Ben’s nod was slow. “When she won’t commit to them, and they see her out on the town with me…they think I’m the problem. They think I’m the one standing in their way.” He exhaled. “Grady came after me twice. The first time, it was a year after they’d broken up. Asshole found me at a bar and started talking all kind of trash. Saying that he’d known Piper was screwing around on him the whole time.” Ben shook his head. “Piper thought he was easy going. Fun. And he was…until he wasn’t. Know what I mean?”

“You said the first time. Tell me about what happened the other time.” Tension coiled heavily in his gut.

“Piper was staying at my place. She does that, you know?”

Yeah, he knew.

“Grady must have been watching her. He came to the house, banging in the middle of the night. I opened the door, and he took a swing at me.”

Every muscle in Eric’s body locked down. “And you didn’t think to mention this shit sooner? Like when you were fucking briefing me on the guy yesterday?”

“He’s all the way across the country! He lives in LA now! When he came that night, I knocked his ass out. Told him to stay the hell away from Piper. To never contact her or me again.” He scraped a hand over his jaw. “And he hasn’t. At least, I don’t think he has.”

Eric took out his phone. Sent a text to Simon. I want to know where the hell Grady Fox is right now. He just moved to the top of our suspect list.

“Piper looks for the best in people, you know? And that’s a good thing. Usually. Because I swear, she can make people be better.” Ben huffed out a breath. “Jesus, she even looks for the best in you. Can you believe that shit? Even though she knows you’re a dick most days, she’s always telling me that I’m lucky to have you.”

Eric’s hold on the phone tightened. “Piper doesn’t have any family.”

“Well, her prick of a father is out there, somewhere.”

He knew exactly where her father was. A story for another day.

“He hasn’t reached out to her since he left her mom. You know that jerk didn’t even show up for the funeral. She doesn’t have any siblings or cousins…” Ben rolled back his shoulders. “But she has me. I’m her family. The only family she’ll ever need.”

“No. You’re not.”

Eric’s phone beeped. He’d gotten a text from Simon.

Already on him. According to what I’m learning, the guy should be in LA. Verifying that right now.

Eric heard a faint rustle of sound near the doorway. The light tap of a shoe, and Eric’s gaze whipped in that direction.