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Still.
The idea of going out there unarmed felt like she was going to go out there naked. Vulnerable, at the whims of the universe, and just plain wrong.
She did have her little backup pistol, the stubby Glock 26 she’d shot at the range with Pony, but even that might bulge out in an obvious way under her racing gear.
In the end, she decided to strap her backup gun to her left ankle in a small holster that didn’t seem to show too badly under her leathers. Besides, it would be dark, and nobody would be looking at her ankles, hopefully.
Just before she left, she caught a glimpse of her open closet door. Inside, she could see what she used to call her Tuesday Outfit, back when she was still spending her days in the local FBI office chasing down financial criminals.
A plain gray pantsuit, very professional, very nondescript, very boring. The kind of thing one wears to drown out any sense of excitement or adventure.
It seemed like the kind of clothing that belonged to an entirely different person. The woman who’d worn that had never been to Mexico, had never seen the deadly damage the cartel could do, had never stepped foot into an outlaw biker bar. She’d lived a life that was colored inside of the lines, with no stray marks.
Now, looking at herself in the mirror, she seemed unrecognizable. Tight red racing leathers from head to toe, gun hidden on the ankle. She couldn’t even imagine what the other agents at the office in their plain gray suits would think of her.
But then, the woman in that Tuesday Outfithadgone to Mexico, andhadseen the bodies of innocent children killed in a narcoterrorist’s bombing. She had gone, and seen, and been changed forever.
She couldn’t be that plain gray boring woman any more. Especially not tonight. Tonight she had to put all of that out of her head. She’s wasn’t Special Agent Marino any longer. She was Piper the Wild Child, with no thought but the next thrill.
She’d totally lost herself to Wild Child Piper earlier at the shooting range with Pony, chatting and flirting and forgetting all about her life as an FBI agent, so much so that she’d slipped up and told him about her father being out of the picture. She’d meant deceased, but luckily hadn’t said that exactly, or she might’ve blown her cover right there.
It had been so easy, so natural, to fall into a rhythm with Pony. It felt right. And so now, that was who she would need tobecome, and fall into that persona completely, with no holding back.
“All right,” she said to her reflection. “Let’s go see what we can find out.”
When she left the bedroom, Carly, her sister, was there, sitting on the couch. She was wearing sweatpants, watching Netflix, and eating popcorn out of the bag by the handful.
Carly the snack queen. Ever since they were little, Carly’s answer to stress was to eat it down wholesale. And with what she was going through, a felony charge hanging over her head, it was open season on snacks in Carlyville.
It was just another reminder of what was at stake tonight. Piper had to stay on point, not just to do her job, but to help get Carly out of this mess she’d somehow gotten into.
At the sight of her, Carly let out a low whistle.
“Whoa! What’s up, hot mama? What’s with the skin tight hootchie mama gear?”
“It’s for work, Carly. I told you, I have to go check out this street racing thing tonight.”
“I thought you said you were basically an accountant at the FBI,” Carly said around a mouthful of popcorn.
“I was. But I’m an undercover agent now.”
“Which means that now your job is to hang out with hot bad boys all day and then go street race motorcycles at night?” Carly said, dropping the bag of popcorn in disgust. “God, I so need to change my major.”
“Ha, ha. Nobody said they were hot, Carly.”
“Uh-hunh. Which is why you’re dressed like that.”
“This is a racing outfit.”
“Right, yes, of course. Racing outfit. So you’re saying that this guy you’re meetingisn’thot?”
“That is none of your concern,” Piper said, doing her best to keep a straight face.
“I knew it!” Carly cried, pointing an accusing finger. “I knew it!”
“Good night, Carly,” Piper said on her way out of the front door.
“Back by midnight, young lady!”
