Chapter 12
Zhen
Reaching the weekend meant sniper practice time! Kris had been whining this week about how she didn’t want to get rusty, although she’d used her skills on the last hunt. To devastating effect because damn, it had been a good shot.
Seriously, one of the best things I’d ever done was arrange for sniper lessons. Kris possessed a natural talent. And after spending the morning meeting Jasha’s adorable familiar, which included endless pictures and squealing over loveable kitties, we headed outside of town to Uncle Ty’s range.
What I hadn’t expected were passengers. Especially Charlotte.
But there she be, dolled up and sitting in the back seat.
Kris had mentioned last night before bed something about Charlotte learning how to shoot a gun.
It had sounded like common sense when my wife originally said it.
I mean, I might be the wrong target audience to ask, but knowing your way around a weapon was a good life skill in general.
But I suspected Charlotte wasn’t keen on guns so much as she was on Jo Jo.
Why, you ask?
Well, after mentioning at breakfast Charlotte would be joining us, I now also had a Jo Jo in my back seat for “sniper practice,” which was fucking bullshit.
He was an incredibly good shot already. He could probably teach me tricks.
In fact, he should be working on a curse, but he’d sold me on this jetlag nonsense from his last case and how he just wanted one day to relax before tackling the sword.
Since he’d have to stay up with it for hours, it had all sounded oh-so-reasonable at the time.
Turned out he was more interested in my sister-in-law than working.
I’d accidentally overheard a few flirty exchanges between the two during the meeting yesterday and had felt like I’d entered a parallel universe.
I’d never in my life seen Jo Jo flirt so hard.
It was kinda an experience, let me tell ya.
But I’d thought it would be, like, a one-time thing, not lead to whatever was currently happening in the back seat.
Jo Jo actually asked her, “So…do I look better in person or in pictures?”
“…in theory…”
“I’m wounded, Charlotte!”
“I’m kidding!” In the rearview mirror, I saw her lean in closer to him, freshly painted nails on his thigh, voice all teasing. “You’re very cute in person.”
I caught Kris’s eye as I rolled up to a stop sign, not sure how she felt about this development.
But Kris was hiding a smile behind her hand, clearly amused and on board.
Dare I say my devious, matchmaking wife might even be the orchestrator?
In that case, phew. I wouldn’t be forced to bury my best friend in the backyard. Good to know, good to know.
At the rate the two were flirting, I gave it until maybe end of day before one of them asked the other on a date.
They reminded me of Kris and I when we’d first met.
Which made me happy, if their relationship panned out the same way—sans forced bond, of course.
Jo Jo had been unhappy about his single state, wanting to settle down.
Kris had made an offhand comment the other night about Charlotte being open to dating but wary about how to avoid another asshole cheater.
How Charlotte wanted someone to show her what a healthy relationship actually looked like.
At the time I’d nodded my head and thought nothing more.
Had she been dropping me a hint?
I knew Jo Jo, the core of his character, and in my opinion, Charlotte couldn’t pick a better man.
Jo Jo had always been drawn to the more outgoing type, which I believed a former high society socialite would classify as.
So long as they found common ground and Jo Jo didn’t mind Charlotte’s Type-A personality, I reckoned they’d work out fine.
And while she’d done well so far, I hoped Charlotte would fully adapt to spookems like Kris had. Otherwise, this life was going to be a difficult road for her, as she was now surrounded by all things bump in the night.
We finally reached Uncle Ty’s property and pulled off the main road onto his gravel driveway.
I considered it the perfect day for shooting things, but I normally thought so.
Today, though, the weather was perfect, as we were finally seeing dips in temperature.
Not hot or stupidly humid, barely a breeze to contend with. Fall weather was the best.
Upon reaching the range, I stopped the car and stayed put for a second.
Uncle Ty had been setting up until he realized we were here.
He seemed to have dressed up a little. His jeans had no holes in them, his blue T-shirt didn’t have a thousand paint stains on it, and he’d actually cut his dark red hair and trimmed his beard at some point. Who was he trying to impress?
He came closer to the Volvo, smile teasing as he called out to us. “You kept me waiting. What, you feel in charge?”
“By the hour?” I gave him a coy bat of the eyes.
He laughed, his sense of humor as gutter-spelunking as mine. For that matter, my car audience snickered.
“Uncle Ty, I bring you a new student.”
His gaze turned toward the back seat. “I see that. What’s Jo Jo for, target practice?”
“I haven’t seen you in almost a year and you pick on me?” Jo Jo whined.
Uncle Ty cackled. He’s one of the worst teasers in the family, for sure.
We all unloaded, Kris getting a hug in because she and Uncle Ty were buddies now.
“How are you, Uncle Ty?”
“Aw, bless you, hon, I’m just up to sweet tea shenanigans.
Charlotte, good to meet you. Smart of ya to think of training.
Kris texted me last night about you joining, and I’ve got you on a simple, easy gun today, something that should fit in your palm nicely.
Ladies like the Walther P22. It fits in a purse but gets the job done.
We’re all family around here, so don’t be shy, and ask as many questions as you need. Y’all come this way.”
Kris knew what she was doing and set up in her usual spot.
She’d been taught sitting first, as any sniper could tell you stability of the body was key in getting the aim perfect.
Today, she was working on her prone position, which she wasn’t used to yet.
In the fight against the Lizard Man, she had struggled to get situated enough to fire a shot.
I’d mostly come along for moral support and to ask a few questions of Uncle Ty. I knew how to snipe, but it wasn’t my specialty. I usually had a Jake or a Jo Jo to take up defensive positions. I didn’t know what else Kris might need equipment-wise, and I wanted to chat with him about it.
Uncle Ty focused on Charlotte first, laying down the ground rules of handling a loaded weapon, the responsibility that came with aiming at a target, followed by instructions for the parts and quirks of her specific weapon.
Satisfied she’d retained the importance of gun safety, he turned her over to Jo Jo, who’d given up his rouse of training, and helped guide Charlotte through loading and unloading the gun.
Me? I took advantage while the other three were distracted and cozied up next to Kris on the ground. She was unloading the gun but paused when I hooked my chin over her shoulder, arm slung over her waist.
“And what are you up to?”
“Cuddles.”
I felt her huff of amusement. “Explain to me again why me handling weapons is such a turn-on for you?”
“I like my women dangerous.” I grinned, pleased my flirting was accepted. Kris was more amused than anything.
“So the better shot I become, the sexier I get?”
“Somehow, yes. I didn’t know you could get sexier, but I do stand corrected.”
She turned her head, caught my chin with her fingers, and kissed my cheek. “Compliment accepted. But move back a few feet.”
“Why?”
“Because I can’t concentrate with you plastered to my back.”
“Ooh, am I making you want to do a different fun thing?”
She shot me an exasperated look. “If you know, back up.”
I felt smug to have my sexiness validated. Grinning, I stood up and took two large, exaggerated steps backward.
“Now,” Kris ordered with a stern finger from her prone position, “stay.”
“Awww!”
“You behave now, you get a reward later.”
I was not a simp for my wife. It was called strategic maneuverings. That was my story and I was sticking to it.
I should probably let her focus, though. Shooting was the whole reason we’d come out here.
Uncle Ty came back to me and muttered, “Seems Jo Jo’s found someone he’s interested in. More importantly, the feeling seems to go both ways.”
“At first I thought I was seeing things, but I hope it works out for them. They’re both important to me and Kris.”
“Yeah, subtle don’t seem to be a word they know. Well, let me check in on Kris.”
In the twenty minutes Uncle Ty had spent with Charlotte, Kris had finished getting situated and getting a feel for the target’s distance of about three hundred yards.
Uncle Ty observed her for a few shots, gave her some pointers, and corrected the position of her firing side elbow as well as the placement of her head.
He adjusted the scope before letting her fire a few more rounds.
He seemed to think she only needed practice at this point.
I pulled him aside while Kris practiced the new elbow placement, copying down a few supplies he recommended Kris might need.
List made, I sat down a few feet behind her in the shade of the overhang roof.
I watched in admiration as Kris put one bullet into the target after another.
Her shots were a bit scattered, but she was getting closer and closer to a grouping.
Uncle Ty was right, she only needed more practice in this new position.