Theirs to Keep(68)

What surprised Merrick was how strung out Dakota looked. The man looked ill. His face was ashen and he sat in a chair away from Cade and Merrick with his head down, hands clasped over his nape.

“Son of a bitch, what’s taking so long?” Cade burst out.

“I wish to hell I knew,” Merrick said tightly. “I was a complete dick to her. She was attacked and injured, and I yelled at her for leaving the gym. God, I’m an asshole.”

Dakota lurched to his feet and looked like he’d vomit.

“Merrick,” he began in an uneasy voice. “I have to tell you what I did. I can’t let you think… Jesus…” He broke off and ran his hand wearily through his hair. “God, I’m sorry, man.”

Merrick’s stomach coiled into a knot as he stared at his longtime friend and trainer. At the guilt brimming in his eyes. “What the fuck did you do?” he asked in a low, menacing voice.

“Dakota?” Catherine asked in a worried tone from the doorway to the waiting room.

Dakota glanced in his wife’s direction, shame dulling his features.

Merrick advanced. “What. Did. You. Do?”

“I told her to leave,” Dakota choked out. “I was pissed because the sparring session wasn’t going well and your concentration was shot to shit and you kept looking over at her and I knew you were distracted. So when you went to the locker room, I tossed her the keys and told her to split.”

“You did what?” Cade yelled.

Merrick couldn’t even respond. He was too dumfounded. Too rattled by the fact that someone he trusted so implicitly had placed Elle in a dangerous situation. She could have been killed. As it was, some asshole had beaten the hell out of her, and she’d had to defend herself with a crowbar. And now she was carrying the weight of nearly killing another man. And hell, he may die yet. He was in critical condition with a brain bleed. They were taking him to surgery right now.

“I never imagined something like this would happen,” Dakota said, closing his eyes. His entire posture was defeated, his shoulders sagging. “I just thought it would be a good idea if she went home so you could get your head back into the game. We have four weeks until this fight, and I want you at the top of your game.”

“So you sent the woman I love into a dangerous situation—a situation you were well aware of, Dakota. Hell, she just got caught in an office building after being shot at and the building torched. You knew we weren’t sending her anywhere without one of us at all times. Why the fuck would you take it upon yourself to send her home behind my back?”

“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 fuck 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 fucked 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.”