Innocent in Las Vegas by A. R. Winters, Amazon.com (firm) Page B

corner to see if there was an intruder in my bedroom, I checked my wall. The red paint was gone, but I knew it was still there, behind all those coats of eggshell white.
    Stone showed me the new bolts and told me I shouldn’t keep so much junk food in the house.
    I was about to make a smart retort when he said, “Now, let’s go get your gun permit.”
    I stood staring at my feet for a few minutes. Stone gave me time to think and after a while I grabbed my purse and followed him out.
    I sat silently in his car as we drove towards the police station.
    “It’ll take a few days to process,” Stone said, “But once we get it we’ll head to the shop and buy you something.”
    I didn’t say anything. It’s not like I need to actually use the gun , I told myself. And besides, everyone in Vegas had a gun. Once you headed out towards the desert, you’d be crazy not to have a gun for protection.

Chapter Fourteen
    After I’d completed and submitted the application for a gun permit, Stone and I spent a couple of hours at the gun range, where I shot at targets and learned about grip, stance and aim. It was satisfying to fire at an enemy who was harmless, anonymous, and made of paper. I actually enjoyed myself and I wondered if I’d come back to the range again. If I was to become any good with a gun in real life, I’d need lots more practice, and it was starting to seem worthwhile.
    The drive back home was uneventful and we stopped by the electronics store to return my old laptop and buy a new one. Stone walked me up to my condo.
    We stopped outside my door as I fiddled about in my bag for the key.
    Stone said, “I’ve shown you how to do the walk-through, so you do it this time.”
    I nodded, and turned the key in the lock. I stood in the hallway and pushed the door open, like Stone had shown me. I knew that when I did this on my own, I’d be pretty terrified, but it was hard to feel more than a smidgen of fear when Stone was standing right beside me.
    I had kept the light on when we’d left, and my condo seemed void of intruders, so I stepped inside carefully. The answering machine was blinking, but I ignored it – it was probably my mom or Nanna, asking about Stone. I couldn’t see anyone in the open-space living-dining-kitchen area, but there might just be someone hiding in the bedroom, so I called out, “Helloooo?”
    I heard a noise behind me like a puppy sneezing, so I turned to look at Stone. His eyelids were half-closed and his eyebrows were raised a fraction of an inch – he had the look of a tough guy who wanted to puke because he’d just seen someone giving their lover a red rose.
    “What’s wrong?” I hissed. “Too much dinner last night?”
    “Why are you saying ‘hello’ to your intruder?”
    I gave him an offended look. “I’m not saying hello. I’m warning them that I’m home. You know, in case they want to run away before I get to them or something.”
    “They don’t want to run away, they’re waiting for you. And they already know you’re home! They heard you opening the door.”
    That made sense. “Right.” No saying hello, then.
    I lifted my left arm to my side like a ballerina and took a careful step towards my bedroom.
    “Wait.”
    The word sounded like a soft bark and I froze in place. “What’s wrong?”
    “Why’re you holding your arm like that?”
    “So I can turn quickly. You know, it’ll help me keep my balance and stuff.”
    Stone didn’t say anything else, but my arm was starting to ache, so I dropped it and walked over to the bedroom door. I stood with my back against the wall, and peered around. There was no-one in the bedroom.
    I let out a sigh of relief and stepped inside. Stone was right on my heels. I was about to head over to the window, which overlooks my tiny balcony, but Stone grabbed my arm.
    “Check under the bed first. The order is, bed, closet, window, bathroom.”
    I nodded, dropped into an inelegant crouch and peered under the bed. “No-one