ella

ent of expensive French perfumes clashed with the metallic tang of dry earth and old gunpowder. I stood in the

ined loudly, making sure everyone heard. "Whoever this 'instructor' is, he clearly doesn't understand

ad, a black, bulletproof Cadillac V-16 rol

ned, and Damon Fal

s storm-blue eyes swept the range, calculating and cold. "My business does not wait for you

silence that followed was absolute. Damon had establis

y Springfield M1903 rifles were distributed to each of us.

ibly heavy. Within seconds, Valentina lowered her barrel an inch, her face

n who cannot bear the weight of steel does not deserv

Valentina swallowed her pride and raised the

bysmal. The rifle felt like lead, pulling my shoulders down, my posture crumbling with every passing second. I

ed brea

inst the base of my spine. I gasped. He pushed the barrel upward, forcing my back straight, then

ugh me, perfectly mirroring the dark, possessive dream

k, and whispered into my ear. "Your fac

as a promise. Heat flooded my neck, a mix of profound shame and terrifying awa

our physical conditioning is pathetic," he announced

as this exact physical weakness that had left me defenseless when Grayson and Clara locked me in that freezi

the heavy rifle, my muscles screaming in agony, but I refused to lower the barrel. I would master this stee