Theirs to Keep

Part of her wondered if it was better that way. It made her a coward, but every time she tried to think, to focus her attention on the past, she broke into a cold sweat and dissolved into a panic attack.

If that wasn’t a huge sign that she was better off not knowing, she didn’t know what was.

After the first couple of days, the men had settled back into their routine and incorporated Elle into it. She went to Merrick’s workouts with him. Then she’d ride into the office when Merrick joined Cade.

They’d been adamant about making sure she was never alone and that she felt safe at all times while she was recovering. Dallas had become a regular visitor to the men’s home to check in on her progress.

Charlie stayed with her in the office if Cade and Merrick were out on a job. She was never without someone, and while some people would feel smothered by the constant company, it reassured her. She didn’t want to be alone. Maybe she’d never want to be alone again.

It baffled her that four strangers had essentially gone so far out of their way for her. For a nobody. A woman with no past, a woman who, for all they knew, could be a criminal.

The thought made her shiver because she didn’t feel like a criminal. Wouldn’t she know? If she had been involved in crime, would she find the idea so repugnant now?

Cade and Merrick had dismissed her concerns without so much as a moment’s consideration. They reminded her that she was the victim and that she’d done nothing wrong. Their faith gave her a much-needed boost in her own faltering beliefs.

They were simply too good to be true. And that worried her. If something seemed too good to be true, it usually was, and she was literally waiting to have the rug pulled from underneath her and for her to be cast adrift.

The thought scared her to death. Being alone frightened her. She had grown to depend on the two men way more than she’d like to admit.

And worse, she was developing feelings that weren’t clear to her. They were more than gratitude. Couldn’t be confused with psychological dependency. The whole falling for your savior thing. Besides, she had two rescuers. How could she explain her growing affection for both of them?

She winced as Merrick was taken down by one of his sparring partners. He trained with two younger fighters who were up-and-coming. She’d been around enough in the past weeks to know that Merrick was older. Not quite past his prime, but he’d started later than other fighters had. He was approaching an age where it was do-or-die time, and from what she’d gleaned from his conversations with Cade and Charlie, this was his last opportunity—or at least he perceived it was. If he didn’t make a run for the title now, he’d never get another shot.

It took effort not to cheer when Merrick executed a triangle choke, and his partner quickly tapped. Merrick rolled away and then jumped to his feet. Cade tossed him a towel and a bottle of water, and Merrick sucked the water down as he scrubbed the sweat from his face.

The sparring session was early today so Cade could make it before going into the office. Twice a week, they got up before dawn and met at the gym before going into work. The other days, Merrick worked out with the other members of his training team, and Cade took care of the business.

Elle admired Cade’s and Merrick’s loyalty to each other. It was obvious they’d been friends for a long time and that their friendship was very important to them.

“How’s he looking?” Dallas asked as he slid onto the bench next to Elle.

She turned and smiled. “He looks strong, but then I wouldn’t even know if he didn’t.”

Dallas chuckled, and his gaze sought Merrick out. Merrick was talking to Dakota, his trainer, and Charlie and Cade in the corner of the ring.

Dallas was as common an observer at Merrick’s training sessions as Elle herself was. He’d drop in on his way to his clinic in the mornings, and when Merrick trained late, he’d stop in after his clinic closed. On the mornings that Merrick ran early, Dallas joined him for the multi-mile run.

Elle marveled at the strong network of support that Merrick enjoyed. The loyalty of the people around him amazed her. He was surrounded by people who supported him unconditionally and were dedicated to seeing him succeed.

“Looks like they’re wrapping up,” Dallas said. “I’m going to go make sure he’s feeling up to snuff, and then I’m going to head to the clinic. I’ll see you later, sweetheart.”

He tousled her hair affectionately as he rose and then left her to converse with Merrick and the others. A moment later, Dallas left and then the men walked in her direction.

“I’m going to grab a shower and then head in to the office,” Merrick said.

His body glistened with sweat, and his hair was damp and clinging to his neck and shoulders.

“If you want to hang around, you can ride with me, or you can go now with Cade.”

Elle swallowed and glanced up at Cade. She hated having to make decisions. She was forever worried that she was a burden and that they would grow tired of babying her.

Cade sighed as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. Then he simply slid his hand up her back and turned her in the direction of the door.

“She’ll ride with me,” Cade said. “I’ll see you when you get in, Merrick.”

“Young lady, you look like you’re trying to solve global warming.”

She blinked and looked up to see Charlie standing in the doorway of the office staring at her in amusement. Then she smiled.

“Nothing so serious. Was just enjoying my cup of coffee.”

Charlie was a blunt, straightforward man who apologized to no one for speaking his mind. In the last few weeks, she’d grown to like him very much after a wary start. She’d been convinced that he was watching her and just waiting for her to do something wrong or to reveal she was a fraud taking advantage of the two men he considered his boys.

Instead he’d taken her under his wing and was every bit as protective of her as Cade and Merrick were. Between Cade and Merrick and Charlie and Dallas, she was surrounded by enough testosterone to float a battleship. Instead of annoying her, she found the shield they provided extremely comforting. They were her refuge.

Some of the best nights had been when Charlie and Dallas came over after Merrick’s training sessions and Charlie cooked up something for the five of them and they sat around watching television and bullshitting. It made her feel almost like she had a normal existence and that she fit here in this world. With these men.

“Merrick was going to be delayed a little while, so Cade asked me to run over to keep you company while he’s out on a job. Mind sharing some of that coffee?” Charlie asked.

She smiled. “Of course not. Help yourself. And he shouldn’t have called you over. I can stay by myself for a few hours while they get their work done. I feel terrible. I can’t even imagine how much they haven’t gotten done because they’ve been more concerned with me.”

Charlie went to the coffee maker, poured himself a cup of coffee and then settled behind Cade’s desk.

“They know what they’re doing,” he said. “Nothing for you to fret over. Been kind of nice having you around the office anyway. Won’t be the same if I stop in and you aren’t here. I think they like having you here too.”

“I just feel useless,” she said with a grimace. “There has to be something I can do around here to help out. Paperwork. Phones. Something!”

Charlie rubbed his chin a minute and then pursed his lips. “You know, you’re right. No reason you couldn’t file, answer phone calls. Make calls to set up appointments. I don’t know why they haven’t thought of it. You have to be bored out of your mind.”

She laughed. “They’re too worried about overtaxing me. But I’d like to help. They’ve done so much for me. I’d like to return the favor.”

“I think it’s a great idea. In fact, if you want to come pull up a chair, I’ll show you their filing system, such as it is. Between you and me, it sucks ass. If you have any organizational skills, you could have this office running like a dream in no time at all. I’d be happy to turn it over to you and run interference with the guys.”

She rose eagerly, the thought of having something to do making her hands itch in anticipation. She put her coffee down on the desk and then dragged Merrick’s chair over to Cade’s desk so she could see what Charlie was doing with the paperwork.

“Most important are accounts receivable. We need a way to streamline the payment process. Make sure we