“Just let me do this my way,” she said and looked up to the great hybrid leader. It wasn’t often that he was told no, and she knew he wasn’t a fan.
“Fine,” he said and crossed his arms. “But this can’t continue in his state.”
Hannah sighed. She knew Titus was right, but it was still irritating to have someone point it out.
“You’re right,” she said and looked at him. “Things got carried away. I think we can all understand that.”
Titus cleared his throat and looked away. He and Kate were known for getting carried away often and had something similar happen between them.
“Just get on with it,” he mumbled.
Hannah turned back to Lucius, who was still glaring up at Titus. She placed a hand on his chest and smiled when he looked down at her.
“Lucius,” she started.
“No,” he said firmly.
Hannah frowned. “You don’t even know what I’m going to say.”
He looked down at her, his eyes rimmed with sadness. “Don’t leave.”
Her heart ached. What was she going to say to that? She clearly couldn’t stay. He wasn’t in the right mind to make decisions, and she couldn’t handle the rejection when he came back to his senses.
“You need to rest,” she said and ran a soothing hand over his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into her. “If you feel the same way tomorrow, I’ll stay,” she said.
His eyes popped open and once again she was struck by the glowing. She didn’t know if she would ever get used to it.
Lucius stared at her for a long moment before saying anything. “After work,” he said.
“No work for you,” Titus said from the other side of the door.
Lucius glared out the door at him. “Come here after work,” he growled.
Hannah nodded.
Without a word, he swooped down for another dizzying kiss. Her hands moved to the back of his head to deepen their kiss.
Titus cleared his throat.
Hannah broke free.
Lucius groaned.
“Tomorrow,” she whispered.
Not waiting for a reply, Hannah slipped her body out from under his and moved to the door. If she stared at him any longer, she would be talked into something they wouldn’t be able to take back.
When she climbed out of the car, she felt the cool air of the night on her legs and chest. She shivered. She buttoned up her blouse. Looking down, she could see the large rips in her skirt that Lucius had caused. It wasn’t going to be quite so simple to fix. A noise from the car drew her attention. She looked over to find Lucius leaning heavily against the car and smirking at his handy work. Lord what she wouldn’t give to finish what they had started.
Titus cleared his throat.
“I’ll just help him in the house and then drive you home,” he said and waved in the direction of the car. “If you could wait in the car.”
Lucius frowned and stomped over to the passenger side of the car. She watched as he only weaved slightly on his way. Without a word, he pulled open the door and waited.
She swallowed and walked to the car. She’d never had a man be so sweet to her. Heck, most of the time he wasn’t so sweet. He was tense and slightly dangerous. Where that might have been the initial draw, this was more than nice.
She climbed into the car and sat. He watched her with such interest she was certain she was blushing all the way to the roots of her hair.
Lucius leaned in, and she turned to look at him.
“Tomorrow,” he said and moved away from the door. When it was closed behind him, she let out a breath. Intense didn’t even begin to describe Lucius.
She watched as Titus and Lucius walked slowly to the door. They stopped when they came to the front. It wasn’t really hard to wonder what they were talking about. The angry gestures her way made it pretty clear that Titus wasn’t thrilled with finding them in that position. Although it might not be the wisest of ideas on her part, she couldn’t really see what he would have a problem with. Lucius looked to her and then looked away. She didn’t know what was being said, but whatever it was, she didn’t like the look on his face from it.
Hannah frowned when he hung his head and stepped into the house without another word. Titus stormed back to the car, clearly not finished being angry. He climbed in and slammed the door behind him.
“I don’t know what happened back there, but I’m sorry for the way Lucius acted,” he said and breathed heavily as he pulled away from the house.
“What?” she nearly shouted. “Lucius didn’t do anything.”
His frown deepened as he glanced at her skirt. “I’ll not have my men manhandling women.”
Her mouth dropped. Did he seriously think that she had been attacked by Lucius?
“Lucius didn’t manhandle me,” she said and then frowned a little. “Well, he did a little, but it was consensual.”
She glanced at him shyly, hoping he would understand her meaning.
“He ripped your skirt,” he ground out. The car thumped hard when they pulled back onto the paved road.
“If I had his strength, I would have ripped his shirt,” she said and then gasped at her own words.
They car grew quiet as they turned the corner to the women’s quarters, and she wondered what Titus must think of her.
“Lucius isn’t like the rest of us,” he said quietly. Hannah leaned in to hear him. “He’s always kept things in, but he was always the one singled out at the facility.”
She shivered, thinking about the horrors they had been through before.
“Sometimes we just don’t know what he’s thinking,” he sighed.
Hannah looked out the window and thought of the man she’d nearly been with tonight. There was one thing she knew above all else with him.
“I trust him,” she said softly and looked over to Titus. “And you should too. Because no matter what he went through, he’s a man that would always protect those he cares about. You are his family. The least you can do is offer him everything he offers you.”
The car came to a stop and she climbed out. She stopped when a hand touched her arm and looked back to Titus.
“What happened to him in the facility,” he said, “it’s my fault.”
Hannah shook her head. “You didn’t choose this life, and you certainly didn’t choose for him to hurt like this.” Hannah look off into the distance. “No, this is the work of evil men.” When her eyes returned to his, she couldn’t stop the force the filled her. “Never stop blaming the right person in all this.”
Titus stared at her and then nodded. She gave a quick wave and shut the door before they could get into any other discussions.
Avoiding any further talks, Hannah raced through the hall and made her way upstairs to her room. It had been long and exhaustion was setting in. All she wanted to do was curl up under her covers and hope that not everything from today was a dream.
Chapter Six
It had been a long day for Hannah. Not because much happened but because nearly nothing happened, and the minutes on the clock just seemed to tick by without it feeling like time was actually advancing. When Apollo finally showed up to take her home, she was both relieved and bothered he would be the one to stop by. It wasn’t until the day at the cafeteria she noticed how much attention he gave her. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt someone or lead them on, but when she asked him to bring her over to Lucius’s house, she could see the anger in his eyes.
She sighed. It always seemed like someone had to get hurt in these things. There was never really a true win.
They pulled up to the cute little house, and she climbed out without a word. She made her way to the door, her stomach fluttering with equal amounts excitement and worry. Despite her exhaustion last night, she hadn’t been able to really sleep, so instead, she rose early and made brownies.
She reached the door and held up her hand to knock when the door opened.
Lucius answered the door slightly r
umpled. His pants, obviously from the day before, were paired with a sleeveless undershirt and bare feet. Something about the look drew her breath away. She bit back a gasp, as she focused on his face. There was some slight swelling, but it was mainly the bruising that bothered her. Both eyes were badly bruised.
“Hey,” he said and frowned, his eyes landing anywhere but her face.
Her heart sank. She wondered if he’d even remember, but this was worse. He did remember but wished he didn’t. Hannah swallowed the lump in her throat and smiled just a little harder. It wasn’t the first time she smiled through pain.
“I made some brownies to say sorry for breaking your nose,” she said, amazed that she made it through without choking on the words.
“Thanks,” he said stiffly.
Their fingers touched for a brief moment, and in that one second, she felt the jolt she always did around him. Lucius looked at her.
“About yesterday…” he said softly.
She winced, before forcing a smile and tried to ignore the burning in her eyes and sudden blinking she was having to do.
“You were on drugs, and my emotions were on high from the scare earlier,” she said as easily as she could manage and backed up. “Well, I had better go.”
“Hannah,” he said and stepped forward.
Her foot missed the top step in her hasty retreat. The air rushed around her as she began to stumble back. His hand shot out and caught her arm, stopping her mid-fall.
Hannah blinked a few times before staring up at Lucius, who was now very close to her.
“At least I didn’t break your nose this time,” she whispered.
He breathed in heavy, and she wondered if he might be feeling the same rush of excitement they had felt last night. His mouth was slightly open, and she could still remember the feel of it on her. She shivered in his arms. Lucius stiffened around her.
Dejected, Hannah pulled away from him. It had never been hard for her to fake her emotions, but for once, she was finding it hard to keep the mask in place. She looked off to the side, so she wouldn’t have to see the rejection in his face.
“Sorry about your nose,” she said. “Just send over your expectations on security for the party.”
She turned and raced down the steps.
“Wait,” Lucius called.
She paused at the bottom of the steps, not bothering to turn around. If she had to look at him, the pain of it all would just be too much.
“We’re supposed to work together,” he said, suddenly serious. “I have concerns with how this is going to work.”
“You aren’t the only one,” she mumbled.
“What?”
Hannah turned and sighed. It wasn’t his fault. She had been sober last night and known it wasn’t a good idea, yet let it happen anyways. In the end, she was at fault for her own pain.
“Listen, it’s been a long day.” She rubbed the bridge of her nose and thought of the beer in the fridge calling her name. “Let’s just talk about this tomorrow maybe.”
She jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder and looked up to see Apollo. He was staring daggers at Lucius.
“I’ve got rounds to make,” Apollo said.
Lucius puffed out his chest a bit. “So go,” he said. “I’ll take her home.”
Apollo shook his head. “You’re off rounds and escort duty for the next few days.”
Hannah watched the exchange and held her breath as the two men glared at one another.
“Says who?” Lucius stepped forward, and Hannah wondered if being in the middle of these two men was the wisest of ideas. She could feel the menace oozing off of Lucius.
Apollo shrugged. “Talk to Titus,” he said. “I don’t have anything to do with this shit.”
He turned and walked back to the car. Torn, she looked between the two men. It was clear Lucius wanted her to choose him, but she wasn’t about to pick him just so he could win a pissing contest.
“Come see me when you’re feeling better,” she said firmly and turned to the car.
If Lucius wanted to play games, he picked the wrong girl. Hannah wasn’t about to let someone play yo-yo with her emotions.
She climbed into the car and was surprised to find Lucius standing on the porch staring at them. Hannah watched him as they backed up, and she wondered about him. None of the hybrids really spent much time talking about their time at the Horatius Group facility. Even with that said, no one seemed to know much about him. There was just something about Lucius that had made him different from the rest of them.
Hannah sighed and looked away. It wasn’t going to help wanting someone that she just couldn’t have.
“He’s trouble,” Apollo said as they pulled onto the pavement.
She looked over to his hard outline. It was the first time she’d ever heard any of the hybrids say anything negative about the others. She knew they had their spats like any other group, but she had never seen any of them openly dislike one another.
“What makes you think he’s trouble?” she asked.
He pressed his lips firmly together and stared out at the road. She was starting to think that she would never make any headway with these men.
“That scar that he has,” Apollo said. “It’s not the only one he carries.”
Hannah noticed the cagey way he talked about the scars.
“Don’t you all have scars?” She leaned closer to him. His hands gripped the wheel just a little tighter, and she felt the tension rise in the car.
“Not like that.” He shook his brown hair, and it slipped over his eyes. She wondered if he did that on purpose to hide his feelings. “Lucius spent a lot of time… We all had our tasks.”
Hannah frowned. What did that mean? He hadn’t made anything clearer than they had been before.
“And what was his task?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Apollo glanced over at her and then back at the road.
“To hunt and destroy,” he said fiercely. “Among other things,” he mumbled.
Hannah’s stomach churned. “Such as?”
Apollo shook his head. “Only hearsay,” he said. “You’d have to ask him for the rest.”
Her head spun. Really, the hunt and destroy should be enough to do her for now. She couldn’t even fathom what to do with this sort of information.
They pulled up outside her place, and she was glad to see that the lights were on, meaning Rachel beat her home.
She turned to Apollo and smiled.
“Thanks,” she said. “I’m sure he can be dangerous to his enemies, but Lucius wouldn’t be allowed to roam free if he were a danger to anyone here.”
She opened the car and stepped out, feeling much better than before. Hannah stopped when a strong hand landed on her arm. She turned. Apollo’s face had twisted into vague panic.
“Just promise me you won’t be alone with him,” he said quickly.
“What’s gotten into you?” she asked and leaned back into the car. “What do you know about him that you aren’t telling me?”
Apollo sighed and for the first time, Hannah saw how concerned he was for her. This wasn’t just a petty fight between two men. “The kind of abuse he took a man doesn’t just walk away from without emotional scars.”
He looked to the side as he spoke, and she knew it made him uncomfortable talking about Lucius like that.
Hannah soaked in what she had been told. They had all suffered abuse, but somehow Lucius had been different.
“He’s always so contained,” he said quietly. “One of these days, he’s going to snap.”
She shivered at the deadly way he said it.
“I’ll…” she began.
What the hell was she going to say to that? She didn’t plan on keeping away. If anything, she wanted to know more. She looked down to Apollo. He wanted to keep her safe, was funny, nice and tried so hard. Yet she felt nothing for him. She sighed.
“I’ll be careful,” she whispered.
He nod
ded. His eyes were sad, as if he understood she couldn’t help but be near Lucius.
Hannah shut the door and climbed the steps to the dorms. When she got inside, she found Rachel lounging on the couch with a glass of wine. Hannah toed off her shoes and padded into the kitchen without a word. Screw wine. Beer was on her mind.
“Bad night?” Rachel followed after her.
Hannah grabbed out the beer, pulled off the top and took a long draw before setting it down.
“Bad doesn’t begin to describe it,” she said and walked back into the living room and sat hard on the couch.
Rachel sat next to her. Her slight frame leaned into Hannah.
“What, did lover boy have a headache?” Rachel asked and smirked.
Hannah sighed and set her beer on the table. Her pretty light pink shirt bunched up in the middle, and she frowned. Being slightly thick in the middle hadn’t helped today. Although she thought she had looked pretty in the low-dipped pink shirt and deep gray skirt, she wasn’t rail thin and that always seemed to count against her. At least her boobs gave her a few extra points.
“He gave me the brush off,” she said and leaned her head against the back of the couch.
“What?” Rachel nearly yelled next to her.
“It’s fine,” she said wearily. “He’s just not interested.”
Her thoughts drifted to their moment in the car and wondered if that was really the case. So many conflicting thoughts about one man. Although she liked Apollo, she tended to agree with Titus that Lucius was a man to be trusted. She knew that when she had been scared, she had no problem placing her life in his hands.
“I’m pretty sure I can come up with something to give him constant blue balls,” Rachel mumbled.
Hannah barked out a laugh.
“Thanks for the support, but I don’t think we have to go that far.” She glanced over at her friend. She loved Rachel, but sometimes she wondered where the line was for her. These days it seemed to be getting more and more blurred.
“How about I make it?” Rachel said and raised a hand. “Not saying we use it, but you know, it would be a good threat.”
Hannah snorted and reached for her beer.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re going to do it either way?”
Lucius (Luna Lodge #3) Page 5
