“You want a drink? If ever we get close to the bar, I’ll get you one,” he snarled. She smelled the fumes on his breath that told her he’d had enough. “Tourists.” He spat out the word like it tasted bad. “Taking their damn time ordering a simple thing like a drink.”
“I’m all good, but thanks. I was just about to order a coffee, but I think I’ll leave it. See you guys around.”
“Come on now, Maggie. Let’s get reacquainted just like old times.” His hand gripped her arm and turned her back to face him.
It didn’t bother her. Maggs had dealt with worse than Leyland. Maybe she was changing, being home, because all she felt now was mild amusement looking at these two idiots. Before, she would have panicked.
“Not now, Leyland. I’m tired. Now let me go or—”
“We not good enough for you now you’ve done some traveling?” He pulled her closer.
“Leyland, we’ve been down this road. I’m not interested in you, and I never have been. We’re friends, and I’d like to keep it that way.”
“Awww, come on, Maggie, you know you want more of me.” His smile was lopsided. He then pitched forward, almost landing on Maggs. She leapt to the side, avoiding being stomped on.
“Who pushed me!” Leyland demanded staggering upright.
“It was an accident, man,” the guy behind him said. “Sorry.”
“It was deliberate!”
Maggie knew the signs. Leyland liked to fight, and he’d found his target. Mackie was at his side in seconds. It was he, of course, who threw the first punch.
Mayhem erupted.
“Mackie! You idiot!” Maggs waded in and grabbed an arm. She was pushed away and landed on her ass, which just made her spitting mad. Leaping to her feet, she grabbed his arm again and tugged. “Mackie, stop!” She hung on to it as he struggled to shake her off. Seconds later, she was off her feet.
“Let me go!” She couldn’t see who held her.
“Are you insane!” Fin dropped her to her feet away from the fight.
“I was trying to stop it!”
The muscles in his jaw bounced. “How? You’re half their size. The only thing you could have achieved was getting hurt. “Now stay!” he roared. She then watched as he ran back to the bar.
He grabbed Leyland from behind with practiced ease that told her he’d done it before. The Trainers and Ted were there. Nash too. He had Mackie. It was over not long after, with the men involved being marched away.
“What the hell were you doing?” Nash found her back at the table.
“When?” Maggs was sipping coffee one of the staff had gotten her. She, Pip, Bailey, and Rory, were discussing the fact that Leyland and Mackie struggled to form a reasonable working brain between them.
“Getting involved in that fight. Christ, Tigger, you could have been hurt.” His face was set, jaw clenched, and he had a good glare going on. Not dissimilar to Fin’s, actually.
Maggs waved a hand, dismissing his words, and realized how good she felt. Not because of the fight, but because she hadn’t been terrified when it started. She’d felt her old self instead and strong enough to try and stop it.
“I’ve stopped you and Ford from fighting many times.”
“Those men had been drinking. You could have caught a fist in the face.”
“And yet here I stand, my beauty unmarred.”
“You’re bloody reckless!” Fin joined the conversation. He stood beside Nash, glaring at her. Clearly, they were united in their condemnation of her. “I thought you had more brains than to do something like that.”
“I could outthink both of you using only the left side of my brain!” Maggs felt her own anger climb.
“Oh, leave off, you two. Maggs never takes a step back; you both should know that by now,” Pip said, winking at her. “It’s good to see she still has that spark in there.”
“We’re going,” Nash snarled. “Get your things.”
