Harper set the gun down, a triumphant glint in her eyes, clearly enjoying the stunned silence. “Not bad, huh?” she said, a smug smile tugging at her lips.
Maya’s voice trembled slightly, awe lacing every word. “Harper… how… how did you…?”
Harper smirked, shrugging casually. “Oh, that? Being the only girl in my family, my parents were… extra careful. They made sure I could handle myself—so every summer I went to this intensive self-defense program. Weapons, tactics, the works. They didn’t want me relying on anyone else to protect me.”
Maya’s eyes lit up as she turned to Damien, hope and excitement bubbling over. “Damien… Harper can teach me!”
Damien’s eyes flickered with hesitation, a shadow crossing his features. He opened his mouth, then closed it, the conflict clear—he didn’t want Ma
