Hard Wired Trilogy DeAnna Pearce (if you give a mouse a cookie read aloud txt) 📖

needed to know the stakes before getting sucked into VisionTech more than he was.

She pushed strands of wet hair out of her face and parked the bike. She elbowed through the crowd of people leaving work for the day. Not finding him in the hall, she searched through the clear doors and spotted him. She picked out his wavy blondish brown hair. It had grown out more lately.

As she approached, she noticed his face lit up. He was talking with his hands, which he did when he was excited. He radiated joy, something she only glimpsed before coming to the island, and usually with her. Laughing, his body shook, and his eyes sparked to life. One step closer, and Ari found out who he was talking to—Kimmy.

Ari froze, and a realization sunk in. Kimmy was the one who brought joy to Reed. His art, his friends, his life here with VisionTech brought him a happiness. Would Ari be enough to replace all that? She never saw Reed this happy at school. Even with Marco, he always acted a bit reserved.

Reed wanted to do art. He wouldn’t be killing people with his art, but inspiring, creating. And this may be the only opportunity he had to do that. Would Ari really take that away?

Could she crush his happiness the same way she would one day crush Antoine’s? The guilt of Antoine and her fake promises and declarations of love forced her back. One step then another. Reed could find joy here. Not just with his work, but with Kimmy or someone like her. Ari… well, Ari did a better job stealing people’s joy than creating it lately.

After a few steps, she turned and hurried out of the building. Back on the hoverbike she found herself at the outdoor workout facility. Partially covered, it protected Ari from the rain, but not the wind howling through the trees. Howling like Ari wanted to, pushing, fighting forces it couldn’t control. She struck out at the dummy, over and over.

If somehow she was stronger, better, then maybe she could figure this out.

Chapter 19

The rest of the week, Ari kept her head down and worked hard. She needed time to figure out her next step. She kept tabs with Antoine inside VLEX searching for the best way to end his relationship with Kari, but never figuring out how to. Blaming President Higgins for keeping her busy, they messaged more than anything.

Staying occupied with work was also the best way to keep her distance from Reed. If she met with him, she may not be able to keep her distance. She wanted what was best for Reed and giving him that was the hardest thing she ever had to do.

So, when Jewels left a note in her room—a real note on stiff paper—inviting Ari to a party, she replied yes. Granted, it was odd that her maid invited her to the party, but Ari wanted to see more of the island and needed a distraction. Ari replied in pink lipstick, the only thing she could find to write with.

Not only did Ari need a reason to avoid Reed that weekend, but she was beyond curious to see where Jewels lived. With Niomi’s runs, Ari felt like she had traveled the island, but she never saw any sight of homes or islanders on her section. Ari jumped at the chance to see more of this place.

At first Niomi wouldn’t agree for Ari to leave VisionTech property even if she had a chip in the back of her neck reporting her location.

“I can take care of myself,” Ari told Niomi. “You’ve taught me that much. And if VisionTech wants me to keep working for them, they can’t lock me in a cage for the rest of my life.” They probably could, but Ari hoped they wouldn’t.

“Let me see who I can get with cleared to go with you.” Niomi’s anger was evident on her face.

In the end, two security guards were assigned to accompany Ari. Neither one was chatty. Both were way over six feet, with muscles to spare. Their close-cropped hair looked like part of their uniform, which was a navy Fit Suit. Ari had always known VisionTech had to have some type of security or police force on the island. They hid in the shadows though. Now up close, intimidating didn’t begin to describe them.

Jewels had sent Tamar, who Ari recognized from her gambling stint. Next to the guards, he stood a good half foot shorter, but it didn’t seem to bother him. He wore a simple button shirt with dark baggy shorts, island garb.

“Wonderful to see you again, Arianna.”

“No one’s called me that in a while. How did you know it’s my name?”

He winked at her. “I guessed. In my village, names are long and meaningful. Unlike Bob and Joe here.”

The man with darker hair looked down at him. “Not quite.”

“But close, eh?” Tamar raised a brow.

“Let’s go.” Ari thought the less talking the better in this case.

The group filed in a car. The guards sat in front, like adults sitting in a children’s toy set. Tamar gave directions through the jungle. Then at the end of a long road, the trail ended with a large tree standing in their way.

“Where now?” The guard called Mike, not Joe, said.

“We walk.”

Glad she wore decent shoes, Ari opened the door. The guards clamored out, always staying nearby. They had a couple of flashlights to light the path. Tamar didn’t seem to need them though.

He led the way with Ari nearby. “You know if they really want to hide you better, they may want to consider ditching the guards.”

“I don’t think that will happen.” Ari wondered how much Jewels or Tamar knew of her position. The idea that they knew what she did saddened her. Yet her vault of secrets seemed to be bulging at the seams lately.

“Almost there,” Tamar announced as they weaved around a large tree.

Ari heard the people first. The chanting and singing traveled through