Apollo (Luna Lodge #5)(15)

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Apollo asked.

Rem raised a brow. "Maybe I should be asking you that." 

He sighed. Despite how much he didn't want to answer, Rem's presence commanded his respect.

"I'm watching Val," he said. His tone was clipped.

"Ah," Rem said and smiled. "The surprise tech."

Apollo frowned. Somehow, nothing seemed to be a surprise to Rem. It was like the guy always knew something the rest of them didn't.

"Well, she must be very dangerous to need you personally watching her," Rem said. His voice only conveyed seriousness, but when Apollo looked, his eyes twinkled with mischief. "What sort of schemes has she been up to this evening?"

Apollo sighed. This was getting old.

"She's just unpacking," he said and stared hard at the door. "Now she's getting ready for bed."

"Oh, good." Rem grinned and rubbed his hands together. "Maybe she'll help herself out this evening."

Apollo's temper spiked at both the thought that she might but even more that Rem might hear.

"Get the fuck out," he ground out.

Rem grinned at him. "What's the matter?"

Apollo turned on the car. "Watch is over. Now get out."

He glared as Rem laughed and climbed out of the car.

"I see you've got that temper under control," Rem said and leaned back toward the door.

Apollo raised his middle finger and scowled at the smug face looking back

"Good night, Apollo." Rem smiled and stepped away. "I'm sure things will work out."

His smile was somehow sad and made Apollo frown. This guy was always saying things that didn't make sense. What was the point of knowing more when you held it in?

Apollo shifted out of park and scowled. He didn't need this shit. Watching her was his job. Unlike some people, he had a real job to do, not just reading through books and trying to find answers from a bunch of old dead men.

He backed out and followed the road just a bit away. At least he wasn't far if he wanted to check in. Something about all of this just didn't sit right with him. The Horatius Group might think they could confuse them by throwing another Vestal at them. Given all they'd been up to, with Romulus, the Glycons, and who knew what else, he wouldn't be surprised if they could give a woman a drug to fake her being a Vestal.

He narrowed his eyes. Her Vestal scent kept going in and out. If it was fake, that might explain it.

He snorted. He'd figure this out, and he'd protect the Luna Lodge hybrids, no matter how much they might not want it. In the end, his duty was to protect them, and that's just what he planned on doing.



* * *



Val sighed and lay back on her bed. The room was weird. Actually, the whole place was weird. Jenna seemed nice enough but was very standoffish. She didn't know if it was just her nature or something else. Although Val had to admit she hadn't really been in the best of moods when she came in.

She huffed a little and scowled at the ceiling. Apollo could be such a dick. Half the time she wasn't even sure he knew what was coming out of his mouth before he said it.

But what a mouth it was when he was using it the right way.

She'd never had someone take control like that. As much as she didn't want to admit it, the kiss excited her in ways she hadn't thought possible. It wasn't as if she didn't have experience. Well, she had a little experience. But obviously nothing like him. He was pure walking sex. Every piece of her ached for him.

Still, who had time for that stuff? It wasn't like she had some easy life that she could just do whatever felt good. Besides, she had other things on her mind.

Val shook her head. This wasn't the time to be thinking of super-hot kisses. Everything she'd worked for put her just a stone's throw from getting what she wanted.



       
         
       
        

Sol.

The thought of the hybrid she'd only seen a few times on TV made her heart race. All her hard work was about to pay off as long as she stayed focused and didn't let herself get distracted by stupid brown-haired kissing gods.

Picking herself off the bed, Val stripped out of her clothes and got ready to sleep.

Apollo would be by early, and she wanted to be ready.

Whatever he might think of her, she was a professional through and through. She'd get this whole place wired and still have time to meet Sol. Because she was just that good. There were some things she had to fudge, but this wasn't one of them.

Val pulled out the papers from her bag and placed them on the bed. What to do with her most prized possessions? There weren't many options.

She lifted up the end of the mattress and slipped them under. Better than nothing. Maybe she'd find something better later.