Page 184 of Contentious

“Maybe if you give him something to look at, he’ll learn his lesson.”

“That’s a great idea,” Carson said with a meaningful glance at Cresley.

“I don’t do skin flicks. It’s in my contract.”

“What’s a skin flick?” Ty asked.

“Watch what you say in front of the child,” Carson said sternly, earning a glare from Cresley.

Ty’s glance darted between them. “So what is it?”

“Yes, Cresley, what is it?” Carson asked.

“Nothing you need to know about at seven. Go take a shower and get ready for bed.”

“I don’t want to go to bed when my friends are still here.”

“They’re going home to bed, too,” Isla said.

Carson was shocked when Ty started to cry. “I don’t want them to go home! We’re having fun, and we haven’t played with toys yet!”

Cresley was obviously unnerved by his outburst. “We’ll have them over again soon, honey. It’s fine.”

His face flushed bright red. “It’s not fine! I don’t want to go to bed!”

Cresley stood and picked him up, carrying him kicking and screaming toward the bathroom.

“Never seen that before,” Carson said as he got up slowly and carefully to follow her, to see if she needed help.

“Go take care of him,” Julian said. “We’ll head out. Call me later.”

Carson nodded and moved toward the sound of Ty melting down.

In the bathroom, Cresley was wrestling Ty out of his clothes as he screamed and carried on.

“What can I do?” Carson asked.

She looked up at him, her eyes wide. “I don’t know what’s happening.”

Carson moved toward them. “Ty, what do you need right now? We’ll do anything we can to make you feel better.”

“I don’t need anything! I just want everyone to leave me alone!”

“Tell me why, honey,” Cresley said.

Ty continued to kick his feet and struggle against Cresley’s tight hold. “Let me go! I don’t want you! I don’t want anyone!”

Cresley held him tightly even as tears rolled down her face. “You’re scaring me, buddy. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Everything is wrong,” he said, hiccupping on a sob. “My dad tried to kill Carson—and you—and then he took us and he had a gun and everyone will know what he did, and the kids will say stuff. I hate him! Why did he do that to us? Why did he hurt Carson? He’s my friend.”

Listening to Ty’s heartbroken words, Carson’s own heart shattered. “Those are all really good questions, buddy. It’s hard to understand why anyone would do those things, especially someone who’s supposed to take care of you.”

“I’m so mad that he hurt you,” Ty said, his eyes full of tears as his little chin trembled.

“Will you come here?” Carson asked.

Ty gave a quick nod that had Cresley releasing him.