Operation Honey Trap vs The Emperor of the Apocalypse-Chapter 221: However You Want It, Wildcat

"Well prefer someone else’s brunette," Alton growled at Casey. "Or even better, prefer a brunette who’s single. This woman’s taken. She’s off-the-market. I’ve paid for her in full. No returns allowed. You get my drift."

Casey started to chuckle. It was a low rumble that built up slowly until it really got going.

"Oh boy. You really got it bad don’t you, boy?" he chortled. "Not that I blame you. If she was my woman, I’d be staking my claim and fighting them off too."

Niko was appreciating this scene a little too much, Alton decided, as the man laughed uproariously. He gave his Lieutenant a stinging clip on the ear for his trouble.

"Oi! What was that for?" Niko asked his friend and leader, looking aggrieved as he cradled his ear.

"Because you’re laughing when you’re meant to be on my side," Alton scowled at him.

"Look out, Casey," Niko called across the table to him. "Our General here doesn’t have any sense of humour when it comes to General Chastain. You can ask Brenner over there about it. He has lived experience when it comes to stepping in where he’s not wanted by the General."

Brenner, who’d been keeping half an ear on the conversation while hoeing into the best meal he’d had in some time, nodded, swallowing a mouthful of fish before he replied.

"Yep. He gave me a black eye for my trouble, Casey. Don’t push it unless you’re up for a knock-down-drag-out fight." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"I don’t mind me one of them every so often," Casey winked at Brenner so that Alton couldn’t see.

"Well I’ll be happy to oblige you, Casey," said Alton seriously. "Just name the time and the place. I’ll take off my General stars for the duration of the skirmish and you can give it your best shot."

Casey really got up a booming belly laugh now, holding his stomach as he roared with laughter.

"He’s trigger happy, your man," he said to Delphi, nodding towards Alton, and she smiled happily in agreement.

It was such a peaceful and pleasant delight to be surrounded by her friends and engaged in this playful banter.

It took her mind off the last few days and reminded her that there was life after the wretchedness of the palace, after all. There were good people in this world. Really good people. And some of them liked her for the right reasons.

This was just what she needed to clear her head of the grimy palace cobwebs that had been building there.

Niko stood up from the table, pulling Indy up with him.

"Well folks, we’re going to have to love you and leave you, I’m afraid. While we have a moment of peace, I’m going to take this beautiful woman for a walk under the stars. Most of us handsome blond men prefer blondes," he winked at Casey.

"Where’s this handsome blond man you speak of brother?" asked Casey. "Is he talking about you Baer? You look more like a brown-haired fella to me."

"I’d describe myself as dark blond," said Baer in an over-the-top effeminate voice, touching his hair ostentatiously. "And I prefer redheads myself," he said, back to his normal, low gravelly voice as he glanced pointedly at Loveday, who quickly looked away.

Opal rolled her eyes. He had Buckley’s and none with Loveday. Now he was just embarrassing himself.

"I’m going to take myself off to bed," said Baer, yawning widely. "It’s been a big couple of days."

He kicked Opal on the shin under the table before he stood up to leave. She let out a little squeal and bent down to rub her leg.

"What’s wrong?" Brenner asked her.

"Nothing," she mumbled, as Baer caught her eye to let her know he expected her to follow him. "I think it was a mosquito or a sandfly biting me."

"Through your army pants?"

"Must have crawled up them or something," she scowled. "Maybe it was a spider or an ant."

When Baer had been gone for about five minutes, Opal rose to her feet, pulling her long loose braid over one shoulder.

"Well, I’m done. Night all," she waved prettily.

"What’s wrong with that brunette, Casey? She’s single," pointed out Alton, when Opal was out of earshot.

"Nothing, nothing," Casey said quickly, looking at Brenner, being careful not to be disrespectful. "She’s a very lovely woman. She’s just not Delphi is all."

He really couldn’t help pushing General Meyer’s buttons... He was just too easy to fire up.

"It seems like you really do want to end the evening with a bang, Casey," Alton’s face held not a trace of humour, and Casey laughed so hard at the fellow that he almost choked on his mouthful of beer.

Opal hunted around in the dark for Baer. Where had the big oaf taken himself off to?

She wasn’t particularly looking forward to this, but it was better to get it over with and get the man on her side.

It was a moonless night, so it was hard to see anything once you left the lit area. She strode down a dark passage between two buildings, heading towards the men’s dormitory, almost feeling her way in case she ran into something.

Before she had made it more than a few steps into the soupy darkness, she was grabbed by the shoulders and pushed up against the wall of the building, a hand was pressed against her mouth.

She knew it was Baer, though it still startled her.

She bit hard on the flesh of his palm.

"Oh, shit!" he cursed, putting his hand between his legs and pressing his thighs together to ease the pain.

While he was hunched over, Opal grabbed his shoulders and pressed him up against the building. He quickly lost his balance because of the way he was standing and the hard shove she gave him.

He fell back against the timber wall, his broad shoulders thudding against the VJ boards, and she planted a hand on either side of his head now that she had him at her level.

"Listen buster, I told you the terms of our deal. Don’t mess me about or it’s off," she said fiercely into his rugged face.

He laughed, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Alright, alright little wildcat. I told you, however you want it, I’m more than happy to oblige..."