Page 135 of Contentious

“I really hope not.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

“I have to go to the bathroom,” Ty said as they approached San Diego.

“Hold it,” Marlon said.

“I’ve been holding it. I had to go when we left.”

The quiver in his voice broke Carson’s heart.

“Let me pull over to let him go.”

“Keep driving.”

“Why would you want your child to suffer?”

“Let me worry about my kid. He’s none of your business.”

“He’s more Carson’s business than he’s ever been yours,” Cresley said.

Marlon spun around to face Cresley. “I told you to shut the fuck up.” He pressed the gun to Carson’s temple. “The next time you say a word to me, your fuck boy is dead, you got me?”

“You can take the car,” Carson said as the gun dug into his temple. “You don’t need us anymore. You can move faster without us.”

Marlon considered that for a charged moment before he withdrew the weapon. “Not yet. Get me south of San Diego. Hurry up about it.”

Carson glanced at Cresley and saw tears in her eyes. He hoped she could see how determined he was to get them through this. His body was on fire from sitting in the same position for so long as he struggled to stay awake and alert.

By now, Julian would’ve discovered they were missing. Anthony would know that Marlon hadn’t been caught. They’d be sounding the alarm.

He hoped.

When the traffic let up, he pressed the accelerator to the floor, hoping to attract the attention of law enforcement by exceeding the speed limit. Plus, the faster he drove, the sooner this might be over.

“If you get stopped by a cop, you’re dead,” Marlon said on a growl.

“That would make you a sitting duck,” Carson said. “Your best bet is for me to keep moving and get you as far south as possible before they catch up to us.”

“Before who catches up to us?”

“Law enforcement knows by now that we’re missing.”

“How would they know that?”

Was he really this stupid? “My brother was on his way to the house when you showed up. When he sees our phones there and us gone, he’ll alert the police.” Carson stretched his neck to look up at the sky. “I’m sure they’ll figure out that we’re heading for Mexico. We’ll probably see a police helicopter any minute. Plus, we’re almost out of gas.”

“Take this exit,” Marlon said, waving the gun to point the way.

Carson brought the vehicle to a stop at a red light at the bottom of the hill. “Now what?”

“Go to a gas station.” A sign had logos for gas companies with arrows and the distance to each one. Carson chose a Mobil that was the closest one to the highway and hung a left when the light turned green. He glanced at Cresley in the mirror and hoped he’d get the chance to tell her how much she and Ty had come to mean to him.

They pulled into the parking lot.

“Ty, come with me,” Marlon said.

“No!” Cresley said. “He stays with me.”