Page 11 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Fixer

His jaw tightened, tension rolling off him in waves."You're staying here.Permanently."

I rolled my eyes."Levi, I don't need a babysitter."

"This isn't about babysitting," he snapped, slamming the spatula onto the counter."They're targeting you.This is my mess, and I'm not letting anyone else get hurt because of it."

I crossed my arms, meeting his glare with one of my own."First of all, it's not just your mess anymore.I'm in this.Second, I don't need you ordering me around.I've been handling crises long before I met you, and I'll handle this one too."

Levi stepped closer, his towering frame blocking the light from the window."You don't get it.These people don't just play dirty.And if they think you're a threat, they won't hesitate to come after you."

I held my ground, even as my pulse quickened."I'm not afraid of them."

His eyes flickered with something I couldn't quite place."You should be."

We stood there for a moment, the air crackling with tension.Then Levi exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair."Fine.But you're not leaving this house without Garrett."

I opened my mouth to argue, but he cut me off."That's not negotiable."

I scowled, but deep down, I knew he was right.I might be stubborn, but I wasn't stupid.Still, I couldn't let him think he'd won."If Garrett starts calling me ma'am, I'm out."

Levi's lips twitched, the ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth."Deal."

Before I could respond, the sound of footsteps interrupted us.I tensed, glancing toward the hallway.Levi's instincts had kicked in, too.He moved in front of me, his body shielding mine, as Garrett appeared in the doorway.

"Boss," Garrett said, his expression serious."Someone's been here."

Levi's eyes narrowed."Who?"

Garrett shook his head."Don't know.The security cameras caught a figure driving to the front of the house, but they were wearing a hood.They threw something through the gates and sped off before we could intercept."

Levi cursed under his breath, and I stepped around him, my curiosity piqued."What did they leave?"

Garrett held up a manila envelope."This."He handed the folder over to me and then left to continue searching for clues about our mysterious visitor.

I turned the envelope over in my hands.It was unmarked, with no labels or identifying features.My stomach churned.This couldn't be a coincidence.

"Let's see what's inside," Levi said, his voice low.

I opened it, my fingers trembling as I did so, and pulled out the stack of papers inside.

It was Selene's autopsy report.I skimmed the document, my stomach dropping as I realized what I was looking at."This isn't right."

Levi leaned over my shoulder, his breath warm against my cheek."What?"

I pointed to the toxicology results."She wasn't on drugs, Levi.She was poisoned."

His body went rigid beside me."What?"

I turned to face him, my heart pounding."Whoever killed her wanted it to look like an overdose, but they botched it.The poison didn't metabolize the way drugs would.It's all here.They planted the drugs to frame you, but this is the real cause of death."

Levi's jaw clenched, his hands curling into fists."Dante."

"If we can connect the poisoning to him, then you'll be a free man."

He stared at the report, his expression unreadable.Then, slowly, he turned and strode to the window, his shoulders tense."This is my fault."

I could hear the guilt in his words, raw and aching.It wasn't just Selene's death weighing on him.It was the idea that he'd brought this into her life, into mine.

"If I hadn't pushed back against Dante—" He cut himself off, his voice thick with guilt."She didn't deserve this."

---