Theirs to Keep

Elle immediately went silent. Her gaze skittered toward Cade, fear making her eyes large against her pale face.

“Someone hurt her before,” Cade said shortly.

Before the officer could pursue the matter, Elle stammered on, trying to cover what she’d let slip.

“I just knew I had to get away. I didn’t know what he planned to d-do to m-me. I thought that he wouldn’t expect me to do anything but lie there, so I lunged for a crowbar that was a short distance away and…I hit him,” she finished quietly.

“Good for you,” Merrick said fiercely.

Even the cop looked approving.

“I hit him more than once,” she said in an almost apologetic tone. “I was so scared. I thought he would kill me.”

The officer put his hand over Elle’s and squeezed soothingly. “You did fine, Miss Walker. I don’t think there’s any doubt you acted in self-defense. Hell, if you had killed him, I don’t think anyone would hold it against you.”

Elle went quiet, eyeing the officer’s hand, but she was still. Oddly so. Whatever panic she was feeling, she controlled it well.

“Son of a bitch needs killing,” Cade growled. “He has a beef with us so he roughs up a woman?”

The officer muttered his agreement.

Elle carefully extricated her hand from the officer’s grasp before continuing on. “After he went down, I fell and then I called 911. I don’t remember anything else. Just so many people showing up and all the noise and questions.”

Merrick slid his hand up her leg and squeezed her knee. “You did great, baby. You were fierce.”

She smiled faintly, but her smile looked sad. “I don’t feel great. It made me remember things.”

She bit her lip and looked away as if realizing once again she’d spoken out when she shouldn’t have.

“Is that all you need?” Cade asked brusquely, looking pointedly at the cop. “She needs to rest. She’s been through hell.”

The officer rose. “I appreciate you talking to me, Miss Walker. I know it wasn’t easy for you and that you’re in a lot of pain. If I need anything else, I’ll be in touch. I don’t anticipate any problems. Obviously we’re waiting to see what the condition of your attacker is. He’ll most certainly be charged with assault and attempted murder, but between you and me, it’ll save a lot of trouble if the asshole just dies.”

Elle’s eyes widened in surprise, but Merrick wholeheartedly agreed with the officer’s assessment.

Merrick rose and extended his hand to the cop who shook it.

“If you need to talk to Elle again, you’ll need to go through me or Cade,” Merrick said firmly.

The officer nodded and then jotted down both their cell numbers. After telling them he’d be in touch to get the details on the arrest at the car lot and their office being burned, he excused himself from the room.

With more than a little dread, Merrick turned to face Elle, prepared to grovel on his knees if necessary for the hurt he’d caused her when she’d already suffered so much pain.

C H A P T E R T H I R T Y - T H R E E

ELLE LAY BACK AGAINST THE pitiful excuse for a pillow and closed her eyes wearily as the door closed behind the police officer. If she didn’t have so many drugs in her, she’d be a shaking, sobbing mess. As it was, she was just incredibly weary, and all she wanted was to go to sleep and escape her reality for a few precious hours.

“Elle?”

Merrick’s gentle voice crept into her consciousness. His hand smoothed over her brow and then caressed a line down to her jaw.

With effort, she managed to open her eyes and focus her bleary gaze on him.

“I won’t keep you awake long, baby. But I need to say this, okay? I can’t let you think this any longer.”

He eased onto the bed at her side and angled his body so he was sitting right next to her, his head just over hers.

“It’s okay,” she said, her words slurred. She just wanted the whole mess to be over.

He took her hand, warming it between his much larger ones. “No, it’s not okay. It’s not okay at all. Dakota had no right to tell you to leave the gym, and I had no right to jump down your throat. God, I was so scared when I saw you, baby. And I was angry because you should have been with me where you were safe. I fired Dakota. It won’t happen again.”

She gave him a stricken look, flabbergasted that he’d fired his trainer, someone he’d been with since the very start.

“Why would you fire him?” she asked, appalled.

Merrick gave her a perplexed, bewildered look that clearly said he hadn’t expected her response.

“Because he put you in danger. He presumed to tell you what to do and where to be.” His voice rose as he grew angrier. “He had no right to tell you anything at all.

“He was only looking out for your best interests,” she said wearily, so tired that her ache was bone deep. “You were distracted, Merrick. Even I could see it.”

“Do you honest to God think that you were the reason I wasn’t focused?” He studied her a moment and then shook his head. “Don’t answer that. It’s clear that’s exactly what you think.”

“Merrick,” Cade interjected carefully. “Now isn’t the time, man. She’s about to fall over.”

Frustration ate at Merrick. He couldn’t let her go on thinking what she was thinking. He leaned down close, cupping his hand over her forehead and smoothing her hair back as he stared into her eyes.

“Listen to me, Elle. I admit I was distracted. But it had nothing to do with you. If you want to know why I kept looking over at you, it was because it felt good to know you were there. When I felt myself losing focus, I’d look at you and it would reinvigorate me. It would remind me of what I was fighting for. I like you being there. I’ve become dependent on you being there. I don’t want to think about you not being around when I’m training. You’re like my security blanket.

“We fighters are a superstitious lot, and for me, you’ve become my talisman. I need you there. I want you there. And Dakota had no goddamn right to tell you to go home. From now on, I want you to have the confidence to stand up and say no. Because there’s never going to be a time when I don’t want you around, baby. Do you understand that?”

She nodded slowly, her eyes dull with fatigue and the cloud of the medication.

He leaned down to kiss her forehead, leaving his lips there a long moment.

“I love you and I’m so damn sorry for yelling at you. I was scared to death, and I was pissed because I wasn’t able to protect you. I was pissed that some son of a bitch put his hands on you. You’ll never know how it felt for me to see you there with blood on your face and your body so bruised.”

She smiled sluggishly. “You’re forgiven. I love you too, Merrick. But don’t fire Dakota. You’ll regret it.”

Merrick worked to keep the frown from his face. He didn’t want to upset her, not when she needed rest.

“We’ll see,” was all he was willing to concede.

At this juncture,Dakota would be lucky if Merrick didn’t kick his fucking ass.

“Get some rest, baby,” Merrick said gently. “Cade and I will be right here with you.”

She sighed and closed her eyes and was out in mere seconds. For a long moment, Merrick watched the steady rise and fall of her chest and how her eyelashes rested delicately on her cheeks.

His thoughts were in turmoil. Something had to be done. They couldn’t continue on this way. Things were too chaotic. Out of control. Elle wasn’t safe. None of them were.

The door quietly opened behind them, and Merrick swung around to see Dallas stick his head in. Merrick motioned him inside, and Dallas came in, a concerned look on his face.

“What the hell happened?” Dallas asked in a hushed tone.