Chapter 47: Chapter 47

I zoomed in on the moving target, my eyes laser focused as I steadied my breathing. I blocked out any unnecessary noise in the background and calculated the speed at which my target was moving. Once I locked onto it, I didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.

“Bull’s-eye,” I muttered as the bullet whizzed through the air and slammed into the target. The sheer power behind the hit shook the board. Through the scope of my rifle, I managed to see the small hole that pierced the target’s head.

A smile graced my lips. It was a perfect shot.

Clapping rang out behind me as Sam approached, a wide smile on her face. “You’re a natural with sniper rifles, huh?”

I shrugged and playfully flicked my braids back. “Of course. I’m a pro.”

She chuckled and gestured to the target a few hundred meters back from the one I’d just shot. “You think you can increase the distance?”

I shot her a cocky look. “Like it’s hard?”

She raised her hands in surrender, a teasing smile tilting her lips. “All right. Let’s see it then.”

I turned back to face the target and made sure my rifle was properly perched on the table in front of me. Then I leaned in and placed my eye against the scope, zooming in as the target got closer and closer. I allowed my scope to focus more clearly and then pulled the trigger without hesitation.

“Bull’s-eye.” The word spilled from my mouth just as the bullet connected to the target. Another head shot. I pulled away and turned to shoot Sam a pointed look. “Do I need practice at this point?”

“Don’t get too cocky now. You’re good, but I’ve seen better.” She gestured to herself.

“Is that a challenge?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Do you want it to be?”

I shrugged. “I don’t mind a little friendly competition.”

“Would you compete against me?” Stefano asked as he walked into the clearing we were in.

I gestured to myself. “Can you handle all this?”

His eyes trailed my figure suggestively as a smile curved his lips. “I’ve been doing good so far.”

Sam coughed and waved her hand. “This is me waving my white flag. With Stefano here, I am confident first place will not be mine.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re just scared of beating your boss.”

She snorted. “Don’t put words in my mouth. That man is scary with a gun.”

“Stay, Sam,” Stefano urged. “I think she wants me to embarrass her in front of you.”

I scoffed and gestured toward the setup. “Go ahead then. Show us what you’ve got, ~sir~.”

He smirked as he approached the table, examining his weapon options. Sam had brought a few different sniper rifles for me to use, including hunting and military rifles. She said I should practice with each of them to figure out which fits my style best.

Stefano chose the same rifle I’d been using. It was a military rifle known for precision. “Three shots per person. One shot on each target at two hundred meters, five hundred meters, and eight hundred meters. Are you up for it?”

I pursed my lips. Eight hundred meters? Could I hit the target from that far away? I’d gotten comfortable shooting between one hundred and six hundred meters, but consistency at eight hundred meters still eluded me.

Sam shrugged, seemingly unaffected by the range. “I might as well join. Consider it practice since I haven’t shot anything in a while.”

“That’s a blessing for someone, I’m sure,” I joked.

She laughed and examined the other sniper rifles on the table, ultimately choosing a long-range rifle that was better for hunting. “Are there any prizes for the winner?”

I grimaced. She shot me a knowing glance.

I had been talking big until now, and she knew it. We both knew there was no way I could top veterans like the two of them, but I still wanted to try. It would give me an idea of how much better I needed to be.

Also, I wanted to see how good Stefano was.

Stefano also glanced at me and smirked. “How about one million dollars?”

I looked at him in disbelief.

The two were clearly ganging up on me.

“One million dollars? Where are Sam and I going to get that? Out of our asses?”

Even Sam stumbled in surprise. She chuckled nervously. “I don’t think everyone is as rich as you, boss.”

Stefano shrugged. “Don’t worry. Only the loser has to pay the one million. All you have to do is come second, and you’ll be debt free.”

Sam’s eyes lit up as she sent a smug look my way. “Now I really have to put an effort into this. Right, Catalina?”

I glared at her and grumbled. “Don’t talk to me.” Then I turned to Stefano. “Who even said that I agreed to compete with you?”

Stefano chuckled. “You’re singing a different tune now, but it’s too late. The match has been decided. Try your best, yeah? You might have to sell your body to me to pay that one million dollars.”

Sam choked on her laughter.

I glared at him and crossed my arms, about to hassle him to lower the price, when a thought suddenly struck me. Any annoyance I had was replaced with mischief as I smiled and nodded.

“All right, deal. Let’s do this,” I chirped.

Sam eyed me suspiciously. “What are you up to?”

My smile widened, and I gloated. “I’m not up to anything. I’m just having a friendly competition with my dear husband-to-be, who I happen to share a bank account with.”

Stefano’s lips twitched as he turned to pierce me with his gray-blue orbs. “Who said we shared a bank account? I don’t see your name on my card.”

I raised a challenging eyebrow. “The card in my purse may not have my name on it, but it’s most definitely mine. I’m sure you won’t mind if a million goes missing from ~my~ card, right?” I batted my eyes at him.

He placed his large hand over my eyes as he chuckled. “I think you need a lesson on how to be cute. You look like you’re fanning the flies.”

I rolled my eyes and swatted his hand off my face. “Let’s just start.”

Sam chuckled. “If I, by some stroke of misfortune, end up losing, I hope you will be lenient and sponsor me some of that money, Cat.”

I shot her a smug glance. “You? I don’t have enough money for both of us.”

She didn’t seem the least bit fazed. Instead, her smile widened. “That’s why you’re going to lose this competition.”

“We’ll see about that. You go first.”

“Gladly.” She took up her gun and positioned herself at the table. The targets were already set at the two-hundred-, five-hundred-, and eight-hundred-meter marks.

I watched her technique as she knelt behind the table and positioned her weapon. Her left elbow rested on the table, and the butt of the rifle sat against her right shoulder.

She took a deep breath, and not even a minute later, a bullet whistled through the air and connected with the first target. However, Sam didn’t stop.

Within moments, she’d hit the five-hundred-meter and then the eight-hundred-meter.

She stood and dusted off her hands, a smug look on her face. “Would you look at that? Two head shots and a chest shot. Still a little rusty, but better than most.”

“Keep showing off.” I rolled my eyes then nodded at Stefano. “Your turn.”

“Prepare to fall in love for the third time,” he said as he took up his gun.

~The third time?~ His confidence was surely higher than mine.

He chose to forgo the table and stand instead. He planted his feet firmly shoulder length apart, his left foot slightly forward and his body turned ninety degrees. His left elbow was pressed against his hip, and the butt of the rifle rested against his right shoulder.

I barely saw him exhale before three shots were fired.

I was very impressed. Three head shots. All perfect targets.

He looked at me expectantly, as if wanting praise. I couldn’t help the smile on my face as I nodded and admitted, “You’re good.”

“Years of experience.” He brushed it off as if it were nothing, but he failed to hide the pleased look on his face.

I chuckled and stepped forward for my turn. I tried my best to hide the nerves that danced between my fingers as I clutched the rifle in my hand. Like Sam, I chose to kneel behind the table.

I ran through the positioning Sam and Rob had taught me, making sure the rifle was fully supported. Even though I’d had shooting lessons before joining the games, that was quite some time ago, and I’d never taken it as seriously as I did now.

Unlike back then, professionally handling weapons was now a part of me.

I placed my eye against the scope and focused. A deep breath in. Then out.

The bullet whistled through the air. Two-hundred-meter—perfect head shot. Five-hundred-meter—head shot. Eight-hundred-meter—shoulder shot.

As expected, I lost the competition. Despite that fact, I was very proud of myself for even grazing the eight-hundred-meter target. I hadn’t expected to do as well as I did. I deserved some praise for that!

I looked back at Stefano proudly, waiting for him to acknowledge how good I was.

“You owe me one million dollars,” was the first thing that came out of his mouth.

I was stunned for a few seconds as I registered his words before I exploded.