Hold You Close

by Jessica Linden

  He thrust his hips upward, planting himself even deeper. She moaned, her hips pausing.

  “Keep going,” he said, “I want to watch you come.”

  She increased her rhythm and ripples of pleasure shot through her. She tightened around him as the climax rolled over her. He growled her name and thrust upwards twice more, his body going rigid as he claimed his release.

  She collapsed on top of him, utterly and beautifully spent.

  * * *

  The next morning, Ginny stared down at Tony as he slept. One arm was flung carelessly over his head and the other reached out to the space in the bed she’d just vacated. His eyelids stayed firmly closed and his breathing was deep and even. He wasn’t waking up anytime soon. He must have been exhausted.

  She desperately wanted to press her lips to his, but she didn’t want to wake him. She’d let him get the much-needed sleep.

  Ginny had only gotten a few hours’ sleep last night, but she felt recharged and energized, ready to take on the day. She quietly dressed and with one last reluctant look at Tony, she set out for the kitchen.

  The house—no, mansion—was huge, so it took her a few minutes to find her way, even though she’d been in the kitchen yesterday. Natalie should have a bin of maps available in the parlor, like at amusement parks.

  The kitchen in this house was unbelievable. Stainless steel industrial appliances, granite countertops for miles, fully stocked pantry, and walk-in refrigerator and freezer. It was a chef’s wet dream.

  Ginny wasn’t a chef, but she enjoyed cooking and baking enough to appreciate everything there was to offer here.

  She’d never be able to repay Natalie and Kat for their kindness, but at least she could make them breakfast. After surveying what was on hand, she decided to make French toast with a side of sausage and maybe some scrambled eggs. But there were fresh blueberries—blueberry pancakes would also be nice.

  She’d make it all. If Knox’s appetite was anything like Tony’s, none of it would go to waste.

  She cracked some eggs into a bowl and added milk, then whisked the mixture while she waited for the griddle to heat—it was one of those fancy ones built right into the stovetop. She added that to her mental kitchen wish list and filed it away in the someday category of her mind.

  The first batch of French toast was just coming off the griddle when Natalie and Knox wandered in.

  “Oh my God, that smells heavenly,” Natalie said. She inhaled deeply as she poured two cups of coffee.

  “Hell, yeah,” Knox said. “Ginny, you can come over anytime.”

  She laughed. “You haven’t even tasted anything yet.”

  “I don’t need to. I can smell it.”

  “Well, thanks. And for that compliment, you can have the first serving.” Ginny plated the French toast and added a generous serving of sausage. Glancing over at Knox’s watering mouth, she added another link to the pile.

  “My father used to have a cook, but I dismissed most of the staff that worked for him and haven’t gotten around to hiring anyone new,” Natalie said. “It seems kind of a waste, anyway. It’s just the two of us and we’re not here very much.”

  “I enjoy cooking,” Ginny said, dunking more bread in the batter. “It relaxes me.”

  “I don’t particularly enjoy it, nor am I good at it,” Natalie admitted. “Knox is actually a better cook than me.”

  Knox chuckled. “And that’s not saying much. My food is edible, but it doesn’t taste like anything.”

  Kat walked in heading straight for the coffee. She poured herself a cup and took a long sip. “Ah, now I’m human again.” She looked around. “Breakfast? Score!”

  Ginny laughed. “I’ll have more ready in just a minute.”

  “Serve Kat first,” Natalie said. “She has to leave for work soon.”

  Ginny flipped the French toast, almost dropping it as Tony’s arm snaked around her waist, pulling her against his hard body. She closed her eyes and leaned back against him. The feel of his body against hers was enough to make her insides go hot.

  He nuzzled her neck. “I woke up and you were gone.”

  “I wanted to let you sleep.”

  He spun her around and devoured her mouth, his tongue lapping at hers as his hands cupped her ass, pulling her against him.

  “Dude, we’re getting some home cooking around here,” Knox said. “Don’t mess it up for us.”

  Ginny’s eyes widened and she tried to push away from Tony, but he held her firm, extending his arm to give Knox the middle finger.

  Tony stole one last kiss. After letting her go, he sauntered over to the coffee leaving Ginny to catch her breath.

  He’d stolen it away.

  She turned back to the stove. “Damn.” This batch had gotten a little darker than she would have liked.

  The intercom buzzed.

  “Yes?” Natalie asked loudly.

  “There’s a woman here at the gate and she’s insistent that I let her in,” a voice said. “I’ve already told her no visitors are allowed at this time. She refuses to leave. Would you like me to call the authorities?”

  Silence stretched on for a moment or two as everyone exchanged glances.

  “Hold on,” Natalie said. She retrieved a remote from the drawer and pushed a few buttons. A security image appeared on the television mounted on the wall.

  It was as Ginny feared. Veronica had found her.

  Again.

  Chapter 25

  Ginny stared at the security feed, a sick feeling in her stomach. “That’s my sister.”

  Kat looked back and forth between Ginny and the screen. “There’s not much resemblance. And I mean that as a compliment.”

  Ginny blinked. What the heck was Kat talking about? Veronica was the pretty sister. “Um, thanks, I guess.”

  Kat shrugged. “She looks like a crazy ass bitch. Just sayin’.”

  As Kat walked away, Ginny stared at the screen, trying to see Veronica through a stranger’s eyes. It was hard—she still saw the older sister who used her as a guinea pig for new hairstyles. But objectively speaking, Veronica was looking haggard—much too thin, breasts that were a little too fake, circles under her eyes that concealer didn’t quite cover, garish lipstick painted on way too thick.

  “Dammit!” Tony scrubbed a hand over his face. “If she’s here, then chances are Barkov now knows where we are.”

  “Let him come,” Natalie said fiercely. “I’d love to see him try to get past my security.”

  “I’m sorry, Natalie,” Tony said. “She’s like a bad fucking fungus. Or a cockroach. She never goes away.”

  “No big deal. I’ll have the guards get rid of her,” Natalie said.

  Ginny put her hand up. “Wait. She’s my sister. I’ll deal with her.”

  Natalie and Tony shared a look of mild embarrassment, like they’d just realized they were trash talking her sister right in front of her. But Ginny didn’t hold it against them. Veronica had earned those comments.

  It made her sad.

  Tony shook his head. “I don’t think you should go out there. It could be a trap.”

  Ginny cocked her head and studied her sister. Veronica had her hands on her hips and was wearing her bitch face while she pleaded with the guard at the gate.

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  Tony sighed. “Fine, but I’m coming with you.”

  Ginny nodded. She’d figured as much. She turned to Natalie. “Can you let the guard know I’m on my way?”

  She slipped into her jacket and Tony trailed silently after her with a scowl on his face. They stepped out into the yard and began the trek down the driveway.

  “I know you don’t understand,” Ginny said, “but—”

  “I get it,” Tony said. “She’s your sister. But when are you going to stop letting her hurt you?”

  “If Marco needed help, you would help him.”

  “Marco has made some questionable choices,” Tony said slowly, “but he’s not a sociopath.”<
br />
  Ginny shoved her hands in her pockets and ducked her face down, picking up her pace to put some distance between them.

  Veronica was a bitch—she’d give him that—but a sociopath? That was taking it a bit too far. It hurt to hear Tony say that.

  Or maybe it hurt because it might be true.

  She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. Either way, she needed a brave face when she faced Veronica. This wasn’t the time for tears.

  Tony grabbed her hand and stopped her, pulling her against him. “Look, I’m sorry. But I hate seeing you get hurt, especially by someone you love.”

  “I know,” Ginny said. “But I need to know the truth and I want to hear it from her.”

  It was past time she did this. How much of this mess could have been avoided if she’d just womaned up and faced her sister months ago?

  They both looked over to the gate, where Veronica was impatiently waiting on the other side.

  Tony crushed his lips to Ginny’s in a desperate need to show support, then reluctantly let her go. “I’ll be over here.”

  Tony backed away and Ginny took a moment to catch her breath. Butterflies crowded her stomach.

  Ginny approached slowly, nodding to the guard to let Veronica in. As soon as the gate was open, Veronica rushed through, shooting the guard a nasty look.

  “It’s about time,” Veronica snapped. “Can we go inside? It’s fucking cold out here.”

  Ginny stared at her sister for a moment, then squared her shoulders. “No. This is Tony’s friend’s house. You’re not welcome here.”

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  “Exactly what I said.” Ginny paused, then fixed her gaze on Veronica. “What do you want?”

  Veronica jutted her chin out. “To see you. Why aren’t you taking my calls? I’m your sister.”

  As Ginny listened to her sister try to manipulate her, she wanted to cringe. How many times had she fallen prey to Veronica’s bullshit? It ended today.

  “How did you find me?”

  Veronica waved her hand. “People talk.”

  What people? Ginny wanted to ask. Fedor and his posse were the only ones who knew she was staying with Kat. So it followed they were the only ones who might figure out that they were now staying with Natalie, Kat’s best friend.

  But Veronica had always seemed to be one step ahead. She was frighteningly good at ferreting out gossip. And now she’d done it, showing up here without any regard for Ginny’s safety or wishes. It was past time she hardened herself against her sister’s antics.

  “Tell me how Barry died.” She spoke quietly but with conviction.

  Veronica sniffed. “Why are you bringing this up now?”

  “You know why. Did you kill him?”

  Veronica’s gaze didn’t falter, nor did she flinch at the question. It was as good as an affirmative answer.

  “Why?” Ginny whispered. “Why?”

  Her question begged Veronica to say something, anything that would justify the horrible deed.

  Veronica maintained her gaze, her eyes hardening and her lips pinching together. She still said nothing.

  Ginny took a step back, wanting to put some space between her and her sister. The last little part of her heart that had held out hope for Veronica shattered. They looked at each other for a moment, then Ginny sadly shook her head, turning on her heel. She walked toward Tony, who nodded at the guard.

  The sounds of Veronica’s protests as the guard escorted her off the property serenaded her aching heart.

  * * *

  Later that night in the car they’d borrowed from Natalie, Tony and Ginny sat in the darkness, watching the front of a building in the warehouse district, not too far from the arena. Tony had been tracking his father’s movements using the app he’d installed on his phone. His father had no reason to be in the warehouse district—none at all, except High.

  Before they’d parked, Tony had circled the block, but he hadn’t seen his father’s car. So he’d either parked far away—unlikely since his father wouldn’t want to walk in this part of town—or he was with someone.

  Tony’s phone vibrated with a text. It was his mother. She and Nonna were safely away in an undisclosed location. He hadn’t even wanted to know where they were going as long as they were away from here. The farther, the better.

  Ginny shifted next to him, crossing her arms over her chest. She’d spent all afternoon shut up in the guest room at Natalie’s. She hadn’t said so, but Tony knew she was still worried about Veronica. He also knew she desperately didn’t want to be. But it couldn’t be easy for her to wash her hands of her sister, not when she’d spent years caring about her.

  He hoped this was one wound that time would mend.

  Tony returned his focus to the warehouse, squinting to try to make out the numbers posted above the door. He made himself a note on his phone to check the property records for the warehouse address. Adamo didn’t own anything in this area that he knew of, but he couldn’t be sure. God, he hoped not. He wanted the company as far removed from High as possible. Although that was a tall order when the CEO was the mastermind of the product.

  Movement in the building’s window caught his eye. People were definitely in there. He checked the app on his phone again. His father was one. And who else?

  Seconds later the light in the windows extinguished and the doors opened. His father appeared, followed by Barkov.

  Tony tensed and motioned for Ginny to duck down. He hadn’t wanted to bring her, but he also didn’t want her out of his sight. Plus, the activity was good for her after the afternoon she spent moping. This way, she would be doing something.

  He flexed and unflexed his fists. Fifty yards away were the two men he hated most in this world. It was so tempting to confront them and beat the shit out of them. His father was no match for Tony and while Barkov might be formidable when he was surrounded by his men, he alone was no cause for worry. Tony could easily take him down.

  A black sedan pulled to the curb almost immediately and the two men climbed inside. Tony watched until it disappeared down a side street.

  Then he watched the clock, allowing two full minutes to pass before making a call. “They’re gone,” he said. Game on.

  He gave it another minute and then he and Ginny got out of the car just as an SUV pulled up to the door. Natalie jumped out and trotted over to the door, with Knox close behind. Natalie knelt in front of it and placed a black tool bag on the ground. She pulled out a pick and set to work while Knox stood guard, his eyes scanning the area.

  When Natalie had offered her lock-picking services, Tony had been surprised to learn about her skill set. Knox confirmed she was a genius with locks, but he’d also dug his heels in in, not wanting her to get even more involved. Tony could understand, especially given their recent ordeal with X.

  But Natalie had overruled Knox, who, though grumbling, had backed down.

  Tony wrapped his arm around Ginny, pulling her tight against him as they approached. By the time they got to the door, Natalie was packing up her tools.

  “Piece of cake,” she said. “It’s open.”

  Damn. She was good.

  “Thanks.”

  “Let’s go,” Knox said impatiently. He ushered her to the idling SUV and whisked them away. The whole thing had taken two minutes.

  Now it was up to Tony and Ginny.

  Tony stared at the door handle for a moment, the weight of what they were about to do crashing down on him.

  What if this was it? What if this was the lab for High?

  Or worse, what if it wasn’t?

  Ginny squeezed his hand. “Let’s do this.”

  They entered the building and Tony pulled a flashlight out of his pocket. They would disturb as little as possible until they absolutely had to and that included turning on the lights.

  The room they entered opened to a narrow hallway with doors on both sides—office space. They continued down the hallway, pushing through swinging d
ouble doors leading into a large room. The layout was similar to the building that housed the arena.

  They quickly passed through that room, coming into the large main warehouse space.

  And hit the jackpot.

  A micro-lab was set up here, much smaller in scale than those Adamo used, but still significant, nevertheless.

  Tony shone the light around, illuminating all the equipment, the supplies, and finally, the finished product. He walked over to a large table holding boxes filled with baggies of High.

  “Damn it,” he whispered. He didn’t know much about the drug trade, but this seemed to be a hell of a lot of pills. How far were they planning to distribute? Would it go out of the city? To maximize profit, probably. Because this was no small-scale operation.

  And Barkov and his father weren’t in this alone. Who were the workers? Barkov and his father sure as hell weren’t laboring over the equipment themselves. And who was in the place to provide labor with these particular skills? His father. Chances were he was poaching from Adamo employees or at least enticing them to pull double duty. How deep into the company did it go?

  Ginny put her hand on his shoulder. “Is this it?” she asked.

  “Yeah.” Tony pulled out his phone and started snapping pictures. “I’d say we found the evidence we need.”

  * * *

  Ginny took pictures with her phone alongside Tony. It was probably overkill, but she wanted to be sure. The room was eerily silent and the lack of noise had her looking over her shoulder. It was almost too quiet.

  She rubbed her arms against the cold, drafty air as Tony scrolled through his pictures one last time.

  “We’re good,” he said. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

  Ginny obliged immediately. This place gave her the creeps. The hair on the back of her neck didn’t stand down until they were back in their borrowed car, headed toward Natalie’s.

  Tony stared straight ahead. Ever since they got to the warehouse, he’d been all-business. But this experience had to have been an emotional punch in the gut for him. Yet he hadn’t said anything about it. Ginny guessed that since his brother left, he’d grown accustomed to flying solo and handling things on his own.