HANNAH (Silicon Valley Billionaires 3)

“Have you ever been sexually abused or traumatized, Hannah?”

“No.” Hannah’s face flushed.

“Those guards didn’t do anything to you while they had you locked up in that condo?”

“No.”

Kathy sighed. “Frankly, I find that hard to believe. I know Dr. Fisher examined you, and I know there were no signs of rape or sexual trauma. That being said, I have some concerns.”

Hannah smiled at Kathy, but it was not her nice smile. “Now you sound like my sister. And Wesley, for that matter.”

“Your sister and your boyfriend are concerned about you for a reason, Hannah. So is Dr. Fisher. In my experience, that sort of concern usually has a source.” She paused and tilted her chin, her focus directly on Hannah. “Would you like to see me privately? We don’t have to talk about this today.”

I reached out and patted her knee. “Or I can leave, if you want to be alone.”

Hannah sighed and put her hand over mine. “I want you to stay. I don’t want to keep anything from you.”

“Okay. But…are you? Keeping something from me?” My heart thudded in my chest.

Hannah sank into her chair. “No one raped me.”

Kathy sat back, waiting. I held my breath.

“But one of the guards, uh, bothered me, for lack of a better word.”

“Bothered you, how?” Kathy asked.

Hannah groaned. “It sounds so stupid—Wesley was shot and in a coma, and I’m whining because one of the guards harassed me.”

“Harassed you while he had you captive, and he was armed, and they drugged you, and you had no means of escape. Doesn’t sound like whining to me—and trust me, I know whining.” Kathy clasped her hands together. “How did this guard harass you?”

Hannah looked from me to the doctor, and then her eyes fluttered closed, as if she didn’t want to face us. “He said things to me. At first, it was that I was pretty, and then it was things about my body. Then he got more creative.”

A hot ball of rage unfurled inside me. I clenched my hands into fists.

“And then?” Kathy asked.

Hannah’s eyes snapped open. “And then he tried to assault me one night, but one of the other guards found him and pulled him off.”

“Why did the other guard stop him?” Kathy asked.

“The guard who pulled him off was the one in charge—I think his name was Derek. He said that they were under strict instructions not to sexually assault me, and that he wasn’t going to tolerate that behavior. Derek threatened to shoot the other guard if he tried it again.”

Kathy pursed her lips. “But did he try it again?”

“Not exactly.” Hannah went quiet for a moment and busied herself with examining her nails.

I waited, still clenching my fists, until she went on.

“He still said things to me whenever he could—nasty things. When they beat me, he always volunteered to be the one to do it.” She winced. “And one night, I woke up, and he was jerking off in my face.”

“I am going to kill that fucker,” I said.

“He’s already dead. Gabe shot him.” Hannah’s voice was flat.

“Motherfucker!” I slammed my hands against the chair.

Hannah looked at me, her eyes pleading. “Please don’t get so upset. Honestly? It was disgusting, but he didn’t hurt me.”