Page 36 of The Specialist

I grinned. “Come back, and I’ll carry you elsewhere and make you feel good. There must be an empty room, yes?”

She shook her finger, admonishing me. “I am at work.”

I grabbed her finger, kissing it in contrition. “I only came to bring you food before I go to the job. I made you soup.”

Her eyes softened. “Thank you. You are so good to me.”

“I like being good to you. But you’re still going to pay for that stunt, Sofia.” I dragged her back into my arms and kissed her. Hard. Wet. Deep and possessive. I kissed her until she was shaking, her whimpers music to my ears. I stepped back, liking the flush on her cheeks. The way her lips were red and swollen from mine. The glazed look in her eyes.

“You’re mine. Don’t forget it.” Then I winked. “Have a good night. If I survive the teenagers, I’ll see you in the morning. I’ll be waiting for you in my bed. Naked.” I paused. “Hungry. And ready to be appeased. Think about that the next time Dr. Mitchell pays a visit.”

She grinned, not at all worried. “See you later, then.”

I left, stopping one of the nurses. “Is there a Dr. Mitchell here?”

“No.”

Satisfied, I nodded. “Good.”

I ignored Sofia’s laughter I heard behind me. Although I loved making her laugh, I kept going.

I walked out the door, not even the sight of a parking ticket dampening my mood. I was already looking forward to the morning. I’d be happy to play doctor for Sofia. Or her patient. Whichever got her hands and mouth on me fast.

If I survived tonight, that was. Somehow I had a feeling dealing with criminals might be easier than teenage girls.

I only hoped I was wrong.

* * *

Being Friday, the movie theater was crowded. But we got the girls into their seats, popcorn, snacks, and drinks in hand. They were all surprisingly well-behaved and down-to-earth. Not a diva in the bunch. They said please and thank you. They talked among themselves, laughing, and sharing jokes. Not a single cell phone was out unless someone wanted a picture, and it was used, then slid into a pocket. Iona looked happy, excited to be out. I had two female Elite guards with their kids in the row in front of the girls. They blended perfectly. At the end of each row was another guard with their family. I was going to be behind them, in the seat directly in line with Iona. A couple of other sets of parents, including Iona’s, would be beside me. The girls were well protected.

I was speaking with Malcolm, listening to the girls and watching the theater, when someone gasped. I tensed, then relaxed when I realized one girl had dropped her popcorn. She was upset, bending to pick up the almost-empty container. The movie would start in five minutes, and I held up my hand to stop one of my men from moving. “I’ll get another one,” I said. “Malcolm, you and your wife take your seats.”

I hurried to the concession stand, getting another popcorn, keeping my eyes on the door. As I turned, I saw a man enter the theater, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. It looked like Alex, the height and bright color and cut of his hair familiar. I dodged the lineup behind me, entering the theater and scanning the crowd. Iona and her friends were fine, and there was no one out of place. I didn’t see the bright-gold hair anywhere. I gave the popcorn to Mike and asked him to watch for the next few moments.

I covered the theater fast. I couldn’t see Alex anywhere. If, in fact, it had been him. I returned to the seats as the previews finished, sitting down. “Eyes open,” I muttered into my earpiece. “I thought I saw something. Tall guy, bright-gold mohawk. Keep on the lookout.”

As the audience became engrossed in the film, we watched the room. I scanned it over and over. And while I never saw anything amiss, I couldn’t relax. My mind went a hundred miles an hour. How would Alex know we’d be here? Had the system been hacked? Was I being followed and I hadn’t noticed? As soon as this party was over, I planned to head to the office and do some deep digging. I would contact Leo as well on the way to the bowling alley.

The movie finished, and as agreed, we waited until the crowd was mostly dispersed to take the girls to the cars. They were all chatting about the movie, in love with the lead teen heartthrob.

“Did you like it, Egan?” Iona asked me.

“Yeah, it was, ah, great.”

She nodded enthusiastically. “I know, right? It appeals to every age group. He is so dreamy!”

I only smiled, not wanting her to know I hadn’t watched a second of the movie and if Mr. Dreamy appeared in front of me, I would have no idea.

At the bowling alley, we went right to the private room. Presents and pizza were waiting. I left men on the doors and checked out the entire building. I saw nothing out of the ordinary, but my anxiety didn’t lessen. I called Leo to tell him what I thought I had seen.

“How would he know?” he asked. “Our firewalls are solid. Damien and you built the system.”

“I don’t know,” I replied. “Maybe he’s following me?”

Leo snorted. “I doubt there is anyone who could follow you and you not know, Egan.”

“Maybe a new hire got befriended? Said something out of turn?” I said, grasping at straws.