Devin
I got my first hit of the day. I glanced at Tony's dummy; he'd drawn a bunch of shapes perforated with bullet holes.
I rolled my eyes. Such a trickster.
"You know, if you keep scowling like that for the next thirty seconds," he said, sliding his earmuffs down his neck. "It's going to freeze."
Ignoring his silly comment, I slammed a new magazine into the gun with my palms, echoing like snapping bones in the empty field.
I aimed my pistol right in line with my wrist, sizing up the target in front of me.
"Not everything is a joke, Tony." I muttered, tightening my grip on the panel.
"And since when did you care about my jokes?" He asked, picking up a new firearm.
Adrenaline buzzed through me, the recoil bouncing back in my face as I fired my gun again and again, emptying the clip in ten seconds.
The dummy had more than just holes; if it were a human being, all its organs would be beyond stitching.
"You seem off," he said, reloading with a relaxed flick. The metal slide clicked into place. "Bad day at work?"
A small crept at the corners of his lips, shading his question despite the damage I'd caused to his eardrums.
"Something like that." I picked up the rifle from the booth stand.
Sweat dripped down my forehead as I placed the stock of the gun up to my shoulder.
Every fortnight, after work, Tony and I met at this outdoor gun range. Most members of our ranking preferred upscale restaurants, spas, or the gentleman's club, leaving us alone to our hobby.
"I heard the Wilsons' deal is moving smoothly." He said, gulping down a bottle of water.
He was perfectly calm despite my aggressive opening in today's round.
I lined up my next shot, my finger resting on the trigger. "I'm getting engaged."
Boom.
The word 'engaged' left a sour taste in my mouth.
With a gleam in his eyes, Tony questioned, "It's baffling how you could keep such a massive thing a secret."
"It's not a secret; it's a business arrangement." I ejected the spent magazine, tossing it onto the ground. "I didn't fucking ask her out and take her on a date."
The bullets Tony fired whizzed by, not hitting their mark.
"I never thought I'd see the day you got married."
"We are not married yet." I lowered the rifle, wiping sweat from my eyebrow. "I don't even know her."
I prioritized work over relationships, which is why I couldn't stand losing in innovation or market deals. Business was energetic, practical and, for the most part, predictable. Relationships were not.
The thought of being joined to someone for the rest of my life was equivalent to my containers sinking into the ocean.
Tony lowered himself, getting ready and adjusting his footing.
"Makes sense; I've always known this business would take over your personal life."
Boom.
"Funny." I scoffed, slotting in a magazine.
"Who is she?"
I raised my rifle again, sighting down the abandoned car, aiming for the glass." Aurora Fabian. The daughter of a criminal drug lord."
"This is starting to sound illegal."
"She's a fresh graduate, worked night shifts as a bartender in a club, and this arrangement was forced upon her." I paused, squaring my shoulders. "And she's a twenty-four-year-old. "
Tony lowered his gun at a slow pace.
"Excuse me? Your nine years older than her." Placing his palm on his forehead. " That's nearly a decade."
"She doesn't want this either, but a Fabian is a Fabian." I fired my shot. The shattering glass rained down onto the ground.
She's my enemy.
"She shouldn't be that bad; is your mother aware of this?"
I took a deep breath, shaking off my disappointment. "She signed the deal."
I set down my rifle, reaching for my pistol again.
Unfortunately, Steven's latest update confirmed Marcel had stored the photos and videos both physically and digitally.
And getting rid of physical copies where tricky, and I knew Marcel had backup files hidden.
Our conversation tapered off with cracking bullet sounds and muzzled flashes.
I fired two short bursts at the trees; no time for aim, feeling the recoil slam through my shoulders.
My breath burned, leveling my frustration, the birds flew like a panic eruption from the heat of what I couldn't say out loud.
I dread my current state.
Reload, aim, fire. Repeatedly until we ended the night with damaged targets, spent magazines, jams, and slowed movements.
But I'd finally worked off the edge of my anger; I met Tony in the clubhouse after my shower. I have gained enough clarity on how to handle my and Aurora's shortcomings.
No matter how much I hated her, the cage she's built around herself fascinated me.
"Feeling better?" Tony was already dressed when I entered.
Buttoned down shirt, black shades and brown loafers.
"Thirty percent." I got dressed and rubbed my hand over the webbing between my index finger and thumb.
"That's why you called; it was not about the number of shots fired." He stated.
"And you'd hate it if I took it easy on you" I inhaled.
"I mean, she shouldn't be that bad." He said, in a casual tone. "See it as the universe smiling at you; I'm sure she's beautiful, smart, then why would your mother agree at first."
My nostrils flared, irritation flickering in my chest. "Why don't you marry her instead."
"Bet I will if I see her." He teased, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Don't be a bloody asshole."
We exited the Vegas ranch landmark, our footsteps crushing the rocky ground; it was an exclusive training society for those with a certain net worth.
"Be realistic."
"She's young; it's not her fault that she's stuck with a nitwit like you." He said, circling his car and casually opening the door.
If only he knew.
"Worry less about my personal life and more about yours." I said, taking my keys from my pocket. "Victoria Taylor won't wait forever for a daughter-in-law."
"Luckily for her, I have someone who can arrange a wife for me." He winked at me as a helicopter hovered above us.
I watched him slam his door at me, driving off into the alley.
Aurora was my future wife, whether I liked her or not. I was getting sick of her name leaving my mouth.