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“I don’t know.” I gulped my bourbon, anxious to feel it hit. We’d spoken to the attending physician before leaving the hospital, but he didn’t have answers. “They’re hoping the coma will help him heal and let his brain take care of itself without stressing the rest of his body. But I have no idea what’s going to happen. It’s too early to tell.”
“I’m sorry,” Ash said. “He’s Hannah’s boyfriend, right?”
“Yes. He was assigned as her bodyguard, and they hit it off. They’re both in their twenties.”
Ash stared into his drink. “Jesus.”
“Listen, I need you to understand—we have to get this done. I’ll pay you whatever it takes.”
I probably could’ve ordered them to do this—I owned a minority stake in Betts Security. When my brothers started their company, we did a cross-purchase deal with my company, Dynamica, to fund the startup. Levi’s company had been very successful, and part of his success originated from our agreement. Levi owed me, but I held off reminding him because he got douchey whenever I did.
And I needed effective Levi. Not douchey Levi.
“I already told you I’m going to put my best men on this case, including myself and Ash,” Levi said. “And of course, I understand this is personal and it’s urgent. I know you like to be in charge, but you’re going to have to let me do my job.”
I poured myself another drink. “I’m not going to fight with you. You guys are staying here, you’re working for us, and I want to help.” I turned to Levi. “Just please don’t be a dick. Because then I’ll have to break your nose again, and Mom wouldn’t like that.”
Ash laughed, but Levi glowered at both of us. “If I recall correctly, you had some help—it wasn’t exactly a fair shot.”
I shrugged. “Seemed fair to me.” Ash had held Levi when I punched him, but as far as I was concerned, that was water under the bridge.
“Let’s forget about that for now.” I brought the decanter over and poured them each a conciliatory drink. “What are the next steps for getting Hannah back?”
Ash pointed to a picture on his laptop. “The security tape showed part of the license plate on the kidnappers’ car. We’re beginning there, trying to track the plate down. I’m sure it’s stolen, but it’s a place to start.”
“And then we’re going to work with the FBI and the police to see if they have any leads, which I’m sure they don?
?t.” Levi finished his drink and helped himself to another—apparently, his successful business hadn’t dampened his taste for bourbon.
Not that I had a lot of room to talk. Not tonight.
“Once we get a lead on the plate,” Levi continued, “we’ll start the search. We’ll cast a wide net and try to ascertain their whereabouts. In the interim, I’m going to find out as much as I can. Maybe something will come in handy—I’ll research Zhao’s real estate holdings, or corporate entities of hers that may own real estate—to see if I can find anything local. And we’ll work around the clock. We’ve got you covered.”
That was all I could hope for. “Okay. And Levi?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you for being here. This means everything to me. I won’t forget it.”
I went to my room and found Lauren curled up on the bed, weeping. My heart broke as I gently took her into my arms and kissed her cheek. She sobbed and held on to me.
“Can I get you anything?”
She shook her head, still crying.
I cradled her in my arms, wishing I could take her pain away. “Shh, I’ve got you.”
I held her until she finally fell asleep. It took a long time for her body to relax. I tucked her in, brushing the hair back from her face. Her features smoothed out as she finally became oblivious in sleep.
I gently kissed her forehead. “I love you, babe. More than anything,” I whispered, careful not to wake her. “And I am going to make this right.”
LAUREN
The next morning, I called an emergency meeting with my board of directors. I shivered as I strode through the doors of Paragon, followed closely by Timmy and two of Levi’s guards. Gabe and Levi had both insisted that my personal security be tripled, but I wasn’t worried about myself. All I could think about was Hannah.
Several employees stopped to ask about Hannah. She was a favorite with the staff, always irresistibly upbeat. I answered their questions carefully, saying that we were working on getting her back. I updated them about Wesley—that he was in a medically induced coma, his prognosis questionable.
California sunshine streamed through the windows, but gloominess and paranoia pervaded the atmosphere. My staff looked pale and worried. Eddie had extra guards patrolling the building. We were locked up like Fort Knox, and everyone was on edge.
