Page 72 of Two Chambered Heart

“What knives?” Corey piped in, looking very interested.

“The throwing knives over there,” Kayden said, pointing to the wooden target on the wall and the black metal stand holding rows of throwing knives.

“Yes, please!” She turned to Kayden. “Can I try?”

She was so excited about the prospect that she didn’t even notice that she was asking permission, something she usually failed to do. He bit his lip and nodded his head, gesturing to the knife stand.

“Right, that was not the point of my comment.” Jason sighed. “You’re going to teach her how to kill us.”

“I’ve had plenty of opportunity for that already, and yet here you guys are,” she said amusedly over her shoulder.

Kayden gave Jason a look like she had a point, and Jason rolled his eyes.

She took a few knives from the stand and positioned herself a good distance from the target.

“Do the knives move like darts? We had a dartboard at the bar. I’m pretty good at it.”

“Knives aren’t a game,” Jason commented.

“Oh, so you’re not just throwing these at that human shape over there to score points? My bad,” she said sarcastically.

“Your thumb should be on one side and your index finger along the spine,” Kayden instructed. “You want to actually bring the knife backover your shoulder and then forward. Release it when your arm is fully extended. The wrist flick gets the knife spinning, which you wouldn’t want in a dart. The amount of spin will depend on your distance from the target. Closer throws need less spin, while further throws require more. From where you’re standing, you’ll need less. Aim for the throat.”

Without hesitation, Corey held the knife as directed, pulled her arm back, and flung it at the target. The knife embedded itself hard in the wooden target, in what would be the forehead of the human form. Her eyes widened before she jumped up and down in glee.

“What are you so thrilled about?” Jason scowled. “You missed the neck.”

She turned to him, eyes flashing. “Well, I think the head is just as effective.”

“The knife embedded because you’re throwing at soft wood. You’d need a lot more force for a knife to pierce bone and get to the brain. With a shot like that, you’d just be wasting a knife and time, and only make your target angry. Head wounds bleed like crazy, but they’re rarely deadly. So no, the head is not just as effective. If you’re aiming to kill, aim for the throat.”

Corey frowned at Jason’s explanation, realizing the truth in it. She sighed, some of her excitement fizzling out, and handed him the other two knives she had taken.

“Show me how it’s done, then.”

Jason smirked and took the knives from her. Kayden saw their knuckles brush in the exchange and heat creeping up Corey’s cheeks before Jason pulled his hand away quickly. Kayden knew Jason had a low threshold to tolerate touch, especially from hands. Losing their bodily autonomy and being continuously violated had left deep scars on their psyches. Kayden’s trauma went the opposite way—he needed touch, craved it —while Jason couldn’t stand it. It was part of the reason Jase had gotten into rope play and bondage. Restraining a woman’s hands was one of the first things he did in the bedroom. There were other reasons Jason preferred ropes, though. Like Kayden’s preference for asphyxiation, it was multifaceted.

In rapid succession, Jason threw the two knives, each one landing where the eyes would be.

Corey looked impressed, then quickly turned on him. “You missed the throat!”

“I don’t always aim to kill. Kay, we need to leave soon if you want to join… or I can go myself.”

“Absolutely not, Jase. We talked about this.”

“I know.”

“Let me shower quick.” Kayden was not letting him do another transaction alone. It wasn’t safe, and it caused him far too much stress waiting to hear what’d happened. If anything happened and he wasn’t there, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself. “Corey, you’re going to be alone for the afternoon.”

She shrugged. “That’s fine. I’m going to keep practicing with the knives.”

Kayden did not like the sound of that. It seemed like Jason didn’t either, because he said, “No. No way. We’re locking this room.”

“What, why?” Corey’s anger sparked.

“Because those are throwing knives, and in case you didn’t realize, they are extremely pointy and dangerous. You cannot be left in here unsupervised, throwing those around.”

“Careful, Jason. It almost sounds like you’re concerned for my wellbeing.”

---