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Chapter Forty-seven
On the way to the hospital, Alia told Sloan about Paul, and what a prick her ex-husband was. About him wanting to give his rich, infertile wife a baby, but being picky about whose baby he’d be willing to raise.
She also explained that she’d done a lot of digging into his affairs and he was so close to being arrested for fraud and dirty business practices that she didn’t know what had kept him out of jail, other than bribery and payoffs.
“Why don’t you press charges?”
“Because I have no proof. It’s there and the authorities know it but we’d have to prove it in a court of law.”
“And when a person is as rich as sin, not only does he have those in power by the short hairs but he can afford the best scum-lawyers.”
“Exactly.”
“Why did he all of a sudden want to be a father again?”
“His pretty, well-connected wife, who’s young and very rich, wants a baby. Desperately, if he’s telling the truth. Somewhere in his twisted mind, Paul decided that Kean was a smart kid, good-looking, worthy of being his son and so, rather than using donor eggs, he’s willing to bring up another kid with the same genetic background.”
Alia had to stop talking or choke. She had no intentions of letting Paul anywhere near her or her eggs, the sick bastard.
Sloan’s medication had finally kicked in and he’d stopped sneezing. Now he only had to deal with the occasional annoying sniffle. But his eyes were still affected. In the lights of the oncoming cars, his expression appeared full of anger; his eyes were red and weepy.
Watching him wipe away the gathering moisture did something to her visceral reactions. Her heart ached from seeing this strong man’s human weakness, his vulnerability. His next sentence brought her mind back to the subject.
“So you told him to piss off, that you weren’t interested, and then what?”
“He didn’t like it, threatened to go to the courts for shared custody of Kean. Warned me that if he wanted to, he could even take him away from me for good.”
“The bastard.”
“I got nervous. He’s a big shot in Chicago. Has a lot of murky friends who owe him and I couldn’t ignore their power. If he says he can get the courts on his side to gain custody of Kean, I have no doubt that it’s true. Or that he’d do just as he says. There’s a streak of narcissistic insanity in him that he uses to justify his wants. He gave me a son. Now he wants me to give him another one. Plain and simple.”
“And screwy.”
Alia nodded. “I get that. And thank the good Lord, you do too. But he doesn’t. He truly believes it’s no big deal. I should just hand over my eggs so he can fertilize them and get his wife pregnant. Then they’ll raise the baby, and we’ll all live happily ever after.”
Sloan drove the car into the hospital parking lot, pulled the key from the ignition and turned to her. “He’s certifiable.”
“Yes.”
“Plus, he has no legal right to force you to do anything you don’t want to do.”
“I know. And your point is…?”
Sloan’s eyes widened. “It won’t stop him. He’ll take Kean and blackmail you.”
“Oh, yes, he will.” She swallowed the sob itching to get out and hardened her voice. “But he’ll have to kill me first. I wouldn’t let that degenerate bastard anywhere near my son or my eggs. I’ll see him dead first.”
Sloan got out of the car and came around to her side to open the door. With his hand extended, he waited for her to take hold and then he helped her out.
Once she stood in front of him, he gathered her close and wrapped his large arms around her shivering body, his warmth penetrating her iciness, her fear. She let go of her anger and nestled as close as she could, soaking up his strength and his gentleness, enjoying the slight coconut smell from his shaving lotion.
She whispered her fears. “I’m strong when it comes to anyone else’s kid. I can fight off the bad guys without a second thought. But when it comes to my own, I’m a mess. I can’t even think straight.”
“Don’t worry. I’m thinking straight and this is what I know. Not only will the son of a bitch have to get past you, but there’ll be a lineup. He’ll have to come through me first.”
