"Hold on, Cassie." He strode to Rachel quickly, gripped her arm and pulled her to the back of the Raider.
"He is not getting my baby," she snapped furiously, staring up at Jonas like an enraged mother lioness as Lawe stepped out of the driver's seat and walked toward them.
"No, he isn't. I took steps to ensure he couldn't when Amber was born. Just keep quiet, Rachel. Let Cassie handle this, and I'll explain everything when we're finished here."
"What do you mean, you took steps to ensure it?" Despite the low pitch of her tone, Jonas flinched at the undercurrent of violence it carried. It was a damned good thing what he had done would benefit her; otherwise, he might have been wondering if he should be frightened.
"Rachel, calm yourself immediately." The order was given in a tone just as low, but rumbling with the power of the animal inside him. "You will stand quietly, lend the power of your support behind Cassie and we'll discuss the specifics later."
Her gaze flickered, but only for a moment before her eyes narrowed once again. "If you try to give him my child . . ."
"I would die before I would allow him to take that child," he snarled back at her, furious that she would ever consider that he would do such a thing. "If you want this to go smoothly, without Child Protective Services having Sanctuary surrounded by state police, then do as I say. Lend your support rather than your panic."
Rachel was in shock as he gripped her arm and led her back to where Cassie stood by the side of the Raider, watching calmly as reporters began to arrive at the gates as well.
"Ready?" she asked gently as she met Rachel's gaze, her neon blue eyes seeming deeper, darker than before.
Rachel nodded sharply. "As ready as I'll ever be without preparation."
Cassie smiled back at her. "Everything would have been explained once I finished the paperwork. I would have met with you tomorrow had both our schedules allowed it. But have no fear, Jonas had your back."
Jonas had her back? She prayed to God Cassie knew what she was talking about. Devon's family had power and influence. She'd prayed they wouldn't come after Amber, had done everything to ensure they simply forgot about her. And now here they were.
Devon stood in front of the gate, a glare on his too handsome, darkly tanned face. His blond hair was thick, waving back from the sculpted features of his face, while his blue eyes narrowed in dislike.
He had stolen from her, left her stranded in a strange country, and he was watching her as though he disliked her? There was something wrong with this picture.
More reporters were pulling up as she stepped into the guards' shack with Cassie and Jonas. The small building boasted a large table for just such preliminary meetings, a refrigerator, microwave, weapons locker and an array of electronics carefully protected behind heavy steel-, cement- and blast-resistant glass.
"Crank." Jonas nodded to the guard on duty, a less-than-sociable Coyote with shaggy black hair and gray eyes.
"Director." Grating and rough, his voice sounded torn from his throat. "Can I shoot the bastards?" He nodded toward the reporters gathering outside.
"Not yet, Crank," Jonas drawled. "But if you could escort Mr. Marshal and his attorneys inside, perhaps we could get this over with."
"I say we set them loose in the woods and use them for the babies to hunt," Crank grunted. "Bastards ain't good for nothin' else."
"Crank, please." Cassie shot him a disapproving frown. "I know how you love intimidating the masses, but let's see about making a nice impression today."
The Coyote sighed but cleared his expression as he moved to the door, stepped out and met with Devon, Buffalo Gap's district magistrate and the three attorneys, all dressed in their finest, most intimidating suits.
They stepped into the security shack, the attorneys staring down their perfectly straight noses as Devon lifted his lip in distaste.
Rachel stood next to Jonas, taking comfort from the strength and complete assurance he projected.
"Director Wyatt." The lead attorney nodded in Jonas's direction, and Rachel could have sworn she glimpsed an edge of respect in the lawyer's gaze before he turned and nodded at her as well.
"Mr. Edgewood." Jonas shook hands with the attorney before turning to Rachel. "This is Miss Broen, and accompanying us as legal counsel today is Ms. Cassandra Sinclair."
The three men glanced at Cassie. Only Edgewood was aware of the perceptive young woman he was now facing; the other two, by the condescension on their faces, didn't have a clue.
Cassie was considered one of the foremost authorities on Breed Law, and was currently in her final year of law school. At nineteen, she had excelled far beyond what even the Breeds had anticipated.
"My colleagues, Ryan Former and Daniel Frost. And may I introduce Ms. Blanchard, from Child Protection Services."
The CPS agent nodded with a faint smile, her brown eyes gazing around in concern as she felt the tension in the room.
"Ms. Broen, a pleasure." John Edgewood maintained a respectful, cool manner as he shook her hand.
"Mr. Edgewood." She fought to keep her voice cool, to keep her voice from shaking with fear.
"Gentlemen." Jonas nodded when the other two stepped back, refusing to partake in a handshake with either Jonas or Rachel.
"And may I introduce my client, Devon Richard Marshal." The attorney turned to his client as he stepped back as well, his arms crossing over his chest as he glared back at Jonas, then at Rachel.
Jonas's eyes narrowed before he turned back to the lead attorney. "I believe you remember that this area is monitored by video as well as audio on a continual basis." Jonas looked around the room to the eight cameras that kept the inside of the shack covered. There were even more outside.
"I do remember, Director Wyatt." The lawyer nodded. "I may have neglected to mention that." He turned to the other lawyers. "Gentlemen, all meeting areas within Sanctuary are recorded continually for your protection as well as for the protection of the Breed society."
The two attorneys, who had deliberately snubbed Jonas, were now well aware of the fact that their recorded reactions would be used against them. Each of them had varying expressions of displeasure and concern now.
"Would you like to have a seat, gentlemen, Ms. Blanchard?" Jonas waved his hand to the table where Cassie was pulling files from her briefcase.
"Rachel?" Jonas's hand tightened at her back. "Shall we take a seat?"
Her knees were shaking as she sat. She was terrified of what this meeting would result in, but not for a moment was she frightened that Jonas would allow anyone to take her baby.
Rachel clenched her hands in her lap as Edgewood and Cassie spent a moment talking in low tones before Cassie took her seat with a murmured assent.
"Director Wyatt." The attorney nodded to Jonas once again before turning to her. "Ms. Broen. Ms. Sinclair. As we informed your guard, we have papers here signed by Judge Joseph Markham. You're ordered to turn over the minor child Amber Diana Broen immediately to Child Protective Services until custody can be decided and the complaint brought against Ms. Broen in the neglect and deliberate endangerment of the child can be decided."
The attorney handed Cassie the papers before laying out a copy for both Rachel and Jonas.
Rachel couldn't bear to read them. She glared at Devon instead.
"The grounds this is based upon?" Cassie asked coolly. "There has been no neglect or endangerment of the child. As you know, according to Breed Law, no child can be demanded or removed from Sanctuary or Haven without irrefutable proof of any charges."
Edgewood's gaze was sympathetic as he glanced at Rachel before turning back to Cassie. "I'm sorry, Ms. Sinclair, that law applies only to Breed children."