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

Turning over, Ari rubbed against the rough pillow and wondered why it tasted like a cat threw up in her mouth. She tried to swallow but wasn’t able to with the cotton ball mixed in with cat vomit taste.

“Here have a drink.” Patrick sat on the bed next to her.

The sound of his voice made her want to crawl back into the darkness, cat vomit and all. She screwed up. She knew that and right now didn’t feel up to fighting to explain herself.

He didn’t say anything at first though. With gentle hands, he helped her up and gave her a drink of water. “Are you okay?”

“They hit me with some kind of drug.” She rubbed the spot on her neck where she still felt the lingering pain of the needle’s bite.

“So it would be easier to extract you.” There was a tightness in his throat.

“Can I…” She struggled to voice what she needed. More than a bathroom, she needed a shower, to scrub disinfectant all over her body. “Is there a bathroom or shower here?”

“Are you able to shower?”

Ari assumed since she couldn’t walk very well, that was a valid question. She wanted to ask him a million things, like how did he find her, why did he come and was he alone? But with his answers, he would have questions for her. But she needed a few more moments to clear this foggy feeling from her mind and body. “I think so.”

Slowly sitting up, she moved her feet to the floor. They tingled as if they had been asleep. “It might take a moment.”

“We have time.” His kind features worsened Ari’s guilt.

Slowly, she stood and after a few minutes felt steady. “I think I’m good.”

Patrick stepped back but looked prepared to catch her just in case. “I ordered up some clothes and stuff for you. I wasn’t able to get your bag back.”

She made it to the bathroom and turned back. “Thanks.” It seemed pathetically inadequate.

There was nothing but worry and caring in his gaze. “Keep it unlocked,” he told her. “I won’t go in unless I hear you fall or scream.”

“I’ll try my best not to do either.” She turned into the bathroom and shut the door.

Staring in the mirror, her dark eyes were lined with red, an empty look that bothered her. Ignoring the reflection, she brushed her teeth with the new toothbrush he must have bought her. Twice. She took another drink of water and then headed in the shower.

As the time the steam drifted away, some of her confusion left with it. Reed was home. That was what Niomi told her. Could she be right? They were just done with him, so they let him go back home. Maybe that was for the best.

If she showed up to see Reed, the government would have her in minutes for being a warper and running out on her assigned duty. And Ari knew the authorities would be watching Reed closely in case she showed up. At least he could be home with his mother. As much as he claimed to not be homesick on the island, Ari had seen it in his eyes. He had only followed her out there because of their budding relationship, but he had always left a part of him back at the mainland. Maybe home was the best spot for him. If he was actually there.

Ari wondered precisely how much she could trust what Niomi said to her before the assault started. She dried and combed out her wet hair, untangling the knots as well as her thoughts. As much as she wanted to hide out in the bathroom for another hour, she knew it was time. Time to face Patrick.

Chapter 21

When Ari walked out of the bathroom, she found Patrick in a chair with his head back and eyes closed. Dark, tired shadows rimmed his eyes, and his hair looked disheveled. The stress on the team had been high, and she hadn’t helped things with her escapade.

She didn’t want to hurt him, hadn’t meant to hurt him, but she had other responsibilities and promises made to Reed and her family. How could she explain things to him? She dismissed the notion to explain herself but, if anyone understood the life of a warper, it was probably Patrick. Yet that notion didn’t displace the guilt heavy in her gut.

“Patrick, you okay?” She sat on the bed across from him and he didn’t open his eyes.

His shoulders tight with tension, he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just got some bad news.”

“What?” Ari’s first thought was about her family and others on the team. “Are Marco and Joe okay?”

He nodded. “Tricky found out that Maxim is regularly meeting with several members of the VLEX board, diplomats and elected officials from all over the country. Nothing good is going to come from this.”

“And on top of it all, you had to chase me down.” Her shoulders sagged with the weight of her actions. “I’m so sorry, Patrick. I didn’t mean to drag you into this mess.”

His gaze lifted, a sadness in them. “Is that why you didn’t say anything? Even to your brother?”

“I didn’t want them to use him as another bargaining chip.”

“I almost thought maybe you were going back to them, choosing to live with Reed and VisionTech. Only problem was your family was back with us.”

“No. I didn’t tell anyone because no one needed to get hurt because of my mistake.” Emotions rose up in her that she didn’t expect. Regret, guilt, and fear came off in waves. She dug her fingers into her palms, telling herself not to cry in front of him. What almost happened to her hit her pretty hard.

“But we were hurt.” He sat up, a sharpness edging his voice.

“I didn’t ask you to come. I don’t even know how you knew.”

He held up a finger. “It’s not about me coming, but we’ll get back to that. If I didn’t