Page 64 of Bozo

Jerry holds up his hands. "I know, I know. But rushing in half-cocked is only going to get us all killed. And then where will Gráinne be?"

I hate to admit it, but he's right. As much as I want to hunt down every last member of The Revenant and make them pay for what they've done to Gráinne, I know we need to be smart about this.

"Fine," I say finally. "But I want updates every day. And if anything, and I mean anything, happens to her, I won’t be held responsible for my actions.”

Jerry nods solemnly. "Understood. I'll put all my resources on this, Bozo. We'll find out what's going on and put an end to it."

I run a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me. "Alright. What's our first move?"

"We need to start with what we know," Jerry says, pulling out his phone. "I'll reach out to some of my European contacts and see if they have any intel on Dragomir or The Revenant's operations there."

"Good." Pyro nods. "I'll have Wrath dig deeper into their local activities. Maybe we can find a weak link, someone who might be willing to talk."

Jerry looks at me, his expression serious. "Bozo, you need to be prepared. This might get ugly. The Revenant isn't known for playing nice."

I meet his gaze, my jaw set. "Neither am I. Not when it comes to protecting what's mine."

He nods, a hint of respect in his eyes. He’s grown to love Gráinne as a daughter. I know that she loves and respects him as a father figure. He’s feeling her being hurt just as much as I am. I know that he’ll do whatever the hell it takes to get answers. This time, he won’t be alone doing it. "Alright then. Let's get to work."

As Jerry leaves to make his calls, I head back to check on Gráinne. I find her asleep in my room, her face still marred by bruises but looking peaceful for the first time since I saw her earlier.

I sit on the edge of the bed, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I'm going to fix this, Sunshine," I vow. I won’t let anyone hurt her again.

I watch Gráinne sleep for a few moments, my heart aching at the sight of her bruised face. The anger I've been barely containing threatens to explode again, but I force it down. I can't afford to lose control now. Gráinne needs me to be smart.

As I'm about to leave the room, her eyes flutter open. "Connor?" she murmurs, her voice thick with sleep.

"I'm here, Sunshine," I say softly, moving back to sit beside her. "How are you feeling?"

She tries to sit up, wincing as she does. I gently help her, propping her up against the pillows. "Like I've been hit by a truck," she admits with a weak attempt at a smile. "But better now that you're here."

I take her hand in mine and press a kiss to it. "I'm not going anywhere," I promise. "You're safe now."

Gráinne's eyes fill with tears. "I'm so sorry, Connor. I should have told you what was happening. I just... I was so scared. I didn't want you to get hurt because of me."

"Hey, hey," I soothe, gently wiping away a tear that escapes down her cheek. "You have nothing to be sorry for. This isn't your fault."

She shakes her head, her voice trembling. "But it is. If I had just stayed away from the room… I knew they were dangerous.”

“Sunshine, you were doing your job. That’s not something you should ever apologize for.” My gaze roams over her face, my gut twisting at the sight of every bruise. “Okay, Grá, I know you don’t want to tell me, but I need to know. Where else are you injured?”

I watch as her eyes close and a tear falls from them. “Please don’t be mad,” she whispers.

My heart clenches at her words. "Gráinne, I could never be mad at you for this. Please, tell me."

She takes a shaky breath, her eyes still closed. "My side hurts, my stomach, my nose, and my neck. He punched me a lot, but itwas the stab wound that hurt the most. I was in the hospital for a few days. I’m doing okay."

My blood runs cold at her words. "Stab wound?" I repeat, my voice barely above a whisper. "Gráinne, where?"

She hesitates, then slowly lifts her shirt. I inhale sharply at the sight of the bandage on her left side, just below her ribs. The white gauze is tinged with a faint pink, a reminder of how close I came to losing her.

"Jesus Christ," I mutter, gently touching the area around the bandage. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Gráinne's eyes fill with fresh tears. "I didn't want you to worry. And I... I was ashamed. I should have been able to protect myself better."

I cup her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me. "Listen to me, Sunshine. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You survived. That's what matters."

She nods weakly, leaning into my touch. "I was so scared, Connor. I thought I was going to die."

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