The Specialist

Dear Reader, Thank you for selecting The Specialist to read. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter for up to date information on new releases, exclusive content and sales. You can find the form here: https://bit.ly/MMorelandNewsletter Before you sign up, add [email protected] to your contacts to make sure the email comes right to your inbox! Always fun - never spam! My books are available in paperback and audiobook! You can see all my books available and upcoming preorders at my website. The Perfect Recipe For LOVE xoxo, Melanie THE SPECIALIST by Melanie Moreland Copyright © 2022 Moreland Books Inc. Copyright #1197532 ISBN Ebook 978-1-990803-20-8 All rights reserved Edited by Lisa Hollett of Silently Correcting Your Grammar Proofing by Sisters Get Lit.erary Services Cover design by Karen Hulseman, Feed Your Dreams Designs Cover Photography by Eric D Battershell, O’Snap Media Cover Model Christian Petrovich Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner. This book is a work of fiction. The characters, events, and places portrayed in this book are products of the author's imagination and are either fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. Readers with concerns about content or subjects depicted can check out the content advisory on my website: https://melaniemoreland.com/extras/fan-suggestions/content-advisory/ CONTENTS Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Epilogue Acknowledgments Also Available from Moreland Books About the Author DEDICATION For all the fans who went along for the ride, Love you! A special thanks to Maria Mititelu for all your assistance with this book. I appreciate your valuable explanations to honor Egan’s heritage. And to my Matthew. Always. CHAPTER ONE Egan The hallway was dim, the walls crumbling. Dusty from years of unuse. The mold and decay were all around me. I traced the miles of cable, checking and rechecking every inch. Ensuring the charges were in the correct place, the amount of dynamite exactly as needed to bring down the building in a perfect synchronization of an inward sequence. As always, I felt the thrill of anticipation. The high knowing all the work, the planning, and the intricate details would soon pay off. Soon, where a tall building once stood, only a pile of rubble would remain. Hours passed as I did the final inspection. Everything was perfect. I had overseen every detail, calculated and recalculated the explosives. The building would fall faultlessly. Outside, I headed to the control area. I was alone, which seemed odd, but I continued. I did one final sweep of the building, finding zero heat sources. I hoped no small animals wandered in at the last moment seeking shelter, but I knew it happened at times. The haven they sought became their final resting place, but better them than a homeless person or a curious onlooker. That had never happened, thank God. I checked all the cameras, pleased to see them working. The implosion would be captured as the building went down, both inside and outside. I would use it to study, seeing if I could have changed something, if something needed fixing next time, or God forbid, it didn’t explode the way it should have today. But I was confident. Ready. I looked around as dawn broke. The building would collapse as the sun rose. One life ending as another day began. I felt as if there were some sort of poetic justice. I flicked open all the controls. Checked the area. Began the countdown over the loudspeakers, that was followed by the warnings. Had the thumbs-up and okays from all the people connected to the project. We were all clear. Far from the building on the edge of the site, some people gathered to watch it come down. They were distant enough to be safe but had a great view as the building collapsed. For some, it was a hobby, watching structures being demolished—their fascination endless. Security kept them from getting too close. I frowned as I looked around, wondering why no one else was on-site with me. Usually, a few people watched from behind the controls, but today, it seemed I was alone. Once I had the final all clear, I pressed the button, the one-minute timer beginning to count down to one. Something niggled at me, growing in my mind. I felt a sudden swell of anxiety, then one of pure fear, blossom in my chest. I stumbled back from the controls, gasping for air, unsure what was happening. A small light came on, indicating a heat source in the building. Ignoring the crippling agony in my chest, I checked the cameras, shocked to see a person in the building. I zoomed in, terror dripping from my throat as I focused on the face of the woman sitting in a chair in the middle of an empty building. Sofia. My Sofia. How had she gotten there? What was going on? I pressed the kill switch, horrified when nothing happened. “Get out!” I shouted, pressing it again. “Sofia, my love, get out!” She stared at the camera, shaking her head. I saw she was tied to the chair, helpless. She was trapped high in the building, and I couldn’t get to her. I began to scream her name, desperately hitting the control