Page 153 of Wild Card
WILLOW
“Can we talk a minute?”
I turn to Ember, who’s absolutely stunning in her little black dress and sparkling jewelry. When she walked onto the patio earlier, the lights caught the rhinestones and diamonds from her hair to her wrists.
Another supermodel amongst the sea of women flitting around the backyard at Raven and Declan’s house.
“Nope.” I drain my champagne, hoping to sound light and airy. “You are too beautiful to be near me. You must stand away so I don’t get a complex.”
Her face blushes as she rolls her eyes. “It’s me who should have a complex. That dress is made for you.”
My stomach flurries, and I shoot her a grateful smile. “This dress is my favorite little black dress ever. Shayla and you are masters of your craft.”
“It would be hard to choose wrong with this crew.”
“You have a point.”
She’s quiet for a second, but her eyes tell me exactly what she’s thinking.
“I’m totally fine,” I reply to her unasked question.
“Robbie told me what happened.”
“I figured it would get around.”
“If what I did had anything to do with Rylee’s actions, I am sorry.”
My jaw drops and I shake my head rapidly. When Dad stormed into Talon’s house last night, he was on a rampage. With so much happening, it hadn’t occurred to me that Rylee was behind my break-in. As soon as the words left his mouth, it all made sense.
I didn’t want to think she was capable, but Talon’s theory was valid once he explained everything that had transpired in the last few weeks. Learning Ember and Cruz turned her away and pretty much black-balled her from other boutique bridal stores was only one instance that turned her life upside down.
“Don’t apologize. What you and Cruz did was…” I pause, not wanting to seem insecure. “It meant something to me. Thank you for standing by me, even when it cost you business.”
“No business is worth how she treated you. Cruz and I understand more than you can imagine.”
“Thank you.”
“Are you and Talon okay?” she asks cautiously. “He’s kinda… tense.”
“He installed cameras at my house. Then he made a plan to punish Rylee without consulting me. His actions caused her fiancé to leave her, and she’s unemployed and unhinged. I was furious and felt betrayed.”
“I’ve been there.”
“How do I stay mad when the man of my dreams was having my back?”
“You get used to it.”
At her terminology, I burst into giggles. “You sound like him.”
“It’s contagious. They are all similar.”
“I’m learning that. Even if their methods are a bit wily.“
After the events yesterday, all I wanted was to stay in bed and hide from the world. The images of my place and Wolf lying comatose kept replaying in my head.
But after an hour of wallowing in self-pity, I forced myself to get up and stick with my plans.
Talon arranged for Bex and Lucas to come to his house to study. He said it was for my comfort and ease, but he didn’t fool me. He wanted me under his roof and his security.
