Page 32 of The Specialist

“You are incredibly caveman-ish, Egan.”

“For you, yes. I had never experienced such intense feelings for a stranger before. You left, and Damien returned to the table. I asked him why he hadn’t introduced us, and he said he wouldn’t do that unless I was part of the team. He was very protective of you. I told Marcus I was in.”

She gaped at me. “Because of me? You agreed to be part of HJ because you wanted to meet me?”

“It was the, ah, tip of the ice cream?” I responded, then frowned. “No. The tip of the sundae.”

She chuckled. “The cherry on the sundae. The tip of the iceberg is the other saying.”

“Well, it was both. You were the deciding factor, and I knew we would have a deep connection.” I grinned at her. “I was right.”

“That was a long time ago.”

“I know. But I had to prove myself to Marcus. To Damien. I had to earn their trust before I could earn yours. And I knew from the moment I met you it was going to take a long time. You had a sadness about you, a thick wall that I had to break down. It took time, but it was worth it, iubirea mea.”

She clasped my hands, and I lifted them, kissing her knuckles.

“Now I wish to hear your story.”

She studied our hands, then sighed. “When Damien began working with Hidden Justice, he didn’t tell me. I thought he had a programming job that kept him busy and he went on a lot of business trips. He moved in to this building, and I was only ever here once. He would come visit me, or we’d meet in a restaurant.”

“Too many secrets here.”

“Yes. I never really thought about it. He was a bachelor and busy. We spoke a lot, and he was always there if I needed him. We got together regularly, and I had never really been the sort to just drop by to say hello, so nothing tweaked. But one night, we were supposed to go out to dinner, and he asked if we could postpone. He said he wasn’t feeling well. I checked on him the next day and he sounded okay, and he agreed to come over to my place for dinner that night. He seemed off. He didn’t hug me, which was unusual. I ordered in food, and he picked at it. That told me something since he has always had a big appetite. He was pale and he kept wincing. He looked tired, and I noticed he was sweating. When I asked, he said he was still getting over the flu. I told him I thought it was something else. He denied it.”

“And?”

“I put my hand on his shoulder, and he flinched. I got mad and demanded to know what was wrong. I refused to let him leave, and finally, he showed me his arm. He said he’d had an accident and gotten some stitches. I knew he was lying. I knew a gunshot wound when I saw one, but I was mostly concerned about the fact that his stitches were infected and a couple had popped. I cleaned him up and restitched him. I had some antibiotics in my bag and made him take them. He stayed the night so I could watch him. I called in a favor and got my shift covered, and by the next day, he was getting better. Then I told him I wasn’t stupid and knew what a gunshot wound looked like. I told him he had thirty seconds to start talking or I was going to the police.”

“I bet he didn’t like that.”

She tossed her hair. “I didn’t give a damn. I wanted the truth.”

I leaned forward, grasping her neck and pulling her to me. I kissed her until she was breathless, then released her.

“What was that for?”

“You looked so fucking sexy, talking all tough and haughty. ‘I didn’t give a damn,’” I mimicked her. “So fierce, my Sofia.”

“Should I continue? Are you done?”

“For now.”

She blinked. Touched her lips. Then kept talking. “Damien told me everything. What he did. How he got involved. He’d been at a raid and took a bullet at the top of his shoulder. He hates doctors, and although Marcus had him looked at and the wound stitched up, Damien didn’t tell anyone it was getting infected. He was sure it would heal. I was furious at him. For lying to me. For risking his life. For not taking better care of himself.” She huffed. “He told me it was rare for them to get hurt, but it did happen on occasion. I made him drive me to his place and show me HJ. I was still angry when Marcus walked in on us. I told him off, including how Damien wasn’t looking after himself. How his men needed an in-house doctor for their injuries. Someone who could care for them and follow up.”

“What did Marcus do?”

“He listened to me. Let me rant. Agreed he needed that. Then told me Damien had informed him I disliked the hospital I was at, but he knew that I had to work. He offered me a position as their primary caregiver.”

“And you agreed.”

“Not at first. He showed me the room he could set up, promised me all the top medical equipment. Assured me anything that was more serious, he had connections for proper medical care in the hospital. Showed me this apartment where I could live as part of the deal. Explained more about what HJ did. How they helped save innocent lives. I was still angry about Damien, but it was tempting. I told Marcus I was worried about that world. I didn’t want to be part of an illegal operation. He assured me I would remain safe and anonymous. Damien explained the layers of secrecy they had, and although they were deep under cover, they weren’t illegal. They were ghosts. Disavowed by the people who funded them for their own safety. I thought about it, met some of the team, and decided to do it. HJ paid off my student loans and paid me a salary. They got me on part time at the hospital I wanted to work at so I had income and a place to practice my skills. The same place where I still work, except now I’m full time. I became the in-house medical care for HJ.”

“How did Damien feel about it?”

“He wasn’t happy with it at first, but he agreed it was the best solution. Aside from the new address, my life didn’t change that much except I knew what was going on. I worried, but I trusted Marcus and Damien.”

“Do you regret it?”