Page 89 of Taming Irish

“I believeye.”

“I wanted this so much.” Her words soundfrantic.

“Okay.” Slowly, I place the coffees and the ridiculous stuffed animal down beside me, then ease my way up, careful not to spook her. “Can I seehim?”

“I…don’t…”

“Can I see myson?”

She bites her bottom lip and frowns, pulling Axel tighter against her chest. The baby lets out a tiny, pathetic little wail. “I don’tknow.”

“He sounds like he’s hungry.” I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. I just know I need to get the kid away fromher.

“He should be ours,” she mutters incoherently. “We would have beenhappy.”

“Emily, let me seehim.”

“You promise we can be a family? That we can gohome?”

“Home?”

“Our apartment. I’ve been waiting for you. Every night, I slept in our bed. Waiting. But you never came home. And then…” Her eyes dart around and she shifts nervously from one foot to the other, glancing back at Makena. She points at her, clutching the baby in her other arm. “Then, I saw you withher.”

It takes me a second to register that the glint of metal in her hand is agun.

Fuck.

“Emily, put the gun down. Whatever ye want, I’ll give it toye.”

“You’re lying. You love her. I see it.” She points the gun at me, then back at Makena. “We’ll never be a real family until she’sgone.”

“She won’t be a problem.” I take another step towardher.

Where the hell is Security? I didn’t realize what a Code Pink was when I’d heard it. But they have to have the hospital shut down bynow.

“She’s going to leave,” I say, the words directed at Makena. “Now.”

She gives a small shake of herhead.

Dammit,Makena.

I take another step towards Emily, and she points the gun at me again. But, at least it’s offMakena.

“Ye don’t want to hurt me.” I take another step closer, and she moves back. “Or our baby.” I’ll play along with thefantasy.

“I just want ourfamily.”

“I know. Just give me the gun, so no one getshurt.”

My next step has her eyes widening, and if it’s possible, her expression becomes even more crazed. She turns the gun on the baby, placing it against the infant’s temple, making him waillouder.

“Shane,” Makena whimpers, tears running down hercheeks.

“I’ll do it.” Emily shifts back and forth, from foot to foot, then she points the gun back at Makena, and I watch in horror as her finger slides the trigger back. “I’ll kill youall.”

“Get the baby!” Makena shouts, right before the gunfires.

Time freezes. The blast of the gun is still ringing in my ears as I tackle the woman, careful to use my body as a shield for the infant, cradling his head against my chest as I peel the gun out of Emily’shands.

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