Apollo and Val: #5.5 (Luna Lodge Book 0) (6 page)

Her arms wrapped hard around the tree. One wrong move and she would find herself falling.

“I got you, baby,” he said and left wet kisses on each side of her thighs.

His mouth came back to her, and this time his hands held both sides firmly in place. He pressed hard against her. His chin bumped her clit, and she shook a little at the rough feel of it.

He fucked her with his tongue, pushing her closer and closer to the peak.

“Please,” she groaned.

The word was out of her mouth before she could even think to stop it. Still, it didn’t matter. She needed him. Needed to feel him burring deep inside, bringing her to the edge like he had so many times before.

With rough hands, he pulled her away from the tree. Just like before, she was sailing through the air, pants dangling around her ankles. Surprised, she landed in front of Apollo as he pulled his pants down and sat hard against the tree. He pulled her down over him, knees straddling his giant thighs.

When her wet center glided across his hard cock, she moaned and arched her back.

“Just a little further,” he said. His voice strained as she slipped over him, slicking the rigid length.

With a firm grip he pulled her forward by the waist.

Val leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

“What’s the matter, baby?” she said and grinned.

His growl was low and vibrated deep in his chest. The sound made her tingle in all the right places.

“I need to fuck you,” he snarled.

Val moved her center over his head and pressed down slightly. She watched his face as she sank down on his hard, thick length. He panted loudly and gripped her sides as she made the moment last.

This was what she loved, making him feel like this, knowing that they were the only two people that mattered at the moment.

Val pressed down until he was fully in her. She gyrated her hips and felt him move deep inside, bumping her deep inside.

“Shit,” he groaned.

Apollo yanked her top off and pushed down her bra. He pulled her close and sucked one nipple into his mouth and rolled the hard pebble around his tongue.

Val increased the speed as she rotated her hips. Her clit bumped hard against his coarse hairs, and she felt her muscles tighten inside.

“Not yet,” he said from around her nipple.

Apollo pulled away and went to the other side, sucking the other nipple hard.

Val gripped his shoulders. Her knees scraped against the harsh bark of the tree as she tried to move against him.

Her body bounced against him, letting his cock slide in and out.

When his hands went back to her hips, she leaned forward and wrapped them around the back of his neck.

“Fuck me,” she groaned.

His hips slapped against her as he met her thrusts with equal force. His cock swelled inside.

“Come, baby,” he said through gritted teeth.

That was all it took. Her muscles tightened hard against him, milking everything he had.

He shouted as he released deep inside her, but she was already shivering in the afterglow.

Exhausted, she leaned in and sighed against his chest. Her eyes drifted closed. At this point, she was powerless to stop it. Sleep was the only option.

Chapter Eight

Val awakened slightly disoriented. Luckily two strong arms held on to her and kept her from falling from the tree.

She shifted slightly, surprised to find herself now clothed. Her back was cushioned by Apollo’s warm chest.

Turning to look at him, she opened her mouth to say something about her clothes when his hand clamped down over her mouth. His body tensed, and she could feel his suspicions through the hold. Val frowned at him through the palm of his hand but stopped when something caught her ears: a woman’s high-pitched scream.

Her head jerked in the direction of the scream. There, in the distance, beams of light cut through the darkness.

The woman screamed again.

Val turned to Apollo, panicked by the cry for help.

“The Group?” she whispered.

Apollo shook his head.

The screaming grew closer, and from her position, she could make out the woman scrambling in the dark, trying her best to get away from her pursuers. She tripped and landed hard on the ground.

Three men with flashlights came into the clearing. Large guns were strapped to their backs.

Val reached for her backpack. If she could just take out one of those bastards, it would be enough.

Apollo grabbed her hand and shook his head.

She leaned in close to his face.

“We have to help her,” she whispered. “You know what they are going to do to her.”

A piercing scream cut through the night again. Apollo sighed loudly.

“Wait here,” he whispered.

He pulled a knife out of his pack and strapped it to his side. He turned to look at her before jumping from the high branch.

Val might have screamed if she could even think to, but her mind could hardly process what he had just done. She stared into the darkness below, certain she’d just watched the most important person in her life plummet to his death.

Finally she saw a shadow move and let out the breath she had been holding. Now, all she could do was wait.

Apollo stalked silently through the lush brush. Every now and again, something would scurry away, likely not only disturbed by his intrusion, but by the predator they sensed in him.

He’d wanted to help, but in the end, this could be a terrible plan. The Horatius Group had eyes and ears everywhere. Something like this could end up costing his life. But more than that, it could end up costing Val her life, something he valued more than his own.

His fingers twitched to call in the report to Sol. No doubt he’d have Apollo’s ass over this and tell him to let it be.

The woman screamed again, this time muffled, and he knew if he didn’t move quickly, things would end very badly for her. He charged through the dense vegetation, ignoring his duty and doing the only thing he could. Save her.

As he reached the clearing, he could see the three men clearly, thanks to his superior night vision. The woman lay on the ground, her arms held down by one of the men as the other fumbled with his belt.

She wasn’t a woman, more a girl. She couldn’t have been more than fifteen, if that. Anger boiled in Apollo.

Without a sound, he moved toward the man holding the girl down. Before they even knew what had happened, he twisted the man’s neck, and a loud crack sounded.

Apollo tossed the lifeless body to the side. The man fumbling with his pants stopped and opened his mouth. Apollo couldn’t be sure if it was to scream or say something, but it didn’t matter. Just like his friend, the man died with a crack of his neck.

Apollo quickly covered the girl’s mouth. He could see his glowing eyes reflected in her own and had to think that looking at someone like him must be frightening. Still, she sat quietly.

He motioned over to a big leafy plant providing good cover behind him, and she nodded from behind his hand. He slowly moved his palm away and just prayed that she didn’t say a word. The girl quietly escaped to the bush.

The remaining man was standing lookout, his gun at the ready as he paced the circle he had made around his friends. Apollo’s takedown had been quick enough that the guard, focused on the surrounding area, hadn’t noticed what had happened.

Apollo would have to be fast. Thugs like this traveled in much larger packs, and although he might be able to take them all on, there wasn’t a chance he’d be able to do it with the girl, not if she was going to survive.

He moved in behind the man, but unlike his friends, the guard seemed more aware of his surroundings.

“Hey,” the man shouted.

Like lightning, Apollo slashed the man’s throat with his knife.

He fell to the ground with a thud.

Hands wet with blood, Apollo grabbed the lifeless form and dragged him to the bushes before doing the same with the other two. There was no sense in leaving them out for people to see. They would all be better if things were kept quiet. Besides, with all the animals roaming these parts, he didn’t think a fresh kill like that would last long.

Apollo turned, half-expecting to find a frightened girl. Instead, her eyes were wide, not with fear, but adoration.

“Bochica,” she mumbled several times, almost as if chanting.

He stooped and pulled the girl to a sitting position. She said something else. He didn’t recognize the language.

“I don’t understand,” he said.

“Please help, Bochica,” she whispered.

Apollo frowned, trying to place the word. It seemed oddly familiar.

“You are free to go,” he said. “I won’t hurt you.”

Fear flooded her eyes as she grabbed the ends of his shirt.

“Please, my village.”

Apollo looked to where Val was and then back at the girl.

“I’ll help you, but I need to get something first.”

She nodded and stood quickly. This was such a bad fucking idea.

Chapter Nine

Val waited in the tree. She couldn’t make out what was happening, but the girl’s screaming had stopped. She could only hope that Apollo had gotten to her in time.

Something crunched the ground below her, and she stilled. Apollo didn’t move like that. He was silent when he moved.

“Throw down the packs,” Apollo called up.

She peeked over the edge.

“Who’s with you?” she whispered.

“The girl,” he said.

Val let out a sigh of relief. He had been able to save her.

Following his request, Val grabbed his pack from the tree and dropped it. She never heard it hit the ground. Next came her pack. Again, it didn’t hit the ground.

“Now jump,” he said.

Val looked down into the darkness and shook her head.

“We don’t have time,” he said loudly. “Trust me.”

Val took in a deep breath and stood. This was like some sort of ultimate relationship trust test, and she was about to pass it with flying colors. Val exhaled loudly and jumped from the branch. Her eyes were squeezed shut, so she wouldn’t be able to see as she went.

She landed in two strong arms and breathed in deeply.

“I got you, baby,” he whispered.

Val opened her eyes, glad to see his face in front of her.

Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with everything she had. All the worry, all the fear, pressed there against his lips.

Apollo pulled back and stared at her slightly dazed.

“I think I need to make you jump more often.” He looked down at her and smiled a little. Her heart pattered in her chest as she felt his warmth wash over her.

A young girl stepped next to them. “Bochica, please.”

Apollo set Val on the ground softly.

“Bochica?” she asked.

He shook his head and turned back to the girl.

“You show us the way to your village,” he said and slung both the packs on his back.

Apollo wrapped his strong hand around Val’s as they hurried through the woods after the girl.

“The men?” Val whispered to him.

His hand tightened a little around hers. “Dead.”

Val looked at the back of the girl. Her bright red dress and long black hair caught the light of the moon at times, making her a beacon in the night.

“What’s in the village?” Val asked after some time.

They slowed a little, and Apollo looked over to her with concern.

“More men,” he said.

The girl stopped and crouched down at a bush. The light from the village was just enough for them to see the area.

“How many men?” he asked and pulled her hands up.

She seemed to understand and held up seven fingers.

“Shit,” he mumbled.

Val went behind him and pulled out her gun. Better in her hand than not. She pulled out her knife and placed it in her pocket. When she came back to face him, she gasped. Blood covered the front of his shirt.

She reached forward to check him for wounds. Apollo pulled away and stared hard at her.

“It’s not mine,” he said quietly.

She had known he’d killed the men, but it seemed so brutal. Still, she guessed that it didn’t matter to the dead men either way.

Apollo turned to the girl.

“Stay here,” he said. “Only come out when we say.”

She nodded her understanding.

“I’ll be right back,” he said to Val.

She frowned.

“I’m coming with you.”

He shook his head. “It’s too dangerous. I’ll go take the men out. If I’m not back in ten, you run.”

“Fuck that,” she said and cocked the gun. “You go, I go. We do this together.”

Apollo looked to the village and then back to her. He sighed loudly.

“We stick together,” he said.

Val shook her head. It would never work. They needed to do this quickly.

“If we’re going to get all of them, we’ll have to split up.”

Apollo pressed his lips in a firm line, and she knew he was pissed that she was right.

“Fine.” He glared into the darkness at her. “But we do this my way.”

She nodded to him, her hand tightening on her gun.

“We go in as quietly as we can,” he said quietly. “Once we’re spotted, that’s when you start shooting. Not a moment before.”

Val put the gun back at her side and pulled out the knife. She looked down at it and shook a little.

His hand wrapped around her own. “You sure about this?” Apollo asked quietly.

When her eyes met his in the darkness, she could see his concern. Shooting someone was one thing, but using a knife wasn’t the path she would have chosen.

Val looked over to the shivering girl next to them, the girl who had only made it out alive because Apollo had been willing to do what he needed to in order to get her. All without a shot.

Val’s fingers tightened around the hilt of the knife. She could feel her knuckles groan from her hold.

“I’m sure,” she said.

Apollo turned to the young girl and held out a palm, cautioning her to stay. She nodded her understanding.

Val and Apollo silently slid out from behind the bush and moved closer to the village. Luckily, there was enough light to see around. He might have super eyesight, but Val wasn’t so lucky.