Read Online Hell Bound (Seventh Level Book 2) by Charity Parkerson, Regina Puckett - Free Book Online
Authors: Charity Parkerson, Regina Puckett
Tags: paranormal romance
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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Wade was watching Cole as if he’d withdrawn inside of himself.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 left 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
“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 left 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
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