The St Patrick Series Book #1: The St Patrick Bride

Chapter Seventy Three: Coming Home

Christopher's POV
"On three." I looked into Nate's pale blue eyes. "Three, two..." He opened the back door.

"Dude, she's armed." He whispered.

"Stay here. If you have a clean shot, take it." I instructed him.

My eyes settled on Bruce. I can't believe how much he has grown. He's chubby too! My son!

"Allegra, it's over."

"You don't understand. You just don't! Aubrey died on her watch and you did nothing!"

"Aubrey had a condition! It was unpredictable." She inherited a respiratory illness from Allegra's mother. It was on and off. "It wasn't Court's fault!"

"Of course you would say so! You're in love with her! All this could have been avoided if you had gotten me pregnant like I asked!"

I nearly rolled my eyes. What does this woman think I am? A sperm bank?

"Gotten you pregnant? Do you hear yourself? I'm a married man! It will never happen and you had no right to take my kid. Put him down."

I hate how comfortable Bruce is in her arms. The little traitor! Court should see him. He's absolutely clueless about how bad this situation is.

"He's my son now. He could be our son if you leave Court. Leave her and let's disappear together and raise him as our son!"

She has lost it. What makes her think that things are that simple? That demands are met? I glanced at Nate. He shook his head. That's a negative on a clean shot.

"That won't happen Allegra. But if you give me my little boy, there's a chance I'll let you walk. Bruce has nothing to do with this mess. He's innocent. Put him down."

She pressed a kiss on my son before I watched the gun she's holding being pointed at his temple.

"Whoa! Don't do that now!" My father pleaded.

"Stop lying to me! Stop moving!" I screamed. "Back up or I swear I will shoot him! If I can't be a mom, Court can't be either!"

"Easy now Allegra. He's just a kid. I know you love him. I know that. You're upset-"

"Stop telling me how to feel!" She screamed at me.

"Do you love my son?"

"Of course I do! I have loved him since I set eyes on him!"

"Do you want to shoot him?" I asked.

"No... No but you're not giving me any options!"

"What do you want?"

"I want them out! It has to be you and I alone. Tell them to leave."

"Dad." My father backed away towards the front door and made a slow exit. "Buddy." Nate also made an exit. "There. It's just us two. What do you want Allegra? What do you want in exchange for Bruce?"

"You."

"That's a fair trade."

"Empty your pockets. Put everything on the table. Do it now!"

I did as she asked. I put what she could see on the table. Two guns, three knives. "Now it's your turn. Put Bruce down so that h can go outside. Either through the front door or the back door. Alright? Then it will be just us two."

"So that you can kill me?"

"So that we can talk like two reasonable adults. I understand the pain you feel. I struggled through it too. But I got help and I'm better now. I haven't forgotten our daughter. I still think of her. I can still hear her laugh sometimes."