I was hanging halfway out the window to light my cigarette. I didn't want the room to stink, but I hadn't had one in a while, and now that I could take a full breath without shooting pain I wanted it.
The lighter flick flicked, but the flame wasn't strong. I shook the lighter looking for the remnants of gas to strike her up. I flicked again and this time the flame held steady for a minute. I sucked until the tip turned red and orange. Then I blew out the smoke.
I've officially forfeited my apartment. It really pissed me off, but Dmitriy was pushing for it. He had my stuff moved out before I could even argue the fact. I was livid when I found that out. Don't ask me where he might have gotten a key.
So for now I'm stuck in the Petrov stateside residence. There are guards posted at the gate and around the property, only these guys are deeply loyal to the Bratva and won't be coming for me. Men with big guns strapped to their chests is my new normal. I thought having Boris was bad. Oh how I wish for him again. In this house...I can't sneak out past all that.
Today however I informed my guards that I was going to be visiting Giana Rizzo and her newborn child. Vitaly okayed it, so after this cigarette I'll be on my way. The kid's cute and all, but that's not why I'm actually visiting Giana's new condo. No.
After the horror show at that safehouse I decided something. I decided I was going to teach the women how to use guns. How to defend Themselves. The Italians seem to shelter their delicate women.
Yeah, us Russians don't do that and it's one time I'm grateful for it.
There was a little hesitation on both Giana and Mia's part when I informed each of them that I would be training them how to shoot. I pushed the matter and both conceded at some point. I know those two don't get along, but too bad. I'm not splitting my time and teaching the same thing twice.
They'll have to learn to be in a room together...I'll just make sure the weapons aren't loaded. Mia asked if Sophia could come too. I said the more the merrier.
-
We decided to all meet at Mr & Mrs. Rizzo's home for the lessons because they have many acres of land, and apparently when Enzo and the boys were young they set up targets way back into the woods that still exist today.
Giana had the baby and we were planning around the baby's naptime. Mrs. Rizzo was content keeping an eye on her first grandson. She's had Daisy to spoil for a few years now, but a mini Rizzo boy running around the house, I'm sure she's thrilled.
Don't ask me how Sophia and Mia could make gun training look stylish, but they found a way with their designer boots that almost looked like the kind you use for horse riding, with their matching outfits that could almost be compared to hottie camo costumes.
It's hard to explain, but it looked expensive and it was. Giana was a little more lowkey than that. Being a new mother and all. She looked exhausted.
"Right, ladies, are we ready?" I asked. Sophia linked her arm with Mia's and said, "Yes sir." Her hair is a more yellowish blonde, but the roots are dark like her natural color. It was tied back.
"I'm starting you off with bebe guns so all of us leave with all our limbs and organs. I set cans over there...hit them" I pulled bebe guns out of the duffle bag I'd carried out here with me.
I don't know how many acres the Rizzo's own, but there was a lot of land here. It's out beyond the fenced portion of their home, which is the part they consider the 'yard', but if this were my land I would utilize it.
It's calm out here. Serene. No street noise carries. Of course we're outside of the city. I haven't seen the woods in a while. It's been all skyscrapers and apartment buildings in NYC. I could hear the birds chirping, and the crunching of leaves and twigs under our feet. It was nice.
"So you aren't gonna show us how to aim? You're just handing me this and telling me to start shooting?" Giana scoffed. I put my hands on my hips. "I wanna see where your natural skill levels are at. For instance, shooting helps if you use the pointy end and, ya know, point it" I teased her.
By her eye roll she wasn't very amused. Mia snorted and covered her mouth.
"Okay, I'm ready," Sophia stepped forward and lifted the bebe gun. You could hear the little pellets, but she wasn't knocking over any cans yet.
"That's alright, adjust yourself. Get comfortable with your weapon. My biggest mistake when my brother started teaching me was that I was terrified of the gun. Get acquainted with it" I waved for all three of the girls to do it.
I took a step back and let them have at it.
At first there was a lot of frustrated huffing, but after a little bit they started cheering when one of the girls hit their target, and instead of huffing there was a lot more laughing. The mood loosened and that's when I decided to step in and teach them. Everything Andrei taught me.
He never started out with bebe guns. He handed me a thick heavy silver handgun and made me do everything he said regardless of my being majorly uncomfortable. I didn't see why I should traumatize the girls the same way. I thought easing into it was the better approach.
I'm no gun expert at all, but what I do know I taught.
I brought out two different unloaded handguns and showed the girls what safety locks typically look like and why they should always be on when handling the gun so no accidents happen. But that they have to, have to, have to remember to take them off when in a crisis.
If you go to shoot a bad guy and the safety is on you'll be shot first.
The girls started feeling out the real guns and exchanging them, pointing them, clicking the trigger safety. "Ready to load one?" I asked them. They all three looked between each other and waited to see what the other thought, but then they all just started nodding at the same time.
"Okay, let's try it" Mia huffed and shook out her hands.
I know Giana hates Mia because Dom loves Mia, but they were playing civil today and I was glad. This lesson went beyond them. Both Giana and Mia felt their lives at risk in those safe houses, and I think they felt pretty hopeless waiting on someone else to come help.
Sophia just makes everything look fun. She's been cooing and laughing and making a whole show of it. I'm picking up that that's just her personality. Very energetic and bubbly, but outspoken too. I see why Mia and her are best friends. And why Giana and her are not.
"Pretend that can is someone you hate and have at it" Sophia waved for Mia to start aiming and shooting. It went on like that for a while. They each took turns and I went and corrected their positions or holds on the guns if they looked incorrect. I reminded them that every gun's got its own type of kick back to be aware of.
"I don't know who to hate" I heard Mia at one point say to her best friend. Sophia snorted. "Kristoff...your dad," I heard her say. Mia widened her eyes at her. "Those people are already gone," she said. Oh....interesting. Not sure what that means.
Giana lifted her arms and took aim at the yellow can that was second to last on the overturned log. "How about those rats who put mine and my baby's life in danger when they attacked the house" Giana said, and bang. She hit the log just below the can. I saw a piece of bark splitter off.
"Close Giana, adjust your grip. Breathe out if you can" I told her.
"Or the Irish. Liam thinks I'm a whore. Well he can stick this in a hole and shove it" she muttered, then bang. TINK, the can flew off and we all started cheering and jumping. "Yeah fuck you Liam" I high fived Giana once she placed the guns safety on.
I don't actually know Liam O Riley, but I was told the situation, so fuck Liam indeed.
"Okay, now me. I really wanna hit a can" Sophia snatched the gun from Giana who was feeling the high of hitting her target. I placed my hand on the girl's shoulder without really thinking about the randomness of such personal contact. Giana is a bitch, and yet I kinda like her.
"You aren't nearly finished, but you're on your way there."
-
We spent hours in those woods. Time flew by honestly, and by day one I had all three girls hit a can. I felt proud. We were actually about to leave when we heard the crunching of multiple feet coming from somewhere beyond the trees.
"I'm armed" I hollered out. I heard a little bit of laughter at the same time as the guys' heads started to show. Anthony, Enzo, and Alessandro. "Don't shoot" Alessandro threw his hands up in playful surrender.
"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" The girls smiled. "Well we just got to mom's and I heard you ladies were using our target practice spot in the backwoods here. We were very curious" Enzo grinned and came up beside his sister.
"Is it true that you're the one teaching 'em?" Enzo, my future husband...asked me. I nodded, yup, with a proud chin. "That's hot" Alessandro muttered and Enzo elbowed him in the ribs. Alessandro doubled over at the hit but laughed.
"That's a future Mrs. Rizzo punk" Enzo told his buddy. For some reason that made my gut flip. A future Mrs.Rizzo...the moment felt surreal. Am I really gonna go through with this or do I still have a way out of it all? Would Vitaly actually drag Mila to America or was that a trick to get me to do as he wanted?
"Well, let's see what you ladies got," Anthony motioned for us to shoot some cans. "I'll go put them back on the log" Alessandro jogged over. Giana favored the black handgun and also volunteered to be the first to showcase her newly learned skill.
"Don't be dicks. We only just started" she warned the men with a flat expression. They crossed their hearts that they wouldn't. Giana missed her first target, but got her second. Mia did the same. Sophia missed twice and got her third. "Not bad" they said.
"And you?" Anthony asked me. I raised a brow.
"What about me?" I asked. He knows I can shoot. He never really saw me do it when that scuffle took place, but I told him how Andrei taught me back in Russia. Andrei taught me cans, bullseyes, those papermen, and moving targets. He enjoyed it and spent a lot of time doing it with me. So yeah, I can hit a can.
"Come on. Show us what you got. You're teaching the girls, so" he challenged me with a smirk, waving for me to go ahead. I shook my head, but I was biting my cheek to hide my amusement. "Fine" I muttered, going to Giana for the black handgun.
I removed the safety and stepped up to the shooting line. Aimed. Tink, tink, tink, tink. I shot one, then two, then three and four cans off the log one by one down the line. That shut the guys up.
"Well fuck" was Enzo's reaction to it. When the other guys started asking me how I learned I started telling them the story, but I was also acutely aware of Anthony talking to Mia separate from us. I was trying to listen in and talk at the same time.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Anthony put his arms around Mia, showing her how to hold the gun. "Did you see how Lexi's arms were positioned a bit different from how you're doing it? I think you'll be a better shot when you become conscious of your stance" I heard him speaking softly with her.
His hands were all over her, and I hate myself for it, but it annoyed me to see it. Whispering and giggling over there. Thinking he needs to mansplain my pupils. I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't stop paying attention.
Mia leaned into his touch. His chest was against her shoulder while his hands slid down her arms and they positioned and shot together. "Okay yeah, I do feel it" I heard her exclaim. Anthony high fived her and the hand connection held just a second too long.
Nobody else noticed, but I sure as hell did. Let's see if Mia and Anthony would be so brave to do that in front of Dom. I highly doubt they would. So why are they so damn close right now? "Lexi?" I heard Enzo calling me.
"Huh?" I quickly turned my head away from them and looked at him. His eyes bounced from his cousin to me and my gut clenched. Did he just notice me noticing them? God, I hope not.
I shook my mind clear and turned my back to Mia and Anthony. "Well, I should probably get going. I didn't mean to stay here so long" I said, collecting my guns and packing them back into the duffle.
These were lent to me from the Petrov collection. Well...I didn't ask to borrow them, but semantics.
"How are you getting home? Do you need a ride?" Enzo asked me. He and I haven't been able to spend much time together and I wonder about him. But Boris is here on the property waiting for me. I had a ride.
"Boris," I said to him. "Who?" He tipped his head in a way that reminded me of his cousin. "Oh, uh, the jolly green giant I have following me around like a shadow" I clarified. He chuckled.
"Ah, him. Yeah, I may have noticed him once or twice" he nudged me playfully. I laughed. Like Boris isn't the most noticeable man.
"Thanks though," I made the very minimal effort to not be a dick. He swiped his hand through his hair and nodded. "Yeah, sure, next time" he lifted my duffle for me. I grabbed it from him and we all started walking back together.
I could hear Mia's voice and I wanted to know if it was still Anthony she was talking to, but I didn't dare turn around.