Read an excerpt from Gabe by Leigh James

His Woman. His Family. His Company.

When the going gets tough, the tough get Alpha.

Silicon Valley billionaire CEO Gabriel Betts has finally found the happiness he’s been searching for—in gorgeous, brilliant fellow billionaire Lauren Taylor, the so-called reigning queen of the biotech industry. But when Chinese healthcare mogul Li Na Zhao kidnaps Lauren’s sister in a high-stakes game of corporate espionage, the world they’ve worked so hard to protect comes crashing down. Li Na agrees to trade Hannah for Lauren’s Paragon Laboratories and her help—onsite and in person. In an attempt to keep Lauren safe, Gabe calls in his security-industry professional brothers to help get Hannah back. But when the rescue effort stumbles, Gabe must pick up the pieces to protect the woman he loves…before she makes the ultimate sacrifice.    

Excerpt

This is at the beginning of the book, when Gabe and Lauren get some terrible news.

I woke up and rolled over, stretching, my limbs loose and relaxed as I pulled Lauren’s warm body closer. Her soft moan brought back memories of last night, when I’d blindfolded her and tied her up.

Among other things.

I grinned against her bare skin as she slept. Lauren Taylor, reigning queen of the biotech industry and, until quite recently, a very uptight virgin, had been letting her wild side out to play lately. I trailed my fingers down her side, wondering if she’d be up for an encore performance this morning.

My phone rang, and I grabbed it, hoping she would sleep awhile longer. On the caller ID, I saw Timmy’s number. I’d thought Lauren’s security guard was asleep in the guesthouse next door. Because he never called to chat, I said, “What’s the matter?”

“Mr. Betts, we’ve had a breach.”

I jumped out of bed. “Is someone here? At the house?”

“No, sir. Not here. I’m afraid it’s worse—it’s Hannah.”

Hannah was Lauren’s younger sister. “What?”

“Someone’s taken her.”

“What?”

“Someone kidnapped her from Lauren’s house. I just got the call.”

Lauren sat up and rubbed her eyes.

I needed to stay calm for her sake. “What about the security guards?”

“They shot the two guards outside. They also shot Wes—he was in the house with Hannah.”

Wesley was Hannah’s bodyguard and boyfriend.

Fuck. “Did anyone make it?”

Lauren’s head whipped around. “What’s going on?”

I motioned for her to hang on.

“Wes is the only guard who made it,” Timmy said. “He’s at the ER right now—I don’t know what his condition is, except it’s bad. But Hannah’s alive, thank God. The security tape shows them leaving with her.”

“Have you talked to the police?”

“They’re at the scene. Do you want me to go too?”

“Sit tight for right now. Call Paragon and let security know what happened. I’ll talk to Lauren and call you back.”

“What happened?”

I sat down and took her hand. “That was Timmy. There was a security breach at your house. Someone broke in and took Hannah. They shot the guards and Wesley, but he’s alive. He’s in the ER.”

Her face went blank, as if the information didn’t compute. “I’m sorry? What?”

I squeezed her hand. “Hannah’s been kidnapped.”

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About the Author

Leigh James is an author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. She is a vocal lover of strapping alpha males in movies, books and real life, which makes her three kids roll their eyes and makes her husband feel appreciated.

When she's not writing, you can usually find her reading or watching Outlander, Game of Thrones, and Vikings (see penchant for alpha males, above). She has a degree in journalism from the University of New Hampshire, which is good for deadlines and word counts, and a law degree from Suffolk University with a Concentration in High Technology Law, which is helpful when writing about sexy tech billionaires with legal woes.

For more information about Leigh, please visit her website, “Like” Leigh on Facebook and follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Goodreads. Join Leigh’s newsletter to be the first to hear about upcoming releases. She’s loves hearing from her readers. Email her directly at leighjames@leighjamesbooks.com.

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