The Mafia King's Nicotine

Chapter 23

The weekend came up fast and Vivian and Erik were heading to the game and park outdoor center, on the outskirts of town. Vivian had been here a few times before but hadn't been in years. She was almost bouncing in her seat with excitement. Erik, however, was nervous. He didn't want her to have to know how to shoot a weapon or even be near one, but he knew it would keep her safe.

Parking the car, Erik turned to her, noticing the visible excitement on her face, "Okay, listen. You have to be careful in there. Don't do anything stupid!" He held her hand tightly, demanding that she listen to him. He had gotten softer towards her over the past couple of days, but today was serious and he did not want to risk her getting hurt.

Vivian just rolled her eyes. She had this in the bag, what was he so worried about? "Have a little faith in me, would ya." She wiggled the door handle, "Now are you going to let me out?"

Grabbing his leather jacket from the backseat, he got out and opened her door. She stepped onto the gravel, holding her own jacket in her arms. It got cold in the ranges sometimes and she wanted to be prepared.

She held onto Erik's hand as he walked her through the parking lot, trying not to skip from excitement and allowed him to open the door for her.

"Merci beaucoup," (Thank you very much) She nodded at him with a smile.

"Anytime." Erik grinned at her before turning to the plump woman, sitting behind the desk. Vivian scanned through some of the pamphlets they had out, getting information on the hunting seasons while she waited for him to pay.

A tug on her hand gained her attention and she turned to face her very attractive boyfriend/fiancé/whatever he was. She had come to terms with her feelings and was no longer scared to admit her attraction to him.

"Ready?" He asked and she nodded with a bright smile.

They walked into a small room before entering the range. They each slipped on safety glasses and earmuffs. Even if they weren't shooting at a range she was almost sure Erik would have made her wear them anyway. Before they could both step into the range the plump woman chased after them and pulled Erik out.

"I'm sorry sir, but if you're not shooting, you can't be in there." She held onto his upper arm slightly and Vivian watched with wide eyes.

He shook her off and stepped towards Vivian, "I'm staying with her." He said coldly.

The poor woman shook her head, "I'm sorry again sir, but you can't. Cecilia will take care of her, don't worry. You can watch her through the glass." She pointed to the giant window that stretched over the far wall of the range, allowing people to see through. Huffing Erik kissed the top of Vivian's head and left. She sighed with relief; that could have been a lot worse.

Stepping into the cool room alone, another woman, presumably Cecilia, lead her over to one of the cubicles.

"Have you ever shot a rifle before?" She asked and Vivian nodded.

"Okay, so this is your magazine, this is the safety and obviously this is the trigger." Cecilia set the gun back down and picked up the pack of bullets, "I'll load the first one and then you'll do the rest." She showed her how to place it into the chamber and the rest into the magazine. Vivian took the gun and finished the process before setting it back down awaiting further instructions.

The woman checked it over, nodded and pressed a button on the wall. The target in front of her moved back about halfway down the range. Vivian motioned for her to move it back further and Cecilia complied. She was gonna test herself today.

Picking up the gun, she flipped the safety and nestled the stock into the side of her armpit. Squinting through the scope, she focused on her target before locking in and pulling the trigger. The firearm jerked back, sending that familiar and beloved rush through her body. She pulled back the bolt, releasing the used cartridge and loading in a new one.