Lucius (Luna Lodge #3)

by Madison Stevens

  She took another long drink and enjoyed the numbing effect.

  “Why do men suck?” she asked after some time.

  Rachel patted her the leg, and she lulled her head to the side to look at her.

  “They don’t all suck.” Rachel smiled. “He’s not a bad guy.”

  Hannah raised a brow, and Rachel laughed.

  “What? Because I argue with your boy I can’t like him? He’s honest. Always tells it like it is.” She frowned. “Some of these asshats think they can talk all slick. Tell you they are giving you funding for something, and then when it’s time, they can’t seem to find the time to call you back.”

  “Marius giving you the run around still?” Hannah finished off her beer and set the bottle on the table.

  “If that guy had the stick any further up his ass, it would snap off. I get my hands on him, I can’t be held accountable for what I do.”

  Hannah noticed the pink that spread to Rachel’s cheeks but said nothing. The two of them had been going back and forth for some time. They would either figure things out or take each other out in the process.

  Hannah yawned and looked at the clock on the wall. Nearly ten. She sighed for about the millionth time. Not what she wanted to be doing at ten tonight, but bed sounded better than nothing. She picked up her empty bottle from the table and took it to the kitchen to throw away.

  “Saw Kate today,” Rachel said from the kitchen door.

  Hannah turned from the trash and smiled at her. It had been a rough pregnancy for Kate. Not only had she been very sick for most of the first trimester, but she had been less than thrilled to find out about the triplets.

  “How is she feeling? Is Titus still doting on her?” She grinned.

  “Looking much better,” Rachel said and sat at the table. Hannah sat across from her. “She’s gaining weight, and yes, he’s up her ass. Her words, not mine.”

  Hannah laughed. She could see that. Kate wasn’t one to hold back.

  “I wanted to talk to you about that,” Rachel said. “She’s down. None of us get together often, and Erica is busy with the babies. How would you feel about having a little baby shower for her this Friday?”

  Hannah opened her mouth and then shut it as Rachel hurried on.

  “I know you’re really busy with the fall stuff, but I think it would really mean a lot to her,” she said. “Of course, I haven’t talked to anyone about this, so I don’t even know if they will go for it, but they can’t keep them locked up forever. This isn’t any way to live.”

  Hannah agreed. It wasn’t. It had actually been weighing on her mind recently.

  She smiled at Rachel. “I’d love to plan the party,” she said. “Let me talk to Titus and see what we can work out.”

  Rachel sighed, and not for the first time, Hannah wondered about her friend. So hard in so many ways, mysterious in others.

  “Well I guess we should get a couple sodas and head to my room to start planning.” She smiled.

  Her stomach twisted a little. She only hoped she could convince the men that this was event was worth having and that she could do it without Lucius.

  Chapter Seven

  Hannah yawned as she waited on the couch outside Titus’s office. Jenna tapped happily at her computer.

  “So, Jenna, how are you liking it here?” Hannah asked.

  Jenna looked up from her typing and blushed.

  “It’s good,” she said quietly.

  Hannah waited for her to go on, but realized she wasn’t going to.

  “That’s good.” She smiled. “So your uncle is Major Carter. He’s such a nice guy.”

  Jenna nodded.

  Hannah smiled at the awkward silence. Jenna seemed really nice, but no one had really gotten all that close to her. Kate shared a house with her, and even she hadn’t been able to get close to her. She sighed and leaned back. This conversation was going nowhere.

  The happy tapping started back up, and she listened to the steady rhythm until the door slammed open.

  “Hannah?” Lucius said from the door.

  She looked up at him and nearly groaned. Why did he have to look so damn good? A teal green shirt was tucked into his jeans and showed off the definition of his chest. A lump formed in her throat when she got to his swollen and bruised face, a reminder of her handiwork.

  “Hannah,” Titus said from behind Lucius. “Did we have an appointment?”

  Her mouth went dry for a moment as she stood and smoothed her skirt. She caught Lucius’s eyes dart down the front of her V blouse and frowned. Okay, so maybe she had picked out something to accentuate her boobs a little. She didn’t think Kate would mind her using her assets to get ahead a little. She looked back over to Titus.

  “I have another party I’d like to talk with you about.” She smiled.

  Titus stepped back into the room and waved an arm for her to come in. She slipped past Lucius, trying not to enjoy the feel of his hard body against her own. When her nipples tightened, she knew he felt it but brushed off her anxiety. This wasn’t the time to be worried about what he was thinking.

  “Please,” Titus placed a hand at the small of her back, “have a seat.”

  The hairs on the back of her neck stood up when she moved with Titus across the room. As she sat in the chair, her eyes collided with Lucius, who was glaring at them both.

  Oblivious to the exchange, Titus took a seat across from her at his desk. She opened her mouth to start talking when Lucius sat loudly on the couch against the wall. She look over to him and then back to Titus. He raised a brow and nodded for her to continue.

  “Rachel was telling me that Kate stopped in to see her yesterday,” she said.

  Titus frowned.

  “She really shouldn’t be discussing her medical care,” he said firmly.

  Hannah held up a hand.

  “She wasn’t.” She sighed. This wasn’t going well already. “We miss seeing each other. None of us get to even visit in the evening. We’re constantly being watched. You know what this is like.”

  She stared pointedly at him until he nodded. It wasn’t the same as their time in captivity, but it was the best way to drive her point home.

  “Kate is down,” she said.

  “She told you this?” Titus frowned.

  Hannah shook her head. “She didn’t have to. We’re all feeling the same thing. Likely for her most of all since she’s been so sick.”

  She paused for effect.

  “We’d like to throw her a baby shower,” she said and hurried on before either of the men could speak. “Nothing big but this Friday.”

  “And you don’t think the fall party will do?” he said.

  Hannah shook her head. “It’s just not the same thing. We need a little quiet time. Something where there aren’t a bunch of men.” She glanced over at Lucius, who was staring at her. “Something pink and blue. With cute babies.”

  Titus was looking over to Lucius, and she knew she was going to lose him if the two of them spent too much time giving each other looks.

  “Rachel said this would be the best time,” she nearly shouted. “The fall party will be soon and then she will be mostly on bed rest. If you are going to give her any kind of normal pregnancy, now is the time.”

  It was a low blow. She knew it was, but he made her go there.

  “Do you think she would want this?” he asked. A look of worry flashed on his face.

  “You can’t seriously be thinking about this,” Lucius said. He stood and stomped over to stand near her.

  Titus held up his hand.

  “Nothing has happened for months,” he said. “It should be fine for them to have a small party.”

  “Except that this puts the babies and your pregnant woman all in the same room.” He leaned forward, and she could see the vein on his neck. “You would put them all at risk to be snatched up at once.”

  Hannah jumped when Titus slammed his hands down on the desk.

  “Could you please wait in the hall?
” he ground out to her.

  She nodded as the pair glared at each other from across the desk. She scooped up her things and scurried out the door.

  Titus waited until the door clicked shut after Hannah before continuing their fight.

  “Do you really think I would put my family at risk?” he bit out.

  Lucius fumed. He didn’t know what to think. Ever since the women started to live with them, the men had been acting like idiots. Protocol that had always been in play was suddenly being tossed out the door for random reasons.

  “We have security in place for a reason,” Lucius said and ran a hand through his dark brown hair. “How am I supposed to keep everyone safe if you keep breaking the protocol in order to meet the whims of other people?”

  Titus dropped back into his seat and folded his hands neatly on his desk.

  “First, you aren’t supposed to be working at all right now,” Titus said. “You’ve got two days off to get back into working order.”

  “That’s bullshit. I’m fine,” Lucius responded.

  “Maybe, but the two black eyes you’ve got say different,” Titus said and smirked. “She really clocked you good.”

  Lucius glared at him.

  “You know you need me on the clock right now.” He gritted his teeth. Getting into a fight with his leader wouldn’t do him any good.

  “No.” Titus stood and walked to his side of the desk. “I need you at the top of your game.”

  He was slightly surprised when Titus clasped him on the shoulder.

  “You are out of it,” he said. “And I get it. Being consumed by the need to be near them. Having something to protect can do that to you.”

  Lucius frowned.

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” He shook his leader’s hand off and stepped back.

  Titus looked pointedly to the door.

  “She’s a good woman,” he said. “The men all love her. Many go to talk to her despite avoiding the shrink. She listens and doesn’t judge.”

  Lucius glanced at the door. Part of him was glad she was there for the men, but the other part wanted to bitch about how much time she was spending alone with so many men. Not to mention he doubted she wouldn’t judge him.

  “It’s not like that,” he said stiffly and looked away.

  The room fell into silence, and he knew what Titus must be thinking. The other night. It was all he had been thinking about. There was no way he should have been interested in her. Pure hybrid chemistry suggested that he wouldn’t be interested in a woman that wasn’t a Vestal, and his nose told him she wasn’t one. And yet there he was. Still was, if he was being honest with himself, but it didn’t make sense. He might not be able to smell her, but his sense of taste was just fine. He could taste her in the air. It was driving him crazy.

  “They are having the party,” Titus said after some time.

  Lucius turned to glare at him.

  “I’ll put you, Apollo and Marius with the women, as well as a few others at the doors,” he said.

  “Marius?” Lucius wrinkled his nose.

  “The women know him, and he’s quick,” he said. “Sol and I will take outside, so the women can have their privacy. We’ll put some other men along the perimeter.”

  Lucius gritted his teeth but nodded. There was nothing more to do but go along. It was the worst kind of plan, one where anything could go wrong, but he wasn’t in charge.

  “It will be fine,” Titus said to him and gave him a dismissing nod. Lucius stood, anger coursing through him as he stomped out of the office. What was the point of taking over some of Sol’s duties if no one was going to listen to him?

  Lucius turned to see Hannah sitting on the couch. Her hands were resting on top of one of those skirts that he just wanted to rip off of her. Hell, he just about did the other night. The growl that followed annoyed him. He stomped over to her and enjoyed the look of surprise.

  “Anything happens to those babies or Kate, you have yourself to blame,” he said and pointed to her. “This is a bad idea, and you should just be happy with what you’ve got.”

  He stepped back when she stood. Her face was red and for the first time, she looked mad.

  “Happy? That we get to live like prisoners? Scared on a daily basis from some unknown threat that no one wants to talk about? Oh, I’m so freaking happy!”

  She stepped even closer, and he swallowed. It was a clear shot down the front of her blouse and lord help him, his eyes went right for the gold. Round and creamy, he wanted to place his face there and taste them until she moaned.

  He jumped when she jabbed him in the chest.

  “It doesn’t help when we have jerks acting like we’re committing crimes,” she said. “We work and live here just like the rest of you. That means our lives are on the line just like yours.”

  Lucius looked into her green pools and a piece of him melted.

  “We don’t think you’re criminals,” he said quietly. “Any one of us would lay our lives down to protect you.”

  He could feel the emotion creeping in and tried to control himself.

  She stepped back, and he missed the heat from her sweet body, nearly pressed against his own.

  “Well,” she rubbed her arms and looked down, “sometimes it doesn’t feel that way. We never get any freedom, and the only person who’s even nice about the whole thing is Apollo.”

  The growl came out before he could even stop it. Her head shot up in surprise as they locked eyes.

  “Stay away from Apollo,” he ground out.

  She turned her face up to him a little.

  “Why?” she asked.

  Lucius stepped forward, her heat again so close to his body. “Just stay away from him.”

  His eyes darted to her lips as she licked them.

  “But, why?” She moved a little closer. This time their bodies touched, and he had to bite his cheek to keep from groaning.

  Her breathing increased, and he knew she saw the glow in his eyes.

  Jenna cleared her throat, and for the first time, he remembered just where they were. Taking a deep breath, Lucius took two steps back from Hannah. His body hummed to do more, but it was more than just a bad idea.

  “I’m off rotation,” he said and looked away. “But I’ll pick you up.”

  Hannah blinked a few times before nodding. He shouldn’t. He knew he shouldn’t, but the idea of Apollo near her filled him with rage.

  “Okay,” she said quietly.

  Lucius nodded and turned to the door. Any longer with her, and he’d do something he couldn’t take back. Again.

  Hannah watched him leave, still stunned. She looked over to Jenna, who she noticed hadn’t been typing since Lucius walked into the room.

  She smiled at the shy woman, who seemed to suddenly remember that she was very busy. Nothing like bothering to pretend something very strange didn’t just happen. Hannah walked over and pulled up a chair next to Jenna.

  “Okay, I’m not the only one who just saw that.” Hannah leaned in toward Jenna. “Please tell me I’m not going crazy.”

  Jenna stopped typing and looked over to Hanna. She worried her bottom lip and looked torn. For a moment, Hannah wondered if she was going to say anything.

  “Oh my god,” Jenna leaned forward and whispered. “I thought you two were going to strip down, and do it right here.”

  Hannah laughed at the color spreading across the very quiet woman.

  “I’m so glad to know it’s wasn’t just me.” She laughed even harder at the shocked look the other woman shot her.

  Hannah wiped a few stray tears from laughing hard and smiled at Jenna. Despite being a little on the stiff side, it really seemed like she was more inexperienced than anything.

  “So, we’re dying to know, what’s your deal?” Hannah leaned back for her story.

  Jenna frowned and pushed her too large glasses up her nose.

  “Story?”

  “Yup.” Hannah coaxed out her most open smile.

&
nbsp; Jenna seemed to relax and shrugged.

  “Don’t really have one,” she said. “I work here and help my uncle with his house.”

  “Does he need it?” Hannah liked the major, but he seemed more than capable of handling things on his own.

  “Mostly just things around the house,” she said. “He and my mother had shared land, so I maintain both the houses.”

  “What about your mother?”

  Hannah wished she hadn’t asked when the woman looked down at her hands.

  "My mom passed away last year," she said quietly.

  "Oh, hon." Hannah took her hand. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have assumed."

  Jenna shook her shoulder-length curly brown hair.

  "You wouldn't know," she said. "She was sick for some time. I took care of her for the last few years. My uncle would stop by and check on us. Make sure we were okay. Help with money and mom’s shares of the estate."

  Hannah looked at Jenna. She couldn't have been much older than twenty-two. If she had been taking care of her mother for years, then she had spent much of her younger years caring for her dying mother. It was both sweet and sad.

  "I should have thought first." Hannah frowned. "Just about everyone here has something they struggle with. I don't know why I thought you'd be any different. I'm really sorry."

  For the first time, Hannah saw a real smile break through.

  "You know, we're going to throw a baby shower for Kate on Friday. You should come."

  Jenna looked nervous for a moment, and Hannah wondered how many friends she had. That many years without much interaction would make it difficult to even try.

  "It will be fun," she coaxed. "I think Kate would really like it if you came."

  She waited. It was a long shot because Kate wasn't exactly the warm and fuzzy type, but Jenna obviously was and might just be enough.

  "You think so?" Jenna twisted her hands in her lap.

  Hannah grinned and stood. "Be in the great room at seven."

  She gave a little wave and left feeling a little better about her roller-coaster day. She had gotten the party. Lucius nearly ripped her clothes off. She’d even made a new friend. On the whole, a good day. It would have been better with clothes ripping, but the night was still young.