Theirs to Keep (Tangled Hearts Trilogy #1)(63)

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 f**king 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.

Merrick relayed the events, and Dallas’s face darkened into a fierce scowl.

“Son of a bitch. This is getting ridiculous.”

“Tell me about it,” Cade muttered.

“Has the doctor been by?” Dallas asked.

Merrick shook his head.

“I’ll go see what I can find out since I’m her general practitioner.”

“Thanks, man. We appreciate that,” Merrick said.

Dallas left and returned just a few minutes later with the ER physician in tow.

After the doctor introduced himself, he cleared his throat. “Miss Walker has two broken ribs and severe bruising around her ribcage. She’s going to need to take it easy for the next little while. We’ll bind her ribs before she leaves so she doesn’t incur further injury. I’d prefer to keep her overnight, but Doctor Carrington has assured me that he’ll be looking in on her so I’m agreeable to letting her go so long as she is on complete bedrest for the next twenty-four hours and that she takes it easy for the next two weeks.”

Cade and Merrick both nodded, and Merrick sent Dallas a grateful look for stepping in.

“I’ll let her sleep off the pain meds, and when she comes around, the nurse will bind her ribs and give her the discharge instructions,” the doctor said.

“Thank you,” Cade and Merrick both said at the same time.

Now that the formalities were taken care of, Merrick was tired of sitting back when all he really wanted was Elle in his arms. He climbed gingerly onto the bed next to her and carefully positioned himself on his side so he could pull her up against him. He fussed with the blanket and her pillow so she’d be comfortable, and then he went still so she wouldn’t be disturbed.

Cade and Dallas stood on the other side of the bed, and after Cade related all that had happened between Dakota and Merrick, Dallas blew out his breath.

“Damn,” he murmured. “That’s tough, Merrick. You know Dakota is a focused son of a bitch and he can be a selfish bastard when it comes to training. But he’s good, and he’s been loyal to you and has been with you since day one. Are you really going to fire him?”

“I can’t believe you’re even questioning that,” Merrick said darkly. “He tossed Elle out of the gym and sent her home where she was attacked by some ass**le with a grudge. That would have never happened if he’d just kept his mouth shut or, even better, come to me and talked it out before acting on his own and being a complete dickhead.”

“I agree there. He f**ked up,” Dallas said bluntly. “But did he cross a line that he can never go back from? That’s the question you have to ask yourself. He has a lot to make up to Elle. No doubt there. But don’t you think he should be given the chance to do it?”

Merrick clenched his teeth so he didn’t bite the head off of his best friend. He knew Dallas’s heart was in the right place, and he knew he was making sense. But damnit.

“Look,” he finally said. “Right now I’m too pissed off to deal with Dakota. All I’m worried about at the moment is Elle. I want to get her someplace safe. I want to make damn sure she’s okay. I’ll deal with Dakota when I’ve calmed down some.”

Elle murmured something in her sleep and nuzzled her face closer into his chest. He automatically put his hand to her hair and stroked the dark strands.

“It’s okay, baby,” he murmured close to her ear. “Rest now.”

“I’ve got to run back to the clinic. I left a few patients waiting when I heard what happened,” Dallas said.

Cade’s brow furrowed. “How did you know what happened?”

“Cathy called me.”

Merrick sighed. The whole thing sucked. No, he didn’t want to lose longtime friends. But neither could he keep a person around who was purposely trying to drive a wedge between him and Elle. Over his dead body would he ever let anyone come between them.

“I’ll check in on Elle tonight if that’s okay,” Dallas said as he turned toward the door.

“We’d appreciate that, man,” Cade said. “Thanks.”

Dallas held up his hand in a wave and then disappeared out the door.

Merrick sighed and closed his eyes, suddenly as weary as Elle had looked. Damn but the entire day had sucked.