Page 43 of Contentious

Her left hand was flat against her leg, gripping and releasing the denim.

Carson put his hand over hers and held on tightly.

“Are you currently at the residence?”

“Not yet. I’m on the way, but my nanny, Julia, is there. She’s aware that I’m calling you.”

“We’ll send a unit.”

“Thank you.”

Carson drove as fast as he dared, taking the left onto Laurel Canyon and pressing the accelerator as they headed up the hill. He kept an eye out for the old black Honda Ridgeline truck that Marlon had been driving the last time Carson had seen him.

Cresley called Julia back. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, we’re fine. Ty is sleeping, and the floodlights have stopped coming on. I think he’s gone.”

“Okay, that’s good. We’ll be there in ten minutes.”

“Sorry to ruin your night.”

“You didn’t. You did the right thing. Be right there.”

She ended the call and stared straight ahead as he drove faster than he should up the winding road.

He reached for her hand again and was shocked at how cold it was now. “Ty is safe.”

“This time.” She glanced over at him. “Does this mean he’s still watching us? That he knew I was going out tonight?”

“Maybe.”

“I can’t handle living with this kind of fear. He’d love nothing more than to snatch Ty from me and disappear in Mexico.”

Carson gripped the wheel tighter. “That’s not going to happen.” He wouldn’t let it. If he had to personally provide round-the-clock security, he’d do it to keep them safe. “Don’t worry about that happening. He’ll get to Ty over my dead body.”

She shuddered. “Don’t even say that.”

Carson called Anthony.

“What’s up, boss?”

“I need a team at Cresley Dane’s home on Mulholland. We think the ex was skulking around in the backyard earlier.”

“Wow, that’s ballsy. I’ll get with Perry and put together a team.”

“Thanks.”

He pressed a button on the wheel to end the call.

“How much will that cost?” she asked.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I will worry about it.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“I don’t expect you to do that.”