“No. Yours are too sloppy. You’ll leave a scar,” Laina said.
“Please tell me you are not going to give yourself stitches!” Kyle tipped his head back in exasperation.
“Unless you’d like to do it,” Laina said.
He blanched.
“I’ve done this before,” she said to him reassuringly. “Luckily, I’m a righty and the bastard hit my left shoulder.”
Jason helped glove her hand and clean the wound, then handed her the sterile needle. With a deep breath, she steadied herself and began. Although the process was painful, she sutured using tight, even, continuous stitches. This would be folly on a human shoulder, but she’d be healed in twenty-four hours. Fast healing and resistance to infection were hallmarks of her kind. She tied off the end.
“Cut,” she said to Jason. He obliged.
“Who are you people?” Kyle asked, eyes narrowing as she dabbed her stitches with antiseptic.
“You know who I am. I’m Laina Flynn, DVM.”
“I just watched you take a bullet, remove it from your own shoulder, and stitch your own wound as if you did it every other day.”
“I do! I’m a vet. I’m trained for this.”
Kyle squinted at her. “You’re trained to give animals stitches, not yourself.”
Jason met Laina’s eyes and raised his fist behind Kyle’s head. He paused, offering to knock him out.
Laina shook her head. Jason lowered his arm.
“How?” Kyle asked. “How is it you’ve done this before?”
“I told you, my family—”
“This is insane.”
She frowned. “I need to rest.” Closing her eyes, she tipped her head back against the tub.
“Not in the tub.” Kyle retrieved a washcloth from under the counter, wet it in the sink, and carefully washed the blood from her face and arm with long, even strokes. “Get her a new T-shirt,” he ordered Jason. To Laina’s surprise, her brother complied, although it must have been painful for him to do the bidding of a human.
Jason handed the shirt to Kyle. He gently removed the remains of Laina’s bloody one before stretching the fabric of the clean top over her head and injured shoulder. Then he scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bed, tucking her in. She grunted in pain as he repositioned her.
“I’m going to call my personal physician. You need painkillers. Maybe antibiotics.”
“Don’t make me have to hurt you, Kyle,” Jason said. “She can’t be seen by a doctor, and that’s that.”
Kyle frowned and shook his head. “Laina?”
“Food. Something to drink.” Her lids were too heavy to keep open. “It will help. I haven’t even had breakfast.”
“I’ll get you something,” he said.
Jason hovered over his shoulder, giving her a nod that he’d make sure Kyle did nothing more.
She mouthedthank youbefore sinking into a deep and much-needed sleep.
ChapterTwenty-Three
Kyle set the tray of food on the dresser and moved to stand beside the bed. He desperately wanted to call his private physician but didn’t want to betray her trust. After all, she’d told him no—twice. But the longer she stayed asleep, the more he considered doing it anyway. He placed a hand on her forehead. No fever.
Her eyes fluttered open in the dim light. “What time is it?”
