Read Online Apollo and Val: #5.5 (Luna Lodge Book 0) by Madison Stevens - Free Book Online Page A

Val’s eyes met his across the way, and his heart skipped as a smile lit up her face. “You’ll break every bone in my body if I take a risk like that again.”
    “No,” Sol ground out. “I’ll break every bone in your body if you risk her like that again.”
    Apollo couldn’t hide the surprise that spread across his face.
    “Only reason I didn’t beat your ass before is because it’s clear how much you love her,” Sol said and sighed loudly.
    Apollo ran a hand through his hair. Hearing his boss talk about love in such an open way made things awkward.
    “I’m sure she’d be happy to know you feel that way,” he said quietly.
    They had been working on their relationship, but Val and Sol weren’t exactly great with their feelings.
    “Yeah, well,” Sol said and cleared his throat. “Just be at the fucking rendezvous by tomorrow, or I’ll hang you by the balls.”
    With a click, Sol was gone.
    “Are you going to have them make a shrine next?” Val asked loudly.
    Apollo frowned at her.
    “They won’t stop bringing me things,” he said, now even more uncomfortable.
    As if he spoke and made it happen, an old woman stepped up to him and handed him some sort of sweet. She smiled warmly and patted his hand.
    “Bochica,” she said.
    Val snorted but stopped when the older woman came to stand in front of her. He watched as she handed her a sweet as well.
    “Bachue,” she said warmly and walked away.
    Val looked to him, surprise etched on her face.
    “What’s that all about?”
    Apollo shook his head and then frowned.
    “Should you be out of bed?” he asked.
    Val touched her wound through the dress.
    “I’m fine,” she said with a shrug. “Just a scratch. How long was I out?”
    His frown deepened.
    “Seven stitches isn’t fine,” he said and gave a pointed stare and then looked to the sky. “Only a few hours until nightfall.”
     
    Val blinked at him several times. She had slept nearly all day?
    “We’ll never make it in time,” she whispered. “It’s all my fault.”
    Apollo stepped forward quickly and turned her chin up to look at him.
    “We will,” he said and stared hard at her. “You did what you had to and saved the people of this village.”
    Tears pooled in her eyes. She didn’t deserve his love. She’d ruined everything. The mission, his love, all of it.
    “Besides,” he said. “Your buddy in the bush was nice enough to show me where we could get a ride.”
    Apollo gave a wide and predatory grin.
    Val frowned for a moment, only vaguely remembering something about a bush.
    Her eyes widened.
    “The one I knocked out?” she asked.
    He grinned back at her. “He was very helpful. Michua, the head of the village was able to translate.” He rolled his shoulders. “It was his daughter that we saved.” He nodded to the girl that had been in the hut when she woke.
    She opened her mouth to ask about the captive’s fate but decided she didn’t want to know. Just knowing that her mistake hadn’t cost them everything was enough.
    The girl from before ran over, grinning at them both. Like Val, she wore a bright orange dress. The colors stood out boldly against her black hair and tanned skin.
    “Come,” she said, grinning and gesturing.
    Apollo’s large hand closed over Val’s, and she held it back. His worry flowed through their connection. The farther they went into the village, the greater his concern grew.
    They stopped in the center of the village. A large circular area had been cleared like a city center. People lined the area all along the edges of the circle. Tables were set up all over with mounds of food filling the plates.
    Val’s stomach rumbled as she looked at the flat breads, sausages, smoke fish, soups in clay pots and fruit, some she’d never even seen before.
    Two special chairs, woven with lush flowers and slightly larger than the others, had been placed at the table laden with the most food.
    “Bochica. Bachue.”
    The girl gestured to the table where an