“Yes,” Amsel said with a ton of sarcasm. “We’re all so very close. I’ll take her to see Rundstöm myself.”

“Okay. He’s there now.”

“Why are you pushing?” Amsel asked.

“I’m not pushing. Just suggesting.”

“Let’s go.” Kera, bored by watching the ex-marrieds arguing—she’d been there, done that, she didn’t need the PTSD that came with watching some other couple doing the same thing—nodded and announced, “I need to shower first. I’ll be down in seven minutes.”

“You don’t have to rush,” Amsel told her as Kera walked away.

“That’s not rushing. That’s efficiency.”

“Efficiency.” Rolf grinned as they watched Kera Watson walk into the house. “She’ll fit in well here.”

“Your sarcasm is duly noted.”

“Come on. The ex-military ones are the best.”

“Yes. Rigid and unyielding.”

“If it bothers you so much, let someone else take her on.”

Erin winced a little at that. “Nah. I’ve been assigned as her mentor. I think I’m being tested.”

“For what?”

“I think Tessa and Chloe have bigger plans for me.” Rolf’s frown deepened. “For what?”

“Gee. Thanks Rolf.”

“No offense. I just mean . . . well . . . it’s you.”

Erin tilted her head to the side and raised her eyebrows.

“What I mean is,” Rolf desperately went on, “I guess I just didn’t . . . it’s just that . . .” He shrugged his shoulders. “I really didn’t think you’d last here. I never thought you’d fit in.”

“With the Crows?”

“Dear God, no. You’re totally a Crow. You’re like a poster child for the Crow lifestyle. No, I mean, you never seemed to fit into the L.A. milieu, so to speak.”

“Because I don’t use words like ‘milieu’? And phrases like ‘so to speak’?”

“Sometimes, yeah.”

Erin really could have ended up anywhere. She was born and raised in Staten Island, New York. But she’d done a lot of traveling once she’d hit eighteen. She’d seen a lot of the world. And could have died anywhere, leading her to end up with any of the Crows based in other countries or in other states.

Yet the gods had been kind. They’d made sure she’d been killed here. In Southern California. And she couldn’t be happier.

Why?

She didn’t need to ask why. Not when she watched Chloe start screaming “Asshole!” over and over again at Josef.

She did this out of frustration because she couldn’t get her hands around herex’s throat. Not with his Raven brothers there to ensure no more arrests.

So many arrests.

“You are insane!” Josef screamed over Chloe’s yelling. “Do you realize how insane you are?”

Rolf sighed and turned away from the screaming and back to Erin. “So did the new girl really deal with the Killers using their own hammers?”

“Yeah. She really did.”

“Impressive. Was she really naked, too?”

Erin snorted. “Yes, Rolf. She was really naked, too.”

“That’s so hot.”

“Is there an actual reason you’re standing here talking to me?”

“The healing glow of your effervescent personality?”

Erin ran her hand down Rolf’s shoulder. “Please don’t make me set you on fire.”

He quickly shook her off and took several safe steps away. “Just figured I could assist you with Rundstöm when you go to get her weapons.”

“Why do you care?”

“Everyone knows it’s never a good idea to take this particular Brother Raven by surprise.”

“Yeah . . . and?”

“So I’m confirming your presence at his abode.”

“At his what?”

“House, woman.”

“I said we were going.”

“See? That wasn’t hard to answer, now was it?”

“Not hard,” Erin told him as she walked toward the house to get changed. “Just annoying.”

“Can I talk to you in private?” Josef suddenly asked Chloe.

It sounded more like a demand to her, so she replied, “Not unless I can tear the eyes from your head.”

“Jesus Christ, Chloe!”

“All right, all right. Fine. We’ll talk in private.”

Chloe headed back into the house but Tessa jumped in front of her. “Chloe, wait.”

“This is Clan business,” Josef told Chloe’s second in command. “Out of the way.”

“It’s like you want me to hurt you and then you bitch when I do,” Chloe complained. She looked at Tessa. “It’s all right, Tee. We’ll be fine.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

Tessa stepped out of the way, and Chloe walked into the house and to her office. She opened the door and waited for Josef to come in, then slammed the door shut.

“All right, what do you want?”

“The Giant Killers were in here last night because they thought you stole something from them.”

“You know what?” Chloe asked as she walked around her desk. “That is such fucking bullshit.”

“It better be.”