Page 109 of Royal Desire

Blake turns to me where we stand at the end of the bar after he slams a Diet Coke. “It seems slow for a Saturday. I guess not every night can be like last night.”

We just finished our first set. I down a glass of water and set it on the bar next to Dean. “You look bored without your best friend.”

“You know I like a live show as much as the next guy, but I was here last night. This feels like high school all over again when Payne used to force the football team to attend the musicals in shifts so there’d be students in the audience.”

I smile at the memory of my high school performances. “I didn’t know he did that.”

Dean picks up the beer he’s been nursing since he got here and takes another sip. “He did it for you since you were always freaked out that you’d have to sing in front of an empty house.”

“I’ll have to thank him for that later.”

“I’m sure you will,” Dean mutters.

Blake winces. “I’m going to go pour bleach in my ears, thank you very much.”

Dean raises his bottle to him. “I’ve dealt with it my entire life, young man. I’m happy someone else feels my pain.”

Blake leaves and Dean lowers his voice. “Speaking of, have you heard from Payne?”

“Not for a couple of hours. He should be on his way back by now. He said he was going to stop at home to change before coming here so you don’t have to babysit me all night. I’m not sure how long this is going to go on.”

Dean waves me off. “I’m good. What else am I going to do on a Saturday night? The last time Payne texted, it wasn’t going well at the treatment center.”

“Tallie was a mess, but I guess that’s to be expected. She changed her mind four times on the way there. But Payne talked her into sticking with it. Saying goodbye to her was harder than he expected. No one can visit her for at least two weeks, then it depends on how she’s doing. If nothing else, Owen won’t be able to find her.”

“I’m on edge about what will happen when he finds Payne. Owen was well connected. He’s been out of prison for two days. If he didn’t know before he was freed that Payne pulled strings for the judge to throw the book at him, I’m sure he does now.”

I brush that thought off. “I have five minutes before we’re on again. I’m going to the bathroom to freshen up.”

Dean puts his beer down. “If I don’t come with you, Payne will kill me. What kind of bodyguard would I be if I let you go to the bathroom by yourself. That’s where all the heroines get taken out.”

I frown. “What kind of fairy tales are you watching?”

He gestures for me to go first. “I’m just making shit up. Guarding heroines isn’t my thing. Don’t let my good-natured charm fool you. I know you were gone during my Army days, but I did some scary shit before I took my cushy job as the Chief.”

“It’s hard to see you as the tough guy when my first memory of you is crying on the playground in kindergarten when you fell off the jungle gym.”

“What the fuck, Ruby? I was five, and I broke my arm. Give me a break.”

I swat him in that same arm. “You know I’m giving you shit. Still, I’ll never forget that you wouldn’t let me sign your cast.”

“No chicks were going to sign my cast in kindergarten. I made it a rule. Once I got to middle school, I was begging girls to sign anywhere on my body.”

I turn to him when we get to the bathroom. “I’ll only be a minute.”

He leans against the wall and scans the area like we’re in the middle of a war zone rather than the atrium of the manor. “I’m here to serve and protect.”

I do my thing and wash my hands before pulling my lipstick out of my dress pocket. I muss my hair with my fingers before giving myself one last look in the mirror.

Mrs. Payne Deacon.

As many times as I doodled that in notebooks when I was young, I should be used to it. It shouldn’t make my heart skip a beat or take my breath away. And our fuck it plan makes me think about everything I do.

I’ve never seen a pregnant piano bar singer. What in the world am I going to do for work if that happens? As much as the unknowns haunt me, I also pray it happens fast. The thought of carrying Payne’s baby is a dream.

I pull my cell from my other pocket when it vibrates.

Payne In My Ass – What a long fucking day. I just got home and changed. Tell Dean I’m on my way.