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

forward, but an arm intercepted him. “Excuse me, you’re not cleared.”

Confusion flash across his face. “What’s wrong? I have my—”

Two other guards hurried to the scene, weapons drawn. “Stand down!”

Before Ari could rush to his side, someone grabbed her from behind and lifted her into the air. Struggling against their hold, she screamed. “Re—”

A hand slapped over her mouth as her captor pulled her back away from Reed and the guards. Panic rose up in her as she slammed her head backwards. It hit a rock-hard chest.

“This way,” a familiar voice from the island said. It sent a wave of anger through her.

They dragged her into a small room. Her captor loosened the hold on her mouth, and she bit down, hard, until she tasted blood. He swore and threw her to the floor.

Pain shot through her body as she connected with concrete. Looking to the side, she realized she was in a bathroom, inches away from a toilet. Turning she wasn’t surprised to find Niomi standing over her. Granted, the familiar bodyguard from the island didn’t surprise her either.

For a moment, neither of them spoke but just glared at each other. Ari’s eyes focused with all the hate and loathing she could manage, yet Niomi remained a blank slate.

Niomi turned to the man. “Give me a moment.”

Holding the bite mark on his arm, he spit on the ground by Ari’s feet and left the room.

Ari scrambled up. If it was just Niomi, she may have a chance.

Her trainer must have sensed her plan.

“If you fight me, I’ll drag you out and hand you over to the authorities myself. You’ll have no chance in hell to save Reed.”

Ari blinked and pulled back. Save Reed? Her mind played through the last couple minutes. “What are you doing here?”

“You read your file.” Compassion showed in Niomi’s eyes.

The loathsome compassion of a murderer, Ari reminded herself. Grabbing her bag off the floor, Ari shook with the anger and betrayal. “Must have ruined your dream job. How much do they pay you to slowly drive me insane?”

“It wasn’t like that. I—”

Not able to listen to Niomi’s lies while Reed was being taken away, Ari charged forward. Niomi side stepped and brushed Ari’s attack aside. In mere moments, Niomi had her pressed against a wall, hands pinned behind her back.

“Bury the rage, Arianna.” Niomi leaned against her, her words urgent in her ear. “You need to think. VisionTech is crawling all over this island. I’m supposed to be helping them secure you and bring you back. They have Reed and will now be searching the whole boat for you. They want you.”

Some part inside of Ari knew she was right. Ari wanted to scream, to fight, to cry that there was nothing she could do. “I won’t go back there. I won’t be other people until one day I don’t know who I am anymore. I can’t lose myself for them.”

“I don’t expect you to.”

“What are you doing here then?” Ari assumed her trainer would drag her back to the island, but if so, what are they doing in a bathroom?

“I didn’t want to hurt you. Why do you think we trained so much? I put off your trips inside as much as possible. But I knew you were too weak to survive on your own.”

“I hate you,” Ari spit out between a clenched jaw. It didn’t make sense, but she felt so helpless and to be called weak on top of it all stung.

“Fine. Hate me. But don’t be stupid. You won’t get another chance to escape and you won’t get out of your contract for years. You need to leave now and without Reed.”

Her heart tore at the thought. “No. I won’t. I can’t leave him.”

“Why? They will keep him well fed and working on the island for another year or two in hopes you’ll return. We can reunite him with his mother and they both will be watched carefully. He will at least be safe, unlike you.”

“I need him.” Tears fell down her face at the selfishness of that statement. She would drag him all over the world because she wanted him by her side.

“If you go to him now, you’ll both be trapped on that island until you can’t remember him anymore. You’re a smart girl. Don’t be selfish and for once think of what’s best for him. Let him go now, and you can get him later.” Niomi stepped back, releasing Ari. “I promise I’ll keep an eye on him.”

She wiped at her face before turning around. “How can I trust you?”

“Despite what you think, I tried to help you. When they approached me about a young untrained warper, I knew if I didn’t take the job, they would just go to the next person who may not feel the way I do. I trained you to fight and to become anyone. Not just inside the system, but out as well.”

The hurt inside of Ari wasn’t ready to forgive her in the littlest bit, but Ari knew she was right. Joining Reed wouldn’t help him at this point. Getting strong enough to rescue him would. She knew what she had to do, but it didn’t make the decision any easier. Lowering her eyes, she nodded in defeat.

“Okay.” Niomi pulled out a device. “I’ll make sure to put you in a section that has already been searched.”

Unable to face Niomi, to face herself for abandoning Reed, Ari focused on the floor in front of her.

“Ari.”

She lifted her head as Niomi handed over a small bag.

“Take this. The money’s untraceable, and with a couple IDs and proper documents you should be able to start over. Keep your head down, okay?”

She felt empty and cold as she accepted the bag, like a traitor for leaving Reed behind.

“Once I leave, I’ll empty the hall for you. Count to twenty and go to your right. Room 101 will be yours.” Niomi stepped towards the door. “I wish I could have done more for you. I