Wolf waved him off. “It’s fine. I’ve got her. Go grab some sleep.”
The man disappeared.
Claire tried not to ogle his ripped abs and defined chest. “I don’t know. Walking. Thinking. Trying not to think.” She moved closer. “What are you doing? Besides destroying your hands?”
“Training.”
“That’s not training. That’s punishment.”
His jaw tightened. “It’s late. You should get some rest.”
“So should you.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re bleeding.” Claire gestured to his knuckles. “And you’ve been down here for hours.”
Wolf looked at his hands like he’d forgotten about them. Blood smeared across his knuckles, mixing with sweat. “It’s nothing,” he said.
“Don’t be that guy.” Claire crossed to him and took his hand. Examined the torn skin. “You need to clean this. Bandage it.”
“I’ve had worse.”
“I’m sure you have, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore it.”
She was still holding his hand. Standing close enough to feel the heat radiating off his body. Close enough to see the tension in his jaw, the way his chest rose and fell with his breathing.
“Why are you really down here?” he asked quietly.
Claire looked up at him, at this man who’d protected her, pushed her, kissed her. Who carried secrets like armor. “Every time I close my eyes, I see Derek’s face, and I keep thinking—” Her voice cracked. “He was stalking me. Watching me. Pretending to be my friend.” She shuddered again, disgusted. “I feel so stupid. Defiled.”
“And he’s gloating right now because that’s exactly what he wants.”
“You think he knows we’ve figured out who he is?”
“Yes. That’s why he left work abruptly without so much as an excuse.”
Tears burned behind her eyes. Angry tears. “He’s turned Lily’s death into a mockery. How did I not see it? How did I not know?”
“Predators are good at hiding.” Garrett’s free hand came up and cupped her face. “You couldn’t have known.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Because it’s true.”
Claire closed her eyes, leaned into his touch. “I feel like I’m losing my mind.”
“You’re not. You’re processing trauma.”
“You sound like Vivi.”
“Doc is smart.”
Claire opened her eyes. Wolf was watching her with an intensity that made her breath catch. His thumb brushed her cheekbone, wiping away a tear she hadn’t realized had fallen.
“You’re not alone in this,” he said quietly. “You know that, right?”
“I know.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “But sometimes it feels like I am. Like I’m the only one who’s falling apart while everyone else just keeps going.”
