Saving Grace
A Personal Arsenal
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Sands sat
on his bed, shutting his cell phone. He
was too quiet for Grace’s liking. She
sat next to him, placing a hand on his back.
“Jeffrey?
didn’t crack even the smallest of smiles.
“Do you
know how to shoot a gun?” he asked.
“Huh?”
His voice
was emotionless. “Have you ever fired a
gun before?”
“Yeah.”
Sands
turned and smiled at her. “Really?”
“I get the
feeling that excites you,” she said, still wondering what news he had been
given.
Letting the
tension he was feeling pass for a moment, his hand found her thigh and he said,
“Well, if you can handle that kind of piece as well as you handle mine…”
Grace
slapped his hand away, trying not to smile.
“Even when something’s wrong, you’re a horny…”
He leaned
over, his lips grazing her neck. “As
long as I’m horny, you know there’s hope for the situation.”
“And the
situation we’re in right now would be?”
“You are not
to leave this room without a gun – or without me, got it?”
Sands orders
weren’t exciting her this time around – they were scaring her.
“Gracie,
I’m not giving you a choice here. When
have you used a gun?”
He sighed,
his hand stroking her hair. “Mikey the
psycho wasn’t kidding when he said that I should have heard of him.
out on more people than…”
“What?”
Michael might be a thief and a tad obsessive, but a killer?
“Gracie, calm
down.”
“I shared
my life with a killer?”
Sands bowed
his head slightly. “Technically, you
still are.”
“Well…you
only kill the ‘bad guys’, right?” Her
voice seemed distant.
Sands
smiled. “Something like that.”
pawing people’s food…and there is the balance to consider.
anyway, since I’d never be able to find a kitchen in a place I haven’t been
before…
“Jeffrey?”
Realizing
his silence, he said, “You’ve reformed me, Gracie. Only the ‘bad guys’, I promise.”
“I shared
my bed with…” Grace couldn’t get passed
what Sands had told her.
“I’m sure
he did a good job of keeping things from you.
I’m also sure that he had people do most, if not all, the kills for
him. He didn’t sound like the type
who…”
“That
doesn’t make it any better.”
“Well,
maybe this will make up for it a little: he didn’t really start to come onto the
radar until a few months ago – you already got rid of him by then.”
Grace
sighed. “Well, that makes me feel
slightly less stupid I guess.”
“So when
have you shot?”
“Hm?”
“A gun,
Gracie. When did you shoot one?”
“Oh.
to a target range a few times – nothing extensive or anything.”
“Better
than nothing. How’s your aim?”
“I don’t
know…it wasn’t too bad, I guess. ha
haven’t fired a gun since…”
Sands
smiled. “You don’t forget, believe
me.” He shifted on the bed a bit.
somewhere?”
“Sure.”
corner of the room. “Geez, Jeffrey,
what’s in here? It weighs a freaking
ton.”
“Personal
arsenal, Gracie.”
“I’m gonna
let a blind guy play with firearms?”
Sands
opened the bag and pulled out the ge’d e’d used to kill Ajedrez.
killed four people right after my ‘surgery.’”
“Oh…”
He cupped
her face. “They were ‘bad guys.’
Grace moved
away from him, but realized that she had no reason to.
“I’d have
done the same thing.” Glad you can’t
stay away though. “Here,” he handed
her the gun, “pretend it’s me.”
“What?”
He chuckled. “Incredible,” “Yup, that’s “Damn it, He turned “The ‘edge’ Sands “I love an “Good motto “I’m not “I don’t “What Sands “Like that “Fast-forwarding,” “Huh?” “Well, not “Jeffrey, I Sands “You still “Guess you’ll “I’m not a “Nothing’s going “No? “I won’t
Grace laughed, referring to his comment.
pretty much what you said about me.”
Jeffrey… Can you be serious for like
five minutes?”
his head in her direction. “Would you
really want me to be? Someone needs to
take the edge off, right?”
has been taken off several times in the past…”
chuckled. “Wrong edge, Gracie, but I’m
thrilled to see where your mind is.”
incurable pervert…and sadly, have become one myself.” She smiled and kissed his cheek.
“Always expect the unexpected, huh?”
for the moment, Gracie. Look, as much
as I don’t want to, I do have to be a bit ‘out of character’ for the moment.”
going to like what you have to say, am I?”
think so, sugarbutt. The guy’s here for
a reason. He’s already hit you and,
well, I’m sure my hitting him pissed him off…then there was the threat…”
threat?” Grace asked, her eyes wide.
cleared his throat.
you, against me…”
makes it any better?”
he said quickly. “He could have people
anywhere he wants to in this hotel.
That’s why you don’t leave here alone and without something from my bag
of tricks here.” He fished around a bit
and found the tiny gun that Pelé refused to fire. “Small, fits well behind your fly…”
that you’d put it there, but a purse or pocket and…”
really don’t think…don’t I need like a permit or something?”
smiled. “Gracie, you’re with the CIA,
remember? You’re noingoing to get in
trouble, so stop trying to come up with excuses. This is for your own good, savvy?”
sound like a pirate when you say that word…”
be walking my plank later then, hm?” He
handed Grace the gun and she took it.
gun prude, you know? I grew up around
them and have no problem with them…it’s just the being out of practice and, oh
yeah, someone might try to kill us thing that has me on edge.”
to happen to you, Gracie.”
let it.”