Page 55 of Bozo

Everything happens at once. Antoine shoves me to the side, lunging for the window. I stumble, my head hitting the edge of the bed as I fall. Black dots fill my vision as I try to catch my bearings.

Footsteps sound as the gardai rush toward Antoine.

Pain shoots through my body, and I can't help but cry out in agony. Desperately, I curl up into a ball and cover my head with my arms, hoping to escape the chaos. But it’s too much, and everything goes black as I lose consciousness, sinking into the darkness like I’m sinking into an abyss.

The chaos around me fades into silence.

EIGHTEEN

GRÁINNE

I groan as I move toward my front door. I’m still a little tender. It’s been a week since I was attacked. After I fell unconscious at the hospital, I was kept overnight for observations. But doctors don’t make the best of patients, and I needed to get out of there. Thankfully, other than a few scrapes and bruises, I was okay and didn’t need any further treatment.

The knocking at the door gets louder, which causes the pounding in my head to intensify. I’ve got a raging headache and whoever is at the door isn’t helping matters. I wrench the door open, ready to snap at the person on the other side, but the words die on my lips as I stare at the blonde man from the hospital, the one my patient was terrified of.

“Ms. Fallon, such a pleasure to see you again,” he says with a sinister smile.

“How did you find out where I live?” I ask, my voice trembling. I know this man is dangerous. I’m not stupid. I know he’s here to kill me.“We have orders. No loose ends.”That’s what the dark-haired man said to Antoine.

My heart races as I take an involuntary step back. The man's smile widens, his eyes gleaming with malice.

"Oh, come now, Dr. Fallon. Finding you was child's play. You should know better than to underestimate us."

He takes a step forward, forcing me further into my apartment. I frantically scan the room for a weapon, anything I can use to defend myself.

"What do you want?" I manage to croak out, trying to buy time.

"I think you know exactly what I want," he replies smoothly. "You've seen too much, heard too much. We can't have you running around with that kind of knowledge."

My back hits the wall. I'm cornered. The man reaches into his jacket, and I know this is it. I won’t let him kill me. Hell no.

“You’re crazy. You know that, right?” I hiss as my hands reach out to my left, where I know the lamp is. “I don’t know what you think I overheard, but I didn’t. I have hundreds of patients every week. I was busy. I entered Mr. Antoine’s room and gasped as I hadn’t expected visitors.”

His eyes narrow on me as he steps forward. “You’re a good liar, Dr. Fallon,” he grunts, pulling a knife from his pocket. “But we both know that you’re lying.”

“I’m not,” I tell him, my voice trembling.

He laughs, and it sounds manic, almost crazy. He brushes the tip of his knife along my cheek. “It’s a shame,” he says, his gaze raking over me. “You are pretty, but I have instructions.”

In a flash, I grab the lamp and swing it with all my might. It connects with his head with a sickening crunch, sending shards of ceramic flying. The man staggers back, momentarily stunned. I hear the sound of his knife clattering against the floor. I don't waste a second. I bolt for the door, my heart pounding in my ears.

But he's quick to recover. His hand latches on to my arm, yanking me back with brutal force. I cry out as I'm slammed against the wall. "That wasn't very nice, Dr. Fallon," he snarls,blood trickling down his temple. "I was going to make this quick, but now... now I think I'll take my time."

Panic surges through me. I knee him in the groin, hard. He doubles over, cursing, and I make another dash for the door. Fingers grasp my hair and pull hard. I cry out as he tugs hard, causing my hair to be pulled at the root. I fall backward, needing him to release me.

I hit the floor with a thud, my head bouncing off the ground. “I do love a good fight,” he growls, before raising his hand and punching me in the face.

Stars explode behind my eyes as his fist connects with my cheek. The pain is blinding, too much. I’m struggling to breathe, to form any kind of coherent thought.

Over and over again, he lets loose on me, punching me. Pain unlike anything I’ve ever experienced hits me as my vision starts to fade. No, I can’t let this happen. I swallow the fear as adrenaline surges through me, dulling the pain just enough. I won't go down without a fight.

As he pulls back for another punch, I thrust my palm upward, catching him square in the nose. There's a satisfying crunch, and he reels back, blood gushing down his face.

"You bitch!" he roars, but his grip on me loosens.

I scramble to my feet, my vision blurry, my head spinning. The door. I need to get to the door. But my legs are wobbly, and I stumble, crashing into the side table.

The man is on me again, grabbing my shoulders and spinning me around. His face is a mask of rage, blood streaming from his nose. "I'm going to enjoy this," he snarls, the knife now pressed against my throat.

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