The Delicious Series: The First Volume

by Stella Starling

  “You know this man, too?” one of the cops asked Gavin, gesturing toward Tad. Then, without waiting for an answer, she asked Tad, “Is there a reason you didn’t disclose that information, sir?”

  “I don’t know him!” Tad blustered. “I’ve been in a few times, sure, but I work for UPS. I make deliveries here. It’s my job.”

  The cop cocked her head, giving Tad an assessing look. “So all of the businesses in this neighborhood are part of your delivery route?”

  “What? No. I mean, yes, technically, but I…” Tad opened and closed his mouth a few times without anything coming out, then jabbed a finger at Mace. “He hit me, remember?”

  Mace flexed his fingers, a twinge of pain shooting up his wrist from the swollen knuckles on his right hand. It was cold comfort, but at least it was one good thing that had come from this night.

  “I’m aware of that, sir,” the officer said to Tad calmly. “Which is why he’s in restraints. But we’ll need you to come down to the station, too, since it seems that your original statement was incomplete.”

  Tad squawked, and Mace tuned out the ensuing argument, knowing the cops would have their way regardless of the other man’s stupid attempts to fight it. He even believed that they’d eventually figure out that Tad was the thief. The UPS driver didn’t seem that smart, and if the fingerprints Mace assumed were to be found in incriminating places didn’t give him away, whatever he’d tucked into his jacket when Mace had walked in and surprised him undoubtedly would.

  But none of that mattered.

  Mace had a kitchen full of cash and the alarm codes to the bakery and a criminal history. And even if Danny had believed what Mace had told him about his previous time behind bars, now that it had struck closer to home, Mace had no illusions about what the outcome would be. Mace kept to himself. There was no one who was going to come forward and make a case on his behalf, and regardless of whether or not he ended up doing more time for the supreme fuckup that this night had become, the sum of those things would be enough to sow doubt with the only person who mattered.

  And doubts like that, just like weeds, would choke out everything good and beautiful and bright. Like hope. And love. And Danny.

  17

  Danny

  Danny cracked one eye open to confirm that it was still dark out, then rolled over, pulling a pillow over his head. Whatever the racket was that had woken him up, it could definitely wait for morning. Or later. Preferably much later, since morning was definitely not something Danny enjoyed participating in on a regular basis.

  Except—God—the noise wouldn’t stop.

  Danny finally stumbled out of bed, thinking uncharitable thoughts about the kind of people who knocked on other people’s doors in the middle of the night. As far as he was concerned, it had better be a bona fide emergency, otherwise he was going to have some choice words to say to whoever had woken him up at—he glanced at the time on the microwave as he passed the kitchen—God, three in the morning.

  Hadn’t he just gotten home? He wasn’t quite sure what time that had been, but since he, Gavin, and Jeremy had almost closed down the bar, it couldn’t have been all that long ago.

  His crankiness turned into concern as soon as he opened the door.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, a jolt of adrenaline waking him up.

  It was Gavin, and he looked worried. Not his standard version of looking worried, the one where he fussed about the million details that could go wrong but never did since Gav somehow managed to stay on top of all of them, but an expression that made Danny think that, this time, something actually had gone wrong.

  “The security company woke me up,” Gavin said without preamble. “Delicious was robbed.”

  “Oh my God! Gav… oh my God.” Danny’s brain stuttered over the news, then kicked back into gear. “Did you call the police? Isn’t the alarm supposed to do that automatically? Was anything taken? Do you need me to… do we… what can I do, Gav?”

  Crime wasn’t something Danny had a ready response for, but whatever Gavin needed, he was there for. He glanced around for his keys, the ones he hadn’t seen in… too long. But no, Gavin didn’t need him to drive him to the police station because Gavin must have driven himself here, and he needed… he needed… what did he need from Danny?

  “Come inside,” Danny said, whirling back to face him and wrapping his arms around his friend. He’d start with a hug.

  Gavin stayed stiff in his arms, rocking away from him without entering his apartment. “The police already responded, Danny,” he said, his voice just as tense as his body. “I came here straight from the bakery, and they’d already arrived from the alarm when I got there. They caught the guy red-handed. Guys, I mean. It was… it was two of them.”

  “Okay. Okay, that’s good, right?” Danny said, running a soothing arm up and down Gavin’s arm as his adrenaline started to ramp down. “So everything’s okay? Do you want to stay here for a bit? I’d offer you a drink, but honestly, I think I’m good after Renegade. Although of course, if you want—”

  “No,” Gavin interrupted, letting Danny tug him inside anyway and then starting to pace in front of the couch. He finally stopped, putting his hands on his hips, and said, “Danny, Jesus, I’m sorry, but one of the guys… it was Mace.”

  “What was Mace?” Danny asked, cocking his head to the side as he tried to follow the change in topics. He sank down onto the couch, wondering if that would inspire Gavin to relax and join him.

  “The guy,” Gavin said. “The thief. It’s been Mace this whole time. I know how you felt about him, but—”

  “No,” Danny cut in as soon as he caught up with Gavin’s ridiculous rambling. “Mace didn’t rob you.”

  “I’m sorry, sweetie,” Gavin said, giving him a pitying look. As if Danny was the confused one out of the two of them. “But it was him, along with that slutty UPS driver. It looks like they were working together.”

  Tad the UPS driver? Gross. But Mace? Danny rolled his eyes. “Sorry, Gav, but no. It’s just not possible.”

  Danny could easily believe that Tad was in on the robberies, and he could even see giving Gavin a pass for considering that Mace and Tad might have anything to do with each other. Maybe. If he were feeling charitable. And only because Danny knew that Gav hadn’t had to deal with Tad-the-manwhore directly and therefore probably couldn’t grasp the full extent of his ew-factor. That, and his best friend hadn’t gotten to know Mace yet. But since Danny had dealt with Tad and did know Mace, the idea that Mace had been a part of the neighborhood robberies was just as absurd as imagining he’d ever have anything to do with Tad.

  Well, “anything to do with him” other than kicking him out of the bakery for being a total slime earlier… which definitely ranked up there with Danny’s all-time favorite Mace moments.

  God, he really did love that man.

  “I was there, Danny,” Gavin said, the über-serious tone of his voice pulling Danny out of his my-boyfriend-is-so-hot reverie. “The police took Mace into custody.”

  “Oh my God!” Danny screeched, adrenaline crashing through him all over again as he shot to his feet. “What? They arrested him? Gavin”—he bit back some truly uncharitable words about Gavin taking so long to tell him that part, choosing instead to focus on priorities now—”we have to go get him out.” Danny shoved his bangs out of his eyes, trying to remember where his keys were. Hopeless. “You’ll have to drive,” he said to Gavin, slipping his shoes on. Then taking them back off. “I don’t know where my keys are,” he added, heading to his bedroom to grab a pair of jeans since it probably wouldn’t help anything if he showed up at the police station in just his underwear and a pair of shoes.

  “Danny.” Gavin followed, grabbing his shoulders and holding him still the minute he’d slipped them on. “Think about it. You told me Mace had been in prison. Do you know what for?”

  Danny nibbled his lip, considering lying, but… no. He knew it was going to sound bad, but he wasn’t going to start hiding
things from his best friend. Besides, if he did, it would only make it seem like he thought they needed hiding, and that wasn’t the case. It wasn’t Mace’s fault that he’d gotten a raw deal, no matter how it sounded.

  “It was a robbery, Gav,” he admitted. “But—”

  “Oh, God. See?” Gavin interrupted, throwing his hands up. “I’m sorry, Danny. I know you want Mace to be some kind of perfect story-book prince—”

  “No, I don’t,” Danny said, cutting him off sharply. He took a breath, tapping into some previously hidden reserves of patience that he honestly hadn’t known he possessed. He was practically vibrating with the urgent need to get to Mace, but he also really, really wanted Gav to understand.

  Plus, he needed him to drive.

  “I don’t want Mace to be perfect, Gavin,” he said. “I just want him to be perfect for me. And he is. He sees me, and I see him, too. I don’t know what happened tonight, but I know for sure that he wasn’t involved. Not the way you think.”

  Gavin sighed, looking away for a second. “I know you want that to be true.”

  “It is true.”

  Gavin’s eyes softened. “Danny, you really are the best kind of friend, and I love that you believe in the people you care about, but I just want you to face facts. I don’t want to see you hurt. That delivery driver said that—shit, I’m sorry to have to repeat it, sweetie—but he said that Mace was only with you to try to figure out how to get access to the bakery.”

  Danny waved his hand dismissively. Tad was such a creep. “He’s lying.”

  Gavin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Danny, I know Mace told you he loves you, but—”

  “And do you know why I believe him?” Danny cut in, officially starting to lose his hold on that patience he’d managed to find a minute ago. “It’s not because of the words. God, Gavin, give me a little more credit. It’s because of every moment in between. That Tad is an idiot. Do you honestly think someone would have put up with me for the last couple of months just to get their hands on three hundred dollars of petty cash and a stand mixer or two?”

  “No one ‘puts up’ with you, Danny,” Gavin said loyally. “And if that’s what Mace has made you feel like—”

  “It’s not,” Danny interrupted again. That had been a dumb thing to say, the voice of his old insecurities. Mace never made him feel like that. Mace made him feel precious and cherished and appreciated and seen. Protected and safe and wanted. Beautiful, and even without the words, loved for exactly who he was.

  “Did you tell Mace the alarm codes?” Gavin asked, crossing his arms.

  Danny tightened his lips. Gavin didn’t get it. And you know what? Danny could always call a cab. He pushed past his friends and shoved his feet back into his shoes, whirling on Gavin when Gavin followed him out of the bedroom.

  “Okay, listen,” Danny said, hands on his hips. “I’m just going to say this once, and then I’m going to go. Because Gav, I love that you care, but I’m about done trying to convince you while Mace is being held at the damn police station, where they probably think all the same things you do. Yes, Mace knows the alarm code. Yes, he’s been arrested for robbery before. But he didn’t do it. Mace has never let me down. Not once. Not even when my own insecurities made me expect him to. And I Do. Not. Care. What. It. Looks. Like. He was not involved in this robbery. I don’t know if there’s any way I can make them see that at the police station, but I’m for damn sure not going to let that stop me from trying. I’m also not going to let my boyfriend be stuck there on his own for a single second more than he has to.”

  Gavin stared at him for a too-long minute, almost long enough for Danny to give up and go, but finally he shook his head, huffing out a breath that was half-laugh, half-sigh.

  “Fine,” Gavin said. “But I hope you’re right, Danny. For your sake, but for mine too. You know Delicious is all I’ve got. It means everything to me, and I don’t want to find out later that I helped try to spring the guy who wanted to take it away from me.”

  Something inside Danny relaxed. Gavin did get it. Maybe not about Mace, but about not needing to know all the facts in order to believe in someone. Gavin believed in Danny, and Danny believed in Mace. Gavin was going to help him after all.

  “I know it’s your dream, honey, but you’re wrong about Delicious being all you’ve got,” Danny reminded him, hugging Gavin tightly for a second. “And thank you. I wouldn’t ask you to believe me if I wasn’t sure.”

  “Okay, well, let’s go then,” Gavin said, finally cracking a smile. “And we’d better come up with some facts while we drive, because no matter how much you believe in him, I don’t think relying on faith, love, and pixie dust is going to cut it with law enforcement.”

  Of course Gavin didn’t think so. It was one of the reasons he needed a friend like Danny in the first place… facts would probably be a good idea too, though, so for Mace’s sake, it was probably a good thing Danny was so good at losing his keys.

  18

  Mace

  “Last chance,” the cop said to Mace as she ushered him into the holding cell. “You sure you don’t want to make that phone call?”

  He shook his head, keeping his mouth closed to stop himself from changing his mind. He’d been through this before. The other time he’d been arrested, he’d taken the call like a lifeline. He’d really only had two choices: Trevor, who hadn’t been an option for obvious reasons, and Kelsie. It’s not like he’d expected her to be able to do anything about his situation, he’d just wanted… something. He wasn’t really sure what. Maybe just not to feel like he was in it alone, although in the end, of course, that’s exactly what he’d been. Alone.

  Kelsie had been pissed that he’d woken her in the middle of the night, and when she’d finally shown up—late the next day—it had only been to tell him that she couldn’t deal with his problems on top of her own.

  Things were different this time, of course, but also not.

  The first time the officer had offered him a phone call tonight, the idea of calling Helen had crossed his mind, but he’d quickly shut that down. A few conversations at the library and an evening of moving furniture didn’t mean she’d suddenly want his shit dumped in her lap. And then there was Danny, but Mace couldn’t let himself go there. Danny was nothing like Kelsie, but even though Danny would have different reasons, the result would be the same. Mace would end up on his own.

  He’d become dangerously addicted to the heady feeling of Danny’s exuberant love, to the way Danny’s eyes lit up every time he saw Mace, to having his whole life illuminated by Danny’s brightness. And while he wouldn’t fault Danny for sticking by Gavin, he just wasn’t ready to deal with it yet.

  Tad was in the holding cell next to him. He’d been glaring at Mace in silence while the officer was in the room with them, but as soon as she left, he stalked over and wrapped his hands around the bars that separated the two cells.

  “You know this is all your fault,” Tad said spitefully. “You had to go and fuck it up for both of us.”

  Mace flexed his hand, the knuckles already stiff and swollen. If there hadn’t been a barrier separating them, he would have been happy to finish what he’d started at the bakery between his fist and Tad’s face. Since that wasn’t an option, though, he ignored the other man… or tried to, anyway. The dickwad seemed to think that having bars between them gave him license to run off at the mouth.

  “If you’d just minded your own business we both would have been fine, you do realize that, right?” the stupid fuck said, leaning closer. “I don’t care how cute that little twink is, there’s no piece of ass good enough to—fuck!”

  Mace gave the man a grim smile, shaking out his fist but otherwise ignoring the fresh wave of pain that smashing Tad’s fingers had caused. He hoped he’d broken them—Tad’s, of course, not his own—and the way the guy was cradling them, it was possible. Either way, the throbbing in his own hand was worth it since it had shut the other man up. Although, as much as it sham
ed him to admit it, there was a small, selfish part of him that agreed with Tad.

  If he’d ignored what he’d seen, he’d be asleep in his own bed right now—probably dreaming of Danny—and when he woke up in the morning, nothing would have changed. At least, not for him.

  He wandered over to the sliver of a window that looked out into the dark parking lot of the police station, staring blindly at the cracked pavement and sorry attempt at landscaping that surrounded it as he tried to imagine it.

  He couldn’t.

  No matter how tempting that better life he’d let himself dream of with Danny was, Mace knew he wouldn’t have been able to hold his head up if he’d taken that route. It just wouldn’t have been right.

  Tad was whining about his fingers, but Mace tuned him out. In theory, he wasn’t a fan of violence, but he had no qualms about having used it on the dickhead who couldn’t seem to open his mouth without disrespecting the man Mace loved.

  Mace clenched his jaw, blinking away the sudden blurriness in his eyes at the thought. His feelings for Danny weren’t going to change, even if Danny stopped wanting to hear them.

  No… when, not if.

  Mace had to kill the part of him that wanted to cling to “if” before it did him in.

  Hints of color were appearing in the predawn light outside, and Mace leaned against the concrete wall, fixing his eyes on them as he tried to make out the plants scattered around the police station. It was obvious that whoever had chosen them hadn’t known shit about landscape design, but still, it was a welcome distraction from the annoying drone of Tad’s voice and Mace’s thoughts of what he couldn’t have. Then again, maybe not. A little stand of iris bloomed near his window, and he chuffed out a breath, feeling his throat close up for a moment. The flowers stood for hope, and in his current circumstances, seeing them felt like a cruel taunt.