Theirs to Keep (Tangled Hearts Trilogy #1)(12)

She sucked in her breath. It was the second time such a promise had been made, and this time it was coming from Merrick.

He continued unwinding the gauze and then carefully pried off the bandages that were stuck to her skin by dried blood. He patted the cuts before tossing away the remnants of the dressings.

Cade returned and put a plate of pancakes stacked high in front of her. She flexed her fingers, checking for signs of discomfort, and then picked up a knife to spread the melting butter evenly across the surface of the pancakes.

“I remembered something,” she said nervously. “I dreamed it, I mean. So I think I remember it. Or maybe it’s just part of a really bad dream.”

Cade sat down with his own plate on her other side, and he and Merrick looked intently at her.

“What was the dream about?” Merrick asked gently.

“Him,” she croaked. “The man who…raped…me and tried to kill me. In my dream, I’m running and I know I can’t escape. I saw a badge attached to his jeans, like at his pocket or belt loop or somehow at his side.”

Cade and Merrick exchanged dark glances, their lips tightening.

Then something else occurred to her, and her eyes widened.

“It was hot,” she blurted. “I mean, here it’s cold. But in my dream, I was sweating, and the sun, it was bright.”

“That’s good,” Cade soothed. “You’ll get it back, Elle. Don’t rush it, though, okay? Don’t try to force yourself to remember before you’re ready. Merrick and I will be here for you. I don’t want you to be scared at any time, and you can tell us anything. We’ll always be here to listen.”

“You can’t be planning for me to stay with you permanently,” she said in bewilderment. “You know nothing about me. I broke into a building, for God’s sake.”

Merrick lifted an eyebrow. “Can’t we? Where else are you going to go, Elle? Do you honestly think we’d let you just walk out of here knowing you have no memory, no money, no place to go?”

She stared back, having no idea what to say to that. Most people would just turn her over to the police and be done with her. But these two men knew of her terror, knew she didn’t trust any cop, and they not only took her in and didn’t push her to go to the police, but they made her a promise to be with her…long term.

“You guys aren’t real,” she whispered.

“The hell we aren’t,” Cade bit out. “I made you a promise, Elle. Merrick made you a promise. Neither one of us is going back on our word. We aren’t letting you go, and we’re damn sure going to protect you.”

She closed her eyes, soaking in the firmness of his words, how determined they both sounded. A haven. Sanctuary. They were offering something she desperately needed. She’d be a fool to turn it down.

“Okay,” she said in a shaky voice, taking the plunge.

If she couldn’t trust them, who could she? There was no one else. She had no other options. Cade and Merrick were all she had.

She jumped when a loud bang exploded in the kitchen, and suddenly an older man appeared, staring over at Cade and Merrick.

“Where the hell have you two been? I’ve been at the office an hour waiting for your lazy asses. You pick today to sleep in?”

Chapter Eight

“DAMN IT, DAD,” CADE EXCLAIMED as he reached to keep Elle from bolting from the room.

Charles Walker glanced between the three, his eyes narrowing suspiciously, but then his gaze settled on Elle and he frowned.

“You blew off work for a one-night stand?”

Merrick groaned. “For God’s sake, Charlie. Shut the f**k up for two seconds.”

Elle was standing, her arm outstretched where Cade had caught her wrist to keep her from bolting. She was staring at Cade’s dad like he was the antichrist. And, well, he couldn’t exactly fault her suspicion. Damn old man had no filter whatsoever. He said what he liked when he liked and didn’t much give a f**k what anyone thought.

“What the hell happened to her?” Charles demanded as he stared harder at her. It seemed to have finally sunk in that she was obviously injured and scared out of her mind.

Merrick stood and walked around the table to take Elle’s hand. He glanced back at Cade. “You deal with him. I’ll take Elle in the other room.”

Cade sighed as Merrick herded Elle out of the kitchen, and then he turned to his dad.

“What did I say?” Charles asked, raising his hands, palms up.

“Oh for f**k’s sake,” Cade muttered. “What do you ever not say?”

Charles slid into Merrick’s vacated chair. “What’s the story on the woman?”

Cade leveled a stare at his dad. “I’m only telling you if you keep quiet, and I mean you don’t say shit to anyone.”

Charles shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

“I’m serious, Dad. This is deep. I haven’t said much to Merrick about this aspect of it, but we have to keep this quiet because he can’t afford to f**k up his chance at a title shot. This could get twisted around and reflect badly on Merrick if we aren’t careful.”

His father’s expression became serious. “What’s the matter, son?”

Cade ran down the story from the time he and Merrick had responded to the breach in security to the present. By the time he was finished, Charles was wearing a scowl that rivaled Merrick’s worst.