38. Max
CHAPTER 38
MAX
A fter my conversation with Drew at the beach, I went home, and I’m surprised he didn’t try to follow me. I was even more shocked to not find Caine there waiting for me either.
The worst part of it is that instead of feeling relieved like I should, I feel cold. And alone.
I don’t like it.
Maybe it’s because when I went to go to sleep, I imagined Carson was breaking in. And I was alone and vulnerable like I always was, just waiting for his wrath.
Despite what these men have done to my body and how much I’ve denied it, I’m starting to crave it. The fact that they always seem to be around makes me feel oddly safe, too. Which is only adding to my concern about the status of my mental health.
I’m wiping out glasses at work, clearly lost in a mental tailspin, when Danner practically screams my name to get my attention.
“What?” I snap, putting the extremely dry glass away.
“You were just staring at nothing while you dried that glass so hard I was worried it was going to break.”
I roll my eyes. “I don’t think that’s possible.”
It’s another slow night, and I’m thankful for it because I don’t think I could handle being treated like shit today. I might actually lose it, and I do need this job.
“Is it Caine? Or maybe Drew, that has you acting all spacey?”
I scoff and add under my breath, “or Adam.”
“What was that?”
“You’re hearing things,” I divert, and she gives me an unimpressed look that I shrug off.
The door opens, and I look up to see if the person walking in is going to be a problem. When I see that it’s that Officer again, I roll my eyes, finding something else to be busy with.
Danner, on the other hand, is choosing violence tonight. She spins around on the stool, facing the overweight older man, resting her elbows on the bar behind her when she calls out, “How can we help you tonight, Officer Doogie?”
He looks over at her, and I don’t like the look in his eyes. It’s angry and evil. I’ve seen it. I’ve lived with it. I know the type of man that has those eyes.
“I actually am here to check in on our newbie.” He nods in my direction. I stand up taller, folding my arms across my chest.
“Hardly a newbie anymore since I’ve been here over a month and haven’t caused any problems.” Partly a lie, but I haven’t broken any laws, so there’s that.
“Been a bit busy but figured I should know your name.”
“Why?” I don’t want to answer him. I don’t need him knowing anything about me.
“Just trying to be friendly.” He tries to smile in a way that conveys that, but the way his gnarled teeth are showing is anything but friendly. It only makes the gleam in his eye worse.
“Well, I haven’t done anything that warrants a cop to know my name, but if I do, then you can learn it.”
“If I said you’re in contempt of a cop, then you’ll tell me.”
Danner scoffs, “She also has the right to not tell you shit, Doogie.”
The side of my lips quirk up and I have to hold back the laughter that’s about to break loose.
“We’ll see,” he says ominously, looking over Danner in a way that has my skin crawling before he turns and leaves.
Danner faces me once again and makes a retching noise. “I hate that asshole.”
“Talk about abuse of power.” I shake my head, picking up another glass to start drying.
“Keep hanging out with the guys from Uncaged, and you’ll see how true that really is.”
I have a feeling she’s right about that.
After another night of no one appearing in my house, I’m feeling weirdly on edge. So, I show up early to the gym—I can make some sort of excuse as to why I’m here later, but I just need to be around them.
Fuck, it feels weird to even think that.
No one is around when I walk in and the disappointment that washes over me is like a slap to the face. Turning around, trying to figure out where they are, I start to hear loud familiar voices coming from the office.
“I didn’t say no, I just said to fucking wait.”
“That’s a no from you and I’m fucking sick of it. You don’t get to control everything.”
“No, but I do get to control what happens in my gym.”
“You can’t help yourself, can you? You just have to be in control of everything all the time.”
“You didn’t mind that before, did you?”
“Oh, now you want to bring that up? Fuck off.”
I find myself pushing the door open to reveal Drew and Adam, both standing tall and very close to each other. Closer than you’d expect for a normal argument. Seeing them together makes my thighs squeeze together while memories of the forest—the last time they touched me—flood my mind. I let out a soft whimper that has both of their heads swinging in my direction.
“Sorry, I’m early. I just?—”
“It’s fine. We’re done,” Adam says sternly, and I can see the look on Drew’s face, which tells me they are, in fact, not done.
I remember Caine saying that they were involved, and I know just from standing here that things aren’t resolved, not by a long shot. Maybe I complicate things, but maybe I can make things better.
I want to make things better.
So, I steel my spine, finding the confidence I’ve been working so hard to strengthen and also tuning into the woman that holds so much power over these men.
“You didn’t sound done. After work today, you’re figuring your shit out once and for all,” I command, and they both look at me with different levels of surprise.
“You don’t understand, Max—” Adam starts, but I hold my hand up stopping him. I see a flare of anger pass over his face, and it makes me smirk.
“I don’t care. We’re all meeting at your house after the gym closes today.”
“All of us?” he questions.
“Yes, the three of us. Clearly, I need to make sure you two don’t kill each other.”
“Sounds like you care about us, little one,” Drew comments, moving past Adam to leave the office. He makes sure to rub his chest against me on the way and I hate how the simple touch has my knees close to buckling.
They’ve conditioned me. Or broken me. Either way, I can’t find it in myself to hate it.
I look back up at Adam who hasn’t broken eye contact with me. I don’t back down and he says, “Fine.”
Even though I’m pretty sure he’s mad, I can’t help but feel like I won.
Considering the stupid competitions and fights they’ve had over me—over my body and my attention—I can’t help but be proud of the fact that the tables are about to turn.
Throughout training, Caine never strayed too far away from me, and I can’t deny how weird it’s been that he hasn’t tried anything. Maybe he got enough. Or maybe sharing me in the forest was too much for him.
Deep down, I know that's not the case. Just like I know he's about to bust back into my life like a wrecking ball again. He’s like a time bomb, always simmering, just waiting as the clock counts down before he explodes.
And I’ve grown to like his brand of explosion.
I’ve missed it.
But tonight, my mission doesn’t have to do with him. Tonight, it’s about Adam and Drew and helping them get their shit figured out. Then, maybe I’ll figure out if it’s possible for Caine to get his shit figured out.
Drew told me where Adam’s house is, and even though he insisted he bring me himself; I make the drive myself. It’s not far from town, but it is further away from the ocean than my house is. After I park, I hear the familiar rumble of a motorcycle before I see it pull up next to me in Adam’s driveway.
Drew takes his helmet off, and my eyes dart from him and the way he’s sitting there, to the handlebars that I was tied to while he fucked me. Shit, I should not be this wet from a memory. Especially a memory of something so depraved. The wildest thing I’ve ever done. Even wilder than enjoying being woken up with him between my legs. Or enjoying the way Caine took from me when I fought back.
“Are you getting out, or are you going to sit in your car daydreaming?” Drew jokes and I open the door, trying to hide the way my face reddens. Because of course he knows exactly what I was thinking about.
It feels weird to be approaching Adam’s front door with Drew next to me because I’m not here to pick sides in their situation. I’m here to make sure they fix whatever this is that they need to fix between them.
However, that needs to be done.
Adam opens the door, but his greeting is less than welcoming. Even as he gestures us inside, he doesn’t seem thrilled about this.
I take in the space. It’s dark with a lot of browns and blacks, which doesn’t entirely surprise me. I notice the large tank on one wall and I try to see what’s inside from a comfortable distance. Drew notices, stepping close behind me, leaning down to speak directly in my ear when he says, “That’s Adam’s ball python, Athena.”
I shiver thinking of being near a snake. I don’t have a fear of them I don’t think. But the thought of them doesn’t exactly make me feel warm and fuzzy inside like cats or dogs, or fucking bunnies.
"Okay, we’re all here, what are you wanting from us?” Adam asks, sitting on his couch, spreading his legs to get comfortable. I have to bite my tongue to keep from saying what I’m really wanting from them right now.
“Right.” I nod, regaining my composure. I step away from Drew, sitting on the large ottoman in front of Adam’s couch while Drew takes a seat, keeping his distance from Adam. “So, you two used to be involved?” I decide to just go for it.
“Caine told you too much,” Drew comments under his breath.
“What happened? Why are we here?” I ask them, but they both refuse to answer. “Is it because of me?”
“No,” they both answer instantly, and I smirk.
“It’s because of my injury.” Drew sounds reluctant.
“And you two stopped fucking because of it?” I’m confused.
Adam groans, scrubbing his hand down his face. “Max, what’re you doing?”
“Fixing this.”
“Well, I don’t think you can. It’s cute that you want to try, but you don’t get it.” Drew shakes his head.
Plan B it is. Maybe it’s from the level of turned on I am just being in their presence, thinking about the last time we were together. Or thinking about what could happen if we were together.
So, without thinking too much about it, I stand up, closing the short distance to Adam, and straddle his lap on the couch. His hands immediately find my waist when I settle my weight on him, running my hands up his chest. He stops the movement instantly, snatching my hands in one of his.
“What’re you doing?” His deep voice goes straight to my core.
“Helping.” I lean in, pressing our foreheads together, I rock myself just barely over him, which has his grip on my hip and wrists tightening.
“Helping what?” he grits out.
I pull at my wrists, and he lets go, but I make sure to be careful about where I touch him, since that seemed to cause a reaction. I wrap my arms around the back of his neck, moving closer so our lips are less than an inch apart.
I realize I haven’t kissed any of them. They’ve all fucked me, but we’ve skipped the simple step of a kiss. And I want to change that.
“Helping fix this.” I close the distance between our mouths, grazing our lips together just slightly.
The barely there touch of our mouths causes Adam to make a noise in the back of his throat before closing the distance roughly. I gasp and it gives him the opportunity to shove his tongue into my mouth, finding mine easily.
I rub against him again, and he groans into my mouth, sinking his teeth into my bottom lip. I swear I almost combust just from that. But that’s not the plan, this isn’t fixing anything. This needs to be about them.
Reluctantly, I pull away and look over at Drew who has his gaze fixed on us. The obvious erection in his pants has me bringing my bottom lip between my teeth. And I climb off Adam’s lap and onto Drew’s. He immediately pulls me tighter against him, making sure I feel him.
Without giving me a chance to tease him, his hand is in the hair on the back of my head, gripping it tightly as he yanks me down to him in a feral, searing kiss. There’s no softness or playing. With the way Drew’s lips are on mine it’s like he’s been starved for me and I’m everything he’s wanted.
His tongue delves into my mouth, tangling with mine while he thrusts up underneath me like he wants to fuck me through our clothes. I’m throbbing for him already, I would let him if I could.
But again, I pull away, even as he tries to chase my mouth with his. He tries to keep me held onto his lap, but I manage to sit between them, looking at each of them.
“Your turn,” I tell them.
I’m met with confused looks before Adam seems to understand what I’m saying.
“Max, this isn’t going to solve anything.”
“I think it will. You guys need to work it out, and if that’s fucking it out, then that’s what you should do.”
Drew drops his lips to my neck and starts tracing them along the area below my ear and I fight the urge to lean into him. “What if we want to fuck it out with you?”
“Maybe, I’ll let you.” I moan when his teeth graze along my ear lobe. “Afterward.”
He hums, and I see him look at Adam. I crook my finger at Adam, beckoning him closer, and I watch as he does it reluctantly.
They each close the distance, right in front of me. I'm nervous, excited, and unbelievably turned on. Especially as they get closer, their lips are so close to brushing while they're still so close to mine.
“This means nothing,” Adam states.
“Never has,” Drew agrees.
I want to argue with them, but then they’re kissing right here in front of me. It’s rough like they hate each other, and it’s also the hottest thing I’ve ever witnessed. If I wasn’t soaking before, my panties are completely drenched now.
Their tongues battle, teeth biting hard enough to be painful. I can’t help myself and I reach into Drew’s pants, fisting his cock, and he groans into Adam’s mouth as I move my hand over him.
“I want you both to touch each other like this,” I tell them both, causing them to break apart to look at me.
Instead of giving them the opportunity to argue or stop this, I go back to sitting on the ottoman. I lean back on my hands so I can look at them.
“You think you can just boss us around, baby girl?” Adam asks.
“Yeah, I do. Now, show me what I want to see.”