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 come and you got taken that would have hurt your mother, Marco, the team, and me. What hurt me the most was you not trusting me enough to share the message.”
The tenderness in his features struck Ari. He slowly interlaced his fingers. She yearned to reach out to comfort him with a slight touch, but one touch could change everything between them. And would it be to comfort him, or to comfort herself? She didn’t like looking at that selfish side. “I’m sorry. I know it’s not enough, but I am.”
He glanced down at his hands. “I found the file you deleted and jumped on a plane. I wasn’t sure if you saw the file or not, but I knew if I told you, you would go. And if I messaged Joe or Marco, you would either convince them to go with you or figure a way to escape. So instead, I found a couple hired guns and came myself to see if I could find Reed.”
“You came to save Reed.” Ari straightened. Every time she thought she knew Patrick, he surprised her.
“I’m not completely selfless. This gave me a good look at our enemy as well, and…” With a frustrated sigh, he turned away, dragging a hand through his dark hair. “I’ve been talking to Joe and Marco, and we’re to meet up with them as soon as possible. Marco is not thrilled with you, by the way.”
Despite her intentions, Ari reached out and stilled his hand. Their heat and electricity was undeniable. “Wait. What were you going to say?”
He looked down at her hand. His gaze sent goosebumps running up her arm, and she pulled it back. How could his gaze affect her so much?
“I shouldn’t.” His words came out in a whisper.
She wasn’t going to push him.
He ran a hand through his hair again and stood up, pacing in front of the bed where she sat. Finally, he stopped in front of her. “I know you have a boyfriend, and my team always comes first. But you’re right, you have the right to know how I feel. I care for you. More than I want to admit. While I’m willing to do almost anything for my team, somehow with you the lines get blurred. I’m willing to risk my team for your boyfriend because I know it would make you happy. And maybe with him in the picture, whatever this is between us would fade.”
“This feeling…” She stood in front of him. It would be stupid for Ari to try to deny the feelings between them, but she loved Reed, would always love Reed. It felt like the deepest betrayal to even admit anything between them.
Before she knew it, Patrick’s hands cupped her face, and he kissed her. A wave of warmth flooded her body, a body that ached to be loved and comforted, a body that wanted him more than she was ever willing to admit. She reached for him, but as fast as it started it ended.
He stepped back. “I’m sorry.”
Her legs continued to hold her up, but she couldn’t feel them anymore. What did she just do? A cold realization seeped back into her reality. “I can’t betray him.”
“I know.” He glanced down, “and I need to focus on the team, especially with everything going on. But you wanted to know. Not telling you has been eating me up inside, and I would be lying if I didn’t admit that you are a bit of a distraction.”
Ari reached out, then realized what she was going to do and stopped, dropping her hand. She would have liked to blame the effects of the drugs, but it wasn’t true. Her body had a mind and a desire, neither easy to subdue.
Patrick had saved her and her family, but it wasn’t just that. His bravery, his commitment to creating a better world, and his selflessness to everyone around made Ari admire him, and maybe something more. She had to remind herself there wasn’t anything in her future but Reed.
“I’m going out to grab supplies. Be ready to leave in an hour.” He reached for a jacket and left without a second glance.
Touching her lips with one hand, she sunk onto the bed. A cold empty feeling took over as she glanced around the small apartment. Maybe it was the right decision, but it didn’t mean it hurt any less.
As they boarded the tram, an awkwardness settled in between them. They traveled through the night. A landscape covered in darkness. Ari leaned back in the chair, watching the world fly by as sleep eluded her.
How did she get here? From a poor girl in the Americas, to riding through Europe in the middle of the night with an attractive and powerful man. It sounded like some VR program that her old friends from school would run. She was no longer that innocent girl.
She had a stren
gth in and out of the VR that she owed mainly to Niomi, and even Patrick. Sadness pressed down on her as she thought of Niomi.
Turning, Ari found Patrick still awake as well. “What happened to Niomi back at the cafe?”
“Who’s Niomi?” Patrick asked.
“My old trainer. The woman with the silver hair.”
“Oh, her? She was in the middle of the fight for some time. She looked injured, but not down.”
“Oh.”
“You still worry about her, after everything she did to you?”
Ari had gone through a lot with her trainer. “If it wasn’t her, it would have been someone else. And behind all her tough exterior, she taught me a lot about how to take care of myself.”
“You must not have been listening on the day she taught hostage negotiations. You don’t just give yourself up and hope for the best.”
“But she tore into me pretty good about what an idiot I was for showing up.”
“Good. Someone should.” He kept his voice down. “What was their excuse for not having Reed? I followed them to you and didn’t see him at all.”
She looked down to the lap. “They sent him back home.”
Silence sat heavy between them for a moment, until Patrick finally spoke. “And you believe them?”
“Why would Niomi lie? She said they got all they needed from him and took him home in hopes that I’d show up.”
He was quiet, and Ari lifted her gaze. He watched her carefully as if trying to pry into her thoughts. His lips pursed into a tight line.
When he did speak, there was a controlled anger, soft and sharp. “You’re going to try to get him. Right? Put everyone in danger, including your family?”
She opened her mouth to argue, to justify and explain, but the words were woefully inadequate, so she snapped it closed. He was right. She didn’t know her next step. If Reed was back home, getting him would be difficult. Everyone would be watching his house around the clock, teams on standby—especially after her incident the day before—to capture and bring her in. It would be suicide to try, and that was assuming he was even there.
Or if he wanted her to come at all. She’d turned his life upside down and abandoned him. He probably was better off without her.
Right now, she should be focused on her team, on Tricky’s recovery and everything else.
“I don’t know.” Turning back to the dark landscape rushing past, she tried to push out of the haunting thoughts of what could have been.
They arrived back in the German sector by morning. After grabbing a peace offering of coffee and pastries, they headed to meet up with Marco and Joe. Sugar and caffeine may work for Marco and Joe, but she’d have to do a lot more to make things right with Patrick. Though his words gave nothing away, Patrick’s cool demeanor spoke differently. Inside the stucco white apartment building, she buzzed the door.
Marco opened the door, a serious expression on his face. Then he nodded at the coffee and the white bag. “Cinnamon?”
“Of course.”
The edge of his lip curled. “Okay. Get in and explain yourself.”
She handed Marco the bag and set down the drink carrier. Grabbing one of the coffees, she headed over to Joe, who sat behind the screen. “I had to guess how you took your coffee. It’s black and I brought cream and sugar if you want.”
“Black is perfect.” He reached for the cup. “I’m glad you made it back okay.”
“Thanks.”
She went back for her own cup and leaned against the dresser.
Sitting on the bed, Marco dug into the bag to pull out a cinnamon and sugar twisted pastry. “I finally know what Mom felt like, Ari. I wanted to track you down and tie you up once I heard what you did. I get why, but you should have told me.”
“I didn’t want to chance you being used against me.”
He glared at her. “You’re an idiot.” Then turned to Patrick. “I hope you told her that.”
“She’s been told that more than once.”
“Good.” He bit into the pastry, while still glowering at her. “So, what happened?”
Patrick lifted a hand. “While you catch him up, I want to see what Joe is working on.” He moved to the other side of the room and pulled up a foot stool to sit beside Joe.
Ari explained what went down: Reed was supposedly at home, and VisionTech had been making a play for her. The warm liquid settled her stomach as she realized just how stupid she had been to walk into their blatantly obvious trap. Maybe Marco could have helped her, or maybe things would have been worse.
She tried to push away the past and concentrate at the job at hand. “What is going with our programmer? Any hints of Echo in the VR community?”
“Actually yes.” Marco nodded and moved off the bed towards Joe and Patrick. “Our programmer appears to be a lush.”
“Lush?” Ari wasn’t familiar with the term.
“A drunk, a tabber, a gamer, or overall a huge addict.”
“Really?” Ari questioned how the deadliest virus in VR realms was created by a lush. “Does drinking promote creativity, maybe?”
“Not how he does it,” Marco commented as he sunk into a nearby chair. “He appears lonely and self-destructive. We worried we wouldn’t get him out of his apartment. That isn’t going to be the problem. I followed him last night. He was pretty wasted and focused on the next program.”
Ari felt like there was a story Marco wasn’t sharing, but she didn’t want to know. “So, you befriend him, Marco, and get back into his room.”
“He’s not into friends. Marco tried to approach him,” Joe said from his desk in a way that again suggested there was more to the story. “He’s a loner.”
“No,” Marco said with a little force. “I can work him. Set it up where I save his butt, then I’ll get upstairs. It may take a few days. A week at most.”
“A week that Tricky remains in and out of consciousness,” Joe said.
There was something going on between them, but Ari couldn’t say what. Patrick stayed focused on the screen and ignored them. Ari’s gaze flitted back and forth, waiting for one of them to spill. Neither one did.
“What is it, Joe?” Ari asked.
“Echo has a weakness for women. Most of his VRs revolve around women,” Joe said with almost an apologetic look on his face.
Marco shot to his feet. “You’re not asking my sister to be a prostitute.”
“She doesn’t have to sleep with him, just get him upstairs.”
“Just act like some common—”
“Stop.” Ari spoke over the both of them, then turned her heavy gaze to Marco. “Don’t act proud now. I’ve seen the girls you’ve been with.”
The anger in her brother’s eyes flared more, but his mouth remained shut nonetheless.
“I don’t have to do much. I just need to be nice. Flirt maybe. Given the lack of exercise he gets, I should be able to handle myself. If I can get him upstairs, then I can knock him out with a simple drug or something.” After her run in with Niomi, Ari could testify how well they work.
“Joe’s right.” Patrick turned to join the conversation. “Ari can fight. And though Echo is big, I doubt he’ll be a problem. Once he’s out, Joe can head in. An hour in his room would be priceless. It will be a simple op.”
“An op in the real. This isn’t a VR.” Marco’s fingers tapped against his thigh.
“This will be safer.” Patrick stood. “You two go shopping and get what we need for the night. I’m going out to touch base with the others. Joe, you find something to knock Echo out for a couple hours.”
Joe began shutting down the computer. “Be back before five. He has plans in a fantasy realm that I want to be in before he finds his date.”
Marco grumbled about dating and left without a goodbye.
Chapter 22
Ari ran to catch up with Marco outside the apartment and together they began the path downtown. Tired of traveling, she opted to walk instead of using the tram. There was a market les
s than a mile away, and moving would keep her eyes open. She braided her hair and zipped up her maroon jacket to keep out the bite of fall in the air. She enjoyed the scenery, very green. It was different, though, to her life on the island with more bushes and full trees. She enjoyed the plants that lined every storefront as the green grass grew up in between the cobble path.
She spared a glance at her brother, who was still brooding. “You know, I’ll only have to flirt with Echo. It won’t be hard.” They walked across a street and back onto the sidewalk. “What’s really bothering you?”
He ran a hand through his hair, and Ari noticed the dark circles under his eyes. “Nothing… I just…”
“What?” Ari prodded.
“I’m sorry.”
Ari briefly closed her eyes in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about when you got your assignment for school.”
“What does that have to do with now?” She couldn’t follow his train of thought.
“I told you to take the assignment.” He kept his gaze in front of him. “If you didn’t take it, we would still be home. You and Reed would probably be together, and you wouldn’t have to hit on some weirdo tonight.”
Glancing around, she was glad no one was close enough to hear that last part. “You can’t blame yourself.”
“But I do. I haven’t been around. Dad wasn’t around. If we were, maybe things would be different.” Marco always hid his true feelings, but Ari never knew just how much.
She stopped and pulled him to the side of the street. “Marco, you had no clue about my abilities. And if I didn’t have a fear of VRs, they would have been discovered much sooner. My life would have been inside a cage, even a well decorated cage, serving the government until my brain turned to mush. Life would have been worse. At least the way I discovered my abilities allowed me a choice, and regardless of how things have turned out in the last year, they are better now, because you are here, not stuck in some VR. You’re here fighting for our family. If anything, this is my fault. If only I could have stayed in the programming course at school, then my biggest problem would be Garrett.”
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