Page 63 of The Specialist

Sofia’s image flashed in front of me, but I kept my face neutral. “No.”

His voice was soft. “Are you so certain of that?”

“Yes.”

He crossed his legs, swinging his foot. “There are worse things that can happen to your gym aside from some water.”

Sudden rage hit me, but I refused to let him see it. “So that was your handiwork?”

“I wanted your attention. You have more time on your hands now.”

“Not for you.”

“And no place to display your pretty little pictures.”

I had to focus my attention on the wall over his shoulder. He had been responsible for that as well. Once again, my gut had been right.

“Do you not care if you hurt an innocent bystander? That you could have killed a lot of harmless people?” I asked through tight lips, already knowing the answer. He had no regard for human life.

He shrugged. “Alex was careful.”

“Alex was sloppy,” I snapped.

“That’s why I need you.”

I shook my head. It took every ounce of my strength not to lunge forward and wrap my hands around his neck and choke the life out of him. Except I knew Alex and the silent guard would kill me in seconds.

“I would hate to have to destroy that nice building where you make perfume.”

I refused to let him see my distress. Angelica and Warren had done nothing to deserve that happening to them. The loss of their business would devastate them.

“Leave them out of this. I’m barely involved.”

“Or…” he said, his voice low and flinty. Angry. “Your precious Elite.”

“Again, it’s just a building. You can blow up every place that I frequent, Ivan. It won’t change my mind,” I bluffed.

“Then I should kill you right now.”

“Your situation would still exist,” I pointed out. “As long as you think I might be of use, you won’t kill me.”

“So there is nothing you love enough to save from my anger?”

I stood, done with this. Before I was home, Angelica and Warren would be warned to vacate the building. Leo would be told to clear Elite. I would send anyone close to me away from the city. Sofia would be on the next plane to Damien, and then I was going to hunt down this man and his entire operation and eliminate them. For that reason, and that reason alone, I would become the deadly ghost again.

“You’ve taken away the things that mattered. I’m not changing my mind.”

“Not even your home?”

I refused to show him a single glimmer of fear. “It’s walls and a roof.”

His mouth tightened. “You are stubborn.”

“What I am is done. I am not for hire.” I tapped the file on the table. “That man does not exist. Find someone else. Forget you ever met me. I plan to forget about you,” I lied.

I was almost to the door when he spoke again.

“And what about your lovely doctor Sofia? Is she not worth it?”