She’d stormed off then, a litany of curses flying after her along with her long blonde hair. Lauren had to understand that I was doing this for her. I wanted Hannah back too—of course I did. I loved her like the little sister I’d never had. But there had to be another solution. One that didn’t involve my girlfriend being held captive, or worse.

Lauren slammed the door to the bedroom. Fuck. She would never see my side of this without a fight.

I stalked around the kitchen, feeling trapped. I wanted a bourbon. I wanted to punch someone. Smashing crystal glasses against the stone fireplace would do the trick too, but instead, I did the adult thing—the northern Californian version. I grabbed a protein shake and my swim trunks and headed outside to the pool, slamming the stupid drink down on the pool deck. I changed and eased myself into the water. I would vastly prefer to crush something or, preferably, someone. But here I was, swimming laps.

Sometimes being a responsible adult sucked big, hairy balls.

The cool water didn’t ease my anger, but I swam until my muscles burned, not letting myself think about what she’d said. If Lauren tried to trade herself for Hannah, I would lose it. I’d learned the hard way with her. She’d gone behind my back before, trying to get evidence from Clive Warren, her former board member who turned out to be a traitor. But I would never let her be that vulnerable again.

I pushed the thought from my mind as I did another lap, oblivious at first to the warm sunshine and the ache in my muscles. I swam until all thought ceased, until I could feel only the burn in my lungs, arms, and legs. Finally, I pulled up to the edge of the pool…and next to a pair of Italian loafers.

My older brother, Levi, pulled down his sunglasses and inspected me. “You training for something?”

I wiped the water from my face. “I’m trying to keep from throwing shit.”

Levi laughed, and I noticed there were more lines on his face since the last time I’d seen him. “Things are going well with Lauren, I take it?”

“She spoke to Li Na Zhao earlier. Li Na wants Paragon free and clear—and she wants Lauren to trade herself for Hannah.”

His smile vanished. “I’m guessing that’s why there’re guards all over the place—to keep your girlfriend from doing just that?”

I climbed out of the pool, careful not to soak Levi’s suede loafers—I needed him on my good side. Despite being a big, bad security agent, my older brother was very particular about his clothes.

I grabbed my protein shake and a towel and sat, looking at my house. Lauren was in there, somewhere. Probably cursing my name and packing a bag, for all the good it was going to do. “Hannah’s the only family she has left. Lauren’s out of her mind right now.”

“I don’t blame her. Blatant kidnapping and murder are sort of a big deal.” Levi took off his shoes, rolled up his pants, and sat on the pool deck, sticking his feet in the water. “Fucking California,” he sighed, looking around at the mountains and the sunshine. “It always makes me feel bad for Boston. Like my hometown is an ugly stepsister or something.”

“You could always relocate. We need increased security.”

Levi nodded. “Clearly—Silicon Valley’s tough, huh? Security business is booming out here. How’s the guard doing? The one who made it?”

I grimaced. “He’s in surgery. The hospital won’t release any information to us, but we have one of our guys there, waiting.”

“If he comes to, I’ll need to talk to him. See if he remembers anything that can help us.”

“Okay. So…what’s next? And where’s Asher?” Asher was our youngest brother and one of Betts Security’s top analysts.

“He’s meeting with your team. They’re doing a perimeter scan and catching Ash up on your systems. We haven’t been out here in a long time. He needs a refresher course. He’s also going to check out your copter and the helipad in case we need it—have you ever flown that thing, or landed it here?”

“It hasn’t come up.”

“Ah, the discretionary income of a billionaire CEO.” He laughed, then scrubbed a hand across his face. “Back to what we’re doing—we’re going to get Hannah back as soon as possible, obviously. My team’s flying in tonight. What were Zhao’s instructions?”

I shook my head. “She didn’t give any specifics. Yet. She just said that she wants to buy Paragon and she wants Lauren. She said she’d be in touch.”

“Then we’ll be ready for her.”

“But I’m worried about Lauren—she’ll do anything for Hannah. She would die for her—she wouldn’t even think twice about it. I love Hannah too, but I can’t let that happen. Do you understand?”

“Of course I do.” He shot me a look. “Does Lauren know who she’s dealing with?”

I nodded. “Li Na’s crazy, but she’s brilliant. She’s obsessed with Lauren’s technology, and she’s ruthless. Lauren knows who she is.”

The smile reappeared. “I meant you, little brother.”

I looked back out at the water, which was calm, level, and clear—a sharp contrast to how I felt. “Oh, she knows, all right. And she’s not happy about it.”

* * *

LAUREN

After a while, I heard voices out in the kitchen, but I didn’t care. I stayed in the bedroom, pacing a hole in the oriental rug, trying to figure out a way to escape.

I needed to save my sister—that was nonnegotiable. I would do whatever Li Na wanted. I’d analyzed the situation from every angle, and I knew this wasn’t an equation with more than one answer.

I paced, cursing Gabe. He’d gone from my boyfriend to my jailor, and an angry fire coursed through me every time I thought about what he’d said. “Did you hear that? Lockdown. You’re going nowhere unless I give you express permission.”

Someone knocked on the door. Assuming it was Gabe, I said, “Go away.”

My attorney, Bethany O’Donnell, stuck her pretty face into the room. “Can I come in?”

“Do you have news?”

“No,” she admitted, “but can I come in anyway?”

I shrugged and went back to pacing.

Wearing a crisp, dark suit, Bethany came in and sat on the bed. “How’re you doing?”

I just shook my head.

“I’m sorry about Hannah. It’s horrible. Gabe said you heard from Zhao?”

“She called me. She wants Paragon, and she wants to trade Hannah for me. But Gabe won’t let me go.”

Bethany nodded. “Come on out, and let’s talk about it. Gabe’s brothers are here. The one who runs the security company was just telling us he has some insight with how to deal with this. Let’s listen to him.”

“I’m not going near Gabe.”

“Jesus, Lauren.” She narrowed her eyes, annoyed. “He’s just trying to keep you alive. You’re no good to Hannah dead. Let’s go.”

Bethany never minced words, and my sister did need me, so I slunk into the living room behind her clicking heels. I nodded mutely at Gabe and two athletic, good-looking men who must be his brothers, and Kami Robards, Gabe’s attorney.

“Can I get you anything?” Gabe asked me, his voice tight.

“I don’t want anything except my sister back.”

His brothers shot each other a wary look.

“So sorry to hear about Hannah,” the older one said, his tone soothing as he approached me. He was a little shorter than Gabe, powerfully built, with the same dark hair and slightly darker brown eyes. He took my hand. “I’m Levi, Gabe’s older brother. I run Betts Security.” He released me and dropped down next to Gabe on the couch.

The younger one came forward. He was taller than Gabe, with lighter hair, a slightly slimmer build, and hazel eyes. “I’m Asher. The youngest. It’s nice to meet you, Lauren—I just wish it was under better circumstances.” He patted my shoulder and then sank down beside them, forcing me to confront the rugged male beauty of the Betts brothers.

Gabe’s gaze met mine, but he quickly looked away.

“We’re here to help.” Levi leaned forward, his crisp white button-down shirt straining against his chest. “I’ve been involved with multiple hostage situations over the years, in private practice and when I was in the military. We’ll get Hannah home safe.” He turned to Gabe, who appeared to be examining a spot on the floor. “Gabe told me you spoke with Zhao this morning. You’re certain she’s the one who took Hannah?”

“Yes. It was her guards—she basically admitted it.” I swallowed hard. “She wants my company, and she wants to trade Hannah for me.”

Levi nodded. “Gabe mentioned that too.”

“Li Na said that she would only release Hannah if I sell her my company. She wants the technology, the contracts, the equipment, everything,” I explained. “She said she won’t accept anything less.”

“And you’re willing to do that?” Levi asked.

“Absolutely—I don’t think I have a choice. But it’s going to take some time, and that’s a problem,” I said quickly. “I don’t think my sister can handle being a prisoner for long. Li Na agreed to accept me in exchange for Hannah while the sale’s being prepared. But she said I have to show her I’m taking ‘meaningful steps’ in the process before she’ll make the trade—so I have to start getting the documents together.”

“Is that where you left things?” Levi continued to look at me while Gabe studied the floor.

I jutted my chin defiantly. “Yes. I said I would do it.”

“We need to think that through, Lauren, and consider all the options. Li Na isn’t going to let your sister go easily. She’s been chasing you for a while, and she finally has something you want.”

Gabe shot me a heated look. “That’s what I said.”

“What about the FBI?” Kami interjected. “Aren’t they doing anything to get Hannah back?”

Bethany cleared her throat and sat forward a little. “I spoke to Agent Marks on my way here. He said local police are investigating, and the FBI has also opened an investigation. But he said they have no verifiable leads yet.”

“That’s not much of an update,” Gabe said. “He told me the same thing this morning.”

“Li Na was confident they wouldn’t be knocking down her door any time soon,” I said. “She also said that the Chinese authorities wouldn’t touch her. The FBI ran into a dead end connecting her to the guards who held me captive in Menlo Park, and they’ve never linked her to Clive Warren’s death. Our tech guys traced her communication from earlier—it leads to a Russian proxy server. She’s covered her tracks. She’s safe, sitting pretty in her luxury condo on the other side of the globe.”

Bethany turned to Levi. She tucked a strand of platinum hair behind her ear, the enormous diamond-stud earrings she wore reflecting the light, and pursed her perfectly lacquered lips in disapproval. “The FBI will want to talk to you sooner rather than later. Since you’re taking over here, can you at least tell me a little more about your company? How exactly do you operate? Are you licensed? Are you legitimate? I don’t want my client associated with anything illegal.”

“Bethany, let’s worry about that later,” I said, exasperated.

She shrugged her petite shoulders, not backing down. “Let him answer.”

At first glance, Bethany appeared refined and icily gorgeous with her long, stick-straight blonde hair and impeccably tailored suits, but once she dug into something, she was like a pit bull in a china shop. Normally I loved her for her rabid protectiveness, but not today.

I patted her hand. “I just want to get my sister back. I don’t care if it’s illegal. In fact, I hope it is—maybe we’ll actually get something done before it’s too late.”

“Sorry, Lauren, but we’re a perfectly legal operation.” Levi turned to face my attorney. “We’re a legitimate private security company. We’re licensed, and all our men are properly trained and licensed. We handle a lot of government contracts. We get called in on cases like this all the time.”

Bethany raised an eyebrow at him. “What’s the name of your firm?”

“Betts Security.”

“Never heard of you,” Bethany said. She seemed unimpressed by Levi, no matter how pedigreed, muscled and well-dressed he was.

“And what’s your name, again?” Levi asked.

She crossed her arms. “Bethany O’Donnell.”

“I’ve never heard of you either,” he said under his breath. “But let’s get back to the matter at hand. I wouldn’t expect a lot of cooperation from the Chinese government. Even with the FBI involved, she’ll never be extradited. Corporate espionage is a big game in China these days. The government itself is involved in hacking North American companies.”

“So what can we do?” I asked. With every second that passed, I felt as if Hannah was slipping further from my reach.

Levi watched me. “Li Na wants Paragon because the patch is more sophisticated than anything else on the market, right?”

I nodded. “She’s stolen from me before. But it didn’t do her any good—she couldn’t get the technology to work with just her own team.”

He looked grim. “So she’s failed at that, and she wants more than your sloppy seconds. That’s why she keeps coming back. What drives Paragon is the force behind it—you. Your company is built around you, Lauren. She needs you in order to dominate the market the way she wants to.”

“What are you saying?”

His gaze held mine. “When she says she’ll hold you until the sale goes through, it’s a lie. If she gets you, she’ll never let you go.”

Li Na’s obsession with my technology was like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from. “I don’t care. I just want my sister to be safe. She shouldn’t have to suffer because of me.”

“It’s okay,” Levi said. “We’ll get your sister back, and we’ll keep you safe.”

“How?” My scientific brain needed details, not assurances.

“We’ll tell her that we’ll do what she wants and go from there. I’ll figure it out with my team, and I’ll keep you and Gabe involved in the details.”

“And what about her—Li Na?” I asked. My voice sounded flat and faraway to my own ears, as if I were underwater, sinking.

Levi’s eyes, so much like Gabe’s, brightened at the question. “I’ll take care of her, eventually. I think it’ll count as a public service.”

* * *

“I’ll call you if I hear from Agent Marks again. I told him to go through me for now,” Bethany said.

“Okay. I appreciate that.”

Bethany packed up her things. “He doesn’t have any useful information anyway. And listen to what Gabe’s brothers are saying. They know what they’re doing.”

“You didn’t seem too impressed by them earlier.”

She shrugged, pulling the strap of her briefcase over her shoulder. “I had to do that—I have to vet the people around you. Protecting you is my job. But I researched Betts Security before I came over here, and they’re legitimate. They have the experience necessary to help.”

“Then why did you say you’d never heard of them?”

She shrugged. “Because I like to make people sweat.”

I shook my head—that was classic Bethany.

“I just want you to sit tight, okay? I’ll field any calls from the police. Don’t speak to anyone without telling me first. I want your involvement with this as limited as possible—we need to keep things on an even keel since the product launch is still so new.”

“Fine.” Until now, my whole life’s focus had been protecting my technology and bringing it to market. But I could no longer pretend to care about the patch. Now that Hannah was gone, I could see my priorities had been hollow. “I need you to help me get the sale prepared. Are you free for the next few weeks?”

“No, but I’ll clear my schedule. I’m all yours.” Bethany headed to the door. “Do what they say, Lauren. We need to get your sister back. I can’t picture Hannah going more than a week without a manicure, let alone wearing the same outfit two days in a row.”

“I know.” My voice came out thick.

“And make up with Gabe, okay?” Bethany kept her voice low. “He doesn’t want you to get killed. Seems pretty reasonable to me.” She stopped to wait for Kami Robards.

Gabe was talking to his lawyer in hushed tones. After Kami hugged him and left with Bethany, he shot a wounded look my way.

I melted a little. Damn him. I was still angry, but I knew he was trying to protect me. And I knew he was hurting too.

“Gabe.” He looked at me, but then my phone rang. “It’s her,” I announced to the room in general.

“Answer it and get over here,” Levi barked.

I answered the phone, making a beeline for Levi. “Yes, Li Na?”

“Are we in agreement about the details?” she asked, as though we’d never hung up. “You start the process of winding up Paragon and send regular updates to my counsel in San Francisco. She’ll be in touch. If you’re in compliance and things are moving smoothly, we’ll arrange a trade.”

“I already talked to my attorney. We’ll start the process today.” I prayed my sister was okay and still close by. “Can we do this soon—the trade?”

“I’ll send you further instructions when I’m ready.” Her tone was curt.

Levi scribbled something quickly and held up a note. Proof of life, it read.

“I need to know that my sister’s okay before I agree to anything. I need…proof.” I looked at Levi helplessly, not knowing what specifically to ask for.

“She can call you.”

I swallowed hard. “I want to see her. Now.”

Li Na sighed. “She can Skype you. Get your computer set up. But Lauren, if you do anything with this video, like give it to the FBI, you’re going to regret it. Your sister will pay the price for your indiscretion. Do you understand?”

My heart hammered in my chest. “Yes.”

“Get set up for the video conference. We’ll be in touch soon.” Li Na hung up without further explanation.

I headed to my laptop and opened it with shaking hands. “Does this mean Li Na’s with my sister?”

“Not necessarily,” Levi said. He came over and maneuvered the keyboard out of my hands, deftly setting up the site. “Gabe, call your tech people. Tell them to get a line on this. I want it traced.”

Gabe got on his cell phone immediately, talking to Dave and Leo at Paragon.

“What can I say to Hannah?” I asked.

Levi shook his head, continuing his work on the laptop. “Not a lot. Don’t ask her too many questions—where she is, if they’ve hurt her, if they’ve said anything specific. That could get her into trouble. Just ask if she’s okay. I’ll review it afterward for anything I can find that’s useful.”

“But what about—”

“Lauren,” Levi interrupted me. “One step at a time. Now put on a brave face for your sister. She needs you. Ash and I will be over here.” He jerked his thumb to the back of the kitchen, where they would be out of sight.

“Where do you want me?” Gabe asked his brother.

I reached out and grabbed his hand, holding on for dear life. My anger receded all at once, my need for him winning out in a landslide. “Here. Right next to me, where you belong.”

His shoulders relaxed a little. He squeezed my hand and stood by me as the screen came to life, an image of Hannah appearing. My little sister looked like hell. She was pale beneath the traces of her tan, and her eyes were puffy from crying. What was left of her normally meticulous mascara was smudged beneath her eyes.

I clutched Gabe’s hand. “Hannah?”

“Lauren!” she shouted, looking at the screen wildly. “I overheard the guards talking about the plan—do not turn yourself over to Li Na! It’s a trap! They’re—”

“Hannah. Hannah!” The last thing I wanted was for my sister to get punched in the face, or worse, before I even had a chance to talk to her. “Calm down. Stop yelling. Are you okay?”

She looked at me, her eyes wide. “No, I’m not okay! They shot Wes, Lauren! He’s dead! In my kitchen!” Tears spilled down her cheeks. “He’s dead, and it’s my fault, and I swear to God, if you give in to one thing that bitch asks for, I’m gonna rip—”

“Jesus, Hannah! Stop!”

She glared at me through the screen, but at least she stopped yelling for a second.

“Please listen to me. Wes is alive. He’s hurt, but he’s alive.”

“Are you…are you sure?” Hannah looked too afraid to be hopeful.

I nodded while Hannah collapsed back into tears. “Oh my God. Okay,” she said, sobbing. “I saw him. I saw it happen. I thought he was dead.”

“It’s okay,” I said. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

She wiped her face roughly and looked back up. “It is not going to be okay. These fuckers…” She jerked her thumb in the direction of her captors, off-screen. “They shot him right in front of me! And I swear to God, if you negotiate with these terrorists—”

“Hannah, stop! You’re going to get yourself ki—hurt,” I said hoarsely. “Calm down.”

She opened her mouth to protest again, but Gabe cut her off. “Listen to your sister, Hannah. Please.”

She looked at Gabe desperately. “You!” she cried. “At least someone with some sense! Don’t you dare let Lauren do it!”

“She’s not doing anything—”

“Stop lying!” She turned back to me, another tear spilling down her cheek. “I know why they took me, and I know what Li Na’s after—you. Don’t you do it, Lauren. You’re the important one. The special one. You have a gift to share with the world.”

I clutched at my heart, which she was breaking. “You’re special—you’re the most important person in the world to me.”

She shook her head savagely. “I’m average. I’m nothing. Don’t you dare trade yourself for me. I’d rather die. I’m not kidding, Lauren. I’ll never forgive you.”

Someone in the background barked an order that I couldn’t make out, and the screen went dead.

“No!” I smacked the keyboard and then the screen, hoping I could somehow bring the image of my sister back. “No, no, no.”

Gabe pulled me into his arms, but his touch offered no relief.

My sister, the unrelenting optimist, seemed to have accepted defeat.

I could feel myself teetering, off-balance, very close to the verge of hysteria.

I turned to Levi. “I want you to get her. To do the public service thing.”

He looked at me, clearly not understanding. “What’s that?”

“Take care of Li Na, like you said you would,” I said, my breathing ragged, my heart pounding. “Nobody makes my sister cry like that and gets away with it.”