Chapter Twenty-Seven
Vandal
Demon Head Guns wasn’t loud the way a bar was loud.
It had a different kind of noise, the kind that was controlled and purposeful.
There was the muted thump of shots from the other side of the range alleys and the metallic clack of magazines being ejected.
The alleys inside were filled with the low murmur of men talking like they understood that sound carried, and the raucous roars of those who didn’t give a shit.
The second we stepped inside I felt Macy’s hand tighten around mine. She wasn’t panicked, not yet, just ready and bracing for the next step.
Her eyes tracked every detail from the display cases of handguns and rifles, the walls lined with ammo, the heavy range door in the back, the outdoor range just outside the large windows, and the cameras in the corners.
She noted it all. The people, the exits and the sounds. She wasn’t looking for trouble. She just wanted to make sure she recognized the shape of it in a place where the weapons were on display.
“You okay?” I asked.
She nodded too fast. “Yeah,” she sighed. “I’m fine.”
I smiled to myself because I knew her too damn well. That particular I’m fine meant she was keeping it to herself because she didn’t want to be a problem. “Figured you might want to get out of the clubhouse for a few hours. New walls and fresh air.”
The tension eased from her small frame just enough that she was able to let out a full breath. “I was starting to feel like a caged animal.”
“Yeah,” I muttered. “Me too. Lockdown is worse.”
She swallowed hard. “You mean that wasn’t lockdown?”
I shook my head, ready to explain the difference when a familiar voice called out.
“Look who finally came up for air.” Hades, one of our prospects, laughed, grinning when I shot him the finger. “Guess you decided to let off some steam?” His gaze flicked to Macy, at least three questions swimming in his eyes.
“Something like that,” I answered. “Got any open alleys? Private preferably.”
“Just one,” Maverick answered when he emerged from the back, cleaning his hands on an old red rag. “All the gear?”
“Yeah,” I nodded. My plan for the day was to make Macy feel better and if not better, maybe just a little safer.
Maverick and Hades worked together to get ear and eye protection, enough guns and ammo to get us through a couple hours. “Here you go. Have fun and be safe.”
“Thanks,” Macy said quietly and then followed me past all the occupied alleys until we made it to the last one.
It was private so she wouldn’t be distracted—or scared—by other people with guns being so close.
The heavy door shut behind us, and it was damn near silent.
She wrapped her arms around her waist and sighed heavily.
“Breathe, Mace. You’re in good hands, I promise.” I winked when she arched a brow my way.
“Didn’t realize that’s what we’re here for.”
I laughed, relaxing to see she wasn’t just a big fucking ball of fear. “You never know.”
She tightened her grip around her waist and looked around the room with wide, terrified eyes. “I think I might be too jumpy for a firearm.”
I laughed out loud at her blunt honesty. “Well that’s because you’re jumpy as fuck right now. You gotta get comfortable with it.”
“Oh, is that all?” she asked sarcastically.
“Yep. You won’t always be so jumpy and if you don’t believe now, that’s okay. I believe it enough for both of us.”
That earned me a small, reluctant smile. And an eyeroll. “Well if you’re just gonna use the fact that I trust you to make me trust you, what can I do?”
“Just keep trusting me. And listen to me,” I told her before I set a 9mm on the little shelf in front of us, along with a box of ammo. Nothing fancy. Reliable. Manageable.
Macy stared at it like it was a wild animal.
“Pick it up,” I instructed, nodding at the black metal.
Macy hesitated, debating whether or not she could do it.
“You can,” I told her, breaking through her doubts. “You can do it.”
She picked up the gun and placed it in her left palm, lowering and raising her hand while staring at the gun as if it might come to life. “It’s heavier than I expected.”
“That’s what everyone says. That weight lets you know it’s real.”
“It’s colder too.” She finally wrapped her fingers around it the right way, still testing the weight in her grip.
“Squeeze the trigger.”
Her jaw clenched and her gaze shot to mine. “Um, why?”
“That’s kind of the point, Mace. Squeeze it. Now.” She still didn’t. “There are no bullets in it. I promise.”
She nodded and slowly her grip tightened and her index finger found the trigger. “Just pull the trigger.”
“No, just squeeze the trigger.” I stepped behind her, close enough that my chest hovered near her back without applying pressure.
Close enough she could feel my support without my weight.
“Hold it out,” I said. “Two hands at first. Dominant hand high on the grip.” I showed her what I meant by placing her hands on the gun. “Yeah, just like that.”
“Okay, that’s not so bad.”
“Now, squeeze. Just get a feel for the movement and the sound.”
She nodded again and did as I said. Her shoulders tensed and relaxed afterward. “Okay.”
“Next up, we’ll do it with bullets in the gun.” She tried to pull away but I kept her there while I loaded the gun. “You have to get used to the sound and the recoil, Mace. Trust me.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “Okay Sarge, show me what to do.”
“I just did,” I whispered in her ear, letting my arms fall to her hips. “Do it.”
She nodded and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she lifted the gun.
“Arms loose,” she whispered to herself and tucked her finger around the trigger for several long seconds before she squeezed the trigger.
The sound ripped through the silent alley, and she let out a loud shriek. “Holy shit that was loud.”
“Again,” I encouraged, smiling each time because she was slowly but surely getting comfortable with it. “How do you feel?”
“Still terrified,” she admitted as she set the gun down. “But less terrified than ten minutes ago. But I did it.” Her eyes lit with pride I was sure matched my own.
“You did it. Now, let’s try to hit a few targets.”
She went stiff but nodded, so determined to push through the fear. “Yeah, okay. Let’s do it.”
“Keep it centered between the sights,” I instructed, resting one hand on her shoulders. “Put it on the target where you want the bullet to go.”
Her breathing picked up.
“Deep breath,” I said, voice lower. “Exhale as you squeeze.” I gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “You got this.”
She followed instructions to the letter, growing more comfortable with the weight of the gun in her hand and the sound of the shots. The bullet hit the paper each time after the first few shots, not the center, but it was a start. “Holy shit, Drew!” She spun around with a wide grin. “Wow.”
Her smile was so full, so happy I couldn’t help but steal a kiss.
I could tell the move shocked her, but she sank into me, gripping my shirt in one hand as if she couldn’t get enough of me.
When she moaned into my mouth, I pulled her closer so she could feel what she did to me.
“How do you feel?” I asked when I pulled back.
She nibbled her bottom lip, giving the question careful thought. “Like I’m a shitty shot still, but a more confident shitty shot?”
I laughed. “That’s good progress for day one. I just want you comfortable protecting yourself.”
She nodded. “I do feel better. Thank you.”
“You’ll get better with practice. Remember how terrible you were at shuffling cards?”
She threw her head back and laughed. “I shuffled that deck until my hands were stained with red ink, but I finally got it perfect.”
“Exactly.” I pressed a kiss to her temple.
“You’re the best,” she sighed and wrapped me in a hug.
“I really am,” I shot back with a smile. “Hungry?”
“I could eat.” She pulled back and smiled up at me. “A juicy burger sounds like heaven.”
“Come on, I know just the place.” We grabbed the gear and handed it back to Rebel and Hades.
“How’d it go?” Rebel asked Macy.
She shrugged. “I’m not terrified anymore but I’m not confident I could hit anything human-sized.”
He grinned. “Then just make sure you have a shit-ton of bullets. Statistically, all the shots can’t miss the target.”
She laughed. “Thanks for the tip.”
I took her hand and we left Demon Head Guns together. Headed to dinner like a real couple.
I liked that shit a lot.