As soon as they stepped into the villa, the yelling and shouting became unmistakable, echoing through the hallways like thunder.
"You fucking pussy, you're a snake, you're the reason my brother lost, you motherfucker!" a voice screamed, raw with anger.
Another voice fired back, calmer but the threat wasn't missed, "Ayy, be careful what you say, my guy, or you'll end up like your brother... toothless."
"I dare you, bitch!" The first voice erupted again, louder this time. "I would kill your bitch ass, you fucking snake! You wanna know what we do to snakes in Florida!"
Damon furrowed his brow, recognizing the voices instantly.
Brian and Kevin. But why on earth would those two be going at each other like this? Curiosity took over, and Damon found himself stepping toward the source of the chaos.
Behind him, one of the guys snickered. "Teammates arguing? Man, that's never a good sign."
Miles, always ready with a joke, grinned. "They're probably just figuring out whose fault it is they suck."
"Or maybe Brian's just mad 'cause his brother got wrecked," Dylan quipped, earning a round of chuckles from the rest of the team.
Damon ignored the jokes and stepped closer to where the shouting continued, trying to piece together why Brian and Kevin, two people who hadn't seemed to have much of an issue before, were suddenly at each other's throats.
Especially when Damon was the one who had defeated Logan, and Kevin had been more of an acquaintance than a true friend.
The whole situation felt strange, and it only deepened Damon's curiosity.
Why was Brian losing it? Why was Kevin the target of his anger?
From what Damon could piece together, it looked like Brian wasn't just upset about Logan's loss, he was placing the blame on others.
Maybe Brian needed a scapegoat, someone to direct his rage toward, and Kevin, for some reason, seemed to be that person.
Damon couldn't help but shake his head. Blaming someone else for his brother's defeat?
It didn't make much sense, but then again, in a place where emotions were always running high, logic wasn't always in control.
And Damon could attest to how quickly things could spiral out of control, his own beef with Logan had started for similar reasons.
Logan had said something that struck a nerve, something that obviously provoked him.
But Brian wasn't having it. "Shut the fuck up! This is between me and him. He's been a snake, and I'm not letting it slide."
Kevin let out a short laugh. "You're making excuses for your brother because you can't face the truth. You're just as weak as he is."
Brian's face twisted with fury, but before he could lunge at Kevin, more of his teammates grabbed him, pulling him back as he shouted, "You better sleep with one eye open, you fucking coward! I'm not done with you yet!"
As soon as Brian spotted Damon, his eyes lit with a fresh wave of anger. He broke free from his teammates' hold and stormed over, his steps heavy with aggression.
"YOU FUCKING PUSSY!" Brian shouted, pointing directly at Damon. "LOOK AT YOU, STANDING THERE LIKE YOU'RE SOMETHING. YOU AND YOUR LITTLE BITCH FRIEND, CHEATING MOTHERFUCKER! YOU DIDN'T EVEN WIN THAT FIGHT FAIR!"
Damon didn't flinch. His gaze met Brian's, steady and cold.
His hands remained at his sides, but the tension in his body told a different story.
"Is that what you tell yourself to sleep at night, Brian?" Damon said calmly, his voice low but firm. "Your brother lost because I outclassed him. Plain and simple."
Brian's face turned red with rage. He stepped even closer, so close their faces were almost touching. "You fucking think you're something special, huh? You think this shit's over?"
Kofi, under the gazebo, his grin wide and unbothered, clearly enjoying the drama unfolding in front of him.
His eyes lit up in amusement as he watched the heated exchange between Damon and Brian.
He casually leaned back, arms stretched across the back of the bench, as if he was watching a live performance rather than a team fight on the verge of breaking out.
Every now and then, Kofi would glance at Damon, that grin never fading.
It was almost like he thrived on the chaos, as if he enjoyed watching his competition tear each other apart.
He didn't say a word, just sat there, silently taking it all in, entertained by the whole situation.
When Brian's teammate finally pulled him away, Kofi chuckled under his breath, shaking his head slightly as though the whole thing was a joke.
He caught Damon's eye for a second, gave a small nod, and then went back to sitting like a king watching his court fall apart.
And again, Damon couldn't quite put into words, Kofi's grin didn't sit well with him.
It was too knowing, too smug, and it made Damon's blood run a little hotter.