“Looks like you’ve slowed down some, boy.”
Caspar. Ash would recognize that fucking drawl anywhere.
What the hell?Ash was supposed to let him into the system.
“Decided to make sure you didn’t set up a special welcoming party for me.”
“You’ve been here the whole time?”
His laugh told Ash everything he needed to know. Caspar had been trailing him inside the system and he had completely missed it.
“I’m sorry, Hope,” Ash whispered into the darkness. He couldn’t handle the corporation and Caspar at the same time.
It felt like he’d been here for hours, but the tiny clock ticking away in the corner of his display said it had only been one.
Ash’s heart rate suddenly sped up. He wasn’t alone. “Taryn?”
He had to concentrate to only speak to her in the real world. Projecting his thoughts about her into the network stream would only bring more trouble to her door. He’d complicated her life enough.
“I brought you something.”
“Water?”
She paused. “I can get you some.”
“Yes, please.” His voice was scratchy.
Taryn returned quickly and pressed a bottle of water into his hand. He gulped it down gratefully, not caring that some of it dribbled down his chest.
He handed the glass back and prepared to face Caspar again.
“Are you ready?”
Had she read his mind? “Not even close,” he admitted.
There was a long pause, then she said, “I promise it will help.”
“What?” He wasn’t following their conversation.
“Lift your hands.”
He did as she asked, completely confused. It was hard to concentrate on both worlds when he was riding the network.
She slid some sort of tray over his lap. Part of the chair or something else?
“Give me your hands.”
He lowered them slowly. She met him halfway, taking a hand in each of hers.
His shoulders relaxed and he let her guide his hands where she needed them.
She set his hands on something plastic, with ragged edges and textured holes across the top.
It felt like a keyboard, but... “Where are the keys?”
“The keys... had a little run in with the pimp and his muscle. But I don’t think you need them.”
“Why? What are we doing?” Taryn wasn’t making sense. What did a broken keyboard and a pimp have to do with hacking into the Tremaine Corporation?
