Page 35 of My Crazy Killers
“It’s out of the question,” Sly says, shaking his head.
“This isn’t a dictatorship,” Pete tells him, which gets him one of Sly’s signature glares. “Look, man, I’m not saying I want her to have one either, but we could at least start with teaching her to shoot one, and go from there? Maybe she’ll hate it and decide she doesn’t want one.”
I appreciate his support; it’s partly why we need all six of us on this team. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, but together we help to even those out and come up with the best solutions.
Sly doesn’t say anything after that, just crosses his arms in obvious disapproval as Elias finally nods. “Okay. I’ll find us somewhere remote to practice. I’m assuming you want to start today?”
“Yes, please!” I say excitedly, before leaning down and giving him a quick kiss. I still find it crazythat the others let him into our group. Being able to kiss and cuddle him without worry of how the others will react is definitely helping me get over the trauma of being held captive. All things considered, I think Jagger and I got off easy with the lashes. Ivan could have done a lot worse, and I was thankful that it had come at the end of our time there, not earlier. I still wasn’t sure why he held on to us as long as he had, and not killed us, but something told me he was a man who loved power and control.
Playing those stupid games of his was probably far more enjoyable for the sadist than just killing us outright. I won’t make the same mistake. The second I get the chance, I’m going to shoot Ivan in his ugly, smug face, which is why I need to learn to shoot.
“You understand?” Elias asks as he offers me the gun.
“Yes.” I point to the safety as I repeat his instruction. “Always keep the barrel pointed away from anyone I don’t intend to shoot. Make sure the safety is on until I’m ready to fire. Hold the gun firmly in both hands and watch for recoil. Squeeze the trigger, don’t pull.”
“Good girl. Now take the gun and aim at the tree.” Nodding, I take the gun, being sure to keep the barrel pointed away from us on the ground as I turn toward the tree he’d already fired a few test shots into himself.
He’d managed to find us a place to practice in a small forest on the city’s edge. There is nobody else around for miles to hear the sound of the gun or accidentally get in harm's way.
The guys are all wearing warm jackets, while they’ve provided me with fluffy black boots that reach the tops of my calves and a matching jacket. It is cropped, showing off my skirt and fishnets. It is above zero, and I don’t mind feeling a bit of the cold on my skin. My fluffy black earmuffs help keep my ears warm and muffle some of the noise.
I raise the gun, aiming it at the tree Elias had easily hit, and aim, looking down the barrel. Remembering the instructions, I hold on firmly and squeeze the trigger.
The impact has the gun shooting upward as I take a step back with a gasp of surprise.
“It’s okay, that was just the recoil,” Elias explains, placing his hand on my arm and helping me to lower it back to face the tree. “Now you know what it feels like, so you can prepare for it next time.”
The next time, my hand only moves up a few inches. After my fifth shot, I exclaim, “I did it!” when my hand barely moves.
“Uh, angel,” Pete says from where he and the other four are hanging back watching us, “I hate to break it to you, but you didn’t hit the tree.”
I turn toward the tree and frown. “No, I’m sure I did.”
“Sorry, sweetheart,” Elias says before pointing at the tree. “Try again.”
“But how do you know I didn’t? I demand a better target!” I start to turn before lowering the gun all the way, and everyone yells while dropping low.
Elias grabs my wrist and quickly aims the gun away from everyone. “Wren, you forgot rule number one.”
“Oops,” I say, feeling stupid. I glance over at the others as they stand back up. Pete is even brushing snow off his legs.
“You have to make sure you are always aware of where the barrel of the gun is pointed,” Elias tells me sternly.
“I’m sorry. Are you gonna spank me now?” I ask, raising an eyebrow at him hopefully.
He shakes his head, his lips pinch together, and I can’t decide if he looks disappointed or amused. “You’re relentless,” he finally tells me.
“Thank you!” I say with a smile. “Now, where are we on that new target? I want to prove I was hitting the tree.”
“Okay, let me see what I can find,” Elias says, moving back to check our rental car, taking the gun with him.
I take the opportunity to move over to my guys. “You look bored,” I tell them as I snake my arms around Dex’s waist for a hug.
“Watching you is never boring,” Sly says, making me swoon a little.
“Why aren’t you guys practicing?”
“We don’t need to,” Dex answers with a shrug.
