by Dahlia Rose
“Now, now, don’t you touch my woman in an unseemly manner,” Haile said casually.
“Your woman,” Marcus sneered. “I fucked her in so many different ways.”
Haile punched him in the face. “Not by her choice, only by yours. You took a woman by fear and with malice, so trust me, that doesn’t count. But this does.”
The next hit was to the gut, and he took infinite pleasure in watching Marcus gag. Haile grabbed him by the neck and dragged him to a booth where he sat him to one side and then sat across from him.
Haile looked over and smiled at Mari gently. “Hey Dove, how about you go upstairs and wait for me? Marcus and I are going to have a talk and then we can go home. Have a cup of tea and settle your nerves.”
Mari nodded. “Okay. I’ll see you in a bit?”
“Definitely, Dove,” Haile promised.
He waited until she was completely upstairs and then turned his attention back to Marcus. The smile faded and Haile took the hand that was sitting on the table. He broke one of Marcus’s fingers. It was as simple as that. Marcus screamed, but Haile didn’t let go of his hand.
“Here’s the thing, Marcus,” Haile spoke as casually as if they were friends. “I completely get it, you thought that your bad boy act would work for you across the pond. But daddy isn’t here to bail you out of jail, and mommy can’t speak ill of anyone here to poison their minds.”
“I’m going to kill you,” Marcus said through gritted teeth.
“Marcus, you’re not listening,” Haile repeated the action with another finger, and Mari’s nightmare ex screamed again. “Now here’s what you didn’t hear about me, pertinent information and all that. I’m a man who can turn off my empathy when it comes to bullies. People think her majesty’s Royal Army isn’t up to par to the American military, but it’s actually so much... deadlier.”
For emphasis, Haile brought his fist down on Marcus’s broken fingers. “Here’s an example, right now, you’re obviously hurting and your fingers are, well, they’re not pretty. For what you did to Mari, I could kill you and lose you in the moors. Your parents would never hear from you again, and when the authorities come sniffing around I can be as surprised as anyone else you didn’t make it to your hotel after you left. Yes, I’ll say you left after threatening Mari.”
“I’m going to go,” Marcus whimpered.
“Yes, I see that you are grasping the seriousness of my words and you’re not going to come back.” Haile voice was gentle.
He never forgot his training, and he moved so quickly Marcus wasn’t expecting it. He grabbed him by the neck and slammed his face onto the table. “Here’s why. No one here cares if your dad is the sheriff of some Podunk town. We don’t care who your family is, and when Jeffery Moermond led you here, he really didn’t tell you about me. If you are not on a plane tonight, I mean don’t even check into the hotel you have booked on Lance Street. Get in that train, head back to London, and go to the airport. Then book a flight and sit there until it’s time to board. If I hear you are still in this country by noon tomorrow, I will come find you myself. Understood?”
Marcus nodded. “Yes, I understand.”
“Good boy.” Haile slapped Marcus’s check. “And when you go home, if I hear you said anything untoward about Mari being here in the UK or me, well, I don’t mind traveling, and no one will even find out I was there. Are we crystal clear on everything, Marcus?”
“Yes.” Tears of pain leaked from his eyes.
“Now you sit here like a good gentleman, and I’ll call you a car service,” Haile said cheerfully and stood up.
Marcus didn’t move. It was typical of a bully. When they were confronted their true colors came through: cowardice. Five minutes later he was in a cab holding his hand, and Haile told the driver to take him to the train station. Marcus looked back as the car pulled away, and Haile gave him a jaunty wave because he was sure he had made a positive impression on the man. He went back inside and up the stairs to the small apartment. Mari was sitting on the loveseat with a cup of tea in her hand. She stared off at nothing until she heard the door and Haile stepped inside.
“Is he gone?” Mari asked.
“Yes, for good.” Haile sat beside her and took the cup from her hand before pulling her into his arms.
“I’m sorry, I became a wild animal... there was so much pent up inside me.” She turned her face into his shirt. “I couldn’t stop it.”
“That’s because it needed to be said, you need to be free of it,” Haile murmured. “Don’t be sorry for that.”
“I heard screaming,” she said.
“Oh, we were having a discussion, and Marcus expressed himself in a manner that certainly wasn’t polite,” Haile explained. “I subsequently showed him the error of his ways.”
“You make beating him up sound so polite.” Mari looked at him with a smile. “Thank you for being here with me. I don’t think I wouldn’t been able to handle this without you.”
“I told you, Dove, it’s me and you.” Haile kissed her gently. “Now let’s go home and get some rest.”
“And ice cream, there is gelato in the fridge,” she teased as she stood up.
“You found my stash.” Haile helped her into her coat.
They continued their teasing banter on the way downstairs and in the car. Haile felt the door of the past was firmly closed, and that was all she needed. From there they could move forward and not with fear or apprehension but with hope. If only all things were so easily solved. His thoughts went to his sister. He was starting to lose hope that Angela’s disappearance would ever be solved.
* * * *
“I have never been so excited to go anywhere.” Mari literally bounced in the seat.
“I see that,” Haile said in dry amusement.
She nudged him with her elbow. “You can sit there and pretend, Mr. Man, but you are just as happy as I am.”
“Mmhmm,” was the answer she got. Still, he was grinned from ear to ear.
Today they were finally going to see baby Abigail. Zeva had been home for about three weeks, and in that time they were having guests over. Mari understood that the new parents needed time with their baby, and people in and out of the house could bring in any kind of cold or virus. Heck, in Texas no one would be seeing mom or baby until about eight weeks had gone by. They were the only two who were allowed to be there right now, much to everyone’s disappointment in Northumberland. There had been no pictures in the paper to go along with the birth announcement. The new parents were still the talk of Celtic Cross with people wondering when Zeva and Jasper would be seen out with their new bundle.
“Since Mrs. H knows where we are going. We are going to be interrogated tonight at the pub,” Mari pointed out. “Mr. Moore offered me fifty pounds to get him a picture.”
“That old badger, he’s the worst out of the lot of them,” Haile snorted. “I’m sure Mrs. H told him, and he literally became the town crier.”
“Gossip travels no matter where in the world you are, it seems.” Mari laughed.
“Trust me, in Northumberland gossip is a certainty,” Haile answered. “There is a pool on when we are going to be married and have our first child.”
Mari stared at him in shock. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope, I’ve got thirty on the end of the year and a boy ten months later,” Haile replied with a wide grin on his face.
She folded her arms. “First, that’s not fair because you can pad this bet to your benefit. Second, what makes you think it will be so easy, huh?”
“You’re moving in soon, and that’s the obvious next step,” Haile pointed out. “Hell, there is a pool on as to when you’re actually going to be completely moved out from over the pub. They bet on everything here.”
“That’s just weird.” Mari had to admit it was disconcerting that so many people seemed so invested in their lives.
“They love you, and they see you as one of us,” Haile said as if sensing her thoughts. “If they saw yo
u as an outsider then you would feel it, trust me.”
Mari nodded. “I guess I would sense that myself. I felt like an outsider in the place I grew up. Hell, I’ve been gone for months, and my parents don’t even give a damn to call, and trust me, they have my number.”
“Did you call them?” Haile asked.
“I told them when I was at the airport getting ready for my flight,” she answered. “My mom said okay, and she had to go. Brittany’s fiancé was over, and they had to practice for the wedding. I didn’t even know my half sister was getting married, and it seems I wasn’t invited. My dad’s went to voicemail, and he never called back so that tells me where I stand in their world.”
“I’m sorry, Dove,” Haile said, and she heard the pity in his voice.
“No, don’t sound like that,” Mari said firmly. “Being the throwaway kid had its perks, no one cared what I did. Now I am making a life in a place where people look out for one another, and I’m included.”
“I’m glad you are here. I thank God in a way that Jeffery’s behavior brought you to town.” He glanced at her. “We were meant to find and heal each other.”
Mari smiled. “I think so too.”
Finally they pulled into the white gravel driveway that curved in front of the manor house. The excitement to see the baby was back, and she had to play it off casual and wait patiently until Haile escorted her out of the Land Rover. Jasper must have seen them drive up because he opened the large varnished door and stood there with a smile on his face. He was wearing a gray sweater and casual beige slacks. Haile took her hand as they walked up to Jasper and his smile became a grin.
“Well hello you two,” Jasper said warmly.
“Hi,” Mari said and held out her hand for him to shake.
“Really?” Jasper pulled her into a hug. “We don’t do that formality around here, especially when you walk up holding hands with my best mate.”
Mari returned the embrace. “Okay, because I really don’t want to stop hugging you, you smell like baby.”
“I’ll need to rub your child all over my clothes to get that kind of hug,” Haile teased.
“Oh hush, you get plenty of love and affection,” Mari admonished playfully as she stepped away.
Jasper moved aside. “I guess I should let you inside before you run over me.”
“That would be nice. I don’t think I can control myself much longer,” Mari teased. “Where are mama and baby?”
“They are in the family room, Abigail just woke up.” As Jasper spoke a baby began to fuss. “Head right on in.”
Mari led the way with quick steps while the men trailed behind her talking. She stepped into the family room where the fireplace crackled and the warmth of home and family was in the air. Zeva was sitting on the love seat, and she held a tiny bundle in a pink onesie over her shoulder. She was patting the baby’s back, and Mari made a small noise of pure awe and joy before covering her mouth with her hands.
Zeva looked up and smiled. “Come on over and meet her.” Mari sat next to Zeva who handed her a blanket to put over her shoulder. “You’ll need this, she just had a feeding and may burp up some milk.”
“Oh, she can throw up all down my shoulder, that’s just baby sugar,” Mari cooed.
“Huh, baby sugar,” Haile mused. “That’s a new way to put it.”
“Basically babies are made of sugar and love for Texans,” Zeva pointed out.
“They haven’t seen her diapers.” Jasper wrinkled his nose. “And she only drinks milk.”
“Don’t listen to them, you are just a sugar lump,” Mari said as she took the baby. She looked down at the tiny baby in her arms that stared at her with bright blue eyes. She yawned and lifted a tiny hand to her face, and Mari fell in love. “She is so perfect, oh, I want one.”
“You’re in trouble now buddy,” Jasper said with a chuckle.
“I’m perfectly fine, and it goes directly into the timeline I need,” Haile answered.
“Not you and that bet,” Zeva said.
Mari looked at her. “You know about it too?”
“Sweetie, everyone knows about it.” Zeva laughed. “We have fifty on married by Christmas, baby girl by fall of next year.”
“You people are incorrigible,” Mari said and looked down at the baby. “I’ll comfort myself with her baby smell.”
“Come on, Dove, don’t Bogart my niece. I want to hold her too,” Haile said.
Jasper handed him a burp cloth, and soon he was standing with the baby in his arms. His large hands protected her, and she wondered if he knew that he started an automatic sway from side to side while he held her. Watching Haile, her stomach clenched delightfully. He would make a good father. She was thinking about children when this time last year she had an alarm set on her phone so she didn’t forget her pills. A child with Marcus would have bound them together forever, and that wasn’t happening. But she could see her life and children with Haile. They left the men talking, and Mari went upstairs with Zeva who needed to change Abigail.
“So I see that you decided to take that leap,” Zeva commented casually as she laid the baby gently on the changing table.
“Things just kinda fell into place,” Mari answered. “Seems that people were betting on us before we even knew there was an us.”
Zeva smiled. “Anyone who saw the two of you together for two minutes knew. It was y’all who were clueless.”
“Look at you using y’all,” Mari teased.
“I remember my Fort Sill roots,” Zeva said. “And the Marcus thing worked out?”
“How did you know? I guess Haile told Jasper, huh?” Mari said.
Zeva looked confused. “We knew the day he got on the plane. Haile didn’t tell you?”
Mari frowned. “No, he didn’t. He showed up, and I didn’t think...”
“Jeffery Moermond slipped him the info about where you were, the slimy fucking snake,” Zeva explained. “When he showed up, Haile didn’t know when he would make a move.”
“He should’ve told me,” Mari murmured. “I saw him and my knees buckled, but I finally stood up to that bastard. I freed my mind of that fear he instilled in me.”
“That’s all that matters,” Zeva said gently.
“I guess so,” Mari answered.
After talking a bit more, they went downstairs and continued their visit. It still bothered her that Haile didn’t tell her Marcus had come to Northumberland. Why, and what else was he keeping from her? She tried to keep the atmosphere light, but Haile gave her a curious look, and she averted her eyes from him. She wasn’t just irritated, she was mad. It was her life, and she should have been consulted.
“We should get going. Babies need to sleep and mamas need to rest,” Mari said after a while. She could see that Zeva needed a rest even as the baby snoozed in a bassinet close to the sofa.
“I’m sorry but when she sleeps I fade quickly. We’re still trying to get used to those late night wake-up calls for milk,” Zeva apologized.
“No need to explain. Rest, and we’ll be back to visit soon,” Haile said. As he stood he kissed Zeva’s cheek and hugged Jasper. “If you guys need anything, give me a ring.”
“And if you need a break, count me as a built-in baby sitter,” Mari offered. “It would be my pleasure.”
“We’ll take you up on that,” Jasper answered.
Jasper walked them to the door, and as they drove away, he gave one last wave before closing it against the chilly night wind. Everything was silent within the Land Rover until Haile spoke.
“Zeva told you we knew Marcus was coming,” he said.
“It would have been nice if I knew,” Mari snapped. “It would have given me time to prepare myself.”
“Or to run,” Haile replied.
She turned in her seat. “So that’s what you thought, I would tuck my tail between my legs and run.”
Haile’s answer was blunt. “That would have been the gut instinct of a person who had been mistreated for so many years a
nd lived in fear, so yes, I did think that.”
“Nice to know what you think of me,” she retorted.
“That’s bullocks and you realize when you came here you basically were terrified of shadows because of what he did,” Haile shot right back. “I did what I had to do to protect you, and I won’t apologize for it.”
“And I thank you for all you have done, but caring for someone doesn’t mean you get to keep them out of the loop,” Mari pointed out. “I would’ve preferred you trust me enough to take my stand with you there as support.”
“Understood,” Haile said stiffly.
Mari sighed. “No, you don’t.”
They fell silent for the rest of the drive until they got closer to the pub.
“I need to grab something clean from the apartment,” Mari said.
Haile gave a mock salute. “Yes ma’am.”
She let out a sigh of frustration as he pulled up to the Celtic Cross. Monday meant they were closed, so no one was around as he unlocked the door and she stepped inside.
“I’ll be down in a minute,” Mari said as he went around behind the bar.
“At your leisure. I’m just here whenever you need me,” he replied.
“Stop being that way. I told you thank you for trying to protect me, but I’d rather have known and be given a choice.”
“Seems to me that I’m getting chastised for doing what I’m trained to do best,” Haile commented.
“I’m not your job,” Mari yelled in frustration. “I’m supposed to be the woman you care for, that you want in your life. I can’t go from one man trying to control me by abuse to another man trying to protect and smother me to death with it. Give me choices so I can make them with you. Your problem is you want to go around wearing the cape and saving everyone even from themselves because you lost your sister.”
“That was a low bloody blow, Marisol,” Haile’s voice was harsh, and he turned away from her and went behind the bar.
“But it’s true,” Mari pointed out following him. “Haile, you found me as Jeffery and his wife screwed up my life. You saw me as another way to find redemption, to heal that open wound of Angela’s disappearance.”