Page 81 of Burn Bag

One problem at a time. The fact that she was holding the rifle in the first place was the biggest problem. The second was the fact that she’d somehow managed to turn off the safety. The third was that she was swinging it around like it was a toy gun.

“Daphne,” I said calmly. “Give me the rifle.”

She swung her gaze in my direction, the weapon shifting with her. I hit the deck, terrified she was going to shoot me on accident. When nothing happened, I peeked out from under my hands, glad to find her pointing the rifle toward the ground now.

Slowly, I got to my feet and took a step toward her with Red at my side. My fingers itched to grab the weapon, but I knew with the way she was holding it, she was likely to hurt herself or someone else.

“You don’t think she’d actually fire it, do you?” Red muttered.

I glanced at the cats in the cages and then back to her. She had thisgleam in her eyes that had me seriously questioning the sanity of the woman I married.

“It’s a toss-up at this point.”

“We could pull a Fast Mary.”

I glared at him out of the corner of my eye. “On my wife?”

He shrugged. “Hey, you married her without knowing the crazy she brought with her. This is on you.”

He was right, and I definitely had to stop this before she shot someone. But my wife was determined to see this through. I could see it in her eyes. I was going to have to proceed with caution.

“Daphne,” I said gently. “Why don’t you put down the gun before you shoot one of the cats.”

She rolled her eyes at me, scowling like I was an idiot. “I’m not going to shoot the cats! I’m not an idiot.”

“She should definitely do it.”

That voice. Fucking hell, I should have known he would show up at the worst possible time. If ever there was a time to stuff a man full of Funyuns, it was right now.

I glared at Fox as he strode around the back of the vehicle, gnawing on some kind of meat still on the bone. Sauce coated his fingers, not that he cared. The man did as he liked, including eating at a newbie gunfight.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I snapped.

“Well, I heard we were transporting some cats. I figured I had to see this, and it looks like I was right.” He grinned widely, tipping his imaginary hat at Daphne. “Ma’am. What seems to be the problem?”

“Fox—”

“These men are buying and selling cats for fighting!” Daphne cried out.

Fox tossed aside the bone, wiping his hands on his pants as he strode to Daphne’s side. “Well, that’s just not right. Why would you do that?” he asked the buyer.

The man stared at Fox like he was crazy, which he was. “This has nothing to do with you. I made a deal and I want it honored!”

“A deal for these beautiful creatures that you want to use for fighting?That just seems silly,” Fox grinned, his eyes taking on that crazed look that had me scooting a step closer to Daphne.

He cocked his head at Daphne. “Do you know how to use that thing?”

“It can’t be too hard. Point and shoot. That’s what they do in the movies.”

Chuckling, he wrapped his hand around the barrel and swiped it from her before she could protest. I breathed a sigh of relief and glanced back at Red, who did the same.

“We don’t start with the big guns, sweetie. Here?—”

“Fox!” I shouted, darting forward, but it was too late. He handed her a throwing knife and started positioning her hand around it.

“Now, what you want to do is hold it firm, but not too tight. This can be your best friend if you let it. It’s all in the wrist.”

“Can we get on with this?” the buyer shouted. “I have places to be!”

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