I saluted him. “Yes, drill sergeant.”
After we both got dressed, I followed Enzo out the back door of the cabin. He led me into the trees to a small clearing, where three thick tree trunks had been painted with faded red targets.
Enzo had a duffel bag with several guns and magazines with ammunition. “Jesus, you have enough for a small army in there,” I commented after he knelt down and opened the bag.
He scoffed. “This is nothing. I have more than this hidden around the house and property.”
My eyes widened, but I didn’t say anything as I watched him load one of the magazines into a small pistol like the ones I always saw my dad and his bodyguards carry.
“This is probably the easiest option for you to use. Less recoil and easier to shoot,” Enzo said as he stood. “Good for close and medium range.”
Turning, he aimed at the middle tree. “Make sure you’re holding it with both hands. Keep your eyes on the target, point, and shoot.”
The gun fired, and I startled, letting out a small yelp. Enzo glanced over his shoulder at me, giving me his teasing smirk. “You okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah, just wasn’t expecting it.”
Enzo chuckled. “I wouldn’t think that you would be anxious around guns. Weren’t you exposed to them around your dad?”
“A little. Dad tried to shield me as much as possible. I saw them around the house sometimes but he never taught me how to use one. Even though my dad is intimidating, he usually triesto keep the peace if possible. And he didn’t like to do business around me. He saved that for my brothers.”
Enzo nodded, then handed me the gun. I carefully took it from him, afraid it might accidentally go off.
I could tell Enzo was fighting a laugh as he pulled another of the same gun out of his bag. “Like this,” he stated, modeling how to hold the weapon.
I tried to copy how his hands were placed, but it felt so unnatural and weird. You could definitely tell I’d never used a gun before.
Enzo chuckled and holstered his weapon in the back of his jeans. “Here, let me show you.”
As he stepped behind me and placed his arms around the outside of mine, I tensed. We’d never been this close before, and I could feel his breath on the back of my neck “Relax,” he said softly, almost murmuring.
His hands came over mine, and he adjusted my hold. After he did, the grip still felt odd, but not as unnatural as before. “Now point and shoot.”
Rolling my eyes, I scoffed. “That simple, huh?”
“There’s a sight on the top of the barrel that you can use to line up your target. It helps when you’re first learning to shoot.”
Squinting, I focused on the sight. “That is so small.”
I felt him chuckle against my back. “Close your eyes and take a deep breath.”
I huffed, but then did as Enzo requested. “Okay, now what?”
“Just breathe for a few seconds.” There were several moments of silence and I took the time to focus on my breathing. Soon, my heart rate slowed and my nerves eased.
“Now, open your eyes, focus on the target, and pull the trigger.”
He let go of me, and I felt him back away. I opened my eyes, lining up the target on the first tree with the tiny sight on thegun. I waited a few seconds, making sure I was locked on the target before I pulled the trigger.
My arms jerked up slightly from the recoil, sending me back a step. “God, that was loud.”
Enzo nodded towards the trees. “Let’s see how you did.”
We walked over to the first tree. Enzo examined the bark, running a hand over it. He tapped a spot in between the second and third ring of the target. “Not bad for your first time.”
I frowned. “Not very accurate.”
He smirked. “Well, a hit is a hit. Even if it’s not a vital organ, it will still slow someone down. And if you fire multiple times, you’re bound to hit something important.”
