Javier
“Where are we going?” Gabriella asks the next day.
“To get you a gift.”
“A gift?”
“Yep.”
“What is it?”
“You’ll see.”
It’s a sunny day. Some restaurants and stores have slowly reopened, but the hurricane effects are still prominent.
Before we left, I called my contact Nate at the shop to make sure he would be here. He assured me he would. I haven’t told Gabriella where we are going because I’m not sure how she’s going to react now that it’s been a few days since the attempted abduction outside Mia and Beckett’s.
Over the last few days, I’ve cleaned out my closet and drawers, and we’ve moved almost all of Gabriella’s personal items into my condo.
She leans over and strokes my cock. “Am I going to love my present so much I’m going to need to give you one on the way home?”
Somehow I think you may not be too happy with me.
“Well, I don’t give gifts to receive them, but I’ll happily accept at any time.”
She giggles and nuzzles my neck. “You aren’t going to tell me?”
I pull into the parking lot and turn to her. “We’re here.”
She glances at the building then back at me. Her eyes widen. “A gun shop?”
“You said you would learn to shoot. I thought you could pick your gun out.”
She swallows hard and blinks. “I don’t...”
I cup her cheek. “Let’s go in. You can pick up any gun, and it’ll be empty. Nothing can happen.”
“Javier, I don’t know if I can do it.”
“Come in with me. I’ll be right here with you. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want.”
“Okay.” She releases a breath.
“Yeah?”
“Yes, I’ll go in with you.”
I kiss her hand. We get out of the car, and I lace my fingers through hers and walk up to the counter.
“Nate, how are you doing?” I shake his hand. His bald head is shiny as usual, and he’s wearing a tank top. “New tattoo?” I point to the bright ink on his arm of an American flag.
“Got it last week.”
“Color is great. The artists did a good job. This is my girlfriend, Gabriella.”
He reaches out and takes her hand.
“Gabriella, you have a sister?” he asks.
Gabriella grins. “I do.”
“She single?”
“Not sure about this week.”
“Does she look like you?”
Gabriella’s face flushes.
“A little bit,” I put in.
“Well, send her my way, will ya?”
“I’ll let her know you’re interested.”
He holds out his fist, and I bump him. “Gabriella is going to learn to shoot. I thought she could hold some different pieces and see if there’s one she likes the feel of.”
“You want a pink one?” Nate asks.
“A pink one?”
“Yep. I’ve got it all. You go browse. Let me select a few handguns I think you might like.”
I put my arm around Gabriella’s back and steer her around the store. I point out the different weapons and what their features are.
She bites back a smile.
“What?”
“You’re like a kid in a candy store right now.”
“Sorry. When you grow up in a military family, it’s the normal way of life.”
She puts her hands behind my neck. “You’re pretty adorable, all excited like this.”
“Yeah.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Does that mean I still get my present on the way home?”
Her eyes brighten. “We’ll see.”
“Lòpez,” Nate calls out.
“That’s our cue.” I peck Gabriella and lead her back to the counter.
Nate has five handguns, including two pink ones on the counter.
“You were serious about the pink gun?” Gabriella marvels.
“Yes, ma’am. I don’t joke about my inventory.”
“I guess not.”
I pick up the pink one. “This is cute,” I tell Gabriella.
“Did you just say cute?”
I wink at her and move the gun closer to her. “Yep. Here, hold it.”
She steps away from me.
“They’ve never had any bullets in them. Everything is unloaded,” Nate encourages.
“That’s right,” I reinforce.
She reluctantly takes it from me and examines it.
“This is the safety.” I flip the switch. “Try it.”
She imitates my moves.
“Put both hands on it.”
She does as I instruct.
I step behind her and reach forward, putting my hands over hers. “If you ever have to shoot, you unlock the safety, and you hold it like this. You’re going to feel a kickback, so plant your feet if you have time.”
“If I have time?” she nervously repeats.
“Yeah. You may not have time if you have to shoot. Now, put your finger on the trigger.”
She slides her finger over it, and I put mine on top of hers.
“Pull the trigger.”
Gabriella takes a deep breath and follows my instructions.
“Good, baby.”
She sets the gun back on the counter.
“Try out another one.”
She surprises me by reaching for the Glock.
“This is a lot heavier.”
“Yes. Hold it like the other one.”
She straightens her arms, and I hold her hands like I did with the pink one.
“Pull the trigger.”
She does that, and she sets it back down.
I point to the pistol. “Try that one.”
We repeat the motions with those and also with the other two that Nate set on the counter.
I turn to Nate. “Can we have a minute?”
“Sure.” He walks to the other side of the shop.
Gabriella spins into me.
“Is there one you like?”
She winces. “I’m sorry. I know that you want me to be excited, and I told you I would learn to shoot, but I don’t think I want to own one.”
“If you learn to shoot and have your own gun and permit to carry, you can go out by yourself without having to be with one of your brothers or me.”
“I know I’m adding a lot of extra stress to everyone—”
“No, that isn’t what this is about, Gabriella. I want you to be able to defend yourself.”
“I know. I’ll learn to shoot. I promise. But I don’t want to own a gun. At least, not right now. I’m not ready.”
She said she’ll still learn to shoot. Take that as a win.
“Okay. Can we go out to Hudson’s range and shoot today?”
She takes a deep breath and puts her hands on my face. “Will you sleep better if I learn to shoot?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Teach me today. Let’s go, bring whatever guns you want, and show me what you think I need to know. But don’t buy me a gun. I don’t want the stress of it.”
Don’t push her.
“All right.”
She kisses me. “Thank you. And it was sweet of you to offer to buy me one. Maybe someday but not right now.”
But right now is the time you need to protect yourself against Triker and his gang members.
Don’t fight her. Be grateful she’s going to let you teach her to shoot.
“Do me a favor?” I ask.
“What’s that?”
“When you feel that you’re ready for your own, let me buy it for you.”
Her killer smile fills her face. “Done.” She kisses me and murmurs, “Now, let’s get in the car so I can show you how much I appreciate you.”