Page 71 of The Specialist

She frowned, confused, then Ivan stepped beside her. “Enough chat. You will do what I want first.”

He looked furious. His nose caught my attention. It looked terrible. Swollen, red, and painful, the wound fresher than I expected. As if it had been hit again. I glanced back at Sofia, wondering if somehow she was responsible for that. Pride filled my chest at the thought.

Sofia shook her head, the movement slight, but I saw it. She was telling me not to do anything. She had no idea what was going to happen.

“What is it you want?”

“I have a target for you. It requires a bomb and no survivors. Nothing must be left of the contents, the people, or the building. You have three days to plan and construct.”

Damien made a rolling motion with his hand, telling me to keep going.

“Three days?” I snorted. “Obviously you know nothing about explosives. That takes weeks of planning.”

“You have three days. Every day you delay past that, a body part will be removed from your love and sent to you.”

Sofia’s face paled, her eyes widening in fear. I tamped down the rage I was feeling, keeping my voice level. “You touch one hair on her head, add one more bruise to her face, and your end will be so painful you will be begging for death, Ivan.”

He laughed, the sound ruthless and cold. “Such threats. I hold all the cards here. I have your woman. You want her alive, you will do what I say.” He gripped her shoulder. “And you should tell her to behave.”

She jerked away from him, glaring. “Touch me again, asshole, I’ll do worse.”

Her words confirmed my suspicions. She had hit him. My brave, feisty woman.

I dropped my head in pretend defeat to hide my smirk. Then I glanced up. “I need schematics. If you want a building gone and no survivors, I have to implode it. Bring it down on them, with a second bomb to finish the job. I need to know how to wire it. I need floor plans, pictures. A job like that requires planning or it won’t work.”

He grinned in triumph. “They will be sent.”

“I will need hands. I will have to hire a crew. I cannot build it by myself.”

“I will provide men. Alex will help.”

“No. I need my men. Those who know my work,” I lied. “Alex can help at the end, but I need experience, given your time frame.”

Sofia shook her head wildly now. “No, Egan, no! You save the other people. You always save the most people you can!”

I met her eyes, knowing that was the doctor in her talking. I would normally agree with her under regular circumstances. But in this case, there was no choice, and the decision was easy to make.

“All that matters is you, Sofia.”

“He’s not going to let me go—you know that,” she cried. “He will kill me anyway!”

It took everything in me not to assure her she’d be safe with me soon. I had to pretend. And if it came down to a real choice, I would still do it. She came above everyone else.

“I have no choice. I have to do this.”

She became angry.

“Isn’t that perfect,” she spat. Then she spewed off some words in Italian, all of them sounding angry.

“I have no choice,” I repeated, sounding crushed. “I have to try.”

She began to speak, but a gag was placed over her mouth, and the camera focused on Ivan.

“You will have blueprints and information within the hour. You have three days. Send your list to the email the blueprints come from. Materials will be delivered by this evening.”

“You harm her, and you’ll answer to me.”

“She is safe as long as you do what I want.”