HACKING THE BILLIONAIRE: Part 3 (5 page)

Riley’s phone rang while she was prepping dinner. Justin was on his way over. She was cooking him a meal. She didn’t know if she’d sleep with him tonight or not. She’d see how it all went.

Riley didn’t recognize the number on her phone, so she didn’t answer it. The same number had been calling her every day, and she didn’t know who it belonged to. One of these times she’d have to answer it, but not when she was knee-deep in preparing a meal.

For her new boyfriend. At least she thought he was her boyfriend. They spent a lot of time together if they weren’t that. She had doubts that it would go further, but she didn’t entertain them. Justin was a good man. Just what she needed.

So he didn’t make her tingle when he kissed her. Tingling was overrated. Tingling led you to do stupid things. Instead, she felt a nice affection for Justin that would eventually lead to love. She was sure of it.

Her feelings would grow for him, and that was better in the long term.

Who was she trying to convince? Joan had asked her that when she talked about Justin.

“Who am I trying to convince?”

Riley shook off her doubts. Justin was a good man, and she should be delighted he was in her life. She chopped vegetables for a salad, shaving some cheese on at the last minute. She wasn’t nervous, but she wanted the meal to be perfect. She wanted this relationship to work and not be a rebound from Dirk.

Her phone rang again. This time she was able to answer it. Same number. No one was on the line.

“Robocall?”

Too bad she had her number in the Do Not Call Directory. She shouldn’t be receiving calls like that. She disconnected, but the call had her freaked out a little. Damn that case with Dirk. She’d gone through a large portion of her life never thinking about danger.

Now she saw it in every hang up and prank call.

Her doorbell rang and she jumped. “Stop.”

Justin had a bouquet of flowers for her. She accepted them with a smile.“Come in.”

She found a vase, filled it with water, then put the flowers on her coffee table. She could see them from anywhere in her apartment but her bedroom. She smiled at them.

Justin kissed her. “I thought they were beautiful. They reminded me of you.”

That was pretty charming, especially for Justin. “Thank you.”

“Anything I can help with?”

She handed him the wine bottle and a cork. “You can open that.”

“Sure.”

He did it and then poured some into the two glasses on the counter. Riley checked her lasagna in the oven. “Almost done.”

Justin touched her glass with his. “Cheers.”

“Cheers,” she said.

She sipped the burgundy liquid. She’d done okay. She remembered some of the things that Dirk had taught her. He’d been a good teacher besides being an example of what she didn’t want in life.

Justin was what she wanted. Stable, normal, sweet. Maybe even a little boring.

That’s okay. No one would shoot at her. No one would put her in the hospital because she was with Justin.

“Smells good,” Justin said.

“Nothing fancy. I’m just an okay cook.”

“I’m sure it’ll be delicious.”

He settled on a stool by the counter. Her phone rang again. That same number.

“You okay?” Justin asked.

He asked that a lot of her lately.

“I’ve been getting these calls from that number. No one is there when I answer.”

“Have you called it back to see who answered?”

“Once, but no one picked up and there was no message on the voicemail.”

“Odd. An ex stalking you?”

Dirk wouldn’t stoop to that. No, he’d barge in the front door. He wouldn’t be stealthy. He’d be right up in her face. “Not likely.”

“Not that guy who was here that day?”

Should she come clean? Should she tell Justin about Dirk? “He’s not an ex.”

Okay, that was a lie. He was an ex something. She just wasn’t sure how to classify their relationship.

“Is he a friend?”

“No. He isn’t in my life. I’m not sure what we were, but we aren’t anymore.”

Justin’s smile was one thousand watts. “Good. I don’t want competition.”

She pulled the lasagna out of the oven. “No competition.”

“Glad to hear it.”

That had been easy. Almost too easy. Did he want her enough to fight for her? Dirk would have laid his claim by now. What different men they were.

She was with the right one. Her doorbell rang.

“You want me to get it?”

“Yes, please.”

She pulled the salad out of the oven. Justin came back with a vase of flowers.

“You’re a popular woman,” he said.

There was no smile on his face as he set them on the counter. Who the hell had sent her flowers? She read the card. Dirk.

“May I ask who they are from?”

“That guy.”

“I thought he was out of your life.”

She frowned at the card. It read, “I’m sorry. Dirk.”

She’d never expected an apology from him. Not in a million years. Guess he read her report and figured out that she might be right, though something nagged at her. It was almost too easy to pin it on Zeke. Too pat. Too tied up in a neat package.

Made her think she was missing something.

“I did, too.”

“Is he stalking you?”

“Not his style.”

“Maybe you need to call the police.”

“He’s harmless,” she said.

She didn’t throw away the flowers. She probably should have. Justin might have believed her if she did. Instead she moved them out of her way.

“Maybe you need to settle things with this guy,” Justin said.

“They are settled.”

He indicated the flowers. “Not to him.” He stood. “How about you call me when he is truly out of your life?”

She only flinched a little when he slammed the door.

Damn Dirk.

***

Dirk stared out the window. This day might be the hardest he’d ever had. He’d sent Riley a bouquet of flowers to apologize. They should have been delivered by now. She hadn’t called.

He might have to reach out to her.

He’d been through her report several times. She’d covered it all, and Zeke was clearly guilty. The man was on his way here. He had to fire his best friend. He felt like a heel, and he was pissed.

What had Zeke been thinking? Why? They’d been friends for so long, but why now? Why did he have to try to ruin Dirk?

He couldn’t figure out any answers. His heart hurt. He wanted Riley. He wanted the culprit to be anyone but Zeke. Anyone but the guy he’d been friends with since college. What had made this man turn on him?

The bitterness of the betrayal turned Dirk’s stomach sour. After this he wanted to see Riley. He had to see Riley. If he had any chance with her he had to apologize in person.

She’d been right. Her proof was irrefutable.

He’d let Marcia go home because he wasn’t worried that Zeke would do anything nuts. Zeke didn’t need to be humiliated. As mad as Dirk was with him, they were still friends. At this point.

What happened in the future was up in the air. This was business, not personal. He fingered the folder with Riley’s report in it. He couldn’t wait to get this over with. He probably should have had someone from HR here, but oh well.

Security was on alert. Just in case. He didn’t expect his old friend to do anything crazy, but no reason not to be safe. He heard a knock on his door, then Zeke came in. In fact, he strode in as if he owned the place.

The man had no idea what was coming his way.

“Hey, buddy. How’s it hanging?” Zeke said.

Dirk turned his chair around. “Have a seat.”

This was going to be very hard. He’d been through so much with this man. College. Various girlfriends. Zeke’s wedding. He’d been best man at it. His oldest child bore his name as a middle name. Their lives were as intertwined as two straight men’s could be.

And now he had to fire him.

“Why so serious?” He sat in the chair that Dirk had motioned to. “Someone die?”

He didn’t want to make eye contact, but Zeke deserved it. Dirk owed him this much even though he was going to ruin the man’s life. Before he ruined Dirk’s.

“Something has come to my attention,” Dirk said.

“What?” Zeke’s eyes grew wide. “What are you talking about?”

Did he know? Or was he going to pretend that nothing had happened? That Zeke wasn’t the leak in his company. The leak that could have brought him down. The bitter taste in his mouth would be hard to get rid of.

“Riley figured it out.”

Zeke wiped a nervous hand down his face. He shook his head. “Whatever Riley told you is a lie. She came on to me.”

Dirk wasn’t sure what to say to that. Maybe he should let Zeke stammer on. Riley hadn’t shared anything about Zeke with him.

“I didn’t touch her,” Zeke said.

“Oh?”

“What did she tell you?”

So Zeke had more than one confession to make. “Nothing about that, but I’ll ask her when I see her.”

“I thought you two broke up?”

“You’d hoped. Since it appears you hit on her? Is that what I’m getting from you?”

“No, man, she hit on me.”

What? Zeke made a pass at Riley? She’d never said. “Considering I had enough trouble getting her to hit on me, I doubt she hit on you. Now I’m really pissed.”

“This isn’t about the elevator?”

“Elevator?”

In the elevator? Did Zeke have no class? He was a married man. What the hell was he thinking hitting on Riley? Hitting on Dirk’s girlfriend?

“Okay. I’ll come clean. I did hit on her in the elevator. Sort of a joke,” Zeke said.

“You are a married man.”

“I didn’t pursue anything.”

“And as far as you knew, she was my girlfriend. Have you done this in the past?”

Zeke looked at his shoes and didn’t answer. Holy shit. This was more than Dirk expected to learn about his old friend. Explained some reactions women in his past had around Zeke. Even Riley’s reaction. Why hadn’t she told him?

He probably would not have believed her. He sighed. Or maybe she’d just spared his feelings. Riley was like that.

“Riley figured out my leak?”

“Oh?”

“It’s you.”

Zeke’s eyes widened. His mouth opened and closed a few times before words came out. “I’m not your leak.”

Dirk waved the folder. “This report says differently.”

“Buddy, I would never.”

“I can’t believe you anymore, Zeke. Especially not after what you said about Riley hitting on you.”

His heart hurt. He’d been through many things with the man across the desk. College. Women. Building this company. Zeke had been a big supporter when Dirk wanted to go out on his own. How had Zeke come to the decision to stab him in the back?

“You signed a confidentiality agreement when I hired you. You’ve violated that. That is terms for firing.”

“You’re firing me?”

“Yes, I am, Zeke. You know I consider loyalty an important trait. Your betrayal is worse than anyone else’s could be. I’ll give you an hour to clean out your desk. Stella from HR is in your office. Please don’t make me call security.”

“What the fuck, Dirk. I didn’t do anything. Riley’s framing me.”

“Why? Why would she do that?”

“Because of me hitting on her.”

“You hitting on her was not even a blip on her radar, I’m sure. Get out of my office.”

Dirk stared at him, but his gaze was unwavering. Zeke finally stood, then left without another word. Dirk turned his chair to stare out the window. That had been one of the hardest things he’d ever done.

He’d never thought in a million years that he’d have to fire his best friend. He felt like a heel, and he was pissed all at the same time. The guy had hit on Riley. What had he been thinking?

Dirk pulled out his cell phone and hit speed dial for Riley’s phone.

“Hello?”

She didn’t sound happy, but she’d answered, knowing it was him. “Riley. I just fired Zeke.”

“Yikes.”

He’d called her because he knew she’d understand. He needed a sympathetic ear. Riley could provide that. “Yeah.”

“I’m not sure you should have done that.”

“What? Your report was very clear.”

“It was, but now that I’ve had time to reflect on it, I think it was too easy. Too pat that it was Zeke. The evidence was too clear. He’s a smart guy. Why would he have left such a trail?”

Had he just fired his best friend by mistake? Could this day get any worse? “What are you saying?”

“I don’t have anything specific to tell you.”