Theirs to Keep (Tangled Hearts Trilogy #1)(60)

“I was doing what I thought was best for you,” Dakota said in a frustrated voice. “You don’t see it, Merrick, but the rest of us do. Your edge is slipping. You aren’t as sharp as you were even a month ago. You’re going to f**k up the one shot you have at the big time. If you won’t think about yourself, then at least think of the rest of us who’ve spent years supporting you and building you up and making sacrifices because we believed in you.”

A garbled sound of rage bubbled from Cade’s throat, but Merrick held up his hand. He had this.

“You placed a woman in a position of danger and vulnerability. How exactly did you expect she’d defend herself if something like this happened? You didn’t tell me what you’d done. You could have picked up the phone and called Cade to let him know. You could have called Dallas. Cade’s dad. There’s a hell of a lot you could have done, and you didn’t do shit. This is on you, Dakota, and I’m not going to forget it. You’re fired.”

Catherine made a sound of pain, and when he looked at her, her eyes were wounded.

“I’m sorry, Cathy,” Merrick said quietly.

Catherine walked forward, tentatively touching Merrick on the arm. “Think about it, Merrick. Don’t make any hasty decisions. Dakota was a dickhead, but he’s a dickhead who loves you and is loyal to a fault. Maybe too loyal. He’s not used to having to share you with others, but he’ll learn. Sleep on it please, and we can talk when emotions aren’t so high.”

Merrick kissed her cheek. “I can’t guarantee anything, Cathy. He betrayed my trust. He betrayed Elle.”

“I’m sorry, man,” Dakota said, sadness so deep in his eyes that it made Merrick’s gut clench. “I f**ked up. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. I don’t want to throw away the years we have together over this.”

“You did this,” Merrick pointed out.

“Yeah, I know,” Dakota said quietly. He turned to his wife. “Come on, Cathy. Let’s leave them to see to Elle.”

With an unhappy frown and one last look in Merrick’s direction, Catherine followed her husband out of the waiting room.

“Son of a bitch, I f**ked up,” Merrick swore when Dakota and Catherine had gone. “I was such a bastard to her. And f**k it all, I’ll never forget that look in her eyes when I yelled at her about leaving when Dakota was the one who kicked her out. I can only imagine how she felt and how embarrassing it was for her when Dakota acted like a dickhead and tossed her out of the gym. And then I blame her for what happened to her. Jesus, but when I f**k up, I f**k up big.”

“We still don’t even know what happened,” Cade said wearily. “It’s all very bizarre. It’s pissing me off that they kicked us out of her room and won’t let us be in there with her.”

“That’s bullshit,” Merrick fumed. “They can’t keep us away from her, and you know what? I’m tired of this crap. I’m going in to see her, and they’re going to have to arrest me to keep me out.”

Cade grinned. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

Merrick pushed through the door leading to the exam rooms,Cade on his heels, and he went down the hall, peeking into every single one until finally he came to where Elle was.

His heart squeezed nearly out of his chest when he saw her lying in the hospital bed curled into a small ball. A police officer sat next to the bed, and it appeared that he was questioning her in a gentle voice. But Elle was terrified, her face so ashen that she looked close to passing out.

“What the f**k is going on here?” Cade demanded, his voice cracking like a whip through the room.

The officer jerked around, his brows drawn into angry slashes. “I’m questioning Miss Walker. Get the hell out.”

Cade advanced menacingly. “I was very explicit that no one, and I mean no one, was to be in this room unless Merrick or I were with her. She’s scared shitless, and you’re going to intimidate her into answering your questions?”

“I wasn’t intimidating her,” the officer snapped. “I was trying to get her side of the story. There’s a man in ICU, and she looks like a bus ran over her. And there’s blood all over her garage floor. I’m just doing my job, so chill out.”

“You don’t say jack to her without us present,” Merrick snarled. “And only if she consents. Did you even ask her if she felt well enough to talk to you?”

The officer remained silent.

“I didn’t think so,” Cade bit out.

Cade plopped into the chair on the opposite side of the bed, staring challengingly at the police officer. “We aren’t leaving.”

The police officer turned to Elle. “If you’d prefer they not be here, I’ll make sure they’re escorted out.”

One part of Merrick appreciated that the cop was looking out for Elle. The other part wanted to ask him and what army would be escorting them out?

“They can stay. I want them to stay. They need to hear what happened. The threat was to them,” she said, her voice still shaking.

She fingered the sheet covering her nervously, the tips white from her grip. She was obviously terrified of the cop and trying valiantly to hold it together.

Cade leaned forward, his frown dark. “I’m more concerned with whether you’ve been taken care of first. Have they treated you? Are you in any pain? Your statement can damn well wait until after you’re more comfortable.”