Page 113 of The Devil's Fire

“Oops, did I say that out loud?” I gave an awkward laugh and scratched the back of my head.

“You did. And they can hear you.”

“Fuck me already.” I mumbled in embarrassment.

At least Raffaele found it funny.

I leaned against the table and carefully moved my injured foot. I have been on my feet for a while now, and I was feeling a twinge of pain.

“Can we try out the knives?” I asked Arianna as I looked at the enormous collection of knives displayed next to the guns.

“Sure.” She went to set up new target marks for the knives; these ones were different and made out of wood.

“Before you start–”

“What is there to know? Isn’t it just throwing a knife and seeing if it hits?” I asked and shifted my body to the side, making sure my grip on the knife was secure before launching it towards the wooden mark.

“What the hell?” Cara gaped as we all stared at where my knife landed.

“Finally!” I shouted and punched the air in victory.

“Hmm, do it again.” Arianna gestured for me to grab another knife.

“Probably just beginner’s luck.” I shrugged but grabbed a knife.

I stood with my feet shoulder-width apart, adjusting my grip on the knife and hurling it towards the target. It landed with precision; its blade aligned perfectly next to the other knife.

“Impressive!” Arianna’s brows shot up in genuine shock. “Let me see how you hold the knife.”

I showed her how I moved my wrist and threw a knife again. To everyone’s surprise, it landed in the middle for the third time. A wide grin stretched across my face as I basked in the pride.

“You’re even holding it with elegance. You draw a lot, don’t you? Maybe the flexibility you gained from drawing has an influence on your throw.”

“You think so?” I have spent hundreds of hours drawing, so my wrist isn’t stiff as it was in the beginning. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be beneficial for my knife throwing abilities.

“It’s possible. I can’t even throw this well three times in a row.”

“Hah, sucker.” I teased, and she rolled her eyes at me.

I winced in pain as I stumbled, accidentally placing all my weight on my injured foot. I had totally overdone it now and needed painkillers.

“Wrap it up, she needs to rest.” Damiano’s voice echoed through the speakers. I looked up at the window and frowned.

“You don’t know what I need. If I want to keep going, then I will.” I was actually tired and needed to rest, but if he was going to tell me I needed to rest, then I would do the opposite. That was how petty I wanted to be.

Damiano’s eyes narrowed at me before walking out of our sight.

“You two are going to drive each other crazy. I can feel it.” Arianna laughed.

“Big time.” Cara joined her.

The sound of the door opening had all of us turn our heads in unison. Damiano, with an angry expression on his face, was striding directly toward me. With his long strides, he was in front of me in no time. I placed my hands on my hips as I looked at him, ready to tell him off.

But then he swiftly grabbed me and carried me in his arms.

“Hey! Put me down.” I tried to wiggle out of his arms as he walked us out, but he had a firm grip on me.

“Stop moving.” He growled.

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