Gunshots rang from the window outside Karla's boudoir, startling her. She was still recovering from the aftermaths of her fingering, laying on her bed, but the resonating bang of the shot jerked her up. Next Karla heard yells from several men, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. Many more gunshots followed, and the yells only got louder.
The first explanation that crossed Karla's mind was that the headquarters was under attack, but she couldn't know for sure, till she checked. Dashing to the window, Karla opened it and looked out, only to discover a chaotic, but not exactly violent scene. Down in the yard outside Karla's window, a small crowd of men loitered. Five of these men were armed with rifles, and each were aiming at five different empty bottles balanced on a long stool.
It was just target practice. Karla heaved a sigh of relief. She watched the five aimers shoot, once. Three hit their target, and the bottled shattered to pieces. The other men seemed to be the audience, as they noisily cheered for the winners. Almost immediately, all present contestants, both winners and losers, handed their weapons to five new contestants. These five only pulled the trigger one time, so Karla assumed they only got one shot at the target. This time, only one got a hit.
From what Karla could see, the Valdezian Mafia's men weren't bad with a gun, but there weren't anything special either. To kill a person, they would have to shoot multiple times, which they might not have the opportunity to do. Karla's aiming skills were far better. If she had a clear shot of her target, she only needed to pull the trigger once. Jimmy had made target practice a priority when training her. Presently, Karla could act as a professional sniper.
Down below, Raul walked into the yard. He'd finally put a shirt on, a baggy white top. Immediately he came into view, everybody stopped what they were doing and took a bow.
"Greetings Lord Raul." They yelled in unison.
Raul waved the greetings away. "Give me a gun."
A man hurriedly handed Raul a rifle, and stepped back. Other men followed suit, giving him the space to aim at the bottles. Five empty bottles stood on the stool. One by one, Karla watched as they shattered. Raul hit all the targets on his first go, effortlessly. It was clear he knew how to really shoot a gun. Karla couldn't help being impressed.
"All of you have what it takes to be good aimers, but you lack confidence." Raul said, still facing the broken bottles, without shouting, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "If you have the slightest doubt that you would hit your target, then you won't hit it. And if you rely on chance to make a good shot, then that chance will fail you when you need it the most."
He isn't bad at giving speeches either. Karla thought to herself, and smiled. Little Kevin had grown.
A muscular black man entered the yard, and walked straight to Raul. Karla remembered seeing him before, on the day she'd almost been raped. On reaching Raul, they grabbed each other's fists and bumped their shoulders together. That was a far friendly greeting than the earlier one Raul had exchange, so Karla assumed he and this man were close on a personal level.
The man conversed with Raul, while casually taking in the scene. His head turned to Karla's window, and he caught her spying. It took a lot from Karla to prevent herself from jerking away. Hiding, now that she had already been caught, would only be embarrassing herself. She maintained eye contact instead. The man removed his gaze from Karla, then whispered into Raul's ear. Raul instantly turned to her, making her heart skip a beat.
Fantasies, the ones she'd just imagined in her bed, and more, all raced through Karla's thoughts, that split second that Raul locked gazes with her. She couldn't believe she still wanted him this badly, even after experiencing an orgasm by her own hands. Karla hoped what she was thinking couldn't be deduced from her expression, because she would prefer it if Raul didn't know he had won.
Moving his finger, Raul beckoned on Karla to come to him. Though Karla would have preferred not to go down to that yard, she didn't want to displease Raul any further than she already had. She left her spot at the window and began heading downstairs. By the time she arrived, Raul was sitting at a park bench. The compound was even more beautiful up front. Gravel layered the floor, but spots were left for hedges to grow. The hedges grew tall and full, and were shaped like spades.
"Sit." Raul tapped his lap.
Every man's eyes followed Karla as she moved to Raul. Some of them diverted, because her less than decent outfit made them uncomfortable, and they wouldn't be caught dead ogling their boss's mistress. Karla gingerly sat on Raul's thighs, and he placed his arm around her hips.
"Candy, this is Ben." He introduced the muscular man to her. "He's the second in command, so show him just as much respect as you show me."
"Waddup?" Ben said, but the way he faced the opposite direction instantly convinced Karla he didn't want a reply, so she didn't give him one.
Target practice continued. The aiming improved, but not notably. It was obvious the men were trying hard to impress Raul though. Speaking of Raul, Karla found it impossible to ignore the feel of his manhood on her buttocks. His dick had started out normal, but now, it was undoubtedly hard. Karla smirked. This proved that all hope was not lost. Raul was attracted to her, his body testified to it, she just had to get his consciousness to admit it.
"You're shooting next."
The statement startled Karla. Raul was asking, or rather ordering her to participate in the target practice. Of course she would hit the bottles if she tried, but she seriously doubted a prostitute from Lostar Entertainments was supposed to be good with a gun.
"But I don't know how to use a gun!" Karla said, faking a shocked tone.
"Just aim and pull the trigger." Raul scantily explained how to operate a gun.
He motioned to be given a rifle, and one was handed to him. He passed it to Karla. Karla stood up and moved closer to the bottles, leaving enough distance between her and them, like she'd seen the men do. All eyes were fixed on her, and now she was the one feeling uncomfortable. Karla couldn't decide if Raul sent her to practice because he wanted her off his laps, or because he was testing her. Anyhow, she couldn't showcase her aiming skills here.
A loud bang echoed in Karla's ear as she pulled the rifle's trigger, but the bullet shot above the target, leaving all bottles unharmed. Perfect. Karla swerved to face Raul, feigning an apologetic expression.
"I can try again." She said.
Most people in the yard were sniggering at Karla's appalling failure, but not Raul. His eyes were narrowed, his eyebrows furrowed, his eyes dark, in a terrifying glare. Karla couldn't imagine her hitting the target was important enough for him to get mad. Did he figure out she was putting on an act? For the millionth time since she met him, Karla couldn't figure out what Raul was thinking.
TEASER: RAUL IS INVITED TO A BALL, AND DRAGS KARLA ALONG