It worried him — but it was also sexyashell.
He turned on the light and led her down the stairs. They emerged onto the polished floor of the home gym and Aria crossed the room, pausing to touch the sheathed knives and other weaponry lined up on the shelving next tothewall.
He smiled as she gave the heavy bag a little punch, her eyes straying to the cuts in the bag and the sand that had collected on thefloor.
“This is no ordinary basement, DamianCavallo.”
Heshrugged.
“Show me the shooting range,”shesaid.
He pushed off the wall and led the way down another hall, turning on the lights ashewent.
“What’s that?” she asked when they passed the oldwooddoor.
“It’s a tunnel,”hesaid.
“Planning an escape?” she asked, her voiceteasing.
“It was installed during Prohibition to ferry alcohol into the house,” he said. “Lots of these old estateshavethem.”
“And it’sintact?”
He heard the surprise in hervoice.
“Itis.”
He didn’t tell her the rest: that he’d had it reinforced when he’d first started his business, that it had always been a backup plan in the unlikely event of an unrecoverable assault on theestate.
“Where does it lead?” sheasked.
“To the old carriage house in the back.” He opened the door to the shooting range and turned on the lights, watching them gradually illuminate the twolanes.
“Wow…” She entered the room, her gaze traveling down the long rows with targets at the end. “I’ve never been to a shooting range, but this is exactly what I would have pictured — just not in abasement.”
“We’re a half hour away from the nearest public range,” he said. “It makes sense to save the travel time by doing targetpracticehere.”
It was one of the only ways I could forget. One of the only things that soothed my thirst for blood while you were gone. One of the only things I could do to pass the time that didn’t involve drinking myself todeath.
He left the words unsaid. It didn’t matter now. Shewashere.
She walked to the wall lined with metal shelving. Firearms were cleaned and put away, ready for the next time Damian would use them. With any luck, it would be awhile. He would finish the business with Fiore and Anastos and bring New York back under the Syndicate’s control. After that he would spend more time walking the grounds with Aira and less time in the gym plotting the death of their enemies, more time watching her in the greenhouse and less time at the firingrange.
“Are they loaded?” she asked, her eyes still on theweapons.
He chuckled. “No. Its not protocol to shelve loadedweapons.”
“Is it hard to load them?” sheasked.
“Not once you learn,”hesaid.
She hesitated, turning to face him. He knew from the determination on her face that he wouldn’t like what shesaidnext.
“Teach me.”