We all grinned and headed toward the restaurant.

  I hooked my arm with Shrek’s. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

  “You are truly unstoppable,” Shrek said in awe.

  Kaylee took his other arm. “Why, thank you, even without our powers we took out Lior and Lilkee’s goons.”

  Crack! A black-clad body slammed into a cab’s windshield and slowly slid off the hood.

  “Fight! Fight!” Voices shouted.

  To my surprise, a horde of what looked like college students poured out of a casino and joined the brawl. It quickly escalated into a riot.

  Sirens wailing, several patrol cars skidded to a stop. The cops bailed out and waded into the fight.

  “Oh lookie! The news’ vans are showing up too,” Casey commented and as we strolled by the excited reporters.

  Detja calmly dodged a flying body. “Tao’s lobster wontons are highly recommended.”

  “I was thinking of trying the salmon.” I levitated an elderly woman out of the melee and sat her down in front of a clothing store. She hurried inside.

  Casey punched out with her telekinesis. The shockwave of energy hurled a bunch of the college students into a huge fountain. “I’m getting the sushi.”

  The restaurant’s bouncers wore Samurai styled armor and gold helmets with a red plume. They blocked our entrance and the biggest one growled, “We’re closed.”

  “Step aside. We have reservations,” Detja commanded.

  With a blank look on their faces, they opened the doors and said in unison, “Enjoy your dinner.”

  “We will,” Casey said as we trooped past them.

  A beer bottle sailed by my head and smashed into a wall. “You might want to lock the door and take cover inside the tourists are getting a little frisky.”

  They both nodded.

  I admired the décor. The red and gold walls highlighted several terracotta warriors, bronze sculptures of Buddha and eight statues of Chinese horse mounted cavalry.

  A rattled hostess hurried over to us.

  Before she could say a word, Detja took control, “We have reservations.”

  The hostess nodded, grabbed the menus and gestured. “Right this way.” She led us to a booth with red velvet seats and placed the menus on the table. “I’ll send your server right over.” She rushed away.

  I watched her disappear through double kitchen doors. “Are you going to have to voodoo the kitchen staff too?”

  “If I must. I will not allow anything to spoil our night out,” Detja answered.

  Doing her best impression of a serious grownup, Casey said, “I know I’m not of legal age, but I’m not a child. I have adult responsibilities and I deserve to have a drink or two.”

  Kaylee grinned. “How about a Shirley Temple?”

  “No. I want to try Sake. It’s a Japanese wine.”

  “Sake?” My eyebrows rose.

  “Uncle Saul says that Sake, served correctly, is the best wine in the world.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far, but I don’t see any harm in you trying some.” I looked around the table. “Any objections?”

  Everyone shook their heads, including Shrek.

  We ordered a bottle to go with dinner. Then another bottle and another. Two hours later, we were feeling no pain.

  Detja got to her feet. “Our show starts in ten minutes.”

  “Maybe it has been cancelled due to the altercation outside,” Shrek said hopefully.

  Detja gave him an amused smile. “There is another entrance not affected by the fight.”

  “Where are we going?” Kaylee wobbled a bit as she stood up.

  “Starship Troopers is held downstairs in the nightclub,” I said, pointing to the poster with a bunch of hunky men on it.

  Casey squealed. “I can’t wait! Naked men! Hoo boy.” She ran off.

  Giving her Sake probably wasn’t a good idea. But what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. That’s my story and I was sticking to it. I ambled after her.

  “I have no wish to watch naked males dance,” Shrek protested as Detja pulled him along.

  “Think of it as a cultural learning event,” Kaylee advised, taking his other arm and urging him down the stairs.

  “What am I to learn?”

  “How human women party.”

  The nightclub was filled with eager, giggling women. Our table was next to the stage. Casey plopped down in her chair and rubbed her hands. “We’re gonna get a birds-eye view of their man parts.”

  Shrek’s eyes widened. “Oh! I see.” He settled back in his chair and began observing the audience.

  I had to know. “Hothar’s never given you a sneak peek?”

  “No,” Casey huffed. “With Uncle Saul and Zarek constantly monitoring us, he hasn’t had a chance.”

  A cute waiter in a red G-string strutted up to us. “What can I get the handsome green gentleman and his lovely ladies?”

  “Your best champagne,” Detja said and stuffed a credit chip in his G-string.

  My eyes bugged. Holy crap! If I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t have believed it.

  Kaylee’s jaw dropped.

  Casey giggled hysterically.

  The waiter made his butt cheeks dance. “Right away, you sexy thing,” he said over his shoulder and swaggered off.

  “Detja’s really getting into the whole bachelorette thing,” Kaylee snickered.

  “I’ll say.” And there was something off about the waiter. I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

  “I am a dead man,” Shrek moaned.

  Three obviously human waiters made-up to appear Askole boogied around the tables; delivering drinks, rubbing up against and kissing the adoring women.

  “Their scales are painted on,” Shrek remarked.

  Casey snorted. “And what’s up with those funky, tentacle dreadlocks?”

  “If they met a real Askole, they’d piss their G-strings,” Kaylee commented.

  The butt-bouncing waiter danced over carrying a tray with five glasses and a bottle of champagne in an ice-filled bucket. He popped the cork and poured the bubbly. He handed a glass to Shrek. “Your costume is exquisite. Who did you?”

  Highly offended, Shrek snapped, “I am not wearing a costume.”

  “Of course not, sweetie.” He slid a card under Shrek’s hand. “Give me a call. We’ll talk.” He skipped off.

  “Oh, my God! He was hitting on you,” Casey crowed.

  I burst out laughing at the shocked expression on Shrek’s face.

  A muscle-bound Bjarke male in a red sequined jacket and G-string walked out onto the stage. “Ladies! Are you ready to meet a real, live alien?”

  The audience hooted and hollered.

  Our waiter strutted out on the stage and broke into a Texas Two-Step followed by an Irish jig.

  Casey, Kaylee and I cried in unison, “Oh my God, that’s Adan.”

  Adan quickly transformed into a Gorum with a long, white tubular body and two eyestalks with bright yellow orbs. The wormy growth around his head lengthened and swayed this way and that as he danced down the walkway.

  Gotta say, I was impressed.

  The music changed. Quicker than the eye could follow, Adan morphed into Zarek wearing nothing but a black G-string. He broke into an energetic cowboy polka.

  The crowd went wild.

  I shot a worried glance at Detja and to my surprise she was laughing.

  Shrek, Casey and Kaylee were bug-eyed in horror.

  A hot Latin Salsa tune began to play. Without any hesitation, Adan aka Zarek pulled Detja up on stage and they did a damned good Tango.

  If Zarek ever found out about this, God help us. The hairs on-the-back-of-my neck stood up. Poof! Zarek, Saul, Talree and Hothar suddenly stood by our table wearing dirty battle suits. I drained my glass of champagne.

  Zarek popped up on the stage, seized Detja’s right hand, spun her around him and pulled her into a tight embrace. His lips brushed Detja’s.

  She jerked away.

  Zarek jerked Detja back and slid his leg between hers.

  Adan vanished.

  I fanned myself. Bet her panties were wet. Because mine were.

  Zarek’s large hands skimmed down Detja’s back, grabbed her hips and up she went.

  “Holy cow! Who knew Zarek could dance?” Casey exclaimed as he twirled Detja around his shoulders.

  Zarek lowered Detja until their lips met. Poof! They were gone.

  The women went ballistic and chanted, “More. More. More.”

  I smiled brightly at Saul. “Did you find and kill Cantor?”

  “No. You disobeyed my orders to wait for me in sick bay.”

  What a grumpy butt. “Zarek’s exacts orders were not to leave Shrek’s custody, and we didn’t.”

  “You shanghaied him,” Saul growled.

  “Kinda.”

  Casey crawled up Hothar’s chest and gave him a big kiss. “I wanna see your man parts.”

  “You are drunk!” Hothar exclaimed.

  Saul bellowed, “You let her drink?”

  “It is a bachelorette party,” I answered. “What did you expect?”

  “You even think of yelling at Shrek, and no nooky for a month,” Kaylee snarled at Talree.

  I stood up and poked Saul in the chest. “Same for me.”

  “I am sorry, my lords, I could not control them,” Shrek interjected.

  Talree rubbed a hand over his face as if he was trying not to laugh. “Our females are very difficult to control.”

  “Are not,” Kaylee said and keeled over.

  Talree caught her before she hit the floor. “Everyone back to the ship.”

  “But the party’s not over.”

  “Yes, it is.” Saul scooped me up.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Detja sat at the head of the table with a mulish expression on her face. To say Zarek was in a bad mood would be an understatement. I thought he would have calmed down by now. I mean, he’d have to stuff a sock in his G-string, but other than that, he could make a fortune in Vegas.

  Zarek stopped prowling around his war room and gave me the stink eye.

  Or not. I laid my head on the table and wished the headache from hell would go away.

  “Are you feeling ill?” Zarek’s voice had a nasty edge to it.

  I moaned, “Not sure if I’m dead or just hungover.”

  “Sit up in your chair.”

  I sat up and squinted at Zarek. “Yes, sir.”

  “Do you hafta yell? Kaylee groaned.

  Her head buried in her hands, Casey whimpered, “Why can’t Shrek fix us up?

  “It’s called a life lesson,” Saul shot back.

  “That’s just mean.”

  Saul demanded, “Will you drink to excess again?”

  “God, no.” She looked around the room. “Anyone got some aspirin?”

  Saul slid a bottle across the table.

  I risked a quick peek and wished I hadn’t. He was beyond livid.

  Hothar sat a glass of water down in front of Casey.

  “Thanks, Hot Lips.”

  He expelled a long breath, opened the bottle of aspirin and gave Casey two pills.

  Massaging my temples, I croaked, “Could ya slide that bottle this way?”

  The bottle rolled right by me and tumbled to the floor.

  Crap. I slithered out of my chair and crawled toward the aspirin bottle.

  “For Christ’s sake,” Saul growled. He grabbed me around the waist and plopped me back in my chair. “Sit. Stay!”

  “Woof. Woof.”

  “Don’t push me Annie!”

  I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know what y’all are so upset about. Other than getting a little drunk, nothing happened.”

  “Nothing happened?” Zarek tapped his bracelet. Every screen in the room showed the fight and ensuing riot.

  Huh? Someone had set a bunch of cars on fire.

  “You are responsible for this.”

  Detja snorted.

  “Us?” Kaylee cried.

  Casey peered at the screens. “No, the kidnappers are.”

  I winced at the stabbing pain behind my eyes. “Vegas has a zillion surveillance cameras and you didn’t see the idiots trying to kidnap us?”

  “We did. If you had never left the ship, none of this would have happened.” Saul snapped.

  “That’s a valid point, but I’m not going to spend my life on house arrest.”

  “It was for your own safety,” Saul retorted.

  My temper flared to life. “You were only two decks away and Lior still took us.”

  “You’re right.” Saul sagged down on the chair next to me and took my hand. “I’m sorry.”

  “I know.” I brushed my lips over his. “No matter how carefully you plan, shit happens.”

  “Your wedding has been arranged and will start at six tonight,” Zarek announced out of the blue.

  Detja jumped to her feet. “I will not allow it!”

  Oh, hell. I exchanged worried glances with Saul.

  “You deliberately disobeyed my orders. This is your punishment,” Zarek stated.

  Her punishment? It was my wedding.

  Detja climbed up on a chair and looked Zarek dead in the eye. “I am not a child and I will not be treated as one.”

  “You risk too much,” he countered.

  Detja retorted, “I am as much of a warrior as you are.”

  “Dontcha hate it when mom and dad fight?” Casey quipped.

  Zarek and Detja did the dominance stare down thing.

  Kaylee sighed. “Now I know where Talree went.”

  “Where?” Dread clenched my already queasy stomach.

  “To set up security at the church they booked for your wedding.”

  “In Vegas?”

  Kaylee nodded.

  “I refuse to be married in Las Vegas,” I spat, and glared defiantly at Zarek. “Not doing it. No way. No how.”

  Saul pulled me into his lap and his mouth crushed mine. “Do you want him to use mind control on you?”

  “No.” I wrapped my arms around his neck.

  “Then you will smile politely and thank him,” Saul instructed.

  “Fine.” My stomach felt like it was on a roller coaster.

  Zarek cocked a dark brow. “You were saying?”

  “I don’t feel so good.” It was like something out of a horror vid. Chunks of my dinner spewed from my mouth and splattered all over Zarek’s spiffy boots.

  The silence in the room was deafening.

  A giggle escaped Casey.

  Kaylee burst into hysterical laughter.

  “I believe this is a first, my lord.” Detja bit her lip to keep from laughing.

  I stared at the stinky mess in absolute shock. I opened my mouth to apologize but I couldn’t think of what to say. Sorry I puked all over your boots, didn’t seem adequate.

  Zarek examined his feet for a moment. “Take your females to sick bay General and have Shrek treat them. I want them sober and upright for the ceremony.”

  “Yes, my lord.” Saul tightened his grip on me and held his hand out to Casey. The moment she took it, he teleported us to sick bay.

  “I’m never drinking Sake again,” I lamented.

  Casey grabbed her stomach. “Me either.”

  “Do something Shrek before there’s more projectile vomiting,” Saul commanded.

  Shrek grabbed a pressure injector and jabbed us in the neck with it.

  I grabbed my neck. “Ouch. That hurt.”

  “Good,” Shrek said.

  “Would it help if I said I’m sorry?”

  Shrek let out a long breath. “It would.”

  “I’m sorry, too, Shrek,” Casey added.

  “Apologies accepted.”

  “Are you coming to my wedding?” I gave Shrek a hopeful smile.

  Shrek gave a slight bow. “It would be an honor to attend.”

  “Great!”

  “How long before they’re back to their normal?” Saul was still wearing his I’m a mean sonovabitch face.

  Shrek looked at his scanner. “The injection will make them sleep for four hours, allowing you time to reflect on what has happened.”

  “Thank you.” Saul wrapped his arms around us and poof. We were in his quarters. All the weapons on the walls kinda reminded me of Dejta’s and Zarek’s private rooms.

  I looked at Saul expectantly. “Got any mouth wash?”

  “Dibs on the shower,” Casey called and bolted for the bathroom.

  Saul pulled a small travel size bottle out of his “Go” bag and handed it to me. “I never knew what fear was until Lior took all of you. The sensation of helplessness is something I never want to experience again.”

  I hugged him. “It’s okay. We knew you were doing everything you could to find us, but we’re not the type that cowers in the corner and waits to be rescued.”

  He kissed the top of my head. “Thank God for that.”

  “What? No kiss?”

  “Not until you’ve brushed your teeth, flossed and used that mouth wash. Your breath could stop a rampaging rhino.”

  “I love you too.” I headed for the bathroom.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Zarek’s idea of the proper dress for the wedding was battle armor. For all of us. Shrek included. His warriors bristled with weapons. Zarek poked a bloodred Tar flower in my hair and handed me a bouquet of the flowers. “There. You are the perfect bride for a warlord.”

  “You’re too kind,” I replied. I didn’t have a lick of makeup on and Zarek had insisted that I wear my hair in a bun.

  Saul was doing his best not to laugh.

  Detja rolled her eyes in disgust.

  Casey and Kaylee grinned like loons. I was starting to think they had gotten into the Overlord’s private liquor cabinet.

  “The coordinates have been downloaded to your bracelets. We depart in three minutes.” Zarek glanced around the room. “Any questions?”

  I raised my hand. “I have one.”

  “What is that?” Zarek’s smile was deliberately annoying.

  “Where is the wedding being held?”

 

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