Free Theirs to Keep by Maya Banks

this.
    “I’ll send a car with two bodyguards with Elle back to the hotel,” Dakota said, his tone persuasive. “They’ll stand outside her room. No one will get near her. When you’re done, you can head back. Spend an hour. I’ll make sure no one bothers you after that.”
    Cade, who’d been listening in, looked torn as well. He glanced at Elle and then back at Merrick. Then finally he put his hand on Merrick’s shoulder.
    “This is your night, man. It’s your call. I’ll go with you to the party if you want to go. Dakota’s probably right. It’s probably a good idea for you to show up, at least for a little while. You had a ton of people come out for you tonight.”
    Dallas pushed in next to Cade. “You guys want me to go back to the hotel with Elle?”
    “No,” Merrick clipped out.
    He trusted Dallas implicitly, but even the charade of Dallas being with Elle grated on him. He didn’t want to see them leave together even if he knew the entire thing was a fabrication meant to make sure Elle wasn’t thrust into the spotlight. It was utterly ridiculous, but jealousy was eating at him at the mere appearance that Elle was with another man.
    He turned to his trainer, his lips tight. “You make damn sure she gets to the hotel safely and that the bodyguards don’t leave her side until she’s inside. I’ll relieve them when I get back to the hotel. I’m holding you personally responsible for her safety.”
    Dakota nodded. “Get showered and changed, and I’ll arrange transportation to the bar we’ve rented out for the night. While you’re doing that, I’ll have Catherine take care of Elle.”
    It took everything Merrick had to walk away from her and not go to her, leaving her sleeping in the chair. Goddamn but he hated this.
    He shook his head and jabbed his finger at Dakota. “ You take care of it personally. Catherine’s a wonderful woman, but I’d rather you see to Elle’s protection.”
    “Whatever you want, Merrick. Now go. I’ll take care of things.”

     
    Elle was gently shaken awake by Catherine, Dakota’s wife. Dakota was in his forties, and Catherine was likely in her late thirties, but she didn’t look a day over twenty-five. And it wasn’t because of artificial means. The woman was just beautiful and vibrant, and she had a smile that could light up an entire city block.
    She was smart too. She was often involved in the business aspect of Merrick’s career. Elle knew from just the short time she’d been associated with the guys that Dakota depended on Catherine a lot for advice and her opinions. She had the respect of all the men around her, and Elle admired her for that.
    “Hey, you feeling okay?” Catherine asked.
    Elle nodded and sat up quickly, embarrassed that she’d fallen asleep during Merrick’s locker room celebration. A quick glance around told her that things were dying down and people were starting to clear out of the dressing room.
    “This is what’s going down for the night,” Catherine said. “There’s an after party. It’s completely normal. Tradition, one might even say, for the winner to host a party for fans. It’s important for Merrick to be there and have a presence. The organization is looking hard at him right now. They know he’s a contender for the belt and he’s likely going to get that offer soon. Public support is always a good thing to have on your side.”
    Elle held her hand up to stop the flow of words. “Catherine, I understand. Of course he should go. This is an important night for him. I just wish…”
    Catherine’s face wrinkled in sympathy. “What do you wish?”
    “That I could be there too,” Elle said wistfully.
    Catherine put her hand over Elle’s. “I know you do. I can only imagine.”
    Catherine and Dakota both knew of Elle’s situation. Merrick could hardly keep it a secret from them since he needed their cooperation in keeping Elle out of the public eye. Most of Merrick’s camp knew. And Dakota and Catherine had