Chapter 16 #3
“I’m serious.”
“Oh, really?” he asks, clearly a skeptic. “Let’s see, then.”
Wordlessly, he goes to the remnants of the target and replaces it with a series of much smaller, far more intricate patterned plates.
“Show me.”
Harper nods, her demeanor unflustered, as Nikko explains the tasks that would challenge even the most seasoned marksman.
“First, you’ll hit the smallest target at the edge.
” It’s a fucking dot from here. “Then, no pausing, you’ll switch to the other targets I’ve set up.
These are designed and positioned to mimic unpredictable movements.
Real-life targets don’t have bullseyes painted on them. ”
She rolls her eyes which makes him clench his jaw, but she’s my wife, not his. He can fuck off.
“If you manage that, I’ve placed an explosive target at the farthest distance. You hit that and you’ll be rewarded with an explosion. And,” he says with a reluctant nod, “my respect.”
It’s a daunting challenge. Fuck knows I’d fail. My heart pounds with pride when she lifts her weapon and simply nods. “Got it.”
Got it?
Without hesitation, she shifts. Once again, it’s as if her body is fused with the gun, as if they’re one. She pulls the trigger. The bullets whiz through the air with a surgeon’s precision as she hits every goddamn target.
“Fuck,” Nikko mutters under his breath. “Kak ona eto uznaла?”
How did she learn this?
“Ona ne uchilas', ona prirozhdenyy talant.”
She didn’t learn it, she’s a natural, a savant.
I’m holding my breath when she gets to the explosive target. It’s so far away it seems like a mockery, but her determination is palpable.
She fires, the bullet a streak. There’s a moment of silence, then the clearing erupts with the sound of an explosion.
Nikko shakes his head. “Holy shit, Harper. Where did you learn to shoot?”
Her eyes twinkle. “Aleks taught me.”
I growl. “Harper,” I say, my voice tinged with amusement.
Nikko snorts.
“Can I use a different gun?” she asks. “I want to play around with them.”
Nikko gives me a sidelong glance.
I nod to her. “Yeah, baby. Pick your poison.”
She chooses another, Nikko’s custom Glock 19 with the silver slide and red-dot optic.
She licks her lips. When she takes her stance, Nikko’s eyes widen and he curses reverently. He sees what I see.
“Hit the pinecone at the very, very top,” I tell her. A lone pinecone hangs from a high branch of a distant white pine.
Nodding, she takes aim and shoots. The pinecone explodes and the pieces fall to the ground.
“Holy shit,” Nikko whispers.
“Yeah.” I start to laugh, shaking my head. “You’re the only one I’ve ever seen that can shoot like that, brother.”
“She’s too skilled for fucking target shooting,” Nikko says. “Forget that. I need to take her to The Hidden Mark.”
The Hidden Mark is a private, discreet place Kolya designed for us to practice.
Buoyed by Nikko’s acknowledgement and the thrill of mastering these challenges, it appears Harper’s ready to up the ante. Selecting a series of difficult targets, she calls them out. “Top left, purple target.”
Bang.
“Center right, target the size of my pinky toe.”
Whiz.
Each shot rings out with clarity, her laughter mingling with the sound of bullets finding their marks. She isn’t amused but buoyed by the knowledge that she’s found her personal super power.
“Look, you know you can’t teach someone this shit, right?” Nikko asks. “So don’t even entertain the thought that she pulled one over on you. Fuck. This is skill someone’s born with, brother.”
I nod. “I know.” I shake my head and laugh mirthlessly. “Her fucking father beat her for touching his gun and he didn’t even know what he had, right at his fucking fingertips.”
Nikko growls beside me. “I knew I hated the asshole.”
“Tell me about it.”
I watch as Harper continues to shoot. She doesn’t take a break. It’s gorgeous, like watching a skilled pianist’s fingers dance over the keys, or a figure skater’s seamless gliding on ice.
“Harper,” I call out, in both amusement and warning. “Remember the point is precision, not showing off. You’re still holding a fucking gun.”
But Harper only winks at me, a clear signal she has no intent of slowing down. She lines up a shot so far and so hard to reach, hitting it would be almost miraculous.
“Harper,” I say, taking a step toward her. “You’re only showing off now.”
“Oh, yeah?” she answers playfully. “Gonna do something about that?”
“Woman,” I warn. “Do you need me to remind you to be safe?”
She pauses and gives me a quick glance as if the words have finally cut through the thrill of the game. “Is that a promise, Aleks?”
She’s still wet with my come but it seems she needs my handprint on her ass to remind her. She fucking loves to defy me, the little brat.
Nikko chuckles beside me. “Oh, brother, you have your work cut out for you, don’t you?”
I groan, even as my chest swells. “You have no idea.” I give him a sharp look. “Keep this between us, Nikko. Mikhail will have to know soon, but for now, just us.”
Nikko nods. “I get it. You’ll outfit her?”
I nod. “Absolutely.”