Operation Honey Trap vs The Emperor of the Apocalypse-Chapter 176: Baer Baited

When Wolf and Arrie arrived at the safe-house there was already a debate on foot.

"The Generals already took the best room," said Opal. "Niko, you and I should take this downstairs room. It’s the next most private," she looked pointedly at Indy, who she blamed entirely for the partner swap that had just taken place.

"No," Niko said flatly. "I’ll share that bedroom with Indy."

"No you won’t, Niko. I’m sharing a room with Loveday. I think Wolf and Arrie should take this room. Wolf, what do you think?"

Wolf’s eyes lit up with undisguised excitement. "Yes! Oh. Actually, I better check with Araminta first. Araminta, what do you say?"

Arrie tried hard not to blush, particularly when she saw Baer glaring at her with undisguised anger.

"Umm. Okay?" she replied.

Wolf grinned widely. It wasn’t even that he wanted to get up to anything in there, though he did want to, it was what that public acknowledgement by Araminta symbolically represented.

"Alright then, I’m with Baer," said Niko morosely, looking at Indy with those imploring eyes again.

She turned her back on him, dragging her pack up the stairs to her room she planned to share with Loveday.

"I’m guess I’m with you, ’sis," Brenner wrapped an arm around Opal’s shoulder.

"Can’t you say something to Niko, Bren?" she hissed under her breath. "He needs to take responsibility for me. You’re my big brother so you should be the one to speak with him."

"The heart wants what it wants," he told his sister quietly. "Don’t try and force something that’s not there. You’ll only get hurt." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"I’m already hurt," she flashed at him, stomping up the stairs after Indy and Loveday.

Niko, who had caught some of their exchange, looked sheepish.

Brenner turned to him before he followed his sister upstairs. "Don’t worry about it, man. She’s just used to getting anything she wants. She’s a little spoilt at home, and any man she’s ever turned her attention to has fallen at her feet in a heap. This is a first for her. She’ll learn from it."

"Thanks for letting me off lightly, brother," said Niko. "I really didn’t mean to hurt her."

"I know," Brenner winked at him. "Us Grays play hardball where matters of the heart are concerned, so I know she played you. She’ll get over it. I’m not sure any man can really touch that ruthless heart of hers. She just thinks you’re hot. It’s a schoolgirl crush, nothing more."

Niko nodded. "Thanks for saying that, man. I appreciate it."

"We’re all on the same side here. I’ve got your back."

Brenner whistled a jaunty tune as he followed his angry little sister up the staircase.

Niko heaved a sigh of relief. "If her brother doesn’t back her up, I might just get out of this mess alive."

Baer wasn’t really paying attention, because he had turned his angry glare onto Wolf now, having decided he was to blame for the whole debacle with Arrie.

Wolf hadn’t even noticed that he was the object of Baer’s ire, so pleased was he with the prospect of sharing a bedroom with Araminta.

He picked up both his pack and hers, heading for the door of the ’second-best bedroom in the safe-house’.

"Where the fuck do you think you’re going, asshole," growled Baer at Wolf’s back.

Wolf stopped where he was and placed both packs on the floor, before heaving a sigh and turning to face Baer.

"Baer," he said, "how long do you plan on keeping up this bullshit?"

"What bullshit? You’re the bullshit artist. Moving in on another’s man’s woman. I’ve already fucked her, Wolf, are you aware of that little juicy titbit?"

"Baer!" cried Arrie in despair, tears springing to her eyes. "How could you say something like that? You’re just determined to grind me to dust, aren’t you? How incredibly rude and disrespectful," to her horror, a sob escaped her.

Baer smirked with satisfaction to have made her cry. She deserved it the bloody floozy. She thought she could just bed Wolf now did she, after he took her virginity and had planned to make her his wife. Well he wasn’t going to make it easy on her.

"Baer, man," Niko placed a hand on his arm, "don’t stoop so low. We don’t say hurtful things to women to make them cry. That’s beneath you, man."

"She should be crying! She’s the one that’s fucked me over not the other way around. I asked her to marry me for Christ’s sake!" he roared, having worked himself into a frenzy of self-pity, his face bright red now.

Niko closed his eyes momentarily. He knew where this was heading. He hadn’t been joking when he’d told the General that breaking up these fights between Wolf and Baer was becoming part of his daily routine.

"You asked me to be your second wife, Baer!" cried Arrie. "You like Loveday, not me."

"I like you enough to want to marry you! Since when is that not enough? More than half the men on this Island have two or more wives!"

"I don’t want to talk about this here, Baer. I’ll just say one more thing to you. I don’t think it’s too much to ask to want to be loved by your future husband, not to be an added extra who he wouldn’t mind as a fallback, or to add some spice to his marriage. We’re through! I’ve already told you that, so just leave me alone from now on. And stop blaming Wolf. What happened between you and me is nothing to do with him."

"Oh, it’s everything to do with him alright," growled Baer. "He moved in on you the second you heard me fall out with Loveday. I saw him sitting with you in the hallway playing the agony aunt. It’s the oldest bloody trick in the book. Give the girl a shoulder to cry on until she falls for you. He’s such a fucking beta male."

Wolf launched himself at Baer, who couldn’t have been happier, because he’d been dying to punch the guy all day.

"You arrogant dumb oaf," yelled Wolf, as he leapt on Baer, knocking him to the ground. "You wouldn’t know how to treat a woman if your life depended on it! It’s no wonder you haven’t been able to keep either of the beautiful women who were by your side. You don’t deserve either of them."

Niko was already there, jumping between the two men and pushing each in the opposite direction.

"Settle down you two. How many times are you going to knock each other’s heads in? Baer, face it, Arrie has chosen Wolf, man, so that’s the end of it. And Wolf, stop letting Baer bait you. Every single time he’s played you like a bloody banjo. Stop doing exactly what he wants you to do and keep your fucking cool."