I couldn't believe this was happening. Dozens of men and women, holding me back, all of them apologizing. "We're so sorry," one of them said.

"We don't want to be doing this."

"Then don't," I said.

They held me down until I calmed down, after which they let me go, each of them offering another, "Sorry" or, "No hard feelings."

A man in a suit approached me.

"Sir," he said. "I hate to do this, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

I looked around and couldn't see Beau.

"Where did the Prince go?"

"Sir, would you like me to escort you to the back?"

I didn't see him. "Did he leave?"

"Sir, I must ask you to please come with me and leave. You are not welcome here."

"I'm under orders of the…" He lunged forward at me and I flinched. He wasn't a big guy, which is why it was all the more surprising. He didn't hit me. He kissed me.

I pushed him off. "No," I said. "Mothballs. Mothballs," he backed off and gave me about a foot and a half of room. "I'm under orders of the Queen to keep the Prince safe."

Cheryl pushed through the crowd and touched the well-dressed man on the shoulder. "Give him a break, Percival," she said. "You can tell he's not from around here."

She turned towards me. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, yeah," I said. "Did you see where the Prince went?"

"No."

Another woman chimed in. "Beau and Sean left through the back," she pointed towards the exit and I took off in that direction.

I went out the door, which led to a back alleyway. I learned another benefit to the Prince's tacky outfit, the lifts he wore prevented him from moving very fast. I could see him, and his neon cape turn the corner and I took off.

The two of them walked to the front of a neighboring club, Twice Shy, where I watched the bouncer let them in ahead of the line. I took off across the road, through the street, dodging traffic along the way.

"Back of the line," the bouncer said.

"I need to get in there," I said.

"Then get to the back of the line and wait just like everybody else."

"You don't understand," I said. "It's a matter of national security."

"Look here, buddy," he said. "I got two lists. The first list is the VIPs. They don't need to wait. You're not on that one and you aren't gonna be. Now the second list is the jackasses. That's the list of people who we don't, under any circumstances, let in. You don't listen up and do what I say, I'm putting you on that one."

I really didn't have the patience for this right now. I looked at him, sizing him up from head to toe. He was tough, wearing his tight, black shirt. He definitely lifted, but I bet he didn't work on the fast twitch muscles, the kind you used when you boxed. It wouldn't surprise me if he hadn't thrown a punch in his life.

Or, for that matter, taken one.

"You understand?" he asked.

"I understand. Now you listen. I'm giving you till the count of three to let me in there or else I'm going to pop you in the nose."

He laughed. "I'm not letting you in."

"All right," I said. I took a deep breath. "One…"

Then I socked him in the face and walked right past him.