“Calm down, Clay,” Levi said, back to being grumpy. He glared at both brothers as they stopped on the other side of his bed. “The bullet hit my vest and it wasn’t life threatening. I’m just here for some routine testing before they’ll release me.”
The man named Clay glanced at Sarah, and there was no denying the quick spark of curiosity in his gaze before he pinned his brother with a direct and concerned look. “Well, your partner thought it was important enough to call us.”
That bit of information seemed to annoy Levi even more. He clearly didn’t like being coddled by anyone. “I have a fractured rib, but other than that, I’m fine,” he insisted, even though the doctor had yet to come into the room to go over his test results. “Or at least I was until you two came charging in here.”
The tattooed guy—who looked like a total bad boy who wasn’t the least bit put off by Levi’s gruff demeanor—merely grinned at his brother. “Yeah, sorry to interrupt . . . whatever we interrupted,” he said, not sounding the least bit contrite.
In fact, Sarah was certain he was deliberately goading Levi, and she found herself suddenly fascinated by the three brothers who clearly had very different dispositions.
The bad-boy brother took in Levi’s hospital gown and bare legs, that provoking smirk reappearing. “Nice dress, by the way,” he teased. “Though next time, you might want to shave your legs.”
Levi narrowed his gaze at his brother. “Don’t be a dick, Mason.” There was a distinct warning note in his voice, but Mason only seemed amused by Levi’s threatening tone.
“Knock it off, Mason,” Clay said, obviously the peace-keeper in the family, before settling his frown back on Levi. “I’m glad you’re okay, but you still should have called us. I nearly had a heart attack when Nick’s first words were, ‘Levi’s been shot,’ before he clarified that you were wearing your bulletproof vest.”
“Got it,” Levi said, finally relenting. “Won’t happen again.”
“So, are you going to introduce us to your . . .?” Mason let the sentence trail off, waiting for either Levi or Sarah to fill in the missing word.
“Friend,” she said quickly, and since they were on opposite sides of Levi’s bed, she gave both brothers a friendly wave. “I’m Sarah, and Levi was at the convenience store where I work when I was held up by an armed robber. I’m here just to make sure that he’s truly okay before I head home.”
Clay’s gaze was filled with understanding, but Mason’s glance was much more inquisitive, and it was that small smile on his face that made her wonder what, exactly, he was thinking. Thankfully, neither one of them asked her any other questions. Instead, Clay returned his attention to Levi and insisted on knowing the details of what happened.
While Levi gave them the quick version of their night, it gave Sarah a few extra minutes to really compare the three brothers. Clay’s and Mason’s hair was much darker than Levi’s lighter brown, and while Levi had green eyes, both his brothers’ were blue. Clay and Mason looked like brothers, with similar facial features, but she never would have guessed that Levi was their sibling.
Then there were their individual personality traits, she thought, as she watched each brother deal with Levi in distinctly different ways. Clay was protective, almost parental in his concern. Mason, well, he didn’t seem too serious about anything, though she had seen the initial worry on his face when he’d walked into the room. But now, he was all about giving his brother a hard time, which Sarah found endearing, even if it annoyed the hell out of Levi.
She wondered where Levi’s parents were and figured they probably lived farther away and Clay would give them an update on Levi’s condition. Or maybe they’d passed away, she thought with a pang of sadness that crept up on her before she could stop it.
Despite the absence of any parents, she could see and feel the connection between these brothers, and it made her all too aware of her lack of family. Levi had people who obviously cared a lot about him, and she envied that close-knit bond that they shared. One she’d lost when she was eight years old. Her whole entire family gone in one fell swoop that had left her devastated, lost, and completely alone. And while she might have gotten past the emotional devastation, she was still lost and alone.
The doctor finally arrived, and as soon as the older man walked into the room, the three brothers all grew quiet, each one of them looking at the physician expectantly as he stopped beside Levi’s bed.
“Hello, Mr. Kincaid. I’m Dr. Fisher. I finally had the chance to look over your CT scan, x-rays, and blood test results,” he said as he swiped a finger across the screen of the tablet he was carrying, his gaze reading whatever he’d pulled up on the small computer. “It appears that you have two fractured ribs on your lower left side, but your liver and kidneys are functioning fine, and you were spared any internal damage. Your lungs look good, as well.”
Sarah exhaled in gratitude and relief.
“Thank God,” Clay said beneath his breath, the worry furrowing his brows easing a bit.
“Damn, you’re like Superman,” Mason said in awe.
“Ironman, according to Nick,” Levi corrected his brother.
“All in all, you’re going to be fine,” the doctor went on. “It’s going to take a good month for your ribs to heal completely. In about two to three weeks, you can return to work on light duty until your personal physician releases you to full duty. In the meantime, you need to rest, take it easy, and don’t do anything strenuous. You’ll have
severe bruising in that area, and I can give you a prescription for Vicodin or Norco to control the pain—”
“I don’t want any painkillers,” Levi said, abruptly cutting off the doctor.
Dr. Fisher blinked at him in surprise, and even Sarah was taken aback by the harsh tone of his voice. The only ones who didn’t seem concerned about Levi’s adamant refusal were Clay and Mason, which she found interesting. Clearly, Levi had an issue with those types of narcotics, and she couldn’t deny that she was curious as to why.
“You might need them to be comfortable, at least for a few days,” the doctor said, trying again.
Levi shook his head, his expression resolute. “I don’t want them. I’ll be fine. If I’m uncomfortable, I’ll take ibuprofen.”
“Okay,” the doctor relented. “If you change your mind, just call my office. I’ll make sure the nurse gives you my number when she brings in your discharge papers. Once that’s done, you’re free to leave.”
“Thanks, Doc,” Levi said.