GABE (Silicon Valley Billionaires Book 2)

by Leigh James

  California sunshine streamed through the windows, but gloominess and paranoia pervaded the atmosphere. My staff looked pale and worried. Eddie had extra guards patrolling the building. We were locked up like Fort Knox, and everyone was on edge.

  I nodded at Stephanie, my assistant, as I headed into my office.

  Her face was pinched with worry. “Are you okay, Ms. Taylor?”

  “No…not at all. But I have a team working on getting Hannah back. And I believe in them.”

  “What about the police?” Stephanie asked.

  “They’re looking. So is the FBI.” Stephanie loved my sister, and I wanted to give her some hope. They were always chatting and comparing notes on shows like The Bachelorette and other things I’d considered silly. “I promise to keep you posted.”

  Her eyes showed a spark. “Thank you. I’ll be praying for her.”

  I headed into my office, closing the door behind me. When I considered those things now—the shows, movies, and celebrity gossip Hannah unselfconsciously enjoyed, things I’d always teased her about—it made my heart hurt. What she’d said still haunted me: “I’m the average one.” I’d made her feel that way. Me, with my monomaniacal work habits and my scornful disinterest in normal life. I’d never meant to make her feel average in comparison. Hannah was my heart.

  I looked out the window. The grounds surrounding Paragon were covered with dew in the early morning sunlight. How many times had I gazed at this same view, making plans for my company? Even though I had a million things to do, I wandered around my office, feeling lost. Paragon had always been my sanctuary. I’d hidden inside for years, happy to be lost in my research. My ignorance had been bliss, but now I was about to sell my company—my life’s work—to the corporate Antichrist known as Li Na Zhao.

  I checked the patch’s sales data from the weekend—we’d surpassed expectations, again. The patient satisfaction surveys were almost unanimously positive: people loved having a quick, efficient, noninvasive medical test. My technology was a runaway success.

  Which made this situation that much more maddening.

  I wouldn’t be able to control what Li Na did with my company. The patch currently sold for a low price, so most consumers could afford it. Access to affordable healthcare was an important piece of improving the overall health of the planet. I didn’t want my technology priced out of reach, but I knew Li Na would ruin everything I’d worked for by chasing a larger profit.

  My phone buzzed, making me jump. “The board’s ready for you,” Stephanie said.

  I felt anything but ready. “Okay. Thanks.”

  I took a deep breath as I headed into my meeting. My board members had been with me from the beginning. They’d always believed in me and in the patch—now, they were going to witness Paragon’s devastating end.

  I sat down and straightened myself, preparing to deliver the blow. “What I’m about to tell you must be kept confidential. I can’t risk the public or our partners finding out any details. It could compromise Hannah’s safety.”

  The board members murmured worriedly to each other as I gathered my courage.

  I took a deep breath. “I’m selling the lab to Jiàn Innovations. If I don’t pull this transaction together soon, with your blessing, they’re going to kill Hannah.”

  Allen Trade put his hand over his heart. “Jesus, Lauren.”

  Mimi White winced. Angela Blakely folded her hands together, looking stricken.

  This was it. Everything we’d worked for would be taken from us, and this was how it would end, after so much promise.

  “What about the police?” Angela asked after a minute. “The FBI? Isn’t anyone doing anything?”

  “They’re involved, but there’s a limit to their power.” I shook my head. “My security team believes the Chinese government will refuse to extradite Li Na. With respect to what we can do on American soil, our options are limited. Any legal options would take months or years. We don’t have that kind of time.”

  “What about Wesley? And the guards who died?” Mimi asked. “Jiàn Innovations can’t just get away with murder.”

  I swallowed hard. “My team’s looking for the people who did this, and so are the FBI and the police. When we find them, they’ll be arrested. But connecting them to Li Na will be difficult—we found that out when Clive Warren was murdered. I know in my heart she’s responsible for his death, but I can’t prove it. I have emails and text messages, but they’re routed through third-party proxy servers on foreign soil. What I have might not be enough to indict her, and frankly, we don’t have time to wait and see.”

  “All this, and Li Na’s safe in Shenzhen.” Allen sounded bleak. “But I understand your position—it breaks my heart to see the company sold like this, but our hands are tied.”

  I nodded. “Exactly. Of course I don’t want to sell—especially not to Li Na—but I don’t have a choice. The only thing that matters is getting Hannah back alive. Bethany’s started drawing up the paperwork. I’ll reach out to our investors next week and make the announcement to the employees after that. This is going to happen very fast—but I promise to keep you posted.”

  The meeting wrapped up shortly after that. There wasn’t a lot more to say, but there was a lot of work ahead. Bethany came to my office to start preparation for the sale. We worked silently for hours. Bethany’s laser-focus mirrored my own, and I found her presence soothing. At least all the work distracted me from thoughts of Hannah.

  I reviewed the draft of the Purchase and Sales Agreement and supporting documents as Bethany prepared them, distancing myself from the ultimate meaning of the words. I forced myself to look at them analytically, as if I didn’t have a stake in the outcome of the sale. I didn’t want to think about what I’d lose. I had to stay focused on what I’d get back.

  When we’d finished first drafts late that night, Bethany emailed them to Li Na’s attorney in San Francisco. She closed her laptop, grabbed her briefcase, and headed for the door. “I can’t believe we’re doing this.”

  Bethany had been with me from the beginning, so this was hard for her too. But she surprised me by turning and smiling before she left. “It’s a good thing I believe in karma,” she said, trying to sound upbeat.

  “Why’s that?”

  A glimmer of sympathy lit Bethany’s eyes—she knew how much I was hurting. “Because Li Na’s going to get what’s coming to her, eventually. And I’m going to enjoy the hell out of that.”

  I smiled wanly. “I hope you’re right.”

  She swished her blonde hair over her shoulder and headed out. “I’m always right,” she called. “That’s why you pay me the big bucks. Now use that big, beautiful brain of yours and figure out a way to screw that bitch over, once and for all!”

  I watched Bethany as she disappeared down the hall. Figure out a way to screw Li Na over, indeed. That was exactly what I wanted.

  But what can I do to her? What’s her weakness?

  My phone buzzed with a text from Gabe, interrupting my train of thought. Babe. It’s late—come home.

  I almost felt guilty that I still had Gabe to go home to. God only knew where Hannah was, and Wesley was in a coma at El Camino…

  Still, I clutched my phone and hustled to the door. I needed to be with him. We were the only thing that still made sense.

  GABE

  Lauren finally got home at midnight. I pulled her into my arms. “Are you okay? I mean, I know you’re not…but I still have to ask.”

  She shook her head against my chest. “Just take me to bed.”

  As soon as the door to our bedroom closed, she started bawling. “They didn’t find anything today, right?”

  “No.” I wrapped my arms around her again. “Levi said it was going to take a while. I’m so sorry…”

  She sobbed against me. “It’s not your fault. But I just keep thinking about Hannah… If they’re doing anything to her… I feel so helpless, I feel sick!”

  I kissed the top of her head and rocked h
er back and forth. There was nothing I could do for her except hold her. I got her out of her work clothes and into one of my Harvard T-shirts. Then I held her for a long time, stroking her hair and rubbing her back until her sobs finally subsided and her breathing evened out.

  “I wish I could take your pain away,” I whispered when I thought she’d fallen asleep. My heart broke for her. “I would give anything.”

  She pulled me against her, awake after all. “You can… You’re the only one who can. Even if it’s just for a few minutes. Just make me feel something.”

  She rocked back against me, making me instantly hard. Now that I knew she wanted me, I suddenly had a burning urge to fill her, to take refuge in her.

  She turned toward me, our tongues tangling, and an electric jolt went straight to my cock, which throbbed thickly against her thigh. I needed to be inside her.

  I rolled her onto her side so I was pressed up against her back. I took the T-shirt off and ran my thumbs over her nipples, which beaded instantly under my touch. She rubbed her ass against me, moaning, as I nipped at her shoulder and neck, showering her with kisses. She leaned back against me, giving herself to me. It made me feel powerful…important. Like I might be able to make everything better, even if just for a few minutes.

  I wanted to give that to her. To give myself to her so I could make her forget the pain.

  I trailed my cock up and down her slit, getting it slick with her wetness, and she ground herself against me for a few glorious moments. I felt my whole body come alive, responding to hers. Her breath came fast and hot, her movements increasing our friction. I grabbed her hips and positioned her against me, my knee between her legs to open her up.

  My cock throbbed against her. I couldn’t wait anymore.

  I entered her swiftly, all the way. Holy fuck.

  “Oh!” Lauren cried. Then she reached around, grabbing my ass and pulling me in deeper.

  I’d learned to follow Lauren’s lead, to listen to her body, and I knew what she wanted. She wanted me deep, and she wanted me hard. I groaned and bucked my hips, already wanting to explode inside her, needing my own release.

  I leaned up on my arm, angling myself deeper inside her. I was close to the edge, and I wanted to come, but I held on, because when I came, this would be over, and it felt so good.

  I could feel Lauren’s orgasm building as her tight body gripped me harder, pulsing.

  I moved over on top of her, covering her body with mine, fucking her mercilessly while she stayed on her side. I was in even deeper in this position, and I felt Lauren’s orgasm begin to rip through her, her body shaking and clenching around me in climax.

  She came, calling my name, and I fucked her through her orgasm.

  And then I came, finally spending myself into her, giving her everything I had, my thoughts going incoherent, eclipsed by pleasure. She clung to me afterward, and I kissed her sweaty forehead, wrapping my arms tightly around her. “Don’t you ever leave me. I mean it, babe. I couldn’t bear it.”

  “I won’t,” she said, breathing hard. “I promise.”

  I ran my hand down her cheek. “Whatever happens next, we face it together.”

  “Together,” she promised, just before drifting off.

  I watched her as she slept, not wanting to take an eye off her, needing to believe she meant it.

  Chapter 5

  GABE

  Lauren went back to Paragon the next morning, promising to be home before midnight. She was exhausted, but her eyes had the fiery determination they got when she obsessed over something. She was determined to show Li Na the sale was moving forward and Hannah should be released.

  We hadn’t talked any further about the proposed exchange. Lauren knew where I stood. I hoped my brothers found Hannah soon, so we didn’t need to have the discussion again.

  It hadn’t exactly gone well the first time.

  As an added precaution, I’d asked Timmy to secure the house with updated electronic security devices and private codes. I wasn’t above locking Lauren up if necessary, even if that counted as a dick move. I had to keep her alive and safe.

  I called my friend Dr. Edward Kim, a neurosurgeon who had privileges at El Camino, who I’d asked to check on Wes.

  He picked up on the first ring. “Hey.”

  “Hey, sorry to bother you. Did you check on my friend?”

  “Yeah, I saw him this morning. I just reviewed his most recent CAT scan. It looked good—the swelling in his brain has gone down a bit, and all his vitals look consistent.”

  Hope made my heart skip a beat. “Do you think he’s going to be okay?”

  “It’s too soon to tell,” Dr. Kim said, “but sometimes these medical inducements really do help the patient heal. It looks like your friend’s progress is moving in the right direction. I’m cautiously optimistic. By the way, I had him added to my patient roster. I talked to the neurologist—he’s a friend of mine—and we’ll be working together from here on out. I feel good about it.”

  “I can’t thank you enough, buddy. I owe you.”

  “Perfect—I’ve been dying to play at CordeValle again.”

  We’d played golf at the exclusive club last spring, and he’d been impressed. If Wes pulled through, I’d get Dr. Kim a lifetime membership. “Consider it done. Thanks again.”

  I called Lauren immediately. “I just talked to my buddy, the neurosurgeon. He checked on Wes. He said the prognosis is good. They ran another CAT scan, and it showed Wes is healing.”

  “Oh my God.” I could hear the relief in her voice. “That’s amazing!”

  “He’s only cautiously optimistic, babe. But I think we can be too.”

  “Okay. Wow. I just wish I could tell Hannah somehow.”

  “Ask Li Na’s attorney if you can arrange another Skype.”

  “I will. That’s a great idea—maybe if I could think straight, I would’ve thought of it,” Lauren said. “Thank you, honey.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  “Are you…doing okay?” The question remained ridiculous in light of the circumstances, but I had to keep asking it, to try to maintain some sense of normalcy.

  “Bethany’s here. We’re working.”

  “I’ll let you get back to it. I’ll see you tonight. Love you, babe.”

  There was a knock on my door as I hung up. Ryan, my assistant, stuck his head in, his electric-blue glasses shining in the early morning light. “Gabe? I have those reports for you.”

  “Send them to my laptop.”

  I pulled up the data Ryan sent me and reviewed the most recent reports from my international partners who handled the patch’s distribution. The international sales were tracking the domestic numbers—the patch was unequivocally a global mega-hit. I’d made more money on my partnership with Paragon than I’d projected. I’d always known that the technology would be a bestseller, but its success had blown by every marker.

  I’d been interested in Paragon long before I met Lauren. I’d watched the company’s growth from afar for years, admiring the team she’d built. I’d speculated that with the board of directors she’d assembled, she’d been working on something fantastic, and I was right. For purely business purposes, I’d wanted Dynamica in on the ground floor with Paragon. That was why I arranged a meeting with Lauren in the first place. But since the first time I met her—at lunch at Grove, the day my life changed forever—I only wanted her.

  Once I got to know Lauren and saw her brilliance firsthand—and understood the game-changing nature of her invention—I wanted to help the product reach as many consumers as possible. I knew the patch would be a winner, and I could help launch it on a global scale right out of the gate. I believed strongly in Lauren’s vision and believed in the good the patch could bring the world. I’d also known it would be profitable, and it was—even with its thin initial profit margin, it was making my company millions.

  But profit wasn’t the point, and it never had been.

 
I closed my laptop and started pacing. Lauren had worked tirelessly her entire adult life to bring the patch to market. It had the potential to improve global health on a massive scale in the years to come. I didn’t want a corporate terrorist to take it away. I knew Li Na would defile Lauren’s vision for her invention. I clenched my hands into fists as I continued to pace. I didn’t want Paragon to go out like this—bursting into flames under the misdirection of a greedy, corrupt, and criminal CEO.

  Lauren’s technology deserved more than that. Lauren deserved more than that.

  Feeling restless, I grabbed my phone and texted Levi. Any progress?

  My phone remained silent for a minute, so I went back to pacing. My thoughts went in a hundred different directions as I tried to think of a way out. My phone dinged, and I grabbed it.

  There is no progress yet. Please stop driving me fucking crazy, Levi wrote back.

  Knowing I was about to tick him off, I picked up the phone and called him anyway.

  He answered on the first ring. “Jesus, Gabe. I’m trying to work.”

  “I understand, but that doesn’t answer my question. Did you guys figure out the license plate number yet?”

  “You left here two hours ago. Do you remember that I have other clients and other cases to manage?”

  I raked my hand through my hair. “Yes. But you promised me you’d give this your full attention.”

  Levi sighed. “I am giving it my full attention. But we haven’t uncovered the rest of the plate number in the two hours since you last asked me. Now please go back to work and let me actually get something done.”

  “I hope you actually get something done. I’ll check back with you later.”

  Frustration ate at me as I put the phone down and started pacing again. I had plenty of my own work to do, but it could wait. What couldn’t wait was saving Lauren’s sister and her company. The clock was ticking… Why did it seem like Lauren and I were the only ones aware of that?