Page 137 of His Fury

ISLA

They were still here.

I watched them from my tablet. They didn’t touch their drinks. Their weight suffocated me even though they couldn’t see me. Mikhail stood beside me, an immovable force anchored between the VIP booths.

The birthday party had spilled out of their booths in a mad attempt to get theprincessinto the sports booths, Mikhail had taken one step forward, and I’d never seen a group of people move so fast out of someone’s way.

The tension in my shoulders had settled into a dull ache. Mikhail had looked at the four guys, screwed his face up, and muttered one word with disgust.

“Cops.”

He then explained that it was common for the cops to come in and check out the place. They were on official duty, and the front security couldn’t keep them out, so I was the only one who panicked, which is probably why Rye never replied.

The new problem we seemed to face was the three guys who walked in shortly after the cops. They looked like theybelonged here, but Mikhail had been on his comms to Jayden so quickly that I hadn’t had time to react.

I hated myself for it. After spending so long living in fear of what being with Zayn might cost me, tonight I was done flinching. I was completely done waiting for someone else to handle the problem.

“Why are they here?” I asked Mikhail quietly as he watched the tablet with me.

“To see what happens,” he said with a grunt. “And we can do fuck all with four cops in the place.”

“And how didtheyget in?” I asked, looking up at him, a little taken aback by his anger.

“It’s a question I’ll be asking Jayden, ma’am.”

I nodded. “Okay, well, we can’t be hiding up here.” I looked him up and down; he was so big. “Not that you could hide,” I said with a smile. “Let’s bring two more guys up here and I’ll talk to the servers for theprincessand cut their drinks off slowly. Then you and me are going down to have a chat with these guys.”

“The cops are here,” Mikhail quickly reminded me.

“And I saidtalk,” I reminded him before I dipped into the VIP booth and had a quick word with the servers, who were only too happy to be told to be less efficient with the fulfillment of orders.

Two more security guards took my place, and Mikhail and I went down the stairs to the main floor. If they wanted to test me, I would show them exactly who the hell I was.

I moved toward them slowly. Deliberately. The rest of the birthday party danced around me, oblivious, but I saw a few heads turn as I crossed the floor—bar staff, servers, and even a few security guards glanced up, but no one stepped in.

Because this was my call.

The man sitting closest to the edge shifted as Iapproached, his eyes dragging up the length of me like I was something to buy or break.

Did they think that would intimidate me?

I stepped right up to their table and smiled politely—not sweetly. “Gentlemen,” I said. “This is a private party tonight. You’re not invited.”

The one in the middle—broad shoulders, short hair, bored expression—leaned forward. “We’re invited.”

His voice was smooth, practiced. Meant to intimidate.

I didn’t blink. “Then can you show me the invite and your wrist?”

He raised an eyebrow. “You the hostess?”

I smiled wider. “I’m the one asking to see your invite and telling you that if you don’t show it it’s time to go.”

That got a reaction. A little silence. A twitch of a smirk.

The third one spoke. “Didn’t realize McCabe let his woman run the show.”

My heartbeat raced. I leaned in, my voice low enough that only they heard. “He trusts me to handle things. That should worry you more than if he were here.”

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