Page 277 of Wild Card

He’s right, I can handle it.

39

TALON

I grind my teeth,staring out the window to the building across the way. Willow and all the women are in there getting ready, and my mom has strict orders to make sure Wills has everything she wants.

Today is all about her.

Nothing is ruining it.

Which is why I’m fucking trying to keep my anger under control.

“You bringing this fucking shit to me now?”

Sterling blows out a breath. “I told you I trusted you. Being the man in her life means you make this decision.”

“You know my goddamned answer.”

He stares for a beat then nods. “Noted.”

A low rumble sounds from my side and I spot the apprehension in my friends’ expressions. Dad remains stoic. Chase is the only one who seems as pissed as me.

“You kidding me?”

“What would Willow want?” Ford tries to be the voice of reason.

“Fuck!” I scrub my hand through my hair. “Willow is who I’m worried about.”

“Seems to me, she’s let the shit go. Think about it. The wedding, the baby, the house, the job… she’s openly said she’s thankful for what happened.”

“Yeah, but having that bitch in the building? Will it set her spiraling?”

“Not a chance,” Ace states sharply.

“Your call, but it seems like sweet, painful Karma to me.” Major shrugs.

“Dad, I can’t believe you even asked this,” Chase snaps.

“Son, you are a dad, so you know the love for your child. Even when they mess up, and disappoint us, that love doesn’t disappear. Rylee lost it all, her job, her inheritance, her fiancé, her reputation. She now has a criminal record.”

“You can’t stand here, today of all days, and defend her.”

“I’m not defending her, Chase. I’m relaying a request. It’s Talon’s choice.”

“Why does she even want to be here? She hates her sister,” I inquire, wondering if I’m even considering this.

The flicker in his eyes gives me my answer. Her fucking therapist.

Willow was on board with her parents’ reconciliation. Chase took a little more convincing, but he eventually relented in his initial anger. Their youngest child, however, has been the hold-out.

True to their word, Sterling and Stacy wouldn’t move forward without all of their kids’ blessings. Rylee had manipulated her mom for so long that she was having a hard time with Sterling’s firm stance.

Using her trust to repay Joseph, instead of the wedding funds, pissed her off. But she lost it when they refused to wade into her legal troubles.

What she didn’t understand is Sterling secured a highly-coveted hotshot lawyer who was doing him a favor.

She should have been charged with a felony.

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