Page 47 of The Bratva's Virgin Bride

“You knew I wanted to surprise you?”

“Anya let it slip.” I smile. “What did you buy to wear for me?”

“Maybe I'll show you tonight,” she teases.

I pour us each another glass of wine and prepare myself another pita.

Chapter 22 - Riley

I'm surprised it doesn't take more convincing to get Viktor to teach me self-defense. At first, I thought he wouldn't because we go through the week like normal, but when Saturday dawns, he shakes me awake slowly.

“Riley. Riley, get up.”

I sit up, confused. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing. Dress warmly and comfortably and meet me downstairs.” He's already dressed, and he looks so handsome. He's in grey track pants and a hoodie. I'm definitely having an influence on him. He's opting for more comfy clothes. I rise and get dressed, brushing my teeth and washing my face. Once I'm dressed, I go downstairs and see Viktor waiting for me in the entrance hall. I look at him sleepily.

“Come on, sleepy head, we're going out.”

“Where?” I ask.

“To the backyard,” he says with a smile.

I am confused. “The backyard? You woke me up this early to go to the backyard?”

“Yes, we need to get started early if we're going to make progress.”

“Progress on what?” I ask as I follow him out into the cool morning.

“With your aim.”

Thoroughly confused, I don't ask any more questions, trusting that he will reveal everything shortly. We walk into a large field. I look around and see some targets set up a few feet away.

“What are we doing?” I finally ask when he doesn't volunteer the information. He lifts his hoodie and pulls out a handgun.

“I'm going to teach you how to shoot.” He looks at me calmly. “Think you can do that?”

I nod. “I can.”

“Take the gun,” he holds it out. “It's heavier than it looks.”

He isn't kidding; it has a big weight to it. I take it in my hands and keep it pointed down. “Good, keep it pointed down so you don't accidentally shoot me,” he grins. He moves behind me and puts his arms around me. “Lift your arms and aim at the target. Keep both eyes open. A lot of people think closing one eye helps, but it actually throws you off. Keep your eyes on the target. Look down the barrel of the gun and line it up with the target and when you're ready, pull the trigger.”

I stand there for a moment, my hands shaking slightly. I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I can't help but shut my eyes as I pull the trigger.

“You need to keep your eyes open,” he says gently. He's so patient with me. He stands behind me, keeping his hands on mine. “I'm going to help you hold the gun. Keep your eyes open and pull the trigger, even if you miss the target.”

I keep my eyes open and slowly pull the trigger, blinking only once the gun goes off. I don't hit anything, but Viktor praises me. “Good, that's better. Do it again.”

We keep practicing until I can pull the trigger without shutting my eyes at all. Then Viktor starts to teach me how to aim. At first, I didn't hit the target. He reloads twice before I hit the edge of the target. Steadily, I get closer and closer until I finally hit the target in the head. I'm so excited I jump upand down and Viktor takes the gun from me. “Don't accidentally shoot yourself now.”

“Sorry,” I say. “I'm just so excited that I managed to shoot the target in the head.”

“Well done. We can move on to something else for now. I'm out of bullets.”

“What are we going to move on to?” I ask. He puts the gun down on a table nearby with his holster, then stands in front of me.

“Pressure points,” I say. “Let's say you don't have a gun and someone comes after you. You need to be able to get out of the situation. The best way to do that is to disable and run. Do you understand that? Disable and run. Don't hang around celebrating that you took someone down because they can get up again and you might not get another chance to get away.”

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