Page 20 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Fixer

"Safe from what?Dante?Or safe from you?"

I froze, his words hitting harder than I wanted to admit.Safe from me.Was that really what I was afraid of?That she'd get too close, that she'd see the monster I really was, and she'd run?Or worse, that I'd hurt her without meaning to?

"You're an idiot," Garrett said, his voice cutting through my thoughts."She's not going anywhere.And you're not a monster."

I turned back to him, my fists clenched at my sides."You don't know that."

"I've gotten to know her," Garrett said, his tone firm."And I know you.You're not going to scare her off, Levi.But if you keep pushing her away, you're going to lose her.And trust me, that's a hell of a lot scarier than whatever you're afraid of."

I didn't respond, but Garrett's words lingered in my mind long after he'd left the training room.I showered and changed, the restlessness still gnawing at me as I made my way to the kitchen.The scent of coffee led me to Krista, who was already seated at the counter island, her laptop open in front of her.She looked up as I walked in, her warm brown eyes meeting mine.For a moment, I just stood there, drinking in the sight of her.She was wearing a simple maroon sweater and loose jeans, her hair was pulled back into a messy bun with an elastic.To anyone else, she might have looked casual and unassuming.But to me, she was everything.

"Morning," she said softly but with a cheerful lilt to her voice, as if she didn't have a care in the world.As if she wasn't in the middle of a life-or-death situation because of me.

"Morning," I replied, my voice coming out rougher than I intended.I grabbed a mug from the cabinet and poured myself a cup of coffee, my movements stiff and mechanical.

"Sleep well?"she asked, her tone light, but I could hear the underlying concern in her voice.

"Not really," I admitted, leaning against the counter.I took a sip of coffee, the bitterness grounding me.

Krista's gaze lingered on me, and I could feel her studying me, trying to piece together the puzzle of my mood.She was too perceptive for her own good, and it was both a blessing and a curse.

"Anything I can help with?"she asked finally.

I shook my head, refusing to meet her eyes."No.Just work stuff."

She nodded, but I could tell she didn't believe me.She never did.Instead of pressing, she turned back to her laptop, her fingers moving quickly over the keyboard.I watched her for a moment.Everything about her was perfect, from the way she bit her lip in concentration, to the way her brows knitted together when she was deep in thought.She was so focused, so determined.And so damn beautiful.

My wolf growled softly, the sound barely audible, but I felt it vibrate through me.It wanted her.It wanted to claim her, to protect her, to keep her close.But I couldn't.Not now.Not when everything was so uncertain.

I forced myself to look away, my grip tightening on the mug."What are you working on?"I asked, desperate for a distraction.

She glanced up, her eyes brightening."Follow-up on the lead from the anonymous caller.I've been digging into Dante's shipping company.There's something there, I just can't put my finger on it yet."

I nodded, though my mind was only half on the conversation.The other half was focused on her, on the way her voice lit up when she talked about her work, on the way she leaned forward.Her enthusiasm was contagious.

"You'll figure it out," I said quietly."You always do."

She smiled, and it was like the sun breaking through the clouds."Thanks.I needed that."

I didn't respond, but the warmth in her smile lingered in my mind long after she'd turned back to her work.I finished my coffee and set the mug in the sink, my restlessness still simmering beneath the surface.

Later that afternoon, I was in my office when Dean called.

"Levi, I've got something," he said, his voice tight."You need to hear this."

"What is it?"I asked.

"I followed up on your lead about Dante's shipping company.It's worse than we thought," Dean said."It's not just drugs.Dante's running a human trafficking operation.Ships, planes, warehouses.He's got a whole underground network."

My blood ran cold."Human trafficking?"

"Yeah," Dean confirmed, his voice grim."And Selene's death?It's connected.She found out about it, and Dante had her killed to keep her quiet."

I clenched my fists, my wolf snarling in fury."We need to stop him."

"We will," Dean said."But we've got to be smart about this.If Dante catches wind that we're onto him, he's not going to hesitate to come after you.And Krista."

The mention of her name made my chest tighten."Keep digging, Dean.I want every scrap of evidence you can find."

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