Avoiding The Billionaire

athered on the porch near the door. I inch towards it and manage to gather all of the things without actually setting foot outsi

m that in addition to whatever ailment causes him to conceal the skin of his right arm and hand, he also sustained some sort of debilitating damage to the limb. He rarely carries any weight with it. When h

fficulty setting boxes down without dropping them, so I gather up my courage as he approaches with the next box and meet h

identified as mine while he sorts through the food and other items he normally receives in thes

ay, waving it at him before setting it

matter?" he asks, soundi

otice Ryan standing across the table from me. I look up to see him holding a rifle. It's not the one I usually see him carrying around. It's a little s

for me?

es

ly losing interest

hot because someone's being stupid and didn't know the gun was loaded. The second is that you never point it at someone you don't intend to shoot.

supposed to know what kind of gun that is, which I don't. He also demonstrates and explains how to clean it, how to disassemble the gun, and how to pu

apart,"

n into a few parts, so

back t

help, I reas

ga

n return. The focused look in his eye suggests he's not. He moves the rifle to the side and pulls out

my Bere

ry well acquainted with it. Maybe he is. It al

take that one apart?" I

to fire your pistol, you can try it if you

stol?"

nother gun o

eneration fi

a lot like the service weapons used in TV shows. It a

e," Ryan says, his hand mov

etually-gloved right hand resting on the weapon in my grip,

u do have to

gun in Ryan's hand, this on

hese coming from?"

11 Colt are new. I've had my rifle

ot a great idea to bring up Afghanistan all the time. I woul

army. The US military does not allow servicemen or women to keep their service weapons after being discharg

he explains the operation and cleaning of the gun, completely breaks it

s. Putting it back together takes much longer and requires much more of Ryan's sparing assistance. When the weapon is at last back in one pi

have to do

in the process

le the gun for the third time

you going to m

eretta and stripping it and rebuilding it faster than I tho

ask, my voice incredulous

ctice. Speaking of practice," he says,

doing all of

"If your gun jams in a high-stress situation, you should know how to fi

ee guns? You already have two.

classic," he says, but I'm not foo

ou buy ME

ing with the Win

rly not a hunting weapon,

ns back in the chair. I wait. At last he s

the hel

hrob and my hands start to shake. I can tell by the tone of his