Hold You Close

by Jessica Linden

  “I’ll make this easy for you, Ingrid,” Tony said. “I’ll attend everything. Just load up my calendar.”

  Her mouth dropped open slightly. “Seriously?”

  “Sure, why not?”

  Ingrid shot him suspicious glances as she tapped away on the iPad, as if she was afraid he was playing a trick on her. It definitely wasn’t a trick though—his desire to see Ginny again was no joke.

  She looked up at him when she was done. “Your schedule for the rest of this week is full. Tomorrow you have two conference calls. Two more on Thursday. You also need to make a decision on the new marketing manager.”

  Tony nodded. All of this was expected, which was why he went to the gym today. The only daylight he would see for the next few days was what streamed through his office window.

  “I also have the latest press release prepared. It needs—”

  “Tony, a word.” His father had opened the door without even knocking, had interrupted Ingrid without even acknowledging her presence. There was a reason she’d jumped at the opportunity to work with Tony when he’d started, leaving his father behind.

  In a word, his father was an asshole.

  Tony spared his father a glance before returning his attention to Ingrid. “Please send me the updated draft and I’ll look at it later today.”

  “Yes, sir.” Ingrid avoided his father’s gaze as she quietly slipped out.

  His father paced in front of his desk. “Where were you? This company isn’t going to run itself, son.”

  “Do you need something?” Tony had long since stopped letting his father get to him. Now his domineering manner was more of an annoyance than anything.

  “What’s the status on the security?”

  Tony ground his teeth. If his father had bothered to read the brief he’d sent, the question wouldn’t be necessary. “I have two companies coming tomorrow to survey the building and provide quotes.”

  Last week, a strung-out drug addict attempted a break-in looking for some Oxycontin. The attempt was sloppy and nowhere close to successful, but his father now had the notion that their security was inadequate. So he’d asked Tony to handle it. But like everything else in the company, his father couldn’t keep his nose out of it.

  Though they both shared the title of CEO—one of his grandfather’s final decrees—his father’s position held more weight simply because he was the senior officer. He’d been there decades to Tony’s months. It frustrated Tony to no end to have to report to his father, but he understood the necessity of it. Santi Adamo might be difficult to deal with, but in his hands, the company had grown exponentially in the past decade. No one could doubt his business expertise.

  “I want copies of the proposals.”

  Tony nodded.

  “Security is of the utmost importance.” His father paced back and forth, obviously agitated, more so than the situation warranted. “We can’t let stuff like this keep happening.”

  Keep happening? As far as Tony knew, there had only been one attempt, and that’s all it was—an attempt. The perpetrator didn’t even make it past the exterior doors. While Tony agreed that the work in the lab was sensitive and needed to be protected, it had been protected. His father was going off the deep end—making trouble where there wasn’t any.

  It never hurt to improve security, though, which was why Tony agreed an upgrade was justified.

  “Has this happened before?” Tony asked. “I’m only aware of this one instance.”

  His father held up a solitary finger. “One time. That’s all it will take for our reputation to be ruined. The work that takes place here is the future of the company.”

  “I agree,” Tony interjected before his father could continue his tirade. “That’s why I’ve personally lined up the two best security firms in the city.”

  “Good.” He stopped pacing and looked down at his son, his eyes narrowed. He opened his mouth to say something but obviously thought better of it because he clamped his mouth shut and left.

  “Nice talking to you, Dad,” Tony muttered. He’d accepted the fact that his father was an asshole, but he still didn’t understand it. Nonno and Nonna were two of the kindest, most genuine people he knew, and unfortunately, the apple fell light-years away from that tree.

  He turned to his computer to find Ingrid had already sent the press release. He read over the document that highlighted how their latest drug was expected to ease the effects of chemo for childhood cancer patients. While they hadn’t cured cancer, they’d at least made the treatment easier to bear.

  Pride swelled in his chest. Nonno would be proud.

  * * *

  The wine in Ginny’s glass was a 1998 Dom Ruinart and the bottle cost more than Ginny’s entire outfit. She took another sip, then put her glass down. It somehow seemed obscene to get drunk on wine that expensive. And anyway, Ginny knew better than to get intoxicated in Fedor’s presence. Her betrothed was not to be trusted.

  The server cleared away the last of their dessert dishes, her tiramisu still mostly intact. Fedor insisted they indulge in every course whenever they dined out. Everything with him was an event full of pomp and circumstance. She’d rather be curled up in bed in her pajamas, watching reruns of Grey’s Anatomy.

  “How are the wedding plans coming, luybov moya?” Fedor looked at her over his clasped hands. His knuckles were large from too much cracking. They reminded her of walnuts.

  “Fine,” she said. “The venue has been confirmed. The next step is to decide on a menu. Do you have a preference?”

  “Whatever you like.”

  What she’d like was to not go through with the wedding, but that wasn’t an option. So instead she nodded and picked up her wineglass again, no longer caring about getting drunk. A nice buzz might make the situation more bearable.

  Though Fedor seemed to defer to her, she knew he’d expect nothing but the best at this wedding—after all, the entire goal was to wow their guests into accepting him. His family was all deceased and his part of the guest list contained business associates and those he hoped to go into business with.

  The large diamond on her ring caught the light as she swallowed her wine. Thank God she’d remembered to put the obnoxious thing on. She didn’t wear it unless she was with him. Soon she’d be with him all the time. The thought was repugnant.

  She drained the rest of her wine and gestured for the server to refill her glass.

  Half-hour later, in the car, Fedor placed his hand on the inside of her knee, making her skin crawl. She adjusted her coat and in the process, shifted away from him.

  He gave her a sidelong look. No, he wasn’t fooled by her antics. He never called her on them, though. Probably because he knew he’d get his way in the long run. He was a man used to getting what he wanted.

  Though this probably hadn’t been the smartest time to pull away considering what she was about to ask.

  Ginny took a deep breath. “Fedor, the company is coming up short again this month.”

  “You want money.” It was a statement, not a question. That was one thing she could appreciate about Fedor—he got right to the point with business matters.

  “Just an advance of what we’d already agreed upon,” she explained, hoping it would be enough. The negotiations for her marriage contract had been thorough and absolute. At the time, she’d thought she’d negotiated for everything she needed, but now she was learning she may have been shortsighted. Fedor didn’t like talking about the contract—it was almost as if he was trying to convince himself this sham of a marriage would be real and that she’d actually love him.

  He was delusional.

  Of course, the most important part of the contract didn’t involve money, but rather Fedor’s discretion. Her hand in marriage was the only price he’d accept for keeping his mouth shut. When it came to keeping her family safe, Ginny would do anything. So she’d signed on the dotted line.

  The money to save the company was merely the cherry on top.

  “I m
ight be persuaded,” he said. “Have you considered my proposal?”

  She closed her eyes briefly and when she opened them, she focused on her hands that were folded in her lap. “Yes, Fedor.”

  She’d considered his request that she move in with him and dismissed it immediately. She wasn’t giving up her freedom any sooner than she had to.

  He raised a hand to her cheek and ran a finger along her face. “I’m looking forward to—” his eyes roamed over her body, “getting to know you better.”

  His hand moved lower, over her shoulder, down her side. His fingers brushed the side of her breast and she forced herself not to cringe.

  Soon she’d have to give herself over to this man, so she’d better get used to his touch. Soon, he’d be doing a lot more than running his hands over her clothing.

  Her head started swimming, the wine hitting her all at once.

  “I’d prefer to wait until we’re married.” She hoped her tone sounded apologetic. “I’m old-fashioned that way.”

  “You’re a smart woman, so I’m sure you’ve already figured this out. I’m a man of give-and-take. If you’re wanting to take something from me, you need to give something in return.”

  An ultimatum. If she wanted his money to save the company, she’d have to do some more negotiating, except this time, she didn’t have much leverage left.

  “Just say the word,” Fedor whispered, “and I’ll tell the driver there’s only one stop this evening.”

  Her stomach lurched and she tried to tell herself it was from the bumpy motion of the car.

  “Two stops,” she said firmly.

  Fedor’s eyes turned hard and she recoiled from his harsh stare. Normally he put on the show of being an absolute gentleman in her presence, but at his core, he was a dangerous man with corrupt morals. She was walking a treacherous line. If she didn’t know it before, she definitely knew it now—she was in way over her head.

  Chapter 5

  The representative for the first security company was twenty minutes late. That did not bode well for them getting the contract. Tony’s security budget was astronomical, so that really was a stupid move on their part.

  It was already almost eight in the evening. He’d scheduled the tours for afterhours so as not to disturb the employees’ work flow. Plus, they didn’t necessarily need to know about the new security. Not that he didn’t trust the employees, but some things were best kept on a need-to-know basis.

  A sedan finally pulled into the parking lot, and a portly balding man got out. “Sorry,” he said by way of greeting. “I got held up.”

  Tony nodded, not because that was an acceptable excuse for his tardiness, but because he was being polite. Besides, he didn’t want any more of his time wasted.

  “The break-in attempt was around back,” he said. “Do you want to see that first?”

  The man shook his head. “Let’s start with the area that needs to be the most secure first. I assume some parts of the building are more critical than others.”

  “We’ll start with the lab then.” Tony led the man to the second floor and gave him a brief tour of the lab before stepping aside to let the man work. He selected a lab computer that allowed him to keep an eye on the man and logged in. He might as well sort through some emails while he waited.

  He’d never actually logged into a lab computer before and was pleased to find several levels of security were required, including a fingerprint. At least their cyber security was top notch.

  It only took him a few minutes to sort through his emails since Ingrid was so efficient, so he perused the lab files. Since his father was so intricately involved in the research and development side of things, Tony generally steered clear. But if he was worth his title of CEO, he needed to educate himself more on that side of the business. And if he could do that without involving his father, all the better.

  The digital files were painstakingly organized and he could easily tell who had been working on what and what the progress was for each drug. Many of the projects were familiar to him, but some he’d never even heard of. He opened some files and started reading, returning to the lab to continue after escorting the security representative out.

  One of the new drugs they were testing was an antidepressant suitable for teens. Though it was still in the clinical trials, it showed promise.

  Intrigued, he clicked on another file labeled B37.

  Access Denied.

  He frowned and tried his password and fingerprint once more.

  Access Denied.

  That was weird. He was supposed to have unlimited access to view everything in their system. He’d have to ask their lead researcher about it.

  God, he hoped he wouldn’t have to overhaul their cybersecurity as well. It better just be a glitch in the system.

  Scrubbing his hands over his face, he yawned. Shit. It was nearly eleven. He hadn’t intended to stay so late but reading through the files made him feel somehow closer to Nonno. While his grandfather might have frowned upon his father’s zest to turn a profit, he’d be pleased with the development of his company.

  Hell, Tony was. He needed to get his head out of his ass and stop resenting his position. A lot of people had to scratch and claw their way to the top but he’d simply been born into it. It was time he stopped looking at the privilege as a burden.

  * * *

  The jeweler lowered the loupe and placed the sapphire necklace back in its box. “This is a very unique piece,” he said.

  “Thank you,” Ginny replied, impatient to move things along. “How much?”

  “I can give you fifty for it.”

  “That’s less than half what it’s worth.” She’d been around enough expensive jewelry to know and, besides that, she’d done her research. She was hoping to get at least seventy-five thousand.

  “That’s the best I can do considering the terms you’re demanding.”

  Ginny crossed her arms. The jeweler had the upper hand and they both knew it—she needed both his discretion and guarantee to keep the necklace out of the display case for the next six months, just until she could buy it back. The interest rate was astronomical, but her options were limited. It wasn’t like she could walk into the average pawn shop with a necklace worth over one hundred grand.

  “Damn it,” she muttered. “Draw up the paperwork.” She hadn’t wanted to accept the gift from Fedor in the first place, but he’d insisted. Now she was glad. She just hoped she could get it back before he realized it was gone.

  Twenty minutes later she exited the store through the back door, fifty grand richer. She just hoped it would be enough to keep the company afloat.

  Not for the first time, she wondered why she bothered. Why not just let the company go under and be done with it? It would surely be easier. It would be a blow to the local community, but surely their employees were qualified enough to find new jobs.

  It was just that she’d already compromised on so much in her life. She couldn’t bear to give up on one more thing. It was like if she could win the fight to save the company, then at least she’d have something.

  Maybe one day her children would want the company.

  Except any children she had would also be Fedor’s. Her stomach rolled. Best not to think about that.

  Veronica was waiting in her office when she walked in. “What do you want?” Ginny snapped.

  Veronica’s expression turned hurt. “I thought we were having lunch today.”

  “Damn, is that today?” Ginny sighed. “Roni, I’m sorry.”

  Her sister wrinkled her nose. “Don’t call me that.”

  “Sorry.” Ginny pinched the bridge of her nose. She knew Veronica hated the childhood nickname. “I’m just so damn busy.”

  “If you don’t have time . . .”

  Veronica was an expert at laying on the guilt. She’d used it time and time again on Ginny when they were growing up, and even though Ginny knew she was doing it, as an adult she still wasn’t immune.

  “No,
it’s okay. Let’s go.” She’d already been out at the jeweler’s an hour and if she took time for lunch on top of that, she’d definitely have to bring work home tonight. Might as well keep piling the crap on top of what was already shaping up to be a shittastic day.

  Veronica picked her purse up and put her arm through the silver chain-link straps. Ginny peered at it closely.

  “Is that new?”

  “This?” Veronica stroked the soft pink leather. “Gorgeous, isn’t it? It’s Gucci. They make the best bags. Just the other day, I—”

  Ginny slammed her palms down on her desk. “Damn it, Veronica. I asked you last week if you could loan money to the company and you insisted all the funds were still tied up in Barry’s estate.”

  “Well, not all of them, obviously.” Veronica sniffed. “I have to have something to live on.”

  Ginny seethed. “And a new Gucci purse is critical to living?” Veronica opened her mouth to respond, but Ginny held her hand up to stop her. “If you only knew what I was doing to save this company. I can’t believe you won’t lift a goddamn finger!”

  She was so close to telling Veronica the real reason she was marrying Fedor. But that was something she wasn’t ready to discuss with her sister, and she didn’t know if she’d ever be.

  “I don’t see why you bother.” Veronica narrowed her eyes at Ginny. “And why should I throw money away? Dad’s ruined this company. It’s only a matter of time before it collapses completely.”

  Her statement about their father was accurate, but it still pissed Ginny off. She had no right to say things like that.

  “You’ve never given two shits about this company, so don’t pretend to know the first thing about it.”

  “Why do you even care so much? As soon as you’re married, Fedor’s not going to want you to work, anyway. In just a few months, all your worries will disappear.”

  “I don’t give a shit what—” Ginny stopped herself before she said something she’d regret, something that might come back to haunt her later.

  Anyway, Veronica had completely missed the mark with that comment. Funny how Tony could tell she was unhappy with Fedor after just a glance, even though they hadn’t seen each other in years. But her sister, who she saw all the time, had no fucking clue. All her worries disappearing when she married Fedor? The thought was preposterous. It couldn’t be further from the truth.