For The Win (Gamer Girls, #6) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,103

is a lot more planned and precise than Riley. You play more like Void, so watch out for him. Calculated risks, work the center of the map, because Riley likes to spiral in. By the time she makes it to the middle, the timer should be done, and that will put you in the final rounds."

"You think Riley will kill me, don't you?" she asked.

Braden shook his head. "No. I think that she's intense and insane. I think taking a risk with her, Void, or Murder wouldn't pay off. You can take Psyc, though. He's good, but you're clearly better. With Void, it's all about who sees the other first. With Murder, it'll be about the weapon's damage, and he plays with heavy-hitting guns. Riley? There are so many variables, and any of them could be your undoing - or hers. I think a faceoff between the two of you is a complete toss-up."

"But I can do this," she whispered to herself.

"The high table won't see you until the final rounds or after the timer," Braden assured her. "So, yeah, you can."

"I don't want to be babysat!" she snapped.

"Think of it more like them not taking a stupid risk," he countered. "All of those pros know that you and a few others can aim. They know that engaging you early could be the thing that knocks them out of the finals. That's why they don't see you. Not because they're helping you, but because they aren't willing to kill themselves."

"Oh." Then she stood, smoothing down her skirt. "Wanna walk me down?"

"Oh yeah," he agreed.

Together, the pair left her room and headed for the elevator. For the first few floors, there was no one around, but around the fourth, people began joining them. By the time they reached the ground floor, the elevator was packed. From the smiles on people's faces, she had a feeling quite a few had recognized the man holding her hand.

And the moment they stepped off, Braden slipped his arm around her waist, clearly claiming her. Rhaven leaned into him, liking the way this felt a little too much. Protected was a good word for it, but also treasured. She would never admit it out loud, but this - walking in a hot man's embrace - was one of those things she'd daydreamed about since she was young.

Now it was a reality, and the moment they stepped into the gaming hall, everyone noticed. On the far side of the table, Knock was grinning right at her. Riley followed his eyes, a smile taking over when she saw Rhaven behind her. Void turned to give Braden that little head jerk thing that guys did. It made Psyc twist in his own chair to see her and Braden coming closer. His eyes dropped down to where Braden's hand clasped her waist, and her outfit leader frowned.

It only lasted for a split second before the guy pushed a smile onto his face. "Nice of you to join us. I see you're keeping the lug around."

"Just walking her here," Braden promised. "Gotta head over to open my booth in a sec, but didn't want her wandering the halls alone." He lifted a brow. "Wanna help a guy out?"

"Sure," Psyc said, but when Braden left, he hopped up, walking away from the table.

Rhaven just made her way to the other side of the table and took her chair, surprised to find she was sitting next to Knock. Talk about right beside the high table! She was actually sitting at the end of it, even though she wasn't sponsored. Granted, someone had to sit there to take up the empty seats, and evidently, they'd picked her.

On her other side was Kate, with Adam beside her. They were technically at the next table, but these things were all pushed together into one long row. Across from her was an empty chair, but Zara sat beside it, on the "low table" side of the split.

Psyc, Void, and Riley made up the other side, in that order, with Riley next to that empty chair. That was when Rhaven remembered that Dreadknot wasn't coming to this event. He'd just had a baby and had taken paternity leave. That was how she'd gotten positioned so high. But who was at the end of the table on her side?

Leaning, Rhaven looked past Knock to see a computer she knew. That was Murder's, even if the man wasn't in his seat yet. But at the end, across from Psyc? The