“Then you think it was an accident?” she asked.
“That you had an allergic reaction to a chicken sandwich?” Brick asked grimly. “I don’t know. We’ll see how competent your sheriff is.”
“Ed is good,” Xavier told him. “He’ll find out what happened. He’s protective of Juliet. Most of the town is, they won’t like that someone tried to harm her.”
Most of the town thought she was insane, they were just too scared to say so because of her brother.
“She doesn’t believe that,” Brick murmured.
“She doesn’t see how much people want to coddle her, watch out for her.”
“We’ll teach her,” Brick said. He sat on the chair across the bed from Xavier before taking her hand in his. A feeling of safety filled her, surrounded by them both.
“What happened exactly?” she asked.
Brick explained everything. And while he was matter-of-fact as he spoke, she could hear the note of fear in his voice.
“I’m all right, Brick.”
“You are now.”
“And you’re going to stay that way,” Xavier added.
Both men nodded at each other again, a look of determination coming over their faces.
A wave of exhaustion overtook her. “I wanna go home.”
“Not happening, Twink,” Xavier told her.
She fluttered her eyelashes at him, giving him her best puppy dog look. She wasn’t above begging. He just raised an eyebrow.
“Does she think that’s going to work?” Brick asked, sounding amused.
Xavier sighed. “Can’t blame her. It would have in the past.”
“Jesus, man, she had you wrapped around her little finger,” Brick said.
She gaped at him. “Did not.”
Xavier snorted. “You did.”
She sniffed. “I feel like I’m being ganged up on.”
Her eyelids were growing heavier and it was hard to concentrate.
“Go to sleep, sweetheart,” Xavier told her.
“I’ll sleep once I’m home.” In her own bed, surrounded by her own stuff. And the two of them.
“You’re not going home until I give all the clear,” Xavier told her firmly.
“Not unless you want to find yourself over one of our laps,” Brick added.
“Xavier won’t spank me,” she mumbled. By now, her eyes were completely closed, and she was barely clinging to consciousness. She felt the bed depress as someone leaned on it, then lips brushed her ear, sending a shiver through her.
“Wouldn’t be so sure of that.”
Damn.