"You are worrying over nothing. Fodor will be fine," Alisha assured Tasìa. "Your aunt wont do anything to Fodor for assisting you. She needs him to get her crew back in working condition after my defection and you taking out Rubin."

Tasìa helped the American sit back against the futon prepared with orthopedic supports so she couldn't lean out.

Though Alisha's knees were severely damaged, the wounds that grazed against her elbows were more merciful. Necessarily, as a more precise aim was needed to force the American to drop the .38.

In fact, the bandages on Alisha's elbows limited their mobility more than the actual wounds.

"How about Demona?" Tasìa asked.

Alisha cleared her throat.

"That's more complicated. Demona is a five dimensional operator. Even if the level of trust she placed in me is significantly diminished she wont miss an opportunity to advance her own interests due to a grudge or out of spite."

Tasia pointed to the AR driving goggles that lay on a nearby table.

"Saw you slipping them back on a little while ago. Is she answering?"

Alisha shook her head. "Not yet."

Tasìa nodded her head. She was looking forward to the trip to the Vida Escondida that Demona promised. She hoped the latest complications did not get that canceled.

"I see. We'll talk shop later when you find out more. You need to get some rest."

Tasia looked out the window. The full moon glared again the pane.

She asked, "would you like me to shut the blinds?"

Alisha nodded.

Tasìa stood up and approached the window. In the tree by the shed, Mel conversed with his lady friend.

"You have guardians watching over you."

"The crows?" Alisha chuckled. "I don't think they like me."

Tasia bobbed her head side to side as she tended to do when she intended to compliment someone.

"People aren't suppose to be able to sneak around them stealthily. When you did that it insulted their sense of professionalism as members of their species."

Alisha chuckled again but it forced out a snort. Tasìa grabbed a paper napkin and cleaned up from under her nose.

"Thanks."

Tasìa glanced again at the crows once more, and she considered the house security system while everyone was in downtime for the remainder of the evening - that being two more hours left before dawn.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

The defenses for Annebél's ranch house in the suburbs were extensive as Tasìa discovered on her own downtime earlier in the week.

Thirty-six drones hid buried in yard batteries and four turrets lay hidden on top of the roof. Annebél wasn't paranoid by nature. She collected personal defense systems.

A hobby, much like Tasìa's vast collection of knives, guns and boots.

After she closed the blinds, Tasìa turned back around, and smiled at Alisha.

"Sleep tight. I will be back to help you poop again in six hours."

Alisha cleared her throat and drily she joked.

"Looking forward to it."

The door to Annebél's room was half opened. Tasìa gathered they kept it that way in case she wanted to join them for sex. She just wanted to say good night.

Raùl leaned against a long pillow, arms propped behind his head with a smile on his face. The sheets that gathered at his waist moved with a body beneath. Vigorous noises accompanied a bobbing motion.

"Oh, hey, Tasìa," Raúl greeted her. "It's ... been awhile."

"It certainly has. I just wanted to say good night and touch base."

Tasìa realized she was standing there because she was compelled by a thousand questions she had for Annebél in regard to the brawler's half of the evening's adventure without her, and what Annebél could tell her about Beauregard's task but now she felt slightly awkward being there.

Annebél threw the sheets aside, and smiled beautifully at Tasìa. When she gave the shapely form of the redhead's nude body a thorough appraisal, Tasìa noticed a cesarean scar on the otherwise perfectly milky-sheened skin of Annebél's abdomen.

Annebél had a child?

Tasìa quickly dashed her eyes up, and she hoped Annebél didn't notice her curiosity.

"Come and join us," she pleaded. "You know Raùl has been curious about you for the past two years now."

"Le sigh," he said. "My one unrequited love."

Tasìa giggled. What Annebél held so deftly in her hand at that moment reminded Tasìa very much of Raúl's brother, Jún-Jún's own penis.

She suppressed an urge to ask about his brother. The couple was having too much of a pleasant time to bring up serious subject matter.

"I ... really can't. I feel something very serious is happening between Beauregard and I."

Raúl nodded.

"Completely understandable."

Even still, Tasìa did feel a little devilish.

"Oh. Raùl . . . There is something I've recently discovered about myself. I'm quite the little exhibitionist."

Tasìa pulled the long black shirt Fodor gave her up over her head, and stood there without a stitch on her body except for the bandanna that she still wore.

As Tasìa posed from side to side, to give them a full view, the couple applauded.

When she turned to show off her rear Raùl yelled, "magnificent!"

Annebél asked him, "can you believe that little firecracker has body acceptance issues?"

Tasìa giggled as she walked out, whispering, "You two are the absolute best."

Tasìa returned to her guest bedroom, and shut the door. She set the alarm on Val's PA to go off in six hours.

With that out of the way, Tasìa tossed her bandanna off of her head of hair, and grinned.

The Sportive Magician laid on its side of the bed.

She sighed as she told it, "well, It looks like its just us."

Tasìa arranged her two pillows in a comfortable position for what she had in mind. She lay down, rolled the sex toy in her hands, turned the vibration on, and played with it's many advanced settings before she decided on one labeled 'Smooth Cosmic Overdrive' that best fit her mood for a slow rub down.

But, unfortunately, it did not matter. Exhaustion set in before she even recognized the signs.

Tasìa promptly fell asleep with the device vibrating gently against her chest.

The End.

Tasìa returns soon in Book Four: The Sweet Descent.

Book Four: The Abandoned Life.

Screw dealing with family drama in Asunción, we are headed out to the hard partying Autonomous Zone of Vida Escondida!