“My brother and I didn’t see eye to eye,” Kai answered as he approached me. His hand came to the back of my head, touching as if he’d been doing it for years. As if he had the right. I was about to move away when he asked, “Still in pain?”
I licked at my suddenly dry lips, then replied, “A little.”
He frowned. “You’re certain you don’t want something to take the edge off?”
“No. I don’t like drugs or alcohol,” I muttered, thinking of all the times my mother’s mind had been dulled by the awful stuff.
He dropped his hand, then stepped back. “My brother is retrieving your vehicle.”
I quirked my brow and pointed at the blood on his lip. “The one that gave you the fat lip?”
He touched a finger to his mouth, then stared at the blood coating it. “No, not that one.”
Good Lord, another family member? “Just how many brothers do you have and are they all here at the clinic?”
Kai glanced at Creeg, before saying, “this isn’t just a clinic, Lily. It’s our home.”
“Your home,” I repeated, unable to understand what that meant. “A clinic and a home all in one?”
Kai was about to answer when Creeg interrupted. “This has always been our home. The clinic sort of evolved.”
I’d never met anyone quite like them. Their way of life intrigued me. “And you all live here together? Do you get on each other’s nerves?”
Creeg laughed, but Kai didn’t crack a smile as he grumbled, “More than you can imagine.”
“Creeg, Kai, and Wyatt,” I stated. “Are there more of you?”
Kai ran his fingers through his hair. I found the action incredibly sexy. “Miggs, Trakker, and our youngest brother, Cage.”
Six Ravenbriar brothers. All living under one roof. And if the others were as good-looking as Kai and Creeg ... damn. “And here I couldn’t get along with one sibling. If I had five, I’m pretty sure I’d lose my mind. I mean, I’ve been tempted to strangle Victoria. Shoot, we don’t even live together.”
Kai quirked a brow and he moved a step back. “You would kill your sister?”
I blinked. Jeez, he was totally serious. “God, no!” I rushed to clarify. “It’s just an expression. I mean, we fight. She annoys me. But I wouldn’t kill her.”
Creeg laughed. “We get it, Lily. We fight, too. A little too much sometimes. The injuries tend to keep me busy around here.”
I reached out and touched a fresh drop of blood on Kai’s lip, then stared at it on the tip of my index finger. “Maybe it’s a brother thing. Testosterone and all that.”
Kai and Creeg didn’t respond. When I lifted my gaze they were both watching me. Kai’s nostrils flared and he moved closer. His eyes brightened from a warm whiskey shade to a brighter golden tone. “Lily,” he growled.
Creeg reached out and took hold of his brother’s shoulder and shook him. “Chill, damn it,” he ground out.
Kai jerked away. “Leave us,” he ordered. “Now.”
“I can’t do that, brother. You need to relax.”
Kai swatted his brother’s hand away, then swung around. “I won’t tell you again.”
Creeg stood his ground, clearly not about to back down. “And you aren’t thinking straight or you would remove yourself from her presence.”
Kai glared, then closed the few feet between us. “Don’t interfere, Creeg. Go.”
Creeg held his ground. “Nope.”
A sound much like a low snarl emanated from Kai seconds before he leaped at Creeg. Fists flew and I had to scramble to get out of the way. Creeg hit the floor cursing and Kai crouched over him, lifting him by the shirt and delivering a vicious uppercut to his jaw. Bones crunched. The door slammed open and a roar filled the room. Another man ran forward, his eyes glowed red and his teeth ... big, like a ... a wolf.
Oh, God. What am I seeing?