HANNAH
HANNAH
Silicon Valley Billionaires, Book 3
Leigh James
HANNAH
Silicon Valley Billionaires, Book 3
by Leigh James
Copyright © 2018 by Leigh James.
Published by Jack’s House Publishing, LLC
Cover design by Kristina Brinton
ISBN: 978-1945340178
Sign up for Leigh’s mailing list at www.leighjamesbooks.com
* * *
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
* * *
Silicon Valley Billionaires
LAUREN
GABE
HANNAH
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Special Thanks
About the Author
Also from Jack’s House
About Jack’s House Publishing
Chapter 1
Hannah
“Hey.” I carefully nudged Wes’s shoulder, and he groaned.
He pulled me against his chest. “Hey what?”
I nestled against his big body, warm underneath the blankets, while staying mindful of his bandages—and the wounds they protected. “I have to get up. Today’s the day!”
He pulled me closer, grinning. The early morning sun bathed his handsome face and square jaw; his crew cut glinted in the light. “I know. I’m excited for you.”
“Thanks.” I kissed him, desire zipping through me as our tongues connected, his hands flexing against my hips. Now I was the excited one. My skin flushed with heat—I wanted him. Bad.
So I hastily pulled back and scooted away.
Wes reached for me.
“Easy, stud,” I mock scolded him. “Dr. Kim said you need to take it slow, and I’m not going against doctor’s orders.”
“Aw, baby, come back.”
I grabbed his hand and kissed it. “Trust me, I want to. But we have to behave.”
Wes frowned, but his eyes sparkled good-naturedly. “Buzzkill.”
I giggled and hopped out of bed. Maybe I was a buzzkill, but rules were rules. The doctor said we should abstain for a few more weeks, to be sure Wesley’s heart was strong enough for…you know.
His heart. I shivered, remembering the night they had shot him right in front of me. I’d watched him go down. I’d thought he was dead…
“I’ll be back in a minute, okay?” I kept my tone upbeat and blew him a kiss.
“I won’t get too far.” He winked.
He was making a joke, but guilt still shot through me as I headed from our wing in Gabe and Lauren’s house to their massive kitchen. Wes was recovering from a gunshot wound, a head injury, and a medically induced coma—all earned while he’d been protecting me on assignment.
So much had happened in such a short time; I got whiplash just thinking about it. Before all the craziness—just a few short weeks ago!—Wes and I had been in hot and heavy infatuation mode. When we had plans, I’d dress up, spending so much time on my makeup and hair, you’d think I was headed for the red carpet. I wore lingerie, anticipation zinging through me, just waiting to be with him.
Now we were living with my sister and her fiancé because I couldn’t bear to stay in the house where we’d been attacked. Wes was here because he needed help getting around. We were medically forbidden to have sex. We shared a bathroom. He’d seen me in my sweats with no makeup on. He’d seen me in a mud mask.
I wasn’t sure what to make of any of this.
We’d gone from causally dating to almost dying to living together. And although I considered myself a hardcore type A, who always had a master plan and a checklist, I had no idea what came next.
I checked my phone as I hustled to the kitchen. But as the screen lit up, I stopped in my tracks. There were five frantic texts from my longtime friend, Fiona Pace.
I have a situation I need to talk to you about.
Are you up yet? Text me when you can.
I’m worried about Protocol Therapeutics…
Is there any way we can meet today?
Can you please text me? I’m about to lose it.
I read and re-read the messages, my heart pounding. What’s going on? I wrote.
Fiona responded immediately. Getting girls ready for school now. I’ll call you in a little bit. I need to see you and Lauren today, if possible.
Okay, I wrote back. But I didn’t feel okay.
I made it to the kitchen and grabbed a much-needed coffee, my mind whirling. I’d known Fiona for years, but I’d never seen her stressed. If I was a type A, Fiona was a Triple A. She was a Silicon Valley legend. She managed hostile corporate takeovers and multibillion-dollar IPOs—all while juggling her family, charitable commitments, and TED talks—without breaking a sweat or smudging her lip gloss.
We were good friends, but I hadn’t spoken to her recently. Things had been so intense with our company’s release of its revolutionary health patch and the crazy surrounding circumstances—including Wes being shot, let alone my kidnapping and being held hostage—that there hadn’t been much time to chat.
I thought about her texts as I grabbed my coffee, hustling back to take a quick shower. What had Fiona so rattled? In her latest corporate incarnation, she was the all-star CEO of Protocol Therapeutics, a hot new start-up that had the industry buzzing with speculation about its enormous valuation. Reportedly, Protocol was developing a cancer antibody therapy. If it worked, it was going to revolutionize healthcare.
Technology like this could change the world.
I got out of the shower in record time, toweled off, and hastily blow-dried my hair, scrolling through Protocol Therapeutics’s website on my phone. Fiona had assembled an all-female leadership team, which was no small feat in male-dominated Silicon Valley.
Why is she worried about her company?
There had to be an excellent reason. I shivered, bracing myself. I needed to find out what it was.
* * *
I fidgeted on my way into Paragon, the groundbreaking Silicon Valley biotechnology company my sister had started years ago. I kept expecting Fiona to call, but she didn’t.
To stay occupied, I texted Marcus, the nurse I’d hired—just to check in on Wes. I texted him again when I got to my desk. I texted him ten minutes later to remind him that Wes liked the special electrolyte-enriched bottled water in the fridge. Then I texted him again to make sure he’d received my text.
Finally, Wes himself texted me: Chill out and please stop driving Marcus crazy.
Fine, I texted back, but make sure he gets you the right water, and don’t forget the sandwich I made you is in the fridge!
I felt guilty for leaving him, but the feeling was nothing new. Guilt had been my BFF for the past few weeks. What had happened was my fault—Li Na Zhao, the Chinese corporate terrorist extraordinaire, was after me and my sister, Lauren, CEO of Paragon. Wes had been shot protecting m
e. The night Li Na’s men ambushed us in my kitchen, I’d been distracting him, flirting and making a joke. We weren’t paying attention. They shot the guards outside my house first, and we never even heard them. That was on me. They shot Wes, and he almost died, and that was also on me. And although he’d been home from the hospital for five weeks and I hadn’t left his side, the guilt refused to leave me.
Sometimes I wondered if it ever would.
Still, it felt good to be back in my sunny, cheerful office. When I’d been held captive, I’d wondered if I’d ever sit at my desk again… I pushed the thought from my mind and plowed through our most recent sales data, checking my phone every three seconds.
Still no Fiona.
The good news was that I had plenty of work to distract me. The patch, Paragon’s hit technology, continued to surpass all sales projections. As director of publicity, I needed to share this news with the world, so I started drafting a long-overdue press release.
My phone buzzed, and I jumped, even though I’d been waiting for it.
“Hannah? It’s Fiona.”
“How are you?”
“Not good,” she said immediately. “And unfortunately, you’re going to understand why all too well.”
My stomach dropped. “Wh-what does that mean?”
“I’d rather not talk about it over the phone. Can I come up? Can I meet with you and Lauren right now?”
“You’re here?”
“I’m in the parking lot. I was hoping you could fit me in—it’s important.”
“Hold on. Let me text Lauren and see if she’s free.”
I put her on hold and fired off a quick text to Lauren, the hair on the back of my neck standing up. Fiona worked sixteen-hour days and didn’t waste time—ever. Sitting in a parking lot hoping for a meeting was not her style.
I read the reply from Lauren and got back on the phone with Fiona. “We can see you, but it needs to be quick. Lauren’s due back in the lab in a half hour.”
“That’s fine. I’m coming in now.”
My sister jumped to her feet when I came in. “What does Fiona Pace want? I’m so busy today. There’s so much catching up to do—”
“I don’t know, but she sounded upset. And Fiona doesn’t do upset.”
“I don’t like it.” Lauren shook her head, her blonde hair tumbling over her shoulders. “I have a bad feeling about this.”
I did, too, but I didn’t want to say it.
Stephanie, Lauren’s longtime assistant, buzzed her in. “Ms. Pace is here.”
“We’re ready for her.”
Fiona came through the doors wearing a violet sweater and a pencil skirt, her brown bob shining in the sun that streamed through the windows. She would’ve looked fabulous if her face hadn’t been so tense. “Lauren, Hannah, thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Fiona,” Lauren said. “It seems like Protocol Therapeutics is doing well—congratulations.”
“Thank you, that means a lot.” Fiona turned and pulled me in for a hug. “It’s so good to see you.”
I hugged her back, hard. “What’s going on?”
Fiona smiled, but anxiety rolled off her in waves. “I’ll tell you everything, but first—I’ve been worried sick. How are you?”
News of my kidnapping and the shooting at my house had been covered by the local press. Lauren and her attorney, Bethany O’Donnell, had done their best to keep the spotlight off Paragon and its violent entanglement with Jiàn Innovations, the Chinese biomedical giant that had tried repeatedly to steal our invention. But people in the industry still talked.
Fiona sank into the nearest seat. “We’ve all been praying for you—me, Jim, and the girls. I’m so sorry about what you’ve been through. What a nightmare.”
“Thank you. But I’m fine, and I’m thrilled to be back at work. Tell us what’s going on, because now I’m worried about you.”
Fiona played with her rings. “Things are going well at Protocol—very well. We’re getting close with the antibody therapy, and I think it’s going to work. This could be big, a bigger innovation than we’ve seen in biotech in a long time. With the exception of your patch, of course.”
Lauren smiled. “Thank you.”
“That’s amazing news.” I leaned forward. “So why’re you so upset?”
Fiona raised her gaze to meet mine, and I saw how hollowed-out she looked. “Because Li Na Zhao wants to steal the technology from me. And for the first time in my adult life, I’m scared. Scared, as in totally fucking petrified.”
Chapter 2
Hannah
Lauren put her face in her hands while I sat there, reeling.
“Why do you think it’s Li Na?” My voice sounded hoarse.
Fiona sighed. “Because she called me, right after my IT team caught her trying to hack into our server.”
Lauren looked up. “What did she say?”
“That Jiàn Innovations was interested in acquiring Protocol. When I explained we weren’t selling, she wasn’t too happy.”
“Did she threaten you?” I asked.
Fiona shifted in her seat, as if talking about Li Na caused her physical discomfort. “Not exactly. In other words, she didn’t say anything specific enough that I could take to the police or the FBI. But she did say that if I didn’t reconsider, I’d regret it.”
Lauren and I locked eyes for a moment, but neither of us said anything.
“Listen, people in Silicon Valley talk,” Fiona said. “You haven’t gone public with what happened, but I’m aware that Jiàn Innovations has been after Paragon. I also know that your former board member Clive Warren got involved with Jiàn when he was in China, and that he brought that shit-show home with him when he came back to California.”
Fiona pursed her lips. “I’m not here to put you in another bad position—I’m just wondering if you have some insight on how to deal with her. I’ve been hacked at every company I’ve ever been with, but I’ve never been directly threatened like this. And after what happened with Hannah, my concerns have escalated. That’s why I wanted to meet with you.”
“I hate to say it, but you’re right to be scared.” Lauren pulled out a business card from her desk drawer. “You should contact the FBI—they’ll want to know about this immediately. I’ve worked with Agent Marks. He’s in charge of Li Na’s file, which is getting thicker by the minute.”
Fiona accepted the card Lauren, turning it over in her fingers. “Can he actually do anything?”
“Unfortunately, not much.” Lauren frowned. “The United States has limited jurisdiction—we can’t just arrest a Chinese national on Chinese soil, and as far as we know, her government has no plans to extradite her.”
Fiona nodded. “That’s pretty much what my attorney said.”
“You should increase your security immediately. Li Na’s holed up in Shenzhen, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t active over here. She has a pretty extensive team of thugs waiting to do her bidding.” I shivered, hoping Lauren wouldn’t notice.
She leaned forward, watching my face. “Hannah? Are you okay?”
Of course, my nosy big sister didn’t miss a trick. “I’m fine. Please, we’ve got bigger problems right now—like the fact that Li Na’s using these tactics again on another American biotech company. She’s not backing down at all.”
Apparently, a trail of dead guards and a botched buyout weren’t enough to deter her.
I trained my gaze on Fiona. “Like I said, you need to increase security at work and at home. Li Na means business. She fights dirty.”
Fiona continued to turn Agent Marks’s card over in her hands. “I’ve never had security before. Personal security, I mean.”
“The brothers of Lauren’s fiancé run a security company. They’re excellent. Would you like me to have them get in touch?” I asked.
“No, it’s fine. You’ve already helped me enough. My attorney recommended a firm, I just haven’t contacted them yet.”
“I know. I just keep hoping that she’s going to be reasonable, or the authorities in Shenzhen are going to do something about her.”
Lauren shook her head. “The authorities have been useless. You have to expect the worst.”
I grabbed my phone and shared Levi’s contact information with Fiona. “Your attorney might know a great firm, but Betts Security is the best, and they’ve already dealt with Li Na. Call them as soon as you leave here.”
Fiona pinched the bridge of her nose as if to ward off a headache. “I can’t believe we’re talking about this. Protocol is just wrapping up successful clinical trials. Our therapy could literally help millions of sick people—and then this bitch shows up again.”
“It is a shock.” Lauren kept her tone gentle. “Both of our companies are trying to do good work that will help people. It’s unnerving that someone would try to steal it, but this might be the new normal. Tech is like the Wild West. Li Na Zhao wants to take over the biotech marketplace and she wants to establish Shenzhen as the international hub of innovation—and she’s not waiting for permission.”
“Jiàn Innovations has had some success, but it’s on a small scale compared to what you and Lauren are doing,” I said. “Small isn’t good enough for Li Na. She wants more, and she wants it now. Clearly, she’s not above stealing—in fact, now that she’s approached you, too, I think she views it as the most expedient way to conduct business.”