Mark’s hands clenched and unclenched. “Did someone really break into her place?”

“Yes,” Eric snapped. “And then we walked outside, and guess who came running up?”

Mark took a step back. Finally. “I would never do anything to hurt Piper!”

Eric wasn’t exactly ready to take the other man’s word for it.

“Piper, dammit!” Mark exploded. “Tell him I wouldn’t do this! You know me! Tell him—” And the guy surged forward. His hands were in angry fists and those fists seemed to be coming straight for Eric.

So much for finally getting the message to back up.

Mark lunged, Piper screamed, and Eric reacted.

He drove one hand into Mark’s stomach, then plowed a powerful punch into the guy’s jaw. Mark hit the ground with a thud. Eric stood over him, hands fisted, ready for another attack. “I told you…stay the fuck away from her.”

Mark groaned.

“What did you do?” Piper’s voice was hushed. Horrified.

In the distance, a siren screamed. Eric knew his team had alerted the cops. They’d all be reaching the scene soon.

“You just assaulted me…asshole,” Mark gasped as he shoved to his feet. His breath heaved in and out. “You won’t get another lucky shot again. You won’t get—”

“Don’t, Mark!” Piper yelled. “Stop this, now!” And she shoved between the two men. “Don’t do this.”

Her voice was shaking. She was shaking.

The siren grew louder.

Mark’s shoulders sagged. “I would never do anything to hurt Piper.” His gaze was on Eric. “I owe her too much.”

“Mark…” Piper shook her head. “You don’t have to—”

“I’m sober because of her. She saved my damn life. Literally took the bottle out of my hand and stopped me before I killed my dumb ass.”

The siren was louder. Closer.

“You think I’d ever do anything to harm so much as a hair on her head?” Mark’s voice was heavy with tension. “No, I wouldn’t. You’re dead wrong, bastard. Dead wrong.”

***

She’d seen Eric fight before. He’d fought plenty of times when they were kids. Always seemed to get into scrapes. And he worked out at the local boxing ring. Heck, she’d even met her ex, Carmen, when she’d gone to meet Ben and Eric at the gym one time.

Eric’s parents had started him and Ben in marital arts when they’d just been teens. Eric had loved everything he’d learned. He’d studied all the time, and he’d branched off into different styles, learning Taekwondo, karate, judo…But she knew his favorite form of defense was Krav Maga. Before she’d left for college, he’d even dragged her to classes. He’d said she had to be ready to defend herself.