Page 39 of Unbearable Player

Brianne rolled her eyes, shoving her brother playfully. “Shut up, you gremlin.”

The evening wound down with everyone gathered in the living room, sharing stories and laughter. Reid sat beside Brianne on the couch, his arm around her shoulders, and she found herself leaning into his warmth.

As they said their good-byes, hugs were exchanged all around. Brianne watched with a lump in her throat as her father pulled Reid aside, speaking to him in low tones. Whatever was said, it ended with a firm handshake and a pat on the back that spoke volumes.

On the car ride home, Brianne turned to Reid, her heart full. “Thank you,” she said softly. “For everything. For being so wonderful with my family, for putting up with their embarrassing stories...”

Reid reached over, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips. “Brianne, your family is amazing. Thank you for sharing them with me.” His chuckled. “Though I do think I’m owed a full demonstration of this stuck-in-a-cosplay situation. For security purposes, of course.”

Brianne laughed, swatting at him playfully. “You really are unbearable, aren’t you?”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, PixelQueen.”

EIGHTEEN

Reid lounged on his plush leather couch, his arm draped comfortably around Brianne. Another day without news from Jake. Dinner had been quiet and perfect. Brianne’s head rested on his chest, her blonde hair spilling across his shirt like liquid gold. Reid marveled at how perfectly she fit against him as if she’d been crafted specifically to fill the void in his life he hadn’t even known existed.

The tranquil moment shattered as Reid’s phone erupted in a cacophony of buzzes and rings. He recognized the ringtone immediately - Jake. A sense of foreboding washed over him as he reached for the device.

“Jake,” Reid answered, his voice low and controlled despite the sudden tension coiling in his gut. “News?”

Jake’s voice crackled through the speaker, urgent and slightly breathless. “Reid, we’ve got a situation. The Glitchers are finally making their move. They’re planning to sell Brianne’s prototype to the highest bidder.”

Reid’s body stiffened, his arm tightening instinctively around Brianne. She looked up at him, her blue eyes wide with concern. “Where?” Reid demanded, already mentally shifting gears from relaxed boyfriend to strategic CEO.

“I think I’ve pinpointed the location,” Jake replied. “It’s a warehouse in the Meatpacking District. But Reid, that’s not all. Our intel suggests they’re close to cracking Brianne’s security measures. It’s only a matter of time before they have full access to the prototype.”

A low growl rumbled in Reid’s chest, his bear nature surging to the forefront. The thought of those thieves pawing through Brianne’s work, her passion, her dreams - it made his blood boil. “Keep monitoring the situation,” he instructed Jake. “I’ll call you back in five.”

Ending the call, Reid turned to Brianne, his dark eyes meeting her questioning gaze. “The Glitchers are moving forward with their plan to sell your prototype,” he explained, his voice gentle despite the urgency of the situation. “Jake thinks he’s found where they’re keeping it, but we need to act fast.”

Brianne’s jaw set with determination. “Then let’s go get it back,” she said, her voice steady and resolute.

Reid couldn’t help but admire her strength. In that moment, he fell in love with her all over again. “It’s dangerous, Brianne,” he warned, even as he helped her to her feet. “These people won’t hesitate to hurt you if they get the chance. They’re not trying to give your game back.”

A spark of defiance flashed in Brianne’s eyes. “I’m not afraid, Reid. This is my work, my dream. I’m not letting them take it without a fight.”

Pride swelled in Reid’s chest. This woman, his mate, never ceased to amaze him. He pulled her close, pressing a fierce kiss to her forehead. “All right, warrior princess. Let’s go save your kingdom.”

They moved swiftly to Reid’s home office. Reid activated the secure video conferencing system, and within moments, Jake’s face appeared on the large screen mounted on the wall.

“All right, Jake,” Reid said, his tone shifting into what Brianne had begun to call his “CEO voice” - authoritative, focused, and brooking no argument. “Give us the rundown.”

Jake launched into a detailed explanation of what they knew – the warehouse’s location, the suspected security measures, the timeline for the auction. As he spoke, Reid’s mind raced, formulating plans and discarding them just as quickly.

“We need to move tonight,” Reid decided, his gaze flickering to Brianne. She nodded in agreement, her face set with determination. “Jake, assemble the team. We’re going to need everyone on this one.”

Over the next hour, Reid’s office transformed into a war room. Team members arrived, each bringing their unique skills and expertise to the table. Logan Harris, Reid’s second head of security, arrived with detailed blueprints of the warehouse and surrounding area. Emma Taylor, Brianne’s coworker and friend, joined via video call, offering insights into the prototype’s security measures they’d created together.

As they planned, Reid was awed at how seamlessly Brianne integrated into his world. She held her own among his team of seasoned professionals, her knowledge of gaming and coding proving invaluable as they strategized their approach.

“The main security system is likely to be similar to what’s used in high-end gaming tournaments,” Brianne explained, leaning over the blueprints spread across Reid’s desk. “If we can tap into their network, I might be able to create a loop in their camera feeds, giving us a blind spot to work with.”

Logan nodded approvingly. “That could work. We’d need to get close enough to piggyback on their Wi-Fi signal, but if we can pull it off, it’d give us a significant advantage.”

As the plan took shape, Reid found his gaze continually drawn to Brianne. Her blue eyes sparkled with intelligence and determination, her hands moving animatedly as she explained complex coding concepts. Pride swelled in his chest, mingled with a fierce protectiveness that he couldn’t quite shake.

“Brianne,” he said softly, pulling her aside as the others continued to discuss equipment needs. “Are you sure about this? It’s not too late to step back and let us handle it.”

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