Page 21 of Contentious

“That’s fair, pal, and if anyone gets why you feel the way you do, it’s me. I had a front-row seat for the whole mess, and I’ve told Corbin more than once that he and Kate are lucky any of you speak to them, let alone work for them.”

“What if we wanted to start our own firm?”

“Oh jeez,” Spencer said with a groan. “It was a request to meet. Don’t go straight to the nuclear option.”

“We’re not nuclear. We’re simply considering our options.”

“Well, because you’re partners, three of you have airtight noncompete clauses in your contracts that would prohibit you from taking any of your clients with you or working in the family law sector in Southern California for two years after you leave the firm. At least that’s the case with our firm. I’m not sure what Kate did with your sisters. So unless you can live for two years without an income, I’d say you’re stuck where you are.”

Carson understood enough about California’s rigid anti-noncompete laws to know that partnerships were often exempt. Their younger brothers, who were not yet partners, could start a new family law firm without waiting, but he, Julian and Griffin could not.

“I could go into private investigations that aren’t related to family shit, and the others can change specialties if they choose to.”

“You say that as if it would be so simple, Carson, when it wouldn’t be. Changing specialties midcareer is like starting over from scratch. Julian and Griffin won’t want to do that. They’ve got too much time invested in family law.”

“Maybe not, but don’t tell me we couldn’t open a general services practice and do just fine.”

“I won’t tell you that, but I will tell you to think long and hard before you make any rash decisions. Starting a law firm from the bottom up takes more effort than you can imagine. I worked sixteen hours a day for ten years to get that place off the ground. It was all-consuming. That firm ruined my marriage and alienated me from my son for a time. Tell me you’re hearing me when I say you do not want to start your own firm.”

“I hear you, but maybe us working for them has run its course.”

“Would you have said that yesterday, before TMZ aired out your family business once again?”

Carson sighed. “Probably not.”

“Then don’t make an emotional decision you’ll come to regret. Despite the reputations each of you has earned, you’d still be starting from scratch because your clients belong to your father’s firm.”

“What if the clients want us and not him?”

“They can’t hire you. I wrote that noncompete. Trust me when I tell you it’s bulletproof. Take a breath, buddy boy. This too shall pass, and you’ll be glad you didn’t make an impulsive decision that would take over your lives for years to come. I’m going to call your father and tell him to leave you guys out of whatever’s going on with him and Kate.”

“That’ll just piss him off. He’ll say we went running to you.”

“And I’ll say of course you did, because who’s always there for you guys? Me or him?”

“Burn,” Carson said with a snort of laughter.

“I got this. Carry on with your day and quit talking about starting your own firm. I busted my ass so you wouldn’t have to.”

“Have I told you lately that I love you, Gramps?”

“Don’t be a sap. But I love you, too. Talk to you later.”

Carson hung up laughing, cheered as always by his delightful grandfather. However, he needed to do something about the spying. God forbid he decided to have a woman stay the night. He didn’t need to hear about that the next day. He’d enjoyed his grandfather’s commentary on his boring life, until he’d had something he wanted to keep private.

Not that Cresley would be at the house again, but someone else might be, and that was no one’s business but his. When he’d agreed to live at the house while his grandfather was “temporarily” in assisted living, he hadn’t consented to full-time surveillance by a bored old man, even if he loved that old guy more than just about anyone in the world.

They’d be having a conversation about who was in the surveillance business and who was not during their weekly card game tonight.

On his way out of Beverly Hills, he swung by Ty’s school to make sure there was no sign of Marlon lurking about. Despite his resolve to keep her firmly in the friend zone, Cresley was still a client. He needed to stay vigilant as the custody battle played out. He was doing his job by checking on Ty, but he needed to know they were both safe for his own peace of mind, too.

Seeing no sign of Marlon, he continued on his way to the Valley to check in with the employee he had positioned at Rachel McDavid’s home. She’d recently shot and killed her ex-husband when he’d broken into the house where she and her sons had been staying after she was awarded full custody. With Bryan dead and the threat neutralized, they were now back in their own home, but he wasn’t taking any chances that some friend or relative of Bryan’s might show up to even the score.

He’d put his best guy, Anthony, on the job of keeping her and her kids safe. When Carson arrived, Anthony was pulling into the driveway after delivering the boys to school.

“How’re things?” Carson asked him.

“Better today. The kids wanted to go to school to be with their friends.”