Page 29 of Courting Mayhem

“For God’s sake, put some panties on,” Derek bellowed.

I raised an eyebrow. If my fathers didn’t have a problem with my costume, why did he? “I am wearing panties.” I pushed aside my skirt. “See?”

“That’s a G-string and where are your weapons?”

“I am a weapon.” At his eye roll, I pointed to my snake armbands. “Knives.” I touched my necklace. “Another knife. Happy?”

“No,” Derek groused and tugged at his pants. “I feel like a damn fool.”

I examined his costume. The bronze battle helmet with horns covered most of his face. The black warrior’s harness emphasized his massive chest and biceps. His leather pants clung lovingly to his taut ass and muscular thighs. Two daggers protruded from his knee-high boots. “You’ll do, but your bracelet screams Coletti warlord.” I held out my hand. “Take it off.”

Derek reluctantly handed it to me. “I want it back in the same condition I gave it to you.”

“Are you wearing a bio inhibitor?” Poppa Jacob wanted to know as he plucked the war commander’s bracelet from my hand.

I suppressed a smile. It wouldn’t take Poppa Jacob long to hack its programs.

Derek frowned. “I am and my bracelet is hack proof.”

Poppa Jacob just grinned at him.

“Remember to play dumb. Male dancers aren’t known for their smarts,” I said quickly.

Derek bowed deeply. “Yes, my lady.”

The command console beeped. “Canute sent the transporter coordinates for the meeting. Any questions?” Papi Sten asked.

I shook my head. “Nope.”

“War commander?”

“None.”

Poppa Jacob stood. “Once I create my diversion, you have ten minutes to capture the Askole and get out,” He tucked Derek’s bracelet in a small vault in the captain’s chair. “How much did Canute offer for Mayhem?”

“A hundred thousand credits. His current dancers don’t have herflexibility,” Papi Sten replied.

“This time we put Canute out of business. Permanently.” I hooked my sequined harem mask over my ears and headed toward the transporter room.

Derek followed behind me. “You’ve gone up against him before?”

“Not directly.” I entered the transporter room and took my place on the platform. “Zan insisted on sending a team of his elite warriors in to deal with Canute. It was a massacre. If he had listened to us, they would still be alive.”

“Zan set up the massacre. He wanted to provoke the council into irradiating the entire planet,” Papi Sten rumbled.

Derek frowned. “Why would he want to do that?”

“That is the million-credit question. Luckily, the council refused to commit mass murder,” Poppa Jacob replied.

My anger bubbled up. “General Zan is a sneaky bastard and he’s planning something.”

“I agree,” Papi Sten stated.

Poppa Jacob typed in the coordinates. “What’s our battle motto?”

Papi Sten and I shouted, “If you can’t convince them, confuse them. If that doesn’t work, kick the shit out of them.”

The war commander stared at us like we had lost our minds.

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