10. Harper
HARPER
This time we didn’t head for the mountain.
Instead, we passed through a village. I could tell we were in the eastern hemisphere by the style of the buildings and the open-air markets with vendors yelling about their goods in a language I didn’t recognize.
It was slow-going with more people on foot or riding bikes than cars.
Once we passed the village, Magnus pulled up to a large gated entrance, where he punched in a code that caused the keypad to blink green, followed by a buzz, and the gates started to roll back.
Pulling in, we headed down a paved driveway up to a group of low warehouse-type buildings.
The crack of gunshots going off told me this was clearly where the shooting range was, but the location even existing didn’t make much sense to me.
Magnus gripped my arm, pulling me back when I tried to get out.
“Harper, I need you to listen to me carefully. This compound is run by a well-known drug lord in this country. He doesn’t come down here, but this is where his men train, which means there are eyes and ears everywhere.
Don’t speak unless one of us gives you a sign it’s all right to talk. ”
“Why the hell are we even here if it’s that dangerous?” I demanded, narrowing my eyes. “It doesn’t make much sense to bring someone who’s in hiding right to the enemy.”
“Tigo has no interest in anything but dealing his drugs. He keeps his nose out of other people’s business unless they put themselves in his,” Jaxson interjected.
“We have access to this place because we’ve done a few jobs for him, and it was part of our payment.
These men know who we are and what we do for a living.
They won’t mess with you, and if they do, then they deserve what’s coming. ”
Blowing out a breath, I slumped in my seat. “I’m never going to have a normal life again, am I? Between you three and Dax, I’m getting a trial by fire into this whole criminal underbelly going on in our world.”
“It might be best to consider that your old life is over, and something far more exciting is just beginning,” Ghost offered as he pulled my door open, holding out a hand to me.
Taking it, I let him pull me from the safety of the Jeep. “There wasn’t another place we could have gone to do some shooting?”
“There might have been, but while we are here, we can gather information and teach you in a high-tech facility. Tigo doesn’t skimp when it comes to his men’s training or fitness,” Ghost commented, intertwining our fingers, tugging me along.
“Trust me, once we get settled in a lane and get down to business, you’ll forget about where we are. ”
Magnus entered another code at the door before it would open.
It was dimly lit inside after being out in the bright sunlight, making me feel almost blind until my eyes adjusted.
Ghost led the way out of what looked like the main gym area with every piece of workout equipment you could possibly need.
Down a hall to the left, we entered through another door, and I was assaulted by the sound of guns going off.
I flinched back, slamming into Jaxson’s chest, catching him off guard. “Whoa, easy there, gorgeous. Mag, hand over her ear muffs. We should have already had her wearing them before we walked in.”
Magnus dug into the duffle bag, producing a pair of powder blue ear coverings and handed them over to me. I put them on, and the sound deadened to something far more manageable. He handed the others theirs as well before we continued deeper into the room.
The room was massive, with twenty or so stalls for people to stand in and shoot, and it went so far back I didn’t know how anyone could see their target.
Groups of men filled the first five stalls or so, but Magnus led us to the last one, putting plenty of room between them and us.
I noticed handguns, rifles, and even a machine gun or two being used.
Men laughed and jostled each other while some were drinking beer as they watched their friends shoot.
“Should they be allowed to drink and shoot?” I yelled, not sure if Ghost could hear me or not.
A hand slammed over my mouth, and Magnus shook his head, placing a finger on his lips to remind me to be silent before dropping his hand.
Obviously, what I asked wasn’t appropriate, so I decided to stick my tongue out at him instead for good measure.
I saw a flash of something primal in his gaze at my retaliation, and it made me pull my tongue in quickly, unsure of what he would do next.
Crisis averted, the guys started to set up everything they brought with them, loading various guns and setting them aside. Jaxson walked up to me, slipping on a pair of clear safety glasses and giving me a wink. “Pretty damn sure you look sexy in just about anything, Harpster.”
Rolling my eyes, I took a seat in the folding chair outside the little cubicle giving them space to do what they needed.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught movement and turned to see a man approaching us.
He was an attractive man of Asian descent, wearing a pair of bright white pants with a brightly patterned cloth wrap over them, so they peeked through as he walked.
His shirt was tailored to perfection on his body, showing how muscular he was.
His chocolate-colored eyes were pinned on me as he approached, barely acknowledging the triplets were there.
When he was a foot away from me, he stopped and bowed, then motioned for me to remove my ear muffs.
I did so, glancing at the triplets who were frozen, watching the man standing before me with oddly blank faces.
“It is not every day that such a beautiful woman comes to my compound. I couldn’t pass up the chance to introduce myself. I am Tigo Renshu,” Tigo greeted, reaching out for my hand, which I gave him, and kissed the back of it. “Might I know the reason for honoring my humble facility today?”
I gulped, trying to come up with something to say that would be a good answer and knowing this man was the drug lord of this region. “Ah, well, I came to learn how to shoot and defend myself better.”
“Wise of you to take such action,” Tigo agreed, nodding his head and releasing my hand.
“So it would be safe to assume you’ve found yourself in some trouble, yes?
I won’t ask why you are here with them, but I would caution you that you should choose your friends more carefully,” Tigo commented, clasping his hands behind his back, staring down at me. “Do you know what they are?”
Even though he wasn’t the biggest or tallest man I’d ever met, he had an energy about him that told me not to upset him. “Yes.”
“Tigo,” Jaxson cut in and stepped in front of me, cutting off the drug lord’s line of sight. “What brought you down here today? I hardly ever see you rubbing elbows with your trainees. Something must be up.”
“Jax, don’t pretend not to know there isn’t an upheaval in the world of crime.
Some of the biggest players have a war brewing between them, and everyone is taking note.
Depending on how things go, everything could change in our way of life, and I plan to ensure my business isn’t too greatly affected,” Tigo responded.
“You are welcome to be here, but I don’t want whatever trouble you’re already involved in to come knocking at my doorstep.
If that should happen, I won’t take too kindly to it. Am I clear? “
“That is the last thing we want ourselves,” Jax assured him. “All we want is to give our woman a few lessons.”
Tigo searched Jaxson’s face and grunted his agreement before stepping around him to address me.
“I hope, for your sake, you learn quickly. This is not a place for a doe-eyed innocent, no matter who has your back. That kind of blood in the air will draw the lions to you whether you want it to or not.” With another bow of his head, he turned on his heel and left, only pausing to speak to his men before exiting the building.
My hands were shaking so much, I clasped them together, trying to keep the others from seeing it. While Tigo hadn’t threatened me, he made it clear that I was in danger just being around these men.
The guys had done a good job at getting me to ignore what was happening around us, distracting me with orgasms and crazy adventures.
In the back of my brain, I’d known all of this was dangerous, but when it walks up and confronts you, it’s hard to ignore.
Now, this adventure had led me straight to the lion’s den, and I’d been caught.
“Harper,” Magnus snapped, pulling me from my panic to see him kneeling in front of me.
His hands were on my thighs, and my guess would be it wasn’t the first time he’d called my name.
“Focus on me, doll. Nothing is going to happen to you. Tigo was trying to scare you, but he has no idea what he’s talking about when it comes to you.
There is no chance in hell we will ever place you in a dangerous situation.
We should have been prepared for him to be around, and that’s on us, but he knows better than to fuck with what’s ours. ”
“He’s not wrong, though,” I murmured, dropping my gaze to pick at my fingers. “I’m not made for this world. I’m prey pretending to be something I’m not.”
Magnus gripped my chin, forcing me to look at him. “Even a mouse cornered will still bite. We want to teach you how to make the most out of that bite so they leave you alone until we can get to you.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to put me someplace out of the way where I can stay hidden?” I questioned, playing Tigo’s words over in my head. “If there really is a war brewing, it will cause more trouble for you to keep worrying about me.”
He frowned, picked me up to take a seat on the chair, and flipped me to straddle his legs facing him, our noses almost touching. “Do you know who he was talking about when he mentioned that?”
I shook my head as I placed my hands on his chest, pushing him back to give me a little more room.