Page 128 of Contentious

“Is that okay?”

“Sure is.”

As Ty settled in next to him, bringing his favorite LA Clippers blanket, Carson experienced a wave of contentment that took him by surprise. Usually, he was most contented when he was at work, gathering info that would help their clients and putting together pieces of puzzles that added up to something useful to their cases. But this, hanging out with Ty while Cresley was close by and knowing none of them had anywhere to be but together… That was a whole other level of contentment.

One he could get used to, in fact.

His phone vibrated with a text from Kaidan. How are you? Where are you? What the heck is going on with my brothers lately?

Carson responded with, Good, Laurel Canyon and the shrugging emoji.

That’s it? Just a shrug to explain the unexplainable?

That’s all I got.

So you’ve got a wife and kid now?

Hardly… I’m enjoying spending time with both of them and thankful I survived getting stabbed. That’s about the extent of it at the moment. Nothing to worry about.

Right. My brothers are driving off a cliff after swearing they’d never go there, so what do I have to be worried about?

We’re fine, Kay. Don’t worry.

Famous last words spoken to a DIVORCE LAWYER who knows better, you dipshit.

I hear you, and I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine, and from what I can see, Julian is, too. Better than fine, in fact.

So now you’re on Team Julian and Isla, too? I seem to recall a few weeks ago when you were as concerned as the rest of us, and now you’ve gone over to the dark side.

Nothing dark about it. Gotta watch Iron Man with the boy. Talk soon. Love you.

Grrrrrr.

Carson chuckled at his sister’s reply. He understood her concern. He truly did. But nothing any of them said could convince him that being with Cresley and Ty was wrong or bad or anything other than delightful. Would it stay that way forever? He had no way to know, but for as long as it felt this good, he wasn’t going anywhere.

* * *

Cresley stood in the bedroom she’d been using, staring at her worst nightmare—Marlon Beckett pointing a gun at her. He was filthy, with a full beard and a gash on his face that looked infected. She could smell him from six feet away. “Wh-what do you want?”

“Gather up your little family, send the security goons packing and drive me to Mexico.”

“What? I can’t do that! Carson just got out of the hospital after you stabbed him!”

“You think I give a flying fuck about your boyfriend? Leave him, for all I care. Go get the kid, tell the security you don’t need them anymore because I’ve been found in San Pedro or whatever you gotta tell them, and let’s go.”

“Marlon, please… Just get out of here. I’ll give you the money. Leave us out of it.”

“Oh, now you want to deal. How funny is that?”

“Just take me. Leave Ty here.”

“Nah, we’re not doing that. If you don’t want me to start shooting people, you’d better go deal with the security, and don’t think about calling the cops, because I’ll kill Ty and your fuck toy before they get here.”

“You’d kill your own son?”

“When you have nothing left to lose, who cares who gets hurt? Make it happen, or I’ll kill your precious kid first and make you watch.”

Cresley had never been more terrified in her life. She believed him when he said he had nothing to lose and would kill them all if she didn’t follow his orders. On legs gone wooden with shock and fear, she walked to the living room, where Ty was sitting with Carson, watching the movie.