“You’ve never been there for any of your other lovers!” The machines gave a fast beep, beep, beep. “I’m supposed to believe Piper is different? When you’ve made her life hell for so many years?”

Eric stalked toward the bed. “You’re injured. You’re hurting. And you’re on a lot of drugs. So, I’m taking your anger, but be careful what you say—”

“Piper fucked you.”

Eric locked his back teeth.

“She said it just happened. What—was it the first night you had her at your place?”

He didn’t say a word.

“The second night? Hell, it was, right? The second. I can see it on your face. She just fell into your bed and—”

“Be careful what you say.” His words were low and lethal. “Because this is Piper, and she matters to us both, and when you cool down, you don’t want to regret the things you can’t take back.”

“Like you can’t take back sleeping with my best friend! Mine, not yours! Dammit, Piper was never supposed to be yours. She’s too fucking good for you!”

“Tell me something I don’t know.” Again, his voice was low.

Ben blinked.

“I thought you wanted Piper, Ben. I thought—for years—that the two of you would wind up together. So I stood back. I played the role of the dick—yeah, that shit was deliberate, because when you can’t have the one thing you want most, then you need to push it away. You need to get that temptation gone.”

Surprise flashed on Ben’s face. “You…what?”

“I couldn’t have her. I thought she was meant for you. That the two of you would stop playing your games and you’d get married, and one day, I’d have to see your kids.” The pain knifed through him. “You know what? I knew I’d fucking love those kids because they were part of you and they were part of her and I—” He stopped, flattening his lips together. His heart pounded in a too-fast drum beat. “I waited. I made sure I didn’t overstep. The person I wanted most was right in front of me, but I didn’t so much as touch her, and I made sure she didn’t want to touch me.”

Or…at least…he’d tried. He’d been the dick, the asshole, over and over…and now he was trying his best to show Piper that he was more. That he could be so much more for her.

Only time was running out. A psycho was out there, a man who wanted to kill.

A man who was already at the edge. No, over the edge.