Page 24 of Crossroads of Betrayal
He stayed close behind her, his pulse quickening when he stepped into the shooting range. Concrete lined the floor and dark stalls separated the aisles. A paper target hung at the end of each lane.
“Do you want to fill the chamber?”
He licked his suddenly dry lips. “Uhh, you can.”
She shot him a questioning look. “You okay? You don’t have to do this. It was just a suggestion.”
“No, it’s a good idea. I want to at least try. Do things that scare me, right?”
She smirked then laid the gun on the waist-high platform that separated each shooter from the wide-open space where bullets would soon fly. “Right.” She readied the weapon then set it down on the stand before taking a step back and handing him ear protection. “It’s all yours.”
He took her spot and placed the headphones over his ears. A weird whooshing sound muffled his hearing, reminding him of the time he’d tried to listen to the ocean in a seashell. He reached for the gun and knocked two stray bullets on the ground. Bending down, he scooped them up and shoved them in his pocket. He slid his palm over the cool metal of the gun before gripping it in his hand. The gun was light, but the pain in his shoulder tripled with its presence. But he couldn’t let it stop him. Couldn’t fall victim to fear and uncertainty.
Blowing out a long breath, he readied the weapon and widened his stance. He lifted the gun and stared at the white outline of a torso on black paper. He was a damn good shot, but right now, he’d be happy just to hit the paper. He steadied his finger on the trigger, aimed, and took the shot.
The bullet blasted from the gun, vibrating his arms and ringing his ear drums. His heart slammed against his chest and his shoulder felt heavy. He swayed to the side, struggling to keep his focus. Keep his mindset on the task at hand.
Grace stood behind him. The heat of her body covered him and she plastered her arm over his, her fingers aiding him in steadying the gun. “I got you,” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper through the thick headphones covering his ears.
The tension in his body melted away and fear fled his system. Words escaped him, so he nodded, indicating he’d heard her. That in this moment, he trusted her.
Together, they squeezed the trigger. The weapon sounded. The bullet flew forward and tore through the paper…right through the heart.
CHAPTERTEN
Fire exploded in Grace’s core, and she dropped her arm…backing away from Zeke and the reaction his nearness ignited inside her. Damnit, what was wrong with her? Being close to Zeke had always driven her to the brink of insanity. So why had she thought it was a good idea to stand so close and wrap her arm around his?
Easy. Because she’d seen the fight on his face as he struggled to keep his composure. A fight she hadn’t wanted him to battle alone.
Zeke lowered his arm and rested the gun on the little stand in front of him. His breathing was hard and ragged. He pivoted and his chest brushed against hers.
She should take a step back. Should put space between them so she could force her heartrate to slow. But a magnetic force kept her near him, generating a buzz of electricity. She rested her hand on the crook of his arm and got caught in his heady stare—so many questions left unspoken between them.
“Grace…” he said her name like the answer to a prayer.
A crack splintered the walls around her heart. She wanted to lean forward, lift up on her toes, and throw away all the bullshit holding her back. To ask him to forgive and forget and move forward together. If not as a couple, at least as friends who understood each other’s scars.
She opened her mouth, unsure of what would come out as words and emotions and doubts fought for top billing in her mind.
A clattering sounded from the adjacent room as if marbles had been dropped on the floor.
She jumped back, the spell broken.
Ruby stood at attention beside her, ears pinned back to her head.
Frowning, Zeke cleared his throat. “What was that?”
Apprehension tingled her spine. No one was supposed to be here, and she’d made sure her schedule remained clear the rest of the day. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”
Striding away, a coldness swept over her with each step.
Zeke’s footsteps echoed behind her, giving her the confidence she needed to banish the lingering bits of nervousness about what had interrupted their moment. Hell, she was grateful for the distraction. She’d been seconds away from doing something incredibly foolish.
She entered the attached room where she kept the guns and ammunition locked and hesitated in the doorway. One of the black lockers was cracked open and a box of bullets was upside down on the floor—the ammo sprinkled around the tile.
Her steps faltered. “Someone was in here.”
Ruby stuck her nose to the ground and sniffed as she meandered around the room.
