I laughed. “I guess I’ll try to remember that when I’m fighting for my life.”
Enzo’s smirk fell, his mouth setting into a hard frown. “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
The intensity in his voice made my stomach knot. “I know,” I replied softly.
We practiced for about half an hour with the pistol before Enzo took out a shotgun. A lump formed in my throat.
“If worse comes to worst, you might have to resort to this,” Enzo said. “I know it’s intimidating, but I’d rather you be prepared than not.”
I nodded, swallowing the lump. “Just point and shoot, right?” I joked, trying to make light of the situation.
He chuckled. “With this, you don’t need to be as accurate as with the glock. Literally just aim, pull the trigger, and you’ll hit your target.”
“Sounds easy enough,” I said as he handed me the gun. When he let go, I almost dropped it. “Wow, this is heavier than I expected.”
“Definitely need both hands. And you need to be careful when you shoot this thing because the recoil is a bitch.”
I arched a brow and he laughed. He came around behind me again and positioned my hands on the gun in what I assumed was the proper hold. “Try to angle it where the butt of the gun is off to the side. Wouldn’t want it to hit you in the stomach or chest; that would definitely knock the wind out of you.”
“Good to know.” Knowing that the kick-back on the shotgun was worse than the other gun made me nervous.
Enzo’s grip tightened on mine. “Make sure your hold is firm. That helps a little with the recoil.”
One of my hands was under the barrel, and the other was on the trigger. “With a shot gun, you want to pull the barrel back as soon as you shoot to get ready for the next one. This one has sixteen rounds so you have eight shots.”
“Okay.”
“I’m going to support you during the first shot so you’re not as jostled by the recoil.” He moved his hands to my wrists and held firm. “Shoot.”
I pulled the trigger, and even with Enzo’s support, the recoil sent me stumbling back into him. “Whoa.”
“Yeah. Takes some getting used to. Again.”
I steadied myself, making sure my footing was firm like my grip as I shot again. I bumped into Enzo again, but he barely moved that time. “Good. Now try by yourself.”
He let go and stepped off to the side, out of the way. I tightened my grip and steadied myself, then pulled the trigger.
Without Enzo there, I staggered back a few steps, but I didn’t lose my balance. That was a win for me.
“You’re getting the hang of it,” Enzo commented, the corner of his mouth lifting in a lopsided smirk. “Keep going.”
I fired the rest of the bullets, then Enzo decided I’d had enough target practice. He took the shotgun from me. “I have one of these by the fireplace, and one under the couch. And ifyou decide to use one, don’t let them take it from you. That would be the end for both of us.”
My stomach knotted. “Got it. Emergencies only.” I did not want to risk mine or Enzo’s life on my ability to handle a shotgun.
“Let’s head back. You can relax for a bit before we work on hand-to-hand,” Enzo said as he started to walk back to the cabin.
When we got back, Enzo went to check the perimeter and test some of the security he’d set up. But before he left, he commented, “Good work out there, kid. I know all this must be a lot to take in and you’re handling everything well.”
My face heated and butterflies fluttered in my stomach. “Thank you.”
When Enzo came back a couple of hours later, I was drawing in my sketchbook. “Hey. It’s starting to come down out there now,” he stated, closing the door behind him. The snow had started right after he’d left and was coming down pretty thick. His jacket was covered in it. “What are you doing?”
He looked genuinely interested. I felt a little embarrassed, so I closed my sketchbook. “Nothing really. I draw, but I haven’t in a while, so I’m a little rusty.”
“Really?” He arched a brow. “Why did you stop?”
I shrugged. “I haven’t really had the time with planning the wedding and preparing for marriage.” I should’ve been thinking about college and trips to explore the world, not getting ready to become a wife and have children.
