Theirs to Keep (Tangled Hearts Trilogy #1)(70)

But then he looked up and found her gaze, and he softened all over, losing the brooding intensity that could easily scare a grown man.

“Elle,” he whispered.

The room cleared in about three seconds, and then they were alone. Just her, Merrick and Cade, who stood to the side. But he came in closer as Elle approached Merrick.

Cade sat on the bench next to Elle where she’d taken a seat directly across from Merrick. Their knees touched, and Merrick reached for her hands, clumsy with the gloves on.

He extended his fist to Cade so they bumped knuckles, and they held them there while Cade reached for Elle’s free hand.

“This is it,” Cade said simply. “Don’t leave anything in the ring, Merrick. Go hard. No regrets.”

“No regrets,” Merrick echoed.

“You can do this,” Elle said softly. “I believe in you, Merrick. I love you.”

He put his gloved hands clumsily to her face and pulled her into a deep kiss. “I love you too. This. All of this. Is for you. For us.”

Dakota burst into the room followed closely by Cathy.

“It’s time, Merrick. I’m going to have Cathy take Elle to her seat, and she’s going to stay with her for the fight. Front row. She’ll be close. Cade and Dallas are going to stay in the corner with me.”

Merrick nodded and then leaned forward again to claim Elle’s mouth in a lusty, possessive kiss that left her breathless.

“Win,” she whispered. “Do it for you, Merrick. Nobody else.”

Elle and Catherine were escorted ringside by two security guards. Catherine latched onto her hand and pulled her up close while the two guards moved only a short distance away, flanking the women.

“I’ve never been so oh-my-God nervous in my life!” Catherine yelled in Elle’s ear. “This is it, Elle. This is what he’s worked for over so many years.”

“He’s going to win,” Elle said with calm she didn’t feel.

All she could think was what if he didn’t win? Every plan, every action over the last month had been made with the assumption that Merrick would win the title.

The three had picked out a home in Denver. Dakota and Catherine had begun negotiations on a training facility. Their house in Grand Junction had been put up for sale, and Cade had sold his business.

Even Charlie was making the move to Denver and would be a part of Merrick’s training team.

The only dim spot in the last weeks was the fallout from Elle’s attack, and she’d worried endlessly that it would prove to be a huge distraction for Merrick and split his concentration at a time it had to be completely focused.

Her attacker had survived, but fortunately for Elle, he confessed everything. He pled guilty to assault, and he testified against the man Cade and Merrick had captured stealing the car. Other than statements provided by all three of them, nothing further was to be done, and they’d been able to push the incident from their minds.

The flurry of activity surrounding the move and Cade selling their home and business had helped to distract Elle so she didn’t spend much time dwelling on the terror of what had happened to her.

But only in the last week, three weeks after the attack, had the bruising finally faded, and she could move without pain or discomfort.

Thank God she’d healed before the fight because it was a madhouse, and if Merrick won? There was going to be mad hugging and even madder celebration.

Tonight, because Merrick was the contender, he’d enter the ring first. When the lights dimmed and the first strains of Merrick’s entry song began, goose bumps chased up Elle’s arms. She yanked her gaze up the aisle, straining to get a glimpse of Merrick when he appeared.

His nickname still made her giggle. Merrick “The Hit Man” Sullivan. It sounded so…mafia. But he’d gained the nickname because it was said he had lead fists and, with one well-placed punch, could drop a much larger guy like a stone.

Merrick began his jaunt down to the ring, surrounded by Dakota, Cade, Dallas and Charlie along with several security guards. He looked loose, but more important, he looked focused and calm. Confident.

He walked by Elle without a glance, something she didn’t take offense to. His gaze was riveted to the ring, and she doubted he even saw her. This was one time she wanted to be invisible. She wanted nothing to distract him from his goal.

The crowd roared when Merrick was introduced, and Merrick raised his gloved hands in the air, rotating in a 360, inciting the crowd to yell even louder.

Her heart surged with pride. This was her man.

Her gaze slid to Cade a short distance from Merrick, at the confidence in his eyes. Confidence radiated from every member of Merrick’s camp. Then, to her surprise, Cade found her in the crowd, and he winked at her.

Not caring who saw or what they made of it, she blew Cade a kiss. To her utter shock, Merrick turned, touched two fingers to his lips and then extended his arm toward her.

Her heart felt like it was going to explode right out of her chest. Automatically she blew him a kiss in return, and he made a show of catching it and pressing it to his chest.

It was so deeply romantic and public that her knees threatened to turn to jelly.

Once again the lights went down, dousing the arena in darkness. The spotlight swung to where Lash was making his appearance, and the crowd erupted just as the first strains of his music began blaring.