Page 67 of Savage Desires

I unload the duffle on the table, matching guns with clips and ammo. I go through every weapon with her, showing her how to turn safeties on and off and how to reload everything from a revolver to an AK-47 and shotgun. I tell her how to troubleshoot basic things that can go wrong with the various guns. She watches and listens carefully, asking pertinent questions for clarification. I'm impressed by how quickly she picks things up. I have her load and unload each firearm multiple times, making sure she's comfortable with handling all of them before I hand her safety glasses and ear protection.

CHAPTER TWENTY

WILLOW

Kisten spends over an hour teaching me everything about the guns he brought. I thought I would be more intimidated by them, but apparently, running for my life through the woods and shooting a man rid me of any of that. It's a good thing because Kisten is determined that I am comfortable handling every possible style of firearm I come across.

I asked why he was teaching me so much when I only needed to know how to point and shoot. He told me I needed to be prepared. I laughed and asked if he was preparing me for war. He looked at me with a straight, serious face and said, "Absolutely," then continued teaching me.

I was beyond excited to shoot when he finally finished that part of my lesson.

I'm practically vibrating with excitement when he hands me my safety glasses and earmuffs. He moves the first gun and the ammo that goes with it to the table at the head of one of the lanes. There's a paper with the silhouette of a man that seems way too far away. Surely, that's like sharpshooter distance…

Kisten pushes a button on the table, and the paper man moves forward until it's more like ten yards away instead of twenty-five. I feel better about my likelihood of hitting the paper with it closer. I'm not an idiot; the fact that I actually shot the man in that chest was a freaking miracle. I don't know if I could've done it twice, so I'm darn glad I didn't have to test that.

"Okay, beauty, time to shoot."

I'm not really sure how I'm supposed to stand. He showed me how to hold the various guns but not how I should stand and position my body. I carefully pick up the gun, making sure to keep my finger away from the trigger. I try to mimic what I've seen in movies; I stand with my feet shoulder-width apart and hold the gun out in front of me.

Kisten moves in behind me and grips my hips. "Bend your knees a little. You don't want to be too stiff." I do as he instructs. "Good. Now, raise your arms and aim at the target. Keep both eyes open. Line up the sights until you see where you want your bullet to go. Aim for the chest. It's the biggest target; even if it's not fatal, it will drastically slow someone down. When you're ready, lightly squeeze the trigger."

I don't like the idea of only slowing someone down. Slowing them down just means they still have time to come after me or someone else. No, I want to shoot to kill every time. I aim my sights and squeeze the trigger. Even with the earmuffs, the bang is loud enough to startle me. When Kisten told me about recoil, I was a little worried because my arm strength sucks compared to what it used to be, but I had no trouble handling the slight kickback.

I don't even look at the target to see if I hit it because of Kisten's cursing, and I'm worried I did something wrong. I set the gun down and look at him. "Did I do it wrong? Am I lost cause?"

He shakes his head, rubbing his palm down his face. "What were you aiming at, beauty?"

"Um… his head?" I reply, but it sounds more like a question.

"Why not his chest like I instructed?"

"Well, if you're preparing me for war, I need to make sure every shot is as lethal as possible. Headshots are the most expedient way to kill someone."

I can't read his expression.

"Are you mad?" I ask quietly.

He laughs. "Fuck no." He pushes the button, bringing the paper target towards us. There is a perfect hole smack dab in the middle of its forehead. "I needed to know where you were aiming because if you were going for his chest, you were way off the mark."

He pulls the paper off the holder and hands it to me. "Think we should keep this. Now, let's see if that was beginners' luck or if you're a fucking natural."

He puts another target up and sends it back to where the first one was. I correct my stance and lift the gun. I line up the sights again and squeeze the trigger. The bang doesn't startle me so much this time. I look at the target and see another perfect headshot.

“Again,” Kisten orders.

I shoot again and again until it clicks empty. Kisten brings the second paper forward, and the top part of the head is completely gone. I bite my lip, waiting for his reaction. I'm excited that I just shot a gun for the second time in my life and didn't miss once, but he's quiet, and I'm getting nervous.

"Interesting." Is all he says, making me even more nervous.

"What? I did good, right?"

"It's impressive, beauty. Are you sure you've never shot before?"

"Never…"

"We're going to change it up. I want you to cycle through the other nine millimeters and the revolver."

"Okay," I agree. I'm excited to see if my good aim is just a fluke or something else.

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