Page 137 of Contentious

“If you think I won’t take you out, try me.”

“I’m not going to prison because of that bitch.” He took off in the opposite direction from where Cresley had taken Ty, shooting at Carson over his shoulder. Luckily, he missed by a mile, and Carson heard the bullet connect with something metal above him.

Carson aimed and fired, hitting him in the ass.

Marlon collapsed in a heap, shrieking like a banshee.

Carson made his way toward him and relieved Marlon of the weapon that was still in his hand as he continued to wail. “Don’t be such a baby.”

“You fucking shot me.”

“You fucking stabbed and kidnapped me. This almost makes us even.”

Carson’s vision was blurry, and he was sweating profusely. Blinking, he struggled to stay alert until the police arrived. He could hear the sirens. Any minute now.

“I saw you shoot that guy,” a woman said from behind him.

“Did you see him kidnap me and two other people and hold a gun on us for two hours? Did you see him stab me last week? If not, fuck off and mind your own business.”

Two patrol cars came in hot with lights and sirens.

As two officers ran toward him, Carson dropped to his knees. “He’s the one you want,” he managed to say before he lost consciousness.

* * *

The sound of the single gunshot had stopped Cresley’s heart as she huddled with Ty on the far side of the building, listening to the cops get closer.

Was Carson dead? Was Marlon?

“Mom. You’re squeezing me too hard.”

She relaxed her hold on Ty, wondering how she’d ever again let him out of her sight after this surreal experience.

“I think the police are here,” Ty said. “It might be safe to go out there.”

Cresley wanted to wait for Carson, but what if he was the one who’d been shot? Torn by indecision, she waited another minute before she looked around the side of the building in time to see the police handcuffing Marlon.

Carson was on the ground.

Oh no. No, no, no.

She grabbed Ty’s hand and ran toward Carson, powered by sheer terror.

If he was dead…

He could not be dead.

“Carson!”

She dropped to her knees as she frantically looked for a wound, screaming his name until his eyes fluttered open.

“Hey, baby, I’m here.”

“Were you shot?”

“Nah, I shot him. Police have him.” He blinked and seemed to realize he was on the ground. “Must’ve fainted.”

“We’ve called for ambulances,” one of the police officers told her. “They’re on the way.”