Page 57 of Bozo

I wince at the volume of Jerry's voice, my head still pounding. "Jer," I croak, "please, not so loud." But my heart is beating rapidly. His daughter? God, he’s the fucking best.

Jerry's gaze softens as he looks at me, concern replacing the anger. He moves to my bedside, taking my hand gently in his. "Christ, Grá. Look at you. I should've been there. I should've?—"

"You couldn't have known," I whisper, squeezing his hand weakly.

Connolly clears his throat. "Mr. Houlihan, I assure you we're taking this very seriously. We have officers stationed outside Dr. Fallon's room, and we're working on identifying her attacker."

Jerry scoffs. "And what about when she leaves the hospital? What then?"

I feel a chill run down my spine at the thought. The blonde man's words echo in my mind."We'll find you, wherever you go."

“Why don’t you go and do your job,” Jerry hisses, turning his back on Detective Connolly and facing me. “I’ve got her.”

I hear the sound of the chair scraping against the floor, followed by footsteps. I take a deep breath when the door closes behind the detective. I have no idea what the hell I’m going to do. I thought I was safe, but today proved I’m far fucking from it.

“Grá, how are you feeling?" Jer asks softly.

"Like I've been hit by a truck." I manage a weak smile. "But I'm alive."

Jerry's eyes fill with tears. "Christ, Gráinne, when I got the call... I thought..." He trails off, unable to finish the sentence.

I swallow hard. “I know. Me too,” I whisper. “Please don’t tell Connor,” I plead with him.

Things between the two of us have been awkward since our talk. I still love him but I need time. I need to adjust to everything. Having the craziness of the past week hasn’t helped. I’ve wanted to call him so many times, but haven’t.

Jerry's eyes narrow. "Don't tell Connor? Are you out of your mind, Grá? He needs to know."

I shake my head weakly. "No, please. Things are... complicated between us right now. I don't want him to worry."

Jerry sighs heavily. "Gráinne, I know you two are having issues, but this is bigger than that. You were nearly killed. Twice. He deserves to know, and you need all the support you can get right now."

I close my eyes, feeling tears well up. "I'm scared, Jer," I admit quietly. "I don't know what to do. These people, whoever they are, they're not going to stop."

Jerry squeezes my hand. "That's exactly why you need Connor. And me. And everyone else who cares about you. We'll figure this out together and keep you safe."

I know he's right, but the thought of dragging Connor into this mess makes my stomach churn. "What if they come afterhim too? I couldn't bear it if something happened to him because of me."

"Connor's a big boy, Grá. He can handle himself. And he'd want to be here for you, no matter what's going on between you two."

“He doesn’t,” I tell him honestly. “That’s why things are so awkward between us. He doesn’t want what I want and that’s okay. But I need space.”

Jerry's brow furrows as he processes my words. "What do you mean, he doesn't want what you want? Connor's crazy about you, Grá."

I sigh, wincing as the movement causes pain to flare in my side. "He doesn't want anything more than sex, Jer. He made that pretty clear."

Jerry's eyes widen in surprise. "He said that? To you?"

I nod, feeling the sting of tears again. "We’ve spoken about it. We're at an impasse. Jer, I’m ready to find someone who’ll love me and settle down."

Jerry runs a hand through his hair, looking troubled. "Jesus, Grá, I had no idea. But still, this situation?—"

"Is exactly why I can't drag him into it," I interrupt. "What's the point of putting him in danger?"

He shakes his head. “I don’t agree, but if this is what you want, then I’ll respect that. But Grá, anything else happens to you and I’ll be calling Connor myself.”

I sigh with relief. “Thank you,” I whisper. “When can I go home?” I hate being in the hospital. I just want to be at home where I can be alone.

“Not yet,” Jer tells me softly. “I’ve got someone currently installing extra security at your apartment. By the time you're released, your apartment will be back to normal.”

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