“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 apain 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 catch 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.