My mother stepped forward. “If that’s what you want, we’ll be happy to do so. Bring us Justin and Lyla, and we’ll leave for Portland.”

My heart hammered against my ribs in a painful beat. “No.”

My father gave me a sickly, sympathetic smile. “I’m afraid the courts will have something to say about that.”

Boots sounded on the linoleum as Walker strode towards us. “Mr. and Mrs. Foley, you’ll need to vacate the premises.”

Mom’s hands began fluttering the way they always did when she panicked that she wouldn’t be able to fix something she knew would make Dad angry. “We just want to see our grandchildren. Anna isn’t equipped to care for them.”

A muscle in Walker’s cheek ticked. “You may believe that, but Chelsea put Justin and Lyla in Anna’s care. That’s where they’ll stay until a court decides otherwise.”

Cain and Kennedy hurried through the front doors, their attention going straight to my parents.

My father straightened to his full height. I remembered how terrifying that used to be to me. Now, it seemed pathetic. A small man doing everything he could to intimidate. “Are you aware that Anna has a record? Would you honestly put two innocent children in the care of someone who has spent time in prison?”

“Yes, he would.”

It was Mason who spoke, sliding an arm around my shoulders and pulling me close. He’d hung back this entire time as if knowing I needed to fight this battle alone, to prove to myself that I could do it. But he’d clearly had enough.

Dad’s eyes narrowed, assessing the new player entering his game. “And you are?”

“Mason Decker. Anna’s fiancé.”

10

MASON

Kennedy let out a little gasp at my words, quickly covering them with a cough. Cain wrapped an arm around her, his eyes tracking from me to Anna, settling on her bare ring finger. Shit. I needed to remedy that if we were going to make this believable.

Anna’s father surveyed me carefully, his gaze sharp. “Fiancé.” He seemed to mull over the word as if it were impossible to believe.

I pulled Anna a little tighter against me. “That’s correct. Now, I believe multiple people have asked you to vacate the premises. I think it’s best you do that.”

I saw it then, the flare of rage in Mr. Foley’s eyes. He didn’t take kindly to someone telling him what to do. He wasn’t in control of the world outside his home, so he’d done everything he could to force absolute tyranny inside it.

“This is a mistake, Anna. I’d hate to have to bring everything we know about you up in court. There’s no way a judge would give you custody. You have to know that.”