Page 46 of Law Maker

Despite her mouth, she did as he said and he walked to the clearing around back he had set up. He went to the locked silver box and brought out his 9mm hand gun and a box of ammo.

“Whoa,” she was at his shoulder again, dousing his nose in the scent of the ocean. “Is this because I called you grandpa? You know you’re handsome, grumpy, I mean all my friends think you’re hot, you’re barely old or anything. You could be besties with John Wick, you’re that level of cool. Let’s not get crazy and shoot me before I get to college. You’re pretty good at hacking and hardly groan when your old bones stand up.”

Lawless sliced her a glance. “Keep digging, angel.”

She laughed, not at all intimidated or scared by the gun in his hand. It was empty right now so he handed it over. “Take it. Get a feel for the weight.”

“Oh, my god. Are you going to let me shoot? I’m so excited. Watch me be a badass.” She started jumping around, pointing the empty weapon.

“You are, if you stop your fucking motormouth.”

She became excitable and he waited it out by setting his eyes to the mountains.

This was the first step.

For a man with no patience at all, that was a lot to ask.

“Angela,” he finally warned with a rattle to his voice, staring at her to get her incessant chatter brought to a stop. “Shut the fuck up and take this seriously.”

He took the weapon back and started to load the shells, listening to the hurt feelings in her voice.

“Why are you being such a hardass? I mean more than your usual hardass self. You brought me here! I didn’t ask you to turn up and ruin my afternoon by kidnapping me.”

Turning his cold eyes on her, his head dropped and he saw the rapid rise and fall of her chest.

“Do you want another day where someone throws a hood over your head and drags you off?”

“Don’t,” she shivered, backing her feet up. He watched the tremble roll through her body but he didn’t let up giving her this lesson, “that’s not cool.”

“You think firing a few bullets is a game? Say that when savages are tearing at you, angel. Selling you to the highest bidder on a block where you stand naked for degenerates to paw over you. Sick men who think nothing about passing you around like candy until you’re so washed out. So fucking doped up on meth that all you think about is the drug and sucking cocks over and over and over.”

Lawless saw his point had been made when a lone tear dropped from her lashes down her olive cheek.

Pain sliced him in the gut as he circled back around to stand within touching distance of her. His eyes roaming over her face while he waited for the slow track of tears to stop. He bit the inside of his cheek so hard he tasted his own blood.

He told himself it was for her own good, he always gave her the truth.

His version of the truth anyway.

She’d been around the MC long enough now to know they didn’t treat her with kid gloves. He had to trust she was tough enough for this.

Taking her hand in his, he pressed the weapon in her palm. Then rounded behind her and pointed at the target he had set up a few feet away.

“Lift your arms, steady the gun, breathe, take aim and then squeeze gently.”

“I hate you,” she whispered, voice quivering.

The pulse was manic in his tight jaw. “Hate me all you want. Straighten your back. Aim to kill, never to wound. If you’re using a gun to save your life then make it count. Wounded men can get up off the floor, dead motherfuckers can’t.”

She paused. His eyes tracked the rise and fall of her back before she took the stance he’d shown her, shoulders straightened and her tremor stopped.

Good girl.

She could hate him for the truth he poured over her head until the cows come home. He knew more than most how hatred was a good motivator.

He would never be anything other than the man giving it to her straight and raw.

Knowing how to take care of herself was lesson one.

---