We’d been in Portland for maybe half a day when I got a call, asking me and Carmen to come to the lobby to talk to the opening act’s drummer. I couldn’t even remember his name. They weren’t that great, and they were real alcoholics, completely unprofessional.

“What’s up, guys?” I asked, Ryan and Carmen standing with me. Carmen looked as annoyed as I did. She had no patience for this kind of bullshit. To her, it was the equivalent of office work, dealing with personnel.

“So, um, James got arrested last night, and they’re not letting him out in time for our show tonight. He’s in jail.”

“What do you mean, ‘he’s in jail’. What for?” I asked angrily. The drummer of the band with the stupid name just blinked at me like he didn’t understand English. I shifted my stare over to Ryan, who shrugged his shoulders.

“Um, he was in a bar fight and got caught with a bit of coke.” The idiot confessed to me.

“You knew the rules,” was all I said before glancing around the room, running my hands through my hair. I was looking for someone to explain to me how the lead singer of an opening act could be so fucking stupid as to be arrested for fighting and drug possession at a bar at the crack of fucking dawn in a state where pot was legal and he could have had plenty of fun with that.

The blank stares continued as I shifted my glance from drummer to guitarist to bass player, and got nothing.

“Well, you’re fired,” I said blankly.

As the faces of the band members fell, the guitar player pleaded with me. “Miranda, come on. It’s not our fault. You can’t fire us!”

“Oh, I can, and I just did. You’re a package deal, and not only do we don’t do drugs on this tour, your front man managed to get arrested with drugs in a town that it’s fucking legal in. That is fucking stupid. So you’re out. Guilty by association, my friend. Your contract stipulates you’ll follow the rules we lay outset, and that happens to be one of them. Getting arrested is a deal breaker, kid. So, I suggest you find yourself a new singer, and get your asses clean. But you’re off this tour,” I said curtly. We didn’t have time to deal with that kind of bullshit.

They walked away, tails between their legs. While the nice me felt bad, I knew I did the right thing. Ryan walked over and squeezed me from behind, kissing the top of my head. “Well, babe, you did what you had to do.”

“So, now we don’t have an opening act. What now?” Carmen asked, twirling her drumsticks around in her hands.

“I guess we need to call Dad and find someone else ASAP. Tonight, we go on without one and just kick ass,” I replied.

“What about that band from San Francisco?” Carmen asked.

“Gallows for the Guilty?” I asked. “They were fucking good.”

“Yes! Gallows for the Guilty. They own Bar 7 where we played, so they’re at least somewhat responsible,” she laughed, musing to herself about something.

“Did something happen there?” I recognized that look. She’d gotten into some kind of shenanigans there.

“Psht, no.” She blew me off. “But that band. They’re the ones. Let’s get them to finish out the tour with us. Call Dad and make it happen,” she said.

“Fucking great idea, Carmen. I’ll see if they’ll do it,” I replied. As I pulled my phone out of my pocket, I took stock of Carmen and Ryan, pausing to look at them. I realized how great it was to have them both with me.

“What?” Ryan asked, smiling at me with those blue eyes I fell in love with at the beginning of the summer.

“Nothing.” A huge grin formed on my face.

“Oh my God. Get a room, you two,” Carmen whined sarcastically, before laughing.

“I’m lucky I have you both!” I threw my arms around her in a huge hug.

“Oh, for fucks’ sake, get off me! You’re crazy!” She was laughing and fighting me off at the same time, just like when we were kids. I let her go, and proceeded to call my dad about the guys from Bar 7.

I had my two favorite people in the world by my side, on tour with me, looking out for me. My life was fucking incredible.

Now, all I needed was to get this band to join us.

Find out what happens when Gallows for the Guilty joins the Little Queens to finish out the tour in Royal Persuasion, Book 2 of the Little Queens Duet.