The Unleashing
Page 25

Erin took a deep breath, trying to control her growing annoyance. You and the Marines are no longer an us. You and the Crows are an us. The Marines are a them. And the sooner you learn that, the happier youll be.
Im happy when things are organized.
Erin threw up her hands. Oh my God! I cant reason with you.
Hey, hey, a low voice said and Erin let out a sad, strangled cry that had nearby Crows appearing from everywhere to make sure everything was all right.
Watson stared at Erin. What is wrong with you?
He creeped up on us.
Crept. He crept up on us. Kera smiled up at Vig Rundstms hulking figure standing behind her. Where did you come from?
Depends who you ask, but for your purposes . . . I walked here.
And when Kera chuckled at that ridiculous reply, Erin realized she might have an answer to her current problems. On many levels. But first . . . her immediate issue.
What are you doing here, Raven? Erin snarled.
Be nice, Kera ordered. Considering she hadnt even been here forty-eight hours yet, she sure was confident about ordering people around.
You want the Crows to be nice? Then get him off our territory.
He hasnt done anything.
Erin slowly stood and she leaned into Kera. I said get him off our territory.
Kera shoved her notepad back into her pocket and stepped into Erin. Make me.
I can just go, Rundstm said quickly. Yeah. Ill just go.
Hold up, Vig, Kera told him while her gaze still bored into Erins. Ill come with you.
Kera took his arm and led him away, Vig glancing back at Erin, a deep frown on his face as his slow Viking mind turned, trying to figure out what the hell she was doing.
Once they were gone, Erin let out a sigh.
What the hell was that about? Alessandra asked.
She had to go.
Arent you her mentor? Arent you supposed to be helping her?
She had a clipboard! There is no help for people who walk around with clipboards for absolutely no apparent reason!
Alessandra went back to the tablet she was working on as Leigh stormed over, a beer now in her hand.
You have to do something.
I know. I know. Erin returned to her deck chair. Trust me. I know.
Not only is she a menace, Leigh went on, now good and panicked, but shes all eager and hopeful, ready to change everything with her focused energy and positive work ethic. We cant have that, Amsel.
Are you done?
Except for the panic . . . yes.
Dont panic. She just needs a job. And to get into battle.
We cant bring her into battle without her wings. Even if she doesnt know how to use them, the rule is she must have her wings.
Erin shrugged and stretched out on her chair again. Trust me. Ill get her wings out.
Her name was Simone Andrews and she was a douche.
Tessa had no idea what theyd done to that woman, but shed had a hard-on for the Crows ever since shed moved to her nearby Malibu home. She must be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on lawyers sending repeated, pain-in-the-ass legal documents just to fuck with them. And thats all it was, because legally there was nothing the woman could do to get them out. They werent doing anything wrong. The legal sister-Crows made sure every t was crossed and every goddamn i dotted when it came to keeping their company running and their home base safe from the government. Especially the IRS, which scared them more than the rest of the federal government could even dream of. Because the IRS could fuck up their world.
Unlike the other Clans, the Crows didnt have their people spread out through the upper echelons of the ruling parties of whatever country they lived in. Because of the kind of women who were chosen for the Crows by Skuld, the Crows were on their own. Like always.
But Tessa would have to be careful. Chloes temper was shorter than usual these days. She wasnt getting enough rest. Or maybe that ex of hers was just making her life more miserable than usual. Whatever it was, Tessa couldnt risk letting Chloe turn Simone Andrews into something she had to deal with directly. Because anytime Chloe dealt with something directly, someone usually ended up dead.
When it was a demon from hell using one of Skulds hair clips to drain the souls of the innocentthat was fine. When it was a crappy neighbor being a bitchthat was not fine.
So Tessa would manage the situation. Just like she was born to do. Manage. Thats why she was a nurse. Thats probably why Skuld had chosen her to be a Crow. That was probably why her strike team was made of the most difficult sister-Crows in California. Because Tessa managed shit.
It was her gift. It was her curse.
Thankfully, Tessa didnt have to do this sort of thing alone. She had friends. Very good friends.
I need you to keep an eye on this woman. Watch her. Closely. She glanced at the crow sitting on her shoulder, the birds head twisting as it looked for danger in the area. I need to know if shes just a petty bitch who likes to fuck with people . . . or if its something more. Okay?