His Perfect Little Hacker (Ricci Crime Family #3)

3. Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

BETSY

B etsy stared at her computer screen, completely bored. She had finished all of her work for the day, or well until she got called or emailed again. She had no idea when that would be or if it would be any time soon.

She looked over to her right and saw the time. Almost lunch time. What was she going to have today? Nothing in her fridge since she hadn’t gone shopping in a while. Betsy really needed to look to see what was more cost effective. Getting lunch at the local sub place a block away or if buying her own groceries and taking the time to cook.

Betsy already kind of knew the answer. She didn’t know how to cook much, if anything at all. Mac and cheese, she could make it. If she paid attention to every small little detail. But most of the time, she got distracted and couldn’t help herself.

Her Little side was always peeking out, wanting to be let free. Most of the time she was Little, but when she had to work, that’s when she had to be grown up Betsy. Which seemed to be happening more and more.

But that was what she got for wanting to be a hacker. Work was starting to pick up with each passing day. Betsy was thankful for that though, even if it was exhausting and she couldn’t be Little as much as she wanted to be. She needed all the money she could get so she could get a better apartment. It wasn't in the best part of town, but it was what she could afford.

Betsy pulled up her search engine and typed small businesses. Whenever she was bored and didn’t have anything to do, she searched for small businesses. She knew it was bad, but she couldn’t help herself. It wasn’t like she was really hurting them. Just rearranging some things.

The first website was Bonalicious’s Creative Corner. What kind of name was that? Clicking on it, she saw that they were drawings, sculptures that weren’t sculptures, cards, and more. Did people really buy these?

Giggling, she types on the computer for several seconds before she started to rearrange some of the drawings and art pieces, renaming them to ridiculous things. Nothing harmful. Betsy still had morals even though she was hacking and harming some people. It was all innocent what she was doing.

Betsy rearranged a couple more things but before she could hit publish, her mouse started to move.

“Shit,” she whispered.

What was happening? She types on her computer, trying to figure out what was wrong. Even though she tried to move her mouse, it wouldn’t move. Was she getting hacked? There was no way she was.

But as her mouse kept moving and her heart started to beat faster. Her palms got sweaty as she furiously typed on her computer, trying to get control of it back. She managed to get off of the website and type for several more seconds before her mouse stopped moving.

Shit.

“How the heck,” she whispered to herself. “What the fuck just happened?”

She relaxed in her chair, taking several seconds to stare at her screen. Betsy ran a diagnostic on her computer, trying to figure out what happened. She had precautions up to where no one could hack into her.

Or she thought.

But as the results came up, she saw some unknown person did access her computer for several seconds. Shit. Had they distracted her with the mouse moving while they looked into her files?

Quickly looking to see what else was touched, she saw some of her personal information was touched.

“Double shit,” she groaned.

Now they had her name and where she lived. Her eyes flew over the other words, taking in everything the person had touched. She didn’t keep much else on her computer. Betsy erased any evidence of her hacking on her computer when she finished a job.

Call her paranoid, but she didn’t want to get caught with anything. Not that she would, she was really good at what she did.

“The person won’t do anything with my address,” she mumbled. “He probably didn’t even really look at it.”

Betsy was trying to reassure herself at this point. Nothing like this had ever happened, so why did it now?

“It must have been the website.”

That was the only thing she could really think of. She had done a job before for a single mom but that had been an hour before it happened. And it wasn't even that big of a job. The single mom asked for her to transfer money to an offshore account because her ex-husband wasn’t paying child support like he was supposed to and the court hadn’t done anything.

Betsy didn’t like it when men did that or women. She had taken extra time and looked into the single mother of two kids. She was struggling and even working a full time job but she still wasn’t making ends meet.

Something that should never happen.

Betsy knew if she didn’t do something, her children were going to land in foster care and she couldn’t allow that to happen. A shiver ran down her spine as she thought about foster care. She had only been in it for a couple of years, but that was enough for her.

Some homes were amazing and some homes weren’t. Thankfully after her first two homes, she got into a good one and stayed until she graduated high school.

Her work phone rang, making her scream out in surprise. She stared at it with wide eyes, taking it in.

Unknown number.

“Of course it’s an unknown number,” she mumbled. “It’s my work phone. No phone numbers are displayed.”

Not that it saved the people calling her. She could easily figure out what the phone number was and who was calling. It was more for her safety.

“Hello,” she answered the call.

People either called or emailed her. If they called, her voice was automatically changed so no one recognized her. She had honestly thought about getting rid of the phone number so people couldn’t call, but some people were skeptical and wanted to hear a voice.

Dumb.

But Betsy couldn’t do anything about it. She needed the work and if the phone number brought in calls, she was going to keep it.

“Is this Jinny?” A soft voice asked.

“This is she. What can I do for you?”

“This might sound weird, but I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”

“I can refuse any work,” Betsy explained.

She did it for every one of her customers. Some things were just too hard or weird to do. Betsy actually had a guy contact her, wanting her to publish all of these photos of kids posing naked on to this website he couldn’t. Something about the FBI watching him but he needed to post them for his clients.

She immediately said no and hacked into his computer and sent the FBI a tip, resulting in the man getting arrested.

Was it wise? She probably could have gotten tracked but she couldn’t not do anything about it. He was sick and she needed him taken care of. Those were the type of people and others she would refuse, always.

“I know that, please just listen to me before you say no.”

Betsy stayed silent, waiting for the lady to explain what it was. She never asked questions, even though several times she wanted to. Some requests were a bit weird and she wanted to know why they contacted her, but it wasn’t her business. Never would be.

“My ex-boyfriend cheated on me with my best friends. I know, pitiful. I didn’t see it when I should have but it’s in the past. I know he has pictures of himself in compromising positions. Him being the bottom. He’s a man in power and I know this would ruin his reputation. I just don’t know where they are held and how to get them out.”

“How do you know I can?”

“I asked several people I knew, people who work in the black market. They gave me your name and told me you could do what I was asking. I’m willing to pay you one hundred grand to do this. I can even pay you right now before you even do it so you know I’m serious.”

Betsy’s mouth hung open. One hundred thousand dollars to post some pictures of a guy in compromising positions?

“You can give me half now and half after I publish them,” Betsy replied.

That’s how she did it with all of her clients. If they didn’t pay her, she took the money from their banks anyway.

“Thank you so much. Just give me the details and I’ll send you half of the money.”

“I’ll send it over. Do you want all or just some posted?”

“The worst ones and if that’s all of them, then all of them.”

“Sounds good.”

Betsy hung up the phone and sent the girl the details on how to pay her. There was no way she was going to turn down the money. She could put more than two thirds away into savings so she could get a new place.

She just needed to find a place she would like and not get asked too many questions. Some place she would be able to get good internet but also be able to stay in her apartment for long hours, not having anyone worry about her. But she also needed to look normal.

Ping .

Her work phone went off and she saw half of the money transferred into her account. An email came through with the person's name.

Arden Jones.

“Never heard of him,” she whispered as she started typing on her keyboard.

She absolutely hated cheaters. There was never a good reason to cheat on someone. Never.

She pulled up some pictures with his name on it.

“Shit. That is compromising positions,” she whispered to herself.

Arden was getting his picture taken from several angles. She didn’t yuck on anyone's yum, but posting these pictures would ruin him. Especially if the lady said he was in a high position for whatever he did.

Should she do it?

“I have to,” she mumbled. “He won’t know it was me and it’s a lot of money she is paying me. I need the money.”

Betsy had never gotten this big of a job before. Whoever Arden was, he was big and probably had a reputation to uphold.

“Sorry, dude.”

She did actually feel sorry this time. Shaking her head, she turned off her emotions as she uploaded them to several news sites and other social media platforms under the news accounts.

“This is a job. Nothing else.”

Sometimes Betsy didn’t think she was cut out for being a hacker. She felt bad for some of the people she did things but then she remembered what they had done. Was it fair? Probably not but this was how she made a living.

Betsy hacked into several news stations and uploaded the pictures, publishing them once they were all uploaded. Now for everything to unfold. She wouldn’t see how the results were, Betsy didn’t like doing that.

Sending a quick text off to the lady, she waited for the other fifty thousand to appear in her bank. For so much money, it was a very simple job. Why was she willing to pay so much? How long had he been cheating on her for?

It wasn’t information Betsy was privy to. Could she hack into some stuff and figure it out? Absolutely but she prided herself on not digging into that information. She got told what the job was and she decided if she was going to take it or not. Besides that, she didn’t ask many questions.

Ping.

Betsy looked down at her phone and saw the other half of the money was transferred. She sighed and leaned into her chair. She could probably live off of this for several months without working but she knew she couldn’t do that. Not when she was trying to get into a better neighborhood.

Her mind started to wander back to Bonalicious’s Creative Corner. What was so special about it? What happened for her to get hacked? Was she a hacker in disguise?

Betsy pulled up her website again right as her stomach grumbled.

“Shit.”

She had completely forgotten about her stomach and being hungry. This time she didn’t have to worry about where she got food. Maybe instead of going to the little sub place, she could go to a nicer place and splurge on herself.

Betsy hadn’t done that in a while and she had been craving it. She needed it, desperately. Living off of sandwiches and water wasn’t her ideal situation but at least it wasn’t beans and water.

She shuddered at the thought. Never again was she going to eat beans for any meal. Doing that for years with her dad was enough for a lifetime.

“I’ll get back to you later,” she whispered as she looked back at Bonalicious’s Creative Corner. “I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”

There was no reason for her to get hacked, not when she had so many things in place to prevent it from happening. She should have gotten a warning that someone was trying to, but it was almost like the person bypassed all of that.

But how?

It was going to bug her until she figured it out.

“But first, food.”

Her stomach grumbled again and she patted it. “I know, I’m going to feed you, don’t worry. I know you’re angry at me, but you’re going to get fed good tonight. Promise.”

Betsy got up from her chair and walked over to her bed. Mike was sitting on the edge, waiting for her to give him a big hug. Mike was her Veliciraptor stuffed animal. She absolutely loved him and took good care of him. She wanted Mike to last her until she died, which she planned on it being a very long time.

“Mikey!” She yelled, picking him up and wrapping her arms around him. “I know I haven’t hugged you in a while, but don’t worry. Betsy is going to get some food and come backs so we can eats and watch movies together.”

She did it every night with Mike and never regretted it. It was their special treat together.

“I know you missed me. I promise I’ll be right back. Don’t worry, I’ll be safe. I always am.”

That was a lie. Sometimes she could be reckless with her not paying attention to her surroundings. New York wasn’t a safe place and she needed to do better at paying attention but it was hard. Especially when there were pretty lights everywhere she walked.

“Don’t give me that look. I know having a Daddy would help. He could watch out for me as I walked with him but I don’t have one,” she pouted. “I can’t take you Mikey! What if someone took you from me and threw you on the dirty ground? I would never forgive myself. Nope. You are staying here where I know you are safe and well kept.”

Mike didn’t look impressed.

“I’m sorry. I just. You are the most constant thing in my life and I need you to still be. We don’t have a Daddy so it’s just us two. Mhmm I know. I know. I’m always right about that whenever you bring up coming with me.”

She giggled. Mikey was always worried about her and she appreciated that. It made her feel better knowing someone was looking out after her.

“I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”

Betsy placed him back down on the bed, placing a kiss on his forehead before grabbing her wallet and keys.

“Foodie. Foodie, here I come foodie,” she sang. “I’m so in love with you, foodie. So good for my tummy, tummy, tummy.”

Giggling, she opened the door and saw a black shirt.

“You’ve been a naughty girl, Betsy.”