one three blocks from here,” Merrick said. “Charlie, you in?”
Cade’s dad shook his head. “You kids go on and have fun. This old man is going home to have a beer and some leftover pizza.”
He bent over to kiss Elle’s cheek, and then he waved at Cade and Merrick as he headed out of the office.
“You sure you feel up to going out?” Merrick asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, I want to. I need to. I can’t go on hiding in your house and your office. Not to mention, I’ll end up going stir-crazy. I know you won’t let anything happen to me. I trust you, so I’m not afraid.”
Cade reached over to touch her cheek. “That’s good, Elle. Because it’s absolutely true. Merrick and I aren’t going to let anything happen to you again.”
Merrick reached for her hand to pull her to her feet. “Let’s go, sweetheart. I’m starving.”
She walked out of the office and to the car solidly between the two men. And the hell of it was, it felt completely natural. Right there between them. Them flanking her protectively.
Just like she belonged to both of them.
And maybe she did. Maybe she already knew that.
But did they? And how would they react to such an absurd idea?
Chapter Ten
ELLE’S STOMACH WAS FULL OF butterflies as she sat in the locker room where Merrick was preparing for his bout. Cade and Dallas were in the next room where Merrick was in the final leg of his routine when he mentally got set for the task ahead. Charlie sat next to her, along with a number of people Elle didn’t know.
They were all involved with Merrick. His camp, as Charlie called them. Oh they’d been introduced, but their names and faces had all been a blur to her. Quite frankly, she was terrified to be away from the place she considered her refuge.
Las Vegas was a glittery city, the likes of which she’d never experienced. She had no way to know if it was true or not, but she fully believed she was a small-town girl at heart.
Cade and Merrick had insisted that she accompany them for Merrick’s bout, and it wasn’t that she truly wanted to remain behind by herself, but the idea of being so…public…scared the holy hell out of her.
It had been a concern for Merrick and Cade as well. With the media coverage of the event and all eyes on his fight to see whether he’d be granted a shot at the title, the very last thing they wanted was for her to show up on television or in a photo that circulated the Internet and media outlets.
They’d been extremely careful. She touched the ends of the blond wig she wore and wondered if it was truly enough to alter her appearance. She wore dark sunglasses, even inside the arena, and Dallas stuck to her like glue to give the impression that she was with him.
Cade and Merrick largely ignored Elle when anyone else was present, but she could feel their gazes on her. Knew they watched closely.
“Nervous?” Charlie asked in a low voice.
She glanced sideways and then quickly looked in the direction of the other occupants of the small room.
“A little,” she admitted.
She’d watched Merrick train for a month. She’d even watched fights on television, but she’d never seen a live fight. She’d watched Merrick’s opponent when the guys had watched footage from previous matches over and over to monitor strengths and weaknesses.
The guy Merrick was fighting was the other leading contender for the heavyweight belt, and she knew from listening to the others that his style was ground and pound, whatever that meant.
All Elle knew was that Merrick was willingly walking into a ring with a man who wanted nothing more than to kick his ass.
Charlie reached for her hand and squeezed. “Don’t be. Merrick is ready for this. He’s focused. He’s confident. He’s going to win.”
“I just want him not to get hurt,” she blurted.
Charlie smiled. “Now, I don’t want you to get all freaked out over blood, cuts and bruises. That’s what happens when two grown men go all out in the ring. Merrick’s smart, though, and he’s fast for such a big man.”
Just then Merrick’s trainer, Dakota Trayburn, walked over and touched Charlie on the shoulder.
“We’re ready if you and Elle want to go on out. I’ll have two men go with you. Dallas and Cade will be along in a minute. They’re going to walk out with Merrick.”
Adrenaline lurched through Elle’s veins, and