For The Win (Gamer Girls, #6) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,126

instead, and the four of them huddled up in a loose semicircle.

"What do we have?" Cynister asked.

Psyc answered. "Rhaven and I came back between rounds and found the place like this. All of her stuff is destroyed, and half the room with it."

"Room was to hide their real target," Cyn said. "This was a threat. Knives on the couches? Yeah, that says something, but most wouldn't know what."

"Then tell me what," Adam demanded.

Cyn lifted his pale eyes and all traces of emotions were gone. "If she doesn't fuck off, they'll make sure she can't keep playing."

"Not in my hotel," Adam warned.

"No, but could be in the street, or the next event." He looked over at Braden. "I don't want her in this room tonight."

"Already on it," Braden promised.

"And you two need to work out your shit, because I don't have time for some dick-measuring contest while Soul Reaper is trying to get his hands on Rhaven."

"It's handled," Psyc promised.

Cynister's stony face cracked, and one of his eyebrows shot up. "Just like that?"

"We have an understanding," Braden promised. "Psyc's crashing with us tonight."

And Cyn's other brow went up. "Uh huh."

"Not like that!" Psyc insisted. "I'm fucking straight, ok?"

"I don't fucking care," Cyn pointed out. "All that matters is that I now have twice as many overprotective men to use to keep her from getting grabbed."

"Yeah," Adam said. "Kate, let's get those receipts and make sure she has something comfortable for tonight. Cyn? I want to know who did this, and we're sending them to jail. The hotel is going to press charges, not Rhaven. One less reason for them to strike back at her. And you two?" He wagged a finger between Braden and Psyc. "Really, figure your shit out. That woman is my friend, and I'm rich enough to destroy both of you - and I will if you try to use her like some fucking toy. She's a gamer girl, which means that when I'm done with you, you'll have to deal with Riley next. Most of all, Rhaven's one of us, and that means that if you're still standing after that?" He tilted his head to Cyn. "He'll make sure you regret it."

"Shit, Ice," Psyc breathed. "You're a scary motherfucker, you know that?"

"It's why I'm successful," Adam said. "I don't care how this ends. I just care that Rhaven's happy."

"Me too," Braden promised. "Not going to be any shit, Mr. Degrass. I'll treat her like she's your sister."

"Good call," Adam said. "Rhaven? You have twenty minutes to be camera-ready. Do I need to buy you more time?"

Rhaven pulled herself together and scampered to her feet. "Nope. I'll be there."

"Need me to stay?" Kate asked.

Rhaven shook her head. "I'm ok, Kate. I promise. I'm shocked, and I'm pissed, but that's the thing: I'm not scared. I want to make sure these idiots know it." She smiled down at Crysis, rubbing the top of his head. "I want to make sure they know they should be scared of us."

Chapter 42

If he got his hands on the person who trashed Rhaven's suite, Braden was going to kill them. There was no doubt about it. While Jason, Adam, and Kate cleared out of the suite, he tried to smile and look calm about it, but he had a feeling he was failing. Thankfully, Psyc headed over to Rhaven, giving Braden one more minute to get himself under control.

"What do you need?" Psyc asked her.

Rhaven was looking around her room, picking up things. "There's a black and silver case around here. Do you see it?" she asked. "That has my makeup."

While they hunted for it, Braden headed into the kitchen. Someone had scared his girl. No, that wasn't why he was so mad. Those fuckers had targeted her. They'd gone out of their way to pick on the most vulnerable person they could, and that just wasn't right. He didn't understand why it mattered if girls played games, or boys, or anyone else! What right did they have to tell anyone else what to do, let alone threaten them because of it?

When he reached the fridge, he pulled open the freezer and scooped out a handful of ice. The cold shocked his brain back into gear, but it wouldn't do much for his knuckles like this, so he grabbed a handful of paper towels and put the two together. Not the best ice pack in the world, but good enough. It also gave him an excuse to stand over the little sink, because