GABE (Silicon Valley Billionaires 2)

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.”

Chapter 3

GABE

A few hours later, Lauren went with me to see Wes. I thought it would be too much, but she insisted.

“Hannah would want me to. And he was working for me when this happened. Of course I’m going.”