Page 78 of Royal Rising

“I think you boys have had enough tonight,” I tell him in a calm voice.

“Little princess ain’t telling me what to do. Go get me another beer!” And Steve-o deliberately releases the hold of his not-quite-empty glass, and it drops to the floor at my feet.

About four of them laugh.

I kneel down and pick it up. “Look, she’s on her knees,” one of them shouts. “She’s kneeling before the king.”

“What’s your big, bad boyfriend going to say about that?” Another one cries.

I straighten up, glass in my hand. “He’s going to tell me to throw you out of here.” I flip the glass in my right hand and thrustit into the fleshy part of Steve-o’s stomach. He gives a whoosh of beer-flavoured air, but no one hears it because, with my left hand, I grab a hank of his longish hair and part of his ear and smash his head down onto the pool table.

It’s not exactly a smash, but it’s a great move, and the cheers behind me prove it.

“Now,” I say, leaning over him with my forearm pressing on his neck. It’s a move Dillon practiced with me and I’m sad he’s not here to see it. “My big bad boyfriend might not be here, but I’m perfectly capable of throwing your butt out of here. Or if the princess kicking you out is too much for you to handle, feel free to walk out on your own. Your choice.” I release the hold on his neck and back away.

“What the—?” He scowls, and the wall behind me moves closer.

I point toward the door and then hold out my hand. “Pay up first.”

There’s a moment of indecision in his eyes. This is the moment it could all go sideways. I’ve thrown out more than a few obnoxious and intoxicated patrons, but usually, it’s when Kalle is here, along with Dillon and Chase. I know no one in Battle Harbour will touch me when they’re here.

These guys are from away and I might have just set the stage for a bar brawl, especially if my wall decides to attack.

Then Steve-o slaps a twenty-dollar bill—King Magnus looking wise—into my hand, and with a scowl, heads for the door.

I don’t breathe a sigh of relief until the door has shut behind all five of them, and then I turn to face whoever is behind me.

There’s a group of about a dozen of the regulars—Jubblie Mark, Coy Schmidt and Ken McKibbon, with Shirl Crow and Lennie Tak and more. A nervous Tyler is behind them, with Chase off to the side.

“What are you doing here?” I demand of Chase. “I thought you were off tonight.”

The second member of Kalle’s security detail holds up a mop and bucket. “Just coming to help clean up the mess.”

“Did Kalle ask you to babysit me?” Chase shakes his head and my expression softens.

“I had nothing going on tonight so I thought I’d hang out. You don’t need me here, anyway. Your people have your back.”

“Thank you,” I tell the little group with a smile. Realizing that they stepped up to support me means a lot—more than I realize. That’s something you would do for a leader. A friend.

They would have done it for Kalle in a second.

A general in an army. Or… maybe someone who holds a crown.

“I appreciate the backup. Drinks on me.” I take the mop and bucket from Chase and thrust it at Jubblie Mark. “After you clean up your mess.”

After a quick drink to settle my nerves, I pour a round for my backup. A bemused Tyler oversees Mark cleaning up the beer before giving him another bottle.

I hope he doesn’t drop it.

“I’ve never seen anything like that.” Sophie’s eyes are wide and staring when I rejoin them at the bar. “Not just the way you took down that guy, but how the whole place gathered around you. That was amazing.”

I can only shrug, even though the loyalty shown gives me a warm feeling. A very warm and fuzzy feeling. It would have been different if Kalle had been here—it would have been him who confronted them, and it all would have ended without my arm on someone’s neck, but knowing I had others behind me…

It’s a frightening thing to do, staring down a drunk, let alone physically subduing him, and if I’d had time to think about it, I wouldn’t have gone that route.

But it all worked out.

“How did you learn to do that?” Sophie wants to know.

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