Chapter 10

Adam's hand reached and grabbed a thick book and armed himself with that as a weapon. Unfortunately he had left his cell phone downstairs with his briefcase and suit.

Adam walked closer cautiously.

The figure was so absorbed in the book that he didn't realize he wasn't alone.

Wait. Adam stopped and narrowed his eyes. Only one person can read a book like that.

"Matt?" Adam called skeptically, Lowering the thick book he had wanted to hurl at the figure earlier on.

When the figure turned, Adam got a chance to look at his face.

It was Matt.

Relief crossed Adam that it wasn't a stranger or any freak in his house. However the relief was gone as soon as it came.

"What are you still doing here?" Adam questioned Matt as he crossed his hands.

Matt stood up looking a bit guilty.

Adam raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well?"

"Um...I didn't hear you come in, welcome back sir," Matt said.

Adam's eyes hardened on Matt. "I don't need your greetings. I want to know why you're still in my house!" He glanced at his watch, "It's past eight o'clock. What are you still doing here?"

"Well....what happened was--" Matt started but Adam decided he'd had enough.

He caught Matt's left hand and started pulling him along as he headed for the stairs.

"Mr. Adam....wait!!" Matt cried in horror when he realized Adam wanted to carry out his threat of putting anyone that remained in his house when he returned in an orphanage.

Adam ignored him.

He was about to go down the stairs when he heard a familiar yell of victory from one of the nearby rooms. He clenched his fist. He'd know that voice anywhere.

Reece.

He turned and marched to the gaming room, still pulling Matt along.

Adam pushed open the door and saw Reece and Caleb seated on beanbags, each holding a gamepad, facing the huge screen where a game of wrestling was being played.

They both instintively turned to the door sharply when it was barged into.

They saw a fuming Adam holding Matt's wrist tightly.

Caleb gulped while Reece cowered a bit.

Adam glared at them.

"Up," he ordered. "Get up, now!"

They quickly stood up. "Take it easy man, I know you're mad and you have every right to be but--" Reece started but Adam interrupted him.

"I'm not mad, I'm furious at you three. Come out now!" Adam cut in.

Reece and Caleb headed unsurely to the doorway where Adam stood. Once they reached him he grabbed the sleeves of both their shirts and started pulling the behind him, likewise Matt in the other hand.

"Mr. Adam--!" Caleb said in a rush.

"Shut it!" Adam hissed fiercely at him.

"This ain't needed man, I could very well walk behind you," Reece huffed as Adam pulled him along. He was ignored.

They all went down the stairs.

Adam shoved Reece and Caleb away and he left Matt's hand.

They all stood together.

"Who else?" Adam questioned with a cold scowl.

They all looked away.

Adam's left eye twiched. "Are you trying to tell me none of you left?! Where's Scarlett then?!" Adam demanded hotly.

"She's upstairs in the girls room," Caleb replied in a low murmur.

"You mean my guest room." Adam snapped at him.

"You better stay here," Adam then said as he shot the three boys a hard glare before heading up the stairs to get Scarlett as well.

"I knew this was going to be a disaster," Matt muttered under his breath.

Reece just scoffed while Caleb looked away.

Adam bursted into room and his eyes roamed around. It was easy to spot Scarlett, she was fast asleep on the huge bed. Her hair was all over the pillow as she slept.

Even her cuteness can't get her out of this. Adam thought as he shook her.

Her eyes opened in slits before she fully woke up. "You're back?" She rubbed her sleepy eyes.

"Downstairs. Now." Adam ordered and left the room.

Scarlett meekly walked after him.

Soon enough Scarlett was standing with the boys in the sitting room while Adam stood in front of them with his arms crossed, tapping his foot continuously.

"We had a deal," Adam said in a cool tone.

"I can explain...," Caleb started but Adam raised a hand, silencing him.

"We. Had. A. Deal." Adam repeated firmly.

"You must understand I have to do this, I've been feeling a bit guilty at work for sending a bunch of kids back into the streets when an orphanage was clearly the better option," Adam said.

"No way! You ain't gonna turn us in, would ya?!" Reece protested hotly.

"I would." Adam snapped at him.

Just then the entrance door creeked open.

Lucy stepped in holding a grocery bag. She hung her faded brown coat on the coat rack as she passed by it.

"Mr. Adam, you're back. Welcome sir." She smiled at him despite the hard look he threw her way.

"You were kinda running low on foodstuffs, so I figured you hadn't done your shopping yet so I went down to the supermarket to get some things with the money you left behind," Lucy said in a light tone.

"Why are you still here?" Adam asked coldly.

Lucy sighed and she then kept the bag on the center table and walked up to where Adam stood, but she didn't go too close to him.

"Sir," she started in a soft tone.

"You might think we're a bunch of dishonest children but I assure you that's not the case, we did leave in the afternoon."

Her mouth curved downwards in a small sad chuckle, "And we all decided to stick together as well. Caleb suggested we rent a room with the money you gave us, we could deposite that and pay the other fees later, at least a room we could spend the night in while thinking of the next step to take and we all agreed. I, Reece and Caleb also wanted to get jobs to be able to have enough money to get food to eat. I convinced Reece not to go back to stealing."

She looked away.

"We all got the jobs, nothing big, just small stuffs but at least they were paying. Then it was time to rent the house, the man in charge refused to let us rent it without a guardian by our side. He didn't believe our story of course and called the cops," Lucy went on with her narration.

Adam crossed his arms as he listened to her.

"They didn't want to listen to me when I said I was going to be eighteen soon and I had a right to keep them with me because they are all underage." She frowned a bit. "They were already taking Scarlett away to one their cars. I didn't know what they were going to do with her."

"That was when I said we were actually your distant nephew and nieces and we were just playing a prank," Matt admitted, looking down at his feet.

"Yeah man. If the lil dude didn't think fast we were all going to be separated," Reece said.

"So, the police men bought your story?" Adam asked a bit skeptical.

"Not at first," Lucy said, meeting his eyes once again.

"But then Reece dared them to take us to your house again. When they saw that we were admitted in by your guards and we could as well unlock your house door they backed off, so we've been here ever since," Caleb finished.

Scarlett nodded.

"Why did you fool me at first? Why did you turn off all the lights?" Adam asked with a slight frown.

Lucy looked uneasy.

"I wasn't sure about how you'd react, so I told them to keep everything on a low profile until I came back from the super market," Lucy murmured.

Adam sighed and ran his hands through his dark hair.

"I don't know, you just can't stay here," Adam muttered.

"Mr. Adam please listen to me," Lucy pleaded.

Adam turned to her. "You must understand I'm a very private person Lucy, and if the press gets a whiff of this my reputation would be stained. For goodness sake, I publicly announced that I wanted nothing to do with children, even when I'm married."

Adam paced about.

"Now what? I suddenly have five kids staying with me? And there's Vanessa, my fiancée. How am I going to explain all these to her? And I'll have to handle your schooling and everything, not that I don't have the money to...but the time! A parent would have to be dedicated and honestly speaking, I don't think I'm ready for all that."

Adam said, it mostly sounded like he was talking to himself because he didn't face them again. He was just thinking aloud.

"Hold it there big fella," Reece said. "We ain't asking you to be our dad or anything."

Adam faced him, with his hands on his hips.

"What is it you want then? I can't have kids anywhere my life," Adam said in a neutral tone.

Lucy stepped forward calmly.

"Mr.. Adam if I may?"

Adam nodded at her. "Go on."

"I discovered a solution but I would need more time," she started. "We could go suburb of Ocean Ville where no one knows us and start afresh. We already have jobs, but we'll have to work on having a house as well, so please we just need till Monday to get ourselves together. That's just two days sir."

A part of Adam wanted to push that explanation.

It wasn't sturdy enough to him.

He wanted to tell her that he'd find an apartment for them this very night and cover all expenses. He was Adam Hunt, he could do anything. But he noticed the way she pursed her lips together tightly.

Adam sighed and looked away.

"Fine." He held up his hand. "But I'm letting you all stay only till Monday, after that I'm not listening to any excuse. Got that?" He had on a hard look as he glanced at each of them, before finally resting his gaze on Lucy.

They all looked thankful, except Reece who had on a grumpy look and Scarlett who was sending longing gazes at the television, perhaps wishing to be watching a cartoon.

"Yes sir!" Caleb said with enthusiasm.

"Alright," Lucy nodded her head, holding back her grin. She picked up the grocery bag she had previously put down. "I'll quickly whip up a simple dinner."

"You all haven't eaten?" Adam asked with an eyebrow raised.

Scarlett shook her head.

"Be quick about it then, I'll be in my room." Adam said and started heading towards the stairs while Lucy went to the kitchen.

"Oh and it's still the same room you'll spend the night until you leave," Adam added before heading up the stairs.

He could hear the television being put on and a cartoon being played.

Adam entered his bathroom and washed his face slowly.

He wasn't sure the reason why he let them stay when he knew he could easily arrange another option.

He sighed.

Am I making a mistake?

He wiped his face with his towel and headed out of the bathroom. He threw himself down on his bed and groaned into his pillow.

What's wrong with me? I'm not supposed to be messing around with some stray kids!

Just then his phone that was beside him on the bed began to ring.

Adam checked the caller I.D.

Vanessa.

Great. Adam rolled his eyes and picked the call.

"Nessie?"

"Hey darling!" Her chirpy voice came from the other end. "I'm so sorry about the silly stunt I pulled. But on the other hand, mum was thrilled we attended today's talk show. But I've told her that we won't attend anymore. Today's own was the last one we'd attend."

Adam smiled a bit.

"Really? Thanks Nessie."

"Anything for you sweetheart....and again, I remembered Charles wanted to take our pictures for us to be the face of the 'hottest celebrity couple' magazine..." She squealed at her end.

"Of course I said yes and booked an appointment for 7:00am tomorrow," she went on.

Adam frowned a bit. "7:00am? Isn't that a bit early? I'm also needed at one of my companies by 8:00am you know."

"You'll figure a way out, we cannot miss that appointment!" Vanessa laughed airily like he could just solve everything at once.