”Well, yeah… But how do I call it?”

”Are you having uh…have you been…physically intimate with her?”

”You mean sex? Yeah, I think I have.”

”Does this guy you are dating know that you’re having a lesbian relationship?”

”Of course not! Nobody knows. I’m scared to go public with her. I mean, I want to and she’s already getting angry at me that I’m so insecure… I don’t even care if my boyfriend founds out!”

Tina placed two cups of coffee on the counter and looked at Karen with concern. ”Then what are you scared about?”

”I dunno… I guess I’m scared mom and dad are gonna find out. Especially dad. He’s gonna disown me.”

”No, sis. He hasn’t disowned me, he won’t definitely disown you. He loves us no matter what.”

”But look how he treats you since you started dating Bette.”

Tina lowered her head and sighed. ”He treats me alright. He just doesn’t like Bette, that’s all.”

”Yeah, and I know why, by the way. I eavesdropped on mom and dad’s conversation, something about Bette’s shady dealings or whatever.”

Tina sipped her coffee as she kept silent, not wishing to talk on this subject with her teenage sibling.

”My sister’s dating a gangsta,” Karen said in a funny mocking voice, giggling.

”Hey!” Tina scolded, her brows knitted crossly. ”This is not a laughing matter, Karen. So drop it and keep your mouth shut about it with your friends. Understood?”

Karen raised her hands in surrender. ”Fine, fine! Jeez…” She then yawned and gulped down her coffee. ”Can I sleep here? I don’t feel like going home.”

”Go ahead. The bed is all yours,” Tina replied and watched Karen retreat into the bedroom.

She would go for a long jog, then study the whole day before it was near party time, when she would be getting ready to receive guests.

***

Once the pilot landed the aircraft safely somewhere on the outskirts of the Mexican city, Bette flipped off her headphones and jumped down from the helicopter, squinting against the bright sun. She then observed the deserted surroundings, paying particular attention to a lone squalid cabin with two cars and one big transit van parked nearby.

A tall, sturdy man dressed in a black sleeveless top and cargo pants approached the gang. He shook everyone’s hands and introduced himself as Doyle Bogan, giving away his heavy Irish accent.