"What truth, Evan? The truth that his mother kept him from his father for the first nine months of his life, led him to believe he belonged to another man and that she was never going to tell him," Angelica snorted like a Brahma bull waiting to charge.

"Gel, you don't know that. I mean according to Gates, she said she tried, right?" Evan snapped at Angelica. The room filled with tension as thick as mud and the situation was about as clear. Gates didn't need a good angel and bad angel on his shoulders. He had Evan and Angelica for that with the way the two kept going back and forth. He could clearly see both of his friends were concerned, but the infighting wasn't helping at all.

"Gates, Jax is fully prepared to take this on for you and make sure you get full custody of Brayden," Angelica offered proudly, smirking at Evan.

"What!" Evan looked at Angelica with his mouth gaped open.

"You heard me; Jax is taking his case."

"Gates come on, really? Jax is a shark and you know he'll stop at nothing to win. He's a little brash for something this delicate." Gates looked up to see Evan peering at him in disbelief.

"Evan, do you want Gates to get custody of his son or not?"

"Gel, I want the best solution for all of them," Evan refuted, narrowing his eyes at Angelica.

"Then I suggest you get on board with Jax and support Gates."

"This is a mistake, Gates."

"Look, both of you, stop it, okay." Gates leaned over the desk and placed his head in his hands. He was tired of thinking. He was tired of the constant back and forth. He just needed to clear his head.

Evan scrubbed his face with his hands and continued to shift his eyes from Gates to Angelica. He finally threw up his hands in disgust and headed toward the office door. Grabbing the handle, he jerked the door open. "This has the potential to get real ugly and a lot of people could get hurt. Especially that little boy."

"All right, Sloane, so I've laid all the cards on the table." Kimberly looked at her client across the table. Sloane was nervous and no matter what her attorney said to make her feel comfortable, she was still afraid of losing custody of her child. "Any questions?"

"Can you make all of this go away?" Receiving the pet.i.tion for sole custody, only a week after Gates' surprise visit had been Sloane's undoing. Since that day, she'd done nothing but stress and she'd lost more sleep than usual. She knew it wasn't going to be easy and Kimberly had pretty much gone over how things would progress. It could either be short and sweet and both parents could meet with a mediator, or they could go to court and fight it out in front of a judge. Unfortunately, the mediator was out of the question because Gates' attorney had made it clear to Kimberly that if the agreement wasn't Gates getting full custody; then there was no reason to even speak to him about a mediator. Obviously, Liyah wasn't right and Gates hadn't calmed down. "Tell me, what are my chances?"

"Honestly? Fifty-fifty."

"Okay." Sloane stared at Kimberly with questions in her eyes. She was puzzled by the simple answer.

"No, what I'm saying is, Gates isn't really giving you much choice. It's all or nothing and basically it's leaving you with full custody of Brayden or Gates will have full custody of him."

"Great." Sloane rose slowly from her spot and ambled over to the window. Wringing her hands, she continued hearing Gates' voice reverberating in her head. Get a lawyer. She knew she was in for the fight of her life.

"Don't lose focus Sloane. Remember our main goal is to show you're the better parent for Brayden. The great thing about it is Brayden's healthy, he's happy, and he's been with you all of his life. The only problem is you never really gave Gates a chance to be a parent, so that may be where our case is a little weak."

"It wasn't malicious." Sloane turned to face Kimberly.

"Hey, I understand, but we have to prove it and I think you have a great case. You're a hard worker, you're a great mom and we'll show that in court."

"Gates still has a lot of pull."

"He does, but this is family court and no matter how much pull he has, he still has to prove he's the better parent for Brayden. And it may be hard for him. He is single and the owner and CEO of a major company, which means he travels a lot and is extremely busy. Not really a great environment for a baby in his developmental stages."

"I see your point." She was starting to feel a little better about her chances after hearing Kimberly's explanation. "You seem to be pretty confident. Gates' attorney has been a part of a lot of high profile cases. That doesn't worry you?"

"Sloane, not to sound full of myself, but I know my way around a courtroom too. Mr. Jaxon may have a lot of high profile cases under his belt, but this is still family court. Regardless of how much he's charging Gates, the law is the law and this is still about the best interests of your son."

"You're right. I'm sorry to doubt your abilities. Believe me, I don't. You came highly recommended, but I'm so used to Gates getting his way because of who he is. I guess that's all that keeps running through my head."

"Well, try to relax and don't worry. We'll be ready and I'm going to put everything I have into representing you and your case, okay?" Kimberly said in an effort to rea.s.sure her and gathered her doc.u.ments into her briefcase.

"Yeah, I'll try. Thank you."

"Okay, so things get underway tomorrow. I'll meet with you about thirty minutes before." Kimberly stood from her seat and moved to shake Sloane's hand.

"I'll see you then. Thank you for everything."

"My pleasure. See you tomorrow." Sloane returned Kimberly's smile as she walked her to the front door. Shutting the door behind her attorney, Sloane leaned against the frame. She looked at Brayden who was happily playing and teetering his way around the table towards her in his walker. He stopped in front of her, grinning, eating Cheerios from the tray in front of him.

"Well, it's you and me buddy. Do you know how much I love you?" She walked over and knelt to watch him push yet another Cheerio in his mouth before picking up one and holding it out for her. Letting him feed her the cereal she grinned as he reached for another. "And even though you don't know him, I'm pretty sure your daddy's going to love you too." Brayden busied himself with the cereal on the tray as she talked. "You know, mommy did something that daddy is really upset with her about and I can't blame him. Sweetie, I made such a huge mistake and I wish I could take it all back, but I can't." She ran her hand over the curls on his head as he cooed and laughed. "I'm so sorry for not letting you know your daddy before now. But I promise you one thing; no matter what happens, I will always love you." She stood and lifted him out of the walker, hugging him to her chest then headed to give him his bath.

Gates had never been so irate in his entire life. How could she have done this to him? He'd stewed over the situation for weeks now. It was bad enough she left him, but to find out she was having his child and never tell him. How could he ever forgive her?

He dropped into the cushions of the sofa in his living room and stared at the skyline through the floor to ceiling windows. He kept thinking back to the day he had confronted Sloane about Brayden. How could she have possibly believed he wanted his child to grow up in a caustic environment; or that he would send him away? He knew what it was like to feel unimportant and unwanted by his father. There was no way he could ever do that to his own child. When he knelt to look into Brayden's eyes and saw his adorable grin, he knew he was a part of him. It was like something moved through him and he could only think of how much he'd missed. He'd missed the sight of his son growing in Sloane's stomach. He'd missed the ultrasounds and trying to decipher if it was a boy or a girl; or if it was a hand or another body part on the screen. He'd missed going with Sloane to doctor appointments and hearing the heartbeat. He'd missed the first time the baby kicked in her belly. But most of all, he'd missed the most important day of his son's life, the day he was born.

Evan claimed he was making a mistake hiring a shark like Jax to represent him in the custody dispute. Maybe it was extreme to hire such a powerful attorney, and maybe it was extreme to push for sole custody, but that's how he felt. It was extreme for Sloane to never tell him about his child and he was too angry to think otherwise. Jax informed him he could go into mediation and the case never had to go to court. He and Sloane could determine a custody agreement and a judge would never have to make the determination of to whom the child belonged, but Gates felt he'd already missed so much and he didn't want to miss anymore.

He thought about everything as he continued to sit and watch the day turn into night. The sun had faded and the horizon was a deep blue. The cloudless sky was beautifully peppered with stars. As he sat in the dark, he thought back to the look on Brayden's face and how happy the baby was. He smiled at the thought of his little boy. His son. Gates had a son and it was more than he could possibly imagine. He'd never even been around children that much, but seeing Brayden made him want to spend even more time with him. It was difficult for him to leave that day. He wanted nothing more than to sit and watch his son for hours. He was drawn to the little boy instantly and wanted to be near him for as long as he could. When he left the house after Sloane tried her best to defend her actions, he couldn't force himself to turn around to even look at her or Brayden. His heart hurt too much to steal another glance. The only thing he could think to say was 'get a lawyer.' Thinking back, it wasn't even necessarily what he wanted to say, but he was so angry he couldn't think of anything else. As he left, he pa.s.sed Liyah in the yard but never said a word. He never once looked up and as he got in the car, he dialed Angelica and had her set up a time for him to meet with Jax upon his return to New York.

Now, he sat staring at the lights from the city and the stars in the sky, wondering if he really was doing the right thing. He was mad and he had a right to be, but deep inside of him, he felt maybe this wasn't right. Maybe Evan was right. Angelica supported Gates going after custody of his son. She seemed almost as angry as he was, but that was how she was. She had a tendency to be a little more hotheaded than Evan who, with his even-tempered personality, took more time to think things through. Gates stood and walked over to the window and he contemplated what he was doing. He didn't want to hurt his son. Somewhere inside of him, he didn't want to hurt Sloane either, but he didn't want to miss out anymore on Brayden's life. He took a deep breath and sighed, realizing that regardless of what he did, no one would win and he resigned himself to turning in for the night.

Chapter 12.

"So, it seemed to go really well today." Liyah offered as she and Sloane walked across the courtyard to grab a seat for lunch. Sloane was glad Liyah accompanied her as the proceedings got under way. In all actuality, Kimberly did a superb job making Sloane's case and it was a pretty productive day. Of course, Sloane was nervous from the time she walked in the courtroom and had to face Gates. He barely looked at her the entire time they were in the courtroom and as soon as they were dismissed, he'd walked straight out of the courtroom and into an awaiting car.

"I don't know, Liyah. It seemed too easy. It was like Kim was doing too well. She made such a good case for me to keep Brayden and I'm just afraid."

"Afraid of what? Kim did an excellent job. She told the truth and it was exactly what you were afraid of and why you left in the first place. Gates is busy. He doesn't have time to devote to Brayden. And that little boy is happy and loved and in a great environment with you."

"I don't know. Something doesn't feel right. Did you see him? He wouldn't even look at me. I've seen him angry before, but never like this."

Liyah's eyes filled with concern as she tried to lift Sloane's spirits. "I'm sure he's angry. But, I think even he knows deep down Brayden belongs with you. Give it time. He's going to realize it and you guys will work this out."

"I hope you're right."

It was amazing how long it took for hearings and court cases to be decided. Sloane figured if they could get a case done in a day, the court system would be a lot more efficient and effective. Kim called to let her know the case was delayed for a week and now she was starting to get a little anxious. She wanted this to be over. It was exhausting wondering what the judge was going to decide and if she would get to keep her child. She thought back to the very first day in court and how Gates had the same look on his face as the day of his father's funeral. She was sitting with Liyah waiting to enter the courtroom. Looking up, she saw Gates entering the courthouse with his attorney, Kyle Jaxon, one of the most successful family attorneys in the country. As luck would have it, he was also a good friend of Gates' from their days in law school. She clasped her hands together in her lap and continued to watch them file past her.

"That guy is such an arrogant p.r.i.c.k." Liyah leaned over and whispered in Sloane's ear watching 'Jax' walk beside Gates with a smirk on his face. "I am going to love watching Kimberly wipe that grin off his face."

"I don't know if I can do this, Liyah," Sloane finally choked out. She was feeling somewhat confident about her chances after talking with Kimberly, but looking into Gates' arctic glare as he made his way into the courtroom; she started to lose her cool.

"Hey, you can do this. You're going to be fine. Kimberly knows what she's doing. Calm down. I wonder where Chase is?" Liyah said, dismissing Sloane's worried thoughts.

"You ready to do this," Kimberly asked, approaching the two women.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Her knees were starting to feel like rubber bands and she took a moment to compose herself before following Kimberly into the room. Sloane took her seat beside her attorney, while Liyah sat behind her and Chase quickly joined her behind Sloane. Turning slowly, Sloane looked at Gates; who was staring straight ahead. "He won't even look at me."

"Hey, forget about him okay," Kimberly tried to get Sloane to focus. "Your only concern is Brayden and making sure he stays with you, all right?"

Nodding, Sloane took a deep breath and stood along with everyone else in the courtroom as the session was called to order.

With the court case going on, it was hard to focus on much. Luckily she was terribly busy at the Foundation, so time pa.s.sed by pretty quickly. As Sloane was about to finish up for the day, she heard her phone ring.

"h.e.l.lo."

"Sloane, there is a Mr. Jaxon here to see you."

"Uh, okay. Send him in." Why is he here? She wondered if she should call Kimberly, but decided to wait.

"Sloane." She watched 'Jax' enter her office and shut the door behind him. He carried himself with such an a.s.surance and confidence and she wondered if he'd ever used the word 'doubt' in his life.

"Mr. Jaxon. I wasn't expecting you. Should I call my attorney?"

"Oh, no need to be so formal Sloane, and no, that won't be necessary." Moving slowly, he stared at a recent picture of Brayden Sloane had placed on the side credenza. "Wow how quickly they grow up." Wearing his normal annoying smirk, he turned to look at Sloane. "How old was he here?"

"Jax, exactly why are you here?" She wasn't in the mood to deal with Jax and she had a feeling he was up to something.

"Wow, you get straight to the point. Now I remember why Gates liked you. He's very point blank as well. No BSing him, just get straight to it."

"Well, that's usually how things get done." She was growing more and more anxious as he continued to stand in her office. "So?"

"Sloane, it seems to me this case has the potential to drag on and on and I don't see how it can be beneficial to you or Brayden. Gates is prepared to fight you for his son. You do realize that don't you?"

"Hmm, well Jax, it seems to me maybe your case isn't as much of a slam dunk as you thought. Maybe you're here to convince me to give up?" She tilted her head and glared at Jax as she relaxed into a leather chair. How dare he try and intimidate her?

"Oh, on the contrary. You're a mother. You have the inherent trait to fight for your young. I have a ton of respect for that. However, Gates is prepared to go the distance on this. I see you have the pa.s.sion and conviction to go the distance, but I'm pretty sure his resources will outlast yours. So I'm here to offer you the opportunity to cut the fight short, save face, some time, and money."

"My son is worth more than any amount of money." Sloane shook her head and rolled her eyes at Jax. The audacity of the man was enough to make her choke. Did he really think she would give up that easily?

"I'm sure he is, Sloane. But you and I both know if I wanted to, and it's a good possibility that I will, I could tie this up in court for a long time. Lucky for you, Gates doesn't want that. He wants to be a part of his son's life as quickly as possible." She watched him walk to the window and look out.

"I'm not keeping him from Brayden."

"Yeah, not right now?" He turned to look at her with that same smirk on his face. Was he born with that look on his face?

"Look, Jax, I really think this conversation is going nowhere, so-"

"Sloane, you can't really believe you're going to be granted full custody of Brayden." Jax walked over and sat in the chair in front of her desk. He almost seemed put out that she wasn't giving in.

"And why wouldn't I? I'm a good mother. I've been raising Brayden on my own and he's healthy and happy; and isn't that what ultimately matters?" Sitting forward, she couldn't fathom the gall of the man. She wasn't going to give up because Gates had more money.

"It's commendable, but not practical." Jax looked at his expensive watch then tapped the arm of the chair. "Look, you're doing okay here. You're working full time, making okay money, but it's not realistic, Sloane. You don't have the money or resources Gates has and can give to Brayden."

"I told you before, money isn't everything. Children need love and time and support. You and I both know Gates is a little too busy for those things."

"Seems to me you don't have that much time to dedicate to Brayden yourself," Jax chuckled, infuriating Sloane with his superior and annoying att.i.tude as he straightened the platinum cufflinks at his wrists.

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm raising my child and doing the best I can by him. He's happy."

"Think about it, Sloane. Your best is working full time, which equates to at least eight hours a day if not more away from your son. He's in day care most of the day and if you need to go on trips or events for work, he's with someone else. So is that really what's best for Brayden?"

Sloane paused, taking in Jax's words. "I'm a single mother. I'm providing for my son. Any judge can see that. I have a wonderful network of friends and family, and I'm doing a great job at it if I do say so myself." She still couldn't understand what he was getting at. Even most two-parent homes utilized day care and babysitters for the care and well-being of their children when they couldn't be at home.

"Oh, I applaud you for trying. I don't doubt you're doing a good job. h.e.l.l, maybe you and Gates are even when it comes to the amount of time you'd be away from Brayden. But, there are a few things I don't think you've thought about."

"No, I think there's something you haven't thought about. Like how a judge is going to look at you and Gates trying to take an innocent baby away from his mother," Sloane glared. If Jax wanted a fight, she was going to give him one. The room silenced and then if his smirk wasn't annoying enough, Jax started to chuckle in only the most irritating and reprehensive way he could.

"Well, you see, I have thought about that. But then the funniest thing crossed my mind. Sloane, you live in North Carolina. A state that is pretty conducive to fathers when it comes to custody. You see, right now, both of you are ent.i.tled to have joint custody of Brayden. It's an automatic thing. But you've kind of been in breach of that now haven't you?" Jax sneered and Sloane's stomach twisted in a knot. "I wonder how a judge is going to look at you knowingly keeping a man in the dark about his son; or that you tried to pa.s.s the child off as someone else's. And then, well, there is the other stuff."

"What other stuff?" Sloane could feel her throat starting to close and her mouth went dry.

"Well, this 'network of friends'...leaves a little to be desired don't you think?"

"What?" Narrowing her eyes, Sloane stared at Jax. She had great friends and there was no reason why anyone should have a problem with them around her son.

"Honestly, Sloane, the judge is going to want to know what your plans are when it comes to people being in the child's life. For instance, what happens when you need to travel for work? Gates can provide the best of everything. He can provide an in-home nanny with outstanding credentials. He can provide security to keep Brayden safe no matter where he travels. He can provide the best nutritionist, and I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture. All would be very responsible, stable and consistent people in Brayden's life."

"Again, money isn't everything." Jax's incessant reminder of how much money Gates had was truly grating on her nerves. Yes, the man had more money than she did, but that didn't determine that he loved their baby any more than she did.

"You're right; a child does need more than money. They need people who are responsible and upstanding citizens to surround them and give them good role models. Gates can provide that. Can you?"

Furrowing her brow, Sloane wasn't sure where Jax was going with his last statement. "What're you getting at?"

"Look Sloane, it's no secret you have friends that help you with Brayden, but how exactly would the court look at the fact you have someone in his life that has a pretty colorful past."

"Colorful past?" Confusion covered Sloane's face as Jax walked back to face the window as he continued.

"Chase, who you tried to pa.s.s off as your fiance, has been dating someone recently, hasn't he? Hannah...Hannah Winters, right?" Jax stopped and swiveled to face Sloane. He watched her face as she tried to put together his cryptic puzzle.

"That's none of your business. I don't see what Chase or anyone he's dating has to do with this."