Hell Bound (Seventh Level Book 2) (18 page)

He found it a little hard to accept she was real too so he traced the outline of her face as a reassurance. “Are you okay?” He could feel the pounding of her heart against his own.

The simple question was all it took for her tears to fall. She was soon sobbing so hard Mark had to cradle her face into the crook of his neck. He wasn’t surprised by the waterworks. Being under Septem’s control must have been a horrendous experience. There was no doubt in his mind Anne needed to have a way of releasing all of those pent up emotions. It was a privilege to be there for her and have her safe in the comfort of his arms.

Several minutes later, Anne’s sobs slowed and soon the only sound in the room was their breathing. He took a chance and asked again, “Are you okay?”

Anne lifted her head from his shoulder and waited for him to meet her eyes before answering, “I have missed you so much. The first night you came to me in a dream I knew then everything was going to be okay. There was no doubt in my mind you would find a way to save me.”

He shifted so he could lean over her. “There’s no power in hell strong enough to keep two people who are meant to be together, apart. The poor bastard had no idea what he was fighting against.” He kissed her forehead before pulling away and standing. “Let’s go get cleaned up before the rest of the household wakes up.”

For the first time Anne looked at around at her surroundings. “The rest of the household? Where are we?”

Mark nodded toward his private bathroom. “It’s going to take some explaining so why don’t I fill the bathtub with water while we talk?”

Anne gathered the top sheets around her body. Instead of looking at Mark, she focused on the floor. Suddenly feeling very unsure of himself, he tucked a finger under her chin, and left her no other choice but to look at him. “There’s a shower and a tub. I’ll let you have your privacy but I have been searching for you too long. I’m staying as close to you as I can for right now. Okay?”

Her eyes skirted away again, so he knelt to be eye level. “What is it?”

Tears ran down Anne’s face again so Mark wrapped his arms around her again. She whispered into his neck. “I’m so ashamed.”

He rocked back on his heels so he could make eye contact with her. “You should never be ashamed for trying to save your sister. I’m not ashamed of you. I think you’re the noblest person I have ever met.” He placed a light kiss on her lips before saying, “Maybe one day you’ll see the woman I see.” After standing, he tugged on her hand until she had no other choice than to follow him into the bathroom. Once there, he grabbed a couple of clean towels before turning the water on in both the tub and the shower.

While Anne didn’t protest, she also didn’t make a move toward the bathtub, so he handed her a towel before going to the other side of the bathroom to round up shampoo, soap and lotion. He lined those on the edge of the tub before focusing on her again. “A good, long soak in the tub will make you feel like a new woman.” He waited for her to nod, indicating she had heard him. After a moment, she did and then met his eyes again. His heart dropped. She looked broken. Was the woman he had been searching for lost to him forever?

Something deep inside told him if she was ever going to have any hope of returning back to normal, she was going have to make some effort on her own. There were a few things he couldn’t fix and a broken spirit was at the very top of that long list.

Swallowing back the rising bile, Mark headed across the room to the shower. He wanted to look back to see how Anne was doing, but instead he slipped off the filthy pajama bottoms and walked under the hot water spraying down from the showerhead. He focused on washing his hair and scrubbing the layer of grime off his entire body forcing himself to ignore what was happening across the room with Anne.

It wasn’t until Mark was certain every inched had been scrubbed clean of the evil from his nightmare did he step out of the shower and dry off. When he was completely dry, he wrapped the towel around his waist and only then did he look over toward the bathtub. It was a huge relief to see Anne had not only climbed into the tub but had already washed her hair. She was leaning back with her head resting on the rim of the tub and her arms crisscrossed across her chest. It wasn’t until he went over to sit on the floor next to her he realized she was humming. Just in case she opened her eyes and caught him there, he turned to face the opposite wall. All he wanted was to be near if she needed him.

Scents of orange blossom shampoo and soap filled the bathroom. When Mark closed his eyes, he could almost forget the nightmare, Septem, and the sight of Anne locked in a cage as if she had been an animal in a zoo.

“I gave myself to Septem thinking I could exchange my soul for Kylie’s. I should have known better than to make a deal with a liar, but I had failed my baby sister while she was alive. I didn’t want to fail her during her death. It didn’t seem fair she was dead and I wasn’t.”

Mark didn’t open his eyes or speak. He thought it was better if he merely listened.

“Of course I didn’t know I couldn’t trade my soul for hers. Septem didn’t reveal that little tidbit to me until much later, after I had given myself to him.” She let out a long ragged sigh and then a humorless laugh. “He only thought he wanted me. He served his master but was jealous of both him and Liam. He hated them both because they had more power than him. You see, he wanted to be the only ruler. He knew he would never achieve such a goal, but he could steal things from Satan.”

Anne must have shifted her weight in the tub because he heard the water splash.

“After Septem spent the first night with me, he realized he didn’t really want me, but he couldn’t let me go and he couldn’t take me with him to the Seventh Realm. If he did, then Satan would know he lied about my passing over into the light. The only solution was to trap me in the realm of nightmares. No one had ever gone there willingly, before you.”

It was only then Mark could no longer avoid looking at her. He turned to caress her hair. “You’re going to be okay, Anne Trace.”

It was a small smile lifting the corners of her lips, but a smile nevertheless. She took in a deep breath before asking, “So, is this your house now?”

Mark laughed. “No. I could never afford anything like this. I lost my position on the force, and had to find a new job, so I’m working security for a very lovely family.”

She looked around the huge bathroom before finally settling on his face again. “How are you going to explain me to your boss?”

Mark placed his palm against her cheek. “I’m going to tell him I finally found the love of my life again and I’m going keep her.”

Epilogue

Morgan and Wade chose to keep the name Champ’s, since it held a sense of nostalgia for them both. Opening night brought a crowd almost double in size of the night they met. Thankfully, due to careful planning and expansions, they were able to accommodate everyone, and Morgan breathed a sigh of relief when Mark managed to clear a path large enough for her to take her seat. The table reserved for special guests, had the perfect view of the stage, and Morgan stared at the semi-lit platform, barely restraining herself from chewing on her nails. Even though she knew Wade had been doing this for years, she wasn’t used to watching him perform in front of so many people, and it had been a few months since he’d gone live on stage. Although he’d not seemed nervous when she’d left his side to take her place on the floor, she couldn’t stop her worry.

Mark stood with his arms crossed over his chest, staring menacingly at the crowd as if daring anyone to attempt to come through him in order to reach her side. She was grateful he’d chosen to stay with them instead of returning to New Orleans. She half expected they’d never see him again once she learned he’d worked things out with the woman he loved. Morgan felt as if Mark was a part of their family. Cole loved him, and she didn’t want to let him go, but she would have. Thankfully, one look at Anne, and Morgan was sold. There was something about the girl. She reminded Morgan of Wade, in a way. Morgan was a sucker for lost souls, and as soon as she learned Anne was an unemployed former waitress, she knew Champ’s had its new manager.

Glancing over at the red-haired girl who’d stolen Mark’s heart, Morgan flashed her an anxious smile. “I hope Wade gets started soon. My nerves can’t take much more of this.”

Anne’s blue eyes lit with humor. “Gosh, Morgan. You would think you’re the one going on stage.” She nodded toward the crowd. “This is probably nothing compared to the number of people Wade’s performed in front of in concert.”

“I know, it’s just…” Morgan couldn’t explain how much this particular stage meant to her. In her mind, she could still see Wade walking backwards onto it, waiting for Morgan’s approval. The white t-shirt stretching across his chest and the Wrangler jeans cupping his ass made it hard for her to let him go. Most people couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment they fell in love, or didn’t believe in love at first sight, but Morgan knew. It was that moment. Shaking her head, Morgan came back to her senses, and Anne was watching her closely. Although Anne’s eyes focused on Morgan, she reached out, brushing her hand down Mark’s back before looping a finger into his belt loop as if completely in tune with his presence. Witnessing the intimate moment loosened Morgan’s tongue. “This place is special,” she admitted, knowing Anne would understand.

The lights above the stage fired to life drawing Morgan’s gaze and saving her from further explanation. The band ran on stage, waving to the crowd, before taking up their positions. Wade strolled out last, carrying his guitar in one hand and appearing sexier than any man had the right to. The noise level inside the club was deafening, and even as Wade acknowledged their cheers, he sought her out with his eyes as if ensuring she was there.

The clamor died down a bit as Wade took his place behind the microphone. “Hey guys. How are y’all doing tonight? As you might have heard, I was born here in Texas.” The word, Texas, caused a wall-shaking roar, and Wade let out a husky chuckle. Chills formed on Morgan’s skin at the familiar sound. “When I decided to give up touring so I could be with my family, it was only natural I should settle here. Places like this one, have amazing talent playing inside them every weekend, but the odds of those artists ever making a name for themselves are slim. My hope is, one day, Champ’s will be known as the place where most new country artists are discovered.” Wade paused to loop the strap of his guitar over his neck, and another round of cheering rang out as he ran his fingers over its strings. Appearing satisfied with the sound, he leaned into the mic once more. “I’ve written several songs for my wife over the years. Y’all just didn’t know it.” A rumble of laughter rolled through the building and Wade waited for it to pass before continuing, “Another thing most people don’t know is I met wife at this very club, so I know this place is a spot where dreams come true.” Several women sighed and Morgan’s chest tightened as he spoke. “That being said, I don’t think there’s a better place to share this new song.” His eyes found hers. “This one’s for you, Morgan.”

Tex led in with a fast beat and a huge smile lit Wade’s face. Recognizing the mischievous glint in his eyes, Morgan almost groaned as Wade matched Tex’s rapid tempo with this guitar. She knew in her heart he was up to no good and as soon as he sang, her suspicions were confirmed.

“I was claimed by you and I’ll never be the same. I’ve been chained by you, skin to skin with you…and I can’t wait to do it again.”

Howls and catcalls rent the air making Morgan want to hide her face. The noise, thankfully, drowned out a majority of the lyrics. She knew her cheeks were bright red, but she still couldn’t look away from Wade as he sang. Happiness radiated from the stage.

“It was a complicated mess, an unadulterated success. Don’t you think it’s time you undress…and let me do it again. I’ve torn my name from your lips and felt you tremble beneath my fingertips. You’ve kept me on the highest of highs with only the sound of your sighs…and I can’t wait to do it again.”

Over the roar of applause, Wade called Morgan’s name, making sure she didn’t miss a word. “I love you. I can’t wait to do it again, baby.” In spite of her deep blush, she mouthed the words, “I love you too” back at him and his luminous smile let her know he’d seen.

They’d come a long way from the first time she’d watched Wade singing in the same spot he now stood. Several things had changed after Morgan lost her dignity—along with her panties—in the parking lot of Champ’s, but she’d gained the world since then.

The End

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

CHARITY PARKERSON-
Charity Parkerson is an award winning and multi-published author with several companies. Born with no filter from her brain to her mouth, she decided to take this odd quirk and insert it in her characters. 
*2015 Readers' Favorite Award Winner
*Winner of 2, 2014 Readers' Favorite Awards
*2015 Passionate Plume Award Finalist 
*2013 Readers' Favorite Award Winner
*2013 Reviewers' Choice Award Winner
*2012 ARRA Finalist for Favorite Paranormal Romance
*Five-time winner of The Mistress of the Darkpath
Connect with her online:
--Website: charityparkerson.com
--Facebook: facebook.com/authorCharityParkerson
facebook.com/TheMenofSin
--Twitter: twitter.com/CharityParkerso

REGINA PUCKETT-
Regina Puckett is a 2014 Readers’ Favorite Award winning author for her sweet romance, Concealed in My Heart. Her steampunk book, I Will Breathe, and her children’s picture book, Borrowed Wings, both received the Children’s Literary Classic Seal of Approval.