Chapter Fifty Three
The explosive sound shattered the morning silence, the sudden force of the recoil sending a sharp shockwave traveling straight up my wrists and into my elbows. But this time, my grip remained tight. The gun didn't try to fly out of my hands. I held my stance, watching as a tiny, clean hole appeared in the upper chest area of the wooden target.
"Holy s**t," Lexa muttered with a proud, booming laugh, slapping me hard on the shoulder. "Look at that! Right in the center mass! You actually hit the sweet spot, Tessa!"
A sudden, unexpected rush of pure adrenaline and pride flooded my chest. I looked at the hole in the target, then down at the smoking weapon in my hands. I had done that. I had controlled the violence of the machine.
"Don't get cocky yet, girl," Lexa teased,
