She makes a good point, but also, I hate every part of this idea. “You take four guys with you.”
“One,” she counters.
“Three,” I fire back.
“Two.”
“Agreed, two. They will take you in the truck and help you sort.” She doesn't need to know that I only wanted two of the guys to go with her. I started high to get what I want. She came in with a strong deal but negotiating with someone who hustled cigarettes in prison for fun, she was never going to come out on top.
“Wait, you're letting me go?” Her brows are raised, surprised that it would be so easy.
Placing her on the floor, I wrap my fingers around her neck, crowding her body. “Firstly, I'm looking forward to you waking me up tomorrow morning. I plan on spending the day with your cream on my cock. Secondly, you don't have to bribe me with sexual favors for me to agree to something. I’ll accept them, but I'm not your keeper, baby. Whatever you want to do we’ll make it work. I just want you safe is all.”
Her eyes flutter, and she lets out a deep sigh, resting her head against the wall. “I keep forgetting you do the opposite of every guy out there,” she whispers.
Pulling the mudroom door open, I call out, “Michael, Duke. You're leaving to take Brynn to the bar in ten minutes. Be ready.”
“Okay, well then, I guess I'm going out. If anything comes up with Jovie, call me,” she smiles, and I let her go, smacking her ass as she walks back to the game.
???
“Remember to focus on your target and exhale when you're ready to pull the trigger.” Jovie lies next to me and Mac, with the frozen forest floor under several blankets to make sure she doesn't get too cold. We wait patiently as she lines up her shot, cheering loudly when the can falls off the fallen log a hundred yards away.
“I did it!” she yells, happily.
“You did good, kid. You’ve hit all of the targets with the rifle so how about we move on to hand guns,” Mac says eagerly, the man has a thing for firearms. When he proposed we make sure Jovie understands how to work a weapon, I didn't love the idea of her playing with guns, but I’m realistic and know she might stumble across one of ours one day.
We run a tight ship in everything we do, but situations have arisen where we need to be armed. If something comes up and Jovie picks up a firearm, not knowing how to handle it, and something were to happen, I could never forgive myself.
Mac will teach her the proper way to check and clear a weapon and we’ll take Brynn over it another time.
Wrapping bright red tape around a nearby tree trunk, I walk back over to where Mac is showing her the ins and outs of a Glock. It's heavy and not suited to her, but it's common enough for her to recognise all of the components needed.
“This one's different from the rifle, in that the kickback comes from your hands. I’ll be here with you to control it but your hands are going to want to fly back at you and hit you in the head. Don't worry, I won't let that happen but you need to be prepared.”
Nodding, the look of determination crosses her face as she stands, legs shoulder width apart. Her left foot slightly in front of her right so she has better control.
I kneel behind her, placing the ear muffs over her head. Covering her hands with mine, I brace enough so she won't lose control as I feel her finger move to the trigger beneath mine. A cold plume of breath evaporating in the frigid air around us.
BANG.
The shot rings out, a small hole appearing in target.
“Shes a natural, Grizz,” Mac says, taking the glock from my hands.
“This is one of the coolest things I've ever done,” she beams at us both, walking over to the tree and feeling the hole the bullet left behind.
“How about we go make some hot chocolate?” I ask. She might want to keep going but I can see her lips starting to turn blue with every minute we stay out here. Brynn will want to chopmy dick off for teaching her kid how to handle a weapon, but she’ll bury me six feet under if I let her freeze to death.
“One more try and then we pack up?” she asks hopefully. Mac shrugs his shoulders, indifferent to the new found child supervisory hat I’m wearing.
“Okay, one more and then we go inside by the fire. Your mom’s gonna kill me anyway so may as well make sure you cement everything.”
“Oh yeah, you’re one hundred percent going to die when she finds out. She won't even let me get bread when she's parked outside the store without her. It was nice knowing you, Grizz. I hope you enjoyed your last day on earth.” She laughs, the confident sassy kid from the first night we met shining through.
“Wait, do you think she will be really mad?” I ask, doubting my decisions.
“Oh man, she's going to kill you when she finds out. Ain't no doubt about that.” Mac laughs, bending over, trying to catch his breath.
