After another emotional day, I was happy to be home in sweats, nursing a glass of wine with Gabe.

He put his arm around me. “Dr. Kim called this afternoon from the hospital—Wes is the same. Still stable, but still in ICU.”

“Thank God. At least he hasn’t had another arrhythmia. Did Timmy get in touch with the brother’s unit?”

Gabe nodded. “His brother—Ellis—is taking leave and coming home.”

I sighed. “That’s good. I hope it helps Wes.”

“It will.” Gabe sounded confident, as though he were trying to stay upbeat. “Getting Hannah back will help too. I’m sure Wes will be able to sense their presence. Dr. Kim said continued visits and support are extremely important.”

I nodded. “I’ll go see him again tomorrow. So…what have you been up to since I last saw you this morning?”

Gabe shrugged, looking nonchalant. “Just some research. You?”

“I held a staff meeting, to talk about the future.”

“And?”

“And everyone single one of my employees agreed to transition to Dynamica. They’re thrilled. I can’t thank you enough.” I kissed his cheek. “Really…you made an impossible situation bearable.”

He smiled, playing with my hair. “And what about you, huh? Have you decided about what you’re going to do? I’m not trying to push, I swear. I’m just…curious.”

“I know.” I leaned against him, trying to gather the energy to tell him how I felt.

“So?”

“In theory, I would love to come work at Dynamica. We already have an existing business relationship, we work well together, and I’d be free to develop new technology—I know you’d give me all the space and support I need to build something great.”

“But? Because I can tell that there’s a ‘but.’”

“But… I don’t—I don’t want to work for anyone else!” I put down my wine, got up, and started pacing. “I don’t want to say no to you. I want to keep things on as even a keel as possible—to follow my staff, to start working again as soon as we get through this. I can’t stand being idle, just reacting all the time to different stressful situations. It’s making me crazy.”

“I can see that.”

I looked at him, feeling helpless. “I want to say yes, but I can’t.”

Gabe watched me patiently. “And that’s because… Can you explain the ‘because’ part again, babe?”

“Because I’m a CEO. I like running my own company and being my own boss. I could never work for someone else, not even you.”

I started pacing with renewed fervor. “I built Paragon from nothing except my dreams, but I made it work. It was a big deal for me to take on Dynamica even as a partner. I’ve never trusted anyone enough to do that—but even though I trust you, I still want to call the shots. I can’t give up control and just be a vice president. Even if it’s for your company—because it’s yours and you built it. I want something that’s mine, that I built. Do you understand?”

His dimple flashed. “Yes, I know Your Grace doesn’t play well with others.”

I put my hands on my hips. “Don’t make fun of me.”

“I’m not—and quite frankly, I’m happy to hear you say it. I was wondering if Li Na had taken all the fight out of you.”

“I do feel a bit like a deflated balloon,” I admitted.

“Don’t. And don’t be worried about my feelings—wait a minute, you aren’t worried about my feelings, are you?”

I couldn’t help it—I laughed. It sounded foreign coming from my mouth. “Your self-esteem seems pretty intact to me.”

“You got me there.” He chuckled. “So, what do you want to do? Screw Li Na? Rescue your sister, keep Paragon and the patch? Stay on as CEO?”

“In a perfect world, yes. But that’s not reality. I need this to be over with Li Na. I don’t want to live looking over my shoulder—or worse—for the rest of my life. Clive Warren warned me. He said she wouldn’t stop, and I should’ve listened to him. When I screwed her over and launched the patch, I made an enemy for life. And now look what’s happened. Hannah, Wesley…”

Gabe held me close. “It’s not your fault.”

“I appreciate you saying that, but this is my cross to bear. I need to make this right—I need to get Hannah back, to have Wesley be okay, and to never go through this again. If Li Na gets Paragon in exchange, it’s worth it. Without my company, my life might not look how I always envisioned it, but that’s a price I’m willing to pay. All I want is to be able to walk away with my family intact.”

Gabe nodded, holding me close. “In order to move on…I think you need to let Paragon go. I hate to say that, but I think you’re right, babe.”

“That’s exactly how I feel. Now that my employees are settled, I just want this to be over. And then I’ll start all over again.”

Gabe nodded, then went quiet for a minute. I thought the conversation might be over until he looked up at me.

His eyes glittered. “Maybe there’s a way we can win.”

“Win? That’s not even a word I’m considering right now. I don’t see a situation where we can walk away with both my sister and my company. And Hannah is the only thing I really care about.”

“Of course she is, and I would never do anything to jeopardize getting her back. But if we can find her before the closing…maybe there’s a chance we can get her out.”

My heart raced. “Do you know something I don’t? Has Ash called you?” Ash and Levi were out with two teams running surveillance in Oakland, trying to find where they were hiding Hannah.

Gabe held up his hand. “No, and I don’t mean for you to get your hopes up. I’ve just been thinking…about Li Na.”

“What about her?”

“I’ve been thinking maybe she should go fuck herself. Because why should the bad guys win?”

“They shouldn’t. But I need to get her out of my life. That’s what I want, once and for all.”

Gabe nodded. “I get it.”

“She’s never going to leave me alone—I can see that now. It breaks my heart to lose the patch, but my family’s more important to me.”

“That’s why you can’t go to Shenzhen.”

I sighed. “I don’t want to fight about that right now, okay?”

“Fine.” He didn’t look like he meant it.

“Back to Paragon—once the sale goes through—yeah, Li Na wins, the bad guys win. It isn’t fair, but who said life was fair?”

“No one. But you don’t have to leave everything to fate.” Gabe’s gaze held mine. “I think Li Na can get Paragon and still lose.”

I shook my head, confused. “Can you elaborate? Because I’m not seeing this.”

“I’m still thinking it through. But let’s say that you do sell Paragon and start over. I agree that you can’t come to Dynamica—you can’t work for someone else. You’re too stubborn and set in your ways.”

“Ha-ha.”

“So I’ve asked Kami to draw up a sales agreement—I’m going to spin off my subsidiary biotech division and sell it to you. We can close this week. You won’t be a vice president; no sense in going backwards. You’ll be the CEO of your own company. Of course, the building is in the same office park as Dynamica, so you might not be as far away from me as you’d like. Your employees will continue to work for you and only you, Your Highness.”

“But…but…with everything that’s going on, I can’t get all the financing together right now—”

He grinned at me. “I know. That’s why I’m selling it to you for a dollar.”

Shocked, I said, “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m not. All the elements of a valid contract are there: offer, acceptance—as soon as you accept—and consideration. A dollar counts as valid consideration. Kami assured me it was legitimate.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“You could start with ‘yes.’ And then maybe move on to something more interesting, like ‘thank you,’ or ‘I love you and your big muscles.’ That’d be nice.”

“Gabe…” I stroked his face, overwhelmed by his generosity. “I’ll pay you back, someday.”

“Of course you will.” Gabe laughed. “Knowing you, you’ll outearn me within the year.”

For the first time in a long time, I smiled and it wasn’t forced. “Not that this is a competition, but…I’m sure as hell going to try.”

“Good. Then you can keep me in the lifestyle I’ve become accustomed to.” He pulled me onto his lap again. “Back to Li Na. The thing with her is, we need to keep our eye on the ball. This is a long game—so even if she gets what she wants right now, it doesn’t mean she’s ultimately going to emerge victorious.”

This sounded suspiciously like sports talk, which didn’t compute. “Honey? I don’t really understand what you’re saying…”

“What I’m saying is, maybe we should set her up. Lull her into a false sense of security, and then, when she thinks she’s done with us, we crush her.”

“And how are we going to do this, exactly? I’m not comfortable with the idea of sending an assassin to Shenzhen to take her out. It would probably be cathartic, but I’m not a murderer.” It sort of felt like a personality defect in light of the circumstances.

“Neither am I, and that’s not what I’m talking about.” Gabe’s eyes shone with excitement. “Li Na cares very much about her reputation and her standing within her country and with the government. If she gets Paragon and begins to dominate the market, her standing and position will increase exponentially. That’s what she wants—to be important. To have face.”

“Huh?”

“It’s a Chinese sociological concept. In Chinese business, the idea of having face is very important, maybe even more so than money. Face means your social standing—your importance with your peers. Li Na’s made it very clear that what matters to her is Jiàn’s market dominance, and making sure Shenzhen is on the map as a leader in global commerce. That’s what she cares about—that’s what makes her tick.”

“I’m still waiting for the part where we crush her.”

“You have what it takes to beat her. Do you see that?”

“I’m still not following you.”

Gabe reached out and stroked my face. “You can make something better than the patch. So let her have it. And then you can take the market back from her and publicly crush her black little soul.”

“I can’t make something better than the patch.”

“Of course you can.”

I gaped at him. “No, I can’t. That innovation is one-of-a-kind, and I can’t make something better than it and I can’t improve upon it. I was perfecting the technology for years. It’s completely unique.”

“And so are you,” Gabe said. “You are capable of great things, great things like the technology behind the patch. If you put your mind to it, I know you’ll be able to find something that will improve upon the technology—something that will take the market back when you launch it.”

I stared at him, incredulous. “You want me to go after her, when this is all over? Seriously?”

“All I’m saying is, I don’t want you to give up. You worked for years to realize your dream. None of that’s in vain, babe, whatever happens next. My brothers are out here now, and they’re staying, God help me. She’s never going to sneak up on us again. We can circle the wagons, make our company—er, companies,” he corrected himself, “safe and secure. And we can go after her once and for all. We can show the world her real face—which is the face of a criminal, of a hack, someone who’s cheated her way to the top. You’re the one with the real promise. That’s why she stooped so low and did such terrible things. That’s what she is capable of. You can beat her because you’re smarter than her and you’re better than her. Then, the good guys still win.”

“I’ll think about it,” I said, my mind whirling, “as soon as we get Hannah home.”

The phone rang—my heart sank when I saw the number. “It’s Li Na.”

“What the hell does she want now?” Gabe’s voice was ice. “Our first-born child?”

I motioned for him to be quiet and then answered the phone with shaking hands. “Hello? Is my sister okay?”

“That’s not why I’m calling,” Li Na said. “I spoke to my attorney this afternoon—she confirmed most of the documents are in order. We’re ready to proceed. She’s run the numbers, and she’ll send the final ones to you tomorrow. I’d like to schedule the closing for the end of the week, and I want to talk to you about your role in the final transaction, which I want to remind you is critical.”

I felt Gabe’s eyes boring into me, but I didn’t look at him. “Go on.”

“The closing will take place at my attorney’s firm in San Francisco. I’ll have your sister nearby. She will be returned as soon as the documents are completed and the wire transfer is made. However,” she took a deep breath, as if she were preparing to be annoyed with me, “you must come in her place. You will be flying to Shenzhen directly after the closing. Your laboratory equipment will be shipped as soon as we close—I want to get everything assembled, and I want your help making sure my people are trained efficiently enough so that we can get production moving as soon as possible. We have contracts to fulfill, after all.”

I grimaced. Those were my contracts. “I understand.”

“Is that a yes?”

She would never accept a no, but Gabe was about to freak out, and I had to try. “It’s a non-answer, Li Na. I understand that’s what you want, but we could accomplish this remotely. I’m sure you can understand that after everything, I’m not exactly eager to be in Shenzhen, vulnerable and alone.”

“This is nonnegotiable—I need you here to ensure a smooth transition. I need the patch up and running as soon as possible in order to recoup my considerable investment. If you want your sister, this is what I’m asking for. I called to tell you this, CEO to CEO. You’ll be released and returned safely just as soon as everything’s settled. I’m giving you this opportunity even though you’ve crossed me. Twice. I have continued to keep my word, even as you’ve broken yours.”

I shut my eyes tight so I couldn’t see the menacing look on Gabe’s face. “Then my answer is yes—I’ll do it.”

I kept my eyes closed after I hung up. Even though I couldn’t see him, I could feel the rage-spiral from where I stood.

* * *

GABE

“Babe, we’ve had this conversation before. Do you want to get locked in the house?”

She looked at me pleadingly. “What am I going to say to her? ‘No, thanks, I don’t want to go to China? And since I didn’t manage to rescue Hannah before, and you still have her—please feel free to have her raped, beaten, and then killed?’”

She got up and stared out the windows at the stars. “Li Na’s not going to kill me. Too many people know about what she’s done already. I’m more famous than Clive Warren, and I have you all looking out for me. She’ll let me live, and she’ll let me come back. If it comes down to it, I have to go.”

“Over my dead body.”

“With everything that’s happened, can you please not say that?”

I clenched my hand into a fist, on the verge of losing it. I couldn’t stay here and fight with her about this again. She seemed determined, but so was I. I could think of only one way to get out of this, and that was to get Hannah before the closing, so Li Na’s hold over Lauren would be broken.

“I’m going to go see my brothers—to see what the status is.”

Lauren looked at me hopefully. “Can I come with you? Please?”

“I’ll have to check and see if that’s all right with them.” Of course, then they’d know I was coming, and they wouldn’t be thrilled.

Lauren’s phone buzzed again, and she read the text, her brow furrowed. “It’s Bethany. She just got off the phone with the lawyer. We need to get everything finalized now. I guess I can’t tag along.”

My jaw tightened—I didn’t want to fight with her, but I didn’t I want to leave her alone either. “Timmy’s in the guesthouse. I’ll have him come over. Okay?”

“Okay.”

I kissed the top of her head. There was so much I wanted to say, but I could feel it getting backed up, lost in my anger—anger born from fear. I had to do something. I couldn’t let Li Na get her hands on Lauren. The best course of action was to take some action, so I grabbed my jacket, shrugged into it, and slammed the door to the house before I slammed my fist into something.

I roared out of the driveway and flew toward Oakland. Levi and Ash were running two different crews, combing through the residential neighborhoods near the airport. I texted Ash as I pulled into the city; he sent me an address. My GPS led me to an abandoned parking lot in a rough-looking neighborhood.

I locked my car and hopped into his. “Any luck?”

Ash nodded. “We’re narrowing it down.”

“What does that mean, exactly?”

He sighed. “It means we believe she’s in this neighborhood. A lot of these condos are owned in blocks by foreign corporations and trusts. The FBI already had this neighborhood on a watch list because of so much foreign investment and activity. When they lost me on the way back from the Oakland airport, we were close to here. We’re just trying to find the unit.” He pulled out and headed slowly down another residential street, followed by another car filled with agents from Betts Security. I was pretty sure there were so many of their agents on the West Coast now, I’d never keep track of them all.

Ash handed me a list of cars. “We’re looking for these makes and models, and also these license plates. Or some combination thereof—I’ll take anything I can get. These are vehicles recently rented or recently stolen in the area. Some are both. Keep your eyes open.”

I scanned the information on the sheet, then looked out the window at the nondescript neighborhood. “Li Na just called Lauren. The closing is going to happen soon, probably by the end of the week. Li Na said she absolutely needs Lauren to come to Shenzhen to help her set up—otherwise the deal is off.”

Ash didn’t say anything for a minute. “I know what you have to say about that, but what about Lauren?”

“She says she has to go—and that she’ll come back.”

“She might have a point.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” I stared out the window, fuming. “So you think I should just let her go—and take her sister’s place in Li Na’s noose?”

“I’m not saying that. But Lauren’s a public figure. Li Na’s not going to bring her to China just to kill her. It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Does it make any sense that Li Na killed one of Paragon’s board members, or that she’s kept Lauren’s sister captive and beat her senseless over the past few weeks?”

“It’s not the same,” Ash said. “I know you don’t want to consider doing this, but if we can’t find her before the end of the week, it may be the only way we get Hannah back.”

“Then we’re going to find Hannah first. Or there’s going to be hell to pay.”

We canvassed the neighborhood for hours, driving up and down side streets, passing an endless line of cookie-cutter, boxy, beige condominiums. Before I knew it, the sun had come up, and residents were starting to leave for work.

My phone rang as we pulled down another side street. “Who’s this?”

“It’s Allen Trade. I need to talk to you.”

“I’m listening.”

“I had meetings with some of the members of the board that I thought might be…inclined…to share the information we talked about. And I’ve isolated the problem.”

“Well, that’s good, at least someone’s made some progress—”

“Wait a minute,” Ash said. “Shut up.”

“What’s going on?” Allen asked.

I turned to my brother. “What is it?”

Ash gripped the steering wheel. “I said, shut up. Hang up the goddamn phone and pay attention.”

“Allen, I’ve got to go. Is the situation under control?”

“Yes, call me when you can.” He hung up without asking anything further. I might like him better than I thought.

I peered out the window at one of the condominiums. “What are we looking at?”

Ash slowed the car to a crawl, staring at one of the condominium’s garages. “That door was closing as we just pulled down here. Something about the car… I’m not sure, but I think it’s worth checking out.”

“Did you get the plate number?”

“Only the last couple of digits.” He grabbed the list he’d given me and scrolled through it. “Bingo. I think we have a match.”

“A partial match.”

“I told you, I’ll take anything I can get. That’s all I need.”

We turned around, heading back to the same parking lot, Ash on his cell phone. “Brian, send some guys back now to get the equipment, and tell Levi we need to set up a space for surveillance. And I need you to do a real estate search on this address.” He rattled off the street address for the condominium.

“You’re setting up a surveillance space based on a partial match?” I asked once he’d hung up.

“A partial match in the perfect neighborhood.” He turned to me. “This is it, and I know it.”

“A gut instinct isn’t good enough for me right now.”

“It’s not a gut instinct, asshole. It’s a partial plate in the perfect neighborhood where I lost these bastards once before.”

I shook my head. “You better be right.”

“I look forward to proving that I am. For the record, you don’t have to thank me now. I will thoroughly enjoy you thanking me later.”