Page 96 of Bozo

It doesn’t take long for us to get to Jerry’s house. The second we’re off our bikes, Pyro’s there. “This shit is some of the worst that I’ve seen,” he growls.

Jer’s face is grim as we approach. "Glad you’re here. We’re going to need all hands on deck."

"Is it a trafficking ring?" I ask.

He nods. "Sort of. The women we rescued? They're not just random victims. They were targeted."

"Targeted?" Cowboy asks. "What do you mean?"

Jer runs a hand through his hair—a sign of frustration I've rarely seen from him. "Basically, someone pays a fucking lot of money for someone, they give a detailed description, and then they’re delivered to that person."

The implications hit me like a punch to the gut. "How young are we talking?"

Pyro shakes his head. “Think the youngest Jer’s men found was six months old.”

Fucking hell. What the fuck?

As I walk into Jer’s home, I see Gràinne talking to a young brunette woman. The moment Grà sees me, her shoulders slump forward and she gives me a soft smile. “Hey, Con,” she greets me.

I move to her, needing to hold her and make sure that she’s okay. I wrap my arms around Grà, feeling her tense body relax against me. She buries her face in my chest for a moment, taking a deep breath before pulling back to look up at me.

"It's bad, Con," she whispers, her eyes haunted. "These women, these children... what they've been through..."

I stroke her cheek, wishing I could take away the pain I see in her eyes. "I know, Sunshine. But you're helping them now. That's what matters."

She nods, squeezing my hand before turning back to the young woman she was talking to. "Caoimhe, this is Connor. Con, this is Caoimhe. She's one of the women Jer’s men rescued last night."

Caoimhe gives me a wary look, shrinking back slightly. I keep my distance, not wanting to frighten her further.

"Nice to meet you, Caoimhe," I say softly. "You're safe here. No one's going to hurt you."

She nods but doesn't speak. Grà puts a gentle hand on her arm. "Why don't you go rest for a bit? I'll check on you later, okay?"

As Caoimhe walks away, Grà turns back to me, her face set with determination. "We need to find who's behind this, Con. These bastards can't get away with it."

“Caoimhe?” I hear Cowboy growl.

Turning, I watch as my brother storms toward the frightened woman and hauls her to him.

“Ciarán.” The woman shudders against him. “Ciarán,” she whimpers.

“I’ve got you, Caoimhe,” he says gently, something that I’ve never heard him do before. “You’re coming with me,” he says, his tone brooking no arguments. He turns his stare to Jer. “I want to know everything,” he snaps, before walking away with Caoimhe in his arms.

“What just happened?” Grá asks, her eyes wide and her lips parted. “Is she okay?”

“He’s not going to hurt her,” I tell her. There’s no way he’d do anything to her other than protect her. I’ve never seen Cowboy even remotely protective of anyone. Until now.

Whoever the fuck has done this, God help them. Cowboy is going to tear them a-fucking-part.

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