Hard Wired Trilogy DeAnna Pearce (if you give a mouse a cookie read aloud txt) đ
- Author: DeAnna Pearce
Book online «Hard Wired Trilogy DeAnna Pearce (if you give a mouse a cookie read aloud txt) đ». Author DeAnna Pearce
âPlease have a seat.â Maxim wore his black hair short with a neatly trimmed beard. This time, though, he wore a dark suit and a striped tie that spoke of money.
His pleasant demeanor unsettled Ari. Did he think he still had the upper hand? She scanned the code and found an impressive defensive code built around him. She wondered how heâd feel about all those programmers he hired when they tore that code to shreds.
When no one moved, Maxim repeated the invitation with a smile. âPlease. We donât want to hurt you.â
Ari glanced at Patrick who nodded his approval, and she moved to take a seat. Blur was the only one that remained standing, she could feel him at her back. In the VR, warpers could attack just as easily sitting or standing, but it was hard for Ari to sit still and pretend to be cordial with this murderer.
âIâm grateful for the opportunity to talk for a moment. I believe weâve met before,â Maxim flashed a smile at Ari.
A cold chill scratched along her spine. He shouldnât have known it was her; sheâd worn a different skin last time they met. She didnât give him the satisfaction of agreement.
He crossed his legs and leaned back in the chair. âYouâve created some problems for us in the VR realms.â
âYou caused them when you started treating people like price tags,â Blur said from behind.
Without losing his smile or missing a beat, Maxim continued. âI know weâve disagreed on certain things, but it doesnât mean we canât get along.â
Blur started again, but Patrick lifted a hand to silence him. âNo, we disagree on most of the things you do. So, how do you suggest we, as you put it âget alongâ? Iâm not going to let you continue this genocide until everyone bows to you.â
Maxim shrugged. âYou know what Iâm capable of. It doesnât have to be this way. Iâm willing to provide you all positions within my company. If you choose to decline my generous offer, I only ask for you not to return. I cannot guarantee your safely in any realm anymore.â
âIâm not interested in employment or compromise.â Patrick kept his hands still on top of the table, with a patience Ari couldnât feign. âWe alerted a variety of diplomats to your activities and illegal behavior. Youâll be done. There will be other realms that the world uses to host the governments.â
âOne realm is just as easy to overthrow as another. And while there may be a rumor of danger in the realms, the world would never give up on virtuals. Itâs the break, the drug, the love, and the living everyone is scared to do in the real world. Everyoneâs life is a pathetic shell in comparison.â Maxim sat up now, straightening his suit jacket before continuing.
âIâm not worried about the diplomats or gamers you thought you alerted. You can keep trying, and Iâll keep putting you in your place. You guys arenât leaders. Youâre the worker bees created for the good of all. And youâre dying off quicker than you can repopulate. And while your gifts are valuableââ
âHow did you know about the others?â Ari couldnât fathom where he got the information on the mission so fast. There was no way he could have known⊠or was there?
âPeople find security in working for us.â He kept a pleasant grin pasted on, as if he was a child holding onto a secret. âMy offer for employment wasnât false. One of your friends has already taken me up on it.â
Ari spun towards the others. Did that mean what she thought it did? Someone on their team worked for Maxim? No. No one could ever stoop that low. Fury etched deep in every line on Patrickâs face as he pieced together the traitor before Ari could. His hot gaze rested on Harini.
âHarini?â Patrick voice sounded vulnerable. âI thought we were family.â
âA family that hides out in the woods? And, what? Youâre the dad, feigning no romantic interest in anyone until she shows up?â She motioned to Ari with her chin. Harini pushed back from the table tears in her eyes.
âDonât.â Patrick reached a hand towards her. âTheyâll use you up and then what?â
âThen Iâll have the money to rest comfortably. Not bumble around like Sketchy.â Hariniâs hands trembled with emotion.
âYou donât get to even say his name. Not anymore,â Ari said, her throat tight with rage. Harini had been the first person she really bonded with on the team, the first person she really trusted. âThis isnât about money. Why did you do this?â
âYou havenât been around long enough to know what itâs really about. Itâs been the golden era since you arrived. And youâre so not worth it.â The contempt on Hariniâs face was etched into ugly lines as she stood to move into the chair next to Maxim.
Patrick paused for a moment. In the real, he was closest to Harini if he wanted to stop her. It depended where he thought the biggest threat was. She already made her decision and betrayed the team. What more could there be? Turning back to the others, Patrick still had his mask in place, only now it had an edge to it.
Ari could feel Blur grip the back of her chair. Having been around longer than Ari, Harini must have known what Blur and his sister went through with Maxim and she still chose to betray everyone.
Reeling in shock, frantic thoughts of all the implications of Harini being a traitor spun through Ariâs mind. Did she tell Maxim when Ari and Tricky went inside VLEX? Was Tricky hurt because of her? She remembered Hariniâs help while Tricky struggled in her coma. Was it guilt? Ari blinked back the outrage and fury at Harini and concentrated at the
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