Priceless (Forbidden Men 8)

The air zapped from my lungs. “What?”

“Wha-what does that mean?” Mason wondered, confused.

“You’ve been put at great risk by taking this much medicine, Sarah.”

“What kind of risk?” Mason demanded, nearly squeezing off my arm now.

“She’s in danger of heart attack, stroke, jaundice—”

“Stroke?” Mason yelled. “You mean, like the stroke she just had?”

The doctor sighed and glanced shamefully down at his clipboard.

Dr. Theler stepped forward. “Yes, I...we believe that’s what caused her stroke. And I’m sorry to have to tell you this—”

“Sorry?” Surging to his feet, Mason roared. “You almost killed my sister, but you’re sorry?”

As my brother raged on, I stared in a daze at the bottle in Dr. O’Hearn’s hand. The bottle that had caused my stroke.

I knew I should be mad and screaming alongside Mason from the injustice of it all. My own healthcare providers had put my life at risk, but the only thing I could do as I covered my mouth with my hand was smile against my palm in outright relief.

~*~

That evening, I was in my room after supper, studying for the last finals I’d ever take when there was a tap on my door.

I called for my guest to enter, expecting either Mason or Reese to once again talk about how they were going to find me a new doctor, sue the entire hospital, and take care of this entire mess. But I was surprised when Brandt stepped inside instead.

Surprised and a little depressed. He hadn’t come to my window once since my stroke. The infuriating man was determined to play by the rules: no sex, no sneaking in. Hell, he wouldn’t even let our kisses linger too long or get even mildly interesting and out of control. I knew I should’ve been happy he still kissed me at all. But the man had given me a taste of what it could be like to have everything...so now I wanted everything.

And as I looked him over, I was determined to get it.

Tonight.

“Hey.” Closing my textbook, I smiled, trying not to look too eager or calculating.

“Hey,” he answered. “Mason didn’t even glare at me when I came in tonight.” Grinning, he strolled to me and bent down to press his lips gently against mine. But when I pressed back, he pulled away and smoothed his hand over my hair before sitting next to me. “Maybe someday he’ll stop hating me so much, you think?”

“Or maybe he’ll apologize for hating you at all,” I countered, starting to smile maybe a bit too much, and totally giving myself away.

Brandt’s brow crinkled. “Huh?”

I took his hand and squeezed his fingers. “We learned quite an enlightening fact at the doctor’s office today.”

“Wait.” He straightened in alarm. “You had a doctor’s appointment? Why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve gone with you.”

I shook my head, letting him know he needn’t have worried. “Mason went with me. I was fine.”

His face paled as if he feared I was going to tell him I was dying. “So what did you learn?”

I smiled, hoping to reassure him. “The real reason why I had my stroke.”

“You...” He shook his head and blinked. “Wait, what?”

I nodded. “Someone got my prescription wrong. They’d been overdosing me for weeks.”

His mouth fell open. “Excuse me?”

Eager to inform him he hadn’t been the cause, I laughed. “I’ve been taking over six times the dosage. And that’s why I had my stroke.”