Page 59 of Bozo

"And that's my cue to leave," Gra says, laughing. "Mallory, I'll speak to you later."

I watch as she gets closer, and my gut twists as I see the bruises that mar her face. "The fuck happened to your face?" I growl as I reach for her arm and pull her closer. Fuck, her face is fucked up. What the hell happened?

"I'm fine," she insists, wrenching her arm from my grip.

"Fine my ass. Fuck, Gra, what the hell?"

She shakes her head. "I've got to go."

"Gra, call me and let me know how the date goes," Mallory calls out.

Grá’s eyes widen before she ducks her head and hurries from the room.

I turn to Mallory, anger pulsing through me as I glare at her. "What date?" I hear the sound of Grá’s car starting up and peeling away from the clubhouse.

Mallory crosses her arms over her chest and glares right back at me. "She's not going to wait around for you to get your head out of your ass, Bozo. You don't want her, fine, but someone else does. Leave her alone and let her be happy."

I storm out of the clubhouse, my mind racing. The image of Gráinne's bruised face is seared into my brain, fueling my rage. Who the fuck touched her? And now she's going on a date? Over my dead body.

I hop on my bike, the engine roaring to life beneath me. I need answers, and I need them now.

The ride there is a blur as I’m filled with angry thoughts. No one touches Grá. Not one fucking person should ever put theirhands on her. She’s sweet and pure. She’s already had her world rocked by pain and suffering. No more. No fucking more.

When I pull up to her apartment, I see her car in the driveway. She's home.

I pound on her door, not giving a shit about the neighbors. "Gráinne, open up!"

After a moment, I hear the click of the lock and the door swings open. She stands there, looking exhausted and weary. Her face is free of makeup, showcasing every fucking bruise on her face. Christ, it’s a fucking lot worse than I had ever imagined. "What do you want?"

I push past her into the apartment, my eyes scanning for any signs of trouble. "Who hit you?"

She sighs, closing the door and crossing her arms over her chest. "It's nothing, just an accident at work. A patient got violent."

"Bullshit," I snarl, turning to face her. There’s no way it was an accident. She’s been worked over. No fucking way was it anything but intentional. "Don't lie to me, Gra. Who did this to you?"

Her eyes flash with anger. "Why do you care? You made it clear you don't want anything more than sex. I told you, Connor, I can’t do this.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I take a deep breath, trying to calm the rage burning inside me. "I care because it's you, Gráinne. I always care when it comes to you."

She lets out a bitter laugh. "That's rich, coming from you. You push me away at every turn, and now you're here acting like some knight in shining armor?"

I run a hand through my hair, frustration building. "Look, I know I've been an asshole. But seeing you hurt, it's killing me. Please, just tell me who did this."

Gráinne's eyes soften slightly, but she stands her ground. "It's not your problem to solve, Connor. I can handle my own issues."

"The hell you can," I growl, stepping closer. "You're walking around with a face full of bruises. I can see your fucking nose is broken. Now you’re about to go on some date. What if this guy's dangerous?"

She rolls her eyes. "For your information, I hadn’t decided about the date. And it's none of your business anyway."

I feel a wave of relief wash over me at her words, but I push it aside. "It is my business. You're important to me, Gra."

She looks at me, her eyes searching mine. "What does that even mean, Connor? Because I can't keep doing this dance with you. It hurts too much."

I swallow hard, knowing I'm at a crossroads. I can keep pushing her away, keep pretending I don't feel what I feel, or I can finally man up and admit the truth.

"It means I'm in love with you, Gráinne," I blurt out, the words tumbling from my lips before I can stop them. "I've been fighting it because I'm not good enough for you. You deserve better than a guy like me, with all my baggage and bullshit. But seeing you hurt and thinking about you with someone else... it's tearing me apart."

Gráinne's eyes widen, her mouth falling open in shock. For a moment, she just stares at me, and I feel my heart pounding in my chest.

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