“This is ridiculous! You’re all running scared from some nobody family like the Donovans?” Ian Rhodes barked, his voice cutting through the tension. “Ana is part of this family now; she’s a Rhodes. Cassian’s gotta go get her, end of story. If he doesn’t, what’s everyone gonna think? They’ll look at us like complete cowards. Hell, our kids and their kids will never live this down!”
“Dad, you don’t get it. Things are different now. The Donovans aren’t the same family they used to be…”
Ian slammed his cane on the floor. “I don’t give a damn what the Donovans are now! The Rhodes family doesn’t back down from anyone! If you’re all too chicken to stand by your own blood, then fine—I’ll cut ties with the lot of you. See how that plays in the press.”
Thomas and Gilbert practically jumped out of their skin. “Dad, no! That’s not what we’re saying! We’re just trying to protect the family, that’s all.”
“Shut it! If you’re gonna fight me on this, we’ve got nothing to talk about.”
Ian’s words hit like a gavel, and the room went dead silent. Nobody dared breathe a word.
He turned to Cassian, his expression softening just a fraction. “Kid, you do what you gotta do. Your old man and this whole damn family’s got your back. Just bring our girl home safe, you hear me?”
Thomas and Gilbert shared a look that said it all: Great, just great. That girl comes from nothing, and now that she’s in deep shit, where’s her family? Nowhere to be found. We’re stuck cleaning up this mess all by ourselves.
Thanks a lot, Cassian.
Cassian felt his throat tighten with emotion. “Thanks, Grandpa. I really…”
“Don’t mention it,” Ian waved him off. “That’s what family does.”
As Cassian rushed out, Lancey Carter watched him go, her stomach churning with worry. There wasn’t a damn thing she could do except pray that Ana would make it through this nightmare.
Cassian had always known his family wasn’t thrilled about Ana’s background—they just never said it out loud. But this whole mess? It sure as hell showed their true colors.
“They can think whatever they want,” Cassian told Theo Maddox as they headed to the car. “I know where I stand.”
The moment Cassian walked into the precinct, you could’ve heard a pin drop. Every cop in the place knew exactly who he was.
“Anastasia Rhodes is my wife,” he announced, his voice carrying that don’t-mess-with-me tone that made people nervous. “I need to see her. Now.”
“Mr. Rhodes, I’m sorry, but there are procedures we have to follow. You can’t just—”
“Procedures?” Cassian’s laugh was cold as ice. “You wanna talk procedures? Then explain to me why my wife asked for a lawyer hours ago and you people just ignored her.”
The officers exchanged panicked glances. Shit. How the hell does he know about that?
Truth was, Theo had taken an educated guess. If Ana was half as smart as Cassian said she was, she’d definitely know to ask for legal representation.
“Take me to her,” Cassian said again, and this time his voice dropped to a whisper that somehow felt more threatening than any shout. “Right. Now.”
In the interrogation room, Ana felt like her head was gonna explode. Every muscle in her body ached, and she was pretty sure she was gonna pass out any second.
Then she heard the door open again.
God, not again. Her heart sank. First, they’d been coming in every hour, demanding she confess to something she didn’t do. Then every thirty minutes. Now it hadn’t even been twenty minutes.
They’re really gonna kill me in here.
“Hey there, beautiful,”
Ana’s head snapped up.
That voice… it couldn’t be. She had to be hallucinating.
But there he was—Cassian—looking like he’d moved heaven and earth to get to her.