Erin turned away, about to get as far away from the kitchen as possible because she wasn’t about to involve herself in this drama. But Yardley grabbed hold of Erin first and held tight.

“Oh, thank God! We need your help.”

“Forget it.”

Erin hadn’t even moved yet but Yardley yanked her closer. “You have to help.”

“No, I don’t. I have to pay taxes and die again. Those are my only life requirements.”

“Erin. Please.”

The sliding glass door opened and a smiling Jace walked in with that goofy-looking dog she’d picked up the night before.

“Morning!” she greeted, shocking everyone in the room.

Maybe Kera did have a way of finding the right dog to fit a traumatized person because Jace had barely spoken three sentences together in the time she’d been a Crow. No one even knew how she’d died because she wouldn’t discuss it . . . or anything else. Erin had just recently found out that Jace had once been married. And Erin had the feeling it was that marriage that had led to Jace being the way she was. But since she wouldn’t talk about it, Erin had no way of knowing if her guess was right.

Holding the puppy in one arm, Jace pulled down a bowl from a cabinet and filled it with water. She then placed both the dog and the bowl on the counter so he could drink.

“Anyone know where Brodie is?” Jace asked. “I . . . I want to introduce her to Lev.”

“Lev?”

“Short for Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy. Tolstoy’s real name.”

“Of course,” Erin replied. Because who wouldn’t name a funny-looking puppy after a depressing Russian author?

Jace looked at her sister-Crows. “What’s . . . what’s wrong?”

Yardley cringed. “Sherri lost Brodie.”

“I didn’t lose her!” a sobbing Sherri yelled. “She bolted.”

“You dropped her leash?” Erin asked.

“No.” She held up the leather collar Kera had purchased for her dog to replace the fancy one with crystals that all the other Crows kept going on about. The only difference now was that Kera’s sensible collar was torn in half.

“Shit, you lost that woman’s dog?” Erin demanded “She’s going to lose her mind.”

“I didn’t!”

“Do you have any idea how attached she is to that pit bull?”

“You have to keep her busy while we look for Brodie,” Yardley ordered Erin.

“Just tell her you lost the dog.”

“She’ll never trust us with Brodie again.”

“Maybe because she shouldn’t.”

“That’s not fair!” Sherri argued.

“Erin, just do this.”

They heard Keracalling for Brodie somewhere in the house.

Yardley gasped. “Oh God. She’s coming!”

“I’m not getting involved in this, King.” Erin said, shaking her head. “Forget it.”

“You have to help. You’re a Crow.”

“Which makes me smart and aloof.”

Yardley stomped her little superstar foot. “Erin.”

“Brodie,” Kera called out again, seconds before walking into the kitchen. “Come here, baby.”

Yardley jerked her head toward the swinging door that led into the dining room, and one of the Crows grabbed a still sobbing Sherri and shoved her through to the other room.

Yardley plastered on a bright smile just as Kera walked in.

“Hey, guys.”

“Hey, Kera!” they all said, way too happily. Erin said nothing. She didn’t smile either. Kera would see through that shit in a nanosecond.

The former Marine stopped, eyes narrowing. “What’s going on?”

Yardley moved right to Kera’s side and said, “Kera, I heard you’re planning to start a nonprofit charity.”

“Oh. Yeah, I am. Actually, I’m just thinking about it right now. I mean . . . Vig suggested it, and it might be a good idea but—”

“Well, of course, it’s a good idea. Hell, it’s a great idea!”

“It is?”

“Absolutely! And you know what? I plan to donate some money to your wonderful new organization.”

“Oh, that’s not necessary.”

“In fact, I have a brilliant idea! Why don’t you come with me to the studio today and raise some money?”

“Oh no.” Kera shook her head. “I’m not ready for any of that. At all. I mean, at this point, it’s just an idea. I’m sure there are legal things I have to do and the IRS . . .”

“Kera, you can’t let that stop you. You have to help your fellow soldiers! They need dogs now! Not later.”

“Yeah, but—”

“And you know who can help you?”

Erin started to walk to the door to leave as quickly as possible, but Yardley yanked her back by the hair.

“Owww!”

Yardley put her arm around Erin’s throat in a mini-chokehold, her chin resting on Erin’s shoulder like they were old buddies.

“This girl. Erin can help you.”

“Help me do what?”

“Help you come to the studio today and raise some money for your new charity. The soldiers need you, Kera.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I’m not remotely prepared.”

“You have to go today.”

“I do?”