"Well, you see it is my business. It's something that affects Brayden. And that's something that affects Gates, so in turn, that makes it my business, and a matter of the court's business." Jax's smile grew wider and Sloane slowly shook her head at his insinuation that she would have anyone around her child that wasn't a good influence. "You have Chase babysit Brayden from time to time. And Hannah's there too, right?"

"Chase is a responsible person. He's good to Brayden and would never do anything to harm him or let anyone who would harm him come near him." Sloane stood and walked closer to Jax. She was furious that he would think Chase would harm her child.

"You know I'm pretty sure he is a good guy. But how good is he with judging the character of his girlfriend? I'm hard pressed to decide on what I should use." His ambiguous ramblings had her insides churning. She could feel rage building in the pit of her stomach at his flippant att.i.tude.

"What do you mean, what to use?"

"Hannah's sweet, but how much do you know about her? Hmm?" Sloane could see Jax's confidence building by the second as he stood watching her and waiting for her reaction. "We both know she is Senator Winters daughter. We also both know he's running for re-election. But what you and maybe her boyfriend don't know is how much fun Miss Hannah had in college. Those frat and sorority parties sure can get pretty wild. Things the good Senator kept covered up during his first run for office." Jax's grin morphed into more of a maniacal sneer and Sloane could feel her legs getting weak. "I wonder if Chase knows about his girlfriend's past? I guess in a way since he did you a favor and 'acted' like your fiance then you can do him a favor and go through with this hearing. That way I can expose everything from his, Hannah's and even Liyah's past."

Sloane glanced out of the window and tried to steady herself. If what he was saying was true, Jax was going to do the same thing those d.a.m.n tabloids did to people and ruin her friends' lives. "You can't do that. They are good people. Why would you do something so heinous and vile? Regardless of their pasts, I know none of them would ever hurt Brayden or do anything to jeopardize his safety." A new anxiety started to take over when she thought of the possible damage Jax could inflict on her friends.

"Look, Sloane, you're right. They may be great people, and honestly, I have no problem with the way your friends live their lives or what they've done. h.e.l.l, I agree. We've all done something that we aren't too proud of at some point in our lives. Difference is; I'm not raising an impressionable child. And it doesn't matter what it is, it's how you use the information and present it. Her simple disturbing the peace charge could easily be misconstrued. Especially when you can twist the story anyway you want." Suddenly she felt sick watching Jax straighten his silk tie and look at his watch before flashing her a toothy evil grin. "Look, Sloane, your friends are your friends and they are all upstanding citizens. I would honestly hate to see that blemished by things brought out in court and plastered across front pages everywhere. I doubt they want the world to know their personal lives. And I'm pretty sure Senator Winters would not be happy about having to do damage control during his re-election run."

"Why would you do something like this?" Shaking her head, she could feel the tears start to pool in her eyes and she fought to keep them at bay. The last thing she wanted was to let this snake in the gra.s.s see her break.

"Oh darling, it's nothing personal, but let's get something straight. Gates hired me to do a job. So, whatever I have to do to win this case, I will do it. I suggest if you don't want yours or your friend's lives to be dissected, a.n.a.lyzed, and placed on display like Beyonce's baby b.u.mp, then you will do what's needed to keep it from ever coming out in court. I look forward to hearing from your attorney," he said as he winked and strode boastfully out of her office. And just as quickly and quietly as he exited, tears tumbled down her face.

Once Jax left her office, Sloane sat numb in her chair for over an hour. She knew Gates had more money than Fort Knox and he would always be able to provide more material things for Brayden than she would. She never thought the friendships she'd made that had become so dear to her could be what kept her from keeping Brayden. Anyone in their right mind could see she would do anything to protect him and keep him safe. Liyah and Chase would give their lives for him. Why wasn't that enough? She knew if she continued to fight Gates, Jax would make good on his threats. The damage to their lives would be irreparable. Hannah would really have a good reason to hate her then.

Gates' world was a lot different from theirs. Any and everything he did was at the fingertips of the world and she was surprised reporters hadn't already come calling. Their lives were about to be scrutinized in every retail store check-out line. She knew this from experience. The things may not even be true, but after a while it would be hard to distinguish between what was real and what was fake. It was exactly what contributed to her misconception that Gates was cheating on her. With Jax behind this, it would probably be much worse. She hated to think about it. But he was right. It was only a matter of time before she would run out of money to keep fighting for Brayden. Feeling helpless, she grabbed her purse and walked out of the office with a heavy heart.

Picking Brayden up from daycare, she thought about how these could be some of the last days she would spend with him. What would she do without seeing him every day? Hearing his little tiny voice as he started to learn new words or watching him pull up on the furniture in his efforts to try to walk. Then her mind flashed to all she had deprived Gates of with Brayden. Maybe this is what she deserved. She'd kept Gates from his son and he missed out on his first smile, his first words, and the first time he found his toes.

"Hola chica. Dinner smells great and I'm pretty sure this bottle of wine will go with it perfectly," Liyah walked into the house, placing the bottle on the counter and kneeling down to kiss Brayden's chubby cheek. He was content, playing on the floor as Sloane finished dinner. She'd decided to have Liyah and Chase over so she could discuss her plans with them.

"Thanks. Have you seen Chase?"

"Oh, he's on his way. Hannah had an afternoon flight out to go visit her sister in Dallas and Chase took her to Raleigh to catch a direct flight. So what's the big announcement?" Liyah asked, plopping down in one of the barstools to watch Sloane finish dinner.

"What're you talking about?"

"Sloane, don't do that. You are cooking us dinner during the middle of the week, there's something going on, so you might as well tell me." Sloane glanced at Liyah and saw millions of questions swirling around in her eyes.

Just then the doorbell rang. "Could you get that for me?"

"Don't think you're off the hook. There is something going on." Liyah slid out of the chair and walked to the door with Brayden crawling behind her.

"Mmmm, something smells so good." Chase said as he entered the house. "Thank G.o.d you called and said you were cooking tonight. I didn't have it in me to cook anything after a round-trip to Raleigh today." He stooped to pick up Brayden who was now reaching for any of them to pick him up. "Hey, little man."

"You're going to spoil him you know that?" Liyah laughed, blowing bubbles on Brayden's plump cheek.

"And you're going to give him a complex blowing on his face like that, but I don't ever stop you from doing it." Chase grinned and walked into the kitchen with Brayden. "So, what's going on, Sloane?" Chase placed Brayden on the counter as he took a seat on one of the bar stools.

"What're you talking about?"

"See, I told you, Sloane. You never cook for us during the week unless something's on your mind. So spill it." Liyah reached over, picked up a cherry tomato and popped it in her mouth. Sloane knew there was really no fooling the two of them. Both were right, she did channel nervous energy into cooking and it always ended with a huge meal they were more than happy to eat.

"Guys, I really-"

"C'mon, Sloane."

"Let's eat before the food gets cold." Placing the food on the table, she tried to steer the conversation elsewhere. She knew she needed to talk to them, but the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to put it off.

"Well, I won't argue with you there." Chase took Brayden and placed him in his highchair and they all sat around the table.

They said a prayer and ate for a while in silence, before Liyah started the inquisition again. "Sloane, okay, we've waited long enough. What's going on?"

Pushing her food around on her plate, she slowly put her fork down and placed her hands in her lap. Taking a deep breath she looked up and started, "I've decided to give Gates full custody of Brayden."

"WHAT!" the two yelled in unison.

"I can't fight him anymore and I don't want to put Brayden through this." Sloane had labored over the decision since her visit with Jax.

"That's bull and you know it. Brayden's too young to even know what's going on." Sloane could see the disbelief in Liyah's eyes as her best friend sat across from her.

"Sloane, why?" She could see the concern on their faces.

"It's the best thing to do, Chase." Sloane was trying desperately to convince herself she was doing the right thing, and also convince her friends. She'd already done enough to upset lives and she didn't want to cause any more havoc.

"I don't believe this." Chase pushed back from the table and crossed his arms. "How could you do this? Brayden's your son?"

"I know that." Sloane hugged her arms to her sides and stood up. She wanted so badly to keep fighting, but she knew it was no use. She may have the motherly instincts to fight, but Gates' bank account would outlast hers. "Guys, I can't fight him. Gates has more money than I do and he can give Brayden a life I can't."

"Whatever, Sloane. You've given Brayden a loving home and environment to grow up in, so don't give me that." Liyah stood and walked over to stand in front of Sloane. "If it's the money, you know we'll help."

"Thank you, but I can't ask you to do that. There are other factors that can affect the way the judge decides. Things I didn't really think about." Sloane closed her eyes briefly then gazed at Brayden happily pushing his food around on his tray. She wondered how much time she had left with him.

"Sloane, I don't get it. Brayden's your world, why're you giving up? You're just going to give this man your son and walk away? I don't believe this." She could see the suspicion on Chase's face and the disappointment in Liyah's eyes.

"I know. I'm shocked, Sloane. I've known you since high school and this just isn't like you. What gives?"

Sloane was sick of crying, but no matter how hard she tried, the tears continued to roll. She didn't want to lose her son, but she didn't know what to do. "Gates lives in a different world. He has way more money and resources and, well, he's going to use any and everything to win."

"So? Like Liyah said, we'll help." Chase looked at her with so much genuineness she nearly broke.

"I don't have a choice." Her voice betrayed her and cracked and she released every emotion she was trying so desperately to hold back.

"What do you mean you don't have a choice?"

"Jax came to visit me today. He's going to do anything to win. He'll bring up your pasts. Not just mine. He's going to use anything he can find and twist it to make it look like I'm a.s.sociating with bad people and that I'm a bad mother." She sank into a chair and let the tears flow. She couldn't have stopped the river of water if she wanted to.

"He can't prove you're a bad mother, Sloane. That's ridiculous."

"You don't get it, Chase. It's not about what he can prove. It's all about perception." She paused, taking a deep breath. It was the part of her life with Gates she didn't miss. The way people made a.s.sumptions and would rather believe lies than know the truth. It was so difficult to distinguish what was real and what wasn't. "Gates is such a high profile person that our lives are going to be dissected in front of the world, not just here. Are you ready for your life to be on display? Is Hannah?"

"What's Hannah got to do with this?" Chase moved to kneel beside her.

"He's going to use anything from your past, Liyah's past, even Hannah's past. Anyone who's had anything to do with Brayden and me will be fodder for the tabloids. Any secret you may have will be plastered on every newsstand, blog and website. You will be hounded by reporters, cameras, etc. Do you want me to go on?" The tears continued to flow from her eyes faster than she could wipe them away. She was so frustrated and scared and she wanted to lie down and die. She could not believe how bad all of this had gotten.

"Sloane, that's still no reason for you to give up. You're a great mother and Brayden is happy. I don't care about a camera and reporters. If anything, I'm already preparing for it with the Senator's reelection coming up." Chase offered playfully.

"Yeah, maybe you don't care, but will Hannah be okay with it?"

"You keep mentioning her. Is there something you're not telling me?"

Sloane paused and looked down at the floor before looking back at Chase. "How much do you know about Hannah? I mean, do you know everything about her?"

"I know all that matters Sloane. What're you getting at?" She could see Chase was growing weary of her questions and mentioning Hannah.

"The only reason I'm asking is Jax knew about Hannah. He knew her name and mentioned her to me. How would he know her? And why would he mention the fact her father is running for reelection? Don't you see? He's done his homework. Jax has no qualms with doing whatever he has to do to make you or her look bad. He's able to find things many others don't." Chase quieted, thinking about what Sloane was saying. She could see he was starting to see the magnitude of the situation. "Yeah. Are you ready for her to be skewered in front of the world?" Sloane stood and walked past Chase to sit beside Brayden; taking a napkin and wiping his face and hands. "I've had a taste of Gates' world. I know what it's like, but that doesn't mean that you have to experience it. Anyway, it doesn't matter. This is probably what I deserve. I'm the one who kept Gates from his son and I have to pay for this. Not anyone else." She finished wiping Brayden's face and just sat, staring at her hands in her lap.

"Sloane, you can't believe that." Liyah walked over and knelt beside her.

"I don't know what to believe anymore, Liyah. Honestly, I don't. I wanted to believe Gates would understand why I did what I did and you see how that turned out. I wanted to believe he would fight fair and you see he hired a snake like Jax." She leaned her head back to look at the ceiling wishing she could quell the new wave of fear she felt. She was about to lose her son, the one person in the world she loved more than anything, and she wanted to scream. "I can't fight him anymore. I love Brayden. He's my life. But I want the best life for him and if I continue to fight Gates, he'll stretch this out and I'll end up with no money to even support him. I know, I know you both said you would help, but I can't do that to you. Even if I did, how long do you think our money pooled together would last?"

"Sloane, let's talk about this." Chase walked back to the table and sat down across from her. "There has to be some way."

Shaking her head, Sloane reached over to take Brayden out of his high chair. "Chase, there's really nothing else left to talk about. I don't see how I can win." Taking a deep breath, she saw her little boy looking up at her with the same eyes as his father and it broke her heart. "It's getting late. I really need to clean Brayden up and put him down for the night."

"Yeah, of course. Why don't you go ahead and we'll clean up?" Liyah offered as she watched her friend take the little boy to his room.

Liyah and Chase moved in silence as they started to clear the dishes and put things away.

"Okay, Liyah, what're you thinking? I can see those wheels turning in your head." Chase finally broke the silence.

"I can't believe Gates. It's not like him to be that ruthless and manipulating. Sloane should be able to fight fire with fire, that's all."

"What do you mean?" Chase stopped and looked at her.

"She should have someone working on her behalf to help her keep her son."

"She has Kimberly, what else can she do?"

"She also has me. It's time I did something I should've done a long time ago."

"And what's that?" Chase leaned back against the counter.

Looking around quickly to make sure Sloane wasn't coming back in the room; Liyah looked at Chase with an a.s.sured look. "I'm going to pay Mr. McCall a visit."

"Liyah, do you think that's a good idea? h.e.l.l, I'd like to pay Gates a visit myself, but it would not be pleasant. I don't want it used against Sloane."

"Do you have a better idea? I cannot, and will not stand by and watch him steamroll her. I refuse to." Liyah placed the last of the plates she cleared on the counter near the sink and looked at Chase.

"Be careful with what you say. We don't want this coming back to bite Sloane later."

"At this point, we have nothing to lose." Quietly, the two of them went back to cleaning the dinner dishes.

Waiting for anything had never been Gates' strong suit. It was not something he did often. Waiting for the court proceedings to take place were about to kill him. He called Jax to see if there was a way to get it expedited because all he wanted was for the whole thing to be over. He was seriously starting to question why he'd ever started the proceedings in the first place. Then he would look at the photo of Sloane and Brayden in the park and he would get mad all over again. He couldn't understand it. Had he been that bad that she would think he wouldn't be there for his son? He knew in some ways he had become Victor McCall, the man he'd tried his best not to emulate. Did she have that little faith in him?

Not all of the time was bad with his father, but for the most part Gates was never at home. He honestly had never spent that much time with the man. As soon as he was old enough to know any better, he was neatly packed up and sent away to school, where he met Evan. During the holidays and the weekends or breaks, he would end up going home with Evan rather than to his own home. It was perfect meeting Evan because his family had automatically adopted Gates as one of their own and he and Evan became closer than most biological brothers. No matter where he was in the world, he knew he could call Evan and he'd be there and vice versa. He valued what Evan had to say and it was weighing heavy on his heart what his friend had said about Jax representing him with the custody case. Maybe Evan was right. Jax was a bit aggressive and it was nothing for him to go for the jugular in any kind of case, so why would this be different?

They met in law school and once they were out, Evan and Gates had ventured into real estate law, while Jax had veered into family law. He told them it would be where the money was because CEOs and high profile people were constantly trading in one family for another and he'd always be in business. He'd made a name for himself and had become one of the most sought after attorneys for custody battles, divorce proceedings and pre-nups. He'd made a lot of scorned women rich from their multi-million dollar husbands and protected many high profile celebrities and athletes from losing money when their fly-by-night marriages were over.

Slouching in his leather chair, Gates swiveled around to look at the skyline. It was a pretty nice view of the city where he sat. Why couldn't life be simple for him again? Maybe it could be he thought, pulling his phone from his pocket and scrolling through the numbers. He sat staring at Sloane's name, his thumb hovering above the illuminated letters and was about to touch the screen when he heard a loud commotion behind him. Gates spun around in his chair and sat up to see Liyah barreling in his office with Evan hot on her heels.

"Liyah, you can't just barge in here." Evan's attempt to cut Liyah off and prevent her from entering Gates' office was futile. At this point, he was powerless to stop her as she pushed past him.

"We need to talk." Liyah stood in defiance in front of Gates' desk.

"Okay." Gates slowly stood and motioned for Liyah to sit while nodding to Evan that it was okay. He heard Evan sigh as he turned to exit the office, closing the door behind him. "I'm guessing Sloane asked you to come and speak on her behalf?" He sat down in the leather desk chair and waited for Liyah to respond.

"Someone has to. You won't talk to her."

"Can you blame me?" He knew by her clipped retort that she wasn't exactly happy about the turn of events and how things were going between him and her best friend.

"Look, Gates, I understand you're upset about Brayden. But is that really a reason for you to wage a war against Sloane?"

Shaking his head, Gates sat forward. "Upset? Liyah, I've missed out on almost eleven months of my son's life. I'm way past upset. Try mad. That's a better description of how I feel and I have every right to be. She wasn't even going to tell me."

"Gates, yes she was. She agonized over this for the longest time."

"You really want me to believe that? Look Liyah, I'm pretty busy. I appreciate you coming here to 'speak' for Sloane, but I don't have time for this. We'll settle it in court."

"Is that really what you want, Gates? Do you want to fight over your child like he's a piece of the real estate you buy and sell? It's already been a month and a half since you started this custody battle. How much more time do you want to waste? He's a little boy. He needs his mother and his father."

"Did you tell Sloane that? Because she should've thought about that before she kept him from me."

"And so now that gives you the right to take Brayden away from her?"

He was growing annoyed at Liyah's boldness. He understood she was Sloane's best friend. Gates understood she cared about her and Brayden, but he was growing tired of her questioning him on his motives. "Liyah, not that it's really any of your business, but we're doing what we feel is necessary to give Brayden the life he deserves. Sloane happens to believe it's with her and I happen to believe it's with me."

"Gates, you know Sloane. You know her better than anyone. This isn't something she did to hurt you. She did it because she thought it was the best thing for Brayden. You have to believe that." Gates thought before responding. He knew Liyah meant well, but she couldn't possibly understand what he was going through and how much he was hurting.

"All I know is I wasn't there for my son's birth. Liyah, I missed his first smile, his first laugh, the first time he rolled over. Those are things I can't get back." He knew he was probably divulging more than he should, but he needed her to understand how bad he was feeling and why he was doing what he was doing. His chest hurt thinking about all he'd missed with his son. "Sloane knew the relationship, or the lack of a relationship I had with my own father, and she still chose to keep Brayden from me. I didn't deserve that."

"Gates, she didn't want Brayden's life to be like yours. Okay, maybe it wasn't right keeping him from you. I'll give you that. But you have to understand; she was afraid you wouldn't be there for him. And that history was going to repeat itself. As busy as you are, it's a great possibility that you would have missed those things anyway."

"Liyah, I know my track record hasn't been the greatest with Sloane. I'll admit it. I didn't put her first like I should have in a lot of instances, but I can't understand how she would think I wouldn't be there for him." He looked down at his desk and thought about his past actions and then he looked Liyah in the eye. "Look, I'm not going to keep defending myself. Regardless of our history, I'm going to fight for my son."

"Yeah, well there's one difference between the both of you. Sloane is fighting fair, can't say that much for you." Liyah stood, straightened her jacket and grabbed her purse to walk out of the office.

"What're you talking about?" Gates stood, confused by her last statement. It was like she was insinuating he was doing something underhanded to get his son. Turning to look at Gates, Liyah stopped with her hand on the doork.n.o.b.