Page 58 of Dangerous Love

I smirked, but inside, sadness filled me. I’d taken so much for granted in the last couple of years. I’d forgotten where I came from, and I’d forgotten to stay humble. The wake-up call slapped me hard. “Christmas order on the way. You wait.”

He winked at me, his lips curled. “Awesome. Don’t forget to make sure it has those fancy frothing bits.”

As soon as the boiling water hit the brown granules, the soothing smell filled the room and I inhaled the aroma, my hands holding the mug like it contained the answers to all my existential questions.

“All right. So, I found out about Dad’s gathering on Wednesday.”

I cocked a brow. “Do tell.”

“He’s hoping to merge with another club from New South Wales; it’s a way of making the Cooper clan appear as though we’re top dogs and all.”

There weren’t that many other clubs with my father’s resources. None that I was aware of anyway. It had to be big, or it had to hide some other motive. “Which club?”

“The Snakes. Kingscliff branch.”

“Shit.”

“Right? They’re all a bunch of corrupt cops.”

This was bad news. If my father added law enforcement to his arsenal, we might as well pack up and leave the country. “Why would he risk us being there? I can’t even begin to stomach all that could go wrong with that scenario.”

Trey blew on his drink before he took a small sip of the brown liquid. “If I’m gonna make an educated guess, I’m gonna say he wants us to know, and he wants us to be swayed into joining the good fight.”

“Well, now we know. So, what’s the plan?”

He took another gulp, this time slurping so hard the whole kitchen squealed with him. “Don’t know yet. One step at a time. I have to think about it.”

“Great,” I deadpanned. “Vote of confidence all the way.”

“Shut up,” he said, before he slapped the top of my head. “I’m still your older brother.” He tossed the spoon in the sink behind him. “And today, I’m teaching you to shoot.”

My mouth opened. “As in?”

“As in, I’d rather you cleaned out whoever the fuck comes for us, than end up shooting me by accident. Get your shit ready. We’re driving to Beaudesert for the day.”

There was a shooting range in Beaudesert I’d visited a couple of times. I’d grown up with weapons of all kinds, but I hadn’t used any since I’d been under Jarryd’s wing. I’d probably still be able to shoot someone close, but from a distance, I couldn’t vouch for how perfect my aim would be.

It took about an hour for us to get to the range. Not unlike the last time I was there, the place was deserted as soon as we turned up. The Cooper crest on Trey’s forearm had a tendency of keeping the good folks quiet. No one asked questions these days. Being called a Cooper at birth was as creepy as a newborn being named Satan.

Trees and bushes gave shade to the place, but it wasn’t enough to keep the humidity close to enjoyable. I wiped the sweat dripping off me with the back of my hand, a hard grip reaching out and steadying the Glock in my closed palm.

“Focus, Riley. You should hear nothing but the sound of the bullet begging to come out.”

I squared my legs, putting my weight on the feet holding me upright, my body turned sideways as I faced the painted silhouettes in the distance. I pictured all of my father’s enforcers, my head creating scenes with Sienna on that goddamn bed. When my mind pictured her eyes shut as she waited for him to touch her, I pressed the trigger, the recoil not enough to make me lose my grip as I blew through the imaginary head.

“Fucking hell.” Trey whistled as he brought the cardboard closer. “It’s a perfect shot, little brother.”

I smiled, my aim impressing even me. “I didn’t think I’d remember.”

Trey scoffed. “Why the fuck not? It’s like riding a bike.”

“Except in our case, it’s being taught to hold a gun at ten.” I reloaded my chamber, ready to go again.

“Exactly. No biggie,” Trey teased as he loaded his own. Unlike me, he didn’t hesitate. And within thirty seconds, he’d emptied his entire magazine into the target, the bullseye now a massive black hole.

“Jesus.” My pupils widened as I ran my finger over the circular punctures. “You’re good.”

He grinned. “I am, aren’t I?”

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