Read Lucius (Luna Lodge #3) for Free Online Page A

know it was you.” She moved forward. “I’m so sorry.”
    He pulled the sweater slightly from his face and looked at her.
    “What do you mean, you heard a noise?” He stared hard at her.
    She pointed to the hall. “It sounded like the outside door, but when I checked, no one was there.”
    “You checked?” he nearly shouted.
    She nodded and shrank back.
    Lucius groaned and placed the sweater back over his nose.
    “Just stay here while I take a look,” he said.
    “Um,” she said. He paused at the door, his back to her. “Do you think you ought to do that with a broken nose?”
    He whirled around to look at her. His eyes were fully glowing, the effect taking her breath away.
    “My ability to protect you just got hindered,” he said. “So I’m going to have to do it another way. Now just wait for me.”
    Hannah nodded and moved back to her stool. He was back within just a few minutes, still holding the sweater to his nose.
    “I don’t see any signs, but there wouldn’t be any forced entry if they are professionals. I’ve got some men coming over, so just leave your key in the door, and they will check things out,” he said and groaned. “I need you to do me a favor.”
    She stood and moved to him.
    “My nose hasn’t stopped bleeding. I need to stop and see the doc. No big deal, but I need to have it packed. Can you drive me?”
    “Of course.” She nodded. She wasn’t going to mention it, but she was pretty sure he needed more than to have it packed. She didn’t know what they did for a broken nose, but given the crunching sound from earlier, there was no way she hadn’t broken it.
    Hannah grabbed her keys off the table and followed him through the door. When she had locked the door, he slipped the keys to his car into her hand. She knew this had to be hard. She had never seen Lucius give up control like this.
    “Let’s get you over to Rachel,” she said to him.
     
    * * *
     
    Lucius fumed. He hated sitting in hospital rooms. He had sat in more than enough of these sorts of rooms over the years.
    Hannah stood quietly beside him, occasionally reaching out to touch his arm in comfort. He wasn’t likely to admit it out loud, but it did help calm him. It wasn’t even the broken nose that had set him on edge. Something had clicked when she broke his nose. For a brief second, he could have sworn he smelled something, and whatever it was, it made everything in him light up. He worried that maybe she’d given him an aneurysm, but he wasn’t going to mention it while Hannah was in the room. She already felt bad enough as it was.
    The door clicked open, and Rachel walked in.
    “Sorry,” she said. “I was finishing up something.”
    Anger coursed through him. “Really? Something was more pressing than my broken nose?”
    Rachel stared at him levelly. She never showed any fear when talking to any of them.
    “Yes,” she said flatly. “Now lie down and be a good patient.”
    He grumbled as he lay back on the table. The only positive thing about this situation was that he got to watch Hannah standing beside him. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth, and it stirred something in him. Focusing on her mouth, he ignored the doctor as she poked around. After she touched one particular spot, he nearly jerked off the table on reflex, and Hannah moved closer to soothe him. A strong mixture of smells flooded his nose before being tainted by the metallic scent of blood.
    “Did that hurt?” Rachel asked.
    He glared at her. “No.”
    She sighed and moved away. “Well, it’s not too bad.” She went to the cabinet and pulled out some materials. “Nothing that won’t heal on its own.”
    Rachel moved to stand next to him and placed packing material and gauze on the table. “I’m going to pack your nose to stop the bleeding and keep the passages open. Take them out in twenty-four hours.”
    He winced a few times as she started to shove the material up his nose.
    “It will come out in one long