“Welcome to Hollywood. One day that boy will either crumble from the stress or become a studio head who treats his people worse than he was ever treated. There is no in-between for this crowd.”

“And I’m going to get money out of these people for a charity to help vets?”

Erin grinned. “You’d be amazed how easy it is to get money out of soulless people.”

“Easy to get money out of people you call soulless?”

“Soulless people who want the world to think they’re not. It’s like shootin’ narcissists in a barrel.”

Jace had spent a couple of hours trying to track down Brodie, with absolutely no success. The dog was gone.

She stood high on a ridge overlooking one of the nearby beaches. She really hoped that Brodie hadn’t gone down there. If the Claws of Ran knew she was Kera’s dog . . .

No. She wouldn’t think like that. The Claws of Ran were assholes but they wouldn’t fuck with a dog just because it was a Crow’s pet. There were lines the Clans didn’t cross. No one fucked with the Giant Killers’ Harleys or the Valkyries’ horses or Holde’s Maids’ goats. So, Jace reasonably believed, no one was going to harm a Crow’s pet.

“Hey, Jace.”

Jace turned at the voice, let out a sigh when she saw it was just Stieg Engstrom. “Oh. It’s you.”

“Who did you think it would be?”

“No one.” She again stared down at the beach.

“You’re not going down there, are you? The Claws will—”

“I know. I know.”

“Coffee?” he asked, holding out a cup from the nearby Starbucks.

“Are you hitting on me?”

“No. You’re cute but I tend to piss people off and with your rage issues, I’m pretty sure you’d just kill me. I do like that you don’t talk much, though. I enjoy that in a friend.”

Jace abruptly faced Stieg. “If you were a dog, where would you go?”

“Did you lose that puppy already?”

“Just answer the question.”

“Where would I go if I were a dog?” He shrugged massive shoulders. “I guess I’d go home.”

“Home.” Jace slapped her hands against the sides of her head. “Of course! Home! You’d go home!” She gave Stieg a quick hug and ran back toward her car, yelling, “Thank you!” over her shoulder.

Annalisa whistled and the crow flew down and landed on her shoulder.

“Have you seen the new girl’s dog?” she asked. The bird stretched out its wings and shook itself all over. A “no.”

“What about the others?”

The bird lifted its head and squawked loudly several times. The crows in the trees responded, cawing back atthem. When they were done, the bird on Annalisa’s shoulder stretched out its wings and shook itself all over. Another “no.”

“Okay. Well, if you see her—”

Her phone vibrated and Annalisa pulled it from her front jean pocket. The text was from Jace, telling everyone to meet at the Bird House.

Annalisa brushed her head against the crow. “Thank you, sweetie.”

The bird squawked and took flight, going back to the trees. Annalisa watched until the bird was safely on a branch, then turned to head back to the house. But she stopped and looked down on the mansion of Chloe’s nemesis. Betty’s assistant, Brittany or Tiffany or whatever adorable name she had, walked out of the front door, stumbling a bit on her ridiculous heels. She stopped, got her balance, smoothed out her extremely short business skirt, and walked toward the town car waiting for her.

Annalisa quickly sent a text to Chloe, and she received an immediate answer back.

She’s doing me a favor. Nothing to worry about.

But that didn’t explain why the girl was just now leaving, Annalisa pointed out in a second text.

That bitch probably just got home. I told Brianna to wait until she arrived.

Satisfied with the answer, Annalisa ran back to meet with Jace and the others at the Bird House.

Vig was sitting on his porch, using a carving knife to whittle a piece of wood. He wasn’t sure yet what he would make, but he was really enjoying the simplicity of what he was doing. He found whittling calming.

“Hey,” Stieg said as he and Siggy walked up to Vig’s house.

“Hey, hey.”

“The Crows lost your girlfriend’s dog.”

Vig watched the two men as they stomped up his stairs, Stieg briefly stopping to place a Starbucks cup beside him.

“What?”

“Yeah. They were all over town trying to track it down. And Jace spoke to me. Not just a word, either. But, like, full sentences. It was kind of weird.”

“Where the hell is Kera?”

“Off with that redhead. I’m going to play video games.”

“The redhead has a name,” Vig snapped, but if Stieg heard him, he didn’t reply.

“You going to call Kera?” Siggy asked.

“And tell her the Crows lost her dog? I’m trying to get them together, not pull them apart.”

“For sex?”

Vig gawked at his Raven brother. “What?”

“You said you’re trying to get Kera and the Crows together. For sex?”

“No. Not for sex.”

“Why not? That could be kind of interesting.”

Vig went back to his whittling. “Go away.”

“Okay. But you know I’m right.”