Chapter 27
-:- VICTORIA -:-
Corey rushes into the apartment and holds his arm up, boasting he has stitches. “Wow, you had to have stitches!” I tap my chin, making it as dramatic as possible. “So, big boy, how many do you have?”
Taking the seat next to where I am at the kitchen table Corey smiles, no sign of being in pain or upset. “I have three stitches, but Uncle Stitch gave me a shot, and then the pain went away.”
Looking up at Chaos who is holding a hand over his mouth so he doesn’t show Corey he’s laughing at the bravery he’s trying to show me.
“Well, three stitches deserves a reward for being so brave. I made you big chocolate chip cookies.” I walk over to where I’ve stored the cookies and take one out. Now, I made these cookies three times the size I normally would, so giant cookies would be a description that I could live with.
I make a glass of warm milk and pass it to Corey as he eats his cookie. But when Chaos sits next to him, looking like a young child waiting for his cookie, I smile to myself and hand him one with a glass, too.
“Tell me what happened, Corey?”
“I was playing chase with Branson Cummings, and it was my turn to be chased. But Mom, my head went faster than my legs, and I fell down. When I fell and got a sharp stone cutting into my arm. Nobody did it to me. It wasn’t bullying or anything. It was an accident.” Corey looks at me with an expression that saysno problem,that you can easily see he isn’t telling a lie. It really was just an accident.
I hold back the smile as I ask him, “What do you mean your head went faster than your legs?”
“You know. Like if you wanted to turn a corner and your head turns ready but your body is behind. Wham, you hit the wall because your head turns faster.” Corey gives a look that says, keep up, so I nod, letting him know that I’m letting this go now.
Chaos is smirking like a damn idiot, and I turn my back on both of them and continue cooking supper.
While eating, Chaos taps the table with his fingertips, “Would you prefer an SUV or a truck?” That takes me by surprise, I never expected him to ask me that.
“I’m going to get an SUV and a trike. I’ve seen, and had a ride on Mia’s, and I want a trike so we can all go riding together. I can take Corey behind me on the trike.” I grin when Corey stops eating, looks at me with a shocked face, then giggles.
“I can get you a trike. I know someone who sells them, and you can have it customized at the club's place. Splash at Hot Hogs and Cages is a mean sprayer, but if he’s busy Fist and Krylon are damn good too.”
I interrupt Chaos because I know where he’s going. “I’ll get the SUV and you get the trike. That’s a fair thing, and I have money, so it’s not a problem. I work with Specs from Monday, so I’ll have that salary as well.”
I can see Chaos doesn’t like me paying for anything, but he can tell from the look on my face I’m not happy about having to bow down either.
“No, Victoria, I’ll purchase the vehicles. If you want to have any customization done, you will need to have it done by the club. You can pay for that if you still want to at that time.”
I give in and nod in agreement. I can see the look on Chaos’ face showing he’s thinking,Thank fuck for that!
Corey is clapping his hands together and laughing. “I’ll be a biker like you, Dad.”
“You will, Corey, you sure will,” Chaos responds, and he looks more than a little satisfied at his reply.
****
The next morning, I take Corey to school as I need the truck to get around. It’s going to cost too much to keep using Ubers, and it’s inconvenient if one isn’t close by.
Winter is ready and has me inside on the moving targets for the first time. I have a Glock which Winter said is ideal for me to use as I am comfortable with this weapon. She’s right, I like the feel and balance of it in my hand.
“I want you to aim at the target. Do not fire. Track the moving target, Vicky. Keep your focus. Tell me when you think you have the same swing mentally as the target’s motion.”
I do as Winter asks, and it takes a few minutes for me to calm my breathing because I was excited about the lesson. Now, I’m breathing slowly, and my arm is only moving slightly although I’m tracking the moving target. “I think I have it now, Winter.”
“Okay. Lower your arms and relax your muscles. It makes your arm shake if you keep your arm up too long.” Winter continues speaking. “I want you to try again in a moment. Track your moving target, remember to fire as just that. It’s moving. You fire a second before you want the target hit.”
I know what she means, as she spent fifteen minutes before we started the session telling me all the details regarding moving targets, as in, me moving or the target moving. At the moment, we are using a moving target.
“I’m ready,” I roll my head to loosen the tension in my neck and turn to the moving target once more. I mumble to myself the instructions Winter had given. I aim, track, and shoot.
Winter has the target moving forward, and we can see my bullet hit the target but it is at the edge rather than the center. “Try again, Vicky.”
