“Excuse me?”
Wendi jutted her pointy chin out as if to prompt me.
I blinked. A “fuck” escaped Teller’s mouth.
“The will reading?” she said likeduh?
My stomach churned. Of course. Why had I thought she’d come for any other reason? They weren’t here to pay their respects. Their body language and tone should’ve warned me, but I had hoped for the best. At what point would that personality trait be stomped out of me?
“What will?” My volume was louder than I’d intended, and she and Damien stiffened. Teller’s hand was a heating pad at my back. Will reading? What the hell did she think Mom had to leave behind? “Mom didn’t have a will.”
Wendi paled, then flushed as realization sank in. “Your mom had nothing?”
“Since you contested everything about Scott’s will and trust, I’d think you’d know better than anyone else,” I said tightly. Dad had left everything to Scott. What had been Scott’s was now mine.
“Nothing?” Her voice went up an octave.
I wanted to ask if she regretted not staying with Scott so she could’ve bled him absolutely dry, but I pushed the cattiness back. I was not my mother.
“No,” I said carefully. “She had her clothes in the home and an old chair. You’re welcome to that.”
She drew back. “And the house sale? Where is all that going to go?”
I had no clue anymore. I couldn’t comprehend that much money. But I did know that I didn’t owe Wendi an explanation. “That’s my business.”
“Just like this shithole?” she snapped.
This time, I flinched.
“That’s a bad word,” Logan said. Wendi pursed her lips and her gaze jumped between me and Teller.
His heat seeped into my side. “We’re not doing this here. You can talk to her through her lawyer.”
I soaked in his strength. He wasn’t censuring me, and I reveled in the aghast expression on Wendi’s face that he’d kick her out.
“Wendi, we should go,” Damien said quietly. “Riley’s waiting?—”
“Shut this bar down.” She wasn’t done with her demands, and her snide tone was back. “Scott used it to drain every last cent from the family and ignore his son. I guess you’re going to do that as Logan’s aunt.”
Her manipulation was almost tangible, and Damien had the audacity to nod.
Teller was stiff at my side. “It’s time to lea?—”
“Mommy.” Logan tugged on his mom’s hand. “You said she isn’t my aunt.”
Wendi jerked like his words were a whip.
My anger escaped its confines. How dirty was that? “You told him I’m not?—”
“And you’re my real daddy.” Logan blinked his big eyes at Damien.
Damien’s clean-shaven cheeks paled. “Not now, kiddo.”
“Shit,” Teller breathed quietly, echoing my dawning horror.
“But I look like you,” Logan insisted. Now he was pulling on Damien’s hand. “Right, Daddy?”
Horrible awareness crept into my brain, slowly at first, then bashing down the door of my complete ignorance to revealyearsof betrayal. “Oh my god.” I looked from the boy to my ex. Same small ears. Same narrow-set eyes. No wonder I’d never been able to see any of my brother in Logan. Outrage poured through my veins like an oil spill.
