserve the other half." Ken's territory borders both theirs so it won't be hard to incorporate it into their own.

"Already done, Alexa. Blaze already has the new parameters adding to your territory. He was pleased." Trey is more than happy to tell her.

Alexa gives him a bright smile then turns to her second and requests that he show her the added territory. "It's smaller than your new territory." Alexa says absently.

Blaze responds before Trey can, "He gave us the money makers inside in lieu of the larger mass. We made out far better than his mafia."

With that Alexa looks at Trey and asks softly, "Why?"

Trey gives a bitter laugh, "You were hurt worse than I was. He's been after you more than he has me. You deserve the better portion of the territory."

"Yes, but you made the kill. You could have taken the entire territory."

"No, I took what's fair. I've already sent men in to secure my new portion. Those of Ken's mafia have already sworn to me or have been executed there. I believe Blaze has also sent in people, but Silver Dragons isn't my business."

With his words Alexa looks at him long and hard. "You should learn about it, Trey Michaels. You are after all my heir should anything happen to me."

"Blaze is your second. Should anything happen to you, he should take over."

"I follow her wishes. You will take over should anything happen to her and you will receive my oath of loyalty. Even if you are the one to take her life."

Trey looks incredulously at Blaze then turns and storms out of the room. He'd slam the door if it was possible, but it isn't.

"Well, that went over well, didn't it Blaze." Alexa says absently.

"You hadn't told him before?"

"I told him while he was trying to stop the bleeding, I don't think he believed me."

Blaze looks thoughtfully at the door that Trey went storming out. Trey could have allowed Alexa to bleed to death and he would have had the Silver Dragons as his with no questions asked. Instead he did his best to save her life.

"Boss, I think that man truly loves you."

Alexa looks at Blaze and gives him a sad smile. "I wish it were true. The conditioning still hasn't worn off. I'm still convinced that he'll kill me when it does."

Blaze continues his thoughtful observance of the door for some time before shaking his head. "No, I think this time you're wrong, Boss. Trey Michaels loves you and would put your life above his own."

Alexa smiles sadly but doesn't say anything else before falling asleep once more. As she does so, she wishes that Blaze's words were true, but in her heart she knows that he'll be the one to kill her.