I didn’t want to talk about my parents or what I went through with them. All I wanted was to continue shooting the target in peace like I had been. Nazai didn’t grow up like I did. His parents spoiled and loved him. He might have been trained for the business but it didn’t jade him or leave physical and mental scars on him. His family worked together to grow and become who they were. He would never understand the turmoil of having the ones who brought you into this world be your biggest bullies and tormentors.
“You’re almost as good a shot as me.”
I choked out a laugh and reached over to grab my apple juice. “My dad was the best shot I knew and I knocked him out of the water. When I say I don’t miss, I mean it.” I licked the remaining juice off my lips and set my bottle back down.
One corner of Nazai’s mouth hiked up. “Is that right?” He studied my target sheet. “Care to wager?”
My eyes narrowed. “How?” This time his mouth lifted into a full smile. My stomach fluttered. Nazai had a beautiful smile, but I told myself not to trust it. He had different sides of himself. His smile might seem friendly, but there was a twisted side inside him that could flip on at any time.
“A full clip, fifteen rounds, and whoever hits the center the most wins.”
I processed his words for a second. “Okay… I’ll bite, if I win then what?”
“What do you want?” I studied Nazai. His dark eyes beamed with mischief and mirth.
“You have to pierce your dick.”
Nazai’s eyes bucked, and he sputtered. “What?”
This time my mouth lifted into a grin. “You heard me. Since you enjoy piercings so much then let’s make it fair. If I win, you have to pierce your dick.” I dropped my attention to his groin. The imprint could be seen behind the sweatpants he had on.
“Fuck.” He laughed. “A’right, I’ll bite. If I lose then I’ll pierce my dick, but if I win you become my slave for twenty-four hours.”
“Your slave?”
A playful grin formed on his face. “You heard me. For twenty-four hours you’ll do what I want, when I want, without any complaint or fight from you.”
I tapped my gun against my thigh. “You ever been told you’re a control freak?”
He replaced the target sheets and hit the button to move them back. “Not confident enough in your skills?”
I snorted then turned forward. “Just don’t chicken out when that needle comes into play.” Grabbing my headphones, I placed them on my ears. If Nazai wanted to play, then I was game. Shopping was usually a hobby girls were into, but not me. I always enjoyed the way the sleek, heavy metal felt in my hand and feeling the kickback after I pulled the trigger. When I was younger, I spent a lot of time at the shooting range perfecting my shot. Nazai underestimated me, but he was about to learn his mistake for doubting me.
____
After leaving his other house and coming back to the penthouse, I showered and hid myself in my room while Nazai went and got my brother. I was still supposed to be upset with him after what he pulled at the barn, but today at his house I had fun with him. Nazai was competitive and a shit talker, but that wasn’t what I enjoyed. Him enjoying shooting just as much as I did had me seeing him differently. The way he held his gun with confidence and how his arm flexed when he pulled the trigger was a turn on I didn’t even realize I enjoyed seeing. He could handle a gun easily and it was clear that he had been trained properly. Nazai was an arrogant prick, but I respected that he knew his shit.
Nazai had dropped Carson off at the penthouse then left for the club. I didn’t know if he was handling business or going there for pleasure, but I didn’t bother to ask. My feelings for him were starting to confuse me. Normally the stunt he pulled would have had me putting a bullet through his eyes, but I didn’t want to see him dead. Truthfully, the thought made my stomach turn. He proclaimed I needed to learn to trust him, but all I’d ever been able to count on was myself.
He did step up and help me get Maddox.
Squeezing my eyes closed, I pushed out a deep breath. My mind was twisted with uncertainty. He even had been spending time with my brother and Carson seemed to be comfortable around him. That didn’t happen often. Carson had only ever been himself around me, but it seemed Nazai had found a way to break through that. Part of me felt like Nazai’s actions were genuine, but at the same time I didn’t know if his actions were all a ploy to make me bend to his will.
Stepping into the kitchen, I went to the fridge. I pulled it open, searching for something to drink, knowing I had to make a run to the store to get more apple juice. Lately I had been feeling thirstier than normal and had been consuming liquids, mainly apple juice, more than normal.
My nose scrunched seeing a full pack of apple juice right there on the center shelf. I picked up one of the bottles and examined it, seeing it was the same brand I always drank too. I knew I hadn’t gone to the store to get any, so that left…
I shook my head. Nazai had an angle; I was sure of it. He did little things like this to draw me in and I didn’t know why. We were married and he got his position in the family. I tried to stay out of his way. There was no reason for him to keep fucking with me unless it was a mental thing. From growing up, I knew mental manipulation well.
Carson had fallen asleep after coming home so I didn’t get to speak with him about his day, but he seemed unharmed. For the first time in a while, I actually saw excitement and eagerness in his eyes.
“Fuck!” I opened the apple juice and brought the bottle to my mouth.
My head hurt from trying to figure out what was going on. Neil was out there and needed to be handled. That was where my focus needed to be, but it was hard when I didn’t know if my husband was plotting on me.
____
A groan left my mouth and my body shifted, feeling myself being lifted. I twisted and nuzzled into the hard body suddenly against me. My nose scrunched and my eyes fluttered before snapping open.
