Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77236 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77236 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
I mean, I hadn’t been to the gym in days. And I’d barely given it a thought.
I’d been enjoying the long, easy walks with Siana and Frida. It was still active. Just not as punishing.
“Oh, is this the range?” she asked, eyeing the sort of square area I’d built with my own two hands when I’d been prospecting.
I’d gone overboard with the backdrop, wanting several layers of protection, given how many women and children were always around.
There was a cinderblock wall in the back, then a wall of packed dirt and sand, and, finally, the railroad ties that were visible from where we were standing.
“Not what you were expecting?” I asked.
“I guess I was expecting something indoors,” she admitted. “Don’t you have to worry about the bullets out here?” she asked.
“Not if you build it properly. There are plenty of commercial outdoor ranges. You just have to put the work in to make it safe,” I told her as I led her over to the table. “You nervous?”
“A little,” she admitted as I pulled out the ear protection first—for her, I was used to it— then the gun.
“If you don’t like it, we can stop,” I said. “So, this is your gun,” I told her, handing it to her without a magazine first, wanting her to get a feel for it without worrying about shooting herself.
“It’s lighter than I would have thought,” she admitted.
“Because the bullets aren’t in it,” I told her as I moved behind her, reaching for her arms, then lifting the gun, showing her how to hold it, so she could aim somewhat accurately, but also keep steady. Sure, it was a small gun. The blowback was minimal. But it was hard to judge since I was so much larger than her. So, what felt like nothing to me could be a whole different beast to her.
“There’s no safety on this, so when you’re ready, you just slide your finger to the trigger, and pull. It will take a lot less pressure than you’re probably imagining,” I warned her. “So, don’t be surprised if it shoots before you think it will.”
I loaded the magazine, then slipped her ear protection on as she tried to line up her shot.
I stayed behind her.
Not because I technically needed to be there, but liking the excuse to be close.
“Okay,” she said, seeming to speak to herself and me before I watched her finger slide to the trigger, then pull.
More so than anything, I think it was the surprise of the noise, even with the headphones on, that made her jump and let out a cute as fuck little squeal.
I think I was more surprised than even she was when she hit the target. Sure, the outer side of it, but she hit it. On her first ever try. That was pretty impressive.
“Good fucking job, baby,” I said, smiling as she raised her hands again, as she steadied the gun, as she widened her legs for stability, then tried again. And again. Until all the bullets were gone.
I pulled the gun from her hand, then watched as she turned, beaming at me.
“That was surprisingly fun,” she admitted.
“I thought you might like it,” I agreed.
“Can you show me your skills?” she asked, talking too loud because of the ear protection, but it was cute as fuck, so I didn’t say anything.
“Sure,” I agreed, moving her to my side, loading a new magazine, then taking aim myself.
“Wait,” she said, taking off her headphones as I put the gun down. “Did you make a pattern?” she asked, squinting at the target, but even with her glasses, she was struggling to see that far.
I’d been blessed with fucking sniper vision.
I could see it from this far away.
But she had to walk past the table and to the target to see, turning back and smiling at me as she looked at the full face I’d created with bullets. Eyes, nose, and smile.
“You, sir, are very impressive,” she declared as she walked back toward me.
“You’re not too bad yourself. With a little practice, you might get as good as me,” I added. The thing was, I wasn’t even blowing smoke up her ass. I did think she had good natural aim. If she worked at it, it could be great.
“You think?” she asked, wedged between me and the table, looking way too tempting.
“I know,” I corrected.
I couldn’t stop my hands from going down, from sinking into her hips, then lifting her up until I could deposit her down onto the table, just a few inches from the already-forgotten gun.
Her eyelids already looked heavy as she looked up at me from under her lashes.
I wasn’t going to take her, not out here in the range. At least not the first time.
But I needed some of her.
My hand slid behind her neck, angling it up toward me as I lowered down, watching her lashes flutter closed as I got close.