44. Adam
CHAPTER 44
ADAM
I feel bad for how little I’ve been home. I know Athena doesn’t know the difference, and she only eats every four to six weeks depending on the size of her last meal. It’s not like she needs constant affection like a cat or a dog, which has also been a big positive to having a snake for me.
Of course, we’ve all been spending most of our time at Max’s house because that’s where Caine decided to move. Drew and I refuse to be left out. Though, she wouldn’t do that to us.
She loves us.
The feeling is still so new to me, I’m sure it’s new to her as well. Our upbringings couldn’t have been more different, though at the same time we both struggle with the same thing. I remember when I was younger I would see families and thought that they all were the same. If you had normal parents, a normal home, siblings, whatever, that you were happy.
I figured you had love, affection, and stability. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized that wasn’t the case at all and just because you have a family doesn’t mean it’s a good one. Just because you have parents it doesn’t mean you have love or affection.
Good thing none of us need our blood related family. They all are pieces of shit and we are happier and better off without them. That folder in my desk drawer still haunts me from when I had Danner look into my birth parents. I’ve been curious, I don’t know anything about them, and I wonder if it would make me feel anything to get some answers.
I’m sitting at my desk, staring at the drawer after finishing up at the gym for the day. My plan was to get out of here as soon as I completed everything, then go check on Athena before going to Max’s for the night.
Though, I’ve been here staring at the closed drawer for way too long. Maybe I should just look, get it out of the way so the lingering question is no longer there. Or I should throw it away without looking, it won’t make a difference for my past or my future at this point.
Pushing away from the desk, I decide to deal with it another time and staring at it is only going to continue to drive me insane. I lock up the gym, and head to my house to check on Athena.
Just as I suspected, she isn’t upset with me, and slithers up my arm immediately after I reach in. She moves up to my shoulders, sliding down the other side so she can continue to explore. “I wonder when Max would be okay with you coming to stay as well,” I tell her.
I go to my room to get more clothes to bring over to Max’s. I’m not in any rush since I know she’s there with Caine and Drew who were more than happy to get out of the gym quickly. As I’m zipping up my bag there’s a knock at my door and I’m instantly on edge because the only people I would want it to be wouldn’t be here right now.
Athena is slithering on the floor, and I scoop her up to wrap around my shoulders because no one wants to come near someone holding a snake. Even Max didn’t, but I made sure to change her mind about the first girl in my life.
The sight that greets me when I open the door has me tensing. It’s a good thing I have Athena on me right now, because I’m not about to try and fight a man with her restricting my movements. Though, it may actually give him a fair shot if I did.
“You have a lot of nerve showing up here,” I tell the officer standing just on the other side of the threshold.
“Where’s the rest of your crew?” Doogie asks.
“Not here.”
“Well, I’m here to check some things out, so I need to come inside.” The bastard tries to step in, but I fill the doorway with my large frame, stopping him.
“You must think I’m an idiot. I know you can’t step in here without a warrant. And you’re lucky Caine isn’t here. We know what you did.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. All I’ve done is my job.”
Athena slides across my chest, and I watch how the older man’s eyes widen in horror. I smirk. “You know…snakes venom can be deadly, but depending on the snake, it can take days or minutes to kill a man.”
He continues to watch Athena move on me. “You wouldn’t let that thing on you if it could kill you.”
“I wouldn’t? I’ve had her since she was a baby. She’s safe with me, she knows I would never hurt her. But someone unfamiliar may not be as safe,” I say as she slides down my arm, wrapping around it while resting her head on the back of my hand.
Ball pythons aren’t venomous at all and are probably the most docile snake there is, but clearly he doesn’t know that and it makes me want to fuck with him a bit more. It’s what he gets for showing up to my house for no reason other than to try and intimidate me. It’s only a matter of time before he gets what’s coming to him anyway.
“You just let her be free like that?” He looks disgusted and terrified. I bite back the smile that wants to spread across my face.
“Sometimes. Want to see if she’ll be as nice to you?” I stretch out my arm with her wrapped around it, and he backs up quickly to get away.
“No, I’ll come back another time.”
“Don’t bother. There’s no reason for you to come around any of us.” I step out toward him and he continues to back up. “The case is with the FBI which means it’s out of your jurisdiction, so you can fuck off.”
He stutters, looking at Athena again and backing up to his car. I watch to make sure he drives away. We really need to deal with him; I know we can’t kill him, despite the desire we all have to do so.
After I make sure he’s gone, I go back inside and put Athena away. Grabbing the bag I packed, I head to Max’s because the last thing I need right now is Doogie thinking he can show up there and try to intimidate them. If he’s dumb enough to do that, then he probably does deserve to have Caine kill him. More than he already does.
Luckily, I don’t see his car anywhere when I pull up and head inside. The TV is on with some movie playing while Max is draped across Caine and Drew, her head in Caine’s lap, legs resting over Drew’s. The scene looks so peaceful and oddly domestic. It makes my stomach swoop at how…simple it is. How normal.
“You just leave the gym?” Drew asks, rubbing his hand along Max’s legs steadily.
I shake my head. “No, stopped at home for a bit to check on Athena.” I don’t miss the way Max shivers at the mention of my snake, and I smirk. “She misses you, baby girl.”
“I can’t say the feeling is mutual.”
“She was the most important girl in my life before you, and since I have to be okay sharing you, I think you need to do the same.”
She chuckles. “I’m more than okay sharing you with her. It’s having her on me that I still struggle with.”
“Really? Because my memory says you enjoyed it.” I step around the couch, kneeling in front of her, where she’s giving me a skeptical look. “And I’d love to do it again.”
I lean forward, pressing my lips to hers, and she sighs against them, relaxing more on Caine’s lap. I pull back when she tries to deepen it and she whines in protest. Smirking, I stand up. “You seem comfortable, don’t let me disturb you.”
“Damn right,” Caine insists, wrapping an arm around her so she doesn’t move.
“Disturb me any time.” She looks up, her eyes following me. “Just not with Athena.”
I chuckle. She says that, but I know she gets off on the fear. Our girl likes to be scared and chased, held down, air cut off and fucked rough.
And we love to give that to her.
Caine has wanted to spar with me for awhile. Though, with everything going on I could tell he needs it even more now. Just like with our girl, we give her everything she needs. I’ll do the same to keep the peace with everyone else as well.
Including indulging him in a fight.
“You sure you want to do this, old man?” Caine taunts, and I just shake my head at him.
“Careful with your confidence, you’re looking pretty cocky,” I retort seriously.
“And you’re looking pretty weak over there. When was the last time you actually fought and didn’t just hold up the pads for the rest of us to punch?”
“Don’t worry about me, worry about yourself.”
“Alright.” Drew shakes his head. “Let’s keep it clean.”
“I will, and I won’t hurt you too much in front of Max.” Caine smirks, sending a wink over in our girl’s direction.
“I wouldn’t worry about that,” I tell him.
“Alright, begin,” Drew announces. A big positive I have as Caine’s coach is I know his fighting style. I know the tactics he’s going to use. While he hasn’t seen me fight, he doesn’t know anything about mine.
Which is evident how much of an advantage that is when I anticipate his first move, easily dodging it. He immediately acts like it was a diversion and tries to throw a leg, but I anticipate that too.
I’m an expert at his fighting style. About everything with him in the cage so every move he attempts I dodge and deflect and after toying with him for a bit I throw my own hit which lands right in his jaw.
“Mother fucker,” he grunts, spitting onto the ground and I know I’ve pissed him off. I want to smile, but I’ll save that until the end.
The thing about Caine is that I see a lot of myself in him. I was a cocky little shit when I was younger too. I learned that’s not always the best way to be and managed to check myself. Except right now I can’t help that attitude that comes back because fighting with Caine feels a lot like attempting to play with a lion. I’ve seen him fight, know how good he is and the fact that I know I can beat him fairly easily makes it difficult to be humble.
Especially when I’m able to get another solid opening that has my fist meeting his face once again. He snarls as the blood drips from his nose.
“Come on, thought you were going to kick my ass.” I smirk and I can see how pissed off he is, which is great for me because the madder he gets, the sloppier he’ll get.
That becomes even more true with the next combination he tries, and fails. I’m able to get a grip around him to take him down to a submission. He tries to throw me off, both of us grappling for control and even when I get him into the takedown he doesn’t tap. I adjust to have him in a choke, and he still doesn’t tap. I know the stubborn fucker will let me hold him until he passes out before he admits defeat.
“Tap if you can’t get out of it,” I tell him, gruffly.
“Fuck off.”
I tighten my grip around him to prove that I’m not going to let go; if he’s going to let me choke him until he passes out that’s on him. I’ll let up as soon as his eyes roll back, so it’s not like he’ll die.
I feel the slightest tap on my leg and I let up immediately so Caine can take in a deep breath. The gym is quiet for a second, then Drew calls out, “Coach wins on a tap out.”
I catch Alexander slap Cal’s arm. “Pay up.”
“Don’t bet on fights in my gym,” I scold them.
“Hey, I said you’d win.” Alexander shrugs like that makes it any better.
“Fun is over,” I announce, but my eyes fall onto Max’s and I hope she can decipher the look in my eyes that’s portraying to her that the fun with her is yet to come.