Page 28 of Unbearable Player
“I can’t believe that worked!” she exclaimed.
Reid chuckled, feeling a mix of relief and admiration. “You were incredible in there. Quick thinking, keeping your cool under pressure... I’m impressed.”
Brianne beamed at him, her cheeks flushed with excitement. “We make a pretty good team, don’t we?”
“That we do, beautiful.”
THIRTEEN
Brianne’s heart pounded as she and Reid made another circuit of the tournament floor. The flashing screens and raucous shouts of excited gamers provided the perfect cover, but also made her hyper-aware of how exposed they were. Despite the elaborate cosplay outfits, she couldn’t shake the feeling that at any moment, someone might recognize them.
“See anything?” she murmured to Reid, her eyes darting from one group to another.
Reid’s jaw tightened, his dark eyes scanning the crowd with laser focus. “Nothing concrete, but something doesn’t feel right. We should go.”
Brianne nodded, relief and disappointment warring within her. They’d come so close to the heart of the Glitchers’ operation, but the risk of staying any longer outweighed the potential gains.
As they made their way to the exit, Brianne’s costume fins caught on a nearby gaming setup. She stumbled, her heart leaping into her throat as she imagined their cover blown in such a ridiculous way.
But Reid’s strong arm wrapped around her waist, steadying her. “Easy there, mermaid,” he said, loud enough for nearby gamers to hear. “Save the swimming for the cosplay contest.”
A few chuckles rippled through the crowd, and Brianne forced a laugh, playing along. “My hero,” she cooed, batting her eyelashes exaggeratedly.
As they stepped out into the cool night air, Brianne let out a long breath. “That was too close,” she whispered.
Reid nodded, his hand still resting protectively on the small of her back. The warmth of his touch sent a shiver up her spine, a reminder of their earlier kiss. Focus, Brianne, she chided herself. Now wasn’t the time to get distracted by how good Reid looked in that ridiculous sea god costume. Or how much better he’d look out of it. The memory of his naked body was burned into her brain. She’d replay that bit of action on a loop.
They hurried down the street to where Jake waited in an unmarked van, his fingers tapping away on a keyboard. He glanced up as they approached, a grin spreading across his face.
“Nice fins, boss,” Jake quipped, eyeing Reid’s costume. “Very... majestic.”
Reid rolled his eyes. “Status report, Jake.”
Jake’s expression turned serious. “The backdoor Brianne set up is working perfectly. We’ve got eyes and ears inside their system. If the Glitchers so much as sneeze, we’ll know about it.”
Brianne let out a sigh of relief. At least they hadn’t risked everything for nothing. “Any sign they’ve detected the intrusion?”
Jake shook his head. “Nada. As far as they know, it was just a system glitch. You did good, Bri.”
A warm glow of pride spread through Brianne’s chest at the praise. She’d been worried her hacking skills might be rusty, but it seemed her gamer instincts had served her well.
“So what’s our next move?” she asked, looking between Reid and Jake.
Reid’s expression was grim. “We regroup, analyze the data we’ve gathered, and plan our next strike. The Glitchers won’t know what hit them.”
As they drove back to Reid’s place, Brianne found herself stealing glances at him. The determined set of his jaw, the intensity in his eyes – it stirred something in her she couldn’t quite name. More than just attraction, it was a sense of shared purpose, of being part of something bigger than herself.
“You know,” she said, breaking the comfortable silence, “I have to admit, you pull off the whole ‘sea god’ look pretty well. The fins are very fetching.”
Reid’s lips twitched in a suppressed smile. “High praise coming from the most beautiful mermaid I’ve ever seen.”
Brianne felt her cheeks heat at the compliment. “Flatterer. I bet you say that to all the game developers you rescue from evil hacker groups.”
“Only the ones with star-shaped birthmarks and a knack for creating interdimensional portals,” Reid shot back, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
Their banter continued as they arrived at Reid’s penthouse, the adrenaline of their escape slowly giving way to a different kind of excitement. As Reid ordered Chinese food – “A must post-heist,” he explained with a wink – Brianne found herself relaxing in the comfortable atmosphere of his home.
She wandered over to the floor-to-ceiling windows, taking in the glittering New York skyline. It was strange how quickly her life had changed. Just days ago, her biggest concern had been meeting her game development deadlines. Now here she was, plotting to take down a criminal organization with a man who made her heart trip over itself, her pulse race, and her knees buckle every time he looked at her.