Jaymie Holland by Tattoos, Leather: BRANDED Read Free Book Online Page B

took his hand, allowing him to help her out of the car. When she was on her feet on the sidewalk, she again made sure her dress was tugged down. Avoiding Louis’s gaze, she walked with Dane and Colton to the front entrance of the police department.
    When they finished talking to a police officer at the precinct, an old buddy of Colton’s, they had just enough time to make her doctor’s appointment.
    Both men insisted on going with her into the surgeon’s office. She could have argued, but it wasn’t important enough to make a big deal over it. The doctor examined all of her facial wounds before removing the large bandage. She winced when he pulled it away. Beneath the bandage was some kind of medical tape that the paramedics had used to keep the skin together.
    “The good news is that it’s not too deep.” Dr. Anderson stood a step back as his assistant prepared a tray with instruments he would need. “The bad news is that you still might come away with a scar. However, facial skin does have an abundant blood supply, more so than other parts of the body.” He went on to explain how the skin of the face has more “laxity”, which would aid in avoiding a large scar. “It is possible that the scar will be so minimal that only you will know it’s there.”
    After applying a local anesthetic and once again cleaning the wound, the doctor sutured the inside of the wound with an absorbable material. He explained that he needed to do sutures inside and out. The ones inside would take pressure off of the outside sutures to reduce skin tension.
    It took twenty tiny sutures on the surface of the skin to close the wound. She held still while he worked, but she hated the feel of the suture material as he pulled it through her skin. Even though she was numb, she could feel the tug and pull. She clenched her eyes tightly, as if that might make it easier to get through. It felt like it was taking forever and she was relieved when he finished.
    Dr. Anderson told her to return in five days and she made an appointment with the receptionist. The doctor had given her a prescription for the pain, which she didn’t intend to fill, because she didn’t like taking medication of any kind, not even for headaches.
    As she walked out of the reception area, she caught a glimpse of her face in the mirror. She felt like Frankenstein’s bride with the line of sutures across her cheek, her black eye, and the paleness of her features. The Band-Aid on her forehead just added to the whole effect.
    When they left the doctor’s office, it was nearing evening. She touched her face with her fingertips, her face still feeling numb from the anesthetic. It was probably going to hurt like hell once the numbness faded.
    “Are you up to going out for dinner?” Colton asked.
    She shook her head. “No, but thank you.” She looked from one man to the other. “Thank you for everything. I don’t know how I can ever repay you for saving my life and for taking me to see the surgeon.”
    “I know a way,” Dare said with a grin. “Promise to have dinner with us. We’ll take you back for your appointment in five days with Dr. Anderson. Afterward, we’ll go out.”
    She smiled. “Deal.”
    Colton and Dane escorted her into the building and up to her place. She unlocked the door and the men waited while she disengaged the alarm.
    Dane braced one hand on the doorframe as she stood inside the apartment. He looked so sexy with his hair pulled back in a ponytail, his T-shirt snug over his muscular chest, a dragon tattoo peeking out from beneath a shirt sleeve.
    His blue eyes drank her in. “Would you like us to spend the night again?”
    A twinge of fear in her belly, a sharp ache at the thought of being alone, caused her to hesitate. Maybe she should tell him yes, please stay.
    She took a deep breath and shook her head. She couldn’t let fear get the best of her. “Thank you, but no. I’ll be fine.”
    Colton studied her and her heart skipped a beat as