Page 10 of Bozo

I lean in close, my voice low and menacing. "If I ever hear about you trying anything like this again—with Grá or any other girl—I'll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life. Got it?"

He nods weakly, unable to speak through the blood and pain.

I step back, my hands shaking with adrenaline. "Clean yourself up," I mutter. "And remember—I'm watching you."

As I turn to leave, he calls out, "You're fucking crazy. You know that?"

I pause at the door, looking back at him. "Maybe," I say. "But I'm not the one who tries to rape unconscious girls."

The cool night air hits me as I start the walk home. My knuckles throb, and I know they'll be bruised tomorrow. How will I explain that to Grá? To Mam?

I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. One problem at a time. Right now, I need to get home, make sure Grá is okay, and figure out our next move. Because one thing's for certain—we can't keep living like this. Something has to change. She can’t live in that house with her dad any longer. He’s going to do something he’ll regret and I’ll end up killing the fucker.

As I approach my house, I see the living room light is still on. Dad's probably passed out in his chair by now. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for whatever comes next. No matter what, I'll protect Grá. And somehow, some way, we'll find a way out of this mess. We have to.

I quietly let myself in, relieved to find the living room empty. As I pass the kitchen, I hear a soft voice.

"Connor?"

I freeze. It's Gráinne. She’s sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea in front of her. Her eyes are red-rimmed, her face pale.

"Hey," I say softly, moving to sit beside her. "You okay?"

She nods then shakes her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "I was so scared when I woke up and you were gone," she whispers.

Guilt washes over me. In my anger, I hadn't thought about how she'd feel waking up alone. "I'm sorry," I say, taking her hand. "I just... I had to take care of something."

She looks at me, her eyes searching my face. "Anthony?" she asks quietly.

I nod, not trusting myself to speak.

Gráinne squeezes my hand and gives me a soft smile. “Thank you.”

I give her hand a gentle squeeze. "Always, Grá. I'll always protect you."

“I can’t believe this shit,”I snap, glaring at my dad who’s standing across the kitchen from me.

“Watch your mouth,” he grunts. “Don’t forget who the fuck you’re talking to.”

“Of course you sent her back,” I growl, my anger paramount. I’m beyond angry. I woke up this morning to no Gráinne and Dad smirking. Grá’s dad was here first thing this morning demanding that his daughter be returned home. Of course, my dad loved it and sent her packing.

“You’d better watch yourself, Connor. You wouldn’t want anything to happen to your precious Gráinne now, would you?”

My blood runs cold at his words. I take a step toward him, fists clenched. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Dad smirks, leaning back in his chair. "Just that her old man seemed pretty upset this morning. Who knows what he might do if he gets it in his head that you're a bad influence on his little girl?"

"You bastard," I snarl. "You know what he does to her. How could you send her back there?"

"It's not our problem," Dad says dismissively. "Besides, we've got our own issues to deal with. Speaking of which, when are we hitting the casino again?"

I stare at him in disbelief. "Are you fucking kidding me? After everything that's happened, that's what you're worried about?"

"Watch your tone, boy," Dad warns, his eyes narrowing. "Don't forget who puts food on the table around here."

"Food on the table?" I laugh bitterly. "You mean the money I help you cheat for? The money that's tearing this family apart?"

Dad stands up suddenly, his chair scraping against the floor. "You ungrateful little shit," he growls. "After everything I've done for you?—"

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