McCoy (Golden Glades Henchmen MC 3)

"Shy isn't going to like this."

"The girl had some shit go down," Eddie said, shrugging. "Makes sense she wants to know how to defend herself," he added.

"Yeah, that's true." To be fair, if things with Shy kept going in the direction it seemed like they were, I would want her out in the yard with a gun in her hand, learning to get comfortable with the feel of it, and figuring out how to use it. Just in case. I believed that if you were going to be in this lifestyle, or attached to it via some sort of relationship, then you needed to know the basics of some self-defense. "Just make sure the guns are put away after," I demanded as Alaric gave Belle a brief crash course in the parts of a gun and how to use them before pointing toward the target, and taking a step back.

There was barely a hesitation before her finger slid to the trigger, and the bullet went sailing through the air, landing just to the side of the target.

"Not bad," I said, nodding.

"Better than me," Eddie agreed.

Harmon and Saskia had put up a bit of a fight about the shooting range when Alaric had suggested it, understandably not wanting shooting near their kids.

But after we'd had some land cleared, so that we could built it the way Alaric thought would be safest—with railroad tie walls backed by tire walls then backed by a shitton of sand, all covering three sides so that the shooter stood inside of it—they did begrudgingly agree it would probably be worth it to have around for everyone to practice without needing to go to a range. Eventually, the kids would need to grow up and learn to shoot as well. It just made sense to have it nearby. And we only practiced when the women and kids had notice, so there would be no chance of any accidents.

"Good. Aim a little higher than you think you need to," Alaric instructed.

Eddie and I stood back in somewhat stunned awe as with each small correction from Alaric, Belle got better and better. Better, I'll admit, than me. And I'd been practicing shooting for most of my life.

"That skill just comes natural to some, I guess," Eddie said. "That killer instinct. Me," he went on, pressing a hand to his chest. "I'm a lover. That must be why I can't hit the target like sweet baby sis over there."

"Yeah, man, that must be it," I said with a snort.

"There. That's it," Alaric said when Belle hit the center of the target. "You're getting it n—" he started, trailing off when Belle just kept squeezing and squeezing the trigger, seemingly lost in her own world, in her own head. "Whoa whoa whoa," Alaric called, voice soft, soothing, as Belle kept squeezing, but getting only hollow clicks.

Strange, choked sounds started to escape her then, and I became all-too-aware of the way her frame was shaking with whatever was going on in her mind right then.

"Okay, angel, you gotta give me the gun," Alaric went on, putting his hand on the top of the muzzle, aiming it down, then pulling it from her hands a little roughly, making her stumble forward.

"Give me more bullets," Belle demanded, voice raw.

"Angel, no. You're done for today," Alaric said, shaking his head softly at her.

"Give me more fucking bullets!" Belle shrieked, making all of us jolt. For one, because Belle never yelled. From what Shy said, not even before she was kidnapped and traumatized. But for two because she also never cursed either, and it seemed completely out of character for her to do so with that much rage.

"No, you're done," Alaric said, voice a bit firmer.

"What's—" Huck started as he walked up, cutting off while we all watched in stunned silence as Belle lunged forward into Alaric's waistband, pulling out his gun, and turning back to the target, emptying the magazine while letting out a low-level shriek.

"Okay," I said, taking a deep breath as I handed Huck my gun. "I think maybe this wasn't the best of ideas," I concluded, making my way up behind Belle and a tense-looking Alaric.

He reached for the gun as I reached for her.

"Let me go!" she yelled. "I need to know how!" she insisted as I ducked under her flailing arms.

"Belle, you already know how," I reasoned with her, grabbing her wrists, and yanking them down toward her sides. "You just proved to everyone that you know how," I added, voice a little softer as her gaze landed on me.

"What's the matter?" Shy called, running from the direction of Che and Saskia's place, eyes huge.

"Everything's alright now," I said, voice as soothing as I could make it as Shy moved in beside her sister. "Belle was learning how to shoot," I told her. "And I think it was a little much," I added as Belle's eyes were glassy for one rare, vulnerable moment before she locked it all away behind that vacant shield she was wearing around those days.