Page 19

NINETEEN

BOZO

We’ve still not found out anything else about The Revenant. Everyone is fucking tight-lipped and it pisses me off. Someone out there has to know something and is willing to talk.

Pyro, Raptor, and I enter the clubhouse. I’m shocked to see Gráinne here. I haven’t seen her in weeks. Things have been weird since she told me she wants more. I wish I could be the man to give it to her. I know she deserves better, but fuck, the thought of some other man with her makes me feel murderous.

"Darlin'," Raptor says to his old lady, Mallory. She’s been through shit and is slowly recovering. "Everythin' okay?"

Mallory nods, a bright smile on her lips. "Yeah, I'm good. Just catching up with Grá." Since everything went down with Mallory, Gráinne’s been her doctor and has helped out, and the two women have grown closer.

Raptor turns to Gráinne. "Doc, everythin' okay with her?"

I watch as she clasps her hands together. "Yes, Raptor, her pregnancy is coming along perfectly."

The entire clubhouse descends into silence. "Wanna repeat that?" Raptor growls, and I tense. No one fucking speaks to her like that. He turns to Mallory. "You're pregnant?"

"Surprise," she says weakly. "Yeah, honey, we're having another baby."

He closes the distance between them and hauls her into his arms.

"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 their hands 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.

"You... you love me?" she whispers, her voice barely audible.

I nod, taking a step closer to her. "I do. I think I always have. I’ve pushed you away because I know my family was fucked up. My dad was a cunt and my mam was too weak to stand up to him. But I can't stand the thought of losing you."

Tears well up in her eyes, and she shakes her head. "Connor, you can't just say that and expect everything to be okay. I was trying to get over you. You hurt me by always walking away."

"I know," I say, my voice rough with emotion. "And I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you if you'll let me. Just please, give me a chance to prove it to you."

She takes a shaky breath, and I can see the conflict in her eyes. "What about the club? Your lifestyle? All the reasons you've given me. They haven’t changed.”

I step closer, gently cupping her face in my hands, careful of her bruises. "You're right, they haven't changed. But I have. I realize now that none of that matters if I don't have you. The club, the life—it's all meaningless without you by my side."

Gráinne's eyes search mine, hope and uncertainty warring in her gaze. "Are you sure? Because I can't go through this again, Connor. I won't survive it if you push me away again."

"I'm sure," I say firmly. "I love you, Gráinne. I want all of you. No more running, no more excuses."

She leans in to my touch, her eyes fluttering closed. "I love you, too," she whispers. "God help me, but I do."

I pull her closer, resting my forehead against hers. "Then let me in, Sunshine. Let me help you. Tell me who did this to you."

She tenses in my arms, and I can feel her starting to pull away. "Connor, I?—"

"No more secrets," I say softly. "We're in this together now. Whatever it is, we'll face it together."

Gráinne takes a deep breath, then nods. "I had a patient show up at the hospital. He was injured. I knew he was dangerous, but I’m a doctor, Con. I had to help him. Two men showed up.” She shakes her head, her voice trembling. “I’ve never been so scared in my life. They were threatening my patient. I overheard what they were saying, but I pretended I didn’t.”

I hold her close, my heart racing. “Carry on, Sunshine,” I say, my anger barely concealed.

“My patient was frightened. He had no escape, so he used me as a shield. He had a blade against my throat.” Tears tumble from her eyes.

“He did this?” I ask, my voice barely audible. I’m so fucking angry.

“Last week, one of the men from the hospital turned up here,” she whispers.

My blood runs cold at her words. "What did he want? What did he do?"

Gráinne trembles in my arms. "He said they knew I'd overheard things I shouldn't have. He was here to tie up loose ends. He was going to…" She trails off, unable to finish.

"To what?" I growl, already knowing the answer.

She looks up at me, fear clear in her eyes. "Kill me. They think I know too much."

My mind races, so many thoughts rushing through it. I don’t know anyone who’d want to hurt Grá. "Why didn't you come to me, Gra? To the club?"

She shakes her head. "I was scared. He hurt me, Con. I was so terrified that he’d hurt you or come back for me."

I cup her face gently, mindful of her bruises. "Listen to me. He won’t get to you again," I vow. “No one is going to hurt you again, Grá.”

Gráinne nods, leaning in to my touch. "What are we going to do?"

I press a soft kiss to her forehead. "First, we're going to get you somewhere safe. Then, I'm calling a club meeting. We need to find out who the fuck is behind this."

She looks up at me, worry etched on her face. "Will they help? Even though it's me?"

"You're family now, Sunshine," I say firmly. "And we protect our own.”

“Jer has tightened security here,” she tells me.

“That fucker knew and never told me?” I growl, my anger beyond fucking palpable at this stage.

“I begged him not to, Con. I didn’t want you to be hurt. I didn’t want you to know. I don’t want you involved. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you.”

I clench my jaw, trying to contain my anger. Not at Gráinne, but at the whole fucked up situation. "I appreciate you wanting to protect me, Sunshine, but that's my job. I'm the one who's supposed to keep you safe."

She sighs, leaning her head against my chest. "I know. I just... I've been so scared, Con. I didn't know what to do."

I wrap my arms around her, holding her close. "You don't have to be scared anymore. I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere."

We stand there for a moment, just holding each other. I can feel her trembling slightly, and I tighten my grip, wanting to shield her from everything.

"Pack a bag," I say finally, pulling back to look at her. "You're coming with me to the clubhouse. It's the safest place for you right now."

Gráinne nods, wiping at her eyes. "Okay. What about work?"

"Call in sick," I tell her. "Your safety comes first. We'll figure out the rest later."

As she moves to pack, I pull out my phone and dial Pyro. "We've got a situation," I say when he picks up. "I need your help."

"What's going on, brother?" Pyro asks, concern evident in his voice.

I glance at Gráinne, who's stuffing clothes into a suitcase.

"It's Gráinne," I say, keeping my voice low. "She's in danger. Someone attacked her. I haven’t got the full details yet, but I need her somewhere safe."

There's a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. "Shit. How bad?"

"Bad enough. She's been attacked twice already. I'm bringing her to the clubhouse."

"Alright," Pyro says, his voice grim. "I'll call everyone in once you have the details. We'll figure this out, brother."

I end the call and turn back to Gráinne. She's zipping up her suitcase, her movements jerky and nervous.

"Ready?" I ask, moving to her side.

She nods, but I can see the fear in her eyes. "Con, are you sure about this? I don't want to put anyone else in danger."

I cup her face gently, mindful of her bruises. "Listen to me, Sunshine. You're not putting anyone in danger. We're choosing to help you because we care about you. Because I love you. Got it?"

Gráinne takes a shaky breath, then nods. "Okay. I trust you."

We make our way outside, and I wait until she’s in her car before climbing onto my bike. I wish she was on my bike with me, where I know she’ll be safe, but right now, she’s injured and I’m not sure how fucking bad it is.

As we pull out of Gráinne's driveway, I keep a close eye on her car in my rearview mirror. My mind is racing, trying to piece together everything she's told me. Someone's after her, someone dangerous enough to make her fear for her life. The thought of her going through this alone, thinking she couldn't come to me, makes my chest ache.

The ride to the clubhouse is tense. I’m on fucking edge. I've never felt this kind of fear before, this overwhelming need to protect someone. It's new, and it's terrifying, but I know I'd do anything to keep Gráinne safe.

As we pull into the lot, I see Pyro and Raptor waiting outside. Their faces are grim, and I know they understand the severity of the situation. I park my bike and hurry over to Gráinne's car, opening her door before she can even reach for the handle.

"You okay?" I ask, helping her out.

She nods, but I can see the exhaustion in her eyes. "Just tired," she murmurs.

I wrap an arm around her waist, supporting her as we walk toward the others. Pyro's eyes widen as he takes in Gráinne's bruised face.

"Jesus Christ," he mutters. "What the fuck happened?"

"Let's get inside," I say, not wanting to discuss this out in the open. We enter the clubhouse and I’m surprised to see only Preacher and Wrath sitting down. Everyone else is gone.

“Jesus, Grá,” Preacher says thickly. “The fuck didn’t you say anything?”

“She hasn’t told anyone,” I grunt and see that she’s glaring at me. “But she’s going to tell us what she knows.”

Gráinne sighs but takes a seat. “I don’t know the men. There were three of them. Antoine was a patient. He was beaten really badly. The other two men were looking for him.”

“What did they look like?” Raptor questions, standing against the bar with his arms crossed.

“One of them is blonde and has a scar that runs along his jaw, the other has dark hair and dark eyes. Both men are French.” She pauses, her eyes squinting. “They mentioned the name Dragomir and said that Antoine had displeased him. That was all that I had heard. He never did mention the two men’s names.”

I glance at Pyro, my gut tightening at the description she gave of the two men. They sound very much like the two assholes who were at the poker table in Spain. The two men who are very much a part of The Revenant.

Pyro's eyes meet mine, and I can see he's thinking the same thing. This can't be a coincidence.

"Gráinne," I say, keeping my voice calm despite the storm brewing inside me, "Did you hear anything else? Any other names or places?"

She shakes her head, wincing slightly at the movement. "No, that was all. They were just telling Antoine that he’d fucked up and wouldn’t survive. They ended up killing him. He was found dead a few days after the incident at the hospital."

Raptor pushes off from the bar, his face set in a grim line. "This Dragomir character, he's gotta be connected to The Revenant. It's too much of a coincidence."

"Agreed." Pyro nods, running a hand through his hair. "But why go after Gráinne? She's not involved in any of this shit."

"Wrong place, wrong time," Wrath speaks up, his voice low and dangerous. "She overheard something she shouldn't have and now they're tying up loose ends."

The thought makes my blood boil. Gráinne, my Gráinne, caught in the crosshairs of some fucked up gang war. I pull her closer to me, feeling her tremble slightly.

"What do we do now?" Preacher asks, looking around the room.

I take a deep breath, trying to think clearly through the rage and fear clouding my mind. “Who hurt you?” I ask, needing to know who the fuck turned up at her apartment and hurt her.

“The blonde man. He told me it was easy to find out where I lived. If one of my neighbors hadn't called the police when they did…” She shakes her head, her hand clutching her side. “He told me he was tying up loose ends.”

"Fuck," I growl, my fists clenching at my sides. The thought of that bastard laying his hands on Gráinne makes me see red. I can’t wait to fucking find him. When I do, he’s in for a world of fucking hurt. "We need to find these fuckers and end this. Now."

Pyro nods, his face set in grim determination. "Agreed. But we need to be smart about this. We don't know how deep this Revenant shit goes."

"First things first," Raptor says his voice steady despite the anger I can see in his eyes. "We need to make sure Gráinne's safe. She can't go back to her place. It's not secure enough."

"She'll stay here," I say firmly, leaving no room for argument. "She’ll stay in my room."

Gráinne looks up at me, her eyes wide. "Con, I can't just leave my life behind. What about my job? My patients?"

I cup her face gently, mindful of her bruises. "Sunshine, your safety comes first. We'll figure out the rest later, I promise. But right now, I need you safe."

She hesitates for a moment, then nods, leaning in to my touch. "Okay," she whispers.

"Alright," Pyro says, taking charge. "Wrath, I want you to dig into this Dragomir character. See what you can find out about him and his connection to The Revenant.”

“I need to make a call to Jerry Houlihan. That fucker knew she was injured and never called me.”

Pyro nods. “You do that, and get him to come here. We’re going to need him to help us uncover this shit.”

I rise to my feet and help Grá up. “Let’s get you in bed, Sunshine.”

She nods, her eyes filled with pain and tiredness. “Yeah,” she whispers as she shuffles toward me.

I lift her into my arms, careful not to jostle her. I don’t know where else that fucker has hurt her. Once she’s asleep, I’ll find out what that cunt did to her.

She’s safe here. This is the only place I know she’ll be completely protected. I need that. I can’t fucking lose her.