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And maybe he needed to resurrect him because Viper didn’t have a hell of a lot going for him.

Well, except for a girl named Lyric, who saw more than he ever showed her.

“Who is this so-called nice guy, and what did he do to you?” He bit out the words, trying to control the rage building inside him. Because if someone hurt her, they would not escape his wrath.

“I’m sorry. This isn’t your problem. It’s mine.”

“You called me. Now, tell me what’s going on.”

“I just couldn’t believe it was so easy for him to follow me home all the way from Nashville and then find me at the ranch like he knew me.”

“What the fuck?” Every protective instinct in him flared to life.

“Exactly.”

All kinds of alarms went off in his brain, and his heart jackhammered in his chest. “Who the hell flew all the way here and showed up at your family’s house?” She didn’t live there. She lived above the bar. He knew that because he made it a point to know where she was when she wasn’t working.

Who sounds like the stalker now, asshole?

“His name is Rick. I’m notreallysure who he is, except a fan. I know, that sounds pretentious, but I don’t know how else to describe him.” She sighed. “Do you know this is the longest conversation we’ve ever had?”

He was wholly aware of that. He wished they were talking about something else entirely. Anything else than her being in danger. “Can we focus on this guy?”

She sighed. “My cousin Hunt is looking into him.”

“How so?” He wanted Hunt up this guy’s ass and kicking him out of the state. Now.

“Background check.”

That was a start, but not enough in Viper’s mind.

“Maybe he’s harmless and I’m just paranoid. Maybe I’m creeped out over something that is nothing. Maybe I should be flattered he wants to work with me so badly he rushed here looking for me.”

He thought she knew exactly what was what with this guy. “Is that how things are normally done?” He didn’t think so.

“No. It’s usually a scheduled thing. I do most of it online, since I’m here and my writing partner is in Nashville.”

Yeah, he’d heard her talking to her sister Melody about her New Year’s trip and another she had planned for March. It sounded like something she did every couple of months.

He’d love to know more about her songwriting but stuck to her overzealous new arrival. “If you got a bad vibe from him, trust your gut.” His had saved him more times than he could count.

And hers had told her that Viper wasn’t what he seemed, and she was dead-on there. But he couldn’t tell her that because then he’d have to explain. Not going to happen. It would put her, and him, in more danger.

Nick pointed his finger and circled it in the air, indicating for Viper to finish up so they could talk business.

He ignored the gesture and his brother.

If Lyric wanted to talk, he’d talk to her. It was little moments like this that fed his faith in humanity and reminded him not everyone was terrible. He just wished she’d called about something not potentially horrible.

Hell, at this point, he’d swap recipes with her just to have a chance to talk to her longer. Of course, he’d have to call his mom for help with that one, because he barely got by in the kitchen.

“I’m sorry.” She sounded so lost, nothing like the vibrant, happy woman he’d come to know. “You’re probably busy. I’m bothering you with this. Whateverthisis.”

He couldn’t let that stand. “You can call me anytime you want. It’s not a bother. At all.”

Nick glared at him.

He should really shut up. But he couldn’t seem to stop talking now that he had her attention.