Page 72 of Ruthless Mafia Boss 3: Vino and Claire

“I’m obsessed with you, baby.”

She smiled against my lips. “Good. Because I’m obsessed with you, too. I’m glad we met.”

Then came the question I knew would eventually rise.

Her brows lifted as she said, “That reminds me, were you really at my studio for a modeling audition?”

I pecked her lips once more, then stepped over to the table, unloading the weapons one by one. “I saw you at a fashion show. And I had to find a way to meet you. So yeah, I showed up at your studio, and you thought I was auditioning. I went with it.”

A crooked smirk tugged at my lips, but inside, guilt churned like a storm.

It wasn’t a stretch. I knew everything about Claire, but I hated the thought of lying to her, of making myself seem like nothing more than a liar, which I wasn’t.

Her arms slipped around my waist from behind. “My sexy undercover underwear model,” she teased.

We both laughed, but my stomach twisted. Would she still be smiling after I told her the whole truth?

“Headphones and safety glasses,” I instructed, needing to shift the mood. “Time to train.”

She slipped them on without hesitation. “Okay, what’s the first thing I do?”

“Check the chamber. Always.”

“Empty,” she confirmed.

“Good.” I guided her into position, our hands overlapping as she raised the Glock. She pulled the trigger and knocked down the first can.

“That was good,” I stated.

“With your help,” she said, grinning.

I stepped back. “Now it’s all you.”

Her aim was decent. She nailed two out of five cans. Not bad for a beginner.

“It’s okay,” I reassured her. “We’ll keep practicing.”

And she did. Claire wasn’t a quitter. Her determination was fucking sexy. Eventually, one by one, the entire row of cans clattered to the ground.

She threw a hand in the air. “I did it!”

I clapped. “You crushed it. Time for the next weapon.”

After taking her safety precautions, Claire placed the Glock on the table. My heart swelled with pride.

“This,” I said, grabbing the AR-fifteen, “is my weapon of choice. Especially for long-range targets.”

I hit a button on the wooden post and metal targets popped up from the ground.

Claire’s eyes widened. “Oh my God. You have pop-up targets?”

I laughed as I raised the rifle and squeezed the trigger. Each bullet struck the target with precision heart, shoulder, head.

She blinked. “Okay... wow. You’re good.”

“Your turn,” I said as I placed the rifle in her hands. “Get ready for the kickback.”

I kept hold of her hands as she fired off several rounds. It was important that Claire learned to handle herself in any situation.

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