Theirs to Keep (Tangled Hearts Trilogy #1)(47)

“Not now, Dakota,” Merrick snapped. “Just let it go and back off.”

“I won’t back off,” Dakota said, his temper simmering.

He was pale, and Merrick knew he sounded like a dick because he was worried. That was how Dakota always reacted when something stressed him out.

“Don’t you think it’s time Elle moved on? She can’t stay with you two forever, and she’s a huge distraction at a time when you can’t afford the smallest lapse. I’ll put Catherine on it. She can make some calls. We’ll figure out a solution and make sure Elle is taken care of.”

Merrick was on his feet before he could call back his own temper. He grabbed Dakota by the shirt and slammed him against the door.

“Don’t you ever, ever say anything like that again,” Merrick snarled. “Elle is with me. Period. She’s not going anywhere. She’s with me and Cade both. Deal with it.”

Dakota blinked in surprise, his mouth dropping open in shock. “Think about what you’re saying, man. Do you really want to throw the championship away over a woman?”

“You’re being an ass**le, Dakota,” Catherine snapped. “Shut the f**k up before he beats your ass. Right now, I’m tempted to have him hold you down so I can knock the shit out of you.”

Merrick slammed Dakota into the door again, hauling him upward until they were eye to eye.

“Let me tell you something,” Merrick said in a dangerously low voice. “If it ever comes down to a choice between the IMMAO and Elle, I won’t have to think hard about it at all. She comes first. You need to understand that and support it, or you won’t have a place on my team any longer.”

“Both of you stop before you say things you’ll later regret,” Catherine said quietly. “You’ve been friends for too long, and you’re both reacting in fear. You scared us today, Merrick. We both love you, and when we heard what happened, our first thought wasn’t oh shit, what if he can’t fight? Our first thought was, he has to be all right.”

Dakota blew out his breath and sagged in Merrick’s grasp. “She’s right, man. I keep imagining you in that building and it going up. I’m sorry for what I said about Elle.”

Merrick slowly let him go and backed away. He turned to Catherine and then pulled her into a hug.

“Thank you,” he said.

“Someone’s got to be the voice of reason around here,” she said pertly. “I’m surrounded by dumbasses.”

“Hey!” Cade protested.

“I think she just insulted us all,” J.T. muttered.

Merrick smiled, some of the tension escaping. Dakota looked warily at him and took a step closer, offering a bent arm with his hand upright.

“We good?” Dakota asked.

Merrick took his hand, their forearms pressed together, and he held on to it for a long moment as he stared at his longtime friend.

“I meant what I said,” Merrick said in a serious tone. “Elle comes first. I need you to understand that, or there’s going to be problems down the road.”

Dakota nodded. “I get it. Cathy comes first with me.”

Catherine snorted.

Dakota grinned. “Okay, maybe she comes second to fighting.”

The door opened, and Dallas stuck his head in. “You guys can come see Elle now. She’s relaxed from the meds I gave her, but she’s comfortable. I want to keep her for a little longer, but you can sit with her while you wait.”

Merrick turned to Dakota. “I’ll make it in the morning. I’m fine.”

Dakota bumped his fist to Merrick’s. “I’m going to work your ass extra hard, so come prepared.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

OTHER THAN A NAGGING COUGH and rawness in her throat, Elle felt fine. She was a little jittery after so much fear and adrenaline, but more than anything, she was ready to go back to the house she considered home.

Dallas kept her into the evening, and after he closed the clinic to the rest of his patients, he sent her home with Cade and Merrick with strict instructions for them all to rest.

Charlie was waiting for them at the house, and Elle realized that in many ways, it was just beginning. The danger to them all was over, but Cade and Merrick’s business had been destroyed.

There were police reports and insurance claims to file, and they faced the arduous task of rebuilding their client records. Fortunately, one of the first things Elle had done when she’d taken over the clerical work was to back up all the office computer files onto a laptop that they kept at home.

But worse than that was the interruption to Merrick’s preparation for his upcoming match.

Charlie met them at the door and pulled Elle into his arms for a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“You okay, sweetheart?”

She smiled and hugged him back. “I’m fine.”

“What about you boys?” Charlie asked.

“We’re good, Dad,” Cade said as he dropped his keys on the table. “If you’ll hang out and give us all a chance to shower and get cleaned up, we’ll talk about it.”

“Take your time,” Charlie said. “I’ll put on a pot of coffee while y’all shower.”

Fifteen minutes later, Elle, Cade and Merrick returned after a quick shower. Elle unwound the towel from her head and sat at the kitchen table, running a comb through the snarls, while Charlie set out cups of coffee for them.