Page 19 of Archer (Dirty Misfits MC 3)
My hands trembled as I nodded my head, but I didn’t dare say anything. I peered over my shoulder at him and saw the sorrow behind his eyes. He hated this. He hated every second of it, and I made him do it out of sheer stubbornness.
“I get it,” I murmured, “they won’t go easy on me.”
Archer shook his head. “They won’t just ‘not go easy’ on you, Josie. They’ll kill you, and rape you before they do it. These men are ruthless. You need to understand what you’re up against. Those moves that you might have learned in a class somewhere? They won’t cut it with these men. And you can rest assured that if you yell ‘stop,’ they’ll only get off on it.”
I swallowed down my fears. “Got it.”
He drew in a deep breath. “Now, would you rather take the gun route? It’ll be easy to send you in there packing heat so you can defend yourself. There are plenty of creative places we use to bypass bodyguards.”
She shook her head. “Our bodyguards don’t check us. They let us have small firearms to defend ourselves.”
He walked up to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. “They’ll change that, too. Men like this want women completely powerless. But we can still sneak it in there with you if you want to take that route. And I really think you should.”
I relented and nodded my head. “Sure, sounds like a plan.”
He patted my shoulder. “I’ll be right back. You know, once I get some ice for my fucking balls.”
I giggled. “Too bad someone won’t kiss them and make them better, right?”
The second the words flew out of my mouth, Archer stilled his movements. His eyes turned dark as he looked down at me and something raced throughout my entire body. Goosebumps fleed up and down my arms. A heat so intense that it curled my toes percolated through my veins. And as Archer’s hand slid from my shoulder, he let it trail down my back as he walked toward the clubhouse.
“Give me ten minutes,” he said.
I closed my eyes and drew in a sobering breath as the ocean waves kicked up a breeze that soothed away the heat Archer created within me. I cleared my throat and cracked my neck, wincing with the pain that rushed throughout my body. Holy hell, this guy had really done a number on me. I felt like absolute shit.
Yes, a gun is definitely the way to go.
“All right,” Archer said as he returned, “have you ever shot a firearm before?”
I shrugged. “Just as a kid. It was more of a B.B. gun, though.”
“Hey, at least you have a starting point. Here, take this. It’s a—”
I took the gun from him. “—Smith and Wesson Shield EZ. A lot of women like it because it’s got a low recoil and it's easier on the wrists to fire.”
I cocked the gun and held it out in front of me, aiming down the sights. I was taught growing up to keep both eyes open and aim for the target that didn’t look like a hologram. But as Archer’s hand slowly slid up my shoulder and down my arm, I watched him come into view.
Before he walked out in front of me about twenty feet and placed a human-shaped target for me to use.
“Just pop off one shot for me. I want to see how you do,” he said.
I nodded and aimed for the nose and pulled the trigger, but the bullet sank just to the bottom of the target’s right cheek.
“What were you aiming for?” Archer asked.
I groaned as I lowered my weapon. “His nose.”
He jogged back over to me. “Not bad for someone who only has experience with a B.B. gun.”
I shrugged. “I might go to a gun range every now and again.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “How much is ‘every now and again?’”
I peeked up at him. “Once every couple of months? Maybe? If it’s busy at work, then I don’t get to go sometimes. But I try to, at least.”
He grinned. “Do you have a gun of your own that you’d rather use?”
I shook my head. “Never had the balls to pull the trigger and get one, so to speak.”
He chuckled. “It’s a big deal, buying a gun here in California. But you’ll be just fine with this one. How did the recoil feel on your wrists?”
“Pretty good. Didn’t hurt at all, though I did notice it.”
“And the weight?”
“That’s the best thing about it. It’s lightweight in my hands. It’ll be easy on my shoulders.”
He ejected the magazine. “I take it you know how to do all of this stuff, then?”
I nodded. “I can load it, shove it in, cock it, and even disassemble it. With some time, of course. I’m not like, one of those speed demons with it.”
