Page 43 of Seeds of Sorrow

“Perfect.”

After showing Peyton how to hold the gun, the next thing Hadina had to teach her newest pupil was the basics of a firearm. Peyton listened intently as Hadina taught her what each part was called, drawing particular attention to the thumb safety, which would prevent her from accidentally firing. Hadina was surprised at the speed at which Peyton picked up on the information, repeating the instructions with perfect understanding.

Peyton peered over Hadina’s arms when the Adis sister demonstrated how to load and unload the gun. Hadina hadn’t been as enthusiastic to learn or understand the mechanics of how weapons worked. The first time she’d been instructed to load a gun, tears had pricked at her eyes as she struggled to apply enough force to shove them in the magazine. Her father had barked at her to try again, and again, and again, until Hadina left in a puddle of tears with tender thumbs. Her mother had comforted her, wiping the girl’s cheeks and whispering, “You can try again tomorrow,mija,” as she ran her fingers through Hadina’s hair.

Even now, watching Peyton struggle with that same task brought that feeling of unwanted shame back into focus until it burned its way up Hadina’s throat. She wouldn’t allow Peyton to feel the way she had.

“Don’t be scared of it, Peyton.”

“I’m not scared,” Peyton replied, straightening her shoulders in indignation, even though the wobble in her voice betrayed her.

Hadina walked up behind her, placing her hands over Peyton’s trembling fingers. “You’re the one in control,” she said softly into Peyton’s ear. “All that anger burning inside you? Channel it. You will not be beaten by anything or anyone. You are Peyton Dimitra and you are in control.”

Her words had a significant effect, Peyton’s whole attitude changing as she steeled herself and pushed in bullet after bullet until the entire magazine was full. Hadina let her hands drop, though she remained behind the girl to whisper encouragement into her ear.

They ran through the basics for an hour and a half before Hadina finally gave in. “Ready to shoot?”

Peyton’s mouth slacked as she looked at Hadina, gauging whether the woman was serious or not. An excited squeal escaped before she could stop it, and Hadina had to force herself to keep a straight face. With her hair tied up in a ponytail and that eager expression on her face, Peyton was absolutely fucking adorable and it made Hadina feel an uncomfortable sense of endearment towards the girl.Hergirl.—well, she didn’t actually know what they were, but that was a thought for later.

Grabbing the gun and a pair of earmuffs from one of the cases, Hadina guided Peyton down towards the targets at the edge of the room. While they had practiced stances before, she demonstrated the correct position again and observed Peyton doing the same.

“Now, I know it’s exhilarating the first time, but you have to remember everything you just learned, okay?”

Peyton nodded, her ponytail swishing from side to side. Hadina handed her the gun, feeling a pull in her core as she watched Peyton adjust herself and take aim. Peyton looked over her shoulder at Hadina with a playful smile on her lips. “I think I need some guidance.”

“Dame fuerza, you will be the death of me,” Hadina mumbled in reply. Slotting herself behind Peyton, Hadina pressed into her back. “Okay. Hold your arms up like this,” she said, her fingertips trailing up Peyton’s sides until their hands met. She held her breath as Peyton shivered and pressed closer. “Whatever you do, don’t pull back, okay? You’ll hurt yourself. You need to hold strong against the recoil, even though it’s our natural instinct to pull away.”

She could hear the smile in Peyton’s voice as she said, “I don’t pull away easily.”

“That’s my girl,” Hadina whispered into her ear before she slipped the protectors over her ears and dropped her hands to Peyton’s waist. Nervous energy was swirling around Hadina’s body and she squeezed her fingers into Peyton, telling her pupil she could finally pull the trigger.

As the loudpopfilled the air, Hadina felt all her pent-up energy burst free to follow the path of the bullet. She was mystified by Peyton’s restraint, her heart tugging as she watched the girl hold the gun, in complete control of herself with confidence emanating in waves.

One thing was for sure: Hadina Adis had sorely underestimated Peyton Dimitra.

Chapter29

PEYTON

Her arms achedas she lowered the gun to her side, making sure to point it at the floor. She spun around to face Hadina, beaming from ear to ear. Surprisingly, the Adis sister was also smiling, her eyes tender when she gazed at Peyton’s excited expression.

“I did it!” Peyton said, though the earmuffs stopped her from regulating volume, which meant it came out as more of a yell.

Hadina’s brows furrowed, but she let out a laugh and removed the protectors for her. “Well done, Peyton.”

There was clear emotion in Hadina’s voice and it made tears burn at the back of Peyton’s eyes. She surged forward, locking lips with Hadina, who let out a sigh against her mouth. Peyton felt Hadina take the gun, freeing up her hands to cup Hadina’s cheeks and deepen their kiss. Adrenaline was flowing through her and she wanted to use it for pleasure, chasing the ultimate high that only Hadina could give her.

Sensing the shift, Hadina picked Peyton up, holding her by the ass as Peyton wrapped her legs around the other woman’s waist. Hadina walked them back to the table, depositing the gun with one hand before backing them against the mirrors, pinning Peyton in place.

“Seeing you shoot one of my guns drove me insane,” Hadina whispered, moving her lips to Peyton’s jaw. “I couldn’t stop thinking about how good you are with a weapon, how hard you made me come when you used mine against me. I want to torture you, Peyton, just like you torture me.”

Peyton’s breath hitched when she felt Hadina’s lips skim her throat, soft pressure and the light grazing of teeth against her tender skin. Hadina’s hair was like silk through her fingers as Peyton played with it, grappling with the desire to yank it back and fight for control. But this was what she liked, what shecraved—Hadina driving her insane and showing just how powerful she was.

“What do you have in mind?” Peyton asked breathlessly, struggling to form coherent words as Hadina gripped her ass tighter.

Pulling away from her neck, Hadina turned her gaze to the table. “You see that big one there? It’s an AR-15.”

Peyton balked at the huge, lethal-looking weapon. “Hadina, absolutely the fuck not!”

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