“Someone torched my house last night,” she told Mark. “And now I found out that my paintings were destroyed, too. I don’t know who is doing this, but, Mark, if you saw anything, I mean, if you noticed anyone around my gallery, if anything suspicious stuck out at you, please tell me.”

“I didn’t see anyone,” he told her grimly. “But I’ll check all of my security feeds.”

“I’d like access to the footage,” Eric said as he closed in on them.

Mark cursed. “Look, buddy, I don’t exactly fucking like you—”

“And I don’t like you, so we’re even, but I want that footage.”

Mark nodded. “Fine. For Piper. Because I’d do anything for her.”

Eric positioned his body next to her even as his stare raked over the other man. “You’re in love with her.”

She felt her face burn. No, Mark wasn’t in love with her. He was grateful to her. He wanted to pay her back for what she’d done for him. But as far as romance was concerned, things between them had never really heated up. They were in the friend zone because when she looked at him, she wanted to—to help. There was no passion, no intensity, no—

“So the fuck are you,” Mark threw back. “Or else you wouldn’t be walking a tightrope of fear and fury. You think I can’t see it? You lost your shit when I got close to her—”

“You lunged to attack. Piper screamed.” A shrug. “She was scared. I can’t have her scared.”

“Because you’re fucking in love with—”

“He’s not in love with me,” Piper cut in immediately. That was just crazy. “We’re…friends. Very old friends.”

Eric took her hand in his. Laced his fingers with hers. “Listen, Rogue, I told you—twice—to back off. You should have listened. If you’d listened and not attacked, I wouldn’t have needed to stop you.”

“And you should have told me what was going on! If I’d realized you just came from a scene where her paintings were destroyed, I would’ve got that you were already on the edge of a major freak out—”

“I don’t think you get many things about me.” His voice was flat, but then Eric glanced down at her. When he spoke again, his voice softened as he said, “Baby, we need to go. My team has this, and the cops aren’t going to be leaving anytime soon. Let me take you home.”

Her home had been torched.

“My home,” he said, as if reading her thoughts. “I need to know that you’re safe.”