For The Win (Gamer Girls, #6) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,176

the side and parked, yet when they got out, she was spotted. Someone pointed. Someone else called out something she couldn't understand. Then a woman lifted her bible over her head and raised her voice.

"Repent, Sinner! Do not push your godless ways on the youth of America."

"Deviant's an international company," Braden yelled back. "We're pushing it to the entire world." Then he grabbed Rhaven's arm, pulled her against his side, and marched toward the door. "This happens every so often. Don't worry about it."

"I'm not," she promised.

But she kinda was. Not the part about her being a sinner or anything. Mostly it was just that she hated how controversial working here had become. A little voice screamed in the back of her mind that it wouldn't take long before Dez and Chance decided she was just too much work to keep around. Granted, they'd done everything in their power to make her feel like she belonged, but insecurity didn't always listen to logic.

That was what Rhaven told herself, and kept telling herself even as they passed Amy at the reception desk. "Yes, sir," Amy said into the phone. "That's the official comment. Deviant Games stands behind Rhaven. We support her in all of her choices. Make sure you get that pronoun right or we will demand a correction."

Rhaven's feet slammed to a halt, forcing Braden to let her go. "What?" she asked.

Amy hung up the phone and let out a heavy sigh. "So, KoG's pissed. Sounds like every incel loser in the world has been calling the news to ask what's up with us hiring a trans woman. Granted, they didn't use those words."

"How bad?" Braden asked.

"Well, so far Rhaven is a pedophile, a rapist, a conman - yes, man - and a PR ploy." Amy tossed up her hands.

"What do I need to do?" Rhaven asked.

"Absolutely nothing," Amy assured her. "Chance sees this as an opportunity to point out how diverse our employee base is, and how few women and minorities are working at other gaming companies. So, if they want to say it's a PR move, then we'll certainly use it as such. Sorry, Rhaven, you just became a token."

"I'm completely fine with being used."

Braden snorted. "Work," he muttered, pointing toward the warehouse. "Before I get in trouble." And he just walked away, leaving her there.

Amy immediately leaned over the desk. "So, sounds like you had a good day off."

"Very," Rhaven agreed. "Oh! I also have documents. Not my birth certificate yet, but pretty sure you don't need that."

"Just ID and Social," Amy agreed.

Rhaven reached into her pocket and pulled out the papers. "Sorry. I folded them."

"Works for me." She turned to a printer on her desk and copied them both, talking while she worked. "And don't worry about the idiots. We'll be keeping the gate closed until they're gone. It's usually open during business hours, but ever since we had someone sneak around to the loading dock, we're a little paranoid about that." She changed the first page for the second. "But if you start getting messages outside of work, let us know, ok?"

"Do you run this place?" Rhaven asked, mostly joking because Amy seemed to be the real coordinator of everything.

Amy laughed. "Kinda, yeah. Um, my boyfriend keeps you devs on track. I basically make sure that the left hand knows what the right is doing, and since Chance and Dez have the weirdest hours ever, it just works out." She paused. "I also owe them more than I can ever say. This is my second chance, Rhaven. I think it's most of ours."

Her smile had just vanished and everything about Amy's normally chipper attitude had turned dark. "I'm sorry I asked," Rhaven said. "I wasn't trying to bring up bad things."

"No, it's just that Chance got my ex arrested, and the dick just got out of jail. I kinda expect to be the next one causing the scene, you know. I mean, that's why I guessed that you might be feeling bad, because he hasn't even talked to me and I'm already feeling guilty."

"I'm used to feeling guilty," Rhaven admitted. "Sure, all of this has turned out pretty good for me, but at the same time, I can't stop thinking that I should've told my family sooner. I was so scared they'd hate me. Instead, they've been trying so hard to get used to my new name and pronouns. It's kinda cute, actually."

"Braden says your dad is a good country man. The kind that probably