She tugged on her left ear. Ever since she’d been a kid, she’d done that exact move whenever she was afraid. The first time he’d seen her do it, she’d been nine. Some asshole punk had been standing over her, yelling at Piper that he wanted her lunch money.

So Eric had tackled the kid.

Piper had gone skipping away with Ben. But later, she’d used her lunch money to buy Eric a thank you ice cream. Chocolate, his favorite. Because Piper always seemed to know what he liked.

Except when it came to one area in particular…

“I have four freaking guest rooms,” he growled when she tugged on her ear again. “Not like I’m asking you to share my bed.”

She gave him a look of such utter horror…

Eric’s back teeth clenched.

“It’s a good idea, Piper,” Ben said, voice grudging.

Her full lips parted.

“Not the sharing his bed part,” Ben rushed to add. “Dear God, never that. Hell, no.”

He should punch the bastard. Blood relation or not.

“But he does have plenty of room and the best security.” Ben raked a hand through his hair. “And I’m worried or I never would have called him in the first place. You’re worried, too. If some freak is out there, watching you, do you really want to be alone in some cheap motel with a flimsy lock?”

Piper shook her head. “No, no, I don’t.” She squared her delicate shoulders as her gaze lingered on Eric. “But how long are we talking here? I don’t want to inconvenience you.”

She would never be an inconvenience.

“And what would your girlfriend think about me staying at your place?”

Girlfriend?

“What girlfriend?” Ben burst out with a laugh before Eric could respond. “You know he’s a flavor-of-the-week kind of guy. He has sex with them, then he moves on.”

Eric was going to kill his brother. Murder him and hide the body so well that no one would ever find the remains. “That’s not what I fucking do.” Was that what Piper thought he was like? Well, shit, what kind of trash had his kid brother told her over the years?

“I-I don’t want to know about your sex life.” Piper’s cheeks turned a soft pink. “No need to overshare.”

She did need to know about it. Just as he sure as hell wanted to know about hers. “Is there a lover who is going to come looking for you?”

If she looked at Ben…

But Piper kept her gaze on Eric. “I’m not involved with anyone right now.”

Hell, yes. “Perfect.” He didn’t need to kick anyone’s ass. Because a lover should sure as shit be there keeping her safe.

But Piper frowned at his response.