Page 17 of The Specialist

“So, yes?”

She stood, shaking her head. “No, you impatient man. Not yet.”

She walked down the hall, muttering under her breath, but I grinned.

Not yet.

It was as good as a yes.

I wondered if I could convince Sofia to marry me before Damien and Raven. We could travel to the island as husband and wife.

It seemed doable.

* * *

The next morning, I got ready for the day.

As much as I hated to leave her, I had businesses that needed me, and I knew Sofia needed some downtime and space from me. She was a thinker. She would take the events of the past days and mull them over. Dissect them and overthink. It was the way she processed things. I had to let her do her thing so she could settle into our relationship. I could only pray she didn’t decide to stop it. I kissed her long and deep enough before leaving, to tip the scales. That, plus the fact that I dressed to head into Elite, wearing a suit. Her eyes lit up when she saw me. I knew the businessman aspect helped soothe her nerves. It cemented the fact in her head that my HJ days were behind me and what I did now posed no threats.

At Elite, I sat with Leo, and we met with two prospective clients. Both were celebrities who would be in town for filming and would require round-the-clock protection. We agreed to the right person, the contracts, and the length of term. After they left, Leo sat back with a grin.

“The docket is damn full. We may need to hire a couple more people.”

“Awesome. Damien set off the trajectory well.”

“You help.”

“Sorry?”

“You look like a hit man. Talk like a gentleman. Act like a gun for hire. You’re the whole package. Clients love you.” He grinned. “You’re the most requested bodyguard we have. I’ve added a premium rate for your services.” He winked drolly. “And the word ‘unavailable’ drives up the price fast. I have one client willing to pay a small fortune for you for a private function.”

He handed me a folder, and I glanced at it, my eyebrows shooting up at the quote.

“They aren’t serious.”

“They are. It’s Malcolm Weston’s daughter’s birthday. She wants a movie night with her friends, he wants her protected. He’s high-profile enough to warrant it.”

“And rich enough to afford it,” I finished. “But I can’t look after an entire group of girls.” I rubbed my forehead, thinking of the drama a group of teenagers could cause.

“No, you and three others. But you, specifically, watching the daughter.”

“When is it?”

“Soon. It’s a Friday night.”

“Fine. Get all the particulars.”

“Awesome.”

I shook his hand and left, heading for the gallery that displayed my paintings. I was pleased when I got there to find two had been sold. Carmen, the owner, smiled widely. “They loved them, Egan. Now, I will have two blank spots. Perhaps you have something I can fill them with?”

I laughed. “Soon. I have one done, and the second is almost finished. They’re a duo.”

“Oh, those sell so well. What is the subject?”

“A place I like to go and unwind. It’s a spring and fall view.”

“Perfect. How soon?”