For The Win (Gamer Girls, #6) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,29
I don't trust him."
"And I don't know Alyssa," she countered. "How the fuck would you feel if I acted this way to her?"
"Not the same," Tyler pointed out, but the look on his face was sly. "Unless you're saying it is?"
Which was when she realized her mistake. She'd just compared Braden to the girl her brother wanted to fuck. Sure, it was an accurate comparison, but she wasn't ready to tell him that. Now she had to backtrack, and fast.
"Because I know all of your friends," she said, trying to sound just as adamant as she had before. "And you wonder why I want to get the fuck out of this town? It's this, Tyler. It's because I can't go anywhere or do anything without you and Dad making a big ordeal out of it. This is why it's easier to stay in my room and game, but then you two start thinking I'm gay, or I'm depressed, or something else. No, it's because every time I try to hang with my friends, you make sure I regret it!"
"Ethan," Tyler tried, "I'm sorry. I just..."
"He's worried I'm a creep," Braden finished for him. "He doesn't know me, saw the mess about KoG outing me, and he assumed that means I'm going to rape any guy I come across."
"No..." Tyler said, but Braden didn't let him finish.
"So you know, I'm the one who beats the shit out of those kinds of people. I'm the bouncer for my friends. I may look like a linebacker, but I'm just as geeky as all the rest of my friends. Maybe more. Do I think your brother is cute? Sure. Doesn't mean shit, because I think you have a nice ass too - and yes, I could pin you down if I wanted. You aren't that big, bro. I don't do it, because that shit's not right."
"His best friend was raped," Rhaven hissed at Tyler. "And you're just making this as uncomfortable as possible."
Braden reached over and grabbed her shoulder. "Not your fault. Trust me, I get it. Straight guys see that someone isn't, and they always think the worst."
"It's not like that," Tyler said.
"He thinks I'm gay," Rhaven explained.
"Ah..." Braden nodded. "So, he's here to put the fear of God in me, right? Make sure I know that if I take advantage of you in some moment of weakness, that he'll..." Braden lifted a brow and looked over at Tyler. "What? You gonna beat my ass, dude-bro? In case you missed it, I'm the one pulling that shit at the conventions. I know the tricks. I'm also not scared of you."
"And I'm still going to make sure I meet the guy who blows into town without notice to talk to my little brother," Tyler said.
"Fair enough," Braden admitted before thrusting out his hand. "Braden Mathis."
"Tyler Moore," her brother said, accepting it but looking a little confused.
"Now we've met," Braden told him. "I'm in room 221, one of the smaller suites. I'm here for a few more days, and this hotel is cheaper than the one in Billings, so my boss didn't care. My flight leaves on Monday at eight in the morning."
"Monday?" Rhaven asked.
Braden nodded. "Yeah. I've been working remotely during the day, and we think we have the horses down, but need Riley to confirm."
She smiled. "You're not supposed to tell me that."
"Oops," he teased. "Considering that I was going to show you some of the rough map, I figure that's not a big deal. Just don't tell Chance? He has a heart attack about leaks."
"Not Dez?" she asked.
"Nope. She loves leaks. In fact, I might hit you up to post a few screens on Reddit later, if you're cool with that?"
"Always," Rhaven promised.
Beside them, Tyler chuckled. "Ok." And he lifted his hands and took a step back. "I can take the hint. This really is just some geekery, huh?"
"Just gamer weirdness," Braden promised. "Nothing to see here, man. Besides, I promise that I'm a lot more scared of his friends than I am of you."
"Which ones?" Rhaven asked.
"Ice," Braden said. "He and Lith act like you're family. Considering that we need to kiss his ass to keep using the hotels..."
"Shit," Rhaven laughed. "As if he'd kick out Deviant."
"No, but he might ban me, and there goes my dream job!"
"Who's Ice?" Tyler asked, not quite ready to leave.
"Kate's boyfriend," she explained. "His name is Adam Degrass. He owns all those Regency hotels. Believe me yet, Tyler?"