Page 35 of Crow Me A River

Vin couldn’t take his eyes off her.

After everything she’d been through, she was standing in front of a packed bar with a smile on her face, not hiding, not running and not giving a damn that every eye was on her.

And he was damn proud of her.

Misty couldn’t ever remember having as much fun as she did tonight. She was sad it was over if she were being honest. The bar had emptied, and now they were cleaning up.

“You do sing like an angel.” A woman’s voice came from behind her. She turned to see a stunning redhead smiling at her. “I’m Zelda. Some call me the Shifter Wanker. Don’t ask.”

Misty chuckled, liking the woman instantly. “I’m glad to finally meet you, Zelda. I wanted to thank you for stepping in with Jack Crow.”

“Not a problem. I make sure things are fair around here, and what was happening with you was far from fair.” Zelda replied, then glanced at Bruce, who was fanning the prize money as he and Fat Bastard sat sprawled on the floor leaning against the stage. “And that was kind of you to pass the winnings to the runners-up.”

“I like to keep things fair also,” Misty chuckled, looking at Bruce. “I was the one who set the contest up. I wouldn’t have even sung if it hadn’t been for Bruce challenging me. That’s my weakness. Can’t walk away from a challenge.”

“We are cut from the same cloth. It drives my Mate crazy.” Zelda glanced at Mac, who was waiting by the door for her. “I just wanted to let you know that you are welcome here for as long as you want. And I really hope to hear you sing again, Misty. You have a very special talent.”

“Thank you,” Misty said as Zelda turned and headed toward Mac.

“You know there is going to have to be a rematch,” Bruce said, making her jump. “I don’t take charity wins.”

“But you’ll take the money?” Misty asked, then laughed when he just gave her a duh look. “You deserved it, Bruce. You are actually a good singer. You should try to get on Shifters’ Got Talent.”

“You really think so?” Bruce’s eyes widened, then narrowed. “Wait a minute. There isn’t a show called Shifters’ Got Talent.”

Misty laughed, heading for a bag of trash by the door. Glancing over, she saw Rafe and Vin in a conversation and smiled. Damn, he was so handsome. She couldn’t wait to get back to their place and...wow, she just thought of the rental as their place. In such a short time, her life had taken a complete one-eighty turn and she felt content. It was a new feeling for her, but to say it didn’t terrify her somewhat would be a lie. She knew it would take time, and Vin had said the same thing, but he also made sure she knew he was there for her always, and she believed him.

Her chin trembled with emotion at her thoughts as she crossed the parking lot toward the trash that was to be picked up in the morning. Lifting the lid to one of the cans, she tossed it in, then just stood there looking through the woods, feeling like she belonged. Finally.

Something hit her on the head, making her jump as more things fell from the sky. “What the hell?” Looking at the ground, she noticed shiny trinkets, and that’s when she heard the swooshing of wings. Suddenly she was surrounded by five Crows as they Shifted and hit the ground. It was the five who had been with Griffin, but Griffin was absent.

“Get away from my Mate!” Vin’s angry voice boomed across the parking lot. “Make one move toward her and I will tear you apart.”

“We know!” One of the Crows held up his hands as if prepared for the onslaught of Vin’s rage.

“If you know, then why the hell are you giving her that shit?” Vin growled, looking at the ground littered with jewelry and shiny shit.

“To apologize,” another Crow said, then looked at Misty. “We didn’t know what kind of deal Jack Crow made with your stepbrother. Hell, I got a sister, and I would kill anyone who traded his sister, blood or not blood. Your stepbrother was wrong for doing it and Jack was just as wrong.”

“It’s true.” The first Crow nodded. “We just thought you were an unmated female without a Murder. Once we got a look at you, well, we about killed each other trying to outdo one another for your attention. I mean, you’re beautiful and⁠—”

“Careful,” Vin growled, glaring at the guy. “What were your intentions at the lake?”

“Well, first off, we all agreed that if Griffin tried to do anything stupid, like hurt her, we would stop him.” The guy continued, looking nervous as hell. “Griffin is Jack’s right-hand man, and what he says goes. He said he only wanted to scare her, but we went along just in case it turned into more than that. And as for going after you, well, Crows like a good fight.”

“They also like getting their asses kicked.” Bruce, who had walked up, chuckled as he looked at the five.

“Listen, we just want to say we’re sorry to Misty. Nothing more.” The first Crow said, then looked away from Vin to Misty. “We are sorry, and even though you are no longer part of the Murder, if you ever need someone to watch your back when you’re flying, let us know.”

Misty smiled through tears as she nodded. What he had just said meant so much to her. To fly alone was dangerous, and Vin couldn’t be there for her during those times. “Thank you. That actually means a lot to me.”

“No more of this,” Vin warned as he glared at the ground, then back up at them.

“Yeah, we want to live, so no problem there.” The guy chuckled, then reached out his hand to Vin. “I’m Jaz, and that’s Ben, Stu, Nick and Levi.”

Misty watched as Vin shook their hands, then frowned. “Where’s Griffin?”

They all looked at each other, then back at her. “That’s why we offered to fly with you. We broke away from Griffin. He’s not happy with the outcome and left with threats against all of the Crows in the Murder, including Jack. If you could also let Macy know to watch her back, we’d appreciate it. We can fly with her also.”