rhythmic pop, pop, pop startles me, the familiar muted gunfire stealing a bite of my happiness. I slump back into the mattress. Sebastian must have headed straight for the shooting range as soon as he woke up.
I hate that he despises the man I adore. It makes me sick thinking of his anger.
I want to fix it.
Fix them.
If I’m going to reclaim my life, I need them both. No aggression. No threats. Just support and guidance.
I may have very little control over anything else right now, but I can make Sebastian listen to me. All I need is to be strong enough to face him, and I think Luca has already ensured I am.
I slowly inch from the bed and tiptoe to the dresser to pull on the pants and oversized sweater I left there the night before.
“Where are you going?” Luca grumbles, his face plastered into the pillow.
“I can’t sleep with that dog barking. I’m going to get coffee.”
He groans. “Do you want me to come with you?”
My heart swells as I bridge the space between us to place a kiss on his unmarred cheek. “Thank you. But I’m okay.”
He grabs my hand and squeezes. “I’ll be up soon.”
“Don’t. You need the rest.” I reluctantly walk for the hall to head toward the continued gunfire at the other end of the house.
I drag my bare feet past the empty living area, then farther along the far hall, not stopping until I reach the door where the muted pops escape from.
I grab the handle, the gentle vibrations from the other side making my hand tremble, my pulse stutter. I want to back out already but I don’t. I inch open a door, finding soundproofing on the walls and an ominous staircase leading down into fluorescent light.
More pops assail my ears, these ones harsh and biting. I quickly scoot inside, not wanting to wake anyone else, and clasp the door shut behind me.
It’s cooler down here, the polished cement freezing my toes. I will myself to descend. One step after another. One punishing heartbeat after the next until I’m at the bottom landing, staring at a bulking man who isn’t my brother.
Hunter wields the gun, his cannon arms pointing toward the far end of the long, expansive basement.
He stands before a professional shooting station, protective headphones covering his ears. It’s not a downscaled DIY set down here. It’s like I’ve seen in movies as a kid. Three individual stations. Paper targets hanging from the roof.
Another pop sounds, the blast ricocheting off the walls to make me flinch and gasp. He glances over his shoulder, his weapon lowering as his narrowed eyes pin me in place.
“Sorry.” I wince. “I thought you were Sebastian.”
He glares, then returns his attention to the target, raising his gun. He hates me. And why wouldn’t he? He had a nice set of wheels before I got my hands on them.
“I’m also sorry about your car,” I add. “I didn’t plan for that to happen.”
He lowers the headphones. “When you fly by the seat of your pants, you don’t hold back, do you?” His tone is gruff, making it hard for me to tell if he’s angry or attempting to make light of the situation.
“Is it fixable?”
He shrugs. “It’s just a car.”
“I know, but I’m sure it was expensive.”
“It’s just a car,” he growls the statement with such venom I grip the staircase banister in preparation to flee.
“It’s just a car. It’s just a car. It’s just a fucking car.” He lazily circles his finger in the air with each repetition. “Sarah told me to keep repeating the mantra in the hopes it will stop me from putting a bullet in your head.”
All the air leaves my lungs on a heave.
“Calm down.” He rolls his eyes. “I’m joking.”
“Right…” I force out a laugh. “Hilarious.”
He turns his back to me, raising his headphones, then his gun to take aim at the target. “If you’re going to stay down here, you need to get yourself a set of ear plugs.”
I don’t move, not sure if the muttered request is an invitation to stay or a demand to leave.
“The door or the plugs, Penny.” He jerks his head toward the wall behind me, the mass of shelves displaying a myriad of equipment. “Hurry up. I’ve got bullets to waste.”
I nod and hustle to the shelves to grab a set of plugs, shoving them into my ears as another set of pop, pop, pops erupt. This time, the sound reverberates through my