Her hands throbbed. He ran the target back to them. Her shots were clearly distinct from Sully’s because hers never hit the center of the bull’s-eye. He hung a fresh target.
“What do you mean good job? My aim sucks.”
“You hit the target. I’m not entering you in the Olympics, kiddo. I want you to be able to safely handle a gun.”
“Why didn’t we bring Mac?” The look on his face when they left had bothered her. Like he felt left out.
Sully frowned, his hands hesitating only a second as he loaded the clip in the .45. “Mac hates guns.”
“He doesn’t like to shoot?”
“Flashbacks.” Sully glanced at her. “He spent three years in Iraq.”
There was a lot she didn’t know about the men. She knew Mac had been in the Army for a while, but hadn’t asked him any questions about it, sensing he didn’t like to talk about it.
“Why don’t the two of you catch a movie tonight?” Sully suggested.
“What?”
“Make it up to him for leaving him alone.”
“That’s freaking spooky.”
“What?”
“You reading my mind like that.”
He motioned for her to step back as he assumed a shooting stance.
“What can I say? It’s a Dom thing.” His mouth curled into an amused smile.
She watched as he emptied the clip. Again, all of his shots hit near or on center. He helped her load the .45 and watched her shoot it.
When she finished, she laid it on the counter.
“Do me a favor, sweetie. Please pick up the shells. My leg’s bothering me.”
“Okay.” While she did, he reloaded the .45 for her.
“You don’t like the Sig, do you?” he asked.
“What?”
“The nine millimeter.”
“No.”
“You acted scared of it.”
She shrugged as she put the shells on the counter. He had her shoot three more clips with the .45 before switching to the revolver.
She didn’t like it much more than the 9mm, but by the time their hour ended, she realized she felt closer to Sully and more relaxed around him than she ever had before. As she helped him relock the guns and put them away, it occurred to her she hadn’t once felt nervous around him since their arrival.
He tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “How about we have a standing once-a-week shooting date?”
She grinned. “Date?”
He slipped his arms around her and pulled her to him. “Mac gets to spend most of the time with you. Maybe I’d like the pleasure of your company once in a while.”
She sensed something deeper in his grey gaze than simple friendship. Or maybe just wishful thinking on her part? “Okay. I’d like that.”
He kissed her forehead. “I’m thinking all this is overkill on my part, but it would kill me if something happened to you because I didn’t teach you what you need to know to keep yourself safe and we weren’t there to protect you.”
She allowed herself to relax in his arms, rested her forehead against his chest, and closed her eyes. Her mind drifted back to the play party, to the way Mac surrendered to him, to the trust he had in him.
How could she ever admit to him that she wished she could have that, too?
“Thanks, Sully.”
“Let’s go eat.” He released her and slipped his sunglasses on before gathering their things. Moment over.
Sully thought back to Jason’s call. He didn’t have any proof. He instinctively knew Clarisse wouldn’t have had anything to do with her parents’ deaths, and she probably didn’t suspect Bryan Jackson did either. When they were seated at a table in the restaurant, he decided to test the waters. After chatting with her for a few minutes, he sprang the question.
“So how did your parents feel about Bryan Jackson?”
“They hated him. I actually broke up with him twice before we got back together for good.” She looked sad. “I should have listened to them.”
“Why did you get back together with him?”
Clarisse’s gaze fell to the table. He didn’t miss the tears that filled her eyes. “He personally came to break the news to me about their accident. He was at the station when it happened.” She sniffled and wiped at her eyes with her napkin as her voice dropped. “He insisted on being the one to tell me. I…I fell apart. He picked me up and kept me together, helped me plan the funeral and the arrangements.”
She took a deep breath and forced a smile. “It was like I saw a different side of him, right? That’s before he hit me the first time, obviously. He acted so sweet. He didn’t try to be romantic with me or anything, just…he was there.”
She met Sully’s gaze. “He would stop by to check on me, make sure I was okay. Then after a few weeks, I invited him over for dinner and we got back together. I thought I’d seen a changed man. I thought maybe he’d gotten a handle on his anger. He said he’d been working really hard to change. He acted different for a while. After six months or so, the old Bryan reappeared. Slowly, little things here and there.
By the time I realized he hadn’t really changed, I wasn’t strong enough to make him leave again. I put up with it.”
Sully nodded and traced his fingers through the condensation on his glass. “That’s understandable.” It also confirmed his suspicions that she had no involvement in her parents’ deaths.
“No, it’s not,” she angrily shot back. She glanced around and lowered her voice. “I acted fucking stupid. I let him take me for everything, and by the time I felt ready to go back to school and finish my degree, I couldn’t because I’d let him control me and take control of everything. He wouldn’t give me the money to go to school. Then when I told him I’d kick him out, that’s when he hit me and threatened me the first time.”
“You’re not stupid, Clarisse.”
“Stop it. I am stupid. I’m stupid and I was scared I couldn’t make it on my own, and then I was scared he’d fucking kill me. Who else would have wanted me anyway? Fucking fat chick, all I can attract is a psycho cop for a boyfriend—” Sully reached across the table and grabbed her chin. “Stop,” he whispered. “Don’t you dare let me hear you talk about yourself like that ever again. So help me, girl, I will spank that attitude out of your gorgeous hide.” He placed one finger over her lips. “I don’t give a shit what that asshole told you. Who are you going to believe? A lying psychopath or someone who’s willing to put a gun in your hand?” A playful smile teased his lips.
She finally smiled. When she did, he touched the end of her nose before settling in his chair again. His gaze bored into her. “Baby, I will tolerate a lot, believe me. But I mean it, if I hear you talk like that again, I will haul you over my lap.”
She looked shocked for a moment, then smiled. “Promise?”
He laughed and took a sip of water. “You’d better believe it.”
After their food arrived, she nervously studied him. “Mac told me about how you guys got together.”
”I told him it was okay. I want you to understand there’s a lot more to what we’ve got than it appears. I love him, he loves me.”
“I read Chances Taken.”
He smirked. “What did you think?”
“What came first? Your relationship with Mac or the writing?”
He shrugged and leaned back in his chair. “I’ve been writing since high school.”
“The erotica?”
“That came after I got together with Mac.”
“It’s good. Very emotional.”
“I’m glad you liked it.”
“Can I ask you something personal?”
“Sure.”
“How did you end up with a guy if you’re not gay?”