Theirs to Keep (Tangled Hearts Trilogy #1)(17)

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 even rode in the back of the truck when Merrick went for his runs and his trainer timed him.