I reach my hand behind his back and I feel his firm arse as I move my hand to the pocket. My hand touches something and I pull the gun out of the pocket. I inch the gun slowly towards the front.

"Point your gun at twelve o'clock. Then pull the trigger."

My hands begin to shake. "I can't do it, Ethan. Last night scared me."

***

Ethan takes the gun from me and he keeps his eye on the bush. "Run into the house. I'll take care of this once and for all. Go!"

Johnny opens the door for me and I run inside. He places his hands over my ears. "It's going to be loud."

I hear a pop and I fall into my brother's arms.

It's over. The girls and I are finally free.

Johnny lifts me up and carries me to lounge. "I'm going to get you something to drink." He walks into the kitchen and I hear the fridge open. He returns with a bottle of water.

Ethan enters the house a couple minutes later. "I called the clean-up crew. They're going to take care of this mess." He looks at me. "Are you going to tell anyone what happened here?"

I shake my head.

He smiles. "Good." he sits next to me. "I'm going to teach you something's at the shooting range today."

Johnny sits across from me. "Then we're going paint-balling." He smirks at Ethan. "You can pay her back from shooting you."

No, way are these guys going to hit me at paint-balling.

I rise. "Well, let's get to the shooting range. I'm looking forward to paint-balling boys." I stick my tongue out at them. I pick up my handbag and head out the door.
Johnny laughs. "She's gone from being scared-to-cocky in less than five minutes."

"I get that from you, Johnny. Whose car are we taking?"

Johnny points to the black SUV. "We're taking mine. We'll be safer in this than the cars you two drive."

I cross my arms. "Let me guess. Your car is bulletproof?"

Ethan moves over to me and he puts his arm around my shoulders. He whispers. "That's right. You know your brother and I have made enemies in our line of work. I don't want to see a beauty like get shot."

I laugh. "I deserve some Karma."

"No, you don't. I shouldn't have been hiding in the bush. You were scared and you knew about the guy stalking you. You should feel safe going out and you didn't think that he would follow you to Harlow's Passage." He leads me to the car and he opens the door for me.

What a gentleman.

I climb in. "Thank you."

Ethan winks at me and then closes the door. He moves to his seat. He starts the car and we wait for Johnny to climb in.

Johnny sits in the front seat next to his friend. He turns towards me. "Do you have your seat-belt on?"

"Yes, Dad."

Ethan laughs. He looks at me in rear-view mirror before he pulls onto the road.

I feel butterflies fluttering in my stomach as I look into the mirror and my eyes land on his. His blue eyes shine in the light and he smiles.

Ethan weaves through the traffic on the road and a couple minute later we pull into a familiar area. I look out the window and I see Mason's Gym.
Mason is leaning against the brick wall when Ethan pulls the car into the parking lot. He moves towards the car.

Ethan and Johnny step out of the car and they talk to Mason. They look at the car and I step out.

I make my way over to them.

Mason is about to say something when I shake my head.

I'm glad that my brother didn't see the exchange between Mason and I.

Johnny looks at me. "Mason, I want you to meet my sister, Laken. Laken, this is Mason."

I smile. "It's nice to meet you." I shake his hand. When I look over at Ethan I see him giving Mason a death glare. I touch Ethan's arm.

Mason looks at us. Then he says. "I'll show you to the range." He enters the gym. He comes back out with keys in his hands.

We follow him to the range. He unlocks the gate and gives the keys to Johnny. "Lock up when you're done."

"Mason, we'll be done by 2.30. Then we're going paint-balling if you want to join to us?"

Mason smiles. "Yeah, I'll come."

Ethan moves over to Johnny and they start talking.

Mason uses that chance to move over to me. He whispers. "I see you've turned to someone that has more experience in shooting than me. I also trained with him. So, tomorrow's competition is going to be interesting. I'm going to fix the men's change room with your money."

I smirk. "I'm going to spend your money on the girls. I'm thinking a bedroom make-over." I look at Johnny and Ethan. I see them turn towards me and Mason is standing away from me.

Mason is smart to move away from me.

Mason looks at the guys. "I had better train the guys." He walks away.

Ethan moves towards me. "Are you ready to show me what you've been taught? I want to see if the guy that's been training you is any good." he gives me his gun and I step up to the platform.

I raise my arm and point it at the target. I take a deep breath before I pull the trigger. I hit the target in the middle.

Ethan whistles. "Damn, whoever is training you, knows what he's doing." He stands behind me and places his hands on my hips and I feel tingly from his touch. He places his hands on top of mine. He whispers. "Turn your head away from the target. I want to see if you can shoot without looking at the target." I turn my head toward him and I look into his blue eyes and he looks into my brown ones. "Pull the trigger."

I pull the trigger.

"Dude, she hit the middle of the target without looking at it." Johnny stops talking.

I shake my head. "Get off me, Ethan."

He drops his hands and he steps away from me.

I see Johnny slap the back of his head. "That's my little sister there."

"Turn your hips to side slightly, Laken." Ethan says.

I turn my hips slightly and I fire the gun.

After two hours practicing Ethan moves over to me. "You've got it. There's nothing else that I can teach you with shooting."

Mason starts walking over to us and he looks at me. "How's everything going here?"

"Great." I say.

Ethan moves next to me and he crosses his arms. He throws the keys at him. "We're done for the day. Let's get a burger from Burger King."

Johnny packs up his stuff. "I'm hungry."

He's always hungry.

Ethan walks beside me as we make our way back to the car. He opens the passenger door. "I want you to sit next to me."

***

At 3pm, I am in the change room getting changed into overalls for paintball. I pick up the mask and carry it to the waiting area. I see my Johnny, Mason and Ethan standing in the corner. I walk over to them.

Ethan pulls his phone out and he takes a selfie of us. He shows me the picture and he's looking at me. I'm sticking my tongue out while Johnny and Mason look normal in it. We are smiling in the picture.

A guy steps out of the office. "I want you all to pick up your guns and follow me to the field you will be using for the next thirty minutes. Those who have green bands are on one team and on the other is yellow."

I look at my arm band and I green. Mason also has a green band. While Johnny and Ethan have yellow bands.

I look at Ethan and say. "You're going down buddy."

Mason and I move to our side of the field.

The guy steps on a platform and he says. "The first team that captures the flag wins. I don't want any head shots. Keep to the arms, legs and stomach. If you get hit move to the side and let everyone else finish the game. When I blow the whistle you can start."

He blows the whistle.

Mason and I run over to barrel and we hide behind that. He looks at me. "How are we going to get the flag?"

I turn to him. "I was hoping that the FBI Agent next to me would come up with a plan."

He laughs. "I have one. It involves you being the decoy. I also need you to do distract Ethan. That's the only way that the plan will work for us to capture the flag."

I smile. "I'm game."

I shoot the gun and I hear it hit the barrel as it makes a bang and it echoes around us.

I hope the other team don't come for us now.

Mason turns towards me. "What was that?"

"I needed to make sure the thing wasn't stuck. I don't want to go home with thousands of welts because this gun got stuck." I step out from behind the barrel and I run over to the next one. I see a guy step out from behind his barrel and I shoot him.

He starts swearing.

I look out from behind my barrel. I see someone raise their gun and they aim it at me. I hide behind the barrel and I look for an escape route. I signal a guy from my team and he runs over to me.

He sits beside me.

"I need you to protect me to the next barrel. Are you willing to be my shield until we get that flag?"

The guy lifts up his mask. "I'll do it. Let me know when we need to make the move and I'll protect you the best I can."

I look across from me and I see Mason still behind the barrel that I left him at. I look at the next barrel and then at the people moving towards us. "On three." I lift up my fingers. When I reach three I start to run across the field and he follows quickly behind me. I see paint-balls on the ground.

They didn't hit us.

The guy and I continue to run and hide throughout the field. I still haven't seen Johnny or Ethan.

I look away for a split second and then I hear. "Don't move." I look at the person that said it and I see its Ethan.

Ethan points the gun at the guy and pulls the trigger. He smirks. "You don't have your bodyguard now. Good luck with getting the flag. Half your team are out." He points in the direction of the team.

I point my gun at Ethan and I shoot him.

Ethan looks at me. "You shot me twice."

I pat his arm. "Be glad it's paint this time." I smirk. "You shouldn't have taken your eyes off me, Ethan. Have fun on the side line. I'm going to get the flag." I wave at him as he makes his way to the side of the field.

Mason runs up to the flag and he pulls it off. He runs down the field.

I start running as well.

If he gets shot this will be anyone's game and I'm not in the mood to lose to Ethan and Johnny. They may be great out there in the world. In here it's mine.

Mason gets hit by a paintball.

I take the flag from him and I run to my side of the field and I hook it on the pole and I raise the flag.

My team starts cheering.

I move toward the gate and pick up a bottle of water from inside a container. I pull the mask off my head and sit at a table.

Ethan moves over to me. "Good game." The next thing I know he squashes something in my hair. I look at my arm and see that it is red paint.

I pull a paint ball out of the gun. "It's so on Ethan." I throw mine at him.

The rest of the group start throwing there's as well.

The owner blows his whistle and he yells. "That enough." He points at Ethan and I. "I want you two gone. Anyone with them are to leave as well."

I step out of the overalls and leave it on the ground.

Ethan and my hair are painted in red and blue as we leave the paintball place.

This has been the best day of my life.

***

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