Conflict of Interest

Chapter Six

A/N: Pretty sure this is the last slow chapter before things pick up...just so you know. :)

***

Kim

"This is ridiculous," Grace carped as I loaded up and prepared to take out a week of frustrating empty leads on the faceless black outline of my victim on the opposite wall.

"Can't be too ready for anything," I shrugged.

"Everything's going to be fine," she assured me with far too much optimism. I drowned out the sound of her naivete by firing three bullets straight to poor outline man's left ventricle. Grace ducked and covered her head with her arms after each shot.

"Clearly you need the practice," she pointed out facetiously, as each of my seemingly arbitrary shots had been straight on target. "He would have been triple dead by now."

"I've only killed twice in my career," I reminded her.

"And each time you took them down in one bullet. Face it, Kim. You're a sharpshooter."

I swallowed, not liking to think about the lives that had been ended at my hands. I rarely lost sleep over my kills; I knew that both times, they'd been necessary. But that kind of rationalization does little to ease the shock that results from knowing that you've cut someone's life in half; in a third; a quarter, even; all by yourself.

"Well, everyone needs practice."

"You won't need practice because we're going to be fine," she pressed once again. "You're making yourself sick worrying about this."

"I'm not worrying about this," I promised her, putting the gun down to take a hiatus before I reloaded. "I just worry about you. It would kill me if anything happened to you because I got you dragged into one of my messes. I've already had that experience once."

"Kim, Allison is fine."

"She wouldn't have been. Another couple inches, and who knows?"

I set myself back to reloading and fired a few more. "Anyway, I just want to be safe, okay?"

"Wow," Grace noted, watching me shoot.

"I know, I know. I'm ridiculously attractive."

"I don't know whether to be attracted to you, or fear you."

"Come here," I gestured, noticing that she was standing a safe distance.

"Not a chance."

I rolled my eyes, showing her that I was putting the safety on. "Okay?"

She tentatively stepped a little closer.

"Come here," I urged, physically taking her by the arm and making her stand in front of me.

"What are you doing?"

"You're going to shoot," I smiled matter-of-factly, to which she promptly tried getting away.

"Oh no I am not," she assured me.

"Don't be a loser," I peer-pressured. "Here."

I took her hands and forced her fingers around the grip, covering hers up with my own. When I was fairly certain she wouldn't end up shooting me by accident, I slid the safety off and guided her index finger to the trigger.

"Ready?" I coaxed.

"No."

"On three."

"Kim..."