Chapter Three
“Never thought I’d wish I had some dogs with me,” Darcy murmured, staring at the tavern from across the street. He’d passed this place a few times but never had the desire to go inside.
There were only a handful of motorcycles out front instead of the massive lineup he’d seen once or twice. No music was blaring, and people weren’t spilling out the door.
The street was pretty quiet, with only a few cars passing by. Darcy shifted from one foot to the other, wondering if Luca was already inside. Since he didn’t know what the guy drove, Darcy would have to enter the place to find out.
“Here’s to hoping I don’t completely embarrass myself.” He waited for a red pickup to pass before he crossed the street and opened the tavern door. He wasn’t about to stand there and debate for another ten minutes.
Darcy was starving and hoped the food was good. Something smelled fantastic—fried onion rings and chicken if he wasn’t mistaken.
The interior was dim, making him pause until his eyes adjusted from being out in the bright sun.
To his left were tables and chairs, to his right was the bar. Scanning the room, Darcy didn’t see Luca. But he did spot a familiar face. “Percy?”
The blond glanced up from a plate of nachos, a stunned look on his face. “What’s my pizza delivery guy doing here?” His brows knitted. “I didn’t mentally place an order, did I? Sweet fucking rainbows. Now I’m telepathically ordering food.”
Darcy snickered. “No, you didn’t beam an order to the restaurant with your mind. I’m meeting someone for lunch.” Maybe Luca had an emergency at the shop that was keeping him.
That was understandable in his line of work, but a call to say he was running late would’ve been nice.
“From the look on your face, your lunch date isn’t here.” Percy gestured at the seat next to him. “You can wait with me, unless you wanna sit at the bar and watch Rafael scrolling through his phone.”
Darcy took a seat, eyeing those delicious nachos. He’d been a little hungry when Luca asked him to lunch. All Darcy had eaten so far today was a yogurt. But now that he was at Sin’s, with those wonderful smells lingering in the air, his stomach was trying to eat its way out.
“So, who’s your lunch friend?” Percy bit into a nacho, the crunch loud in the quiet room.
There were two guys seated at the counter, a plate of food in front of each.
Another table was occupied with a young couple and their toddler, who kept kicking his feet and turning his head, refusing every bite his dad tried to feed him.
“A guy named Luca, who I just met. He’s the one who suggested having lunch here.” Darcy really wanted some of those nachos. He bet they were salted just right. And the cup of melted cheese in the center of the plate looked like orange heaven.
Percy’s hand paused halfway to his open mouth. “Luca invited you here?”
“You know who I’m talking about?” Darcy sounded just as stunned. How often did Luca hang at Sin’s? And Percy must’ve frequented the tavern a lot if he knew who the guy was.
Or was their connection deeper than that? Darcy looked the blond over, wondering— It was none of his business if Percy and Luca had been intimate.
Then why are you so flipping jealous right now, hmm?
Because Darcy really liked the mechanic. Luca wasn’t just hot. He was also sweet and funny. A combination that seemed hard to come by lately. Luca listened to Darcy’s rambling, appearing genuinely interested. And he’d been a lifesaver with the dogs.
Darcy was still amazed at how Luca had taken instant charge of the pack of dogs like he was somehow attuned to them.
“Santiago?” Darcy shouldn’t have been surprised to see him. Everywhere Percy was, bet your ass Santiago was close by.
Percy’s boyfriend sauntered toward them. The reverent look in his eyes as he stared at Percy stole Darcy’s breath.
Why couldn’t someone look at him like he was their entire universe?
“Hey, Darce,” Santiago said. He was the only person who got away with calling him that. “Delivering pizza to someone here?”
“You know, I do have a life outside my weekend gig,” Darcy huffed then turned to Percy. “Not gonna lie, your nachos are torturing me. Can I please have a few?”
Screw salivating over them. Darcy was so hungry he had cold pains in his belly.
“Well, since you do bring me my favorite food, this bitch’ll share.” He grinned. “ Un gato se sienta sobre cubos derretidos .”
Darcy forced himself not to grab a handful. “I don’t speak Spanish. You’ll have to tell me what you said.”
Oh god. The nacho was so freaking good. He wasn’t sure what flavor they were, but he’d never tasted any this flavorful. If Luca didn’t get there soon, Darcy just might eat all of Percy’s food.
“I said you’re welcome to my lunch,” Percy replied as Santiago looked like he was fighting a smile.
The tavern door opened, but it wasn’t Luca who walked inside. Just another muscled guy wearing a leather.
“Luca invited Darcy here for lunch.” Percy waved a casual hand at him as Darcy snatched another nacho, wishing he had something to wash it down with.
Santiago studied Darcy, those hazel eyes intense. “Luca personally invited you here?”
Why were the two of them acting like that was such a big deal? A sinking feeling settled in Darcy’s gut. “He’s not already involved with someone else, is he?”
The thought had never crossed his mind. Luca seemed so nice and genuine, but what if that was all an act just to get Darcy in his bed? Had he misread the guy? Darcy’s heart thumped wildly at the thought of being played for such a fool.
“No, he’s single,” Santiago answered, still studying Darcy. “He’s not scum, Darce. Luca’s one of the good guys.”
Relief never tasted so good. Even better than the nachos he was smashing. Hey, if Percy wasn’t objecting, Darcy wasn’t letting them go to waste.
But he did slide his phone from his pocket. No missed calls or texts. Darcy decided to send one to Luca.
You said an hour, right? Already here, waiting on my dog whisperer .
It wasn’t until after the text was sent that he realized what he’d said.
My dog whisperer?
Crap. Guys got nervous when the person they just met put a claim on them. Hopefully, Luca wouldn’t pay attention to that little detail.
Santiago pulled out his phone and frowned, making Darcy panic he’d sent the text to the wrong person.
You don’t have his number, moron.
“ Dos de nuestros chicos están en problemas. Necesitan ayuda urgente ,” Santiago called out to the almost-empty room. Darcy had no clue what he’d just said, but the urgency in the guy’s voice was unmistakable.
“What did he say?” Darcy asked Percy in a low tone. The guy behind the bar, Rafael, Darcy assumed, snapped to immediate attention.
Something was clearly wrong.
“He knows it’s hard for me to understand him when he talks too fast.” Percy got up and went after his boyfriend, who’d headed toward the back of the tavern.
A second later the two returned… with half a dozen cutthroat-looking guys.
The man in front could easily pass as mafia.
Darcy had never seen eyes that cold and intense before.
He munched on another nacho, eating it like a rabbit devoured a carrot as they passed him.
His heart nearly gave out when Killer Eyes spared him a glance.
Darcy never wanted the stranger with the neck tattoo to look his way again. His sphincter clenched just from his brief scrutiny.
Percy headed back to the table, but he didn’t sit down. “Come with me.” He grabbed Darcy’s hand and yanked him from his seat.
For a little guy, he was pretty damn strong. “What’s going on? Where’re you taking me?” Darcy grabbed the plate of nachos before he was hauled to the tavern kitchen.
Holy shit. The room looked like it belonged in a five-star restaurant, not a biker tavern. The appliances gleamed under the natural lighting streaming through the windows. The industrial-sized refrigerator alone made Darcy want to see what was inside.
Sue him. A few nachos hadn’t put a dent in his appetite. But he still had no idea why Percy had dragged him in here. It wasn’t for a dang tour.
But Percy had always been a strange little gremlin. A few months back, Percy had ordered from Pizza Pit every Friday and Saturday night.
Normally, no big deal. Until one Saturday night Percy had left the door open to grab some cash. Darcy had spotted a badly battered woman on the couch, a blanket curled around her slight frame.
She’d reminded him of his aunt, Patrice, who’d been killed at the hands of her own husband.
Darcy’s mom had been devastated at the loss of her sister.
She’d tried countless times to talk Patrice into leaving her husband, but his aunt had always refused, making excuses for Richard’s violent behavior.
Then, three nights before Christmas, they’d gotten the call. Patrice was dead. Richard was arrested, but Darcy’s paternal grandmother had suffered a heart attack from the horrific news and his mom had been on medication for a long time just to cope, which drove a wedge between his parents.
After the night he’d seen Percy’s mom with those same kind of bruises, he’d befriended the family, always making sure to bring Macey something sweet with their orders.
Darcy shook himself from his deep thoughts, hating when he remembered such a dark part of his past.
That was when he noticed a beefy guy at the huge stove, a smaller guy perched on a stool next to him. The one on the stool was talking nonstop, though Darcy couldn’t hear what he was saying. The large guy simply smiled at him as he cooked, like he thoroughly enjoyed having his ear talked off.
“Mind telling me why you dragged me in here?” Darcy munched on the nachos but was eyeing the plate of wings resting on the stainless-steel workstation.
Cooked to a succulent golden brown.
If Darcy would’ve known how late Luca would be, he wouldn’t have made sure to be here on time.
Tempted by food in every direction… Would anyone notice if he slid a wing off that plate?
“Cesar, Jamie, this is Darcy,” Percy said. “Darcy, meet Cesar and his partner, Jamie.” Then he addressed the cook again. “Please feed the poor guy before his tongue drowns in his saliva. Never seen a bitch eye-bang chicken before.”
“Was not,” Darcy argued, even as his gaze darted back to the plate. “I’m just appreciating how well it’s plated.”
“I made those!” Jamie slid off the stool and stood by the workstation like he was showcasing the wings on a game show. “I’m the only person Cesar has ever told his recipe to.”
“ Colibrí ,” Cesar said in a gentle warning, but Jamie continued like he hadn’t heard his boyfriend.
“It’s also in technique. It took forever for me to get it right. My pookie is an amazing teacher. Did you know it takes a rocket three days to make it to the moon? If you took a commercial airplane at normal speed, you would reach Jupiter in roughly seven hundred years?”
Darcy wasn’t sure Jamie had taken a breath the entire time he talked.
“These are my practice wings.” Jamie bounced on the balls of his feet, looking as if he would rocket into outer space at any second. “Go ahead, eat them. I’ve never served a customer before. I’m anxious to see if you like them.” He bit his bottom lip, worry in his eyes.
“Do I have to pay for them?” Darcy just wanted to be clear before he dug in. He didn’t want to end up with a bill he couldn’t pay.
Where in the hell was Luca? It was twenty minutes past the time they’d agreed on. Santiago had said the mechanic was one of the good guys, but doubt was starting to creep inside Darcy.
Jamie turned to Cesar. “He doesn’t have to pay for them, does he?”
“Luca invited him to lunch at Sin’s.” Percy grabbed a wing from the plate.
Darcy wanted to smack it out of his hand. Jamie had offered them to him, a starving dog walker who might’ve just been stood up.
He was ready to eat his feelings and wanted every one of those wings.
Cesar studied Darcy, just like Santiago had. What was with that? Was Luca asking someone to lunch that unbelievable? Darcy didn’t think so. The guy was too gorgeous not to have men vying for his attention.
Like me .
“No cost,” Cesar finally replied. “You can eat them at the table, Darcy.”
The table Percy had pulled him away from? As much as he was enjoying himself, this was a weird moment. Luca was a no-show, and Percy had dragged him off for no reason.
And everyone kept staring at Darcy whenever they found out Luca had asked him to lunch.
Percy grabbed the plate, and Darcy whimpered as he followed the delicious-smelling chicken. He paused when he spotted the huge dining room table on the right side of the room. How had he not noticed it before now?
There were a dozen chairs pushed under what looked like stained oak, a very expensive piece of wood.
“I’ll grab us something to drink since it seems I’m now your waiter.” Percy winked at Darcy. “The most fabulous one here.”
As Percy made a grand exit, two guys walked in. Their gazes immediately zeroed in on the plate of chicken. Darcy had an urge to pull it to his chest and growl, “Mine.”
“Who’s the guy and tell me you have more wings,” one of them said. The two kind of resembled each other, making Darcy think they were related.
“Sorry, Jared, but Darcy beat you to them.” Cesar smirked. “And he’s a guest of Luca’s.”
More strange looks. Darcy was getting a creeping feeling there was more going on besides a lunch date, but he was too hungry to give it another moment’s thought.
His eyes rolled back and he moaned when he took his first bite. Flavor exploded in his mouth, as the juices made him drool. This was even better than Smack Yo Mama’s chicken, which Darcy was addicted to.
“You like it?” Jamie held his clasped hands against his chest, eyes bright, bottom lips sucked between his teeth. The guy looked on the edge of bursting as he waited for Darcy’s reply.
“You made this?” Darcy pointed at the plate.
Jamie nodded vigorously, his smile slightly fading. “Did I add too much seasoning? Is it dry or undercooked? I followed Cesar’s instructions, but maybe I messed something up.”
Cesar crossed the room and cupped his partner’s cheeks. “Breathe, colibrí. You did amazing. Didn’t even burn those scanning fingers I love so much.”
“Jamie?”
He turned his head and stared at Darcy.
“I was asking if you made these because they are the best wings I’ve ever had. I just wanted to make sure I was gushing over them to the right person.”
“Really?” The smile not only returned but radiated pure joy. Even if they had sucked, Darcy wouldn’t have been a straight-up asshole to criticize such an adorable guy.
“I don’t play when it comes to my food.” Darcy stripped the bone clean. “These are incredible.”
Percy returned and set a glass of dark soda in front of Darcy. “Jamie, we need more wings. You have a line of hungry men salivating for them.”
“Okay!” Jamie hurried back to the stove, Cesar on his heels.
“He suffered brain damage from a lifetime of his brother knocking him around.” Percy’s jaw tightened.
“If the bitch hadn’t been sent back to prison for breaking into Cesar’s house and trying to kill them, I would’ve knocked a shovel upside the guy’s head.
” He blew out a breath and then another.
“My father used to abuse my mom. I fucking hate bullies.”
Although Darcy had seen the bruises on Macey, he’d never known how she’d gotten them.
“I’m so sorry that happened to your family, Percy.
” Darcy placed a hand on the guy’s wrist. “Trust me, I know how men like Jamie’s brother and your father behave behind closed doors.
” He squeezed Percy’s arm before returning to his chicken, feeling a bit awkward now.
Percy had shared something personal, and Darcy had injected his own family tragedy right into the man’s pain.
“Since I shared my nachos…” Percy grabbed a wing from the plate and took a bite. “Oh my god, Jamie! I’m having a food orgasm over here. Los patos conducen cemento! ”
Beaming, Jamie glanced at Cesar.
“He said your wings are made by the gods.” Cesar kissed his partner’s nose.
Why did Darcy have a feeling that wasn’t what Percy said?
Checking his phone, Darcy’s shoulders slumped. Luca hadn’t texted him back. As good as the food and company was, Darcy was ready to head home. There was no use sticking around when it was clear Luca had changed his mind.