Passion, Victoria 6: Hailey's Secret (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  Hailey looked up to see Dillon, Chance, and Roman shaking hands with the three men and kissing the small woman on the cheeks. She felt a surge of jealousy and quickly lowered her eyes, hoping the Bartram brothers wouldn’t notice her.

  “Hailey,” called Chance.

  Hailey looked up to see Chance, Dillon, and Roman looking her way. What disconcerted her even more were the other people staring at her as well. “Hi,” she replied with a small hand wave then looked back at her coffee. She heard footsteps approaching and lifted her head to watch wide-eyed as Chance made his way toward her. He slipped into the seat beside her and gently tilted her face to his by nudging her chin up with a knuckle.

  “How are you feeling, sweet thing?” Chance asked.

  “I’m good,” Hailey replied and flinched away from his touch.

  “Okay, if you say so. Why don’t you come on over and sit with us?” Chance asked.

  “Um, no. Thanks for asking, but I need to get going.”

  “Where are you headed?”

  “Um?” Hailey had no idea how to reply to that question, so she gave a shrug of her shoulders.

  “Are you in trouble, Hailey?” asked Chance.

  “No,” Hailey replied quickly, her eyes widening in alarm. Picking up her coffee cup, she took a sip.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to join us, sweet thing?” Chance asked again.

  “I’m sure, but thanks for asking. I need to get going.” Hailey rose to her feet. Since she had already paid for her coffee and breakfast, she grabbed her purse and left the café without a backward glance.

  * * * *

  Chance went back and sat down with his brothers and friends. Colt, Tony, and Bear were grinning at him with knowing eyes.

  “Who was that?” Tony asked.

  “Hailey,” replied Chance.

  “Hailey who?” asked Colt.

  “Don’t know,” Chance replied.

  “Where and how did you meet her?” asked Bear.

  “We heard her screaming from the motel room next to ours. We busted down her door ’cause we thought she was in trouble. Turns out she was having a nightmare,” Roman answered.

  “Oh my. You three probably scared the poor woman out of her mind,” Nikki said.

  “Yeah, I suppose we did.” Dillon sighed.

  “That poor woman woke us again a couple of hours later with her screaming,” Dillon said. “She looks haunted, with those dark smudges beneath her eyes. We think she may be on the run from something or someone.”

  “Oh, look! She left her cardigan on the back of the chair.” Nikki started to get to her feet.

  “I’ll get it, sugar.” Dillon picked up the garment and breathed deeply as Hailey’s scent drifted to his nose.

  “Give it to Bear for a minute,” Nikki commanded.

  Dillon didn’t hesitate, he knew about Bear, Colt, and Tony’s extraordinary, extra perceptive senses. He and his brothers had been in awe if their abilities when they’d seen what the men could do.

  Bear reached out and took the cardigan. He closed his eyes, breathed in deeply and let his breath out slowly. Everyone at the table watched Bear intently. Chance, Dillon, and Roman became alarmed as the color leeched from Bear’s face. His hands shook slightly as he handed the cardigan back to Dillon.

  “What?” Chance, Dillon, and Roman asked together.

  Bear breathed in and out deeply a few times and cleared his throat before he answered.

  “It’s not my story to tell. She’s in trouble, has someone after her. If you are going to do what I think you are, you need to move very, very carefully.” Bear pinned them with his gaze.

  “We’d already figure that one out, Bear,” said Roman.

  “More fragile than glass, guys. One wrong move and she will shatter,” Bear explained.

  Chance, Dillon, and Roman gave a nod of their heads. They were going to protect that little woman, whether she wanted them to or not. She was theirs and they were not letting her get away.

  * * * *

  Hailey wandered up and down the main street of Passion. She loved to window shop. Sometimes just looking at things through shop windows bolstered her spirits. Other times it just made her aware of how horrid her life had been over the last couple of years. She sighed over clothes she needed but couldn’t afford. She only had three pairs of jeans, a pair of shorts, a few T-shirts, a jumper, and a cardigan. She needed to find work. She was running out of money fast. The jobs she had been working only ever paid minimum wage and because she was on the move all the time, petrol, food, and accommodation ate away at her savings. Not that she had much.

  Hailey stopped when she saw an advertisement in the front window of a clothing store. The job being advertised was for a bar attendant, in a place called Four Passion Club. She pulled her mobile phone from her purse and programmed the number into her phone, then headed back to her motel room.

  Hailey sat down on the side of her bed, took a deep breath and dialed.

  “Four Passion Club, Connor speaking.”

  “Um, I was wondering if the bar attendant job is still available?”

  “Sure is, darlin’. Where are you calling from?”

  “I am at the Passion Motel,” Hailey answered.

  “Okay, what’s your name?”

  “Hailey.”

  “Well Hailey, have you got any experience?” Connor asked.

  “Yes. I…I worked in a licensed restaurant for a couple of months.”

  “Okay. Can you come in for an interview now, Hailey?”

  “Uh, yes. But I don’t have anything fancy with me to wear for an interview at the moment.”

  “Don’t worry about that, darlin’, just come in what you’re wearing,” Connor said then he gave her directions to the club and told her to arrive in half an hour. It would only take her ten to fifteen minutes to get to the club by car.

  Hailey picked out her best T-shirt, grabbed what little makeup she had and went to the bathroom to tidy her appearance as much as she could. She highlighted her eyes with a little blue eye shadow and black mascara, ran a brush through her hair and put on a light lip gloss. She spritzed herself with her favorite perfume, grabbed her purse and keys and left.

  Hailey walked through the doors to the Four Passion Club, gave her eyes time to adjust to the dim interior and then headed over to the bar, where a man was working. The club wasn’t open to the public yet, but she figured the doors had been unlocked for her.

  “Um, hi. I’m Hailey and I have a job interview with Connor,” Hailey said.

  The huge man behind the bar made his way to the end and came around to greet her.

  “Hi, Hailey. Pleased to meet you, I’m Connor,” Connor offered his hand in greeting.

  Hailey took the big handsome man’s hand and shook it, and she hoped he couldn’t see how intimidated she was by his size.

  “Come to my office, Hailey,” Connor led the way down a long corridor. “Take a seat.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I haven’t seen you around before. Have you just moved to Passion?” Connor asked as he studied her. Hailey hoped he didn’t see the smudges beneath her eyes and the haunted expression she wasn’t quite able to hide, even from herself. When he looked at her, he looked worried, but then his expression changed to stoic and he relaxed back into his chair. She clutched her fingers nervously and then released them when she saw him looking at her fidgeting. What was it about the men in this town that seemed to notice every little thing she did?

  “Do you have some place to stay yet?” asked Connor.

  “No, not yet. That’s next on my to-do list.” Hailey replied warily but tried to hide her anxiety with a smile.

  “Okay, you’re hired.” She was shocked at how quickly he’d hired her without asking her too many questions, but she tried to hide her surprise. She wasn’t sure she had managed that when she saw a gleam of humor in his eyes and then he looked back up to meet her gaze again. His glance flicked down to just below her eyes and Hailey had
a feeling she hadn’t been able to hide anything from the observant man. He was looking at the dark smudges beneath her eyes and for a moment he had looked kind of sympathetic. It was as if he knew she was in trouble and was trying to help her out.

  “I’ll give you a three-month trial period and if you decide you like working here, you can stay on. You’ll need to fill in an employment form with all the necessary details. Is that going to be a problem for you, Hailey?” Connor asked and looked at her intently while he waited for her answer. She shifted in her seat and glanced toward the door.

  “No,” she lied. She felt as if Connor could see through to her soul and she didn’t like it one little bit. She just hoped to God he wouldn’t find her too quickly this time. She didn’t want to have to run anymore. She gave Connor a wan smile as he rose to his feet.

  “Welcome aboard, Hailey. When do you want to start?” Connor smiled.

  “As soon as possible would be good,” Hailey replied.

  “Well how does eight tonight sound, little lady?”

  “Um, good.”

  “Good, you can meet my brothers and wife before you start your shift. I’ll give you a five-hour shift for your first night. Okay?”

  “Thanks, Connor, I really appreciate you giving me this opportunity. I won’t let you down,” Hailey said sincerely.

  “I know you won’t. See you tonight.” Connor watched Hailey leave. She felt his eyes on her and would have felt a little more uncomfortable if he hadn’t mentioned having a wife. Hopefully he was deeply in love and wouldn’t look at her like she was a woman. Every time a man looked at her like a sex object she got very nervous. She had no idea if she would ever be able to be with a man. If she had to second-guess herself and answer that question it would probably be a no.

  Hailey drove back through the main street of Passion and quickly pulled her car into a parking lot outside of the real estate office. She got out and looked at the properties for sale and lease in the window. She saw an advertisement for a fully furnished bungalow attached to the back of a large house for rent. Letting out an anxious breath, she entered the shop.

  Another large handsome man was sitting behind a desk talking on the phone. Hailey wandered around and looked at the properties being advertised on the walls of the real estate office, while she waited patiently for the man to finish his call. She turned to face him as he hung up the phone.

  “Hi, I’m Steven Blaze. Can I help you with something?” Steven held his hand out to shake.

  “Uh, yes. I’m Hailey and I was interested in the bungalow you have for lease in the front window,” Hailey said as she shook his hand.

  “Sure, take a seat, Hailey. Can I get you anything? Coffee, water, anything at all?”

  “No, thanks. I’m fine.”

  “All right then. I haven’t seen you in Passion before. Are you new here?” Steven asked curiously as he eyed her up and down. Nerves fluttered in her belly and she looked away.

  “Yes,” Hailey squeaked out then cleared her throat. “Excuse me,” she apologized. “I’ve just moved here and have just been employed by Connor at the Four Passion Club. I start my first shift tonight.”

  “Good. It’s a fantastic place to work. The rent for the bungalow is fifty dollars a week, but you’ll need to pay four weeks bond and four weeks rent in advance. Is that going to be a problem?” asked Steven.

  “No,” Hailey sighed as she tried to remember how much cash she had on her. “I can give you the money right now.”

  “Okay, I’ll just get the lease forms for you to fill in. The lease is for three months at a time. If you want to renew, you’ll have to come back and fill out another form,” Steven advised. “Do you want to see the bungalow before you sign the lease? It’s not the newest of places, but it’s clean and tidy.”

  “No, that’s okay. I’m currently staying at the motel. It will be good knowing I don’t have to pay every day to hire a room,” Hailey replied.

  Hailey filled out the lease forms and handed over the last of her cash. She had no money left to buy food, and hoped to God her payday wasn’t too far away. She shook hands with Steven and took the keys from his outstretched hand.

  “I would really like to get to know you better, Hailey. Would you go out with me on one of your days off?” Steven asked.

  “Um, no. Sorry, but I’m not interested,” Hailey replied nervously.

  “Hey, no problem, but you can’t fault a guy for trying,” Steven replied with a smile, obviously trying to put her at ease when she glanced toward the door.

  She gave him a wan smile and left his office. When she looked back through the window, Steven was watching her. A shudder worked its way up her spine and she quickly glanced away again.

  Will I ever be able to be in a man’s presence without freaking out?

  Hailey pushed her thoughts aside and slowly walked back to the motel, collected her belongings, and headed to her new home. It was just off the main street of Passion. She liked the large house the bungalow was attached to and was thankful when she saw a gate into the backyard she could use, without having to go past the windows of the house. She walked through the gate, up the three steps to the bungalow, and unlocked the door. Steven had been right, the place was by no means modern, but it was fully furnished, including crockery and cutlery. She was thankful she had a couple of bath towels and a set of sheets with her. She wandered her small new home and nearly squealed in delight when she saw a washing machine and vacuum cleaner in the small laundry.

  Hailey emptied her car of her belongings, threw her bags down on the bedroom floor out of her way, then pulled her sheets out and made the bed. Shit! She didn’t have any blankets or quilts. That was another thing she was going to have to buy. Once done with the bed, she looked through the kitchen cupboards and found a couple of cans of baked beans and tuna. Depending on how long it was until payday, she might be able to survive after all.

  Chapter Three

  Chance, Dillon, and Roman noticed the small blue car, which had been parked outside Hailey’s motel room, was gone. They looked at each other and cursed.

  “Fuck, she’s gone,” Dillon snarled as he looked at the cardigan in his large hand. He had wanted to give it back to Hailey, the perfect opportunity to see her again.

  “I’ll see if I can find out from reception where she went.” Chance headed toward the office.

  Dillon and Roman waited in their room impatiently for Chance to return.

  “She checked out. The woman in reception says she didn’t say where she was going,” Chance said with a frustrated sigh.

  “Well, not much we can do about it now. Maybe I can get Bear to tell us where she went,” Dillon suggested, as he held up Hailey’s forgotten cardigan.

  “Yeah, maybe,” Roman replied disappointedly.

  “All right, let’s see about renting a place for a while and then we can look around for the perfect place to set up a horse-breeding farm,” Chance suggested.

  The three men headed out to the real estate office, and much to their delight, had the keys to a large house in their hands an hour later. They headed back to the motel, repacked their overnight bags, put them in the back of the large dual cab ute, and went shopping. Chance and his brothers bought enough groceries to last them a month, planning on restocking their new kitchen freezer, fridge, and pantry. The real estate agent, Steven Blaze, had advised them the owners of the rental were on an extended vacation, traveling the continent, and he had no idea when they would return. The house was fully furnished and equipped with everything they would need, except food. He also advised them he had just rented out the bungalow attached to the back of the house to a young woman for three months. Chance and his brothers hadn’t been happy about that, not wanting some young woman hounding them day and night once they moved in, but decided there wasn’t much they could do about it. They headed for their new home planning on putting their supplies away and making themselves comfortable. They were going to have dinner with Tony, Colt, Bear, and Nikki
, and afterwards they were going to the club for a drink.

  * * * *

  Hailey was so tired, but she was too scared to take a nap. She spent the afternoon flicking from TV channel to TV channel, not able to concentrate on anything. She turned off the TV and wandered around her small new home. She felt content for the first time in months. She didn’t want to have to leave Passion, but knew she would eventually, when that monster caught up with her. She picked up an old local newspaper from the small coffee table in front of the sofa and flopped down to read it.

  An article on the second page drew her attention when she saw a picture of the blond-haired woman and the large men she had seen in the café that morning. The article said the woman Nikki Sprite had been kidnapped and then rescued by her three men, Tony, Colt, and Brandon “Bear” Spencer. Hailey dropped the paper back on the table, in shock. That small woman had three large men. Oh, she was so lucky to have the protection of the three men. What would it be like to be loved by three men? Oh no, she was not even going to think about that. She had enough problems as it was without thinking of those three Bartram brothers. There was no way she could let one man near her, let alone three.

  * * * *

  Hailey walked through the front door of the Four Passion Club. Connor was standing behind the bar, talking to two other men and a voluptuous redheaded woman. She walked over and greeted Connor.

  “Hey, Hailey, glad you’re here early. I’d like you to meet my brothers, Sam and Griff, and this is our wife, Simone.”

  “Hi.” Hailey greeted with a shy smile. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard and hoped like hell her incredulousness didn’t show on her face. How can one have three husbands? Isn’t that illegal?