The screams of the traitor die off as he finally faints. His body nearly whole, but entirely bloody. Ana had done her best to flay his entire skin without ruining it. She didn't quite make it but it was nearly perfect. She's going to get it tanned and keep it as a reminder to her men so they don't forget what happens to traitors.

Shawn and Jackson untie the prisoner and take him out to where Ana has the final stage of her torture set up.

Once outside Shawn takes the right side and Jackson takes the left and they tie the man down. The sun is higher in the sky than Ana had wanted but she just shrugs, now she knows and can plan ahead of time in the future.

Jerome, once tied spread eagled on the outermost lawn away from the family housing, Ana doesn't want the kids to see Jerome she doesn't want them to have nightmares, Ana leaves him to the sweltering heat. Only ten o'clock and the temp was in the 90's already. Summer has come early this year.

Ana goes into the house and showers and changes into her swimsuit. Now that her business is done she can relax. Once Jerome dies then she can leave. If he takes too long then she'll need to stay another night. Ana frowns at that thought.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Damon asks coming up to her and taking a seat next to her.

"I was just thinking about staying another night."

"The thought doesn't please you, I know." Now Damon frowns, he'd hoped that with more time Ana would be more willing to stay. But it appears that he's not only lost her but another part of her life, Jacob, as well.

Ana gives a bitter laugh, "Oh, no, that's not it at all. I find it pleases me all too well." Damon's breath hitches he doesn't dare say anything at this point.

"I just don't know, I miss being here. When I'm willing to be very honest I miss you. I've tried really hard to not be very honest with myself lately, makes life far to painful." Ana can't help the tears falling down her face.

Damon is stunned into silence. Finally when he can't stand the silence any longer he says, "You never answered my question about Jacob yesterday."

"Is Jacob attracted to me? Well for that answer you really should ask Jacob. He's seen me strip dance and he's seen me strip for a shower," Ana shrugs.

Damon grits his teeth, "Has he ever touched you?"

"Knock it off, Damon. The real question you want to ask is, have I slept with him?" Ana turns to face Damon. "Do you really want to know?"

He tries to hold in the words but they force themselves out, "Yes, that's the real question I want to ask."

"He has a thing for big tits like you. Besides he's been here for the last year, kinda hard for sexual meetings when you can't even see each other, or even talk." Ana says sadly, she hadn't realized just how much she was going to miss Jacob. It's because of that that she had him part of the exchange for Jezey.

"Ana-"

"No more Damon, you are asking questions that will only hurt you and you don't even really want the answers." Damon has to concede at that point. All it will do will hurt him if he asks the question he really wants to ask. Trinity had been with her this whole time and he knows that Ana lets him watch her dance no matter what kind of dance she's practicing.

"Why haven't you been sleeping? I get that you don't trust me anymore with reason, but Trinity you do and he's strong, surely you feel protected by him?"

"Strangely enough, I don't. And no, I haven't slept with him either. I haven't slept willingly with anyone ever. Are you satisfied now?"

"Ana I didn't mean to be like that. I'm just worried about you sleeping. You are pushing so hard and have accomplished so much, but if you don't sleep you won't last for much longer. If that means taking Trinity to your bed then do it. Or find someone that will help you sleep either by just holding you or if necessary by the other." Damon says softly, tears of frustration in his eyes.

"You are the only one that makes it so I can sleep." Ana's quiet words make the tears fall that he'd managed to hide.

"I'll give it a month trial, staying here.  After that either I'll be enrolling at the school with Jacob, or I'll be moving back home. By then I should have a solid line on Spider and know if I can trust them or not. If not then they will be staying down here and I'll have Jonah keep an eye on them."

"Thank you. If you stay that long you won't be able to avoid Calum."

"I've already invited Jonah, Trudy and Trina over this afternoon. I'll need to borrow your study once more. And I'll need to talk to Calum after lunch," Ana says less than happy. "If and I stress If Trina comes, it will be entirely up to her whether or not she talks to Calum. He hurt her damn bad and I'm still waiting for your permission to deal with it."

"If it won't kill or permanently maim him, go ahead." Damon says still rather upset at Calum's idiocy that had only compounded his own.

Ana smiles, "Well then I'll just have to restructure what I was going to do."

"Just what were you going to do?" Damon isn't sure that he really wants to know.

"Damon, I've told you before to not ask questions you don't want to hear the answers to." Ana smiles brilliantly at Damon. 

Damon turns a bit white at her words. Ana laughs delightedly.

"That's a sound good to hear." Jackson says coming up to the pair.

Ana turns to him and jumps up from her chair. "I want to borrow you today or tomorrow if I don't have time. Oh, now that I think about it better make it tomorrow."

Jackson smiles at her softly and looks the question at Damon, Damon snorts, "We both know you would even if I said no. She probably wants to drag you around the city shopping. If you wish you are more than welcome to do so."

Jackson smiles sheepishly at Damon, Ana laughs once more. 

"Spot on, Damon. A lot of the clothes I left here don't fit me anymore and I need some if I'm going to be staying here for an extended length of time. I've already started sending my men shopping for themselves." Ana giggles out at the look on Jackson's face.

"You're staying?" The hope in Jackson's voice couldn't be ignored.

"For a month any way. Damon has that amount of time to convince me that I belong here more than in my home."

"Ana, Jerome won't be lasting much longer would you like to be there when he breathes his last?" Trinity says coming up to her.

"Yeah, I guess I better. Go gather everybody, especially Spider's men. I don't want to have to do this again any time soon. Next time I'll be adding things to it to make it more painful." The three men shudder at her words as she catches up her wrap and puts it around her.

Ana wanting to tease Damon a bit, "I haven't danced in a while maybe I should dance for my men."

"You're planning on changing first right?" Damon says needing to swallow hard. Ana's swimwear isn't much more than some strings and small pieces, very small pieces, of cloth.

"No," Ana replies innocently. "I'm perfectly fine dancing in this. The tents are still set up aren't they? The sound system is still in there?"

"Ana, you can see the tents are still up and yes the sound system is still up. I can't stop you from dancing, but I ask you not to. At least change into other clothes first. Hawk's men probably won't do anything to you, but you still aren't sure of Spider's men."