by Cynthia Eden
“I don’t feel safe.” Far from it. Instead of taking a seat on the couch again, she paced toward the floor to ceiling windows that faced the city. The work day had started, and the cars were rushing on the street below. “When are you going to be able to access the traffic cams, Eric?”
“Already got techs working on them now.” Eric’s leather chair gave a soft groan as he sat down. “As soon as they have something, they’ll report to me immediately.”
That was good.
“And we have investigators with arson experience,” Eric added as the leather groaned again. “I’ve sent Julia Slate and Rick Williams over to your house, Piper. They’re both former firefighters, and they’ll make sure no detail is overlooked there.”
Okay. So, action was happening. Things were moving. She rolled back her shoulders. Straightened her spine. “What can I do?”
Silence.
She turned toward the men, her gaze sliding first to Eric. He stared back at her, and, God, had they really been kissing just hours before? A kiss that had nearly knocked her right off her feet. Eric Wilde. The kiss had been even better than the one they’d shared so many years ago. And was it possible…had he really wanted her way back then? Did he still want her?
As she stared into his eyes, she could have sworn that she saw need. Longing. For her?
But…it was Eric. Eric.
If the call hadn’t interrupted them, what would have happened?
What would happen if she stayed at his place again the coming night?
Her cheeks burned as she yanked her stare away from him and peered over at Simon. He was frowning. Staring suspiciously at her…and Eric.
“We need to know the people who are close to you,” Simon finally said. He pulled a small laptop from his bag. She hadn’t even noticed the bag until that moment. He’d had the satchel slung over one shoulder. “Let’s make a list because that’s going to be our starting point.”
She took one step toward him. “You really think the person doing this is someone I know?”
“Odds are good that he is,” Eric replied in his deep, dark voice. “Crimes like this aren’t usually random.”
“But they can be random?” It couldn’t be someone she knew. This—everything that had happened—there was so much rage. Rage meant hate, didn’t it? Who could hate her this much?
“It can be random,” Simon allowed with his fingers curled around the laptop, “but we’re going to be smart about this. We’re going to investigate the people close to you and then work our way outward. It’s the way Eric always operates in these situations.”
These situations. She risked another glance Eric’s way. “You do so much more than just design security systems for homes and businesses.”
Eric inclined his head toward her. “Personal protection was the logical, next step in my business plan. I wanted to offer a total package to clients.”
“You’ve…stopped other guys like this?”
He reached for a pen on his desk. His fingers balled around it. “Yes. And we will stop this one, too.”
He said the words with such certainty that some of the tension eased from her shoulders. “Thank you.”
He gave her a small smile. “But we need the list, Piper. I get that it’s personal, but we need to know everyone who is close to you.” He waved to the chair in front of his desk. “Why don’t you take a seat and we’ll get started?”
Okay. Let’s do this. She eased into the chair. Her sneakers slid over the floor. “Ben.” It felt crazy just to say his name. “I mean, obviously, he’s not the one doing this. But he’s the person closest to me. The one who knows all of my deep, dark secrets.”
Simon settled into the chair next to her. He put his laptop on Eric’s desk. “Do you have a lot of those secrets?”
She laughed, then realized he wasn’t kidding.
“Because dark secrets can attract dark people,” Simon added. “If you’ve got something in your past that you’ve buried deep, this is the time to tell us.”
He was dead serious. “There’s nothing.” Her head turned toward Eric. “There isn’t!”
“We are going to have to investigate your life, as part of this case.” Simon’s voice was very careful. “It’s just easier if we start by knowing the secrets instead of having to uncover them and question you more later. Saves us time, you understand?”
She couldn’t read the expression in Eric’s eyes. “You’ve known me most of my life. I don’t have dark secrets.”
“We all have them,” Simon told her. “Eric sure has plenty.”
“Watch it,” Eric rasped at him.
“Watching it.” Simon cleared his throat. “Moving on…current lover.”
He wanted to know her current lover? Easy. “I…don’t have one.”
He nodded. “Okay, then let’s start with your most recent lover and work our way back from there. You can just tell me when Ben fits into this mix.” The last was said as an off-hand aside. Like it was a given.
And it pissed her off. “Seriously?” Her voice rose to an alarming degree. “Why does everyone think I’ve slept with Ben?”
Simon looked over at her and blinked. Then he shook his head. “I am so sorry. Look, I don’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. We want you to talk freely with us. We want to help. I just thought by mentioning Ben—I mean, you just said he was the person closest to you—I figured it would be easier—”
She held up her hand. “Stop.” Piper pulled in a deep breath. “There’s a big misconception here. Obviously, one that you and Eric both share. Let’s just start with this, okay? I have not ever been Ben’s lover.”
Simon frowned. He typed something on his laptop.
She directed her attention to Eric. “Is that point well covered now?”
A muscle jerked in his jaw. “Very well, thank you.”
“As for other lovers, I mean…I just don’t think they’d do this. My last lover—Zane Clarke—our relationship ended a year ago. It wasn’t the best end, but it wasn’t some nightmare, either.”
Simon was typing. She could hear the faint click of the keys, but she couldn’t seem to drag her gaze off Eric.
“Why did it end?” Eric asked quietly.
“He got a job in Chicago. He wanted me to move with him.” She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I didn’t want to go.” Because she hadn’t loved him. “So, we went our separate ways.”
Eric held her gaze. “Before him?”
“Before him I was involved with Grady Fox.” And she smiled saying his name. Fun, easy-going Grady.
“That was in college.”
She lifted an eyebrow at Eric’s words. “Yes.”
“You…you…” He kind of sputtered away. “How many lovers have you had?”
She leaned forward, putting her palms on the desk. “This is truly one of the most awkward conversations I’ve had in ages. Since it is so awkward, I think you’re going to owe me. Tit for tat. I want to know how many lovers you’ve had, Eric.”
He blinked at her.
“No? Maybe later? I think later, yes.” She sighed. Her fingers tapped on his desk. “Two. I’ve had two lovers because I don’t just sleep with anyone, all right? You know I am super picky with my food. Did you think I’d be different with my lovers?”
Eric’s face seemed to have been carved from absolute stone. But his eyes sure were dark. Even darker than normal.
“Next question?” Piper pushed as she glanced at Simon. “Can we have the next question, please?”
Simon coughed. “If not lovers, then how about guys you’ve dated? I’ll need a list of those individuals.”
“Sure.” Dating was fun. She liked getting to know people. Liked dancing and dining out. But if there wasn’t a connection, she didn’t go past the dating stage.
I sure felt a connection with Eric last night. Despite the madness in her life, she’d felt a connection that had left her knees shaking.
“I should get a list of your employees, too
,” Simon mused. “Everyone at your gallery. Friends, then casual acquaintances as we broaden the circle around you.”
Her temples were throbbing. “This is going to take forever.”
Simon just nodded.
So she got started. “Fine, the last guy I dated was Mark Rogue.” Piper glanced over at the laptop. “He owns a tattoo shop close to the gallery. It’s called Go Rogue.”
“Is that how you met?” Simon asked, not looking up. “You ran into him one day on your way to the gallery?”
For the first time that day, she laughed, the warm sound slipping out of her. “Of course, not. I met Mark when I got my tattoo.”
“Fuck me.”
Her gaze snapped to Eric. “Excuse me?”
Eric rubbed his eyes. And clenched his jaw. “Where is the tattoo?”
“It’s on my ankle. Can’t believe you haven’t seen it. Guess you just don’t pay enough attention to me.”
“Piper.”
“It’s a small half moon. I got it when I opened my gallery. My gallery is called Moonlight, and opening it was the most important thing I’ve done. I wanted something to remember the moment by, so I got the tat.” She smiled. Then got back to business. “Before Mark, I dated Carmen Bright. He’s a boxer down at White’s Gym.”
Simon’s head snapped toward her. “He’s in line for the championship fight.”
Yes, he was.
“Then there was Tony Lovett. Great cook.” He had a restaurant in Atlanta that was booming and a new cable TV cooking show. She tapped her chin. “Before him, let me see…”
Eric growled.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “There a problem?” She’d never realized he growled so much. It was weird.
He exhaled slowly. “I gave that bastard money to start his restaurant.”
Piper nodded. “Yes, Tony told me. That was really nice of you.”
“He never mentioned you. Ben brought him to me, wanted us to go in as silent partners backing the guy…” He swallowed. “Was part of that your idea?”
Ah…tread carefully. “Ben mentioned that you wanted to diversify a bit. Backing Tony seemed like a good business plan.”
“Sonofabitch.”
Simon had gone dead quiet.
Eric rolled his shoulders. “Something to remember, Piper, I’m not nice.” A smile came across his face, one that was ice cold. “Especially when people try to hurt the things that belong to me.”
The way he was staring at her, so intense, so determined…it was almost as if…No, no way.
He didn’t think that she belonged to him. Impossible.
“When someone tries to take something that is mine, I retaliate. Fucking lethal retaliation.”
Chapter Six
“Okay, I got here as fast as I could.” Ben blew out a hard breath. “Court case ran long. The fight is vicious. My client hates her husband. I swear, I am never getting married.”
Eric glared at his brother. The asshole had been keeping secrets.
Ben winced. “Sorry, okay?” A pause that lasted only a beat. “Where’s Piper?”
“She’s with Simon. He had a few more questions for her.” Just as Eric had some questions for his brother.
Ben dropped into the chair across from Eric’s desk. “Any leads? Do we know anything new?”
Something new? Yes. He knew that Piper had only been with two lovers. He knew she had a tattoo. One he’d love to see. But did he know who was terrorizing her? Hell, the fuck, no. “Piper sees the world through rose-colored glasses. When she talks about her past relationships, she says they all ended amicably. No problems. No big drama.”
Ben’s shoulders slouched a bit. He rubbed the tip of his nose.
“You’re the best divorce attorney in Atlanta,” Eric said, not stroking his brother’s ego, but just being honest. Ben had completed an accelerated Juris Doctor program at Georgia State so that he’d wound up finishing his undergraduate and law degree work in six years. As soon as he’d started practicing, the guy immediately dominated the courtroom. “And we both know that not every relationship ends well.”
Ben’s lashes shielded his gaze.
“I want your take. You think any of her exes could do this? You think there is someone I should be focused on right now?”
“Piper doesn’t…she doesn’t get serious.” Ben seemed to be carefully considering his words. “You know what it was like when her dad cut out on her mom all those years ago. Her mother, Jesus, she was shattered. Drank herself to death after he left. No matter what Piper did, she couldn’t get her mom to stop grabbing for the bottle. She couldn’t get her mom to see there was still a life worth living.”
Beneath his desk, Eric’s hands clenched. Piper’s dad had left her family when she was fourteen. He’d run off with a younger woman. Divorced Piper’s mom. Started a new life somewhere. As far as Eric knew, Piper hadn’t seen or talked to her dad in years. As for her mom…
Her mom had died in a drunk driving accident during Piper’s second year of college. Eric had gone to the funeral. Ben had been at Piper’s right side. And Eric had been at her left. He’d taken her hand, and he’d just held her. She hadn’t cried, but her expression had broken his heart.
I knew I was in trouble back then. Maybe I always knew.
“After her mom died, that was when she broke it off with that Grady guy, too. They got into some kind of fight just a few days after she buried her mom. I think it was because the jerk didn’t show up for her mom’s funeral. He was on some kind of fraternity trip, instead. She needed him, and he wasn’t there. Piper…” His stare locked on Eric. “She doesn’t trust easily. She doesn’t believe in forever. She lives in the moment. She doesn’t want commitment because she doesn’t think it lasts. To her, there is no relationship that will last forever.”
So many things were clicking into place now. “Except her relationship with you.”
Ben nodded. “Because I don’t want anything from her. Never have. That’s the thing about best friends, you know? I am her constant, and I always will be.”
Eric surged to his feet. “We had to ask Piper for a list of her lovers so we could investigate them.” He paced toward the window. “You weren’t on the list.”
Ben gave a quick bark of laughter. “Uh, yeah, no big surprise.”
Sonofa—He spun to face his brother. “I heard you, back in high school, tell Clarence Wells that she was your first.”
Ben gaped at him. “What?” Then his eyes widened. “Dumbass!” Ben jumped to his feet. “You didn’t tell Piper that shit, did you?”
Well…
“Dammit!” Ben jerked back his head. “What the actual fuck? I was just mouthing off! The jerk was giving me a hard time because I was a virgin. I was a teenage punk who just said something stupid.” He rocked back on his heels. “Piper is going to kill me. I will need to grovel at her feet for weeks. Buy her a truck load of her chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.”
“You shouldn’t have lied,” Eric gritted out.
“I lied for a day! And I was just a stupid kid! I felt like shit about the lie so I went back to Clarence the next morning and told him the truth!” He ran a hand over his face. “The asshat called me ‘Ben the Virgin’ for weeks after that. But I wasn’t going to let people start spreading rumors about Piper. I got my shit together and told the truth because no one has ever mattered to me more than she does.” Now he closed the distance between them. Stood toe-to-toe with Eric. “That’s why I’m asking you right now—what the hell is going on? Why are you doing all of this for her?”
“Because she matters to me, too. She’s been in my life just as long as she’s been in yours.” That was all he’d tell his brother. Because what was happening between him and Piper—she’d asked that he not say anything to Ben.
Did the woman realize he’d do anything for her?
Ben sucked in a deep breath. “They didn’t all end well.”
Eric frowned.
“Some of those guys wanted more f
rom her. More than she was willing to give them. They didn’t know about her past. They didn’t know why she shut them down so fast when they started pushing for a commitment. They wanted more. Some of them were pissed when they didn’t get it.”
Anger flared within him. “I’ll need those names.”
Ben backed up. “Yeah, I thought you would…Grady Fox? You’re gonna want to put him at the top of the list.”
***
“You didn’t have to come shopping with me.” Piper glanced at the bags Eric was carrying out of the store. “I mean, I know you have work to do. A company to run. And I’m a big girl. I’m used to shopping on my own.”
Yeah, of course, he knew she could shop on her own, but he wanted her safe. To him, safety meant she stayed close to him. He hit a button on his key fob and the Benz’s trunk popped open. He dropped the bags inside, and the small, pink bag with the discreet lingerie logo slid to the side.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. He eyed the small bit of white lace—
Piper shoved the lace back into the bag. “And you definitely didn’t need to pay for my things. I have my own money. I certainly don’t need you—”
“It would be great if you did.” The words just rolled out of him. Dammit, wrong thing to say.
She frowned. The cute, from the corner of her eye frown that she always gave him. “I don’t understand.”
He slammed the trunk, took her hand, and walked her around to the passenger side of the car. But he didn’t open the door. For a moment, he just stood there, staring into her beautiful eyes. Gold was his favorite color. “I’d like for you to need me.”
He heard the swift inhalation of her breath. “Eric…”
This time, he smiled. “I like the way you say my name. When you’re nervous, your voice rises with it. When you’re mad, you barely breathe it, and when you’re happy…” He caught a lock of hair and tucked it behind her ear. “You almost moan it.”
Her golden eyes widened. “I do not.”
He shrugged. “Consider the clothes a gift. And there is no repaying a gift.”
She searched his gaze. “Why are you here?”
“Because you need a guard with you until we find out what’s happening.” And as far as what his team was doing…Simon had already started all of the standard background checks on the people she’d listed during her interview. “If anything pops during the background run, if we see any red flags, I’ll be told immediately.”