Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 81358 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81358 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
“We’ll go now.”
Dev caught him and on a whim, he asked, “Would you show me?” He jerked his head toward the paper target and Kai’s eyebrows jumped toward his hairline.
“You want me to show off?” Kai teased. His lips quirked in a half smile, and some of the suffocating tension eased from Dev’s chest.
“Do you mind?” For some reason, he was curious about Kai’s skill. He did want to see him show off a little. At least if he knew how good Kai was, he’d know Kai was safe from other lunatics and assassins.
Kai flashed him a smile and called the paper target Dev had shot at to them. The paper fluttered as it zipped on the rail down the lane toward them. Dev frowned as it hung directly in front of him. He’d hit it most of the time, but nothing that could be called a killing shot. He didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed.
With only a glance at Dev’s face, Kai took the paper and folded it so that it was out of sight prior to hanging a new one. He sent it the full length of the lane, where Dev’s had been only half the distance.
The assassin’s hands moved quickly and efficiently over the gun, removing the spent magazine and slamming home a fresh one. He then turned his stance and pointed the gun in his right hand. He looked at Dev and motioned for him to make sure that his ear protection was in place. With Dev secure, he rapidly fired the entire magazine into the paper target. All the bullets tore into the head and chest.
Each movement was flawless precision as he dropped the spent magazine, popped in a fourth one, switched to his left hand, and fired again. These hit slightly off the mark from the first set but were just as deadly.
The sight of watching that kind of lethal skill and dexterity made Dev’s knees weak. Every last one of those shots could have taken a man out, and Kai had fired them all in a matter of seconds. There had been no pause to aim and consider what he was doing. It was pure reflex and muscle memory.
Stumbling back, Dev dropped into a hard plastic seat that lined the wall behind the firing lanes. His stomach was queasy, and his heart was beating so fast in his chest, he’d begun to wonder if he was going to have a heart attack.
A moment later, he was only aware of Kai helping him to his feet and walking them to the car. The assassin even helped him into the passenger side and buckled the seat belt around him. Dev’s brain continued to spin and whirl. The world passed by him, but he saw was that stupid gun in his hand. Could he kill someone? What if he couldn’t and Kai died because of him? Or Jake? What if he was home alone with Jake and this serial killer broke in?
What would Adam say? He could easily hear his dead husband saying that Dev needed to do everything within his power to keep their son safe.
Blinking, Dev looked around to find that they were stopped in the shade at a park. A distance away, kids were playing on a jungle gym while others were running around a set of swings. He and Adam had brought Jake to this park when he was little. It was only a few miles from their house.
“Why are we here?” he asked, turning to find Kai watching him with concern in his dark eyes.
“You need some air, and we need to talk.”
Sighing heavily against the new twisting in his stomach and chest, Dev shoved open the door and climbed out of the car. He didn’t get far before Kai directed him over to an empty wood picnic table. Dev sat down on the top of the table and rested his elbows on his knees, trying to mentally steel himself for what was going to come. He didn’t see disgust on his face, but he felt it crawling on his own skin.
A man should have no problem handling a gun, particularly in the name of protecting his family. Only a coward would have a near panic attack at a gun range. How the hell was he supposed to handle shooting at an attacker if he couldn’t handle shooting a paper?
Kai probably couldn’t wait to get away from him. He had to be regretting all those kisses, cuddles, and sweet words now.
“Please talk to me, Dev,” Kai begged as he sat down on the table next to him. “I can’t help you if I don’t understand what’s going on in your head.”
“I feel like such a fucking coward,” he mumbled, unable to look up at the man next to him. But he had to when he felt Kai sort of jerk. A look of pure confusion filled his handsome face.