Free Sol: Luna Lodge #1 by Madison Stevens Page A

room.”
    The men around the room nodded, and Sol was glad to have Carter’s men on board. They were more likely to follow his orders than some douche in DC.
    “All right.” He clapped his hand once. “Before we continue to the security details, we need to talk about the growing crowd at the gate.”
    “Maybe I should just take care of them,” Lucius growled. Several men near him glanced away, almost afraid to meet his eye.
    “You’ll not do anything unless I give the order for it.” Titus stared down the table at him until Lucius broke eye contact.
    “It was just a suggestion,” Lucius mumbled.
    “Listen.” Titus sighed. “I know everyone is tired, but we’ve got to handle this the right way. It’s not just a matter of the media at this point.”
    “I still think hiring a PR person would be the best choice,” Carter said quietly.
    Titus shot him a brutal look that told Sol he would be hearing about this later.
    “Besides the media, we’ve now got two factions. Those that are fascinated by us, and those that want to eradicate us.”
    Sol cleared his throat. “What can we do about this?”
    Titus shook his head. “Nothing for now, but I want measures in place. Backed by Major Carter, we should be able to defuse nearly every situation.”
    “And the ones we can’t?” Sol looked between Carter and Titus.
    “Listen,” the major interjected. “Top priority is to prevent casualties on either side. We take them unharmed, it’s only going to be good for us.”
    “This is what they are waiting for,” Titus said to the room. “Our enemies are waiting for us to fail, for the kinks in our system. We need to make sure that there aren’t any and that we’re able to send these people to prison. All it takes is one dead man, and our position could be compromised.”
    Sol nodded. “Just tell me what I need to do.”
     
    * * *
     
    Erica moved freely around the kitchen, searching the cabinets for something to snack on. She had been surprised to find the fridge fully stocked but wrinkled her nose at the excess of healthy food.
    Right now all she wanted was a bowl of cereal, and the one she could find tasted like rabbit pellets. Didn’t this man have a tiny craving for something sweet? She opened the freezer, hoping for something there. Meat, meat and more meat. Erica snickered. Not breaking any stereotypes there.
    In a last ditch hope, she slid open the drawers under the counter. Bingo! A package of popcorn and a chocolate bar. Dinner of champions.
    She hummed a little as the popcorn cooked. When it was ready, she took the bag upstairs along with the chocolate. She placed them on the bed and turned to look at the room across from hers.
    Erica chewed her lip. A little peek couldn’t hurt. After all, she was staying in the house of a man she barely knew who had basically said he was attracted to her. Knowing more about him couldn’t be a bad thing.
    She cautiously walked into the room. The moon lit up the place to the point where she really didn’t need to turn on a light. It was better that way, as he might come back soon.
    The walls had several paintings landscapes that didn’t really match the feel of the room but still felt comfortable. She sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the photo on the side of the bed. A pretty woman stared back at her, and Erica wondered who she was. Turning it to the light, she noticed small print at the bottom.
    Erica might have laughed if it didn’t seem so sad. To have a picture in the room because it seemed normal but no picture to fill it. She placed the frame back on the stand and stood. Really, she didn’t need to know any more about him. This was a man that had come to her rescue twice. He might still be a mystery, but she had no right to go through his things.
    She crept out of the room and went to her own. With the door shut, she set to work hanging up her clothes and munching on the goodies.
     
    * * *
     
    Sol groaned as he climbed out of the chair. Every