Anna’s gaze swept around, stopping on me. It killed me, the fact that I was the one she trusted the least. But I swallowed down that hit and cleared my throat. “I can leave if that makes you more comfortable, but I do have a law degree that might come in handy as you’re figuring things out.”
“You do?”
“I never practiced, moved into programming and tech before I had a chance, but I went to a good school. I know more than the basics.”
She looked down at her hands as if her fingernails were suddenly the most important things in the world. “My father doesn’t accept anything less than perfection. And he makes his displeasure known with his fists.”
The rage that swept through me caught me off guard. “Is that why you ended up at the shelter?”
“It’s more complicated than that…” Anna let her words trail off.
The mask Walker had perfected over the years on the job slipped into place. You’d never know that, under it all, he wanted to level Anna’s father. “Were reports ever filed?”
Anna shook her head. “He was good at hiding it. And it was the worst for me. Chelsea was incredibly good at toeing the line, doing exactly what he expected of her.”
“Do Justin and Lyla have a relationship with their grandparents?” I couldn’t imagine exposing my children to someone I knew could be violent. But I also knew that family ties were the ones hardest to sever.
Anna tugged at a thread on her denim shorts. “Chelsea said she’d never left them alone with our parents. But they see them once a month for a family dinner.”
Just saying the words seemed to be a struggle. I could understand why. The pain of seeing someone you loved returning to an abuser. Because as much as Chelsea might’ve thought she had put boundaries in place to keep herself and her children safe, just putting the kids in the orbit of those people would have a steep emotional toll.
“Do you know if your sister had a will?” Walker asked.
“She didn’t. When we were signing the kids up for school, she mentioned needing to find a lawyer in town to get all that squared away. But I’m on file as the emergency contact with the school. Will that help?”
Anna’s words came out faster and faster until they almost tripped over each other. I laid a hand over hers, stilling her movements. “I have some contacts I can call. We’ll find you a lawyer who knows all the ins and outs of custody cases and family court.”
She stared down at our joined hands, but I didn’t pull away. Her fingers spasmed in mine. “I can’t ask you to do that. I can do some research—”
I squeezed her fingers. “Let me do this. Please.”
Anna’s cheeks heated. “I don’t have a lot of money in savings, but I have some—”
“You don’t need to worry about that,” Cain cut in.
Her head snapped up. “No. I’m not taking your money.”
“It’s just money, Anna. I happen to have a lot of it. Luck of the draw. But it will really piss me off if you don’t let me use it to help someone I care about.”
She swallowed visibly, her eyes falling closed. “Okay.”
I gave her hand another squeeze. “I’ll call my contacts on the way home. I’ll have a name tomorrow.”
“Thank you.” Her gaze circled the room. “All of you. I’m sorry you had to step in—”
Kennedy leaned forward in her seat. “You’re not alone. We’ve got your back, whatever you need.”
I knew every single person in the room would do anything for Anna. I just hoped she knew that. Because I had a feeling the road to come would be rocky.
5
Anna
I watched the kids run around the playground through my office window. I couldn’t quite figure out what game they were playing, some kind of freeze-tag, maybe. Everything in my body hurt. Ached in a way I wasn’t sure would ever go away. Not just for me but also for them.
Justin grinned as he tapped a little boy on the shoulder. But I could see beneath the mask—the pain a living and breathing thing inside him. Lyla had shut it off, pretending yesterday hadn’t happened at all. When I’d asked how she was feeling this morning, she’d snapped at me that she was fine.
I wasn’t sure how to proceed. I needed to find the name of a therapist in town. Someone who could tell me what steps to take. Someone who could assure me that I wasn’t messing these kids up beyond repair.
I let my eyes fall closed, sending up a prayer to God or the Universe or whoever might be listening. All I wanted was to keep the kids safe. To make sure they were loved and had everything they needed.
I winced at the last thought, my eyes opening. My salary for running Hope House was generous. Especially for someone who’d barely graduated high school, but I would have to rework my budget—and my living arrangements.
The cottage only had two bedrooms. I’d bought two twin beds for the guest room when Chelsea and the kids had started to visit, but Justin and Lyla would only be content with sharing a room for so long.
I rubbed at my temples, the pressure thrumming there in a steady beat. My cell phone rang, cutting through my panic. I swiped it up, barely glancing at the unknown number before answering.
“Hello, this is Anna.”
“Hello, Ms. Foley. This is Keisha Williams. I believe Mason Decker told you I’d be calling.”
He had. I’d woken from a rocky sleep at seven this morning to a long text from him on my phone. Mason hadn’t delayed in finding me help. He told me that Ms. Williams was one of the best lawyers in the state when it came to custody cases, and she only lived an hour away.
“Please, call me Anna. Thank you so much for taking my case.”
“And call me Keisha. I’m happy to help any friend of Mase’s.”
Mase’s. The fondness in Keisha’s tone had my breakfast souring in my stomach. “How do you two know each other?”
She chuckled. “He and my husband got into all sorts of trouble together in law school.”
Why did I feel such relief at the word husband falling from Keisha’s mouth? Dumb, dumb, dumb. I forced some levity into my voice. “Sounds like you have some good stories.”
“Anna, I’ve got all the dirt. Just stick with me.”
The warmth and kindness in her voice was a balm I hadn’t realized I needed. “Can’t wait to hear them.”
“All right. What do you say we get down to business so I can do my best to file today or tomorrow?”
Everything inside me seemed to twist at her words. “That would be good.”
“Your sister, Chelsea Foley, left her children in your care while she was away?”
“Yes. She was supposed to be wrapping things up in Portland because they were in the process of moving here. I’m honestly not sure what she was doing in Las Vegas.”
Her location, everything surrounding Chelsea’s death…none of it made sense. The questions had circled my brain for most of the night as I tossed and turned. But, most of all, why had she lied? Both of us had made a conscious effort for brutal honesty as we’d reconnected these past few years. We hadn’t held anything back, knowing that lies and deceptions had forced us apart all those years ago.