Silicon Valley Billionaires - Book Three

“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 me. 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.”

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.”

“You should,” I said. “Today.”

“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.”

Fiona looked stricken. “Jesus.”

Lauren sat back. “Call the FBI.” 

“And Levi Betts.” I nodded at Fiona. “Trust me, you can’t take too many precautions in this situation. Please stay in touch with us. We’ve been there—you’re not alone.”

“I’m sorry to involve you, but I just didn’t know what else to do.” Fiona stood to go.

I stood, too, and pulled my friend in for one last hug. “Don’t be sorry. Be careful.”

But as I watched her leave, I was still worried. As my sister and I had learned the hard way, when it came to Li Na Zhao, careful wasn’t close to good enough.

* * *

I let the office early, which was unheard of in Silicon Valley—but I was anxious to get home to Wes. The whole ride, my mind worried over Fiona’s story. It had only been a few weeks since Gabe and the Betts security team had rescued me and shot multiple members of Li Na’s team, killing three men. But Li Na hadn’t even hit the pause button, already trying to hack into another California company and threatening its CEO the same way she’d threatened Lauren.

By the time the driver pulled up to the gate at Gabe’s compound, my palms were sweaty, and I had a headache.

Brian, one of the three personal security agents assigned to me, noticed. He peered at me. “Are you okay, Ms. Taylor? You look a little pale.”

“Ms. Taylor is my sister—so please call me Hannah—and yes, I’m fine. It was my first day back at work, though, and it felt like a long time to be away from Wesley.” And the house. I breathed a sigh of relief as we went inside, grateful for the security of the familiar surroundings and also, the quiet.

Wes and Marcus, the handsome, dark-skinned, silver-haired nurse, were in the kitchen. Wes was standing, something he was approved to do only under supervision and in relatively short spurts.

I went and carefully wrapped my arms around him. I sighed in relief as I pressed my face against his chest, feeling his muscles surround me. I inhaled, relishing his familiar scent—a mixture of something manly (and testosterone-y) and clean laundry. Yum. “Hi.”

“Hey, babe. You’re home earlier than I expected.”

I leaned up on my tiptoes and kissed his nose. “I missed you. Seven hours away was long enough.”

Wes grinned, causing a familiar tug in my belly. 

“It’s good to see you.” He took my face in his hands, his lips hungrily meeting mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck, clinging to him and molding my body against his. Our tongues connected, and I almost moaned. Luckily, I remembered myself…and all the other people in the room. 

We pulled apart, Wes giving me the crooked grin I loved. “Oops.” But he didn’t sound sorry. The erection straining out toward me didn’t look too apologetic, either.

The guards busied themselves rechecking the interior of the house, and Marcus scooted down the hallway toward the entryway. He turned to wink at us, clearly amused. “I’ll just grab my stuff and get going.”

Wes waved. “Uh…thanks.”

He smiled. “See you in the morning.”

Wes turned back to me, cheeks heated. “I won’t be able to look Marcus in the eye tomorrow.”

“Ugh, I’m sorry.”

He laughed and pulled me back against his chest. “Don’t you dare apologize—I just can’t wait to get you alone.”

I jerked my head toward the four security guards in the living room, all deferentially facing away and probably silently laughing their asses off. “Would you like to go outside and get some fresh air?”

“That’d be great.”

“You have to, you know.” 

I motioned to the wheelchair, and Wes cursed under his breath. “I am so over that thing.”

“Please? You won’t have to use it for too much longer.” Dr. Kim had said that he’d need it for only a few weeks, until Wes had progressed with physical therapy and gotten stronger.

He sank begrudgingly into the chair, arranging his large body and looking uncomfortable, a jaguar in a too-small cage. He rarely complained, but when he did, it was about not being able to get around by himself. 

“I’m sure it’s getting old.” 

Wes rolled his eyes. “Try ancient.” 

I didn’t blame Wes for losing patience—he wasn’t a sideline kind of guy. He liked working out. He liked being strong. He liked protecting me. He hated that he was missing work, just like he hated being stuck in this chair. 

Speaking of things he hated… I swallowed nervously as I maneuvered him outside. He was going to freak about Li Na Zhao’s sudden reappearance. I didn’t want to stress him, but I had to tell him.

She’d put him in this chair. He deserved to know the truth.

“So, some stuff happened at Paragon today,” I explained as we headed for the pool deck.

Wes went instantly on alert. “What kind of stuff?”

“Fiona Pace, the Protocol Therapeutics CEO, stopped by. She’s a friend of mine, but this wasn’t a social visit.”

“The women-in-business leadership guru? I read her book. I thought it was great.”

I stopped the chair and peered down at him, dumbfounded. Wes read her book? Fiona had written a bestseller about women in business, but it’d never crossed my mind that he’d pick something like that up. “You did?” 

He chuckled at my expression. “Yeah, back when I started dating you. I thought it would give me insight.” 

“Insight on what?” 

“On how to respectfully interact with a high-powered professional woman.”

My heart swelled, touched by his preparation. “You thought of me as a high-powered professional?” 

“I think of you as a high-powered professional.”

I pulled the wheelchair up next to the chaise lounges. “That’s sort of hot.”

Wes tilted his chin, inspecting me. “You’re hot—and you’re totally high powered. Sometimes I don’t think you see yourself clearly, babe.”

“Oh. I guess I don’t really think about it.” I was used to Lauren always getting the professional attention and accolades. 

I started to help Wes from the wheelchair to a chaise, but he gave me a very pointed look, so I backed off. I bit my lip as he used his arms, lifting himself. He winced a little, and my heart broke, but I looked away. Wesley didn’t want my pity—in the weeks since the shooting, I’d at least figured that much out.

He settled himself onto the chair with some effort, then sighed. “Tell me more about Fiona Pace.” 

I sat down next to him. “It isn’t good news. She’s been the CEO of Protocol Therapeutics for about two years. They’re researching antibody therapies to help cancer patients.”

“Right, I’ve read about them.” 

My brow furrowed. “You have?” 

“Of course—their valuation came in at seven billion dollars. Not bad for a company that hasn’t even completed clinical trials yet.”

When he saw the shocked look on my face, Wes laughed. “I can actually read at grade level, you know. I can even do it when I make a muscle at the same time.” He winked.

“I know—of course I knew that.” But my cheeks burned. I’d underestimated him, and I just got busted.

I cleared my throat and continued. “Fiona’s IT team realized they were being hacked recently. They changed their firewalls so the person couldn’t get in.”

Wes frowned. “I’m waiting for the part where the news gets bad, and I’m dreading it.”

I blew out a deep breath. “It’s Li Na—she called Fiona and told her that since she can’t hack in, she wants to outright buy Protocol.” 

Wes’s face hardened. “And?”

“And when Fiona refused, Li Na threatened her.”

Silence stretched out between us as he processed the news.

Wes finally shook his head, looking as if he’d like to crush something. “Jesus. She didn’t even take a breather.”

“I know. Lauren and I told Fiona to call the FBI, and we gave her Levi’s number. She’s supposed to call him today.”

“Unfuckingbelievable.” Wes stared straight ahead, his jaw taut. “It’s time.”

“Time for what?”

“To take Li Na out. She’s done enough damage—we can’t let her get away with any more. I’m done with waiting.”

My heart thundered, and I reached for him, panicked. “The FBI will handle it.”

He wrapped his arms around me, cradling me carefully to his chest. “They haven’t managed to handle it yet, babe.”

“I know, but they’ll do something this time. She can’t just keep getting away with murder.”

Wes played with my hair. “You’re right about that.”

I pulled back, my gaze zeroing in on his. “It can’t be you. I need you.”

Wes chuckled. “You didn’t even know I could read until two minutes ago.”

“I didn’t mean it like that—” I spluttered.

He put his finger over my lips, shushing me. “I’m just teasing you, honey.”

I tried to relax against him, but the panic wouldn’t recede. “Just promise me.”

“Promise you what?”

“That you’ll stay safe. That you’ll stay with me.”

Suddenly I wished I had that master plan and checklist, because I didn’t even know what I was asking for. Still, I nestled against Wes, needing his assurance. 

But although he continued to hold me, he never answered.