For The Win (Gamer Girls, #6) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,202

over the years. Once, this had been all there was. The glass lobby had been built the first time before the release of Deviant's first game, Silk. Then it had been destroyed with an assault of paintballs. Chance made the second version even more impressive. When Eternal Combat had released, they'd added on an entire wing for the office workers, expanded the parking lot to curve around the side of the building, and made it look almost like a respectable company.

But this? The actual warehouse? It was almost the same as the first time Jason had come. The desks had been moved around. The loft apartment had new people living in it - since Dez and Chance now had a house out back. Still, the people working inside were all in some form of disarray, dressed like they were working from home, and cursing like they were at a gamer convention.

Then, "Pantomime!" The husky voice of a woman was pitched to carry, and it made Zara look up.

"Rhaven!" she said, hurrying over to hug her friend. "Hey! My god, you look great!"

Jason had to agree. Rhaven had on a pair of jeans that were just a bit too tight, boots that made her stand well over six feet tall, and her shirt showed off real curves. The best part, though, was that she looked relaxed and comfortable instead of defiant and braced for the worst.

"Cyn," Rhaven said next, turning to give him a hug.

"You need shorter heels," he teased.

She just laughed. "It's why I go for taller men." Then she turned to Bradley. "Agent Matthews."

"Bradley's fine," he promised. "And it seems your press conference caused quite the stir."

Rhaven smiled, but it was the devious kind. "Good," she said. "I want to show you something." With a wave, she led them over to a desk in the middle of the room, then leaned over a computer and began typing. "This?" She stood up and pointed to a picture on her screen. "Leila came out to her parents because I wasn't ashamed of being a trans woman. She didn't try to kill herself. She hasn't been bullied yet. Right now, she's happy, and these people online are trying to convince her - and others like her - that trans and LGBTQ people should die. It's time someone took this seriously."

"We are," Bradley promised.

Rhaven just lifted a brow. "Define 'we'?"

Bradley pointed at Jason. "He and I."

"And that's the problem," Rhaven said. "The rebellion is made of one gaming company and a few dozen gamers at most. We women are tired of being forced into the role of damsels in distress. We want to be the heroes, so if you won't step up, we will, and we're not alone."

Jason clasped her shoulder. "He knows," he promised. "But, if we want to do something about this, I need the post from Soul_Reaper."

"Dez!" Rhaven yelled.

That made a few heads turn, and it felt like the chorus of voices dimmed a little. A second later, they all fell silent. Then Crysis took off, the clinking of his dog tags making it easy to follow his movement as he wove between the desks. A moment later, a sharp laugh broke the stillness.

"Hey, baby!" Dez cooed at the dog. "How's my big boy? Oh, you're so cute, but I think you're kinda fat. Does that mean your daddy's spending too much time in bed?"

"Not enough," Zara called out. "Hi, Dez. Thanks for the invite."

Dez stood a moment later, revealing the top of her head over the monitors. "Loading dock," she called, pointing toward a door at the back with the screwdriver in her hand. "I need a smoke."

Bradley lifted both hands. "I'll get what I need from Chance. Go with him, Zara." Then he turned and headed back toward the front of the building where Chance was still standing.

Jason grabbed his girlfriend's hand and towed her toward the back that he knew a little too well. Dez arrived just as he opened the door. "I got smokes," he promised.

But Dez paused at her desk. "I got drinks. What's your poison, Zara?"

"I'm just along for the ride," Zara promised.

"No, you aren't," Dez assured her, holding up a bottle. "Whiskey ok?"

"Sure," Zara agreed.

The three of them reached the loading dock. Dez took her chair, and then Jason gestured for Zara to sit beside her. While the ladies got comfortable, he lit two cigarettes, passed one to Dez, then sat down on the concrete before them. Dez just smiled, took a pull