Surrounded

Chapter Three

"Outlaw Angel" - Joey Greer 

    Before she knew it, they pulled up in front of the old brown building. She put the truck in park and stepped out, the gravel crunching under her shoes. Reaching behind the seat, she pulled out two boxes of ammunition, hearing protection, and her wallet. She turned to round the back of the truck to find Arlo leaning against the bed, "Ready?"

"Yeah, you?"

"I'll always be ready to see you wield a weapon."

     She felt the smirk form on her lips and her head shake, leading the way into the large brown building. After checking in, she scanned her card and led them into the range, choosing the lane furthest from the entrance. As Arlo sat behind her, she handed him her wallet for safe keeping. Pulling the pistol from the holster at her hip, she placed it on the bench in front of her, along with the extra ammunition. Once the target had been hung and set to the right distance, she donned her hearing protection and picked up her firearm. Aiming it down-range, she felt her breath slow, her thoughts calm, and all other thoughts drift away. The weight of the pistol in her hands, the contrast of the cool steel under her finger and the bite of the grip in her palm, it was all so familiar. Her safe place. Her mind knew exactly what to expect and her body knew the motions without her brain having to think too much.

Breathe in, her finger moved to the trigger, breathe out, her arms steadied, her left hand bracing forward against her right, aim, squeeze. She emptied the magazine.

     Lowering her arms, she pressed the magazine release and placed the pistol on the padded bench. She picked up her ammo and sat next to Arlo, opening the box to reload. Before she could, he gently grabbed the box from her lap and held his hand out for the magazine. Sighing, she handed it over, enjoying the feeling of his brown eyes on her. He picked up the .45 caliber rounds and pressed them into the magazine before handing it back to her.

"How did I do?"

"Badass as ever, just remind me not to be on the receiving side of that," nodding to the bench with her pistol.

     They spent an hour going through that cycle before she was out of extra ammo. When she finally sat down and took off her hearing protection, he simply smiled at her, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. They didn't say a word as they exited the building, they knew one another well enough that they didn't need to.

     Dropping him off at his work, he made her promise to let him know when she got home safe, looking her in the eye to show how serious he was. She agreed and squeezed his arm, nuzzling his warm hand as he caressed her cheek. He chucked and she felt a blush creep up her neck. His hand gently slid down so his fingers were on the back of her neck, his palm in the crook of it. She met his eyes and it felt as if her heart skipped a beat. She wasn't sure if she was imagining things, but when his breath mingled with her own, she had her answer. He hesitated, unsure of her feelings. With a smirk, she closed the distance and placed her lips on his surprisingly cool ones.

     He returned her kiss gently, at first. She'd already decided she had no problem leading, sliding across the bench seat and tangling her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck. She ran her tongue across his bottom lip and when she felt his smirk, she nipped it playfully.

     He pulled away abruptly, and she could've sworn she saw a hint of red flash in his eyes. She tried to pull back, but his hold was firm, hugging her to him. "I'm so sorry, I don't know what I was thinking. I just got so carried away. Please don't let this come between us, I wouldn't survive without you keeping me sane," she rushed out, panicked. He surprised her with his responding chuckle. He took a breath and sat up, placing a chaste kiss on her bruised lips. "Don't ever apologize for that again. And it will happen again."

     With his words rattling in her head, he opened the door and slid out of the truck, giving her a smile that lit up his face. It took a couple moments for her brain to start working again, she didn't even realize she was home until someone knocked on her window.