25. Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-five
Cade
Cade sat in a conference room at Stewart & Rawlings, LLC, the law firm his mother had retained to unleash the hounds of hell upon his father. Cade’s lawyer, William O’Malley was on his way to the deposition, or so the text message assured. Cade was sure things would go fine—or so he kept telling himself.
He looked out the windows facing the hallway to see his father walk by and stop, studying him. The man shook his head before he walked toward the main conference room where the deposition was to take place.
Cade felt his stomach clench at the sight of Hudson Hayes. His father looked older, much to his surprise, but considering it had been eight years since he’d last set eyes on the man, Cade should have known time stopped for no one.
It was a surprise Hudson was alone with his lawyer, but Cade knew he wouldn’t bring his mistress and children along to confirm he’d been the one in the wrong all those years prior. No good would come of rubbing Rina’s face in Hudson’s betrayal.
Liam walked into the room and smiled at him. “That was his attempt at intimidation in the event he still controls you. It was his passive-aggressive way of trying to keep you from testifying against him, so let’s not give that any play. Tell me more about your childhood. His lawyer’s going to offer information to discredit you, so tell me what it is so I can defuse it,” Liam told him.
Cade laughed. “As I told you at breakfast on Sunday, I was a model kid. I only wanted his approval, but I never got it. He never came to any of my tennis matches when I played on the team in high school. I quit after I met his other kids. He used to love tennis, and I got to play with him a few times, but he beat me easily. He seemed to take pride in one-upping me. Anyway, it’s all water under a hideously broken-down bridge.”
The door opened and Lionel walked in with a smile. “Kincade, we’re ready for you. Everything okay?”
Cade nodded and rose from the chair as he straightened his suit, wishing he had one of the new suits his boyfriends had purchased for him for his birthday. He’d have felt more confident, he was sure.
They walked into the large conference room, seeing his mother, father, and their respective attorneys. Mitch Ross was sitting in the corner with a comforting smile, which gave Cade a little assurance. He knew Mitch would protect Jax at all costs, and it eased his nerves.
“We’re taking up the morning session with the deposition of Kincade Hayes, a witness in the case of Hayes versus Hayes, Case number…” Lionel recited, as the woman in the corner furiously typed on a machine Cade had never seen in his life. Once the recitation was finished, the woman stood from her stool and held out a Bible.
“Raise your right hand, put your left on the Bible, and repeat after me,” she ordered.
Cade obliged, repeating the oath she recited—to tell the truth, the whole truth, so help him God. After it was finished, he sat down and faced his father’s lawyer, who had a smile on his face that Cade deemed to be insincere. “Please state your full name and address for the record.”
Cade complied.
“You’re here, Mr. Hayes, to give testimony regarding the life you lived under your parents’ roof. Tell us what it was like growing up in your home,” the lawyer asked.
It was crafty, really, to couch it in that fashion. Under his parents’ roof when he was growing up, he had no complaints. Much to Hudson’s design, they were the model family when Cade was young, and he didn’t want for anything. He’d led a life many would dream of, but that wasn’t the issue.
The problem was what had happened when Cade had been twelve and his father had spent less time at home with Cade and his mother and more time with his mistress, and then what had happened when he’d been sixteen and had met the woman and her children. That was the crux of the matter.
Cade took a deep breath, as he’d been instructed. “Based on the first memories I have of our life as a family, it was perfect. My parents were both busy people, and I had a nanny when I was young who took me to school and brought me home after. We had a housekeeper and a cook as well, so my parents’ absence in the evenings was barely noticed. We took trips together sometimes, all around the world. I thought it was how everyone lived,” he answered. Liam nodded that he’d done well, and Cade waited for the next question.
“Did your father ever, in your presence, argue with your mother or strike her?”
Again, Cade took a deep breath. He didn’t think his father had ever struck her, but he couldn’t know for sure. “In my presence, no. I can’t say I ever saw him strike her.”
“Did your father ever strike you, Kincade?”
“No. He never raised a hand to me.” Cade noticed the satisfied smile on the attorney’s face.
Cade glanced at Lionel Rawlings, who gently smiled at him. Apparently, he had to endure bullshit questions until they got to the meat of it, so he took another deep breath and waited.
“Would you say your father was a good father to you?” Hudson’s attorney was sly, but Cade saw through his attempt to paint Hudson as a perfect father, when that wasn’t close to the truth.
“No. I wouldn’t say he was a good father. He wasn’t available the way I believe a father should be to guide his son and provide a loving example from which to learn. He did the necessary things like paying for school, but he didn’t show up to support anything I ever did when I was attending, including graduations.” That was the truth.
He saw his father glance down at his hands, and he wanted to reach out and slap the man. He could tell Hudson Hayes didn’t want to be there, and he didn’t give a shit about Cade, either. The fact he didn’t look at him at all was a telltale sign.
The lawyer chuckled. “Now, that’s not true, is it? He used to come to your music concerts when you were in prep school, right?”
“I want an objection noted in the record. Whether Hudson Hayes changed diapers or went to school plays is totally irrelevant to this action. We’re here to hear testimony regarding when Kincade Hayes was sixteen, not six,” Lionel asserted.
Cade appreciated it. He wasn’t sure of the protocol for such actions, but he damn well didn’t want to rehash his childhood.
“Duly noted,” the woman who was at the machine continued to type.
“Let’s talk about the relationship you had with your father when you were in college.”
Cade laughed. “There wasn’t one. Let’s go back to when I was sixteen, and he called me, telling me he wanted to take me out for my birthday. All he wanted to do was…”
“Objection. Note in the record, the question asked wasn’t the question answered by the witness. Strike his answer as nonresponsive,” his father’s lawyer stated.
“Noted,” the stenographer recorded.
For another hour, Cade had to sit there and answer questions stilted to make Hudson Hayes sound like the perfect father. It made Cade cringe, but he had to bear it. After the attorney for his father rested, Lionel Rawlings smiled at him.
“How about we take a break for an hour to get lunch? Everyone okay with that?” Lionel asked.
Cade saw his mother smile, so he agreed. They’d had lunch while Jax and Ford had been in Dallas, but her attorney had accompanied them, so they hadn’t done a lot of catching up. She had to rush off to a meeting for one of her charities after, so he kissed her cheek and went home.
Cade hugged his mother and pulled her away to see she’d changed her hair since he’d just seen her on Saturday afternoon. “Dark blonde? Really?” They followed Lionel Rawlings down the hallway to a large conference room where there was a huge buffet spread in front of them.
“That whore your father took is a blonde. Maybe blondes have more fun? I’m trying something, okay? Don’t be a critic.” Rina directed a little pout at Cade that he used on his own boyfriends from time to time.
He leaned into her ear and whispered. “You don’t have to compete with her, Mom. You leave her in the dust on your worst days, okay? You’re beautiful. Don’t let him force you to change who you are.”
Rina turned to him and smiled. “That’s where you differ from your father. I’ll get an appointment and change my hair to my normal mahogany, but don’t you ever change yourself, Kincade. You’re wonderful just the way you are.” His mother gave him a tight hug.
After lunch, they returned to the conference room where the steno reminded Cade he was still under oath and recited it was the afternoon session of the deposition of Kincade Hayes. After everyone settled, Lionel Rawlings smiled at him and opened a notebook.
“For the record, I’m Lionel Rawlings, appearing on behalf of Katrina Seiler-Hayes in the divorce action against Hudson Hayes. I’m questioning their son, Kincade Hayes,” he stated for the record, reciting the day, month, and hour.
After the formalities, Cade looked around to see Liam sitting in the corner with a smile on his face. He smiled in return and gave Lionel his undivided attention.
“Mr. Hayes, to the best of your recollection, did your mother ever hold a job outside the home where you all lived in Naperville?” Lionel tone was much friendlier than the other attorney had been, instantly putting Cade at ease.
Cade thought for a minute to ensure he was answering honestly. “No. I believe she worked at a gallery when she and Father were first married, but after I was born, she stopped. She was busy with her charity work, most of it at father’s behest when I was a kid, but as far as I know, she’s never been paid for any of the work she performs.”
Cade’s mother glanced at Hudson with a smug smile. Lionel Rawlings made a note on his pad and went on.
“Mr. Hayes, before lunch, the respondent’s counsel inquired into your childhood, so I’m going to skip forward to what happened on your sixteenth birthday.”
Lionel began asking him questions, gently guiding him in the direction he wanted Cade to take with his answers. As he fielded the questions, Cade felt pressure behind his eyes, but he wasn’t going to cry in front of his father.
He told the story about meeting Cheryl, Ashton, and Amy, and the weekend he spent with them as he remembered it. When he was finished, Lionel nodded with a gentle smile.
“And, after that incident, when was the next time you heard from your father?” Lionel asked.
“On my last birthday. When I told my father I was going to appear on Mother’s behalf at the divorce hearing, he called me a fag and hung up.”
“Objection. There’s no evidence Mr. Hayes made the comment. I want it stricken from the record,” Hudson’s attorney stated.
“Objection noted,” the steno stated as the deposition continued.
After Lionel finished with Cade, he suggested they should end the day, but Hudson’s attorney wasn’t finished, which wasn’t a surprise.
“Redirect. Mr. Hayes, I’ll remind you you’re still under oath. Are you in a relationship?” Hudson’s attorney asked.
Cade looked at Liam, who smiled and nodded. “I am.”
“With whom are you in a relationship?”
Liam laughed. “I’m William O’Malley appearing on behalf of Kincade Hayes. I object on behalf of my client on the grounds of relevance. Mr. Hayes’ personal life has no relevance to this proceeding.”
“Objection noted,” the steno stated.
“I’d still like an answer. Aren’t you in a relationship with Jackson Delacroix and Branford Thomas?” the lawyer asserted.
“Objection. Mr. Delacroix has no impact on this case. If he has a friendship with Mr. Hayes, it has absolutely nothing to do with the divorce proceedings of Hudson and Katrina Hayes,” Mitch added.
“Objection noted,” the woman stated again.
Thankfully, the stupid deposition ended an hour later because the lawyers couldn’t agree on which questions were appropriate regarding Cade’s personal life, so he’d answered nothing more than the fact he was in a relationship, not giving away it was two relationships and with whom he was involved.
Lionel led them all to another conference room down the hall from where Hudson and his attorney were talking. After he closed the door, he smiled. “Kincade, you did a great job. Mr. O’Malley, thank you for diffusing the situation before opposing counsel got Cade’s status on record. I doubt it will come into play during the negotiations because it’s irrelevant to these proceedings, but they’ll try every dirty trick to hang on to even a penny. Thankfully, we didn’t give them anything to use.”
Lionel extended a hand to Liam. “I’ll be in touch, O’Malley, if we need Kincade for anything else, but I doubt it. I have a feeling Hudson is going to reevaluate his position and be more than willing to come to the table, a little more amenable than he’s been in the past. Thank you again, gentlemen. Rina, we need to talk strategy if you have time.”
Cade hugged and kissed his mother before he shook hands with Rawlings and Mitch Ross. He and Liam O’Malley went to the foyer to get the elevator down. Liam glanced at him a few times, chuckling finally.
“What?” Cade asked as the door opened. They both stepped on and were silent because there were other occupants in the car as it headed toward the ornate lobby.
After everyone piled off, Liam took his arm and led him off to the side. “I’m sorry for giggling like a schoolgirl, but you’re the most adorable guy I’ve ever met in my life. Do you want to get a drink?”
For a moment, Cade thought it a good idea to discuss any further role he might have in the divorce, but the twinkle in Liam’s ocean blue eyes gave away an ulterior motive, which made Cade uncomfortable.
“Look, you know for a fact I’m in a relationship with Ford and Jax. Hell, Ford came with me to meet you. Trust me, my dance card’s full,” Cade stated with a smile.
“Come on, Kincade, it can’t be that serious. I mean, I can see where couples in a long-term relationship might want a diversion, and you’d be the perfect one, trust me, but things can’t be serious among you. Nothing could ever come of it.” Liam’s response was flippant, and the eye roll didn’t help.
It wasn’t anything Cade hadn’t considered himself. Ford and Jax had been taking steps to fix their relationship and make it better, with Cade’s gentle urging.
After he taught them how to prepare each other for sex, it wouldn’t be uncomfortable anymore. He’d been encouraging them to show each other the emotions they felt without feeling less of a man. After they did the work, what use would they have for him, anyway?
He took that deep breath Mitch Ross had suggested before he answered. “Maybe, but right now, while they’ll have me, I’m theirs. I’m faithful, Liam. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but until they send me away, I’m with them because I love them. There’s no room for anyone else in my life.” Of that, Cade was completely confident.
Cade turned and walked out the revolving door, hailing a cab to take him home. He had two men who should be there waiting for him. He’d missed them very much.
After taking the elevator upstairs to the second floor, Cade was surprised to see the door to his apartment was open. Ford and Jax were moving things from his place to theirs—namely, his clothes.
“What’s going on?” Cade stopped, seeing the two of them barefoot in shorts and T-shirts.
“It’s moving day, sweetheart. Why don’t you go change into something comfortable while we finish this up? We made room for your stuff in the walk-in, and we’ve bought a temporary dresser for Jax’s things so you can use his drawers,” Ford explained, as if it was silly for Cade to even question.
Cade grabbed Jax’s arm as he carried an armload of clothes across to their apartment. “Wait. Why am I moving? It’s not inconvenient for me to run home to shower and change. There’s no need for the three of us to pack ourselves into the apartment like rats. Bring my things back, please? We didn’t even discuss this,” he snapped. His anger rose quickly. This day was fucked up enough, and now this?
Both men stopped, much to his surprise. They looked at each other and grinned. Jax cleared his throat first. “I’m sorry, but I thought the element of surprise would go in our favor. You seem to be trying to worm your way out of our relationship—don’t act like you haven’t. You pushed the two of us to go to Dallas, which was pretty good, but we finally figured you out, Kincade Hayes. By the way, what’s your middle name?” Jax pushed.
“I’m not telling,” Cade responded defiantly, even sticking his nose in the air like a petulant child.
Ford cocked an eyebrow. “Fine, we won’t move everything, and you can keep your place if you feel crowded, but at least move your clothes in. We love you and want you with us all the time.”
As Cade was about to object, there was a shrill cry from the other two-bedroom apartment down the hall. “Who lives there?” Cade asked.
There had been an older woman there when he moved in, but didn’t she move out? He hadn’t seen anyone moving in and neither of his boyfriends had mentioned it.
“New girl just moved in. She’s pregnant.” Jax pounded on the door. He tried the knob to find it was locked.
They heard her scream again, so Jax pushed them back before he kicked it open, splintering the doorframe because the dead bolt was engaged from the inside. They found her on the floor in a puddle of blood. “Call 9-1-1.” ” Cade turned to Ford, who promptly passed out.