Behind the Bar (Home in Carson Book 3)

by Renee Harless

  The story was taking a direction that Kerry wasn’t sure she was ready for and mentioned as much, but Landon ignored her plea. Somehow, she knew he needed to get this off his chest, so she sat patiently in the office chair, painfully reliving his horrendous past.

  “I remember the day like it was yesterday. I remember the copper and iron scent of blood in the air. I remember the fear that soared through me. I walked into the house after a soccer practice ran late and I found my father straddling Oliver on the floor as he pounded his fist into my brother’s face over and over again. Oliver had fought, but I could see his limbs growing week as he lost blood and consciousness.

  “On the floor, I saw my father’s favorite liquor bottle and I grabbed it and slammed it down on his head to free my brother. We thought that we had time to escape, but as I tried to help Oliver off the ground and lift him so that we could be free, my father came to.

  “He gripped my ankle from his perch on the floor and I fell backward, hitting my head on the corner of the stairs. My vision was blurry, but I could hear Oliver screaming. As my eyesight cleared, I saw my father coming toward me with a hunting knife in his hand. He had plans to kill me and probably my brother. It wasn’t a knife he carried on his body normally.

  “I did my best to fight him, but even as an old chap, the man was strong, and an alcoholic rage fueled him. I recall fearing the worst when Oliver jumped on his back, trying to pry the knife free from my father’s grip.

  “It happened so fast, but somehow Oliver got my father on his back and using the bastard's own hold on the knife, Oliver forced him to stab the knife into his chest repeatedly. Our father was too drunk even to know what was going on. He stared at both of us, waiting for one of us to help him, but we selfishly stood there watching him bleed to death.

  “The police arrived about two minutes later. Apparently, one of our neighbors heard the commotion. My father was barely hanging on to life, probably to screw us over in the end, because when the officer asked him who did this to him, he pointed at me.”

  “Landon. . .”

  “Oliver had always desired to go into the priesthood. It was something he had talked about since his First Communion.”

  “Oh my. . .you took the blame, didn’t you?” Kerry’s heart broke for the little boy that lost his family the day his mother passed away and the young man that lost his chance for freedom to protect his brother.

  Landon chose that moment to look back at her and smirk in that way that made her heart clench.

  “I would do anything for my brother. He is literally everything that is good in the world.”

  “What happened next?”

  “My lawyer tried to argue domestic and child abuse but there were no records in Georgia. All the police and CPS calls were ignored or brushed off. I signed a plea agreement that kept my brother free — ten years for voluntary manslaughter.

  “What’s funny is my brother kept appealing my case over and over with any lawyer that would work pro bono. Most just ignored his requests, but some did try to help. He even wanted to have some of the new DNA tests run to prove the slim twin genetic mutations on the knife and some of the samples collected on my father, to prove that it wasn’t my DNA. It was the first big fight we had.

  “Luckily, one lawyer spent time digging through files and found documentation of child abuse back in Ireland and multiple calls in Georgia with claims from neighbors and the school that went ignored. I was released about six months early and all of the charges were dropped against me. The new judge claimed I acted in self-defense.”

  “Why did you seem so worried to tell me this, Landon. You saved your brother’s life? You’re a freaking hero.”

  “Kerry, I spent ten years in prison. I saw and did things that you don’t ever want to imagine. That time changes you. Believe me.”

  She sat for a moment, thinking of all the things he told her, all of the trials he had been through in life yet here he was – thriving, succeeding. He was remarkable in her eyes.

  “Where is your brother now?”

  “He’s the head of the church in our hometown in Ireland. He’s been begging me to visit since I got out of prison, but I can’t bring myself to do it.”

  “I think you should. Maybe I can meet you there or something,” she added, remembering that her time here in Carson may not be permanent.

  “I’d like that. I don’t know about you but I could really use a drink right now.”

  Standing, Kerry placed the picture back on Landon’s desk then held her hand out for him to take.

  “I want you to know that despite everything, I admire you. Not many people go through a situation like that and chose to make something of themselves. You should be proud of yourself.”

  “I’ll start working on it.”

  “Good. Now, I think this calls for some Irish whiskey, don’t you think?”

  Chapter Nine

  Relief was just an emotion; Landon kept reminding himself of that. But after telling Kerry his story, he felt like a new person, lighter, less weighed down. It was something hard to describe.

  Reaching for his favorite whiskey bottle, Landon pulled down two glasses and poured the amber liquid, then added a splash of water. That was how he preferred to drink it.

  Kerry took her usually seat at the bar while Jameson tinkered in the corner on the register system. Landon slid the glass across the counter to Kerry and she lifted it in the air.

  “To you, Landon.”

  “To us,” he replied, that flush he loved growing on her cheeks.

  They both knocked back the shot of whiskey and Landon was surprised when she didn’t even flinch. Gesturing toward the bottle, he silently asked if she wanted more and she nodded.

  They spent the next hour sipping the whiskey and working with Jameson to learn the new program. It seemed simple enough to Landon, but he was sure he’d mess it up at some point. Thankfully he knew where to find a genius software tech.

  Just as Jameson was leaving, Cliff and Preston strolled back into the bar, the sheriff’s uniform now replaced with a T-shirt and a pair of jeans, but his badge glistened from its placement on his hip. Landon knew that the man’s job was rarely over despite having a deputy and assistance from the next town over.

  “Hey, did you find anything?” Kerry asked as she jumped down from her stool. Landon stayed back behind the bar, but listened closely.

  “We couldn’t find any fingerprints on your rental, the note, or on the window. But Cliff was able to pull some grainy footage from the cameras. Whoever it was kept their face out of view, like they already knew where all of the cameras were located. We got a profile shot, but nothing conclusive.”

  “So, what does that mean?”

  “It means we keep our eyes peeled and you let Landon stay with you until we know more.”

  “Ugh!” she groaned as she sat back on the stool and took a large swig of her drink. “This is not what I expected. Now I’m supposed to sit like a waiting duck.”

  “I’m sorry that we didn’t have better news regarding the note. But we did get word that your friend Mary is safe and she has taken a leave of absence and staying with a cousin of another servant in town.”

  “Well, that’s a relief at least.”

  A week past and Landon kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. His life was turning out in a way that he had never thought he’d get to experience – true and utter happiness. He woke every morning with Kerry nestled up against him and went to bed with her in his arms after spending countless hours making love to her. And he did love her. It was fast and out of control, but it was his truth. He suspected Kerry felt the same, but neither of them was budging on sharing first.

  Landon had packed a bag and moved into her house under the pretense that he was keeping her safe, but he was waiting for Kerry to invite him to stay forever. She spoke daily about making her life in Carson permanent, but she didn’t want to abandon her people or the crown. The decision was something that she grappled with d
aily, and Landon wished he could help but it wasn’t a decision he could make for her.

  No other incidents had happened but that kept Landon, Kerry, and the rest of the town on edge. Something wasn’t right. Kerry was certain that her parents hadn’t instigated the activity and worked to get along better with them. It would take time but she was hopeful.

  Landon left Kerry in the storage room loading glasses and the new napkins while he walked around the area with Preston to inspect the new security system. Landon wasn’t leaving anything to chance.

  Preston probed about Landon’s relationship with Kerry and ribbed on his that they were both already domesticated. His friend even joked that himself and the Connelly’s were all waiting on the engagement announcement any day now.

  He couldn’t imagine proposing to Kerry after only knowing her for a week. But then again, he never would have imagined that she’s be in his life, let alone that she was a real-life princess.

  “Hey,” she called out from the back with boxes unfolded and stacked in her arms. “I’m going to take these to the dumpster.”

  “Alright, well, wait for me. I can help you.”

  “That’s okay. I have them.”

  “Kerry.”

  “Fine! There is another pile in the corner of the storage room.”

  Landon and Preston both made their way over to the storage room as Kerry left through the back door to access the dumpster in the alleyway. The boxes were neatly broken down and stacked in the corner. Both men grabbed the remainder of the cardboard and followed the hall to the back door.

  “Kerry?” Landon called out as he blindly descended the few concrete stairs that led to the alley. By the time he took the final step, he noticed boxes scattered along the ground. His heart lurched as he dropped his own boxes and looked around the barren alleyway.

  Fear shot up his spine as the possible scenario unfolded before him. Landon wasn’t sure if the shout came from his lungs or from his heart, but it sounded just the same as he screamed out her name, “Kerry!”

  ***

  Why had she been so stupid? Landon had told her over and over not to go anywhere without someone, preferably him. But she had been naïve in thinking that everything was okay since nothing had happened in a week. She should have known better.

  The moment she stepped blindly down from the last step on the concrete stairs, she felt a large muscled arm wrap around her neck and jerk her against his body. She couldn’t see him but she could tell that he outweighed her several times over.

  He choked her so quickly that Kerry didn’t even get a chance to scream. Remembering a few of her self-defense lessons, Kerry clawed at the man’s arms and tried to kick and drop her body weight, but the man was too strong. There was nothing she could do to get free.

  Dragging her quickly down the alley, he tucked them in between two buildings, using his hand to wrap around her neck, forcing her silence. His mistake was that he had turned her around and now she got a good glimpse of his face. It was one she recognized and now she realized how he knew that she would be here.

  “You’re going to listen to me, child. You’re going to return home and leave that piece of shit that you’ve been shaking up with. I don’t think mommy or daddy would approve of a felon.”

  She struggled against him when he said those horrible things about the man that she loved. A man that she prayed she would see again.

  “Then you’re going to marry Lord Donoveaux. Do you understand?”

  The man that had once been part of her trusted security team and had been the one that got them lost in the small town lessened his grip so that she could answer.

  Kerry gasped for air as she tasted blood travel down her windpipe.

  “No!”

  The punch to the face was unexpected and she slumped against the old brick wall as her vision blurred.

  “Why? What’s in it for you,” she managed to say through gasps of air.

  “Everything. Lord Donoveaux has promised me my choice of women and riches.”

  “He lied to you.” She seethed, feeling the smallest sense of joy when his expression of dominance faltered. “Those aren’t things he can give away. Even if I married him, I will be the queen and the official ruler. He’d be nothing more than a trophy husband.”

  “You lie, little girl.” His hand jutted back out and wrapped around her neck. The pain was immediate and Kerry felt new tears fall down her cheeks. “When Donoveaux is king, he can make his own rules and do whatever he pleases.”

  She wanted to argue with him, tell him that the laws were in place for a reason, but as his hand tightened in anger, her vision began to blur and blackness caved in along the edges of her sight.

  “Kerry!” she heard her name shouted and wanted to cry out in relief until she realized that the space they were in was so tight that anyone walking past may miss it.

  The sound of footsteps approached and the hand around her neck tightened further and she feared that he’d snap her neck in the next few seconds.

  “Kerry!”

  The voice was closer now and the telltale sign of a gun being cocked echoed along the brick.

  It happened in a split second, but the hand around her neck fell away and Kerry dropped to the ground while her assailant took off in the other direction toward the main thoroughfare of Main Street.

  Her savior turned the corner and rushed to where she was slouched on the ground. Miraculously she was able to garner enough strength to point in the direction the man ran and thankfully, Preston took off in chase.

  “Oh, sweetheart, are you okay?” Landon asked as he gently brushed his hands across every inch of her body. “Of course, you’re not okay. I’ll give Avery’s husband Logan a call so he can come to look at your neck. It’s already bruising. God, I am so sorry. I could never have imagined this would happen.”

  “Landon,” she screeched, trying to get his attention. “I’m okay. Please just hold me.”

  “Forever, sweetheart,” he said as he lifted her into his arms and carried her back to the bar, ignoring the boxes spread across the ground.

  She was thankful that the booths had arrived during the week because he gently placed her on one of the cushioned seats.

  “I’m going to get you a glass of water and give Logan a call.”

  “Thank you.”

  Kerry settled into the booth as Preston came back into the bar heading straight in her direction.

  “Did you?” she whispered and he nodded with a solemn smile on his face. Alexis was coming around the corner just as he ran off. She tasered him right away. He’s already being escorted to Asheville. He’ll be tried here and then in your country.”

  Landon handed her the glass of water, which she greedily drank despite the soreness of her throat.

  “He used to work for my parents. He was actually my guard the first time I came to town. He began working for Trevor Donoveaux about six months ago. Trevor had promised him free reign of women and money for my return. And he knew exactly where I would be.”

  Preston wrote down everything she had explained then promised that he’d keep them in the loop with the charges. Just as Preston left, Logan entered the bar with his medical bag in hand.

  “Would you like me to call your parents and explain everything? I don’t want you to strain your voice.”

  “You wouldn’t mind?” Kerry asked, surprised at his offer.

  “Not at all.”

  While Logan checked her over, claiming that she had a severely bruised windpipe and that she would need to take it easy for a week or so, Kerry tried to listen to Landon’s call with her parents. As he walked back to her, she couldn’t tell by his expression how things went, but she knew her father and assumed that he was either angry that her running away caused this mess or disappointed that she was in trouble.

  “How did it go?” she asked as Logan wrote her a prescription for some pain medications.

  “Just fine. No need to worry. Thank you, Logan, for coming out. I reall
y appreciate it.”

  “Of course, call if things change. Otherwise, she needs to rest for a week or so.”

  She watched as the men went over her care then snuck in some stats about a recent game that had been on the television. The ordeal had left her tired and she was having the hardest time keeping her eyes open as he leaned her elbows on the table and rested her head on top.

  She didn’t know how long she slept, but was stunned to wake in her own bed with the sun setting over the water.

  “You’re awake,” Landon said as he walked into the room carrying a tray. “I brought you some soup.”

  “How long have I been out of it?”

  “A while. You didn’t even budge when I carried you out of the bar or during the car ride. You need the rest, though. Doctor’s orders.”

  Kerry sat up in the bed as Landon placed the tray on her dresser. He took a seat beside her on the bed and gently caressed her face.

  “I love you, Kerry. Sometime in the last week, it happened and I can’t deny it any longer, especially after almost losing you today.”

  “I love you too, Landon. With every bit of my heart. You’ve given this princess a reason to believe in fairytales.”

  Epilogue

  The bar was packed to the brim. A standing wait two people deep at the bar, all of the tables filled, and a line out of the door waiting for their chance to step inside Murphy’s. In two months, the crowds had only grown, especially once the world realized that a real-life princess helped to wait on the tables.

  Landon still couldn’t believe that she had stayed in Carson with him. It only took him a month of working together at the bar and spending every night in bed to convince him that she was the one and he quickly put a ring on her finger, even with her father’s permission.

  A week after her attack, Kerry had flown back to Lythembria to meet with her parents. He had wanted to go with her, but she begged him to stay and open his bar. He did so reluctantly and worried that she would decide that the small-town life wasn’t for her every day.