Seventh Heaven (Heaven Sent Book 7) Read online

  Table of Contents

  SEVENTH HEAVEN

  Heaven Sent, 7

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2017 Mary Abshire

  ISBN: 978-1-77339-327-8

  Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

  Editor: Audrey Bobak

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  SEVENTH HEAVEN

  Heaven Sent, 7

  Mary Abshire

  Copyright © 2017

  Chapter One

  The glass doors swooshed to the sides as Andrew approached one of the entrances to Reagan National Airport. He strode inside and found herds of people with their luggage, standing in long lines at ticket counters. A woman on the intercom announced a flight boarding for Chicago. The busy airport scene looked different from seven weeks ago when he and Emily had hopped on a plane to Vegas to get married. They hadn’t waited in any lines. Now, travelers were packed like sardines. He presumed most were heading out to see family for Christmas. Fortunately, all Andrew needed to do was find a sign or directory to figure out where to pick up his good buddy, Matt.

  Andrew passed the craziness of the check-in area and proceeded toward the entrance to the gates. Rows of more travelers waited to pass through security. Nearby, he found several screens hanging above. He stopped and searched for Matt’s Delta flight. According to the display, his plane had arrived. Andrew noted the destination for baggage claim before he spun and headed back the way he’d come.

  Spotting an ATM on the wall, Andrew decided to withdraw some cash. With Christmas near, he hoped to purchase something for his loving wife. They’d agreed not to buy each other anything, but he planned to anyway. He hadn’t a clue what to get her, but he figured he’d come up with an idea soon. And when he did, he wanted to make sure he had plenty of funds on hand.

  He pulled out his wallet from his leather bomber jacket as he reached the wall-mounted device. Following a glimpse in each direction, he slid his card into the slot. He typed his code, the amount he wanted, and then the machine made a grinding sound. Within seconds, bills arrived for his taking. He grabbed the money and his card before he walked away.

  Signs above informed him where to find the baggage claim area. He found the escalators leading down not far from the signage. Following the mass of new arrivals, he rode down to the first level. His phone buzzed in the pocket of his jeans as he reached the floor. Stepping to the side, he dug out his cell. A message from Emily had arrived.

  Is he there yet?

  Smiling, Andrew replied. Plane has landed. Waiting at baggage claim for him. How’s the baby?

  He held the phone at his side as he continued toward multiple claim areas. Digital displays above the oblong carousels indicated the flight names and numbers. He wedged between men and women as he searched for Matt’s plane. The crowd thinned on his way to the back. He finally found the right spot. An older couple stood nearby watching and waiting. Andrew stopped several feet from one of the exits so he wouldn’t be in the way of others trying to find their bags.

  The vibration of his cell captured his attention. A new text had arrived from Emily.

  Baby kicked a little. I think it’s hungry.

  A grin formed as he thought about his pregnant wife. She’d started feeling light movements within the last few days. She’d seen a doctor a week ago, and he’d said both the fetus and mother were healthy. Andrew couldn’t have been happier about the news since they’d been on the road for five weeks before arriving in Rockville, Maryland. He disliked moving around so much, but they had to as a precaution.

  I’ll send you a message when we get to the car.

  Having sent his response, he lifted his gaze while he slid the cell back into the pocket of his jeans. More travelers headed to the stationary carousel, many pulling luggage and carrying coats. At least they’d come prepared for the cold weather. He hoped Matt had, too.

  The light near the monitor began flashing and a buzz sounded. The silver plates on the carousel began to move. Andrew searched the arriving crowd. Behind a tall and thin older man, a dark-haired fellow with broad shoulders and thick arms carried a jacket in one hand. His soft white aura stood out among the colored ones.

  Andrew strode toward Matt. “You made it.”

  Matt greeted him with a hug and several pats on his back. “Good to see you, man.”

  Andrew took a step back. “You look well. Thanks for coming. I’m so glad you could make it.”

  “I’ve put on several pounds since I haven’t been working out as much.” Matt splayed his hand on his abdomen. “You look like you might have gained a few, too.”

  “We’ve been traveling so much I haven’t had time to jog regularly.”

  Matt looked around. “Where’s the Mrs.?”

  “She’s back at the suite. She wanted to fix a nice pasta meal for your arrival.” Andrew shifted his gaze around the room. “Honestly, I’m glad she wanted to stay behind since it’s so crowded.”

  Few people had soft white auras like Matt, and most belonged to kids. Many adults had tinted auras. Andrew spotted a few with black ones. He tried to keep Emily away from them as much as possible even though the odds of them hurting her were slim to none.

  “It’s very nice of her to cook,” Matt said. “She doesn’t have to.”

  Andrew lifted a shoulder. “She wanted to and it’s an easy meal to fix.”

  “I’ll never turn down Italian food.”

  “Me neither, which is probably part of the reason why I’ve gained a few pounds, too.”

  Matt grinned while he draped his jacket over his forearm. “Are you enjoying the married life, then?”

  “Oh, absolutely. I have the best woman ever.” Thinking of Emily sent a wave of joy flowing through him.

  “You two were meant to be together. I knew it when I saw how well you worked together.”

  “Meeting her was the best thing to ever happen to me. Sometimes I think they”—Andrew glanced up—“intended for her to find me on that country road.”

  Andrew couldn’t imagine what would have happened if she hadn’t stopped to pick him up. From the beginning, she’d been kind and generous even though she�
��d thought he had escaped a mental facility or prison. Any other person might have passed him and left him naked to fend for himself, and if that had happened, he would’ve struggled to fulfill the terms of his sentence and destroy six demons. She changed his life in many ways.

  “Anything is possible,” Matt said. “But I doubt the people in charge played any part in how your relationship developed. There’s still free will. Nobody forces others to do bad things, to hurt, or to kill. So nobody could’ve forced you or her to fall in love.”

  Andrew nodded. “That makes sense.” Their relationship had started off rocky since she hadn’t believed he’d been sent from heaven to destroy demons. She didn’t believe in hell or the palace in the sky. But in time, he opened her eyes, and she did the same for him. Before he’d met her, Andrew didn’t think twice about sleeping around with women. He never thought he’d meet someone special who would steal his heart and drive him crazy with love. How wrong he’d been. Now, he could only think about her. Together, they were better people. They were right for each other.

  “I wish I could’ve given her a proper wedding, but given our names and situation we decided to go with the quick and easy route,” Andrew said.

  Both Andrew and Emily had to wed under their alias identities. It was the only way to make their marriage legal. If she’d used her real name, the police could’ve tracked her down since she had a warrant for her arrest in Chicago. As for Andrew, he was technically dead. Red flags would’ve appeared had anyone searched under his true social security number.

  “There’s nothing wrong with a Vegas wedding,” Matt said. “I just wish I could’ve been there as a witness.”

  “You would’ve gotten a good laugh. Since it was Halloween, she dressed up like a sexy geek and I looked like a construction worker with no shirt, a hard hat, and a sledge hammer.”

  Matt chuckled. “I hope you have a picture.”

  “We do.” Andrew grinned.

  “I have to see it. Oh, man. I really wish I could’ve been there.”

  “That’s okay.” Andrew gave him a pat on the shoulder. “You get to be around for the baby’s birth and that’s much more important.”

  “You’re right, that is more important. And I’m really looking forward to being a godfather.”

  The crowd around the carousel had increased. On the bright side, more people were walking away with luggage.

  “Do you need to get a bag?” Andrew asked.

  “Just one.” Matt shifted his attention to the machine. Suitcases circled on it. “Uh, I think I see mine now.”

  “I’ll wait here.”

  Matt nodded before left for the carousel. He passed several people standing near it and hurried to the back. Finding a gap, he filled it. While Matt claimed his bag, Andrew took out his cell and typed a message to Emily, letting her know they were heading to the car.

  “Ready when you are,” Matt said.

  Andrew looked up from the phone after he hit the send icon. “Great. Follow me.” He slid the cell into his jacket as he strode toward the exit.

  Matt walked at his side, dragging his large suitcase on wheels. The glass doors parted.

  “When I spoke to Emily earlier, she said you didn’t get to take a honeymoon. But she didn’t say why and I didn’t get a chance to ask.”

  “We spent two additional nights in Vegas before we left. Since we had a third wheel with us we couldn’t get as … cozy as we would’ve liked.” Andrew paused to let traffic pass before crossing the street.

  “A third wheel? Not that Steven person, the enforcer?”

  “Yeah, him. He wouldn’t let us stray far from him. I wasn’t happy, but there was nothing I could do about it. At least I got to make her an honest woman. When we returned to Rockport, Massachusetts, I found out the cops wanted to see me again.”

  “About what?”

  They stopped near a set of elevators. Andrew pushed the call button.

  “Let me guess,” Matt said as he took his coat and slid it on. “Your last target.”

  “They asked me two stupid questions. After I answered them, they told me the autopsy showed the priest died of a heart attack. They said there wasn’t any evidence of foul play, so I was free to go.”

  “What happened with Steven?”

  “Emily and I made arrangements to go to San Antonio, where the next one is. The day before we were set to leave, the tattoo on his arm changed. He left and said he hoped he wouldn’t see us again.”

  The elevator chimed and a light above the doors illuminated. A family of four hurried to ride up with them. Andrew pushed the dial for the floor before he moved to the back with Matt and his luggage.

  “Did you make it to San Antonio?” Matt asked.

  “No. Once he left, we drove here to DC. We stayed for a while before going to Baltimore. She wanted to check Holland, Michigan, since it was on her list of top places to raise kids, so we went there for a few weeks. We never stay in the same place for long and we switch hotels frequently.”

  The elevator stopped. As soon as the doors opened, the family left.

  “I don’t like moving around, but we have to now,” Andrew said as the elevator continued up. “We’re afraid if we stay in a spot more than four days, Steven can find us. And if he does, I doubt he will give us a kind hug.”

  Andrew had zero trust in Steven. The enforcer had almost knocked Emily unconscious once, held a gun to her, and threatened to harm her if Andrew didn’t destroy the last demon in two days. After he forced Andrew out of the house, he cuffed himself to Emily so she wouldn’t try to escape. Always the fighter and survivor, Emily saw an opportunity to get away and used a skillet to knock Steven out. Andrew arrived in time and searched for the key to remove the restraints. When he couldn’t locate it, he made a deal with Steven. Emily wouldn’t run off if he removed the cuffs. Andrew had removed all the weapons from the home so he and Emily had agreed to the deal. The next day, Andrew destroyed the demon, but when he asked Steven to leave, the man refused. His instructions were to stay until the name on his arm changed. Andrew had started a fight with him and Emily had broken it up. He didn’t want to kill Steven since heaven would return him and it would piss Steven off, so they agreed to let the enforcer stay in the house. Andrew had broken a few of Steven’s ribs too. Needless to say, Steven didn’t like them much. The feeling was mutual.

  The elevator chimed when it reached the right floor. After the doors opened, Andrew led the way out.

  “Do you really think he might try to track you down again?” Matt asked, striding next to Andrew.

  “It’s possible if the people upstairs think I’m not fulfilling my sentence.”

  “How did this enforcer find you?”

  Andrew dug his key out from his pocket. “I’m not exactly sure. Emily thinks those in charge have access to databases. It seems unreal to me, but I don’t know how else he could’ve found me. I’d booked a cabin to rent in Tennessee. We left a day early because she didn’t care for it. He said he almost found us there, but he had arrived a day late. I had also booked the rental house in Rockport. He showed up on our doorstep.”

  “And both places were rented under your name?”

  “Well, Spencer’s name, but yes. My real name was on his arm, similar to my tattoo. Oh, and I paid for both places from my bank account.”

  “How did they know your alias?”

  Andrew stopped at the tail end of the Jeep. “I have no clue. But if they have it, they should have Emily’s too.” He disarmed the vehicle and then opened the back.

  “But she got a new identity when she left San Diego. She’s not Carrie Reynolds. She’s Penny Reed.” Matt set his bag in the car.

  Andrew shut the lid and it thudded. “Penny Reynolds now.”

  “Interesting,” Matt said before he headed for the passenger side.

  Andrew hopped into the driver’s seat. After he strapped the seatbelt over his chest, he put the key in the ignition.

  “Steven knows her alias, right?
” Matt asked.

  “He now knows about Penny Reed, Penny Reynolds, and her real name. I don’t think he knew about her before he showed up in Rockport.”

  Matt rubbed a hand over his mouth. “It’s so strange to me. How did he or the people in heaven know about your alias?”

  Andrew backed out of the parking spot. “I have no idea, but I hope to find out if I can remember to ask when I return.”

  “Who’s been booking hotels while you’ve been on the go since late October?”

  “She has been using her alias and online account.” Andrew followed the exit signs to get out of the garage.

  “What address is connected to it?”

  Andrew steered down a curvy ramp. “I don’t know, but it wouldn’t be valid.”

  “Have you noticed anyone following you?”

  “No, but we don’t stay in the same place for more than four days and she only pays for one night at a time.”

  “Do you think the people upstairs know her name and aliases?”

  Andrew shrugged. “I would think so. They knew mine. But Steven didn’t know about her.” He shook his head. “It’s all a bit confusing.”

  “Can Steven communicate with them?”

  “No, we don’t have that ability.”

  “If he can’t talk to them, then it’s possible they don’t have any of her names. And if they don’t, then they wouldn’t be able to track you. But I still don’t see how Steven or the people in heaven knew about your alias.”

  Andrew reached the ground level and proceeded to the ticket booth. He stopped behind a car and then removed his wallet from his jacket. “We can’t be certain, so we’re not taking any chances. Four days is our max, but we try to change locations after two days in case they catch on to us.”

  “Wow, I never thought heaven would send people to act as cops.”

  “And these enforcers have been given authority to hurt and kill.” Andrew inched the card up to the booth. He handed the ticket to the gal sitting inside.