Chapter 16

Artemis Thaleia's POV

"You can do it, Artemis,"  I whispered to myself.

I stood up properly and tried to harden my hands that were holding the gun.  I close my eyes and breathe deeply before pulling its trigger, but like before I missed my target.

I put the shotgun down on the table and curse.

"Damn it! What the hell is wrong with you? A sixteen-year-old can hit the target but why can't you?!"  I ranted to myself frustratedly.

"Maybe using a scalpel and throwing it on the target, would be a lot easier for you, Doctor."  I heard Thayer's baritone voice from behind.  I opened my eyes and frowned at him.

He tried to tap my shoulder but I was quick to shove his hands.  He chuckled once more.

"I swear when I'm done with these fucking targets, I'll whack your head!"  I scoffed as his chuckles got on my nerves.

Thayer took the shotgun and loaded it with another bullet.  The expression in his eyes was serious. I tried to take it from him but he wouldn't let me.

"Give it to me.

"No, Artemis. You're damn unpredictable when angry. You might end up shooting me. I'm still too young to die," he said.

"Why are you even here? Aren't you supposed to be in Isla Serpiente with them? Was it called Isla Serpiente because there are snakes on that island? And if yes did you perhaps find Kanoa there?"

Thayer cracked the shotgun and handed it to me.

"Can you not talk about her like that?" He asked.  Still holding the shotgun, I caught a glimpse of him.

"Talk like what?"  I asked confusedly.

"Kanoa may be annoying as shit sometimes–"

"You mean all the time?" I prompted.

"But still she's loyal to Miscreant. She's one of those who is willing to sacrifice herself to protect the group. You think Sin will let her stay if he doesn't benefit from her?" Thayer asked me.

"I wonder what kind of benefits Kanoa offers him,"  I mumbled and grinned.

I'm aware of just how high Sin's libido is. As much as he loves killing. He also loves to bed, different women. Like killing, sex is also his plaything–two things that he's good at.

Thayer sighed causing me to laugh. I gasped dramatically.

"Don't tell me, you have a thing for her?" I prompted.

"No, I like someone else or maybe I am in love with someone else. Someone I am not sure if I can have," Thayer answered.  Trying not to be nosy though I am curious, I didn't ask who it was.

"I was gonna say you have a bad taste for women if you're into Kanoa.", I murmured.  He shook his head at me and men laughed.

"But your taste for men is worse, who the hell would want a psychopathic contemporary mafia boss for a boa boyfriend?"  He asked.  I raised my hand high.

"Me.", I mutterewhichat made him laugh, and so did I.

"Okay let me help you with this," Thayer offered.

"What? Did you think that I didn't know how to shoot?"  He murmured and darted his eyes at the target.

He took his place behind me and stretched out his strong arms.

"Hold the handle as well as the length of it firmly," he said. Thayer placed his left hand properly on the handle of the shotgun, my forefinger is the one that was placed on the trigger to pull it.

Thayer gently patted my right hand that was holding the gun, asking me to give more strength to it, so I did.

"When you pull the trigger, no matter how powerful the impact that it caused. Keep your stance and position. That helps you hit the target, now do it."  He commanded.

He walked away from me a little after I put on the ear muff.

Keeping my eye darted on the target, I breathed deeply into the trigger Afterward was not like the first time I tried my hand moved slightly when I felt the impact from the gun but this time I tried to control it.

The first target that I aimed, for was keeping my focus and attention together, I followed the other three targets that I also aimed for.

I limped on him and kissed him on his cheek out of happiness as finally finally

"Damn! I finally made it."  I blurted out, feeling proud of myself.

He shook his head and laughed.

I removed my arm around his neck, then my ear muff, and ran inside the chateau.

But Sin and Mallory are not yet back from Isla Serpiente.

"What time are they coming back? Do you know where Serpiente Island is?"  I asked Catliona.

"Mi Scusi, Mi Bella, but no one knows where Isla Serpiente is, except for the ranked mafia bosses."  She mumbled apologetically. 

We both looked at the bedroom door when we heard a knock from it.

Catliona placed the hairbrush on the table and then walked to the door.

"My lady, Lord's Thayer wanted to talk to you," Catliona said m the door.  The corner of my eyebrow rose quickly.

"Let him in then,"  I mumbled and stood up.

"Lord Sin told me not to let any men in your room except for him," she said.  

Though a bit confused, I chose to come out of my room and not question Catliona anymore. 

"I'll go strolling downtown. Do you want to go with me? I'll pick Rivalee up at her university afterward. Her class will be over in an hour."  The corner of my lips stretched, I and quickly nodded in agreement with him.

"Wait, I'll go get something and we can leave.", I said.

"My lady,"  Catliona called my attention when I took a trench coat from the closet.

"Why?"

"Can you just leave once Lord Sin arrives, I'm sure he'll look for you once he arrives," Catliona suggested.

"Tell him I'm downtown with Thayer, bye,"  I said and came out of my room.

"Let's go.,  I muttered and started walking.  

Going down the stairs we met Lorcan, his serious expression changed into something playful as he bore his eyes on Thayer.

Lorcan leaned on the baluster of the stairs, partially covering our way down.

"Can you move?"  I asked and rolled my eyes at him.  He didn't pay attention to me and instead directed his eyes to Thayer again.

"Is this a call for civil war?"  He asked him made me, my eyes went back and forth between the two, and saw that Thayer shrugged his shoulders.

"Not really. I just wanted to see how he's going to retaliate when he finds that I'm interested in his new toy." 

"I am not his toy," I said to Thayer.  Lorcan smirked at me.

"Of course, you're not, you're way special for him to be labeled as his toy, but let me burst your bubble Doctor. Sin isn't capable of reciprocating whatever it is that you're feeling for him, but it'll be fun to find out where you are in his life," Thayer said.