Page 68 of The Specialist

“And you will. We will.” Matteo spoke up.

I lifted my head, meeting Marcus’s gaze. His voice was firm when he spoke.

“We’re going to figure this out, and then we’re going to save Sofia and end this lowlife. Him and his people. Then you’re retiring for good.”

I nodded.

“Your house is ready,” Matteo murmured.

I had already made up my mind.

“We’ll take it.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Sofia

I woke up, my head throbbing and my body feeling as if it had been hit by a Mack truck. I slowly opened my eyes, the room around me dim. I was facing a wall, the surface damp and moldy. I could feel my arms behind my back, my wrists bound together. My feet were tied as well.

The sudden recollection of the stairwell, the rag over my mouth and nose, and the horrible feeling of knowing I had been tricked rushed back.

I had been kidnapped.

My breathing picked up as panic set in. I concentrated on regulating my breaths, recalling a conversation Damien had with me long ago.

“If you’re ever taken, Sofia, ever in danger and knocked out, the first thing to do when you wake up is to listen. Try to ascertain where you are. Listen for voices, traffic, footsteps. Don’t react. Don’t panic. Let them think you’re still out and try to grasp the situation. Find the weak spots. Figure out how to escape safely. Look around every chance you get to find a way out.”

I had stared at him. “Is that likely to happen?”

“No. And if it did, I would find you. But I’m telling you anyway.”

I didn’t move. I shut my eyes again and listened. The building creaked and moaned. I could hear the wind outside and I thought maybe the sound of rain, but it was muffled, which meant I wasn’t near a window or a roof. The floor under me was hard and unforgiving. Cold. In the distance, I could hear voices, sometimes louder than others, but I wasn’t able to hear what they were saying. Those few louder words let me know it wasn’t English they were speaking.

I thought of what Egan had told me. How worried he had been. He had been correct, and now they had me.

Which meant they had leverage over him.

A door opened, slamming into the wall. I was unable to help myself from jumping at the sudden sound. But I wasn’t prepared when rough hands picked me up, dragging me across the floor, and crashing me into a chair.

“I know you’re awake. Open your eyes.”

I slowly lifted my lids, keeping my head down. The man wrapped a rope around my waist, securing me to the chair. He grabbed my chin and lifted my face. I was met with flat blue eyes. They were like ice, cold and unforgiving. His dark hair hung around his face, and he looked vicious. I had trouble focusing, and my eyes drifted shut again.

“Finally. Stupid idiot put too much chloroform on the rag.” He shook my shoulders roughly. “Stay awake or you’ll be sorry.”

Despite my fear, I drifted, suddenly waking as a hand slapped my face. I opened my eyes, meeting the dark gaze of another man. He smiled, the action making me shiver. He was even scarier than the first guy. His recently broken nose was red and swollen, out of place on the otherwise perfect lines of his face. Perfect, I surmised immediately, due to the skill of a surgeon, not the gift of nature.

“There you are. How are you feeling, Sofia?”

I narrowed my eyes. “As if you care.”

He smiled again. “Ah, but I do.” He brushed my hair off my face, and I jerked back, the movement causing my already aching head to hurt more.

“Don’t touch me,” I spat.

He stood straighter. “A fighter. Of course the deadly ghost would have a fighter as a lover.” He stroked his lip. “How strong a fighter are you, Sofia?”

“Strong enough to survive you. You, however, won’t survive Egan.”