by Leigh James
And then it stopped.
There was no sound attached to the screens. “What’s happening?” I asked the remaining guards, no longer caring if I was interfering or being a pain in the ass. That was Hannah out there. And Gabe, damn him.
The man shook his head and motioned for me to wait, not turning around. He listened for another beat, his brow furrowed. “Fuck,” he said to the other guard.
“Fuck what?” I asked. I felt as if I were going to jump out of my skin.
And then, suddenly, I knew what the “fuck” was for. In the video feed, Gabe stormed across the tiny lawn of the house, holding a gun and shooting at the driver’s side of the car. I watched as he pulled the driver out through the broken window and threw him to the ground. I couldn’t tell if the man was alive or not. Gabe didn’t seem to care—he crouched down and aimed his gun at whoever was in the passenger seat.
I gripped Timmy’s arm. “Oh my God.”
Ash and several other men swarmed the car. I saw them pull Hannah out of the back. All I caught was a flash of her long hair before she was yanked out of the frame.
Then I saw Gabe shooting at someone else.
And then the screen went blank. “Surveillance is down,” one of the men called.
I shut my eyes tightly as the image of Gabe in the middle of that chaos, shooting people, seared itself permanently onto my brain.
A minute went by with the guards murmuring to themselves and checking the equipment. “Wait, I’ve got Ash on the line,” one of them said.
My heart pounded painfully as he listened. “Good news,” he said, finally looking back at me through the screen. “That was clean. Even if it didn’t go according to plan.”
The guards in the room started clapping, but I couldn’t even catch my breath.
“Right. Let’s get going. We need to pack up and clear out.” The guard smiled at me. “Ms. Taylor, Gabriel’s okay. And they got your sister out. Ash said she’s fine—she didn’t get hurt just now.”
My hands were clenched into fists, my nails digging into my palms. “Are you sure Gabe didn’t get shot?”
“Not yet,” the guard said. “But Levi might shoot him for pulling that back there.”
“Ms. Taylor,” Timmy said, clicking off his phone. “They’re leaving the scene, but we need to move. Ash is already headed to San Francisco.”
“O-okay.” I licked my lips, which had gone dry. “Is Hannah really okay?”
Timmy nodded, smiling for the first time in what seemed like months. “She is, and so is Mr. Betts.”
“I’ll call them from the car.” I gathered all my paperwork together and my computer, feeling disoriented. Hannah is okay. They have Hannah, and she’s coming home.
I needed to ask a lot of questions and formulate a plan, but my mind went blank as I staggered out to the car. Timmy climbed in, and my driver pulled out immediately, making sure that I would be at the closing in the Financial District of San Francisco on time. Up to the last moment, we had to try to keep Li Na in the dark about what had happened.
But I couldn’t think about Li Na now. I could only think of Hannah.
Desperate to see her, I pulled out my phone, FaceTiming Gabe—I needed to see my sister with my own eyes.
“Hey,” Gabe answered, his tone clearly pleading for forgiveness.
“Let me talk to her.”
He twisted the phone around so I could see Hannah, but she was turned away from me—all I could see was her hair, which was dirty and matted almost beyond recognition. “Is she okay?”
“I can hear you, you know.” Hannah’s voice came out weak and gravelly. “And I’m fine.”
She turned her head toward me and grabbed the phone. I saw bruises on her face and neck, a thin film of dirt covering her skin. In perpetual great shape, she now looked frail, as if she’d lost about fifteen pounds since I’d last seen her.
She raised an eyebrow. “You look like shit, though.”
I burst into tears. “Oh my God. Oh my God…I’m so glad you’re back…”
“Stop crying, you’ll smear your mascara.” Hannah smiled at me weakly. “I’ll see you at the house?”
“Yes,” I said immediately. I had no plans to tell Hannah what I was about to do. “Get some rest. I’ll see you soon.” I hung up before I lied to her more, and before Gabe could try to talk to me—I was not speaking to him. I did, however, plan to scream at him—in private, as soon as I made sure both he and my sister were okay.
I knew I was about to face Li Na, but I couldn’t seem to focus. All the way to San Francisco, I prayed Hannah would make it safely to the house.
If that happened, I could face anything.
Chapter 23
Gabe
After Lauren hung up, I called Dr. Fisher. She promised to meet us at the house. Then I motioned to Brian, the driver, who’d become one of my favorite members of the team over the past few weeks. “We need to get going. Ash said it had to be fast.”
My gaze flicked to the seat next to me, where Hannah leaned back against the leather interior, looking frail and exhausted. I didn’t want to mention that Li Na might be coming after us with guns, fighting to get her prize back.
Brian nodded. “Ash briefed me. I have three vehicles backing us up—we’re ready for anything.” He put the big SUV into Reverse, backing out slowly.
“Good.” I turned to Hannah and hugged her gently but enthusiastically. “I’m so glad you’re back.”
“How’s Wes?” she croaked.
I handed her some bottled water. “He’s better,” I lied. Brian’s eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, and I shook my head. “We’ll catch you up on everything just as soon as we get back.”
“Gabe, wait—what’s in San Francisco? I heard your brother say something about joining Lauren there. What’s she doing?”
“Just going to a meeting.” I kept my tone noncommittal.
“I know she wouldn’t leave me with you and your SWAT team—after you literally just rescued me—to go to some random meeting.” Hannah turned in her seat and grimaced as if in pain. “It’s Li Na, isn’t it?”
I nodded.
“Is Lauren actually selling that bitch our company? I’ll—”
“Hannah. One thing at a time. Let’s get you home, cleaned up, and checked out. Then you can kick some more ass.”
“Fine,” she said, but it didn’t sound as though she meant it.
Brian pulled out of the Oakland neighborhood flanked by three other cars. I kept watch as we drove slowly out of the condominium complex, waiting to see if Li Na had more men nearby, at the ready.
I waited until Hannah seemed to drift off, then I called Levi. “How does it look over there?” I kept my voice down, trying to let her rest.
“I’m surprised you had the nerve to call me,” he said by way of an answer, “after the crap you just pulled back at the scene. I know you think you might be better than me at my job, but you don’t have the right to put my mission and my men’s lives at risk. Do you understand?”
I swallowed hard, biting back the urge to argue. “Yes.” Admitting I was wrong had never been my strong suit.
“You’re not cleared for that sort of activity, and Agent Marks from the FBI’s going to be livid.” Levi paused, letting that sink in.
“I’m…I’m sorry.” I was sorry. I could’ve been killed, or worse—I could’ve gotten one of the crew killed. My cheeks burned with remorse, and I was glad my brother couldn’t see me. “I shouldn’t have gone ahead of orders. But I had a clean shot—I felt like I had to take it.”
“I’d dig into you, but I’ll save your hide for Lauren to deal with. If I were you, I’d think about moving into the guesthouse tonight.”
“Ha-ha,” I said, but he was right, and I knew it. “We’re on our way back to the house now.”
“Is Brian driving? Is everything clear so far?”
“Yeah, and there’s no sign of trouble. The security team’s following us, and the doctor’s meeting us
at home to check Hannah out.”
“How is she?”
“She seems okay—she’s asleep. She’s too skinny and she’s bruised, but her spirits seemed good.”
“I’m so glad.”
“So am I. But I’ll feel better when we get her home.”
“The team has strict instructions. They’re going to secure the premises as soon as you’re through the gate. No one gets in except for the doctor, and they already have shifts to guard the perimeter.”
“Good. One more thing.” I swallowed hard. “Promise me…promise me you’ll bring Lauren home. Please.”
My brother sighed. “I’m here with seven armed men—some in cars, some in the building already, some on rooftops nearby. Ash is already on his way here too. I’ve got her. I promise to bring her home safe and sound. Text us as soon as you’re secure at the house, and keep an eye out. Li Na’s going to be on the warpath.”
“Will do,” I said. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Yes, you will.”
LAUREN
Hannah’s alive. Hannah’s on her way home. I repeated the information over and over to myself for a few minutes after we hung up. I had to let it seep in; I had to calm myself before I dealt with the next part of this day.
I refused to think about what Gabe had done—it made my head and heart pound with a dull fury. I’d deal with him later. I practiced yoga breathing to try to calm down on our way into the city. I didn’t get an angry text or a phone call from Li Na, which I hoped was promising.
Ash texted me the address for a parking garage downtown, and we pulled in. I hugged him as soon as I saw him, waiting for us by the exit. “Thank you for saving Hannah.”
He smiled tightly. “Don’t thank me yet. I want to hear from Gabe that she’s home safe, locked up like Fort Knox. Have you heard anything from Li Na?”
We headed down the steps to the street below. “She hasn’t called. I hope that’s a good sign.”
“She might not know what happened, still,” Ash explained. “We took them by surprise, and I personally confiscated all three guards’ electronic devices first thing. Now the authorities have them. I doubt they’ve been given the opportunity to reach out to her.”
“But I’m sure she knows something’s up. She would have been in constant contact with them—she knows something’s gone wrong.”
“We’ll see what happens,” Ash said. “Also, Agent Marks said you owe him a phone call, and he needs to interview Hannah.”
“I’ll have Bethany call him—he’s going to have to wait until we’re both up to it.”
“Fine.” As we walked, Ash pointed at the rooftops of the nearby buildings in the Financial District. “We’ve got eyes all over the place, so you’ll be safe. We’re going to get you out of here, no matter what happens.”
“Thank you.” I didn’t quite have it in me to feel completely at ease.
We quickly arrived at Sullivan & Wheelock, the upscale law firm where Li Na’s attorney was a senior partner. Bethany was waiting on the sidewalk. “Everything okay?” she asked.
I reached out and hugged her. “Yes. I don’t want to say anything more right now, but yes.”
Bethany’s eyes sparkled. “Does this change things?”
“Maybe.” Maybe, if the car that’s fleeing Oakland with Hannah and Gabe inside isn’t intercepted before it gets back to the house.
“Any instructions?” Bethany looked eager.
I shrugged. “Maybe just to drag this out a little, until I say so.”
She nodded, looking happier than she had in weeks. “I love it when you have a plan.”
Levi appeared on the sidewalk, seemingly from out of nowhere. “Are you ready?”
I nodded. “I think so. I haven’t heard from her—Li Na—so I’m not sure how to proceed. I don’t know how much her lawyer knows about what’s been going on, and what’s expected of me today.” Now that we just shot up Li Na’s guards and rescued my sister.
“We’ll follow her lead, then. But listen,” he said to me and Bethany, “if it seems like this is going south, you need to do what I say. Even you.” He gave Bethany a warning look.
She rolled her eyes. “Okay. Geez.”
“We might have to move fast,” Levi said. “I hope not, but we’re about to find out—so be ready, and stay alert.”
My nerves thrummed as we went through the revolving doors. Bethany let out a low whistle as we entered the opulent lobby. “Can you imagine this firm’s overhead? Yikes. You think I charge a lot. Imagine what Li Na’s paying—oh wait, that’s right. We don’t care!”
Bethany checked in with the black-clad, immaculate receptionist. “We’re on the sixth floor,” she said, coming back and eyeing the group. “All of us.”
There were a lot of us, I noticed as we filed into the elevator. In addition to Timmy, Levi, and Ash, there were three other Betts Security employees attending the closing. I wondered if Li Na’s attorney, Petra Hickman, would be surprised by my entourage, or if she’d expect it.
Another sleek receptionist ushered us into a vast, modern conference room on the sixth floor. Levi took a seat at the table, close to me, while Ash and the others spread out around the room. Bethany started setting up her paperwork. “Petra texted me early this morning—she said she’d received the signed documents from Li Na via Federal Express.”
I swallowed hard. “Then we should be good to go.”
I looked nervously at the men. “Have you heard anything from Brian yet?”
Ash nodded. “They’re on their way. No signs of trouble yet.”
Yet. My heart pounded as I focused on the yet.
Attorney Petra Hickman sashayed through the doors in a stylish suit a few minutes later, a nervous-looking paralegal at her heels. Petra didn’t even glance at the men I’d brought—Li Na must’ve prepared her well. Her tawny hair hung in perfect panes around her heart-shaped face; she would have been very attractive, but she had a nasty scowl on her face as she sized up me and Bethany.
“Let’s get this over with, shall we?”
Bethany didn’t look up from her files as she said, “It’s a pleasure as always, Petra. Could we get some water, please?”
Petra rolled her eyes and got on the phone with an assistant, asking for water. She glared at Bethany when she hung up. “Anything else?”
Bethany smiled widely. “Just some coffee, with extra cream. And crackers, if you have them.”
If Petra were a cartoon character, she would’ve had steam billowing out of her ears as she got back on the phone. When the water, coffee, and crackers arrived, she put a hand on her hip and glared at Bethany again. “Are you finally satisfied?”
“For now.” Bethany jauntily tossed a bite of cracker in her mouth.
I cleared my throat, interrupting before Petra launched herself across the conference table at my attorney. “Let’s get started.”
The paralegal practically tripped over herself as she set up stacks of paperwork, casting nervous glances at her boss. Petra, clearly a joy to work with, ignored her and the rest of us. She tapped out nonstop texts and emails. I held my breath, praying that my sister was about to make it home.
The paralegal gingerly slid a stack of paperwork my way. I tapped out a text of my own before I started signing the documents. Any word yet? Is Hannah safe?
Gabe texted back right away. No sign of trouble. Ten minutes from home.
I blew out a deep breath and began signing. A few minutes later, I sent a text to Ash and Levi, even though they were in the room. Things are about to get ugly.
Levi replied immediately. Goody. Are the two lawyers about to have a catfight?
Choosing to ignore him, I went back to reviewing the patent transfer agreement in front of me. My nerves thrummed as the words swam in front of my eyes.
Bethany worked slowly through her stack of documents. It seemed to take longer than usual.
“Is there a problem?” Petra sniffed as Bethany checked and rechecked some numbers.
“I think it’s important to be thorough,” Bethany said. “You can’t trust anyone these days.”
Petra rolled her eyes. In response, Bethany reached for the document she’d just finished with and pretended to reread it.
I finished with the patent documents and moved on to the next pile. Halfway through the distribution agreement I was reading, my phone buzzed with a text from Gabe. Home safe and sound. Locked up like Fort Knox. No sign of anyone tailing us. Your sister really seems okay, and Dr. Fisher’s going to examine her.
I fired off a response immediately. Thank God.
You can thank me for saving her later, he wrote. Even better, you can thank me naked.
You don’t want to go there, I wrote back.
So…is this an appropriate time for me to beg for your forgiveness?
I looked at the pile of papers in front of me, my mind racing. Later. I have some important shit to deal with right now.
Important, revenge-like shit?
I suppressed a smile—it wasn’t time for that. Not yet. Something like that.
Go get ’em, Your Highness. And come back to me, even if you aren’t speaking to me. Yet.
“Hold on,” I told Petra, putting the phone down. “Get Li Na on Skype. There’s a problem. I need to talk to her, face-to-face.”
Petra went pale. “What sort of problem?”
I could only image what Li Na would do to her attorney if she’d screwed something up. “Nothing you did. Just get her online. Now.”
Petra’s nerves were clearly frayed as she barked at her paralegal, who went scampering for the laptop. Petra grabbed her phone and fired off a quick text, probably to Li Na. Her paralegal hustled back and set up the Skype site quickly, not looking at her boss.
“What the hell is this?” Li Na asked when she appeared on the screen. She wore one of her signature dark suits, her bright lipstick perfect as always. She glared at her attorney. “I’m waiting for an explanation.”
Petra nodded stiffly. “L-Lauren wanted to talk to you. She said there’s some sort of problem.” She quickly turned the screen toward me, the coward.