HACKING THE BILLIONAIRE: Part 3 (9 page)

Chad landed on his back. His head smacked the floor, and he was lifeless. Riley had run to the door, but she couldn’t leave Tuck with Chad.

That’s how she knew Chad had been rendered unconscious. She ran over to Tuck. “You okay?”

“Yeah. My head hurts.”

She untied him, and then she helped him tie up Chad. Riley found her phone and saw that Dirk had tried to call her several times. Then her battery died. She couldn’t call him back.

“What are we going to do with Chad?”

“Let’s call the cops.”

“You’ll have to call. My phone’s dead,” Riley said.

She looked down at Chad. He wasn’t bleeding. He was still breathing. Riley felt as if she’d dodged a bullet. Thankfully Tuck had been there.

“I can’t believe that weasel got the jump on me. Mr. Trent is not going to be happy that you were in danger.”

“I’ll smooth things over with him.”

“No, I’ve worked with him before. He’s demanding.”

She imagined that Dirk was, but he’d be happy to see that she was okay. “Can you call Mr. Trent?”

“I will. You wait for the cops.”

Riley stood in the doorway, ready to crash. The adrenaline from the situation as ebbing. Now she just wanted to go home and sleep. She’d have to call work. Her purse was in the car. It had her charger in it, but she was too tired to walk across the parking lot.

Then the first cop showed up. He pulled his gun, but she put up her hands. “I’m not the bad guy.”

“Still, get on your knees.”

He had a gun, so she did as he said. Her knees hurt from the concrete.

“We got a call for a hostage situation.”

“I was one of the hostages. The guy is passed out and tied up.”

He searched her for any weapons and then made her sit in the back of his patrol car. Another cop showed up. A few minutes later an ambulance showed up. Tuck walked out with the first cop. No guns were drawn.

Someone opened the door and let her out. She didn’t want to stand, but her best bet of getting home was in Tuck’s car. She sat in that and waited, her eyes drooping.

“We need to take a statement, Ms. Adams.”

Guess they’d figure out who she was. “Sure.”

Then over his shoulder she saw the best sight in the world. Dirk was breathless, but smiling at her.

“Excuse me, officer, this is my girlfriend and she’s been through something. Can the questions wait?” he said.

Taking charge of course. And for now, she would let him. Her bones were mush. Her muscles not acting properly. She was tired.

“I really need to ask her some questions,” the officer said.

“It’s fine, Dirk.”

He slid into the back seat and held her. “Okay. Go ahead.”

The officer scrunched down to look at her. He asked questions for the next fifteen minutes. Then he closed his notepad. “Can you come down to the station in the next twenty-four hours and sign an official statement?”

“She’ll be there,” Dirk said.

He’d basically held her up during the whole interview. She never would have gotten through it without him. What would she ever do without him?

Damn. She loved him. She didn’t want to. He was a complicated man. Why couldn’t she have fallen for Justin? He was simple.

This man was going to make her life difficult and wonderful at the same time.

“Where’s Tuck?”

“He’s talking to a cop also,” Dirk said.

Tuck approached the car then slid into the driver’s seat. “You ready for home?”

“My driver will be here in a minute. Once he is, you go home. I’ll take Ms. Adams home. You take the rest of the day off.”

Tuck handed her her phone. “Here.”

“Thanks.”

She called work and cleared things with them. Dirk helped her to his car, and then they were driving back to Manhattan.

“We have to call the FBI,” Riley said.

“You have information.”

“Yes and I can go in the system and walk them through what he did.”

She yawned.

“Just rest.” He snugged her closer to him. “Riley?”

“Hmm?”

“I have something I need to tell you.”

She wanted to move her head. This all seemed important. She should be looking at him, but she couldn’t move. She was boneless and wanted to sleep for a week. “Okay.”

“Can you look at me?”

Her head rested on his chest. She slid so she could look up at him. “Better?”

“Yes.”

“What? I’m really tired, Dirk.”

“I know. Let me talk, then you can sleep for the rest of the ride into Manhattan.”

“Okay.”

“I love you. I’ve loved you for a while, but I wasn’t brave enough to tell you. I was so worried that I wouldn’t get to tell you that I ran the last three blocks to where you were.”

She smiled up at him. Dirk loved her. “I love you, too, Dirk.”

He leaned down and kissed her. Sweet, but with a hint of naughty. With the promise of things he was going to do to her. Later. After she’d slept.

She put a hand on his face. “What a pickle, huh?”

“Not at all, Riley. I want to do what I can every day to show you how I feel.”

“I think I’d like that.”

She yawned again. She wished she wasn’t so tired, because she might do him right here. But she didn’t have the energy. “I love you, but can I sleep?”

He smiled down at her. “Sure.”

She stretched her legs across the seat, leaning her head into his lap. She should be giving him a blowjob, but that wasn’t going to happen. Instead, she settled herself, enjoying the rhythm of the road. Dirk had a good driver. Smooth.

Riley fell asleep enjoying Dirk’s lap and the fact that he loved her.

***

Dirk glanced down at Riley, her head in his lap. He stroked her hair. He wanted to know everything, but realized that she had to sleep. The FBI would want to talk to her. She’d been answering questions for a while, so he let her have this time.

He had some plans to make. He knew from experience that Riley was a deep sleeper. He could probably have a party in this car and she’d never notice. She’d never wake up.

What was it like to give herself over to something that completely? He had sleep issues, though less so when Riley slept next to him. In some ways, she’d given herself to him. Maybe not all of her, but he had a feeling that the rest would come easily.

He slid his phone out of his pocket. They had some time before they reached Manhattan, so he might as well use the time wisely.

First he called a jeweler he knew. Most of his dates in the past had loved to get sparkly things. This man had never let him down. Knowing Riley she wasn’t into sparkly, but she’d want this one and she’d want to pick it out.

“Hey, Dirk.”

Castiel Blake ran a jewelry store on Jeweler’s Row in Manhattan. Dirk had found him to be honest and forthright. He’d also been willing to bring the product to him. They’d had many meetings in his office.

Dirk trusted the man with his life.

“Hi, Castiel. I need your help.”

“You know. Anything.”

He told him the specifications of what he wanted. Riley wouldn’t want showy, but he wasn’t going to buy her something cheap. This would have class and elegance, and be something she would be proud to wear.

But she’d pick which one.

“Then I’ll see you in two hours.”

“That works for you?” Dirk said.

“Anything you need works for me, Dirk. “

Dirk chuckled as he disconnected. He looked down at Riley. She hadn’t moved. Her head rested on his thigh, her hands stacked under her face. She looked like an angel. Then she let out a little snore.

His next phone call was to his favorite restaurant. Riley must be starving. At least she would be when she woke up. There was no way that she could face questions from the FBI on an empty stomach.

“Mr. Trent. So good to hear from you.”

“Chef, I need something special.”

“Anything.”

The lunch rush was over. The dinner rush hadn’t begun. The restaurant would be quiet. Not that the chef wouldn’t have done his bidding anyway. Money talked. Dirk had brought many dates to this man’s establishment.

“I need a special romantic dinner, including dessert. I need it earlier than dinner since my date and I have skipped lunch.”

“Sure.”

The chef gave him a few suggestions of what he could make. Dirk picked what he wanted. A four course meal for the woman he loved.

Dirk was getting excited for this. Riley shifted, but she didn’t wake. He stroked her hair a little more, settling her. This woman had wormed her way into his heart. He hadn’t even known he’d wanted to fall in love.

But he had. Hook, line, and sinker. She would be his. Forever. He was going to make sure of that. Make sure that she wanted to be with him forever.

Riley needed to be his. To never move out. His heart would shatter if she did.

“You’ll deliver it?”

“Yes, of course. I’ll deliver it personally.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to tear you away from dinner prep,” Dirk said.

“It’s no bother. For a good customer like yourself, it is worth it.”

Guess he was reaping the benefits of taking women out to dinner. Now he had only one woman to take out to dinner. He hoped she would enjoy that part of his lifestyle. He liked eating out. He liked dining with a beautiful woman across from him.

That woman would now be Riley.

“Thank you, Chef. I’ll let the doorman know you’re coming in case I am not there yet.”

“You aren’t home?”

“No, I’m in New jersey.”

“That is sad, but you’re clearly returning tonight?”

“Hopefully I’ll be back in the two one two in minutes,” Dirk said.

The disconnected. They did finally arrive at his place. Riley didn’t stir, and frankly he didn’t want to wake her. He carried her, holding her close to him in the elevator. She didn’t stir until he put her down on his couch.

She smiled up at him. “Hi.”

“We’re home.”

“Good.” Then she looked around, blinking. “You carried me upstairs?”

“I did.”

“Oh, Dirk. You could have woken me up.”

“No. You hungry?”

Her stomach rumbled. “Starving.”

“Good. I have food.”

She sat up.

The chef had outdone himself, setting up a table by the windows. Candles burned, and two covered plates waited for them.

“Wow.”

He took her hand. “Come on. Let’s eat.”

She followed him. He held out the chair for her.

“You pulled out all the stops.”

“I did,” he said.

“And you’re modest.”

“I don’t apologize for having money, Riley. Now I get to shower it on you.”

“Okay, fine. But sometimes I just want pizza.”

“Then you’ll have pizza,” he said.

She could have whatever she wanted. As long as he could give it to her. He sighed, contentment reigning in his body. In his life.

For the moment, they would push away the fact that the FBI was on its way to talk to Riley. They could put aside for the moment that his siblings had plotted to ruin his company. Right now he had Riley and good food.

She smiled across the table from him. “Good.”

“The bad news in all of this is that the feds need to talk to you.”

“That’s fine,” she said as she dug into her food. He liked a woman who ate. Riley did.

She finished before he did. “That was amazing.”

“There’s dessert. I’m sure something chocolate.”

“Promise?”

He’d promise her anything.

Riley braced herself for the visit from the FBI guys. Dirk had fed her an amazing meal. He was washing their dishes at the moment.

She chose to shower before the agents came. Part of her wanted to put this questioning off until tomorrow, but if she did it now, she’d be done for a while. Until she had to testify.

The doorbell rang as she finished drying her hair. This afternoon she dressed for comfort. Sweats were on her body when she entered the living room.

The two agents were seated, talking to Dirk. He stood when she entered the room. She sat on the couch next to him. He held her hand, and she appreciated the warmth he provided. The day had pretty much wrung her out.

Dirk’s laptop sat on the table. She would have to show the agents what Chad had done.

She could also undo it when they were finished looking at it. She’d provide a back door for herself that no one could find. She’d keep his system secure or find someone who could better than she did.

He trusted her, and she liked that.

“I know you’ve been through a lot, Ms. Adams, so thank you for agreeing to meet with us,” Agent Louis said.

“No problem. I’d like this to be over with as soon as possible. We’ve been living with this for some time now,” Riley said.

They had. It had hung over their relationship long enough. Even with a trial in the future, at least she’d be able to get on with her life with Dirk. Assuming that’s what he wanted. She didn’t know for sure.

She hoped. She could live in Manhattan. Live in a penthouse. Maybe white picket fences were overrated. She’d adapt. She would because she loved Dirk.

“There’s still the trial,” Agent Magnum said.

“I know. Doesn’t matter. The worst is over.”

“Luzy Trent was picked up just before we left the office to come here. She is an accessory.”

“That’s sad,” Riley said. “I think she just lost her way and Chad took advantage of that.”

“We’ll see what information she can offer us and if we can make a bargain with her,” Agent Louis said.

Good. She didn’t think Luzy should spend time in jail. She was a lost soul. Hopefully Dirk felt the same. He’d have to call his parents when they were done here. They must be devastated that their kids were involved in all of this.

“I’m glad.”

“Me, too. Luzy has always been easily influenced,” Dirk said.

She could see he was sad about it. She squeezed his hand. He smiled at her.

“So walk us through what Mr. Trent, ahem, Chad Trent, did. I mean today. We’ll get to the cyber stuff in a moment.”

Riley took a deep breath. It was Dirk’s turn to squeeze her hand. She appreciated his support. She didn’t want to do this alone.

She walked the two agents through what had happened today. She included how she escaped and what Tuck had done. They took notes and asked many questions. Just when she thought she couldn’t relate the story anymore, they closed up their notebooks.

“So walk us through what he did to Mr. Trent’s company,” Agent Magnum said.

She booted up Dirk’s laptop then took them through is firewall. Seemed a little bit like going down a rabbit hole. She was amazed at what she’d missed. “I’ve spend a lot of time in here and never saw some of these things.”

“You just weren’t looking for them,” Agent Louis said.

“Well, I still should have thought to look for them. I was dealing with the mindset that this was just a leak. That it might have nothing to do with the computer system. The simplest answer is often the best.”

Still, Chad had outflanked her. She wasn’t proud of that, but she’d learned a few things.

“We feel that way, too,” Agent Magnum said.

She showed them the intricacies of what Chad had programmed. Dirk sat quietly beside her. Even though she was sure he didn’t understand most of it, it made him mad all over again. His sibling had done this. To bring him down.

All because he was successful.

It had to hurt. Maybe they should go see his parents for a few days. Recover from all of this.

She’d suggest it when the agents finished up.

They finally did and left. She’d walked them to the door. They said they’d be in touch. She closed the door then turned to Dirk. “How are you doing?”

“I’m okay. Just mad.”

“You should call your parents. They shouldn’t hear this on the news.”

“Right. I’ll put them on speaker phone.”

Eliza answered. She’d already heard.

“Oh, Mom. I’m sorry I didn’t call earlier,” Dirk said.

They sat on the couch, the phone on Dirk’s lap.

“It’s okay. I’m sure you had to make sure Riley was okay, first,” Eliza said. “Your father is on the phone getting them a good lawyer.”

“Good.”

“Good? You don’t want them to rot in jail?”

“They are still my siblings, Mom. Plus, everyone deserves a good lawyer.”

“That’s big of you, son, to think that way. How is Riley?”

“I’m fine, Eliza,” Riley said. “I’m just so sorry about the situation.”

“Not your fault, Riley. Glad you’re okay.”

“I would disconnect your phone, Mom. The reporters are going to start calling. I’m going to put out a press release a little while later.”

Eliza sighed. “I just cannot believe this.”

“I know, Mom. Can we come stay with you for a few days?” Dirk said.

He’d thought of it before Riley could say anything.

“Of course. We’d love to have you. We can weather this storm together. As a family should.”

Riley couldn’t help smiling. She had a family. Well, if Dirk wanted her to.

“Yes, Mom, like a family.” He kissed Riley on the cheek. “We are a family.”

***

The doorbell rang as soon as they hung up with Dirk’s mother.

“What now?” Riley said. “I want to be alone for awhile.”

She kissed him. His body hummed. He wanted to be alone with her also. “Just one more thing.”

“Okay.”

“Stay here.”

He let the jeweler into his house. “I haven’t asked her yet. Can you wait here until I do?”

“Sure.”

Dirk returned to Riley, who still looked tired. He tugged her to her feet.

“Who was it?”

“I’ll tell you in a minute.” He had a moment of nerves, but good ones. “Riley, you know that I love you.”

“Yes. I’m sensing a ‘but’.”

“No ‘but’, I promise.”

He wished he could have arranged a better way to do this. More his style.

“Then what?”

“Wait here.”

“Okay.”

He ran back to the jeweler. “Can you come back in fifteen minutes? Wait in the lobby. I’ll come down.”

“Okay.”

He left. Dirk whipped out his phone. He had an idea. It might work. He called a few people then hung up.

“Dirk?”

Riley still waited for him in the living room. He entered it then grabbed her hand. “Come with me.”

They rode down in the elevator.

“Where are we going? I’m tired, Dirk. It’s been a big day.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I should have planned this better.”

“Planned what?”

“You’ll see.”

They entered the lobby, Riley looking bewildered.

“This isn’t exactly my style, but I had to make a splash.”

“What splash?”

He led her to the front of the building. When he looked, they’d done it. It was good to be rich.

In large posters, each with a letter on it, it said, “Will you marry me, Riley?”

How they’d done it so quickly, he didn’t know, but they had and posted them on the glass in the lobby. For Riley to see.

She finally caught sight of it. Her face lit up. Then she looked at him. “How did you?”

“I know a printer. He owed me a favor.” He got down on one knee. “Will you?”

“Marry you? Of course.”

He stood and picked her up. Spinning her around. “Riley you’ve made me the happiest man on Earth.” He motioned to the jeweler. “Let’s go pick out your ring.”

Riley eyed the other man. “Only you would bring the jewelry here instead of bringing me there.”

“It’s good to be rich, Riley.”

She just laughed.

~The end.~