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?”