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She held the pistol at the ready, taking a moment to focus on her breathing.
The pops of the pistol sounded off, and I couldn’t help but smile at how she held herself strong, like a ferocious warrior ready to do whatever it took to survive.
She cocked her head at the target, and I shook my head at her aim. She’d hit the paper target in the chest three times. The shots weren’t close together, but it would do the job. She’d hit the target her first go, and that was a feat for someone who hadn’t done this before.
She set the pistol down as I touched her waist, and I tugged her earmuff back again.
“One would think you’ve done this before, stray,” I mused, and she gave me a genuine smile of delight.
“Never, but it feels… okay,” she said slowly.
“Comes naturally to you,” I added.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” she said as she tracked her gaze back to the target.
“Would you like to keep practicing? Then I’ll show you some self-defense techniques.”
“Okay.” She bobbed her head, and I just remained behind her as she picked up the pistol and continued to practice, reloading when needed.
Every shot hit the target, which blew me away. Sure, they weren’t bullseyes or always fatal blows, but it was more than enough.
When she’d finally used up half a box of ammo, she set the pistol down, stepping away to signal that she was done.
“This pistol is yours now. Keep the safety on, but I don’t want you without a weapon,” I stated when she waited for me to collect the pistol.
“I don’t know if I should, I could make a mistake,” she said uneasily as her brow furrowed.
“You’re smart, Vee, and it’s not like I’m telling you to carry it on your person. Just keep it nearby, know where it is. This is yours now, to protect yourself whenever you need to,” I said, those emerald eyes meeting mine. There was an unease yet odd satisfaction in them, and gratitude.
I rounded up a case for the gun and remaining ammo, grabbing another box before leading her to a different training room.
In there, I got her to take off her shoes as I got us set up on the training mats. It was one of our several close-combat training rooms and where we’d been taught some martial arts at times. Another room contained an entire gym, which I did enjoy frequenting at night.
Right now, though, I wanted to teach my little stray how to get away from an attacker.
“Okay, if someone is coming after you, there’s no fair way to fight, got it? You’re a woman, so you will use every trick of the trade. You go for the jewels, you stomp toes, you scratch eyes, you do whatever you have to do,” I stated as she stood before me, her hair tied back and a few strands falling into her face.
She was wearing comfy tracksuit pants and a basic tee, perfect for this type of practice.
“And if they have a knife?” she asked, as she shifted uneasily, the darkness resurfacing in her eyes.
“Then there are moves you can do to defend yourself. But I swear on my life, Veronica, I will never let you wind up in that position again,” I promised as I closed the small gap between us to cup her face. I would move mountains to make sure I was always by her side, or that one of my brothers was. I never wanted her to get hurt again.
Her eyes hardened as she stood before me, her chin jutted out defiantly.
“Show me how to protect myself.”
My lip quirked at the fire burning in her gaze, the way she stood tall like an unwavering oak, unwilling to yield to any storm.
This was the woman for us, the woman who’d rule the city by our sides.
Our little stray who we’d turn into a queen.
“Okay.”
We sunk down to sit on the mats, drawing in ragged breaths after practicing self-defense techniques for nearly an hour. Sweat beaded my brow, while Vee’s strands of hair were plastered to her face as she sucked in mouthfuls of air.
“Thanks,” she said after a moment, and I just nodded.
