Page 42 of Grim’s Angel

“Then get used to hearing them.”

He steps away, loads the pistol, and hands it back to me with the muzzle pointed downrange.

My first shot hits the outer edge of the target. The second lands closer to the center. By the sixth, my hands have stopped trembling.

Grim brings the target forward and studies the grouping.

“Better.”

“You sound surprised.”

“I’m thinking about every man who may regret giving you a reason to practice.”

I lower the weapon, remove my finger from the trigger, and engage the safety before placing it on the bench.

“Including you?”

Grim clears the pistol and sets it aside. Then he pulls me against him.

“When it comes to me, I prefer your hands occupied in other ways.”

The kiss that follows leaves little doubt about what he means.

His phone vibrates before I can slide my hands beneath his shirt. He mutters something against my mouth and checks the screen.

“Hound confirmed Alan is in room twelve,” he says. “Rivers has the room beside him. Striker and Torch are assembling the team.”

My newly steady pulse accelerates again.

“When do we go?”

“After dark.”

“We?”

Grim’s expression makes it clear how much the answer costs him.

“We,” he confirms. “You stay with Lock in the command vehicle until Striker clears the building. Once it is secure, you can speak to Alan with me beside you. You follow every safety instruction the first time it is given.”

“Those sound like conditions.”

“They are safety rules for an active operation. Every person in that vehicle follows them, including me.”

“That sounds almost reasonable.”

“My heart prefers reasonable when you are involved.”

I touch his face. “Your heart survived a bullet.”

“The bullet missed it.” His silver eyes hold mine. “You didn’t.”

The answer steals the rest of my argument.

I rise on my toes and kiss him.

“Then let’s go get my life back.”

Chapter 7