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It’s fucking happening.I lift my head, catching Kain’s eyes as he pokes his head through my open door.
“By the vindictive grin on your face, I’m assuming that was good news,” Kain says, walking into my office and taking the seat across from me. His limp is mostly gone, though he still favors his right side when he moves. But damn if it doesn’t feel good to have the weight I felt at almost losing him gone. Having him up and moving is like Christmas morning every time I see him now.
“It was. That was Marco. The council approved all of our requests with one condition.” I tap my fingers on my desk, wondering how he’ll feel about their demands.
“What was their condition?” he asks, fisting his cane harder. For a brief moment, I wonder how I can convince him to stay behind.
“They want Donovan and Virgil alive. At least to start with. Once they’ve extracted the information they need, they’re ours again to finish off.”
He sits back in his chair, his lips pinched in contemplation. “Okay,” he says with a nod. “And they’re willing to name you head of the Las Vegas territory?”
“We take down Donovan and Virgil, and it’s a done deal.”
Kain stands, “Let’s go find Eden and Daemon and fill them in.”
“They’re in the gun range,” I tell him and grin at the shocked look on his face.
“What the fuck are they doing in there?”
“Eden wanted to learn how to shoot a gun. She wants to make sure the next time she points a gun at a stranger on the street that the safety is off.”
Kain busts into a roll of laughter, understanding where the joke comes from having heard the story of her protectiveness over him that night with Darnell.
* * *
“What am I doing wrong?”Eden’s frustrated voice carries through the hall leading us to the indoor practice range.
“Nothing.” I can practically see Daemon’s amused smile by the jovial tone in his voice. “This is a new gun, and you’re just not used to the recoil yet.”
“But I had no problem with the other gun, why this one?” The slight whine that accompanies the last part of her question sends a bolt of laughter through me. A light breaking through the darkness that always seems to be lurking over my head.
Eden grumbles something too low for me to make out, but Daemon’s answering chuckle and response tell me it’s self-doubt. “Baby, trust me. I’ve never seen anyone pick up a firearm and take to it like you have. Your control is something to be admired. And this little beauty is just like its owner, it’s feisty and powerful and has a bit of bite to it.”
I round the corner in time to take in the close scene of Daemon and Eden. In her hand is a new white and silver pistol. Daemon holds her hand with the gun with one hand and, with the other, he runs a knuckle down her cheek. The mounting tension between them is so thick in the air you could almost cut it with a knife.
Eden huffs out a lungful of air. “Give me some pointers to make this thing work.”
“Keep practicing, try different stances until you find the one that works for you. Some prefer standing at a slight angle with their shooting foot back and their elbows loose, others like a more boxed stance with locked shoulders and elbows. There is no one way of doing this.”
Kain stops a step behind me and takes in the intimate closeness of our brother and girl. “Well, they seem to be bonding quickly,” he remarks quietly, but there’s no hint of jealousy or animosity in his words, just facts.
“Are you okay with that?” I ask him, keeping my volume low.
“He’s our brother, and I want him to be happy. If Eden can help him heal and move on, who am I to try and stop it?” His eyes never leave the pair as they turn and prepare to fire again.
He’s right. Eden is strong, stronger than any woman I’ve ever known. If she can handle all three of us, who am I to stand in the way of what’s happening here?
Daemon stands behind Eden and uses his foot to nudge her left one forward. His hands cup her elbows, guiding her arms out straight. She sights the target at the end of the shooting range.
Daemon drops his hands, taking a step back to give her space and directs, “Breathe and squeeze—don’t pull—the trigger when you’re ready.”
I watch the slow rise and fall of her shoulders as she takes a deep breath and squeezes the trigger. The bullet in the chamber sails through the air, slicing through the paper target that jerks under the force of the hit.
Kain and I walk deeper into the range, coming to a stop behind the couple. “How’d you do?” I ask, and a startled yelp shoots out of Eden.
“Fucking, hell, Lucifer. I could have shot you. What the fuck were you thinking?” Eden slaps a shaky hand over her heart and takes two deep breaths. “Kain, you’re closer. Slap him, please.”
“Kain,” I growl right before a hand connects with the back of my head. “Ouch,” I say, rubbing at the tender spot. “I thought the saying was bros before—”
