Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 84544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 423(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 423(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
After giving him the information, Alexei went back through, asking him questions to make sure it all stuck. West offered little bits of guidance here and there. During the entire lesson, neither man sounded annoyed nor put out that he was taking up their valuable time.
The problems only started when Alexei held out the gun for him to actually hold. A trembling began in his hands that he couldn’t stop while a cold sweat broke out across his entire body despite the high temperatures. Isidore flexed his fingers a couple of times, trying to work up the courage to take the weapon from him, but he was afraid he was going to drop it.
Sucking in a noisy deep breath, Isidore reached for the weapon, but Alexei moved it away and West placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
“Maybe we should talk more first,” West said.
Isidore nodded briskly. “Yes. That would be good. And maybe we should practice first without the bullets.”
“Without…the bullets,” Alexei repeated, looking at him as though he’d lost his mind.
“Yes, maybe just techniques on holding the gun and pointing it. Or my stance. All the stuff before I pull the trigger.”
“Yep, West is right. Talking first,” Alexei announced. He set the gun in his hand down next to the other one on the table. West lightly gripped both of Isidore’s shoulders and directed him to one of the chairs.
Isidore’s gaze darted from one man to the other in confusion. When they suggested talking, he thought it would be instructions with the guns. This…this felt more like an intervention as Alexei and West drew up chairs on either side of him and sat.
“Normally, I wouldn’t ask someone a question like this,” Alexei started, but West quickly interrupted.
“Why the hell do you want to learn how to use a gun?”
Isidore’s mouth bobbed open and closed a couple of times. He thought the answer to that was rather obvious. Or it should have been. “I’m doing this so I can be more useful to Kairo. This is his world, and I want to be part of it. If I know how to use a gun, I’ll be able to better protect him, the people he cares about, and myself. I don’t want him to see me as useless or a burden.”
He glanced over to see West rubbing his hand across his lips thoughtfully while staring into Alexei’s eyes. The younger man was simply frowning.
Isidore pointed at one and then the other. “Can you guys speak telepathically?”
“Huh?” Alexei said, jerking upright from his slump in the chair.
“You and West keep doing this thing where you silently meet eyes, and I get the feeling that you’re talking without saying a word. It’s amazing,” Isidore gushed. “Can you read minds?”
West groaned while Alexei’s cackle sprinted through the olive tree grove.
“Man, I just love you, Izzie. You’re so much fun!” Alexei shouted.
“As disturbing as it may seem, Alexei and I have similar opinions and approaches to things,” West stated firmly. “And I’m willing to bet that he agrees with me when I say there is no way in hell Kairo sees you as useless or a burden now. You don’t need to know how to use a gun to be useful in this group.”
“Will doesn’t carry a gun,” Alexei pointed out. “No one would dare call him useless.”
Isidore smirked. “Yes, but it feels a little late in life for me to go to medical school.”
“Even if Will wasn’t a doctor, no one would think of him as a burden,” West continued. “He loves Charlie. He’s there for Charlie when plans go right and when shit hits the fan. He’s a friend who is willing to help. That’s all Charlie needs or expects.”
Isidore’s smirk was tugged into a frown as he watched the olive trees. That sounded nice, but he wasn’t convinced. The fact was, Will was a doctor and he could patch them up when they got hurt. What did he have? He was rich. He could pay for all their expenses, which was a help, but it didn’t feel like him being useful. Writing a check didn’t feel like it meant anything. Not like using a gun or jumping into a fight.
“If you want to learn guns for you because you’re curious about them or you want to do this for you, I’m happy to teach you, but please don’t do this because you think this is what Kairo wants,” Alexei pleaded. “Take it from me, I spent way too much of my early years pretending to be someone I’m not to get people to love me. It’s not worth it. They are not worth it.”
“You did? But…but you’re so confident and funny. How could anyone not like you?”
Alexei tilted his head to stare at West around Isidore. “I don’t care what Kairo or Soren says, I’m adopting him. He’s my child now, and no one can take him away.”