Charlie smiled. “Now, I don’t want you to get all freaked out over blood, cuts and bruises. That’s what happens when two grown men go all out in the ring. Merrick’s smart, though, and he’s fast for such a big man.”
Just then Merrick’s trainer, Dakota Trayburn, walked over and touched Charlie on the shoulder.
“We’re ready if you and Elle want to go on out. I’ll have two men go with you. Dallas and Cade will be along in a minute. They’re going to walk out with Merrick.”
Adrenaline lurched through Elle’s veins, and just as quickly, fear tracked close behind. She licked her lips and squared her shoulders, determined not to show these people that she was some kind of wimp.
Two broad-shouldered men with no necks and bulging biceps walked over to where she and Charlie sat.
“Ma’am,” one said politely. “We’ll escort you to your seats if you’re ready.”
Curling her fingers tightly around her bag, she stood. Charlie put his hand to her back in a reassuring manner, and they followed boulder number one out the door and into the arena.
The noise was deafening. The previous bout had finished, and the victor was circling the ring, pumping his fists into the air. All around them, people bumped and pushed. The two men escorting them positioned their bodies between her and Charlie and the crowd and pushed their way down the aisle, their arms out to keep everyone at bay.
There was a row of empty chairs ringside, and one of the men gestured for her and Charlie to take a seat on the end. As she eased down, she turned her head in all directions, taking in the enormous crowd crammed into the event center of the casino.
She jumped when the arena darkened. Camera flashes went wild, and ominous music began to play. On the opposite side, Merrick’s opponent began to make his way to the ring. Elle watched in fascination as he worked the crowd and was introduced to a mixture of cheers and boos.
When it was Merrick’s turn to enter the arena, her head turned automatically to search him out. It was like looking at a different person. Someone she didn’t know. A celebrity who was going to walk right by her.
It hadn’t registered with her, even during the weeks of training, that Merrick was this larger-than-life person. He just seemed so…normal.
The crowd roared, and she curiously looked around, seeing the approval of the fans. He was the favorite, judging by the crowd’s response. It fascinated her that there were so many people rooting for him. These people knew who he was. They followed his career and his success. They were invested in him.
To her, he was just Merrick Sullivan. The man who made her feel…safe.
As Merrick and his entourage walked by, Merrick reached down and brushed his hand down her arm. It was brief. It could have been considered accidental. Only, she knew better. Even utterly focused, he’d sent her a message.
Dallas and Cade stepped up to the ring while Merrick was being introduced. Merrick stripped off his hoody and tossed it toward Cade. Elle swallowed hard as she looked at the heavily muscled warrior in front of her.
All he wore was a pair of trunks and the gloves that were a great deal smaller than a boxer’s. He danced in place, keeping loose and limber as his bare feet glided over the mat.
Dallas took a seat on the other side of Elle, but Cade remained ringside with two other members of Merrick’s team.
“He’s looking good,” Dallas said in her ear. “He’s focused and confident. He’s going to win.”
Dallas’s words sent a thrill through her chest. She held her breath as she watched the two fighters face off as the referee outlined the rules.
She’d never seen Merrick so…fierce. She couldn’t wrap her head around the difference in this man, the fighter, and the man who’d held her and comforted her so many times.
As the two men parted and the bell rang, signaling the start, Elle surged forward in her seat. Other than the light touch to her arm, Merrick hadn’t acknowledged her in any way. She hadn’t expected him to. He had to be focused. A distraction could cost him the match and could cause him serious injury.
Beside her, Dallas shot to his feet as Merrick and his opponent exchanged a flurry of punches. Dallas was yelling. Charlie was on his feet hollering something Elle couldn’t decipher.
When Merrick took a shot to the head and stumbled back, Elle flew to her feet, her hand over her mouth.
“Don’t look like that,” Dallas yelled in her ear. “Suck it up. If he looks this way, the last thing he needs to see is you looking like you’re going to puke.”
His rebuke jarred her from her horror, and she schooled her features. But inside her chest, her heart was about to explode as she watched the flurry of action in the ring.
The first round lasted an eternity. The few minutes stretched into what seemed like an hour as the two men traded punches and wrestling holds. When the bell rang and Merrick returned to his corner, she stared hard, looking for any sign of injury.
He sat, looking calm and completely focused. At peace, which seemed ridiculous given he’d spent the last several minutes getting pounded by a man as big as he was.
But there was no blood, and his face looked untouched. The other guy hadn’t been as fortunate. His eye was swollen, and a cut had opened up on his cheek.
“He won that one!” Charlie yelled over the crowd.
“Hell yeah he did,” Dallas said.
“He won?” she asked in bewilderment. “It’s over?”
“He won the round,” Dallas said in a patient voice. “Points. If there isn’t a knockout, the match is determined by points. Merrick won that round.”
“Yes!” she hollered.
Charlie and Dallas both grinned at her, and Charlie pounded her on the back.
“That’s the way to get into it, girl!”
She remained standing when the two fighters came out of their corners for the second round. Now that she knew Merrick had won the first round, it made sense to her why his opponent came out more aggressive.
“He’s being careless!” Dallas said in a whoop. “Merrick will nail his ass to the wall. There isn’t going to be another round. I guarantee it!”
Elle surged forward in the excitement, her fingers curled into tight balls as her nails dug into her palms. Her heart was pounding, and her gaze was glued to the two fighters.
Merrick’s opponent lashed out with a high kick, but Merrick reared his head back, caught the guy’s leg and then drove him to the mat.
“Damn it, I can’t see!” Elle yelled in frustration.
Dallas turned, presenting his back to her. “Hop up.”
She stared blankly at him, and he looked back over his shoulder.
“Come on, or you’re going to miss it!”
She tossed her purse at Charlie and put her hands on Dallas’s shoulders. As she jumped, he reached back, grasped the backs of her legs and hoisted her upward.
Elevated above Charlie and Dallas, she could now clearly see the action in the ring. Merrick was atop his opponent and was landing punches to his head. She winced but was grateful it wasn’t Merrick getting his ass handed to him.
She knew from watching Merrick’s training that just as much of the match was fought on the ground as it was standing upright and boxing. She’d read up on jiu-jitsu to familiarize herself with the holds and maneuvers so she wasn’t completely ignorant of something that was obviously extremely important not only to Merrick but to Cade, Dallas and Charlie as well.
Merrick had an amazing support network, and now so did she. It hit her, standing right there in the middle of the crowded arena. She was a part of this. She had no explanation for how. Or why she was so fortunate to have ended up with men like Cade and Merrick and their extended group. Charlie, Dallas. Even Merrick’s team.
She was a fixture at the gym and at the training sessions. They often had dinner together after training. She
