Page 32 of Save Me

“Not bad,” the owner tells her. “Why don’t you give it another try? This time …” He raises his arm as if about to place it on her shoulder but pauses. He glances my way, then lowers his hand.

“Adjust your shoulders toward the target a little more and give it another go.”

This time, Kennedy’s aim is even better. If the target were a real person, they wouldn’t get up from those shots.

“Excellent job, Kennedy,” the owner says.

He looks my way. “Would you like to give it a shot?” He laughs as if he’s made the funniest joke in the world. “A little range humor.” He chuckles still.

“Why don’t you give us some alone time to practice?” I suggest, but anyone within hearing distance of my voice recognizes that it’s not a suggestion.

“Sure, sure.” He looks between Kennedy and me. “I’ll return in a bit. I need to check on the other ranges as well.”

I watch him leave and shut the door behind him. Slowly, I turn back to face Kennedy. She’s standing there with one hand on her hip, and the hand with the gun in it pointed at the floor.

She’s glaring at me.

Fuck all if she isn’t the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.

“You changed the reservation I made,” she accuses.

“A private space is better for this conversation, isn’t it?”

Her eyes narrow. I move closer, and though she does her best to hold onto her apparent anger, I don’t miss the vein in her neck that beats faster at my nearness.

“What game are you playing?”

“I quit playing games a long time ago.”

She turns her head from me and places the gun on the ledge before folding her arms across her chest.

“You’re really here to talk about Blackmon?”

That, among other things. “Yes.”

She stares down range, contemplatively. “You don’t trust him,” she says, turning back to me.

“I trust very few people.” I slide my hands into my pockets.

“Why don’t you trust him, specifically?”

“He’s cheap.”

She snorts. “You don’t like him because he stiffed you on a business dinner?” She rolls her eyes. “I’ll make sure to include that in my write up.”

“Make sure to include the bastard doesn’t like paying for quality. In any form.”

“What does that mean?”

“You can tell a lot about a person by how they’re willing and unwilling to spend money.”

“Money isn’t everything,” she counters.

“It’s not.” I shake my head in agreement. “But our values are displayed by what we spend money on. Agreed?”

She nods.

“Pissing off a dinner bill is one thing. Finding every possible manner to cut corners when it comes to your business, including when it comes to hiring qualified staff, the best quality products, and security, is a different beast.”

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