HACKING THE BILLIONAIRE: Part 2 Read Free Page B

for a number of years now. Having to rely on someone and having to take them into consideration chafed at her.
    She was an independent woman. The nurse left her fuming. It wasn’t the nurse’s fault. She’d bet Dirk had harassed them. Or charmed them. He had that way about him. She smiled at the thought.
    Finally Dirk arrived. “You ready to go?”
    “No, I have to get my discharge instructions. She wouldn’t do them without you.”
    “You don’t seem happy about that.”
    “You aren’t my spouse.”
    He smiled at her. “The reason they are letting you loose is because I said I’d take care of you personally. So you need to thank me.”
    Now she was beholden to him. Shit. She didn’t want that. He would hold that over her. Just when she thought she was getting ahead of him, he was in front of her. He was so much better at this than she was. She frowned.
    “Cheer up. You’re getting out of here.”
    The nurse bustled back in. “Good morning, Mr. Trent.”
    Sure, she was all smiles for Dirk. This was what life would be like with him. At least their relationship had an expiration date. This would get annoying long-term.
    She sat on her bed. “I’m ready.”
    The nurse took the other chair while Dirk sat next to Riley.
    “Your head may hurt for a few days or a few weeks.”
    “A few weeks?” Riley said.
    That was going to suck.
    “Yes. You can’t rush recovery. It will take as long as it takes. You had a concussion. That’s serious,” the nurse said. “You have to rest. You might sleep a lot. You aren’t being lazy. You’re healing.”
    “She’ll rest. I’ll make sure of it,” Dirk said.
    Riley knew he would. If he had to tie her down. She would have to rest. But she would get to choose the clothes she rested in. It would be sweats for days at this point. This was her bright spot.
    No acting dumb. No acting like an airhead, but no freedom either. Double-edged sword for sure.
    “I’ll rest.”
    The nurse and Dirk exchanged a look. She didn’t like that. Once again, she was being treated like a child.
    “I will rest. Okay?”
    “Fine,” the nurse said. “No alcohol. You’ll have to follow up with your doctor in a week. If he clears you then you can resume normal life.”
    “Okay.”
    “Sign here.”
    The nurse handed her a pen, and she signed the paper. Then she brought a wheelchair in.
    “I can’t walk out of here?” Riley said.
    “No. Hospital policy.”
    Riley frowned, but sat in the chair. Dirk pushed her to the front door, where his driver and her bodyguard awaited.
    “The bodyguard still?”
    “Yes. Not only is he for you when you go out, he’s here for when I can’t be.”
    “Are you at least getting me some lunch?”
    “Of course you’re hungry. We have food at home. My chef is ready for us. I’ll text him when we’re close.”
    She eyed him across the back of the car. “Then what?”
    “We’ll rest.”
    The bodyguard, Kent, sat in the front seat, but she got the impression that he knew everything that was going on around him. He was a large man. His neck circumference was probably more than her thigh.
    When they arrived at Riley’s place, the bodyguard went in first. He came out with a grim expression on his face. Not that his usual expression was that cheery.
    He motioned for Dirk to get out of the car. Riley climbed out also. This was her place. Her original place, not even the one that Dirk had rented for her. That was next on the list so she could gather her things.
    Dirk nodded then turned to Riley. “Your place has been ransacked.”
    “What the hell?”
    She walked to her front door, her heart racing. Dirk took her hand as she entered her small apartment. It had been ransacked. Her furniture had been torn up. Any drawers had been pulled out and upended.
    Her one vase had been smashed. She turned and put her face into Dirk’s chest, but she refused to cry. She was tougher than that.
    She would have been fine, except that Dirk wrapped his arms around her. He