HACKING THE BILLIONAIRE: Part 3

by Jenny Devall

  He continued pacing. Riley guessed that their poking had done its job. Chad was worried that they were on to him. He still had a gun. Not trained at her, but still. He had a good grip on it. She’d surveyed the scene. There was a door behind her. Three steps away after she spun. The door in front of her was all the way across the room. She didn’t know if the door was locked.

  The doorway behind her was the best bet. She would have to catch him when he was turning. He wouldn’t initially see her. Riley could not believe how calm she was. Guess staring at death made you figure out just what you could accomplish.

  “You had to meddle,” Chad said finally.

  “I was hired to meddle.”

  “No, you were hired to find the leak. You found one.”

  “It was too easy.”

  “You aren’t that smart.”

  She was, but Chad could never handle that. Or agree. As much as she was the one tied up, Chad was desperate. He wasn’t a criminal in the sense that he could be face to face with his crime. He sat in an office and wrote code. He only saw the results secondhand.

  She didn’t think he was desperate enough to pull the trigger on her. Then he’d have to hide the body, and someone might hear the gunshot. This wasn’t a rural hunting area where no one thought twice about a shot. Someone would wonder. The cops would be called.

  At least if he did kill her, he wouldn’t get away with it.

  “Why?”

  “Why what?” he said.

  “Why did you do it?”

  “Do you have siblings?”

  “No. I’m an only child.”

  “Lucky you.”

  He stopped his pacing and stared at her. “I’m the middle child. The one that everyone ignores.”

  “So? I doubt Dirk ignored you.”

  “Maybe not, but he was always successful. Always. From high school on. I was born and he was already successful. I had an uphill climb at birth to impress my parents.”

  “You don’t have to impress your parents. They love you no matter what. That’s the deal with being a parent.”

  “Oh, they might love me, but they aren’t proud of me.”

  “Did you ever ask them if they were?”

  He waved the gun as if dismissing what she said. No one knew the dialogue in Chad’s head. She certainly wasn’t going to figure it out. Might as well get him talking until she loosened her bonds for sure.

  She was close. She could feel it.

  “I didn’t have to. They always raved about Dirk. Dirk did this. Dirk did that.”

  “Did you actually do things?”

  He screwed up his face, and she thought for a moment that she’d pushed him too far. He held that face for a moment then let out a noisy breath. “Of course I did things. I got good grades. Maybe not as good as Dirk, but I got into good colleges. Didn’t matter. Dirk was always upstaging me.”

  “But is that Dirk’s fault? He was always in a different part of his life.”

  “If Dirk hadn’t always been successful, they would have noticed me more,” Chad said.

  Even saying it out loud, he didn’t see how absurd he was. Dirk’s success would have never taken away from his own. He just hadn’t done anything outstanding in his life. How sad. He had spent his whole life comparing himself to Dirk. They were two different people.

  Very few men were as driven as Dirk. Chad clearly was only driven to ruin Dirk.

  “How did you do it?”

  Chad laughed. “You never figured it out?”

  She had, but he didn’t need to know that. “No.”

  She was almost loose. If he got involved in extolling the virtues of what he’d done, he’d be distracted. Her heart fluttered in her chest. She’d have one chance. That’s when she glanced at Tuck.

  He was awake, but behind Chad, who hadn’t noticed. Chad kept pacing around the room. Each time, he came closer and closer to Tuck. She tried to signal to Tuck that she was loose, but Chad kept glancing at her.

  She didn’t want to give away that she was ready to bolt. Instead she relaxed into her chair.

  Chad droned on about how he’d done the deed. As she listened, she was uninspired. She would have done it differently, and no one would have found out. It would have been untraceable. She kept that tidbit to herself.

  No reason to piss the man off who had a gun. He went on and on as if he were so proud of his work. Riley had to admit she felt foolish that she hadn’t seen it all sooner. She should have pegged what he’d done. She was that good.

  Dirk had been a distraction. That would be her excuse. His romancing her kept her from being on top of her game. Not that she would have traded anything for the world.

  She loved the man. She hoped she would be able to get out and tell him.

  Chad paced again. Closer to Tuck than before. She kept her gaze on Chad, not alerting him to Tuck’s being awake. They could pull this off.

  “So that’s how I did it,” Chad said, his voice full of pride.

  Then he took one more step and Tuck swing his legs around, tripping Chad, giving Riley a chance to escape.

  ***

  With Riley still not answering her phone, Dirk called Luzy. She didn’t answer, so he left a message.

  She called back a few minutes later.

  “Dirk?”

  “Luzy. Is Riley with you?”

  “Riley?”

  “Yes, you were having lunch with her today. I’m trying to get hold of her.”

  “Oh, she cancelled lunch.”

  “Cancelled?”

  Why would Luzy lie? He knew from Joan that Riley was waiting for Tuck to check out the place. Had Riley walked into something? Shit. Now he was more worried.

  “She didn’t cancel, Luzy. What game are you playing?”

  “Uh. I don’t know where she is, Dirk.”

  “Yes you do. You gave her the address to meet you. If anything happens to her, Luzy, I will never forgive you.”

  “I’m not lying. She texted me and cancelled.”

  “No, she didn’t. Give me the address where you were going to meet.”

  “It was a restaurant.”

  “I don’t care if it was a landfill. Give me the address. I want to be sure I’m going the right place. I will press charges if something has happened to her.”

  Luzy began to cry. He could hear the sniffles on the phone. He was all out of give a damn at the moment. The woman he loved was missing. Again. He was not going to take any chances with her life. He was going to find her. And he better find her alive.

  “I’m sorry, Dirk. Chad made me do it.”

  “Do what?”

  A chill went down Dirk’s spine. They’d poked the man and now he was lashing out. Riley was going to be the casualty of this. Again. Guilt raced through him. Now that he knew how he felt about Riley he couldn’t wait to tell her.

  What if he was too late? What if he couldn’t save her? Damn.

  He’d never had doubts like this. This was why he’d never wanted to fall in love, but now that he had, he couldn’t back away. He wanted Riley to be his wife. To be his forever.

  “He made me text her with a bogus address.”

  “Did he hold a gun to your head?”

  “No, but he’s pretty unstable. He’s been out to get you for years. He knew he had a chance when you hired him for computer security,” Luzy said.

  “Why is he after me?”

  “Because you’re successful. He’s jealous. He thinks that our parents don’t love him because they love you too much.”

  “Luzy, that makes no sense.”

  “Not that this justifies what he did, but you are a difficult brother to follow. Sometimes it feels as if everything we do you do better or bigger.”

  He had no idea that his siblings felt this way. “Have I led you to believe that your accomplishments didn’t mean anything?”

  “No.”

  “Then I don’t get all this. I never became successful to show anyone up. I’m just driven.”


  She sighed. “I know, Dirk. It doesn’t make sense. As much as I can look at the situation rationally, Chad can’t.”

  “Why did you let yourself get wrapped up in his insanity?”

  “I don’t know, Dirk. I guess I just got swept up in it. For once I felt like I had a purpose.”

  Sad. “You’re my sister, Luzy. I love you no matter what. As do your parents. Your mother raised me as if I was her own. She never showed you or Chad favoritism. I always felt like I was one of the family.”

  “I know. I know. Now that I say it all out loud, it doesn’t make sense. I know that you would back us in whatever we did, but I guess Chad caught me at a bad point in my life.”

  “With the divorce?”

  “Yes. It’s my second, Dirk. I can’t even succeed at marriage.”

  “Marriage is tough, Luzy. I’ve always admired that you kept trying. I never did.”

  “Will you marry Riley?”

  “If she’ll have me.”

  Luzy laughed. “She’ll have you. Let me text you the address, and please find her, Dirk.”

  He hung up, wondering why he and his sister had never talked like that before. Why had it taken a crisis to bring them together? He loved her. He loved Chad, too, even if the man was holding his girlfriend hostage.

  He wouldn’t forgive him if something happened to Riley, but he loved him nonetheless. He gave the address to his driver. It was close to where they’d figured she was.

  “We’ll be there in twenty minutes, sir.”

  “Not soon enough.”

  He couldn’t have his driver go faster. There was almost as much traffic in North Jersey as there was in Manhattan. He called Riley’s phone again, but she still didn’t answer. “Damn.”

  Where was she? Was she okay? His heart beat faster. He’d never worried this much about losing anyone. Not even his family. Riley had gotten under his skin. He had to tell her. He had to make sure this didn’t happen again.

  He didn’t care what it might take. He would do it to keep Riley close. To keep her with him. The car stopped. Emergency vehicles drove by them at a high rate of speed.

  “Can you see what’s going on?”

  “I think there’s been an accident. No one is moving at all.”

  “Can you turn off?”

  “I’ll try, sir, but we’re in the middle lane. I’ll do my best.”

  At this point, Dirk wanted to get out and run, but he didn’t really know where he was. Could he walk that far more quickly?

  “I’m going. Meet me there.”

  Dirk memorized the route on the GPS then climbed out of his car. Nothing was moving, so he was able to wend his way over to the sidewalk. He knew he had to go three blocks then make a left. The strip mall would be on that road. He had no idea what he could find when he got there, but for everyone’s sake, Riley had damn well better be alive.

  Chapter Fourteen

  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, Dir
k.”

  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.