Blackstone Inc. (Book 2)

Part 62

*Warning: Guns. If you aren't comfortable with this subject then please skip this chapter.*

*Also, this is not a subject I'm very familiar with as I've never owned a gun or been to an indoor gun range. All the information I've used can be found online. Please feel free to let me know if I messed up any details though!*

*Also this chapter might be a bit boring as it has no romance or humor really. It's basically a filler chapter but I can't see myself being one of those authors that say "Kay, she now knows all the ins and outs of this subject" without a bit of showing how it happened so sorry if you don't really enjoy this chapter much. I won't take it personally if you skip anyways.*

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As we walked through the building, Dominic seemed to know exactly where he was going. We stopped at a room that looked to be the office and after rummaging around a few drawers he produced a key ring.

I didn't ask any questions, just let him do what he was doing as he looked to be a man on a mission and I wasn't willing to get in his way.

He stepped back out into the hallway and we walked past a wooden door with a small glass square.

I looked through the window and saw what looked to be a locker room with another door with a small window on the far wall. I was guessing that that was where we would be going to practice.

I turned back and saw Dominic turning a corner and I ran to catch up.

He was very no-nonsense today, very in the zone as I followed after him.

I reached the front of the store and saw that he was over by the display cases, "Come have a look. He said we could use any of the pre-owned ones."

I walked to where he was and looked at the many different handguns in the case and suddenly felt very intimidated.

"I don't know what any of these are," I admitted in a small voice.

He chuckled and pointed to a few, "These are the automatic and semi-automatic pistols, which are probably the most popular. I'd go with this one."

His finger was above a gun with a silver barrel and a black hand grip, "It's is a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson with a nine-round clip. It's a semi-automatic which means you have to pull the trigger for every shot you want to take without reloading for up to nine rounds."

I gulped and looked up at him, "You know so much about this stuff," I whispered.

He smirked, "I'd like to think so, yes. I need to know the tool I'm working with to fully understand and grasp the concept of what it can and will do. Would you like to try this one?"

I nodded, "If you think so."

He took that gun and a fully black pistol out of the case, tucked them both into the waistband of his jeans and grabbed a box of ammo for both from one of the shelves before locking the case and heading back down the hall.

We walked straight through the locker room and over to the door where he held it open for me before pulling it shut behind us.

I was immediately in awe at the sight in front of me. There were many individual stalls and as we walked to one I saw that the space in front seemed to go on forever.

"Jesus, how am I suppose to shoot the target if it's all the way back there," I asked and silently answer the question myself.

There might be a moment where Hawthorne wasn't directly in front of me so I'd need to get familiar with shooting a target from far away. I had to be ready for any scenario.

"Don't worry. I'll start you out with a close target so you can get a feel for the gun and get comfortable with it in your hands. You need to learn the proper stance and proper handling. It won't help anyone if you accidentally shoot yourself in the foot before you shoot your actual target so mind where your barrel is at all times."

I took a deep breath and nodded as I looked at him, "Okay. Mind the barrel, got it."

"Okay, next, keep your finger off the trigger until you're absolutely ready to shoot. If you have the slightest twitch you could seriously injure or kill someone you aren't meaning to, but this also goes back to minding your barrel," he explained.

"So, mind the barrel, keep my finger off the trigger until ready. What else," I asked.

"Your stance," he said and turned me toward the range, "Right handed or left?"

"Right," I said and took the gun in my hands as he handed it to me.

"Okay so hold it like this," he showed me to extend the forefinger on my right hand over the barrel above the trigger and wrap the other fingers around the handle.

He had me wrap the fingers of my left hand around the fingers already on the handle, "Lock your right arm but keep the left bent. Spread your feet apart but put the left one slightly behind the right."

I did as he said and took a deep breath. My heart was racing as I held the deadly piece of machinery in my hands.

"Calm down, Daisy. You're fine, I'm fine, everything is fine. Are you okay or do you need a break," he asked patiently from beside me.

"I'm fine," I assured him, "Just a little intimidated, but I'm okay."

"Okay, lower the gun down to the table there and I'll get you set up with a target."

After watching him bring the used paper body target closer, taking it down, and clipping a new one up, he moved it several feet back and handed me a pair of earplugs.

"Can you still hear me," he asked but his voice was low and muffled.

I nodded and he moved behind me, "How about now?"

I nodded and waited for his next instructions.

"Okay, now pick up the gun and take your stance, the one I showed you," he said, his voice low in my ear.

I did as he asked and was nervous now more than I had been. My anxiety over the situation was slowly rising the more it became clear that this was going to happen.

I was slowly setting this plan into motion and If I wanted to shut it down all I'd have to say was 'stop', but I knew this was the only way.

I needed to be trained, I need to be taught because Preston's life could depend on it. He'd gone this long and survived but Hawthorne was a different breed and I never wanted to underestimate him or what he was capable of.

"Raise the gun until you can see down the barrel at your target," Dominics soft but stern voice broke my thoughts and I did as told.

"Aim for the chest and stomach first. They are the biggest areas of the body and you're more likely to make an impact there rather than going for the head."

I nodded and set my sights for the middle of the paper body's chest.

"I'm going to hold your hands for the first shot so you can get a feel for the recoil without getting scared of it. Is that okay," he asked.

I nodded and watched as he brought his hands up to cup around my own on the guns handle. The warmth of his big hands started to calm my fluttering heart.

He tilted the gun and pointed with one finger to a little lever on the side, "This is the safety. When you're ready to fire your shot, take it off otherwise keep the safety on at all times," he said as he flicked it off.

I nodded, "Got it. Keep the safety on, mind the barrel, finger off the trigger until ready."

"Very good," he praised, "Now when you're ready, take a deep breath and squeeze the trigger."

Although I was terrified of this contraption, although I knew the statistics about guns and firearms, and although I knew what was ahead of me, metaphorically and literally...

I moved my finger over the trigger, took a deep breath, and squeezed.