Hold You Close

by Jessica Linden

  She’d been so naive.

  Tony lips pressed into a hard line. “He’s getting desperate.”

  “Desperate men do desperate things,” Ginny whispered. She would know—it was her own desperation that prompted her to get tangled up with him in the first place. Her stomach clenched and she rested her head in her hands.

  She didn’t know what to expect from Fedor. He was capable of anything, including harming someone she cared about to send a message. She never would have guessed he’d go to Becca. Who else had she put in danger?

  Tony knelt in front of her and lifted her chin so she looked at him. “It’ll be okay.”

  “Will it?” Ginny heard the dead, monotone quality to her voice and it was like the sound was coming from someone else. “Because I don’t think so.”

  Tony stared back at her, his expression becoming grim. He didn’t bother to reassure her again, and she was grateful for that. There were no guarantees he could give her that would ring true.

  Tony stood and pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Do you have her address?”

  “Somewhere.” Ginny scrolled through her phone while Tony made a call.

  “Knox,” Tony said into his phone. “Where are you? Perfect. Can you do me a favor? Drive by this address.” He looked over at Ginny and she rattled off the address. “Let me know what you see.”

  “What is he looking for?” Ginny asked, not understanding why Tony would ask Knox to drive by her friend’s house.

  Tony hesitated for a moment. “Barkov has men stationed outside your parents’ house.”

  Ginny gasped. “We have to warn them!”

  “It’s better they don’t know. If they start acting suspicious, that might prompt Barkov to move.”

  “Move? Move how?” She was becoming hysterical, but she couldn’t stop it. Everyone she’d ever cared about in her life was in danger. How far would Fedor go to find her?

  Thank God he didn’t know about her relationship with Tony. If a bull’s-eye ended up on him because of her . . . she couldn’t bear to think about it.

  “I don’t know,” Tony said. “He’s unpredictable.”

  At least he didn’t try to sugarcoat it for her. Her plan to fix her family’s problems was falling apart worse than she ever could have imagined.

  And she’d been safely tucked away this whole time, not realizing her parents could be in trouble. The thought hadn’t even occurred to her because Fedor wanted her, not them. They were inconsequential to Fedor.

  But not to Ginny. And that was the scary part—he knew just how to hurt her.

  How many other people would Fedor target to get to her? Should she come up with a list of people to contact? What would she say to them? Beware my psycho ex-fiancé?

  Dread mixed with nausea took hold over her.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” She stood as she lashed out. Tony had known this whole time and he hadn’t said a word. She might not have been smart enough on her own to figure out that Fedor would involve her friends and family, but she still deserved to know. This was her problem.

  “I’m monitoring the situation,” Tony said, crossing his arms.

  “That’s not what I asked,” Ginny snapped. She’d just gotten away from one domineering man. Hell if she would put up with the same shit from Tony, even if his reasons were honorable. “They’re my parents. You should have told me.”

  “There’s nothing you can do without giving yourself up to Barkov.” His tone told her in no uncertain terms that he wouldn’t allow that to happen.

  “Which I would gladly do to save my parents!”

  “They don’t need to be saved,” Tony said evenly. “Not yet, anyway.”

  Tony’s phone rang and he stepped away to take the call, leaving Ginny fuming. True, she’d made some mistakes recently, but that didn’t make her an imbecile who needed to be kept in the dark. She’d been taking care of herself—and her family—for a long time and she’d continue to do so, no matter the consequences.

  Tony’s comment of “not yet” rang in her mind. She’d do whatever it took to keeps things from escalating to the point of anyone she loved needing to be saved from Barkov.

  Tony stepped back into the room, his expression dark. “That was Knox. Barkov has a car sitting out in front of Becca’s house.”

  “Shit, shit, shit,” Ginny whispered. Her anger at Tony keeping information from her melted into fear. “I can’t let this continue. I need to talk to Fedor.”

  Tony shook his head. “No. The only thing you need to do is stay safe.”

  “You don’t get to decide for me!”

  They stood several feet apart in a stare-down, neither one giving any ground. Ginny wished more than anything she could hide until the situation blew over, but that simply wasn’t going to happen. She’d had her head in the sand long enough. It was time to take action.

  “I won’t risk you,” Tony said fiercely.

  “And I won’t risk my friends and family,” Ginny shot back. “That’s nonnegotiable. I won’t let them pay for my mistake.”

  Tony’s mouth twisted as he glared at her. He could stare at her like that all he wanted—she was not going to back down.

  Her phone rang, and she considered ignoring it so they could finish the conversation but thought better of it. She checked the screen. It was Chandra, a coworker she sometimes went to lunch with.

  “Ginny, is everything okay?” Chandra’s voice was rushed.

  “Yes, I’m fine,” Ginny said, trying to keep her tone light. She glanced up at Tony who hovered close. “Just taking a few days off.”

  “Okay.” Chandra drew out the word, not sounding convinced.

  “Why?” Ginny gripped the phone as she waited for an answer, knowing what Chandra would say but hoping she was wrong.

  “Fedor was just here, asking about you. I told him I didn’t know where you were, but that I’d let you know he was looking for you.”

  “Oh?” Ginny closed her eyes and her blood ran cold. “Did my parents talk to him?”

  Please, no. Keep them out of this.

  “No. I’m the only one he talked to. It was weird. He caught me out in the parking lot. And he was very insistent I let you know.”

  “Well, thanks for calling, then.” She ended the call before Chandra could ask more questions she’d have to answer with lies.

  “Who was that?” Tony asked.

  “Chandra, a coworker. Fedor talked to her, too. And he told her to let me know he was looking for me.”

  Tony and Ginny were silent for a few moments, and she contemplated what that message really meant. Was Fedor sending her a warning?

  Though she hadn’t taken any of his calls, he hadn’t left her a single voicemail, either. She had no way to even guess his motivations.

  But they couldn’t be good.

  “If you know her address, I can ask Knox to swing by and check things out,” Tony said.

  Ginny cocked her head to the side. “Is this Natalie’s Knox?” She hadn’t picked up on that before. “I didn’t realize you two knew each other that well.”

  Tony gave her a bland stare, leaving Ginny wondering what he was hiding behind it. “You have no idea,” he said finally.

  He didn’t offer any additional information, and Ginny let it go. She trusted Tony, and he could keep his secrets for now. She had other things to worry about.

  “Chandra should be at work right now,” Ginny said, “and anyway, I don’t know where she lives. We’re just work friends.”

  “He probably has someone posted at your office. And basically everywhere else you might show up.”

  With a sick feeling she realized he was right.

  Ginny’s stomach rolled. She was in for one hell of a fight to get her life back.

  Chapter 16

  Hands on hips, Tony stared at the closed bedroom door. Ginny had just gone to shower. He wanted to comfort her, but he wouldn’t lie to her, either. It was a fine line.

  He couldn’t promise her everyt
hing would be all right. But he could promise he would do everything in his power to make it that way.

  It still wasn’t enough. Goddammit.

  He never should have let her out of his life all those years ago. He’d been young and stupid. Maybe if he’d had his head on straight then, she wouldn’t be in this mess now.

  They, he mentally corrected. She wasn’t in this alone.

  His phone rang, and he answered it.

  “It’s Phil. I hope you’re sitting down.”

  Shit. Tony suspected his father was up to no good, but it still sucked having it confirmed.

  “What did you find?”

  “That pill is an opioid, similar to OxyContin but a lot more . . . let’s just say a lot more. It’s almost twice as strong, giving a high that lasts twice as long. But it’s much more addicting.”

  “How much more are we talking?” Not that it mattered. Less or more addicting, something like this shouldn’t be mixed up with Adamo Enterprises.

  “I can’t say for sure since I only have this one pill, but a rough estimate? Maybe four times as addicting.”

  Fuck. Tony rubbed his neck. “Can you send me the findings?”

  “Already on their way.” Phil paused. “There’s no way this sucker should be prescribed by any self-respecting doctor, and that’s if it ever gets FDA approval, which is doubtful. But Tony, this is the type of drug addicts would kill for, and I mean that literally.”

  Tony thanked his friend and ended the call.

  Shit. The recent break-in at Adamo took on new significance. What if the addict had gotten hold of this? And what if that was all a front? Who else knew about this pill? Could someone have been trying to get it?

  Tony had had the urge to punch his father in the face more times than he could count, but never more than now. How could he do this to Nonno’s company?

  The timing couldn’t be worse. Ginny needed his full attention. But as much as Tony would like to put this problem on the back burner, he couldn’t ignore it.

  His father wasn’t working alone—that much he knew for certain. Tony thought back to the phone call he overheard. His father used his cell phone, which the company paid for.

  Tony dialed Ingrid. “Can you please send me the log-in information for our cell phone carrier?”

  “Why?” She sounded suspicious and, sadly, she had every right to be. This wasn’t a normal request. He trusted her, but he wasn’t going to confide in her. The fewer people who knew about this, the better—both for the company’s protection and their own.

  “Just do it, please,” Tony replied gruffly, hating having to respond to her this way, to keep her in the dark when she was almost as invested in the company as he was. Just another reason to despise his father.

  “Yes, sir.” She hung up and Tony cringed. Oh, well. It couldn’t be helped. He’d make it up to her.

  Tony rubbed his temples as he heard the shower turn off. Ginny was already pissed at him for not telling her about Barkov’s men outside her parents’ house. But he wasn’t going to tell her about the troubles at Adamo. She already had enough to worry about and it’s not like there was anything she could do to help him, anyway.

  No, he needed to keep this under wraps for now, especially since he didn’t have all the facts. At least one other person besides his father was involved, but that couldn’t be it. Had his father sucked Adamo employees into his scheme? The thought sickened him. While he didn’t know all of the people his company employed, he knew a fair share, and they were good, hardworking people.

  Damn, he wished he knew more about the goings-on in the lab. He’d never spent much time there, and staying home this week wouldn’t help with that. It might seem suspicious if he all of a sudden started loitering, though.

  He doubted the pills were being manufactured in the lab, anyway. There’s no way unauthorized activity like that would go unnoticed by Dr. Gilbert.

  He needed to find out who the other players were before he took action. And then, what action? This would break Nonna’s heart. And what about his mother?

  This was the first time since Nonno’s passing that he was grateful the old man was gone.

  He wanted to kill his father for making him feel that way.

  * * *

  Ginny toweled her hair dry after taking a much too long shower. She’d let the near-boiling water pour over her body as the steam cleared her mind.

  Tomorrow. She’d talk to both Veronica and Fedor tomorrow at the latest. She’d take today to think things through and prepare, but hearing from her friends and learning that Fedor had men stationed outside her parents’ house meant she couldn’t wait any longer than that. Tony wouldn’t like it, but it wasn’t up to him. She appreciated everything he was doing for her—and she’d continue to accept his help—but she wouldn’t be dissuaded, either.

  She returned to the living room. Tony was working on his laptop with a serious, almost perturbed expression, but he closed it immediately when she curled up on the other end of the couch next to her abandoned paperback.

  “You don’t have to stop on my account,” she said. “I know you must have work to do.” He started to deny it, but she poked him with her foot. “Don’t lie.”

  “Okay,” he admitted, flashing a half-grin she’d always found utterly sexy. He lightly tickled the bottom of her foot and she yanked it back. “I do have a few things going on. But nothing is more important than you.”

  Her heart skipped a beat, then picked up the pace to double time. She put a hand over it, hoping to slow it before it beat its way out of her ribcage. “Why do you keep doing that? You keep saying these things.”

  “Because they’re true.”

  “But you don’t even know me anymore.”

  “I do know you.” He lightly ran her thumb over her features—first her eyes, then her nose, then her mouth. She was disappointed when he returned his hand to the top of the couch. “I know you’ll do anything to help your family and not expect anything in return. I know you love your sister even though she’s selfish and petty. I know you’re simple—not complicated. You mean what you say and you wear your heart on your sleeve, except your heart is so big it barely fits.”

  Her breath caught in her throat as she listened to a glimpse of herself from his perspective. There was admiration in his voice and respect in his gaze.

  Something else, too. Something hotter and much more primal.

  “We haven’t talked for years,” she whispered. So why did she feel such a strong pull toward him? It was like the years they hadn’t seen one another didn’t exist, except her feelings were amplified.

  “I’m sorry about that.”

  “I get it,” Ginny said quickly, not wanting him to think she blamed him. “You were engaged to my sister and when that ended, it’s understandable that you wouldn’t keep in touch with her family.”

  “That was a mistake on my part.” Tony looked down for a moment before returning his gaze to her eyes. “You were always more than just Veronica’s little sister. I denied it at the time, but I’m not denying it anymore.”

  Ginny forgot to breathe. How could she when he looked at her like she was the only thing that mattered? There were so many emotions written on his face—need and longing mixed with a touch of anguish.

  “You could have died,” Tony said quietly. “Barkov could have killed you.”

  She closed her eyes, considering the possibility. She wanted to deny it, to say that would never happen, but it would be a lie. She could no longer pretend Fedor was anything but a ruthless criminal in an expensive suit.

  He easily could have killed her. She had no doubt he had the means to dispose of a body. Her body. God, that was creepy.

  A chill shuddered through her body as she realized what a dangerous situation she’d put herself in.

  She felt like she’d escaped death. She could be dead right now. Instead, she was sitting on a couch with man who cared about her.

  If that wasn’t a second chance, she didn’t
know what was. She should seize what was right in front of her. She didn’t want to get to the end of her life and be left with regrets and wondering what if she had taken the chance—the chance on Tony, on herself, on love.

  Her feelings for him were unquestionable, so what was she waiting for?

  Before she could talk herself out of it, she scooted over on the couch until she was next to Tony. Tentatively, she put a hand on his cheek. When his eyes, full of warmth and tenderness, met hers, she knew she was making the right move.

  Taking a deep breath, she brought her mouth toward his and kissed him, hesitantly at first. Though this wasn’t the first kiss they’d shared, it somehow felt like it was. It was the first one that could actually signify the start of something.

  She worked her lips slowly over his, savoring the feel of them. Tentatively, she flicked his lips with her tongue.

  With a low growl, he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her body flush against his. The kiss deepened, turned hot as her tongue explored his mouth. Gone was the hesitancy. Gone was the uncertainty. In their place was something that could only be described as right.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. God, his nearness was intoxicating and her head felt light. Her heart pounded in a rhythm that only Tony could incite.

  When his mouth left hers and traveled to her throat, she fisted her hands on his shirt and let out a moan.

  At the sound, he stilled.

  “Fuck,” he said, pulling away from her. He ran a hand over his face.

  She moved away from him, her eyes wide. He stared back at her, but she couldn’t read his expression.

  “Ginny, I’m sorry. I—”

  “No, it’s okay,” she said quickly. She couldn’t bear to hear him apologize anymore for the last few minutes.

  How could she have so horribly misread the signs?

  He’d told her nothing was more important than her. He’d tried to get her away from Barkov because he’d known she was unhappy. He’d look at her like she was his oxygen—like he needed her to live.

  So it was a natural conclusion for her to think those feelings were romantic, that he wanted her in the same way she wanted him.