Behind the Bar (Home in Carson Book 3)

by Renee Harless

  A quick shower and clothing change later, Landon closed up his building and hoped into the mid-sized truck that he had recently bought in town when his car had met the end of its life.

  With a quick phone call, Landon booked a hotel room close to the bars in Asheville he liked to frequent. He planned on drinking and never wanted to make the mistake of driving, so this worked out the easiest and safest for him.

  He always went for a bit of peace and quiet, the noisy bars drowning out the darkest of his thoughts. And maybe he’d find someone to warm his rented bed for the night.

  The possibilities were endless, he thought with a chuckle as he left the Carson town limits.

  ***

  The plane jostled as it touched down on the tarmac. Kerry couldn’t remember the last time she had flown commercial. Maybe once when she was in college, but even then, the plane turned around when they realized that she was on board without her security.

  Somehow this trip had gone smoothly, not a single hitch in her plan and Kerry couldn’t seem to begin to wonder when the other shoe would drop. There was no way she was coming away from this unscathed, whether it be from her parents or her lack of protection. But there was no turning back now. Thousands of nautical miles separated her from her family and responsibilities. And for the first time in years, Kerry felt as if she could breathe.

  “Miss, do you need any assistance?” a hardened but polite voice said from above her. Kerry was startled to find that the remainder of the plane had disembarked and she was the only one still sitting in her seat.

  “Sorry. I was lost in my own head. I’ll just grab my bags and be on my way.”

  As Kerry stood, the attendant watched her shrewdly. Her dark gaze narrowed as she watched Kerry grab her purse from the floor and her bag from the overhead.

  “You look familiar.”

  “Do I?” Kerry replied in her typical fashion when she went out in public incognito. It was almost impossible to go unrecognized in her country, but in America, they knew little of her small country of Lythembria.

  “Yeah, I can’t put my finger on it.”

  “That’s okay. I get it a lot. Thank you again for the wonderful flight.”

  It didn’t take Kerry long to maneuver through the International airport and locate the baggage claim. Quickly she rented a car using the fake ID she kept on hand to keep her identity hidden.

  Though she was tired, she began the trek to Asheville, where she planned to stay for the night.

  The car was set up with Bluetooth and Kerry immediately called the only number programmed on her phone once she reached the main road. She was thankful they drove on the same side of the road as her country.

  “Are you there?” the person on the other line asked without even a greeting.

  “I am, Mary. I’m making my way to Asheville as we speak.”

  “I booked you a room at a hotel for the night. I’ll text you the information.”

  “Thank you. You’ve gone above and beyond for me in the last twenty-four hours. I won’t ever forget it.”

  “I’m here to serve you, your highness.”

  “Yes, but this is above your job. And you’re my friend, Mary. We practically grew up together.”

  “This is true. What happens if your family figures out that I helped you? I could lose my job. Heck, I could be put in jail for treason.”

  “That won’t happen. I won’t let it happen. I swear on the crown.”

  Kerry chuckled at Mary’s gasp. Swearing on the crown wasn’t a joke in their country.

  “But, your highness. . .”

  “Mary, it will be okay. I left my parents a note explaining why I left. I need time to figure out what I want to do. I just need to be somewhere where I can just be. . .me.”

  “I understand, miss, but I can’t keep secrets from the king.”

  “I’m not asking you to keep secrets, just don’t tell him that you know where I am. If he cared for me at all, he could easily figure it out, but he doesn’t, which is my entire reason for leaving.”

  Mary remained quiet for a minute and Kerry wondered if she had ended the call until the soft-spoken woman spoke through on the other end of the call.

  “Are you certain that you’re safe there, Karolyna? You don’t have any security with you, and if someone recognized you, it could make for a terrible situation.”

  Kerry understood what Mary was saying. It was a risk, for sure. Even in other European countries, Kerry was always on high alert. Men and women would do anything to get their hands on a royal family member, even that of a small independent country. But Kerry was confident the reward was greater than the risk. At least in this instance. Before she tied herself down to the throne and crown for a life of servitude, she needed to have that last sense of freedom. And she needed it without the watchful eye of her father’s security team.

  “I don’t have a single thing to worry about where I’m going. One day I’ll take you there and you’ll understand.”

  “What about tonight? You’re going to be in a big city.”

  “Will it make you feel better if I don’t leave the hotel?” she asked sarcastically, knowing that her friend was quietly nodding her head on the other line.

  “Please just be safe and let me know where you are at all times.”

  “I will, mom,” Kerry joked, instantly regretting her statement since she knew Mary was sensitive about her own mother, who had left her as a toddler on the front steps of the palace.

  “Your highness. . .”

  “I’m sorry. Yes, I will continue to check in, but once I get to Carson, I’m going to trash this phone and get another, just in case. And you made sure to stash my regular phone?”

  “Yes, it’s in a shoebox in your closet.”

  They chatted for a few more minutes before Mary was beckoned away for her duties, which would include getting Princess Karolyna awake and ready for the day. Kerry did feel bad for the predicament that she was putting her friend in, but Mary had understood when Kerry had rushed from the party, mid dance, with tears streaming down her face. She had been embarrassed and disgusted and, most of all, fed up. Her identity wasn’t her own and every man in attendance of her parent’s gala had wanted to claim her as theirs.

  Her friend had easily cleaned up Kerry’s makeup and offered to apologize to her parents that she wasn’t feeling well. But instead, Kerry had made a choice that was going to change her life forever. And if she wasn’t careful, Mary’s as well. But Mary hadn’t hesitated in helping her pack a bag and make a plan. She had even helped usher Kerry through the servant’s hidden quarters and helped her confiscate one of the many waiting cars to take the several Lord’s back to their homesteads.

  Kerry had to admit it, she had felt like a spy in a movie as they ducked around walls and corners in her escape.

  Ending the call, Kerry continued her trek, adding the address Mary messaged to her GPS. She was surprised that the midlevel hotel was right in the middle of the city. If Mary was worried about someone recognizing Kerry, having her in the middle of a crowded area didn’t seem like the smartest plan. But it was done nonetheless.

  Kerry arrived at the hotel and checked in under the name Mary had given her on the fake ID and quickly made her way to the fourth floor where room was located. As she exited the elevator, a family with two small children were waiting on the other side. The little girls blinked up at her as if they knew the secret she kept buried in her bag, wide-eyed and full of wonder.

  “Mama, she looked like the Snow Queen!” one of them whispered and the corner of Kerry’s lips lifted in a smirk.

  Kerry could understand the resemblance with her light blonde hair resting over her shoulder and the blue silk blouse she had changed into at the airport.

  “Sorry,” the mother murmured as she and the family switched positions, Kerry moving into the hallway.

  “That’s okay. I hear it all the time,” she replied in her best American accent.

  Settling in her room and te
xting Mary, Kerry allowed herself to revel in the silence. Having taken a red-eye flight and then driving for three hours, she stretched out on the surprisingly comfortable bed and closed her eyes, promising to rest for a few minutes.

  A squeal in the hallway woke Kerry up from one of the deepest periods of sleep she could remember having. She wiped at the corner of her mouth where she was certain drool had pooled and was surprised to find the room washed in oranges and reds as the sun set over the city. Her gaze was drawn to the beauty outside of the hotel and she walked over to look out the large window. The city was bustling below as people walked in and out of the restaurants and shops lining the street.

  Kerry’s stomach chose that moment to growl and she considered following Mary’s demands that she stays in her room, but a neon sign with a popular beer’s name blinking down the block drew Kerry’s eye. And frankly, she wasn’t up for room service.

  Texting Mary to let her know her plan, because she wasn’t that awful of a friend, or stupid enough not to let someone know where she was headed, Kerry made her way into the bathroom and took a shower, rinsing the grim from her trip off her skin. She ignored her ringing phone as she closed the curtain to the shower and let the pounding of the water lull her back into serenity.

  Dressed in a pair of dark denim, a loose pink tank top, and a pair of brown sandals, Kerry considered leaving her bag in the room, only taking her cash and ID with her, but she considered that her items might be better with her than in the room.

  After all, the small tiara she had worn to the party rested safely in the hidden compartment at the bottom of her bag. She had forgotten to take it off before leaving and she was certain her mother was now frantic when she realized that it was gone. But Kerry didn’t have time to consider her mother’s feelings, which favored objects over her own flesh and blood.

  Pulling the bag's strap over her shoulder and across her body, Kerry made sure to grab her room key and closed the door to her room. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the elevator and readied herself for whatever came her way that night.

  This was the first day at finding herself and that began with walking into a bar without knowing a single person.

  She could do this, she repeated over and over in her head as Kerry walked down the sidewalk until she almost believed it. And then opened the door to the bar.

  Chapter Two

  Landon sat at the center of the bar with an ice-cold beer bottle between his hands. He had frequented a few of the bars on this particular street before as they were in walking distance to the hotel he booked a room at, but this bar had been his favorite over the last few years.

  Tourists visiting Asheville for the summer season came and went out of the bar, grabbing a drink or some fried food, but they never last long. The groups of women wouldn’t be in until later and those were the people Landon was waiting for. He just had to make it through the dinner crowd to get to the dessert.

  “Can I get you anything to eat?” Chelsea, the bartender, asked. He had tried to lure her to his bar in Carson, but she said she’d miss her girlfriend too much. Landon didn’t think that an hour's distance was too long, but what did he know?

  “I’m good, Chels. Thank you.”

  “I’ve seen you a lot more in the past couple of months. Everything okay?”

  “Yep. The bar is almost done. Hoping to open in a couple of weeks. So, I find most of my weekend nights free,” he told her as she pulled the tab to fill a glass with a local brew for a customer.

  “Don’t you have any friends to hang out with?” Chelsea delivered the drink to the man seated at the center of the bar as Landon clutched his heart in fake devastation.

  “I thought we were friends, Chelsea. You wound me.”

  With an exasperated sigh, she tossed her cleaning rag in his direction, which he caught with his spare hand, lifting the beer bottle to his lips with the other.

  “If you weren’t so attractive, I would kick you out of this place.”

  “What does my attractiveness have to do with anything? Not that I mind the compliment.” It wasn’t something he hadn’t heard before.

  “Brings the ladies to the bar and they stay for a while hoping for your attention.”

  “Oh,” he said as he lifted the hem of his white T-shirt. “Would you like me to really make it worth their while?”

  Laughing loudly, Chelsea shook her head as she walked over to him and grabbed her towel she had thrown. “Keep your clothes on, Casanova. I don’t need anyone having heart attacks. Let me know when you need another, okay?”

  “Yep.”

  As Chelsea went to work serving the new customers, Landon turned his attention to the television in the corner. A news story was occupying the screen, something about a hijacked car, but Landon didn’t pay it any mind. Instead, he closed his eyes and let the raucous sounds of the bar wash over him.

  Some people thought he was crazy for craving chaos, but the sound of silence wore him down. After ten years behind bars, Landon knew that silence meant something was happening that he didn’t want to be a part of. It took only a few days to learn how to protect himself in the Georgia system. He made the right friends and connections, which kept others from messing with him. He was also lucky that many of the men he shared his time with felt bad for him and his situation.

  A vibration in his pocket brought Landon back from the blackness that threatened to pull him under. He grabbed his phone and saw that there was a text from his twin brother Oliver.

  Oliver: Things good?

  Me: Yep

  Oliver: Planning to come home anytime soon?

  Me: Nope

  Oliver: Okay

  That was all their conversation consisted of. Back and forth requests of a visit to their childhood home, the one they left unwillingly at the age of ten, and Landon’s refusal. He had no reason to return to the place where his end-all began. Oliver understood more than anyone ever could. He knew that Landon’s refusal had nothing to do with seeing his brother. Landon would give anything to be with his brother again. But it was the place that he couldn’t return to. The country, the village, the home. They were all reminders of everything that were stolen from him. That innocence he was never going to get back despite how his life had turned around in the last two years.

  Screams and cheers erupted from behind him, bringing Landon’s attention to the mirror behind the bottles stacked behind the bar. He watched as a group of young men, about college age, slapped hands in excitement as they gathered. From the corner of his eye, Landon watched Chelsea smirk and shake her head toward him as if affirming that the particular group was going to get out of hand later.

  So much for the peaceful night where he could remain in the shadows. He would have to keep an eye on the group, if only for Chelsea’s sake. The bar had bouncers and security at the two entrances, but rarely did they intervene with anything happening inside the bar. A lesson he learned the first couple of times he frequented when he noticed a drunk man unwilling to take no from a very clearly not interested woman. Landon had stepped in and almost found himself back behind bars that night. Chelsea had vouched for him, saving his tail.

  Returning his gaze to the mirror, Landon watched the group pile into one of the round booths as one of the servers headed their way. He was thankful that they seemed to be more interested in catching up than disrupting the few tourists and families still enjoying their dinner. But he knew once they got a few drinks in their system, things could change on a dime.

  Landon gulped at his beer until it was empty and held it up in Chelsea’s direction, requesting another. She quickly placed a new cold one in front of him.

  “I’ll take that menu now, whenever you get the chance,” he said, knowing that he would need to eat soon if he continued to drink. Reaching under the bar counter, Chelsea grabbed a laminated menu and slapped it on the counter in front of him with a wink before sauntering over to a group of men that took the open seats on the other end of the bar.

  It d
idn’t take him long to decide on a meal and he quickly ordered the specialty burger with a side of fries. His workout the next day would have to make up for the meal, but he didn’t mind the extra work.

  A woman sidled up to the empty seat beside him and he tried his best to ignore her, but the heavy perfume that she wore made his nose twitch. From the corner of his eye, he could see that she was watching him expectantly.

  “Hi,” she said in a nasal tone that reminded him of scratches down a chalkboard. The woman also wore far too much makeup for his liking, but she did have a nice body showcased by a short dress that matched her skin tone. If he didn’t know better, he would think she was standing naked beside him.

  “Hello,” he growled, hoping that she could take the hint that he wasn’t interested.

  “Buy me a drink?”

  The attempt at a sultry voice got his attention and he turned to look at her as she dragged one of her long fingernails down his tattooed arm. Clasping her hand in his, he extracted her claws from his skin.

  “Not interested. Sorry.”

  Shock, and if Landon wasn’t mistaken, a hint of anger flashed in her eyes before she said, “Excuse me? I was only asking if you’d like to buy me a drink.”

  “No, you didn’t ask, you told. And I said I wasn’t interested. Don’t take it personally. I’m sure those guys across the way would be happy to pick up your tab.”

  “Well, I. . .never have I. . .ugh!” she stammered before turning on her heels, smacking his arm with her overly long hair.

  “Uh oh,” Chelsea said with a laugh as she brought out his burger. “Keep your eyes peeled when you leave. That one seems like she isn’t used to being told no.”

  “Apparently not.”

  “Enjoy,” she said as she handed him a bottle of ketchup for his fries.

  “Thanks.”

  With the burger in his hands, Landon lifted the meal to his mouth just as something in the mirror caught his eye.