I steady my arm, breathe in, exhale, and squeeze the trigger.
This time the bottle explodes.
Keno grabs the gun from my hand as I swing around.
“I hit it!”
“Yep, Six. You sure did.”
I jump up and down.
“Now shoot the shit out of the rest.” He hands the gun back to me.
I take aim and fire.
Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam.
When the gun is empty, Keno takes it from me.
“Well, thank you for this. Now what?”
He nods toward the targets. “Now you practice until it comes natural and easy. Never know when trouble might come callin’, Maggie. And you need to be able to defend yourself. Just never point this at someone unless you’re prepared to kill them.”
“Kill them?”
“I hope it doesn’t come down to that. But these guys who robbed you were armed. That makes them dangerous. If it’s your life or theirs, you do not hesitate. Understand?”
I nod, letting his words sink in.
It means a lot that he cares enough to take his time with me like this, preparing me like he was.
“Why are you doing this?” I blurt.
He studies me for a long moment and then reloads his gun.
“I’ve got your back. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. So, wise up and quit giving me grief. Deal?”
I stare at the horizon, contemplating his words. Back in Chalmette, Keno had always had my back, until he left town.
“Trust is hard-won and easily lost, Keno.”
He studies me, then looks at the gun he’s reloading. “I let you down. I get that. I never meant to hurt you, Maggie.”
“But you did.”
He hands me the gun, his chin lifting toward the targets. “Keep practicing.”
The power of our connection is strong, and it’s sucking me under. I’d once been so infatuated with this man. I can try to deny it all I want, but I can’t dismiss the powerful feelings I still have for him.
With just a touch, the embers flared right back up to a burning fire. But he’s got a complicated relationship with Derek and Remy, and I’ve kept the truth from him. I’m afraid to tell him they’re here in town because I don’t know what will happen when I do. Things ended so badly between them, and I know there were things I didn’t understand at the time. Still don’t.
And the fact remains, Keno did leave town, and he left me.
Nothing’s changed.
He could leave town again just as easily.
I need to guard my heart, because if I let him in and he leaves, it will destroy me.