He circled around the house, looking for another way in. He’d break a damn window and climb in if he had to, but it would be more efficient and also draw less attention to find an open door.
The patio around back had a screen porch. That door was locked, but he ripped a hole in the screen and stuck his hand through to unlock it. The sliding glass door inside the porch was open. Jackpot.
He quietly stepped inside, pausing to gain his bearings. The room looked to be a seldom-used living or dining area. There were huge windows that overlooked the backyard and a large glass dining table with white wicker chairs. It looked like it belonged in a nursing home rather than a drug lord’s house.
He peered out into the hallway. No one was there, so he proceeded. But where the fuck was everyone? He would have expected Barkov’s house to be teaming with people. Servants at the very least. The house was silent, the only sound his soft footsteps on the thick carpet.
Most of the doors in the hallway were open, making it easy to eliminate the rooms as possibilities. Five minutes—maybe more—had passed since he’d last heard Ginny’s voice. Every second represented the possibility that Barkov was inflicting more pain on her. He wanted to rush through the house, but getting himself caught wouldn’t do Ginny any good.
He turned the corner, entering some kind of great room.
Fuck. There on the couch watching TV was one of Barkov’s goons. The TV was muted, though. Weird.
Tony watched for a second. They guy was pretty focused on the TV, so he could try to sneak past him. But then he’d really have to watch his back. No, it was better just to take him out.
Tony kept low, stealthily creeping up behind him. The man bobbed his head in time to music playing in his earbuds. Before the guy even knew he was there, Tony reached over the back of the couch and wrapped his arm against his neck, pressing against the windpipe. The guy struggled, but Tony help firm.
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . . 5 . . .
The guy was out. That bought Tony a few more minutes of uninterrupted searching. Hopefully he wouldn’t run into anyone else. And damn, where the hell was Plasky? How long did it take to get past the damn gate guard?
Tony came to a corner and took a left down another hallway. All of the doors were open except one.
He heard a thud and a scream.
Oh, fuck.
* * *
Fedor dragged Ginny to a standing position by her hair.
“Stop, please!”
But he didn’t even hear her. “I trusted you!” he bellowed, then backhanded her across the mouth.
She collapsed on the ground and tasted blood from her recently healed lip.
She needed a weapon. She scanned the room looking for something, anything, she could use to hit him. There—on the end table was a small metal clock. It looked heavy.
She got to her feet, springing toward the clock, but she wasn’t fast enough. Fedor pushed her facedown on the couch, burying her face in the cushion. She couldn’t breathe.
She struggled against him, flailing her arms and making contact with his legs. She managed to turn her face a tiny bit and sucked in a huge breath. Then he pushed her face down harder, cutting off her air again.
She dug her fingernails into his legs, but it was no use.
“Cyka!”
That was the last thing she heard before her world went dark.
* * *
Tony heard Barkov cursing at Ginny in Russian just as he tried the doorknob. Fuck—locked.
He hopped back and assumed his fighting stance, sending a front kick into the door, just to the side of the doorknob. The wood dented, but it didn’t give way. Damn, it was solid wood and not one of those cheap hollow doors.
Plasky came up behind him. About fucking time. Tony didn’t even spare him a glance, sending another kick into the door. Then another.
Finally, the door crashed open.
Tony immediately scanned the room for Ginny. He didn’t see her immediately, but Barkov stood over the couch with a murderous look in his eyes.
Barkov roared and pulled a gun out of a side holster, pointing it at Tony. Before he could pull the trigger, a shot fired, hitting him in the shoulder. He clutched at the wound and Plasky rushed to subdue him.
Tony scaled the couch. His heart stopped at the sight of Ginny’s limp body.
Please, God, no.
She was facedown, so he gently gripped her shoulders and turned her, then gathered her in his arms. Her chest slowly rose and fell.
She’s breathing.
He cradled her against his chest, barely noticing as Plasky cuffed Barkov and read the Miranda rights.
Ginny stirred. When her eyes opened, her body jerked.
“Shh,” Tony murmured. “You’re okay. I’ve got you.”
She settled, reaching up and putting a hand on his cheek as her eyes focused. “You came for me.”
“Of course. I’ll always come for you.”
A small smile graced her lips. “I did it. Did you hear?”
“You were awesome.” Keeping his arms around her, Tony helped her sit up. “We’ll get the paramedics to look at you.”
“I think I’m fine,” Ginny said.
Like hell. Tony would have her examined by the best damn doctor in the city, even if it was just to reassure himself she really was fine.
“Shlyukha,” Barkov spat at them as Plaksy guided him toward the door.
Tony closed his eyes. Aw, fuck.
In one swift move, he rose and swung at Barkov, the blow landing on his jawbone. His neck snapped to the side.
“I didn’t see that,” Plasky said, his eyes focused on the ceiling.
Barkov laughed darkly and turned his head to face Tony once more. “You will pay for that.”
Tony said nothing, staring at him with his hands in fists. Fuck. He wished Plasky weren’t here so he could give Barkov what he really deserved. One punch was not nearly gratifying enough.
Ginny clutched at his arm from where she sat on the couch. “Let it go,” she said quietly. “It’s over.”
Tony turned his back on Barkov and turned toward Ginny—his future.
Epilogue
Tony pulled to a stop at the curb at the airport, putting it in park and flipping the hazards on. Then he circled around to the back of the car to remove Ginny’s parents’ luggage from the trunk.
Julie took hold of one suitcase and Ginny took the other.
“Thanks,” Ginny said, looking up at him like he’d done a superhero feat instead of simply unloading her parents’ luggage. But that’s how she was—she didn’t take one thing for granted and he loved that about her.
“You’re welcome,” Tony said, pressing his lips to hers and wishing it were he and Ginny going away on a trip instead of her parents. But he couldn’t take the time, not right now.
Adamo Enterprises was a disaster. The day following Barkov’s arrest, officers flooded Adamo, arresting Tony’s father and halting production so they could search the premises. That was three weeks ago, and things still weren’t quite back to normal. But then again, what did he expect when the CEO was arrested for illegal drug production and distribution?
Two lab techs were implicated in the drug ring as well and Tony had yet to find suitable replacements. Or should he say, Dr. Gilbert had yet to find replacements who met his steep standards. Tony had given Gilbert full authority over the lab, which was how it should have been the whole time.
He’d also promoted Ingrid to chief operating officer. Her talents were wasted as an admin assistant and she’d stepped into the role with guns blazing. So while things at work were still rough around the edges, he hoped to take some time off soon.
“I’m going to park the car with Tony,” Daniel said. “We’ll meet you inside.”
“We have plenty of time,” Julie said as she and her daughter walked toward the automatic sliding doors.
Tony waited until the doors had closed behind the two women before pulling away.
“
It’s really nice of you to drive us to the airport,” Daniel said. “We could have taken a cab.”
Tony snorted. “Sir, you don’t know your daughter at all if you think she’d let you take a cab.”
For a second, Daniel’s eyes clouded over, and he was probably thinking about his other daughter—the one who was wanted and at large. Barkov’s threat of evidence against Veronica turned out to be valid, but Veronica hadn’t been seen in weeks. Tony half-expected her to turn up at his and Ginny’s door, but maybe she’d finally taken the hint that Ginny was done being used.
“Well, all the same, we appreciate it. Julie is nervous about flying.”
Daniel and Julie were taking a much-needed vacation while they figured out their next steps. He’d decided to sell the company when a competitor made an enticing offer, letting him break even on the deal. The family walked away from the table with nothing, but more importantly, they hadn’t lost anything.
They’d also gotten a sizable insurance payment for the house, but rather than rebuild, they were taking the time to really think about what they wanted to do—hence, the trip to Hawaii. Julie planned to spend a few weeks painting the tropical landscapes and sea life while Daniel recovered from years of trying to fulfill a dream that wasn’t his.
“It’s safer than taking a car,” Tony said, tongue-in-cheek, as he pulled into a space in short-term parking.
Daniel chuckled. “That’s what they say. I’d like to know who they are, though.”
The men got out of the car and as they walked to the airport, Tony stuck his hand in his pocket, wrapping it around a small black box.
“Daniel, I’m glad we got this moment alone, actually.” Tony was nervous, which was stupid. He was a grown man and, anyway, Ginny’s parents loved him. But still, he wanted to do right by her in every way possible.
“Yes?” Daniel asked, with a knowing gleam in his eyes.
“I plan to ask Ginny to marry me.”
“You haven’t been together very long,” her father commented.
“No, but every day that passes is one day too many that we’re not married,” Tony said. “I love your daughter, sir, and I’ll do everything in my power to make her happy. I’d like your blessing.”
Daniel stopped. “Wait here a moment.” He paused, seeming to need to gather his words. “Ginny is a special girl—woman. I still think of her as my little girl. A father’s bad habit. One day you’ll see. I see the way you look at her and how she looks at you. It reminds me of Julie and me. I know what Julie and I have and it’s the most I could ever hope for for my daughter.” He clapped a hand on Tony’s arm. “I’d be pleased to call you my son-in-law.”
Tony’s mouth stretched into a smile. He hadn’t done this before he’d been engaged to Veronica, but so much had been wrong with that situation.
This, on the other hand, felt right.
“Thank you, sir.”
“Stop with all that ‘sir,’ business,” Daniel said with a smile.
The two men continued walking toward the airport toward the women they loved.
When the doors opened, Tony caught a glimpse of Ginny helping her mother with the luggage tags. When she noticed him, she pushed her hair back and smiled.
Like it did every time she smiled, his heart swelled.
He laced his fingers with hers and they stood aside to wait while her parents checked in. Finally, they turned. Julie had a smile on her face but tears in her eyes.
“Mom, what is it?” Ginny asked, gripping her mother’s arms.
“Just—” Julie waved her hand dismissively, then wiped her eyes and put on a brave smile. “Everything.”
Tony could sympathize. Their lives had gone through a total upheaval, not to mention the fact that their older daughter was the prime suspect in a murder investigation.
“Come on, dear,” Daniel said gently. “It’ll be good for you—for us—to get away.”
Julie nodded and hugged her daughter one last time. With a final wave, the older couple disappeared in the TSA security area.
Tony nudged Ginny. “Are you going to be okay?”
She sighed. “Yeah. But I’ll miss them.”
Tony led her out to the car. He hoped the next thing he had planned would cheer her up.
When he took a left instead of a right out of the airport, she frowned. “Are we going somewhere?”
“You’ll see,” he said simply.
She bit her lip and squirmed in her seat. God, it was sexy.
“Can you give me a hint?” she asked.
He grinned. “Nope.”
He passed his parents’ neighborhood, moving into the more historic residential area. Finally, he pulled into the driveway of an older house that had great structure but needed some TLC.
“What’s this?” Ginny asked.
He didn’t reply, instead taking her hand and leading her up the front stoop. He pulled the key from his pocket and unlocked the front door.
“Tony, what’s going on?” she asked cautiously.
Still not answering, he guided her into the kitchen. “What do you think of this?”
His gaze traveled over the shabby room, trying to see it through her eyes. The appliances were outdated and a huge crack ran through the countertop. The space was huge though, and the natural lighting couldn’t be beat.
“Um . . .” Her brow furrowed and she clearly didn’t know what to make of the room or how to answer his question.
He pulled out his phone and tapped on the screen a few times. “Here,” he said. “The place is a piece of shit right now, but it has potential. Check out these plans.”
Leaning back on his heels, he watched as she realized what was on his phone. Her eyes widened and she looked up at him in shock.
“Don’t get too excited,” he said. “I haven’t put an offer in yet. I wanted to make sure the renovations I wanted were possible. But more importantly, I wanted to make sure you liked it.”
“Like it?” she squealed. “The plans for this kitchen are . . . I have no words.”
Tony smiled, glad his instincts had been right. “I noticed you salivating over Natalie’s kitchen. I figured if you’re going to be cooking for me every night, I should make sure you have a fully equipped kitchen.”
She smiled slyly and sauntered over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Is that right?”
“Well, yeah.”
She lightly punched him in the stomach and he doubled over, playing along. Then he grabbed her wrist and yanked her body against his.
“Seriously, do you like it? If you don’t—”
“Don’t be silly. I love it. And I love you.”
Those three words took his breath away every time.
“I love you. So much.” Then he lowered his mouth to hers.
The future was bright.
About the Author
Author photograph © JC Penney Portrait Studio
Jessica lives in Virginia with her college-sweetheart husband, two rambunctious sons, and two rowdy but lovable rescue dogs. Since her house is overflowing with testosterone, it’s a good thing she has a healthy appreciation for Marvel movies, Nerf guns, and football.
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Also by Jessica Linden
Fight for Me
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
&
nbsp; Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Epilogue
About the Author
Also by Jessica Linden
Copyright Page
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
HOLD YOU CLOSE. Copyright © 2017 by Jessica Linden. All rights reserved. For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Cover photograph: couple © MaxFX/Shutterstock.com
ISBN 978-1-250-14321-1 (ebook)
First Edition: July 2017
Our eBooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, ext. 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].
Hold You Close Page 26
