Chapter 37.

NORA CARUSO The climb back up from the basement felt longer than the descent. The adrenaline that had fueled me through the shooting lesson was beginning to ebb, leaving behind a jittery, hollow feeling in my stomach. My hand still tingled from the recoil of the Glock. I could still smell the gunpowder on my skin, mixing with the scent of Nikolai that clung to me from where he had pressed his chest against my back. I walked a step ahead of him, needing the distance. "You rushed the last shot," Nikolai said from behind me. "I hit the target," I countered, not looking back as I reached the landing of the main floor. "That's what matters." "Precision matters," he corrected. "If you rush, you…" He cut himself off with a sharp intake of breath then came a heavy, stumbling sound. I spun around instantly. Nikolai had stopped on the last step. He was gripping the banister with white-knuckled force, his other hand pressed tight against his side, sweat slicked his forehead, and his jaw was clenc