Page 81 of Bozo

He returns the smile, relief evident in his features. Slowly, he withdraws from me, and I sigh at the loss of connection. He rolls to the side, pulling me with him so that I'm nestled against his chest. His arms wrap around me, holding me close, and I revel in the warmth and safety of his embrace.

We lie in comfortable silence for a while, Connor's fingers tracing lazy patterns on my skin. I can hear the steady beat of his heart under my ear, a soothing rhythm that threatens to lull me to sleep.

"I’m sorry, Sunshine," Connor murmurs suddenly, his voice barely above a whisper. "That I worried you," he trails off, his arms tightening around me.

I press a kiss to his chest, right over his heart. "I know, but it’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay."

He sighs, his breath ruffling my hair. "I need you to tell me if anything makes you uneasy, if anything or anyone scares you."

I prop myself up on an elbow, looking down at him. His face is etched with worry. "Hey," I say firmly, cupping his cheek with my hand. "It’s going to be okay."

He nods, his hand sliding into my hair. “Promise me, Sunshine.”

I swallow hard, knowing that he needs me to do this. “I promise, Con. You’ll be the first one to know if anything feels off.”

He nods, seemingly relieved that I agreed without much of a fuss.

“Sleep, Grá,” he says, his voice thick and hoarse. “You’re safe here.”

He has no idea that I’m always safe whenever he’s with me. He’s always made it that way. I close my eyes and snuggle closer to his body, loving the warmth of him next to me. “Night, Con. I love you,” I whisper.

“Night, Grá,” he says. “Love you too, Sunshine.”

When I fall asleep, I do so with a huge smile on my face. This is all I have ever wanted.

I’m sittingon the bed, wearing his tee as he gets dressed. “What’s the plan for today?” I ask, wondering if I’ll be confined to the clubhouse once again.

“We’ll be dealing with the aftermath of yesterday,” Connor tells me distractedly as he pulls on his cut. He turns to me, his eyes assessing me. “Grá, there’s nothing to worry about.”

I breathe a sigh of relief. “Okay, good. I don’t think I could face another day being cooped up here.”

He moves toward me, his fists planting on either side of me on the mattress, his eyes glinting with barely concealed anger. “I get that you’re used to working and doing what you want, whenever you want, but, Sunshine, these fuckers wanted you dead. They beat you, stabbed you, and they would have killed you.”

I swallow hard, my heart racing as I meet Connor's intense gaze. The memories of that terrifying attack flash through my mind. I can almost feel the phantom pain of the knife slicing into my skin.

"I know," I whisper, my voice trembling slightly. "I just... I feel so helpless, Connor, like I'm not in control of my own life anymore."

His expression softens, and he cups my face gently with one calloused hand. "I get it, Grá. But right now, keeping you safe is my top priority. Our top priority."

I lean in to his touch, drawing comfort from his warmth. "So, what exactly does 'dealing with the aftermath' entail?"

Connor's jaw tightens, and I see the dangerousness return to his eyes. "We're going to send a message."

A shiver runs down my spine, both from fear and a twisted sort of excitement. I know I should be horrified by the implications of his words, but a part of me feels vindicated. Protected.

"Will you be gone long?" I ask, trying to keep the neediness out of my voice.

He leans in, pressing a fierce kiss to my lips. "Not if I can help it. But I need you to promise me something, Sunshine."

I nod, breathless from his kiss. "Anything."

"Call me if you need me." I have a feeling that’s not what he was going to say.

I want to argue, to insist that I can take care of myself, but the memory of helplessness, of pain and terror, is still too fresh. So instead, I nod again. "I promise. If I need you, I’ll call you. Can I go to my apartment?"

Connor's eyes narrow slightly, and I can see him weighing the risks in his mind. After a moment, he sighs. "Alright, but you're not going alone. I'll have Jerry have two of his men escort you there and back."

I bite back a protest, knowing it's futile. Instead, I force a small smile. "Thanks. I just need to grab a few things, maybe water my plants if they're not already dead."

---