Badge of Honor (The Town of Pearl 9)

He didn’t even look at her hand. He held her gaze.

“It’s safe.”

“If it isn’t with me then it’s not safe. Give it back to me, Mace.”

He shook his head.

“It’s mine and you had no right to take it. I did as Galvin and you asked and I kept it in the box in the closet. You had no right to take it. What if someone broke in? I would have been unarmed and dead.”

“No one is breaking into our home. No one will even make it up the driveway or through the wooded area surrounding us without us knowing. We’re your protectors now, so get used to it.”

“No. I’m not standing here like some weak incapable woman who needs five retired SEALs to protect her. I’ve had it.”

She went to step past him when he grabbed her upper arm.

He held her gaze, his black eyes boring into hers.

“Harper said you were about ready to go crazy. We’re setting up our mock targets in the woods. We’ll let you participate if you promise to not shoot one of us.”

“Targets? Like a training setup?”

“Yes. There are twenty different locations and targets. It helps us stay sharp and keep our skills strong.”

“I’ll need my gun.”

“You’ll use what I give you.” He released her arm and headed toward the kitchen. When she got there only Orin was there.

“The others headed out. We’ll take Lauren with us. She’ll shadow you and then on her second sweep around she can go solo,” Orin said.

She looked at him and he eyed her over, his dark eyes lading on her breasts. She turned away, not wanting to show the effect he had on her. She realized that the V-neck shirt she wore did show off a bit of her abundant breasts. But considering that her clothing was limited and Mary shopped for her, she was stuck with some more revealing tops than she’d ever worn before.

“Let’s move,” Mace said and pulled a bag up off the counter and they headed out together.

When they caught up with Galvin, Harper, and Gus, she was surprised that they had their own training facility out there in the woods. She didn’t know why they brought the targets when they actually had a setup like the SWAT training facility at the shooting center in New York. They had targets of bad guys and civilians that popped out next to targets to throw the officer off. She had excelled in this category in the academy. She felt that rush of excitement and she couldn’t wait to try.

They all prepared their weapons and Lauren watched as each of the men went through the stations and then disappeared into the woods.

“I want you right behind me at all times. You get a trial run and then I’ll go through right behind you,” Mace told her as he checked his weapons.

“How many targets are there?” she asked.

“Twenty-five direct targets, sixteen trick targets and they’re never the same so you don’t know what’s going to pop out Bad guy or civilian.”

“Okay,” she said as they approached the start. To the right she could see Galvin come out of the last section and then Gus. Harper would be next and Orin was going in after her and Mace.

She felt Mace’s hand reach back and tap her hip.

“Right on me. I don’t want you in my line of fire or throwing off my groove,” he snapped at her.

She nodded her head. The man was mega serious. But how close did he expect her to get to him? He was filled with muscles. His arms pointed out in front of him as he gripped the Glock with two hands and began to fire upon the targets.

As they moved along she felt the rush, the feeling of wanting to be the one to hit the targets and shoot her gun. She felt the hand slap against her outer thigh.

“On me, Lauren. Not to the left or right. You’re fucking up my groove,” he yelled at her and she pressed closer. Had to place her hands on his hips to remain as close as it seemed he expected her to be. They moved along in sync. It was so strange how quickly she caught onto his movements and the way he only slightly twitched. He was a trained shooter, perhaps a killer. He didn’t shudder or shake. He had the same steadiness she was known to have and had been complimented on.

As they walked quickly up the rough terrain, he lowered down to the ground and she followed.

Her body over his. She felt her pussy leak and her breasts tingle some more. This was turning into some erotic adventure instead of a training exercise.