“It’s hot, just the way I like it.”
A grin flashed across Wade’s face at his answer. “That’s good because I bought a club there. Unfortunately, even though I’m done with the limelight. It’s not done with me, and I find myself in need of someone full-time. I can hire guards and whatnot, but most of the people who apply for this type of job do so in hopes of reaping the rewards of road life. There won’t be much travel at all. I’m no longer touring. I don’t party. Honestly, I don’t even drink any longer. With any luck, there won’t be too many screaming fans beating down the door. I want a steady, full-time, and loyal security man who doesn’t mind a low-key job.”
“And relocation,” Mark reminded him.
“Yep. That’s a big one,” Wade agreed. “As I said, my heart is in Texas. I’ve already hired Justice to work ground’s security, so he’s really only hanging out with me here until I find the right person.”
Calling on his years of interrogation experience, Mark managed to keep the surprise out his expression as he turned in the direction of the man standing guard beside the office door. Mark couldn’t remember the last time he’d allowed anyone to sneak up on him, and this man had kept his presence hidden throughout the entire interview, but those details only played a small role in Mark’s shock. He’d met this particular man before.
The corner of the massive bodyguard’s mouth lifted as he openly enjoyed Mark’s discomfiture. They’d only met once and it had been a brief encounter, but Mark would never forget it. His baldhead and hulk-like build had nothing to do with Mark’s inability to wipe away the memory of him. It all came back to Anne. The last time Mark had seen Justice, he’d been working the door of a nightclub in New Orleans, and Mark suspected the person responsible for Anne’s disappearance had been inside.
Mark scrambled for something to say and came up blank. Finally, in some lame attempt at holding onto his composure, he simply said, “Nice to meet you.”
At Justice’s nod, Mark turned his full attention toward the interview with Wade. His determination to land the job tripled. Months had gone by with no new leads on Anne’s disappearance, and since learning of Wade Collins’ need for a new guard, a whole new world of clues had appeared.
Weighing everything Wade said thus far, Mark decided honesty would be the best way of ensuring he got the position. “I didn’t apply for this job in order to live the high life. As you know, I worked homicide when I was on the force and I saw more than my fair share of the underbelly of society. I need the work, and while I can’t afford to be picky, I’ve also had all the excitement a person can stand for one lifetime. I’d much prefer a quiet life.”
Wade held his silence for a few minutes and Mark wasn’t a hundred percent positive he wasn’t about to get shot down. Finally, Wade asked, “How do you feel about country music?”
“Do I have the job?”
Wade gave him a short nod. “I think you do.”
“Then I can learn to love it.”
* * * * *
Morgan
Dallas, Texas
She never thought she’d die at work. That’s what sucked the most. Morgan always imagined she’d go quietly in her sleep at the age of ninety while surrounded by a horde of grandchildren. Then again, she supposed that was everyone’s dream. Instead, here she was fighting for her life in the empty alleyway behind the bonds office she hated with a passion. It wasn’t enough she’d been forced to work at this horrible place surrounded by the lowest of life’s population under a boss who she secretly believed to be the devil. Now, she was going to die here too. It was crazy the sheer number of thoughts a person could have while disaster surrounded them. Pain exploded across her cheek as the guy attempting to steal her purse, landed a solid blow to her face. It only pissed her off more. It wasn’t she wasn’t willing to give it up as much as she was unable to. Somehow, in his attempt to snag it from her shoulder and run in the opposite direction, the purse had twisted around her lower arm in the exact way needed to keep her attached to the man.
Why hadn’t she listened to her mother and married the nice boy who would’ve let her stay home and raise babies? Because he was too nice, she reminded herself as she stomped her attacker’s toes, and he twisted her arm at an unnatural angle in retaliation. Crying out in pain, Morgan dropped to her knees and her vision swam. She was praying to pass out when the man disappeared. In her pain-induced haze, her mind couldn’t grasp her surroundings any longer. He simply was there one moment and gone the next.
The vice twisting her arm relaxed and a shot of fire raced up the side of her body as the blood rushed back through it. Her stomach heaved, and the ground rushed up to meet her as the darkness finally claimed her.
Wade
Without an ounce of hesitation, Wade used his famous name to stay at Morgan’s side. It wasn’t a coincidence he’d been in the parking lot at the same time as her. He’d been making sure Morgan got home safely from work for two months now. Some might consider it stalking, but Wade preferred to think of it as proving his love from a distance. Tonight of all nights, he’d been running a few minutes behind. When he thought of what could’ve happened to her, he wanted to beat the shit out her attacker a second time. Lucky for him, Mark had been there to step in to keep Wade from killing the guy.
After arriving at the hospital, Morgan’s doctor had attempted to make Wade leave and refused to release any information about her condition until he’d used his name to take care of things. Now Morgan had the best room money could buy and he’d been left alone to watch over her. Chances were good her job didn’t have great health insurance and he didn’t want her to have to worry over the cost. She would always be his, whether she chose to be with him or ended up married to someone else. He would never allow her to want for anything. He’d tried to forget her, leave her in peace, and then give her distance, but in the end, everything came back to her. Even if she could never forgive him, he would never love anyone else. He’d tried a few times to forget her, but she was the one for him and always would be.
Her hair was a shade darker now and even with the heavy bruising on her face, she was still more beautiful than any other woman in the world. Only because he’d not looked away from her face since she came back from surgery, did he catch the slight fluttering of her eyelids. A flash of blue irises shone out at him for half a second before falling closed again.
“You were right.” Her voice sounded almost as if it hurt her to speak.
Leaning forward, Wade rested his weight on his elbows near her hip. “That doesn’t happen often. What am I right about?”
She didn’t open her eyes, and he wondered if she was truly awake, but she answered, “You said parking lots are dangerous.”
Despite the situation, he was still smiling like an idiot. It had been so long since they’d spoken to one another. He just wanted to be with her. “They are,” he conceded. “But, I don’t remember saying so.”
“I feel heavy.”
A shot of panic ran through him and he glanced at the machine keeping track of her heart rate. No alarms were sounding and everything held steady. He breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s probably the anesthesia,” he said, more to reassure himself. “They had to put a screw in your wrist. It was pretty fucked up.” Having to say the words reignited his anger. No one would ever touch her again. He would make sure of it.
She stayed silent so long he thought she’d gone back to sleep. He almost leaned back in his seat when she spoke again holding him in place. “The first night we met, you said parking lots were dangerous, and you were right. I’ve lost so many things in them.”
He smothered a laugh. Although he knew now wasn’t the time, he couldn’t resist. “You lost your panties there once.”
Once again, he thought the drugs in her system had won out, but when she did finally speak, it was so faint he knew it was only a matter of time before they pulled her under. “I lost my heart in a parking lot, and I can’t get it back. I hate you for that.”
Dropping his forehead to the bed, he sucked in a deep breath. It felt like someone was sitting on his chest and stealing the oxygen from the room. He hated himself enough for the both of them, but hearing the words from her mouth was like having his heart carved out. It was one thing to think she hated him. It was another to know. Stumbling to his feet, he dropped the bar on the bed and boxed her in with his arms. Leaning in, he pressed his lips to the side of her mouth that wasn’t split open. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he couldn’t hold back any longer. “I will make this right. I swear I will.” He could tell she was sleeping by the sound of her breathing, but it didn’t make his words any less true. If he never did anything else, he would find a way to make everything up to her.
* * * * *
She smelled his cologne before she opened her eyes. As much as she wanted to believe it was part of a dream she couldn’t shake, she knew he was there. She could practically hear his heart beating. That was how powerful Wade Collins’ presence was. After a moment of sheer panic, she decided she could no longer ignore him. If nothing else, she would eventually have to pee.
He was staring at her. She knew as much without having to look. A quick peek confirmed her suspicions. He was every bit as intense as she remembered. “Why are you here?” Honestly, she’d not meant for her words to come out sounding as spiteful as they did, but she wasn’t feeling especially cordial.
“Where else would I be?”
Her brain hurt. She couldn’t decide if it was due to her injuries or his asinine question. “In my experience?” she asked, knowing she didn’t need to expound her list of experience for him. He’d been everywhere but where she needed him.
“Fair enough.”
Those two words sent her blood pressure through the roof. She was in pain and fairly certain she looked like shit. The word “fair” rolling off his tongue, left her feeling downright murderous. “No judge would convict me,” she muttered under her breath. She made a feeble attempt to sit up, but a sharp pain shot up her arm and she gasped against it. Jumping to his feet, Wade shoved pillows under various parts of her body in attempt to ease her. The look of concern on his face gave her something to concentrate on besides the rebellion of her body. “Seriously, why are you here?” she asked through clenched teeth as she tried to breathe past the pain.
A shadow passed over his eyes. “You don’t remember?” She shook her head since she didn’t think she’d be able to speak again. “Do you at least remember why you are here?”
The pain subsided into a dull ache and she let her breath out slowly. “Yes. Some guy tried to steal my purse.” As she said the words, hazy memories beat at the edge of her mind. “You saved me,” she said absently, picturing the crazed look on his face when he’d appeared out of nowhere during the attack. Everything had gone black, but there were other moments as well. She’d been in and out, but he’d been there each time she’d opened her eyes.
Raised voices outside the door pulled Morgan out her own thoughts and Wade straightened away from her. They both stared at the wooden surface in confusion, and when it flew open, Morgan’s heart dropped. Kathy stormed inside with a squirming Cole in her arms followed closely by a tall man with wide shoulders and mocha skin. They both looked pissed.
“Wade,” Kathy huffed as she looked pointedly at him. “You need to tell your pit bull to back the eff off.” Kathy’s attempt to curb her potty mouth while holding Cole made Morgan smile. A move she immediately regretted when it pulled at the cuts on her face.
“Nice to see you too, Kathy, and Mark is doing his job. I told him not to allow anyone in here.”
Her brows drew together in a thunderous scowl. “How is keeping this baby away from his momma part of his job?” Morgan could see it happening like a wreck. She was powerless to stop it. Wade’s eyes moved to Cole’s face and she could practically feel the calculation going on his head. In the end, it didn’t matter how the math worked out, Kathy cleared everything up. “Just because you suck as a parent, doesn’t give you the right to keep Cole from the one person who didn’t skip out on him.”
It was hard to say who was the most shocked in the room. Wade’s guard was eyeing every corner of the room as if seeking a way out while Kathy appeared satisfied. That part didn’t surprise Morgan. Her friend had always been vocal on her belief Wade should have kept Cole in grand style, but never did Morgan dream she would betray her like this. Wade slowly turned his gaze from Cole to Morgan. She felt sick. She’d never, ever wanted him to know. The burning need to look away from the hurt in his eyes ate at her gut, but she held her ground. It all came down to what she could live with, and what she couldn’t.
“Is my duck!” Cole called out and threw himself forward in Kathy’s arms. Holding a bright yellow rubber duck in one sticky hand, Cole tried reaching for Morgan with the other. With one arm in a cast, she couldn’t take him into her arms the way she wanted to. Mark intervened by plucking Cole from Kathy’s arms. The guard almost seemed relieved to have something to do other than standing in the center of their awkwardness. Pulling the bar up on her bed with one hand, he planted the toddler on her good side so he couldn’t get away. Morgan’s eyes filled with tears as she met the man’s sweet brown gaze. “Thank you,” she mouthed, unable to push the actual words past her swollen throat. He nodded before stepping away. Catching sight of her tears, Kathy seemed to realize she’d screwed up. “I’m so sorry, Morgan. I shouldn’t have said anything. I was just so pissed to see him sitting here after all this time.” She turned on Wade. “You have a lot of nerve showing up after all you’ve done.”
“Get out.” Morgan’s words sounded deadly even to her own ears. Kathy looked as if Morgan had slapped her, but she didn’t leave. “Let me take Cole with me. You can’t take care of him while you’re stuck in here.”
“Get out,” Morgan growled again, and Mark intervened by steering Kathy from the room. She shot several desperate glances over her shoulder as she left but she didn’t make any further attempt to stay.
Wade was watching Cole as if he’d withdrawn inside of himself. It was familiar ground for Morgan. He lived in a fortress no one could breach and it was a life she didn’t want for her son. There was no hell in comparison to loving him. Mark spoke up, dragging her attention away from Wade.
“Miss Bradley, you aren’t in any condition to care for a child right now. Is there anyone else I can call to come help you?”
Even though she knew he was right, her pride would not allow her to back down. “Thank you for your concern, but we’ve been just fine on our own up until this point. We’ll muddle our way through this on our own too. Now, if y’all don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if y’all would leave.”
Mark shook his head. “No ma’am. I won’t abandon you like this.”
Another tear rolled down her cheek and she brushed at it with her shoulder. She needed to pull herself together for Cole’s sake.
“I got duck,” he said, holding up the toy he never went anywhere without. The sound of his voice seemed to pull Wade from his stupor. Cole held the duck out to him. “See.”
Wade brushed the tip of his finger over the duck’s head as if he was petting him. “I see.” His voice was so tender Morgan’s chest shuttered as she took her next breath. She was going to fall apart in the next fifteen minutes if he didn’t go away.
Without meeting her eyes, Wade stood. “I’ll call my lawyer first thing in the morning. There’s no need for this to become a media circus.”
She felt the rejection all the way to her soul. Even seeing the reason in his words did nothing to ease the effect they had on her heart. All she’d ever known from Wade was betrayal. The pain stole her voice and she could only nod mutely.
“You should stay here,” he said to Mark as he headed for the door. “I know this is not in your job description, but if anyone catches wind of this they’ll be all over this room.”
Mark clapped him on the shoulder. “You couldn’t pry me away.” With a short nod of assent, Wade l
eft without a backward glance.
“Duck! Duck! Duck!” Cole chanted at the top of his lungs, unwilling to be ignored. A horrible sound escaped Morgan’s lips. One coming from deep inside of her that she couldn’t control. Mark reached for Cole, and she didn’t try to stop him. She was incapable. Tears she’d kept locked inside for years came without warning, and her body shook with the violence of it. For the first time in Cole’s life and throughout every hardship she’d faced alone, she was genuinely powerless to care for him.
Not only was she hospitalized, in pain, and with a broken arm, it was as if something inside of her snapped. She didn’t know how long she cried but Mark sat by her side playing with Cole until it passed. In the end, she was left feeling empty.
After a few minutes, Mark cleared his throat uncomfortably. “You know,” he said slowly, sounding as if he expected her to snap at him. “I’ve been with Wade for a little while now, and I find it hard to believe he would have turned his back on you if he’d been given the chance.”
She gestured helplessly unable to find the words to explain her reasons. “At first, it was about me,” she admitted. “I couldn’t stand the thought of the light leaving his eyes. Wade and music aren’t two separate things. Without it, Wade is not whole and keeping him here with me would’ve been the same as slowly killing him in the most painful way possible. Then Cole was born.” She swallowed against the memory of the first time she’d set eyes on her new baby. “I loved him so much from the very first second, the thought of him struggling….” She stopped unable to finish. There were no words for what it was like to love Wade. He gave only enough of himself to make a person want more and then they were left dying inside from his neglect when he withdrew into himself. “You heard him. He’s calling his lawyer in the morning. What do I tell Cole now? At least before Wade knew, I could take the fall and pray my love proved I had a good reason for my choices, but now there’s nothing but the ugly truth his father did not want him. How do I explain such a thing?”
Hell Bound (Seventh Level Book 2) Page 5