Page 288 of The Devil's Fire

I screamed in excitement, my heart racing, adrenaline coursing through my veins as we shot out of the driveway.

ninety-one

Althaia

I was driving fast!

The smooth glide of the car, the harmonious purr of the engine, and the commanding sound it generated when I accelerated filled me with pure joy. This beauty was making me feel unstoppable.

“You can slow down now.” Damiano said while scanning our surroundings as usual.

“Are you scared?” I grinned.

“No, but you lost Luca and Giovanni.” He replied. I glanced in the rearview mirror, only to find an empty road behind me.

“Oh, my bad. I just can’t get enough of this car!” I exclaimed with enthusiasm, tenderly caressing the steering wheel as I slowed down to give Luca and Giovanni a chance to catch up.

“At least you can’t be mad at me for losing them when you’re with me. You really got pissed when I lost Antonio that time.” I laughed.

“My hand was twitching badly that day. You had no idea how much I wanted to punish you for it.” Damiano said, making me take a quick glance at him when I realized something.

“That day was the first time we were together… Was that why you were so rough with me and slapped my ass so fucking hard it was sore?” I gaped.

“Yes, and it turned out you loved it.” He gave a smug smile and winked.

“Whatever...” I responded. Of course, I loved it, but that man didn’t need any more ego-boosting.

“Since you’re letting me drive this car, does it mean I can drive your Bugat -”

“No.” Damiano cut me off sharply, not even allowing me to complete my sentence.

“Worth a shot.” I muttered.

Luca and Giovanni had caught up with us, and Damiano directed me to wherever we were going.

“What are we doing here?” I asked when we came to a stop. Our surroundings didn’t give away anything, as we were out in the middle of nowhere.

“You’ll see.” Damiano took my hand and led me to a field. I couldn’t contain my excitement when I saw it was an outdoor shooting range.

“Are you really going to teach me how to shoot?!” I exclaimed loudly. He smiled at my enthusiasm.

“I am. You need to learn from the best.” With a playful wink, he guided us towards a table where an assortment of weapons were displayed. “Do you remember what Arianna taught you?”

“I do.” I nodded. It was one of those unforgettable experiences, and I recalled everything as if Arianna had taught me just yesterday.

“Show me.” Damiano switched into boss mode, speaking firmly as he gestured to the gun with its magazine already out and bullets ready to be loaded.

I was a bit nervous, not because of the gun, but because Damiano was a literal professional, and I didn’t want to fuck up in front of him.

I grabbed the gun, loaded the magazine and pushed it in, took off the safety, slid the rack back, and rested my finger on the trigger guard.

“Good.” Damiano had watched intently at my every move before giving me an approving nod, and I couldn’t help but feel a little prideful about it. “Let’s see how you do.”

“Please, don’t make fun of me.” I said as we faced the human-shaped paper targets ahead. I felt a wave of nervousness with three pairs of eyes watching me, all of whom were incredibly skilled.

“I won’t make fun of you.” Damiano chuckled.

“I know you won’t.” I turned around and gave a warning glare to a certain person. “But Gio will.”

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