Three Times a Lady Read online

  “You or someone in your employ caused her death. I don’t know who or how but someday I will,” Haile answered. “This isn’t about her right now. Come anywhere near Mari again, and I’ll break your spine.”

  “Have a thing for that one.” Jeffery smiled wide. “Trust me, she is a tasty piece.”

  Haile slapped him hard across the mouth. “Mind your words, Rat, or I’ll rip your tongue out from your head. Joslyn ruined your plan on trying to cheat on her... again, and Mari saw through you.”

  “You think you got her pegged, you’ll soon figure out why she ran to England,” Jeffery sneered. “She was coming to me, to do all sorts of nasty things to her. Because that’s what she likes...” Haile raised his hand again, and Jeffery flinched before whimpering. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please don’t hit me again.”

  “I won’t, I forgot you get off on it.” Haile looked at the man in disgust. “Even look at her again, and I’ll break you in the worst way possible. Joslyn will happen to get a really thick envelope with all sorts of pictures and videos.”

  “You have nothing on me,” Jeffery spat out.

  “Try me and find out.” Haile was nose to nose with him. “You’re a fucking little pervert who can’t sit at home too long. I’ll be watching, so scurry along, Rat, before I step on your neck.”

  Haile shoved him away, and Jeffery fixed his coat and tie as he stumbled on the uneven stone. He turned and spoke. “You know, many people have another opinion on your sister’s disappearance. For example, you did it yourself because you lusted after her, your very own redheaded pet.”

  Haile snarled and moved toward him, but Jeffery saw he’d gone too far and ran out of the alley, rounding the corner and gone in an instant. Haile punched the wall, and the pain bloomed through his hand from the brick meeting his knuckles. Calm down, calm down, he said to himself as he paced. Four steps in, look within. Five steps back bring down the stack. He said the mantra that was taught to him when he needed it the most.

  When the fury finally settled, he went out the alley the way he came and walked towards the pub while his hand throbbed in his pocket. He thought about what

  Jeffery said and pulled his own cell from his pocket. After scrolling through the contacts, he pressed a familiar number.

  “Mac, how are you, Mate?” Haile said warmly and listened before giving a small laugh.

  “Yeah, yeah, I’ll visit eventually, but you know big city D.C. is too much for a small town fisherman,” Haile replied. “Listen, do me a favor will you? Can you check out a name for me? Marisol Elliot and someone associated with her named Marcus and no, I don’t have a last name.” He paused and said, “Thanks mate, I appreciate it, get back with me as soon as you can.”

  He had learned long ago that information sometimes was better than money and dealt like currency. He’d make sure there were no surprises waiting for him. One way or another, he would see Jeffery punished for his sister. The truth wouldn’t stay buried even if he couldn’t find her body.

  * * * *

  Sunday night ruckus was in full swing. That was what the friendly neighborhood teams named it after the local rugby game. If anyone watched the match, you wouldn’t think these men and yes, a few women, worked and lived around each other. Haile had seen most of them and hell, even played in a few. Rain or shine they were out on the field, getting muddy, more often than not bruised and injured. Yet when they got into ye ol’ neighborhood pub, pints flowed and egos were soothed.

  Tonight was no different, between the fish and chips, beer and mud on the ground. Everyone was loud and cheerful, his people were making good money in tips. He watched Mari work. She was behind the bar at some points or helping bring out food to hungry patrons. Mari wore patchwork jeans that hugged every curve and a top that almost reminded him of a corset with long sleeves. It hugged the underside of her breasts, and hell, every man in the place had their eyes on her luscious chocolate cleavage.

  It could get rowdy at the pub, As they got drunk, punches could be thrown, and he was always there to make sure no one got hurt. Car services made money on Sunday nights as well. More often than not, no one was sober enough to drive home. Wives collected husbands or husbands collected wives. It was a toss up on what would be seen on Sunday night. He resisted the urge to let his fist fly more than once with people hitting on Mari. He warned Barney who worked at the fish market about smacking her or any of his servers on the ass twice before kicking him out. Finally, he rang the last call bell with a sigh of relief and watched the panicked faces of Mari and his other bartender as the mad dash to the bar was made.

  “Hey pretty lady, wanna come around here and give me something other than a beer?” a voice slurred loudly. “I mean, head on a beer is one thing. I’ve got a second one you can take care of.”

  Haile’s head swiveled at the crass comment and saw it was one of the ruby players, and his comment was directed at Mari.

  “No thank you, the head on Guinness is quite enough for me,” Mari answered and slid the beer onto the counter.

  Before she could move the man snatched at her hand and tried to pull her close up to the bar. He leaned over as if to try to kiss her, but Haile was there in an instant with his hand on the man’s neck.

  “Alex, what the hell did I tell you about trying to kiss my people without permission.” Haile slapped him upside the head. “You must be daft... again.”

  The man called Alex turned and shoved Haile hard. “You just want to keep all the pretties for yourself, especially the brown one. It’s all over town you’re shagging her.”

  “That’s it, go home, you’re drunk,” Haile said angrily. “Sleep it off and then come apologize tomorrow.”

  Alex spat on the floor. “I will do no such thing, fucking pansy. Fight me for her then.”

  “I will not be fighting anyone. Last chance: walk out on your own or I throw you out,” Haile ordered.

  “Throw me out, he says,” Alex chortled. “You couldn’t even protect your own sister from God knows how many men, Jeffery said. Now you want to throw me out. Fuck you, Haile Buchannan, and I’ll fuck this pretty little thing too in front of—”

  Alex never got to finish his sentence because the punch that Haile landed sent him sprawling across the room. The small crowd that was left let out an “Ooh,” and Alex got up with a rage filled snarl and charged Haile. It was a knock down, drag out fight. Drunk or not, Alex gave as good as he got. But soon Haile had the upper hand and pinned the man to the ground and leveled angry punches at his face.

  “Haile Buchannan, get up off him right this instant!” Mrs. Humphrey’s voice had the entire pub silent in seconds. “You two idiots should be ashamed of yourselves, brawling as if you were teens in this establishment. Someone help Alex off the floor and call his wife to scrape him from the pavement outside.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Alex’s friends crowded around him, and he shoved them away angrily.

  “You can’t tell me what to do!” he yelled at Mrs. Humphrey.

  Mrs. Humphrey tucked her towel into her apron and pushed up the sleeves to her sweater. “Excuse me, you little whelp, I boxed your ears when you were a boy, and I’ll do it now. Do you want me to come over there and show you?”

  Alex’s eyes widened. “No, ma’am.”

  “Get out of here, all of you,” Mrs. Humphrey yelled. “I mean everyone. Don’t even finish the damn drinks on that bar or I’ll break your fingers.”

  Money was dropped on the bar quickly, and a mass exodus was made to the front door. Haile stood in the corner quietly because it was a certainty he was next. When he tried to quietly move toward his office, the older woman leveled him with a stare.

  “You have a title, and while it may mean nothing to you, it is a sign of respect for the rest of us,” Mrs. Humphrey said slowly, and her voice was intense. “You want to brawl and fight like some gutter raised whelp, then so be it. But don’t you ever do it for my eyes to see or my ears to hear. I told your mum I would watch over you as she would. L
aura Buchannan wouldn’t be having this.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Haile bowed his head in contrition. While his anger still raged, there was an unsaid understanding by everyone. You never dared talk back to Dollie Humphrey.

  “Now you help clean this mess, and we close for the night,” Mrs. Humphrey muttered and walked away. “I don’t know why I don’t stay home and mind my grandkids. If the little bugger had any manners I would, but it seems no one here has any either.”

  The waitresses were pretending to be busy while Mrs. Humphrey chewed him out. But he could see the smiles they and the other bartender, Morgan, were trying to hide. Mari wasn’t behind the bar anymore. He frowned but began to sweep and pick up the bigger shards of glass that were broken. It didn’t need to be said, but it should be pristine before Mrs. Humphrey came back out there. She hadn’t just boxed Alex’s ears when he was growing up. At some point, they all could claim that they had faced her wrath and her hands. Finally, she gave her seal of approval as the staff counted tips. Morgan handed over Mari’s share to him.

  “She ran off when the fighting got really going,” Morgan explained. “She looked terrified to tell you the truth.”

  Haile took the money. “Thanks, I’ll give it to her before I leave. You guys get home safely. Remember, buddy up please or call the car service. I’m going to go see Mrs. H off.”

  They nodded, and he saw Morgan pick up the phone to call the service. He never wanted his people to walk home alone or take a bus late at night. Nor should they have to spend their tips to make it home safely. So he’d set up an account with the local taxi service to take anyone from his staff home, and he covered the tab monthly. It gave him peace of mind to know they made it home without incident. Mrs. H’s husband parked out back, and he helped her and kissed her cheek, apologizing once more.

  “You scared her senseless, you know,” Mrs. Humphrey said. “I came out as she was rushing away, and I saw pure panic in her eyes. I don’t think it was the fight. I think it was you. Something went wrong in that child’s life, and the violence brought it up in a big way.”

  “Damn it,” he muttered. “I’ll take care of it, I promise. Night, Mr. H.”

  Her husband mumbled something in return from under his old beat up hat.

  “You’d better. I like that girl.” She smacked him on the cheek before he stepped back and she closed the door.

  Haile watched the rear light of the car for a moment before he stepped inside and closed the door. He locked it and threw the main bar across the barrier so no one could try to break in. His face was sore, he’d have a bruised jaw and swollen eye in the morning. He strolled back to the front, turning off lights as he went, and finally he grabbed the stack of bills off the bar and headed upstairs to the apartment. Haile knocked on the door a few times before she even answered. When Mari opened the barrier, she had a thick comforter wrapped around her, and her eyes were wide and afraid.

  “You left your tips downstairs,” he said gently.

  “Thank you.” Her words were soft almost a whisper as she took the bills.

  He took a step forward, and she stumbled back, terror in her eyes. He suspected before, but her reaction affirmed his suspicions. Haile wanted to kill the man who made her cower in fear. It tore at him knowing this time it was him.

  Haile moved back and spoke gently. “Mari, Marisol, I would never hurt you or any woman. I swear it, on my life, on everything I love. I’m not that person.”

  “You just keep hitting... and hitting... I could hear the sound of your fist hitting skin,” she said almost numbly as if caught in her own bad memory. Tears slipped down her cheeks. “I can’t stand that sound, I- I had to run... I had to run so fast, and I had to be quiet because if he knew....”

  “Oh hell, love.”

  Unable to help himself, Haile moved forward and pulled her into his arms. She struggled for a moment and the whimpering sounds of fear she made shattered his heart. “It’s okay, you’re safe, please Mari, no one will hurt you, I won’t hurt you,” he said the words raggedly in repetition until she stopped and only their breathing could be heard.

  Haile used his hand to cup her cheek and lift her head. Mari looked at him with wide brown eyes, filled with doubt and uncertainty. He never wanted her to feel that way about him. it was hard enough for her to trust him to help her that first night, and now, because he couldn’t curb his anger, he’d caused this. He bent his head and kissed her tenderly, a soft brush of the lips to show her he was gentle. She gasped, and he caught a taste of her mouth on the tip of his tongue.

  She pushed him away. “I didn’t come here for this! I don’t want to be that girl who runs from man to man looking for something I may never find. I just want peace, Haile! I want to live and work and be happy. Can’t I just have that for once in my life?”

  “You can.” His voice was a soft baritone. “You deserve that and more. You will have it here, I swear on it. I’m sorry I scared you.”

  He turned on his heels and walked away, even as she called his name softly. Haile didn’t dare turn back. He wanted her, and finally admitting it to himself hurt worse than punching a wall or getting his face pummeled. Right now she saw him as one of the many monsters who could hurt her. You are such a fucking fool, he thought as he locked up the bar and headed toward his own home.

  Chapter Four

  Zeva called the next day and asked her to the manor house for lunch. It wasn’t only a social call; her visa had come in and since she planned to stay, the first paperwork for her permanent residency in the United Kingdom needed to be completed. Jeffery may have screwed her over, but luck seemed to be on her side. She met the American Duchess who took Mari under her wing. Both she and Jasper offered to be her sponsors. She had never been more blessed than to find friends like them.

  In all honesty, she had no one back in Texas. No parents, well they were alive, they just didn’t care. No friends, since they all essentially ran away for their own safety. Mari felt more at home in Northumberland than she ever did in Texas, and she needed someone to talk to. Haile had scared her last night, and she didn’t know if she should stay in the apartment anymore. Mari came down the stairs tentatively and looked around. It was eleven, and no one was there yet. Oh thank God, it’s Monday, she thought and sighed.

  They weren’t open on Mondays, and Haile would be there soon to take care of the books and deliveries. He would sign for them, and she and the staff would put everything away and check the list before they opened tomorrow. Except for the kitchen deliveries, Mrs. H always did that herself Monday afternoon. Mari hurried down the stairs and chose to call the car service from the corner. It was a twenty minute drive to the manor house, and she marveled at the stone structure as the car pulled up in front on the white gravel driveway. The house was at least three stories with a full attic, and it was huge, along with the guesthouse and workshop and the manicured lawns. It was a marvel, and she’d never seen anything that resembled it in Texas.. She paid the driver, walked up to the front door, and rang the door buzzer. Mari waited patiently. Zeva was very pregnant and would be moving slow. She was amazed when the door opened a few seconds later.

  “I didn’t think you’d move so fast,” Mari teased.

  “Still an Army girl, this baby weight is a fifty pound pack but on the opposite end,” Zeva answered with a smile and embraced her. “How are you?”

  “I’m really good,” Mari said warmly. “How are you and the lil’ bit?”

  “I’d be better if he or she stops trying to kick my bladder in.” Zeva ushered her in before leading her down the hall into the converted family room/office.

  Mari marveled at how elegant Zeva looked in the knit dress and low boots as she moved into the room. She’d seen some pregnant woman who looked exhausted ten times over at this point. But with her high ponytail and royal blue dress, she looked fantastic.

  “I ordered us some lunch. It was delivered just before you got here.” Zeva pointed at the coffee table. “I promise when this bab
y gets evicted I’ll actually make us some lunch.”

  “You should’ve told me to come earlier, I’d have made us something,” Mari said.

  Zeva waved her hand. “Nah, it’s fine, you’re my guest. Now, this envelope has your work papers, and the visa is stamped in your passport. You can get an ID and even apply for your license.”

  “Get out—I can drive here?” Mari asked in excitement as she thought about buying a dependable but cheap car.

  Zeva nodded and teased, “Just gotta get accustomed to driving on the wrong side of the road and badly.

  “They do drive like maniacs,” Mari laughed.

  “Let’s never tell them that, they’d be offended.,” Zeva grinned. “Feel free to dig in. I got the sandwiches from that local deli close to the market.”

  “Their delivery guy bikes all the way out here?” Mari asked amazed.

  “Exactly!” Zeva took a sip of her drink. “In D.C. they seemed to think I committed a crime by asking them to deliver two blocks away. I tip handsomely, by the way, because I appreciate good service.”

  Mari lifted her cup. “As a good duchess should.”

  “The gossip got to me already,” Zeva hinted. “Haile was in a bar brawl last night?”

  “Mrs. H put a halt to it, but it was awful.” Mari shuddered. “I never thought... he was a completely different person. It was terrifying.”

  Zeva gave her a curious look. “You do know he was in the military? From what I’ve gleaned over the last few years, he’s seen some stuff, and then he comes home to his sister being missing.”

  “And Jeffery Moermond being the main suspect,” Mari finished for her. “He tried to sweet talk me at the market yesterday and after that threatened me.”

  “What does he have to threaten you with?” Zeva was barely nibbling her sandwich and rubbing her lower tummy.

  Mari sighed and put down her plate. “I was in a very abusive relationship in Texas. I had to run. This trip was made under the cover of darkness while I knew he or his friends were too drunk to see me slip away. I lived in fear, I lost all of my friends, he and his family basically destroyed my life, and I had to live there because I had no other choice.”