361 Shooting Range

Two of Damien's security detail were inside the range target shooting when Damien, Katherine, and Amelia arrived. Once the men noticed their boss and the two women with him, they finished the round and stopped, curious to see what they were going to do there. 

The control booth in the range had a wide selection of long guns and handguns in the armory that was available for shooting practice in the range. Rows of long guns like shotguns and rifles were displayed on the concrete wall in various sizes while the collection of handguns including revolvers and pistols were displayed on a wooden counter.

Katherine and Amelia followed Damien as he headed towards the control booth. He went behind the counter and unlocked the safety locks.

"What do you want?" he asked the two as they approached.

"Glock 17," Katherine and Amelia answered at the same time, their eyes zeroing in on the 9mm handgun in the middle of the counter. It was beautifully displayed on a glass stand, keeping it upright. They looked at each other and a slow smile ghosted their faces for choosing the same kind of gun. 

Damien glanced between the two and he stifled a laugh. He had already noticed the similarities between Katherine and Amelia. If he didn't know any better, he would think that they were the mother and child. The Glock 17 handgun was one of the most compact guns with an immense amount of firepower—easily one of the best handguns out there, which was why it was understandable that they would choose the same one.

"Okay… Hmmm... I'll take the Sig P226 then," said Katherine, choosing the one next to the Glock.

Sig Sauer P226 is definitely an appealing handgun which had been specially designed for the U.S. Army and carried by Navy Seals and other law enforcement officers. It was also one of the best choices for handguns. Damien was slightly impressed that Katherine really was knowledgeable about guns. He had seen her with weapons before but even until now, he still couldn't get used to it. And it was the same for his mother.

Just a few months ago, he wouldn't even think that he would ever be in this situation. And yet here he was, in a shooting range with the two important women in his life. 

"It's okay, ladies. We have enough. You both can use the same kind." Damien took out two Glock 17s—one in olive drab color while the other was black—and carefully laid them on the counter in front of them.

Amelia took the olive drab and inspected it while Katherine grabbed the black one and did the same. They needed to ensure that the weapons were unloaded and cleared. He then placed a box of ammunition on the counter and grabbed a few more handguns from the shelf, bringing everything towards the firing lanes and gesturing for them to follow.

Damien didn't say anything to them and he didn't plan to explain who they were unless it was necessary. His mother Amelia wore a medium-length blonde wig over her natural dark hair, making her look even younger—and the men who hadn't met Katherine and Amelia were evidently interested in them, seeing that they were two beautiful women.

Noticing the men behind the glass wall who were so curious about what's happening, he shot them a brief look through the glass before making his way towards his mother and giving her two magazines with 17 rounds of bullets each. "Do you need anything else?" he probed.

With a charming smile on her face, Amelia met her son's stare and shook her head. "No, I'm good." She was glad that Damien had started to warm up to her. It was still a bit awkward but there was definitely some progress between them. She didn't want to pressure him for anything because she understood how awkward it must be.

He nodded and went to Katherine at the next lane. "You sure you know how to use that?" A playful smile danced on his lips as he placed the magazines on the counter. She looked very comfortable in her zone like she was born for this. She had her hair tied up in a ponytail, exposing her flawless skin and he just couldn't help but gulp upon seeing her nape.

Should he have been more specific and told her to wear a shirt and jeans? Why did she have to wear a dress? It was too distracting for him.

"I can bet with you if you want," Katherine dared to challenge with a sly look on her face.

"Hmmm… I thought you didn't like bets?" Damien picked up the Glock, checked to see that the chamber was empty and proceeded to remove the frame, the spring, and then the barrel—laying the parts on the flat surface in front of Katherine. He raised his brow at her as if he was challenging her back.

Amused at his attempt to test her skills, her face brightened, making her look even more beautiful. Assembling a gun was child's play for her. "You don't actually think this is going to fluster me, Mr. Park, do you?"

She looked up, met his gaze and locked it. Then, all while holding his stare, she picked up the barrel, slid it back on the frame before she set the recoil spring in place. With one hand holding the frame and the other holding the handle of the gun, she married the two pieces together and cocked the gun. Reassembly done. Easy. She shrugged nonchalantly.

A proud smile cast on his face. What an arrogant Little Kitten. "Mm… I just wanted to see for myself." He gave her a full magazine in which she received and slammed it in place.

"Where's your gun?" she asked.

"Later." He handed her a pair of earplugs, earmuffs, and shooting glasses for protection. They had just put them in place when they heard gunshots being fired from the next lane and realized that Amelia had already started.

Katherine and Damien watched as Amelia pulled the trigger consecutively until she maxed out. Claps and howls were heard from behind the glass as the men saw her perfect score from where they stood.

Damien pressed a button on the side of Amelia's divider and the paper target traveled through the target carrier towards them. Upon closer look, all her shots were within the X and 10 rings. The corners of his mouth curled up as he glanced at his mother and remarked, "Nice."

How bizarre was it to see his own mother use a gun? It had only been a couple of days since he learned the truth about their relationship and now they were already sort of bonding over weapons.

"I'm sure you're also good at it," Amelia commented.

He swallowed. "Dad… He taught me."

For a nanosecond, her heart skipped a beat, but she nodded and plastered a small smile as she told him, "You learned from the best."