The shooting range sat beneath an abandoned warehouse in Queens.

From the outside, the building looked forgotten—rusted steel doors, broken windows, graffiti fading beneath rain and age. Inside, however, reinforced concrete corridors led underground into one of Luca’s private training facilities.

Valentina hated the place immediately.

The air smelled like oil, gunpowder, and old violence.

Men moved through the underground range carrying rifles and ammunition crates while muffled gunfire echoed constantly through concrete walls. Security teams trained here when Luca expected war.

Which lately seemed to be all the time.

“You brought me here voluntarily?” Valentina asked as Adrian led her down the final stairwell.

“You said you wanted to stop depending on other people.”

“I was hoping for therapy. Maybe yoga.”

“You got firearms instead.”

“That feels deeply American.”

For the first time in days, Adrian almost looked amused.

Almost.

He pushed open the heavy range door, and sound crashed into them immediately. Gunshots thundered through the underground space while sparks and smoke drifted beneath industrial lighting overhead.

Several of Luca’s men glanced toward Valentina in surprise as she entered.

Most women connected to the organization never came down here.

That was intentional.

Violence remained easier to control when women stayed decorative.

Valentina noticed Adrian noticing the stares.

Instantly his posture changed.

Sharper.

Colder.

Protective without becoming obvious about it.

Interesting.

“You’re making your men nervous,” she murmured quietly.

“They’re not my men.”

“That sounded personal.”

“It was accurate.”

Adrian guided her toward a quieter training lane near the far wall before setting a black handgun case on the counter between them.

Valentina crossed her arms. “Let me guess. Today’s lesson is trust no one and shoot first.”

“No.” Adrian opened the case calmly. “Today’s lesson is learning how not to hesitate.”

Something about the way he said it unsettled her immediately.

Because he didn’t sound theoretical.

He sounded experienced.

Inside the case rested a matte black Glock beside extra magazines and hearing protection.

Valentina stared at the weapon for a second. “You know, normal men buy women jewelry.”

“You already own jewelry.”

“Yes, but mine usually doesn’t come with ammunition.”

Adrian handed her protective headphones first. “You joke when you’re nervous.”

“You become terrifyingly observant when you’re avoiding questions.”

Fair enough.

He stepped behind her then, close enough that she became suddenly aware of his size again. Warmth radiated through the thin silk blouse beneath her coat while his hands reached carefully around her toward the gun.

Not touching.

Almost touching.

Which somehow felt worse.

“Have you fired before?” he asked quietly.

“Once.”

“What happened?”

“I broke a wine bottle and nearly dislocated my shoulder.”

“That’s impressively inefficient.”

Valentina smiled despite herself.

Adrian picked up the handgun and checked it automatically before holding it out toward her.

“Show me.”

Valentina wrapped her fingers around the grip carefully.

Heavy.

Colder than expected.

Adrian watched her stance for a moment before stepping closer again.

Too close.

His hand settled lightly against her wrist first, adjusting the angle downward.

“Relax your shoulders,” he murmured.

“That’s difficult when someone hands me deadly weapons underground.”

“You’re gripping too tightly.”

“That may also be emotional.”

This time she actually heard the quiet breath of amusement leave him.

Tiny sound.

But real.

Adrian moved behind her fully then, one hand guiding her elbows while the other adjusted her grip against the gun.

His chest brushed lightly against her back.

Heat spread instantly through her body.

Dangerous heat.

The kind that arrived before common sense had time to intervene.

“Focus on the target,” Adrian said softly near her ear.

That was the problem.

She was trying.

The paper silhouette hung several yards ahead beneath harsh overhead lights. Valentina raised the weapon slowly while Adrian remained close behind her, hands still guiding her posture.

Everything about the moment felt wrong.

Not morally wrong.

Worse.

Intimate.

Too intimate.

“You trust me with a gun?” she asked quietly.

“No.”

“Honest.”

“I trust your survival instincts.”

His voice remained low beside her.

Controlled.

Always controlled.

Valentina inhaled slowly and steadied her aim.

“Good,” Adrian murmured. “Now breathe out before you fire.”

She pulled the trigger.

The shot cracked violently through the range.

Her shoulder jerked backward from recoil, but Adrian’s hand steadied her instantly against him before she lost balance completely.

The bullet struck low near the outer edge of the target.

Not good.

Not terrible.

Valentina lowered the gun slowly. “I didn’t die.”

“That’s usually the first achievement.”

She turned slightly toward him.

Too close still.

Far too close.

Adrian’s hand remained around her wrist longer than necessary.

Neither of them moved immediately.

Gunfire echoed faintly across the range around them while tension gathered quietly between their bodies.

Valentina became painfully aware of everything at once.

The warmth of his hand.

The scent of smoke and cologne lingering against his clothes.

The roughness of scarred fingers against her skin.

Adrian noticed it too.

She saw the exact second he realized neither of them had stepped away.

His jaw tightened slightly.

That familiar restraint returning again.

Always restraint.

“You’re staring,” Valentina said softly.

“You’re distracting.”

The answer slipped out before he could stop it.

Silence followed immediately afterward.

Real silence this time.

Even the shooting range around them seemed distant suddenly.

Valentina’s heartbeat quickened hard enough to hurt.

Because Adrian almost never lost control of his words.

And yet he had just admitted something honest.

Something dangerous.

His hand finally released her wrist slowly.

Too slowly.

Neither looked away.

Then one of Luca’s captains shouted something across the range, breaking the moment sharply apart.

Adrian stepped backward immediately.

Distance restored.

Control restored.

But the atmosphere between them had already changed.

Valentina lowered the gun carefully onto the counter. “You know what the problem is?”

Adrian removed his hearing protection slowly. “There are several.”

“You keep warning me not to trust you.” Her eyes held his steadily beneath the harsh range lights. “But you look at me like you already do.”

For the first time since meeting him, Adrian had absolutely no answer ready.