And sadly, at the moment . . . she was really angry.
“She couldn’t kill him,” Rachel snarled at Chloe. “I saw her. She could have finished that fucker off and taken that bracelet but, instead, she just stared at him. Now he’s gone and he still has the bracelet.” She pointed a damning finger at Kera. “Her fault! And you,” she accused, looking at Tessa, “don’t even care.”
“Of course I care. But I think we have bigger things to worry about. Like no matter what Kera did to that guy, he kept . . . healing himself.”
Chloe’s head jerked. “What did he have?”
“Just some bracelet of Skuld’s. And it wasn’t all that powerful.”
“Plus,” Maeve added, “he turned his girlfriend into a demon without actually sacrificing her. Which seemed weird, because you usually have to do one to make the other happen.”
“Unless she was already a demon in the first place.”
“Leigh,” Chloe ordered, “look into that. That’s definitely not normal.”
“Okay.”
“Oh my God,” Rachel cut in. “Are we really ignoring the weak link in our very strong chain?”
“Are you done?” Chloe finally asked the team leader. The funny thing about Chloe, she could flip out on a dime, but when she was faced with screaming and hysteria, she became incredibly . . . calm. So calm it drove the rest of the Crows kind of crazy. But that calmness was needed now.
Poor Kera. Jace hated that she had to go through this. Not being able to make the kill was a big problem in the Crows because that’s what they did. They weren’t a rescue team like the Ravens usually were. The gods didn’t call on them when they wanted a damsel in distress saved. Or needed the end of the world stopped. They were a Strike Team. They came in, they destroyed, they left. That’s what they did.
But Kera hadn’t been able to kill. That would make her a liability to the team.
“No,” Rachel shot back at Chloe. “I’m not done. She didn’t even—”
“You’re done,” Chloe told the team leader. “So very done.”
“But—”
“Quiet!”
“Don’t you see?” Rachel continued. “She could get her teammates killed. She’s a liability, Clo.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” Kera softly asked. “Do you really think that I’m not painfully aware what my hesitation may mean?”
With her big arms folded over her big chest, Rachel leaned down until their faces were close and she said in a mocking little girl voice, “Oh, are you ‘painfully aware’ of what your precious hesitation may mean? Are you, sweetie?”
Jace didn’t know if it was that annoying voice. The mocking tone of that annoying voice. Or Rachel being so close. But whatever it was had Kera ramming her head right into Rachel’s.
Rachel stumbled back, her hands over her face. “That bitch broke my nose!” she screamed as Kera stalked out of the room. They all heard a door somewhere in the house slam shut and Chloe turned to Rachel.
“You really did deserve that, you know.”
“I did not!”
“Yeah,” all the Crows in the room said together, “you kind of did.”
“I’m going after her,” Rachel announced, turning toward the doors.
Tessa grabbed Rachel’s arm. “Leave her alone.”
“Someone’s gotta talk to her. And since you bitches seem unwilling, that leaves me.” She yanked her arm from Tessa’s grasp and again moved toward the doors. That’s when Kera’s dog jumped between Rachel and the exit.
“Even the dog thinks it’s a bad idea,” Leigh muttered.
“One of you get this goddamn mutt out of my way before I kick it.”
And that’s when Brodie did what she’d been able to do all day—she unleashed her wings.
Rachel stared down at the dog, eyes wide. “This is . . . new. Right?” she asked, pointing at Brodie.
“Yeah,” all the Crows said together, “this is new.”
Vig didn’t have a job tonight, so he was sitting on his couch, reading a book when he heard someone land outside his house. He waited for whoever it was to walk in but they didn’t. After a bit, he closed his book and opened his front door.
Kera sat on his porch. She was in her battle gear, her shoulders slumped.
He eased out, softly closing the screen door behind him. He walked down the porch stairs and faced her.
“I couldn’t do it,” Kera said, her voice soft.
“Couldn’t do what?”
“I couldn’t kill. I had the guy. But I couldn’t do it.”
“Why not?”
“When I was in Afghanistan, I knew what I was fighting for. I knew what I was fighting.” She shrugged. “He had a bracelet. I’m supposed to kill him over a bracelet?”
Vig sat down beside her. “You’re supposed to kill him because he won’t give you that bracelet. He can’t have it. It gives him unreasonable power that upsets the balance of the world.”
Kera scratched her eyebrow. “Yeah. I know. Plus,” she softly admitted, “he kind of turned his girlfriend into a demon or something. She had black fangs. It was not pretty.”
Vig winced. “That wasn’t a clue that he needed to die?”
“No, it was.”
“Then what really stopped you, Kera? Tell me.”
“Crazy’s in the bloodline. What if all I need is one little . . . push, to send me over the edge? To turn me into her. Running around, telling my six-year-old daughter that the tutus she wears in ballet class make her look like a whore.”
“You’re not your mother, Kera.”
“Aren’t I? Aren’t we all extensions of our parents? You are your Raven father and Katja is her Valkyrie mother. So I’m my Marine father and my crazy mother.”
“We’re parts of our parents, Kera. But do you think I’d let some god waltz off to another country with my children? Because that’s what my father did. I still love him, but I never forget.”
“It doesn’t matter. Whether I am my mother or just afraid I’ll become her, my problem is the same. My fear makes me a liability. The Crows will be so busy protecting me, they’ll get themselves killed instead. I can’t be responsible for that.”
“You can’t decide anything right now. You need sleep.”
“I’m not tired. Besides, I’m worried I’ll start having that recurring dream again.”
“What dream?”
“When I was in the military. I used to have this dream that there was a firefight at the base, and all my guys were dying around me, calling out for help, and I couldn’t get the goddamn safety off the gun. That’s what tonight felt like.”
“No one died.”
“Not yet.”
“Okay, Kera, you’re being way too dramatic. For you, I mean.” He stood and held his hand out to her. “You’re tired. You need sleep. Stay the night. Here.”
Kera winced. “Vig, I’m not sure I can—”
“Just sleep, Kera. I promise. I missed you last night.”
When she hesitated, he reached over and took her hand with his. “Let’s get some sleep and let me hold you while we do. Maybe I can protect you from the bad dreams.”
Kera looked away but Vig waited. He’d wait forever for Kera if he had to.
Thankfully, though, that wasn’t necessary. She slid off the porch and moved into Vig’s arms. He held her tight, kissed the top of her head.
“Come on.” He led her into his house, but instead of taking her to his bedroom, he took her to the couch. There they cuddled together, forced by the size of the couch to be as close as possible so neither fell onto the floor.
She fell asleep on his chest, her hands resting on his biceps, her legs between his legs.
Vig held her all night and wondered how he could fix this for her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Kera woke up. She was still on Vig’s chest but they weren’t alone. She looked up and saw Erin, Leigh, and Annalisa standing by the couch, staring at her.
“You bett
er go,” Vig said, his eyes still closed. “They can stand there all day just staring. After a while it’ll start freaking you out.”
Kera slid off Vig and stood. She stretched out her back and kissed Vig on the lips. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“You will.”
Kera followed Erin and the others outside. She stood on the porch as the others went down the stairs.
“So what happens now?” Kera asked.
Erin faced her, her expression grim. “Now? We sacrifice you to the gods.”
Horrified, Kera stared at Erin until Erin burst out laughing. Leigh and Annalisa shook their heads and walked off.
“I’m joking, you idiot. You’re one of us now. Good or bad.”
“Why would you still want me to be one of you?”
“You just are. Like with family, we don’t get a choice. But I saw you fight last night. Your skill is there.”
“But I can’t—”
“You need to know what you’re fighting for. Right?”
“Why would you say that?”
“Skuld only takes smart women. And smart women ask questions that they expect answers to. You need to know what you’re fighting for. And I’m going to take you to someone who can show you. You up for it? Or do you want to go back in there and snuggle up to your big Viking?”
“Is it wrong if I say I want both?”
“Actually . . . you wanting both makes me feel better about this.”
Kera walked down the stairs and they headed off to where Erin had left the car.
“You and Vig slept together in your clothes?”
“I wasn’t in the mood for sex.”
“Guys are always in the mood for sex.”
“So what’s your point?”
“That if he was willing to cuddle up to you all night and not make a move to at least get a blow job—must be love.”
Kera stopped, Erin’s words stunning her.
“Keep moving, Watson. We’ve gotta beat traffic.”
After they had the SUV valet parked, the four women walked into the most beautiful office building Kera had ever seen. Lots of glass and steel and natural light from open skylights, and big looping staircases.
“This place is amazing,” Kera said, unable to stop looking around. And, as her eyes scanned down one of the big staircases, she gasped. “Hey, isn’t that—”
“Yeah. That’s him,” Erin replied. “And before you start asking is that her or is that him or is that the band I love? The answer is always going to be yes. Betty does not deal with no talents.”
“That’s Betty . . . uh . . . ?”
“Lieberman. Top Hollywood agent and most feared bitch in the world of media. She is loathed and feared like no other.”
Erin walked up to the unbelievably gorgeous woman working the front desk. “Hi. Erin Amsel to see Betty Lieberman.”
“I’ll let her assistant know you’re here.”
“Why are we here to see Betty Lieberman?” Kera asked.
“She’s the Seer,” Annalisa whispered.
“Which Clan is she in again?”
“With the name Lieberman?” Erin scoffed. “What do you think? She’s one of ours.”
“Oh. And she has an office here?”
Annalisa gazed at Kera. “This is Betty’s building. Betty’s company. All these people report to her.”
“Wow,” Kera sighed, her gaze moving over the amazing architecture again. “Did the Crows get her all this?”
“Not exactly.” Erin pushed her hands through her hair. “She was already a pretty well-known agent in her first life. She worked for one of the big agencies. Maybe CAA. I can never remember. Then she got killed, started her second life, and several of the Crows financially backed her opening her own agency. They’ve been repaid in full, several times over.”
“How did she get killed?”
“Husband killed her for the insurance money and because she’s kind of a bitch if you can’t keep a handle on her.”
“No woman should be ‘kept a handle on.’ ”
“You don’t know Betty,” Erin said on a laugh.
“Did you give her the good news yet, Erin?” Annalisa suddenly asked.
“No, I forgot.”
“What good news?”
“We heard from Paula before we left this morning. She wanted us to let you know that she needs you to sign some legal paperwork and she’s already done the research on taxes and nonprofits. Which is a really good thing because, apparently, you made a little more than two hundred from those studio people.”
“Two hundred bucks? Oh . . . I guess that’s okay. To start.”
“Two hundred thousand, sweetie.”
Kera gaped at Erin. “You . . . you raised over two hundred thousand dollars? Seriously?”
“Told you. Narcissists in a barrel.”
“Uh-oh,” Leigh sighed out. “She’s going to throw up again.”
“I’m not going to throw up again. I’m just a little . . . stunned.”
“And that doesn’t include what you’ll get from the Crows.”
“Wow. I just . . . wow.”
“Just don’t throw up.”
“Shut up, Leigh.”
Brianna, holding a tablet in her hands, rushed over to their small group.
“Miss Amsel?”
“Oh. Yeah. Hi, Brianna.”
“Hi. Hello. How are you?”
Kera saw the redhead’s green eyes narrow. It was as if she’d locked on a potential victim.
“I’m fine, Brianna. And how are you?”
“Fine. Fine. Great! I’m wonderful. Um . . . yeah . . . I hate to do this, but I was wondering if we can reschedule your meeting with Miss Lieberman? She’s very busy today. I can’t tell you how many meetings she—”
“We need to see her now.”
“Well, you see . . .” Then, like a big rush, it poured out of her. “Miss Lieberman is, as I said, really busy today and she gave me strict orders not to interrupt her. For anything. And . . . um . . . I got your message from Miss Kelly about the meeting and I know Miss Lieberman says she wants those messages from Miss Kelly and Miss Wong, but then she said that she didn’t want any interruptions. Because she has such a busy day and it would just be easier if I could reschedule you guys . . . ?” She gave a bright, wide smile that was actually painful to look at it was so forced.
“Sweetie,” Erin sighed out, “can we not do this every time I come here? We know how it’s going to end.”
“It’s not a big deal,” Kera offered, “you can reschedule us, Brianna.”
“No,” Erin said. “We need to see Betty today.”
“I think you’re being unreasonable,” Kera told Erin.
“And I think you’re being a pain in my ass. Why can’t you just do what I tell you to?”
“When you’re being reasonable, I will.”
“You know—” Erin began as Yardley King suddenly came around a corner with a small group of Crows behind her. She threw her arms open wide, cutting off the rest of Erin’s sentence.
“You guys!” she said, and Erin winced at the high notes the superstar actor managed to hit as she smoothly slipped between the two women. “I’m so excited to see you!”
“I just saw you yesterday,” Kera reminded her.
Yardley hugged Kera, grinning as she pulled away. “Heard you had a rough night, gorgeous. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
She put her arm around Kera’s shoulder, pulling her close. “So what are you guys doing here?”
“Here to see Betty, but perky tits,” Erin said while pointing at poor Brianna, “is cock-blocking me and I don’t like it.”
“No worries, Brianna. I’ll handle it with Betty.” She turned Kera around and pulled her toward the big glass elevators, the rest of the Crows behind her.
They all got in the elevator while poor Brianna tried to stop them. But Yardley just smiled as the doors closed. “She’s going to run up the stairs now, trying to catc
h us.”
“In those shoes?” Kera asked.
“Sweetie, you’d be amazed what I can do in shoes higher than that. It’s a skill. Strippers can show you how to do it!” she added on an incredibly perky note.
“Yes,” Kera replied, “that’s what I need. To wear shoes that strippers have to show me how to properly use.”
“Such sarcasm.”
Kera glanced at the Crows with Yardley. “You actually have an entourage?”
“These ladies are my security. They protect me from the paparazzi. Very necessary in my business. Plus, they’re my best friends in the whole wide world!” she cheered, and the Crows with her joined in. There was also giggling.
The doors opened on the top floor and together the group of Crows walked down the hall.
As they approached, Kera could hear yelling from behind partially opened thick double doors.
“Let me tell you something,” a gravelly voice snarled, “and you better hear me. You try and fuck me over on this goddamn contract, they’ll be finding pieces of you from here to goddamn Seattle. Understand me? I will crucify you, you goddamn whore. When I’m done, even your children will have to go into goddamn witness protection. Do you understand? Good!”
At that point, Kera pulled away from Yardley and tried to head back to the first floor, but Yardley grabbed her arm with an iron grip and yanked her closer to the doors.
“Don’t be a wuss, gorgeous.”
“Wait!” Brianna yelled from behind them. “Please wait!”
She ran around them so that she stood between the group and her boss’s door. She threw up her hand to stop them, panting heavily, proving that Yardley had been right. She’d run up five flights of stairs.
“Just . . . just let me talk to her first,” she begged around deep breaths.
Erin gestured for Brianna to go ahead.
Blowing out a breath, the assistant walked until she just reached the doorway and in a strained, tight, barely-above-a-whisper voice said, “Uh, Betty . . . there’s someone to—”
With a good amount of speed, the woman ducked as a half-filled water bottle flew past her. “I said no interruptions! And what are you doing, you little twat? You’re interrupting!”
Nope. Kera had no reason to see this woman. No reason in the world. She didn’t care what the other women said. Firm in that belief, she turned to walk away, but Yardley wrapped her arm around Kera’s throat and pulled her into her chest to hold her there.
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