“I’ll clean up after we eat then,” Ginny said. She took a sip of tea. “The tea is really good.” Her mother used to make her tea when she was sick or feeling down, but it was always some herbal, new age stuff Ginny had never heard of. It generally tasted like a mixture of bark and grass. This plain black tea with just a touch of milk and honey was so much better.
Kat stuck her head out of the kitchen. “It’s the honey. Makes all the difference.”
Ginny put her tea on a coaster and went to join Kat in the kitchen. It was a small galley-style kitchen that was perfectly serviceable for one, but looked like it would be crowded for two, so Ginny leaned against the door frame to stay out of the way.
“Tony said you’re a bartender?”
Kat nodded, wrestling with a jar of spaghetti sauce, wincing as she tried to twist the lid off. “Unfortunately, yes.”
The doorbell rang and both women looked over toward the door. Ginny’s pulse hiccupped and she put a hand at her throat.
Kat abandoned the jar on the counter and went to the door. She peered through the peephole. “Delivery,” she said.
Ginny rolled her shoulders, releasing the tension. It was normal for the doorbell to ring. No cause for alarm. People had packages delivered every day.
She couldn’t wait to get back to every day. Helping her dad at the company, she’d been so stressed. Looking back, she wanted to laugh. She didn’t know what stress was.
Kat undid the chain on the door, then the deadbolt. She positioned her foot about six inches away from the door, so that when she opened it, her foot stopped it from opening any farther.
Ginny watched with fascination. Until now, she hadn’t realized how much she’d taken her safety for granted. Two weeks ago if a delivery man had shown up at her door, she would have flung the door wide open with not a moment’s concern for her safety. She wasn’t stupid—when she was alone in dark parking lots at night, she was super careful and aware of her surroundings, but she’d never had to worry about safety in her own home. Or in general, really.
Kat, it seemed, had a system.
The delivery man pushed a clipboard at Kat through the small opening. “Sign here.”
As Kat reached for the pen, the man shoved the clipboard hard into Kat’s stomach. She doubled over but reacted quickly, using both hands to push on the door. She leaned into it, trying to use her weight to shut it.
Ginny stood there in shock for a few seconds, then rushed over to try to help close the door. But she was too late—the man had already overpowered Kat, knocking her to the ground. He stood in the living room, glowering at Ginny.
“You,” he said, his voice carrying the same accent as Fedor’s.
Oh, no.
Out of the corner of her eye, Ginny saw Kat scampering backward on her hands and knees toward the bedroom. Good. Ginny moved so that she blocked the man’s view of Kat.
“What do you want?” Ginny said. She kept her eyes trained on the man, but searched for something she could use as a weapon in her peripheral vision. From where she stood, she could just make out a broom handle leaning against the wall just inside the kitchen.
Could she get to it before the man grabbed her? Would it be enough to fend him off? Doubt filled her—it was her and a flimsy broom against a hulk of a man.
She thought of Tony returning to the apartment to find her gone. What would he do? Probably go directly after Fedor. No, that couldn’t happen.
Her plan would have to work. She would make it work.
“Mr. Barkov requests your presence.” He spoke calmly, like forcing his way into a woman’s apartment to deliver a message was perfectly normal. For him it might be.
Ginny bent her knees slightly, preparing to go for the broom. She considered calling out to Kat to call the cops, but she didn’t want to draw any attention to the other woman.
Then Ginny almost rolled her eyes at her own stupidity. That would be a pointless thing to yell. Of course Kat already knew to call the cops. She was probably on the phone with them right now. God, Ginny hoped so.
“Tell Fedor I regretfully decline.”
Ginny sprang to her left toward the kitchen and the broom. Just as she grasped the handle, the man’s fingers dug into her shoulder and she was pulled backward. She flung the broom over her shoulder, making contact with the man’s head. Then the broom was stripped out of her hands. He turned her around and she scurried backward, but there was nowhere to go in this small space. Her back was literally against the wall.
The man tossed the broom aside and Ginny looked at it in despair. It wasn’t much of a weapon, but it was the only one she had. She’d failed and now she’d be delivered right to Fedor.
The man advanced with a sneer on his face.
“You are lucky Mr. Barkov demanded you are delivered to him unharmed. The last person who hit me didn’t wake up for three days.”
Her attempt to defend herself has been pointless. All it did was anger him—like kicking a hornet’s nest. She hadn’t hurt him at all.
Stupid. What did she expect? This man was a beast. But she’d had to try.
“I’m not going with you,” Ginny said. She had little power to resist him, but she’d fight with everything she had.
The man sighed, annoyed by her statement. “You only make this hard for both of us. Mr. Barkov wants to see you, so you will go.”
Ginny scanned the room, looking for an escape. He blocked the only door, but perhaps she could get into the bedroom and lock herself in before the police arrived. They had to be on the way. Kat must have called them by now. I only have to last a few minutes, then help will be here. She clung to that hope as her heart hammered.
Without looking so that she wouldn’t give herself away, Ginny darted to the right.
Kat appeared in the doorway and time slowed down. No! She’s in the way! Why isn’t she hiding?
Unless Kat moved, Ginny wasn’t going to make it. She could feel the man’s presence just behind her—he was bulky, but quick.
“Ginny, get down!” Kat yelled.
Ginny hesitated about half a second before ducking down to a crouch. Kat raised her arms and in her hands was a gun Ginny hadn’t noticed she was holding. Ginny flattened to the ground and crawled on her belly toward Kat.
“Stop. I will—” Kat didn’t finish her warning, instead pulling the trigger as the man continued to advance. Ginny put her hands over her ears, the bang of the gunfire echoing in her head.
“Bitch!”
Another shot. Sirens blared in the background.
“Someone will be back for you, Miss Frazier.”
Footsteps pounded toward the door and down the stairs. Ginny looked up at Kat, who was leaning against the wall and breathing heavily, the gun still clutched in her hand. Her eyes blazed with fierceness and Ginny knew she wouldn’t have hesitated to kill the man if she’d needed to.
She looked down at Ginny and the fierceness in her eyes slipped. “It’s okay. He’s gone.”
He’s gone. Oh my God.
Ginny jumped to her feet and put her hands on Kat’s shoulders. “Are you okay?”
Kat exhaled slowly, her eyes closed. When she opened them, they were clear. “Yes, I’m fine.”
As soon as she heard that, Ginny’s knees went soft and her vision blurred slightly as her adrenaline faded. “Oh, my God.”
Kat guided her to the couch. “Sit down. Breathe.” Once again, Ginny was struck by how in control Kat was. Ginny was a freaking mess and she wasn’t the one who’d been forced to shoot someone.
“I can’t believe that just happened,” Ginny said, holding her head in her hands. “Did you hit him?” She looked up at Kat, who nodded grimly.
“In the shoulder.” Kat’s voice was even.
Still in her fog, Ginny wondered what Kat had been through in her life to know how to handle a situation like that. Kat hadn’t hesitated while Ginny cowered on the floor. Heat rose to her cheeks, but she forced the embarrassment away. Not being able to hold her
own with one of Fedor’s thugs was nothing to be ashamed of. The odds were overwhelmingly against her.
But she definitely wouldn’t be caught unprepared next time.
God, she hoped there wouldn’t be a next time. But though she wasn’t equipped to deal with the situation, she wasn’t naive either. Fedor would come for her again. He would keep coming until he got what he wanted. He was relentless.
“I’m so sorry,” Ginny said. “I don’t know how he found me. And so quickly.”
Kat’s eyes hardened, once again making Ginny wonder about her past. “Don’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault.”
But what gave her away? Did someone trace the connection between Tony and Kat? That seemed unlikely as they didn’t appear to be close friends. Had someone followed them after all?
Oh, no. If someone had followed them, then what about Tony? Had someone gone after him, too? While Fedor wanted her alive, he wouldn’t feel the same about Tony. He would consider Tony his enemy. Tony’s death would mean nothing to Fedor.
But it would shatter Ginny’s world.
A police officer appeared at the front door, which was still hanging open. “Ladies? Is everything okay in here?”
Ginny pushed the hair out of her face, a sinking feeling in her stomach. “No. No, it’s not.”
Chapter 23
When Tony saw the police cruisers sitting in Kat’s apartment complex, his blood turned to ice. Fuck. Wave after wave of fear slammed into him, rocking him to his core.
He had one foot out of the car before he’d even pulled the key out of the ignition. He ran up the stairs to Kat’s apartment and blood pounded in his ears at the sight of the officer filling Kat’s doorway.
He never should have left. He shouldn’t have left Ginny unprotected. Yes, the High situation was important, but nothing was as important as her. He should have taken her miles away from here where she’d be safe.
The officer turned and, seeing Tony, put one hand on his weapon and the other out in the “stop” command. “Whoa, slow down, sir. This is a crime scene.”
“Where is she?” Tony asked, desperation lacing his voice. He began making bargains with God, begging for her to be safe.
“I’m going to need you to step aside, sir.” The officer was firm. There would be no reasoning with him. Tony didn’t have the patience for that anyway. He needed to see Ginny. Now.
Tony eyed the officer’s gun, weighing his odds of getting past the man. He stepped toward the officer and in the process, caught a glimpse of Ginny over his shoulder.
She stood against the living room wall with her arms wrapped around herself. He did a quick survey of her body—same fading bruises from before, but no new marks. No blood.
She’s okay. Definitely shaken, but unhurt. The fear left him in a whoosh, quickly being replaced by relief.
Shit. What about Kat? He’d been so worried about Ginny that he hadn’t even considered her. Barkov would plow right through her to get what he wanted—acceptable collateral damage.
“I’m a friend,” Tony told the officer. “I need to go in there.”
At the sound of Tony’s voice, Ginny raised her eyes to meet his. The stoic expression on her face fell, revealing vulnerability. He hated seeing it.
“Tony.” She pushed past the officer and threw herself in his arms.
He cradled her body against his and buried his face in her hair, breathing in the scent of her. He wanted to wrap himself around her, to feel every inch of her to reassure himself that she was safe.
Safe, but safe wasn’t the same as okay. Her body shook and her breath hitched. What had she gone through tonight?
Goddammit, he should have been there.
He allowed himself another moment of relief and gratitude before asking the next question. “Is Kat okay?”
Ginny pulled back from him and nodded. “She’s fine. Thank God for her. She saved us.” Her gaze traveled the length of him, lingering on the blood on his clothes. She gripped his arms. “Oh, God. What happened?”
Tony glanced at the officer, then returned his gaze to Ginny and shook his head slightly. Not here.
“Let’s go inside,” Ginny said, pulling him through the doorway. Kat sat on the couch, talking to another officer, so they went into the bedroom, closing the door behind them.
Her hands went to his face, cupping his cheeks. “Are you okay?”
He took her hands in his and kissed her fingers. “I’m fine. I had a run-in with one of Barkov’s men.”
“Oh my God.” Her hands, which he still held, started shaking. Her eyes lost focus and panic filled them.
“I took care of it,” he assured her. “You don’t need to worry about me.”
“I don’t care if you’re used to fighting. You shouldn’t get hurt because of me. This is my fight.”
It had never been just her fight. The moment he saw her with Barkov, he’d been fighting for her. He couldn’t walk away then and he especially couldn’t now. Their fates were interwoven.
“It’s fine. I’m fine. You’re fine. That’s all that matters.” He cupped her chin and gently lowered his lips to hers. “Now tell me what happened here.”
Ginny’s eyes darkened and she wrapped her arms around herself in a defensive posture as she recalled the events of the evening. “One minute Kat was making dinner and the next minute, this man had forced his way into the apartment.”
“Barkov’s man?”
She nodded. “He was supposed to bring me to Fedor. But Kat shot him. She shot him. I still can’t believe it happened.”
Tony knew Kat was tough, but that even surprised him. He was grateful he’d left her with someone who could defend her, but he didn’t want either woman to have to face any more of Barkov’s men.
“I want to take you out of the city. Far enough away that Barkov won’t find you.”
She immediately shook her head, stepping further away from him. “No.”
“Ginny, it’s not safe here.”
“My family is here. I can’t leave them behind. Leaving won’t solve this problem.”
“Just for a little while. I’ll stay here and deal with it.” He didn’t want to be separated from her, but she was right—leaving wouldn’t solve this. Otherwise, he would have whisked her away days ago. But there was no reason she had to stay in harm’s way.
“How about if you leave?” There was fire in her eyes.
“Barkov isn’t after me.”
She gestured to his ruined clothes. “I think this proves otherwise.” She stepped toward him and laid her hand on his cheek. “I’m not leaving you, either.”
“Just for a few days.” It was his final plea.
“No. Fedor needs to stay focused on me. I don’t want him going after anyone else. If I completely disappear, what do you think he’ll do?”
Tony closed his eyes. Damn. She had a point and he totally understood where she was coming from—she wanted to protect her loved ones just as he wanted to protect her. Her fierce loyalty to her family was one of the things he admired about her.
“Okay,” he said. “What did you tell the police?”
Ginny’s eyes cast downward. “Just that he broke in here. We didn’t tell them about . . . anything else.”
Tony nodded. “Okay.” Probably better that way. Leading the police to question Barkov would be like waving a red flag in front of a bull. At some point, the police would have to be involved, but only when they could be assured the case against Barkov was solid. With any luck, the app he’d installed on his father’s phone would lead them right to evidence proving they were producing and distributing High. He knew his father well enough to know he wouldn’t be able to stay out of the lab—he’d have his fingers all up in the production.
So now it was just a waiting game.
There was a knock at the door, then Kat stuck her head in. “They’re gone.”
“Are you okay?” Tony asked.
Kat shrugged. “I’m fine.”
Tony looked at h
er, trying to determine if her words were true. He didn’t know her well enough to tell. Yet, she hadn’t hesitated when he’d asked her for help. Now she was being put out of her home as a result.
Barkov’s path of destruction just kept growing wider.
“You can’t stay here,” he said, but the look in Kat’s eyes told him she already knew that.
“I called Natalie. She’s willing to take us in.”
Tony nodded. “I’ll let you pack.”
* * *
Ginny pulled the seatbelt in Tony’s passenger seat across her chest and secured it. Beside her, Tony’s jaw worked. He’d tried to convince her to ride with Kat since his car was now known to Barkov’s men, but she wasn’t having any of it.
He could have been killed. So he had another think coming if he thought she was letting him out of her sight.
Tony pulled the car onto the road behind Kat’s, glancing repeatedly in the rearview mirror. They’d just done this drive in reverse only hours earlier. Only now instead of going toward Kat’s apartment for refuge, they were fleeing.
Ginny put her hand on Tony’s thigh, needing the physical contact to convince herself that he was okay. Her gaze drifted to the dried blood on his shirt and she shuddered.
He could have died.
That thought ran through her mind on a loop, making her more agitated with every passing moment.
Finally, they arrived at Natalie’s house. Kat stopped at the gate and pressed the call button. Moments later, the gate opened and Tony followed her through. Kat parked in front of the house but Tony drove around back toward the garage.
Ginny had her seatbelt undone before he’d even managed to put the car in park.
She flung herself at him, running her hands through his hair and kissing him.
He hungrily reciprocated, cupping her face with his hands and deepening the kiss. His tongue stroked hers and she whimpered.
“You could have died,” she breathed.
He brushed his fingers along her cheek. “Don’t worry. I’ll always come back to you.”
Ginny released his seatbelt and ran her hands under his shirt along his stomach. He hauled her body against his, his eyes filled with an intensity that matched her own feelings.
Hold You Close Page 20
