Page 40 of Ace

Except for Ace.I trusted him without question, without thinking it through.Was that enough to base a life on?Did he even want a life with me, or was he just scratching an itch?

A soft knock on the door sounded, and I attempted to pull myself together.“Come in?”

The door slid open, and two teenage girls entered hesitantly.I frowned.“Do I know you?”

The taller one, a lithe brunette, shook her head.“No, but Thor told us Ace’s woman was here and probably needed another woman to talk to, so we thought we’d come up and see you.”She crossed the room and held out her hand.“I’m Jasmine, and this is my sister Jewel.”

I sat up, the blanket still wrapped comfortingly around me.“I’m Emma.And I’m not Ace’s woman, we’re just…” I paused, not sure how to explain Ace and me.

“You’re in his room, wearing his shirt, and Thor says you’ve been staying at his house with him.”Jewel wrinkled her nose.“That kind of says you are his woman.”

I shrugged.“We’re just temporary.”

Jasmine giggled, and her sister elbowed her in the ribs.“Whatever.Are you going back to sleep for a while, or do you want to come up to the range with us?”

“The range?”

“Shooting range.We like to get in a bit of practice a couple times a week.It makes our dad happy.Beast is our dad.I think you met him.”She smiled.“He likes to know we can take care of ourselves if we have to.He worries too much.”

I shook my head.“I don’t know how to shoot, and besides, I should wait for Ace to get back.”

Both girls looked shocked.“You don’t know how to shoot?What if you need to protect yourself?”asked Jewel.

“You don’t want to have to count on some guy to protect you, do you?”Jasmine sat down beside me on the bed.“We can teach you.It’s not hard and besides, as soon as he gets back the Prez is going to call church, so you won’t see him for a while.Only the guys go to church.”

“Ace told me about church.It’s when the guys hold a meeting, right?”

“Do you want to come learn how to shoot?”The two girls bounced up and headed for the door.

“Sure.Why not?”Given the last week of my life, learning how to handle a firearm suddenly seemed like a good idea.“Except I don’t have a gun.”

“No problem,” insisted Jasmine with a grin on her face.“You can use ours for now.Ace can get you your own later if you want.”

The pair’s enthusiasm was hard to resist.I shrugged the blanket off before I realized I didn’t have any shoes.

“What size are you?”

“Sevens usually?Maybe seven and a half.”

The two exchanged a look.“I bet there’s some in the box.”

“The box?”I was beginning to suspect there was a secret language only these two were privy to.

“It’s where Mom and Jake throw all the extra bits that people leave behind when there’s a party.Jackets.Shoes.Shirts.That kind of stuff.She throws out the underwear.Says no one’s going to want used underwear.”

Good call.Just the thought of wearing someone else’s underthings made me shiver.Yuck.“Kind of like a lost and found?”

“I guess.People don’t usually come back for the stuff so it’s just extra.Mom washes it before she puts it in there.It’s in the coat closet.”

I let them lead me downstairs and to the back door.Jewel opened a door to the left and gestured at a rack of shoes and boots neatly arranged by size.“Pick something that fits.”

I picked a pair of ankle boots in serviceable black leather and tried them on.They fit and were well worn in, so they felt comfortable.Hard to believe no one had come to claim them.Did they go home barefoot?

While I was busy getting footwear, Jasmine disappeared and came back with a long-barreled gun and a box of ammunition.“This one’s easy to start with.Lighter than some of the big guns, and it doesn’t pack as much of a kick.It’s got a sight on top too, so it’s a good one to learn on.”

I eyed it doubtfully.“What is it?”

Jasmine hefted it up.“Twenty-two semi-automatic.The magazine can hold ten rounds, so you don’t have to reload quite as often.That makes it better for target practice.And the cartridges are small, so they’re cheaper.You don’t want to waste money on expensive ammunition just to practice with.”

---