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."Did your mission go okay?"He blinked at her mind reading abilities."Yeah." As much as he understood her curiosity, he couldn't and didn't want to talk about what happened.If they were going to continue seeing one another, even casually, she needed to recognize hard boundaries."Good.I was worried you'd be hurt." Her face scrunched in worry.Reaching out, he enfolded her hand in his."First of all, I'm not quitting my jobs.Either of them.It's what I do and will continue to do until I feel I'm no longer able to perform."She blinked at him."I know that, and I support you fully.Heck, if it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't have survived." Her face softened."It's who you are.I applaud you and appreciate you.Yes, I worry, but that's just because I care, not because I expect you to quit."The tension eased from his shoulders.He spared her a quick glance, finding the truth in her expression."You also know I can't talk about things."Josie nodded."Yep.I just need to know you're okay, not nursing a major hole in your hide, and won't have some nasties showing up at your door at two am to finish the task."Amusement cascaded over him."No gunshot wounds.No trip to ER.No remaining nasties."She smiled and squeezed his hand."That's all I needed to know." A block passed before she spoke again."Where are we going?""Right here." He pulled into the lot, parked, and unsnapped his seat belt."Where's here?" Josie slipped from her safety belt, opened the door, and slid out.Ghost clicked the truck locked as soon as the passenger door shut and Josie stood by his side."Shooting range." He watched her face carefully.Excitement and bliss sparked in her eyes and covered her face.Like a child on Christmas morning, Josie nearly glowed with joyful energy."One of my favorite places." She grabbed his hand and tugged.He grinned to himself.Definitely a woman after his own heart.Without taking the time to ponder his thoughts, he let her lead him inside the building.An average-sized man with graying temples glanced up from a handful of papers, shared a look with Ghost, then eyed Josie."Bring the little lady in to teach her how to shoot?"Ghost schooled his face as he answered."Something like that."He'd met Johnson, the owner of the firing range a couple years back.They shared a similar background, though they never spoke about their individual experiences.Instead, both recognized the swagger, the confidence, and attitude of a SEAL, present or former.Without saying a word, Johnson handed over any weapon Ghost requested, marked the item as sold, and didn't blink at the vague information on the paperwork.Running his ID wouldn't get him far anyway.Ghost routinely carried a handful of aliases along with a top federal government security clearance card.Josie stepped up to the old wooden counter and searched the rifles in holders behind the desk.Johnson moved directly in front of her."Starting out with a small handgun might be easier than one of those heavier rifles." He opened the case and pulled out a small derringer.She eyed the weapon and shook her head."No thanks." Twisting, she found Ghost."What do you think?"He searched the numerous choices, his eyes automatically locking on the Barrett M98B."Try that one." She'd used the same weapon at the cabin.Josie looked where he pointed and nodded."Can I try that one please?"Johnson's eyebrows furrowed, but he dutifully pulled the gun down."Want to give it a try?""Yep." She latched onto the gun and carried it with the barrel pointed skyward around the corner, following the owner as he led the way to the shooting area.Johnson's establishment sported a typical firing range.Cement walls surrounded the area.There were shooting stations, each one leading to their own lane and target.A small table sat waiting at the top of each, giving the shooter room to load and set the gun down while slipping on the protective ear coverings.Three other men were currently in the room simply chatting away.As soon as they entered, all talk ceased as they stared at first Josie, then Ghost."Why don't you take the middle section?" Johnson handed over a case of shells to Ghost."I assume you want to show her?"With a quick nod, Ghost accepted the bullets, strode over to Josie, and made a big show of loading her rifle.He caught her mischievous expression and bit back a smile.She was going to show these guys a thing or two.He applauded her for it and couldn't wait to see the shock on their faces when she blasted away at the paper target.Something told him she'd done this before, probably at her father's shop, and got a kick out of proving the men's assumptions wrong."I think you're ready."Josie pulled the headgear on, then accepted the rifle.She stepped up to her allotted area, lifted the rifle to her shoulder, aimed, and squeezed the trigger in rapid succession.Pop.Pop.Pop.Pop.The smallest circle around the printed heart exploded while the rest of the paper remained free of bullet holes.Ghost didn't watch the target like everyone else.Instead, he focused on the faces of the other men in the room.Their mouths fell open.One guy blinked over and over as if he couldn't believe what he saw."Damn." Johnson spoke first.His gaze locked on Josie once more before flicking over to Ghost."She's a ringer." He spoke in between bursts of gunfire as Josie pulled the trigger a few more times.She clicked the safety on, put down the gun, and slipped her earphones off, hanging them over the dividing board between stations.Hitting a button, she waited for the device to bring her target to her.Yanking the paper off the pin, she grinned wide, and made a beeline for Ghost, holding the paper in front of her."What do you think?"He caught her enthusiasm and couldn't help but smile at her exuberance."Very nice.You rushed the second pull just a hair, which caused the bullet to not quite follow the first perfectly." Most men would have just praised her.Not him
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