Colters' Lady: Colters’ Legacy, Book 2 by Maya Banks Read Free Book Online Page B

pain didn’t hit you until you came off that rush.”
    “Is it…is it bad?”
    He brushed his finger down the line of her jaw and lingered at the dip in her chin. “It’s not too bad.
    Looks like a graze. I really think I should take you to the hospital. If it’s money you’re worried about” She shook her head before he could continue. “It’s not that. I mean no, I don’t have insurance or a way to pay, but I hate hospitals. I won’t go back there.” She shivered and looked away, causing his hand to fall. “Never.”
    He blew out his breath. “I can’t make you go, Lily, even if it’s what I think you should do. I can stop the bleeding—the wound isn’t very deep—but infection is my primary concern. I’ll give you some topical ointment but I’d really rather you have a shot. Do you have any idea how long it’s been since your last tetanus?”
    She almost laughed. It was such an ordinary conversation. One she might have with her family doctor.
    Things hadn’t felt normal in so long.
    “I’ll be fine.”
    The front door burst open and Seth flew inside, his gaze immediately lighting on Lily. His brow furrowed, and a mixture of concern and confusion crossed his face.

    www.samhainpublishing.com
    33

    Maya Banks
    “What the hell is going on?” He rushed over and crouched down beside Michael. “What happened?
    Are you okay?”
    She stared at the two brothers, bewildered by their concern and their caring. She was nobody to them and yet they’d have her believe she wasn’t.
    “She took a bullet,” Michael said.
    “What?” Seth stared at the blood on her arm and then back at Michael. “Are you crazy? She should be in the hospital. Why haven’t you taken her?”
    Lily stiffened and started to sit forward, her objection poised on her lips. Michael gently pushed her back.
    “She’s not going to the hospital. She’s fine. I can take care of it.”
    “You’re out of your mind,” Seth bit out. “She’s still bleeding, for God’s sake.” He sounded so worried that she put her hand out to touch his to reassure him.
    “She doesn’t want to go, Seth. I tried. Now let me clean this up and get it bandaged so the bleeding stops. It’s not serious.”
    Seth ran a hand through his hair and backed off. He got up and stood for a moment, looming over her and Michael, and then he moved to sit beside her on the couch, watching as Michael continued his careful treatment of her wound.
    “You must have been scared out of your mind,” Seth said. “Why did you run, Lily? You could have been here, not downtown in the middle of some turf war.” The frustration—and sincerity—in his voice startled her. There was a possessive tone that intrigued and frightened her all at the same time.
    “I just thought I should go,” she said, not knowing what else to say. She wanted to appease him, but at the same time, it frustrated her that this entire situation confused her.
    Michael paused as he placed a bandage over her wound. “Did my showing up frighten you?” Frighten? That was probably the wrong word. Unsettled. His appearance had effectively popped the fantasy bubble that she’d existed in for the previous night.
    “No, not frightened,” she said.
    “I don’t want you back on the streets, Lily,” Seth said fiercely.
    She cocked her head and stared up at him. “Where do you want me then?” His blue eyes focused intently on her. There was no guard, no hesitation, no hint that he was speaking anywhere but from the heart. He brushed his fingers over her face, gentle and perhaps a bit shaky.
    “Here. With me.”
    34
    www.samhainpublishing.com

    Chapter Six
    Despite her resolve not to allow herself the luxury of the fantasy Seth offered, she couldn’t stop the yearning, the desire for human contact. Affection. Casual conversation. She’d sentenced herself to a life alone, but she didn’t want to be alone. She wasn’t meant to be alone.
    Her brain knew that it was time to stop punishing herself,