Raven Mask (Camren) Book 2

Chapter 30

I didn't risk driving by the not-so-abandoned church. I parked two blocks away like I said I would, at a corner gas station we had passed on the way into the neighborhood. Shawn killed his headlights, slipping the dark purple Mustang in behind my Tiburon. Surprisingly, there weren't a lot of people out. A woman with light hair cascading around her shoulders and dressed as a sexy devil walked by holding on to the shoulders of a three-foot ghost and a pirate boy only a few inches taller than the ghost. Strappy pink slippers flashed from beneath the white sheet. I turned the key, killing the engine.

"Well?" Dinah asked. "I just thought of something. It'll look funny having a bird fly out of our car."

"No one will see me."

"A human might not see you," Normani said. "I certainly would."

I unbuckled my seat belt, letting it snap back with a hiss. Reaching behind my back I took the Pro.40 and its holster off my belt and handed the gun butt first to Lauren. The safety was on, as always, unless I was about to put a bullet in someone.

"Hold on to this for me," I said. "I don't think I could manifest the gun quite yet, and I don't want to risk losing it." I unbuckled the belt from around my waist, sliding it through the belt loops and handing it to Lauren after she took the gun. With nimble fingers she lifted the edge of her shirt, tucking the gun down the front of her pants. The gesture managed to flash a nice line of flesh.

I bent over and carefully drew the gun out. "You've watched too many movies, and I'm not comfortable with the idea of you accidentally shooting your precious bits, vampire or no. You only shove a gun down the front of your pants in emergencies." I started threading the belt through the first loops of her slacks. "If you have the loops," I said, "use the holster." Then I thought to ask, "Have you ever used a gun?"

She took it from me, clicked off the safety, and pulled the slide back, sending a round into the chamber. "Does that answer your question, Camz?"

I swallowed, forcing myself not to turn into a puddle of werewolf in her lap. There's something undeniably sexy about a woman that knows how to handle a weapon.

"Well enough," I said, taking the holster and thrusting the belt through it. "Think you can draw this way?" I took the end of the belt through the last of the loops, sliding it through the buckle, then gave it a good tug to make sure it was sturdy and secure. Voilá.

She turned the safety lock on and reached behind her back, putting the gun into the holster. The holster was canted, which took some getting used to for a quick draw. A lot of the cops I worked with didn't wear small-of-the-back holsters. If you get knocked down by a bad guy and happen to land on your back, it's quite painful. Most cops wear a hip holster or a shoulder holster. A lot of female cops opt for hip holsters, because breasts can get in the way of a cross draw or a draw from a shoulder holster. Fortunately, my breasts are small enough I could pull off wearing a shoulder holster without that problem.

"You've made your point. Be careful your shirt doesn't ride up over the holster, or you'll give everyone a peek-a-boo and scare all the humans."

"You're stalling," Dinah said, with an edge of shock to her tone.

I flicked my gaze to her as she leaned forward in her seat. "What?"

"You're stalling."

I smiled and knew it wasn't a happy smile. "A little bit."

"Why? This is what you do for a living, isn't it?"

"Dinah, every time a person goes into something like this they never come out the same. You always remember."