ALWAYS A WARRIOR Patricia Bruening
29
“Keep this gun with you,” he insisted, handing her the loaded pistol once more in the holster. “Wear it during the day. Keep it with you at night. Get used to it.”
“Can I try?” Stacy piped up, her eyes sparkling with fascination.
Laurie eyed the gun warily then glanced uncertainly at her daughter. Stacy exhibited a healthy child’s typical fascination with the unknown—in this case, guns.
“Don’t worry about Stacy.” Damien grinned at Stacy, who smiled brightly back at him.
“I’ll teach her a few things, too.”
Alarmed and shocked, Laurie gaped at him then shook her head vehemently. “You are not putting a gun in my daughter’s hands.”
“Damn it, Laurie.” His expression went hard and his eyes glittered with harsh light. “All right, we’ll discuss it later. For now, do as you’re told. If you want to survive, do what I tell you, when I tell you, without argument.”
Laurie instinctively stepped back from his cold anger but not out of fear. Irritated, she silently made sure the gun was on safety and holstered it. With an icy glare at Damien, she led a protesting Stacy into the cabin and left him to put away his ‘toys’.
Obviously sensing the tension between the adults, Stacy cast furtive glances at each in turn. She pouted but finished her peanut butter and jelly sandwich then sat back in her chair, her small arms crossed over her chest.
“Mommy.”
Laurie glared at her. “Take a nap.”
“But
….”
“Go!” Laurie ordered, more sharply than she intended. Flooded with guilt at taking her irritation out on her daughter, she glared out the window. Stacy shoved her chair back and stomped up to the loft.
“Damn it!” Stacy’s voice carried quite clearly down to the table.
“Stacy!” Laurie scolded loudly. “I’ll wash your mouth out with soap, young lady!”
Damien smirked. Laurie glared at him. But her anger subsided as a reluctant grin tugged at her lips. Stacy tried to be independent, which for a five year old meant imitating adult behavior. Guns. She frowned at Damien across the table.
“I don’t want my daughter around guns. They’re dangerous—especially in the hands of children.”
“She’ll learn.” His steady stare caught hers.
Laurie stubbornly crossed her arms over her breasts. “It’s all over the news, Damien.
Kids take guns to school and kill each other. Then their parents, who are stupid enough to have guns in the house, plead ignorance. I don’t want my daughter to be a statistic!”
Damien let out a frustrated breath and leaned forward on the table. “Do you trust me to know what I’m doing with a gun?”
Laurie studied him for a moment and nodded sharply. “You’re trained to use guns. Stacy is only five! She could hurt or kill herself or someone else.”
“Listen to me. Stacy is around guns for the duration of my assignment,” he pointed out sternly, a sharp glint in his eyes. “Now, would you rather have her pick up a gun and treat it like a fascinating new toy, or would you prefer that she know she is looking at a dangerous weapon?
Do you want her to understand or do something tragic and stupid out of ignorance?”
Laurie gave his logic careful thought. She considered knowledge a formidable weapon.
She rarely excused stupidity. Ignorance, however, could be cured. In light of the circumstances, ALWAYS A WARRIOR Patricia Bruening
30
Damien’s stand had some logic. The more Stacy knew about guns, the less likely she was to cause a tragedy.
“All right, Damien,” she conceded reluctantly. “Teach her but, please, keep her safe.”
He peered at her, his expression thoughtful. “That’s the idea. The more she knows, the safer she’ll be. I can do the same thing with her that my father did with my brother and me. I did it with my kids.”
Puzzled, she stared at him. “What was that?”
“I’ll show her what guns will do,” he replied. “I don’t have watermelons but we can use jugs full of water.”
“For
what?”
“To simulate a person’s head. She’ll see what a gunshot will do to people. It will teach her that guns are dangerous and should be treated with respect. I want you to watch.”
“Hmm,” Laurie murmured. “It might be effective.” She actually hoped the demonstration scared Stacy away from guns. “I know guns are dangerous if misused. Why should I watch?”
“You never point a gun at someone unless you intend to use it,” he emphasized, his gaze stern and unwavering. “Shoot to kill.”