Page 87 of On Merit Alone

Chapter Forty-Four

Ira

She was freaking out. Even though she was basically silent as we sat in the back of Ryan’s black sedan with my hand on her thigh, I could tell by the tightness of her muscles that she was still freaking out.

She was holding onto my hand, though, so that had to be a good sign.

On the other hand, I had Ryan glaring at me like I was public enemy number one in the rearview. So, after determining that Mer was not going to talk to me right now no matter how intently I stared at her, I decided I’d tackle the next most important thing.

“Go ahead, Ry,” I sighed. “Let me have it.”

He was even scarier than I thought he’d be. His voice was calm. “Do you realize how many calls I'm going to get in response to this farce? How many I’ve already gotten?”

I adjusted myself in my seat, chewing my cheek. “A lot of them?”

“Oh,” he said condescendingly. “He uses his head for the first time tonight. Amazing.”

“Don’t talk to him like that,” Merit said almost absently under her breath. It was surprising that she would take up for me when she wouldn’t even look at me.

Ryan thought the same as he scoffed up front. “You’ve got to know that you will be getting offers out of the ass from here on out.”

I shrugged. “I’d like to stay here if I can. I don't actually want to go.”

“Yes, but she’s also going to be receiving offers,” he said with a sigh. “Bigger, better, more competitive offers than ever before. Will you shackle her here just because you happened to force the Dynamite’s hand with your little stunt?”

My hand tightened over Merit’s muscles, squeezing her there. “Merit holds the reins in this situation, Ryan. I truly meant that I will go wherever she goes if she wants to. But I was specifically gunning for an opportunity for her to stay.”

The car fell quiet, only the sound of Mer’s hitched breath and the feeling of her hand holding on to me so tight that our palms began to shake.

Ryan’s eyes found Merit’s again in the mirror. “You didn’t tell me he was threatening you.”

“I didn’t think it mattered when his mind had already been made up,” she said.

“My God, Merit, when it comes to my job—to someone coming after you , it matters,” he ground out, obviously frustrated.

Merit dipped her chin, guilt etching her face. “You think you can make sure I can stay?”

“Do you want to stay?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“You might get offers you never imagined,” he said, eyeing her suspiciously. “And you still want to stay?”

“I built my game, my team, and my life here. Even if I were entertaining the option of leaving, I wouldn’t want it to be as a tag- along. My question was can I stay, not do I want to. That answer has always been yes.”

“Well then,” he started in a long breath, his eyes boring back into mine. “Because of your pet idiot, I believe you can.”

She was no longer freaking out. Now she was mad.

As soon as Ryan pulled up in the half-moon of my driveway, Merit was out of the car, storming straight to the front door. I winced as I watched her hips sway in a swift gate of rage up the drive. I suddenly didn’t want to get out of the car.

“You can’t hide here,” Ryan said. His eyes fast on Merit before sliding over to me in rye interest. “She’s going to have your balls either way. You might as well offer them up for less punishment.”

I grumbled, “I did think about the repercussions of this, you know?”

“Oh yeah?” Ryan asked, apparently happy to get out his smartassery with me now that Merit wasn't here to bite his head off about it. “And let me guess, showing your ass was still worth it?”

Ha, ha. He was funny. But I nodded to his gentle jab, my voice going serious.

“He cornered her in the tunnel after a game she’d just played her ass off in.

He was inappropriate and crude, and he has zero percent of her best interest in mind.

He threatened her right in front of me. I’m just protecting her in the only way I can. ”

His face went grave. “I understand. It may take some… convincing, but I think I can handle Manzinni from here.”

I nodded. At least that weight was being lifted off my shoulders. “I’m sorry for the mess, Ry.”

Reaching over, I gave his shoulder a pat, thanking him for the ride and promising to call later. Before I could shut the door, Ryan leaned a shoulder into the back seat and dipped his chin. “Hey, Ira?”

“Yeah? ”

“Good work.”

Warmth and pride flitted through my chest before it was quickly taken over as I looked toward the door. It was eerie and empty where the girl this was all for had disappeared. Swallowing hard, I steeled myself to search for her. “That’s yet to be seen, I think.”

Now, on the other side of that door with her, I was not so patiently awaiting my punishment for the reckless behavior of the last few hours.

She was pacing.

Back and forth.

Up, down.

On the couch, out the back door, in the kitchen, and around again.

She couldn’t stay in one place. She still hadn’t looked at me once since I’d walked in, and I didn’t know if calling her name would work since I had yet to try it.

I took a chancing step in her direction. She whirled on me. “Sit down, please.”

“Okay.” I obeyed, taking a slow seat on the edge of the couch and watching her as she continued to move.

Back and forth.

Up and down.

Out and in.

I cleared my throat. There was only so much of this I could take. “What’s on your mind, sweetheart?”

“I’m trying to wrap my head around this.”

“What’s stopping you?”

“I can’t think.”

“Alright.” I stood. “Let’s go out where you think best.”

Taking her hand, I led her out to the court. Where it all began.