by Leigh James
Hannah bit her lip, but sensing my urgency, said nothing.
Then she waved down our server and ordered wine, too.
Adrenaline thrummed through my body as we went through the motions of a sociable lunch. Ellis appeared relaxed and normal, actually leading the conversation at the table. He told Hannah and Fiona stories about our family, perking up as he went along.
His eyes sparkled as he told them about our favorite family pet, Moose the dog. “He used to howl every time this commercial for a certain doll came on. This big lug of a dog, howling over a little blonde doll with curls. Hysterical.”
He cleaned his plate as he talked.
He never stopped scanning the room.
He ordered a chocolate bento box for dessert and ate that, too.
When he insisted on paying the check, I knew for sure he was enjoying himself.
Ellis couldn’t wait to get his hands on Mr. Gray Hoodie. He was itching for a fight.
I already knew what he would say as we gathered our things and headed to the door.
“I’ll take care of our friend—get Fiona and Hannah to the car. Have Brian bring them back to Gabe’s.”
“Why Gabe’s?”
“Because he has a guesthouse filled with Betts Security agents,” Ellis snapped. “I want Fiona safe while I call Levi and figure out what do with this guy.”
He pretended to casually scroll through his phone, buying himself time as Mr. Gray Hoodie paid his check.
“Fine, but once I get them settled, I’m coming with you.”
“I’ll be at the other SUV.”
One arm firmly around Hannah and one eye firmly on Fiona, I texted Brian. He drove up immediately, scanning the parking lot as he idled the SUV. Before the women could protest, I opened the back door and “helped” them inside—I offered Fiona my hand, which she accepted, but I had to practically shove Hannah inside the car.
She looked up at me balefully, clearly angry but also on the verge of tears. “I don’t know why you’re doing this.” Her voice shook, and Fiona winced next to her.
“I’ll be fine—it’s no big deal.” I leaned down and planted a firm kiss on her lips so she could feel how much I meant it.
“Can’t you come with us instead?” she begged.
“I can’t—I have to help Ellis.” I hated to be separated from her, and Ellis would probably be just fine, but I wasn’t going to miss out on the opportunity to find out more about the man who’d followed us. “Honestly? He isn’t going to let me do much. He needs to flex his muscles.”
“O-okay.” Hannah tried to sound brave, but her eyes filled with tears. “But please be safe.”
I turned to Brian, who looked annoyed by all the kissing and the crying. “We have four backup vehicles,” he said. “Two for you and Ellis, two for me. I’ll head back to Gabe’s now and make sure Fiona and Hannah are safe.”
“Thanks, Bri.”
“Did you hear from Levi?”
“Not yet.”
Brian put the SUV into Drive. “Okay, buddy. Please be safe.”
In a rare attempt at humor, he fluttered his eyelashes, clearly imitating Hannah.
“Have I told you lately that you’re sort of a dick?”
Brian grinned. “No.”
“You’re sort of a dick.”
Hannah seconded that from the backseat.
Brian shrugged. “I know—sorry, Hannah. Wes, totally not sorry.”
He sped off, taking my heart with him—and yeah, I knew what Brian would say to that. Dick. Sighing, I looked for my brother.
And then I realized I still had my heart—because it jumped into my throat when I spotted him across the parking lot, beating Mr. Gray Hoodie to a pulp in broad daylight.
Chapter 21
Wes
I sprinted across the lot, almost collapsing by the time I reached them. I bent over to catch my breath. “Stop. This isn’t open combat, it’s the parking lot of a trendy restaurant. Put him in the car.”
Ellis punched the man one last time, grinning as Mr. Gray Hoodie’s head lolled back. He tossed me the man’s gun and stuffed him into the backseat, following close behind.
I cursed as I got behind the wheel. “We have two cars packed with agents watching us—you better hope they don’t report you to Levi. He’s not in the business of publicly beating people.”
Ellis breathed hard, but he didn’t look at all sorry. “You better hope I don’t tell Hannah you ran at a full-out sprint.”
I pulled out onto the road, eyeing him in the rearview mirror. He ignored me, inspecting the nearly passed-out man next to him, taking his wallet and examining his identification.
“Who do you work for?”
The man moaned.
Ellis put his Sig Sauer pistol against his temple. “Quit your crying. Who do you work for? You might as well tell me. It’s not like they’re going to come and rescue you from where you’re going anyway.”
The man cursed. “I don’t know the client’s name. I work for a service. All I know is the client’s Chinese.”
“Ding ding ding. We have a winner.” Completely in his element, Ellis sounded gleeful.
“What’re we going to do with this winner?” I asked.
Ellis’s gaze met mine in the rearview mirror. “I haven’t decided what I can use him for yet. I’ll figure something out.”
Unsure of what that meant, and unsettled by my brother’s tone, I warily steered the car toward home.
* * *
LI NA
Once upon a time, Lauren Taylor bored me to tears. Her technology sparkled, but she was your typical American engineer: two-dimensional and obsessed with quantitative analysis. Such individuals were useful, but too narrow-minded for my taste.
I dated one once, at university.
I ended up giving him my virginity to shut him up about our mutual statistics class.
It was a good thing he’d been so well endowed. University would have been extremely boring otherwise, although I had enjoyed statistics.
I’d almost enjoyed it when Lauren blew up our last deal—finally, some colorful language. A spark rose to her surface. She’d exhibited some fight.
And then just this week…a new discovery. I’d assumed Lauren had continued to focus only on the patch, but during my regularly scheduled hack of Paragon’s system, I’d found prototype plans for a new device. The plans were for a mini-sensor that monitored metastasizing cells using similar technology to the patch. If this prototype worked, it was going to revolutionize the cancer industry. The sensor would firmly cement Paragon as the world’s leader in biotechnology.
Unless, of course, I appropriated the groundbreaking design and used it first.
I would have to move quickly. I watched Paragon’s files daily, hacking in on a regular basis and monitoring for any new activity. The sensor’s prototype, its supporting specs, and the related government filings were all uploaded to the system on the same day. I needed to understand why. Had Lauren been developing this privately? Was she about to begin clinical trials?
I had another thought. Her team hadn’t been able to keep me out of their system. They had to know I watched them. Was Lauren Taylor trying to play me?
I thought back on that American engineer I’d dated. He didn’t understand sarcasm or most humor. When I’d broken it off with him, he wanted a reason. I told him we lacked longterm potential, but that didn’t compute. So I explained that statistically, we were at a disadvantage because not only were we an interracial couple, we were international—the empirical data indicated the likelihood of our success was miniscule. Pursuing the relationship would waste time that we could both put toward our studies or a relationship with better probabilities. Finally, he understood.
Did Lauren possess the ability to try to trick me? I didn’t know if her brain could function that way—it seemed more the mark of a creative mind, one that didn’t necessarily adhere to rigid rules and structures.
With only one way to find out, I�
��d copied all the new sensor’s files.
My people were already working on a prototype based on the stolen files. I was busy preparing all the necessary documentation for a fast-track government approval process. The Chinese government understood the need to provide innovative medical technology to the public. An approval that would take months or years in the United States would be given in a matter of weeks.
In other breaking news, Fiona Pace had agreed to exclusively license her antibody therapy to me. It appeared her husband’s untimely death had finally given her the proper motivation.
I’d say I was sorry, but I wasn’t.
Pending government approval, which I would again receive in an expedited manner, Jiàn Innovations would announce its newest offering: the fastest cancer treatment therapy ever available. Because of the glacial pace at which the Federal Drug Administration moved, we would beat Protocol to market by a mile. I’d already begun the process of staffing a rollout, reaching out to distribution partners and prepping my facilities for an influx of orders.
Jiàn Innovations would launch two cutting-edge technologies this year. And then? All eyes would be on Shenzhen—and me. My prominence, already secured, would finally proliferate wildly.
Some would question my tactics, but I would stand by my results. In the end, I would help more people than I’d hurt. Men had done the same thing for centuries, declaring war in the name of their vision of a better world.
So, I reasoned, let the weak wait. If Lauren Taylor and Fiona Pace couldn’t hear the clock ticking, I wouldn’t waste my precious time screaming at them while they covered their ears.
* * *
HANNAH
Wes, Levi, and Ash were holed up in the guesthouse, busy interrogating the man we’d captured. Curious and not at all pleased by the day’s events, Gabe and Lauren cornered me when they got home from work.
“What are they going to do with him?” Lauren asked.
I frowned as I laced up my sneakers. Running was the only way I could deal with such a stressful day. “I don’t know.”
Gabe cracked his knuckles. “I’m going to talk to Levi—I’m not sure I love the idea of keeping a hostage on my property.”
Lauren kissed his cheek, looking stricken as he strode off. “Keep me posted.”
She watched me as I started to stretch. “How was Fiona?”
“Nervous about the girls, of course. Ellis increased security at their property. He’s not taking any chances.”
She nodded. “Were you scared?”
“I was scared Wes was going to get hurt. He shouldn’t be active yet.” I bit my lip. “Honestly, I don’t know if I can handle him going back on assignment after everything that’s happened.”
Lauren reached out and rubbed my arm. “Things will calm down eventually.”
“He carries a concealed weapon for work. ‘Calm’ isn’t really part of the job description.”
“Have you asked him to think about doing something else?”
I shrugged. “Yes, but he loves his job. I don’t think it’s fair of me to push it.”
“Can you live like this? Worrying about him?”
“I’ll be fine. I just need to stay supportive.” I couldn’t ask Wes to give up his work—he helped people, and it was an important job. I just needed to toughen up. Plus, he’d never once asked me to walk away from Paragon, even though it had been chaotic and dangerous over the past year. “Other spouses do it. I can, too.”
“Spouses?” Lauren asked eagerly, clearly trying to lighten the mood. “Do you have gossip?”
I put my hands on my hips. “Ugh, you know what I mean!”
She eyed my sneakers. “Do you want company?”
“Besides the three security guards who’re going to follow me?” I eyed the guys, who were waiting in the entryway. “You’re welcome to come, but I’ll probably run a few hills.”
Lauren grabbed her laptop and backed away. “I think I’ll catch up on some reports. Come see me when you get back?”
“Sure.” I headed to the entryway, collected my entourage, and headed outside. The roads surrounding Gabe’s compound were quiet, with another occasional estate’s driveway breaking up the woods. It was peaceful up here in the hills, and as soon as I started to jog, I calmed down.
I liked to run to music, the beat blaring and blocking out all thoughts. With one guard in front and two behind, I popped my headphones in and tried not to sing along—I didn’t need to be hazed about my pathetic voice. Still, even with the drama of the day, I eventually settled into a pace and was able to let my thoughts fall away. After a mile, I felt better. I pumped my arms and breathed in the cool, late-afternoon air, thinking only of my next breath and putting one foot in front of the other.
Then my phone buzzed, pausing the music, and a notification flashed across my screen: finally, a response email from Biyu Lin.
I stopped running, heart pounding for a completely different reason.
I am not interested in what you proposed, she wrote. Find someone else.
I cursed—that wasn’t the answer I’d been waiting for. I looked up, realizing the guys had stopped running and were waiting for me as I squinted at my phone and swore to myself.
“Sorry. I have to do a quick work email.”
They busied themselves watching for threats and stretching their thighs.
I fired back an email to Biyu. You don’t want to say no to me. I could make your life difficult.
I shook my head, trying to align my realities. Here I was, in beautiful, wildly upscale Northern California, firing off harassing messages while out for a run meant to clear my head. I looked down at myself—fluorescent, expensive running shoes, trendy Capri-length athletic tights, hot-pink tank top, and a ponytail stuck on top of my head. “Firework” by Katy Perry was positioned to blare next on my playlist. I wasn’t in a position to threaten anyone—it wasn’t my style.
Still, when Biyu emailed back, asking what I meant, I didn’t hesitate. I needed to toughen up. For my sister, Wes, Fiona…for my own sake.
Help me or your family will suffer, like mine has, I wrote, hating myself for every word.
But that didn’t stop me from hitting Send.
A few minutes later, she emailed me back, asking for detailed instructions. I couldn’t help but smile. Because although I didn’t like the method of travel, I was finally getting somewhere.
And I didn’t plan on stopping until the final destination: freedom from Li Na Zhao.
Chapter 22
Wes
“I can’t believe you guys did this,” Bethany hissed, standing outside the captive’s room.
I shrugged. “We didn’t have much choice.”
Lauren must’ve told her what we’d done, because Bethany had stalked over from the main house, seething and intermittently complaining as we waited for Levi to come out of the interrogation room.
After a week of interrogation, our captive had finally told us his name was Carey, but I didn’t believe him. His license and other documents were all fake. We had no idea who he really was or who’d paid him to follow Fiona—and he wouldn’t talk.
Bethany snorted. “You didn’t have to take him captive. Of course you had a choice.”
“He’d been following Ellis and Fiona. Did you want us to wait until he attacked?”
“Did you want to call the police instead of assaulting him in public, then taking him hostage and keeping him locked up for a week?”
Bethany looked as if smoke might pour out of her ears.
I shrugged defensively. “Should I even really be talking to you about this?”
“I just want to know what you have planned for this guy so that I can protect my client—who, I should remind you, runs a multibillion-dollar business and cannot be implicated in this sort of circus!”
Hannah tore around the corner at that moment, but she stopped short when she saw her attorney. “Oh, hi.”
Bethany put her hands on her hips. “Oh, hi, yourself! I’v
e sent you ten texts this week and you haven’t responded, and now I know why.”
“Sorry.” Hannah bit her lip.
Bethany scowled. “I want to know about your source—the ‘happy’ one. I need to know what the hell is going on around here!”
She tapped her heel, the sound echoing across the hardwood floors.
“My source is good—everything’s fine.” Hannah’s brow furrowed into a deep v. “Why are you in the guesthouse? Are they having you interview Carey?”
“Jesus, you’re involved in this, too?” Bethany flung up her hands and issued another litany of curses.
We probably should have had her interview Carey. Bethany could be little scary, and we hadn’t gotten that far with him.
Levi came out of the room then and closed the door behind him, the lines in his face etched deeper from lack of sleep. He looked wary when Bethany turned her scowl his way.
“I’m hoping you have some kind of explanation?” she asked. “The kind that keeps my client out of jail for being a criminal accessory?”
He held up his hands, as if in surrender. “Lauren’s not involved in any way—this is my company’s deal. She can’t be implicated whatsoever.”
“This is her house,” Bethany said. “What were you thinking?”
Levi stalked toward her, the muscles in his jaw clenched. “I was thinking that it’d be safer for Lauren and for everyone if we didn’t let Li Na’s little henchmen stalk, murder, or kidnap anyone else for a change. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, and all.”
“Has he actually told you anything useful?” Bethany didn’t sound impressed.
Levi examined his knuckles, which were bloody. “Not yet. I’m working on it.”
Bethany shook her head.
“Why don’t you let us talk to him?” Hannah offered. “He might appreciate a fresh approach—one that doesn’t involve beating on him. We might be able to motivate him.”
I put myself between her and the doorway. “No way, babe.”