Page 27 of Beautifully Broken Redemption

I moved down the hallway, the voices echoing from the main room of the shelter. Jefferson stood, muscular arms crossed, blocking their path. He caught my movement out of the corner of his eye. “Sorry about this, Anna. I’ve already called the station. They’ve got officers en route.”

My eyes were solely trained on the two people who had once been my parents. No, that was wrong. They had never been what a parent should be. They were simply two halves of my genetic makeup. I lifted my chin, refusing to be intimidated by my father’s stare. “You’ll have to leave. This is private property. If you choose not to, the police will remove you.”

“Now, Anna,” my father began, his voice deceptively gentle. But that softness hid a threat. One his family knew all too well. “This is unnecessary. We simply want to talk with you. I know you were too ashamed to return to us after what you did, but that’s no reason to push us away now.”

It took everything in me to keep my face a blank mask, digging my nails into my palms for some outlet for the pain and rage flowing unchecked through me. “I have nothing to say to you. Please, leave.”

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 outa 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.”

Anna stiffened in my hold. I could practically feel the waves of anger and fear rolling off her. I brushed my thumb back and forth across her shoulder, trying to bring some sort of comfort. But I didn’t take my eyes off Mr. Foley. “Us. We’ll be asking the court to grantuscustody.”

A light dawned as he put the pieces together, suddenly realizing that this wouldn’t be as much of a slam dunk as he’d thought. “Elise, let’s go back to the hotel and call our lawyer.”

Walker motioned towards the doors. “I think that’s best. I’ll also have to ask that you not return to Hope House. This is private property.”

Elise stiffened as she walked. “This is ridiculous. I want my grandchildren. John, they can’t do this.”

“Elise,” John said softly. “Quiet.”

She snapped her mouth closed. As if that soft tone were something else entirely. Not gentle at all, but the most severe threat.

John met Walker’s stare as they paused before the doors, Jefferson behind them. “Is it really wise for the police department to so clearly take sides in a matter like this one? Some courts wouldn’t look favorably on that.”

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