Fitting In (14 page)

“We’re going to clear out the cash and the other valuables, and you’re going to help us,” Gwen said.

The bitchy waitress and her rodent-y boyfriend were the criminal masterminds behind the recent robberies? He’d told Jack and Gray he couldn’t imagine Gwen being involved in the crimes, because he’d thought she was dumb as a stump, and now he might not live long enough to tell them he’d been wrong. More importantly, he might never be able to tell Jack and Gray that he loved them. Why hadn’t he called them earlier? If he lived through this, there would be no more chickening out. He was going to tell them how he felt and beg them to give him a second chance. 

The man looked at Gwen. “We need to get out of here now. I’m sure the cops are on to me.”

Gwen snarled. “The cops don’t know about me yet. We’re going to clear this place out before we leave.”

He shook his head. “You can’t be sure what they know. We need to go.”

Gwen proceeded to tell him exactly how stupid he was. While he was distracted, Mason considered charging him. The guy was rattled, and Mason had a decent chance of bringing him down without getting shot, but there was also a chance he’d be killed, so he hesitated, immediately wishing he hadn’t. What were his chances of surviving the night anyway? He could identify Gwen and her boyfriend. One of them or their accomplices hadn’t hesitated to kill a cop. They weren’t going to get sentimental over a bartender.

Gwen gave up on arguing with Ferret Boy and focused on Mason. “You’re going to open the safe for us.”

He nodded in acquiescence, since there was no point in resisting. As long as he was needed, they’d keep him alive. Maybe he could get them distracted again and make a move. Or maybe, by some miracle, the police really were following the boyfriend, and they would trace him to Nathan’s. There was a chance Jack and Gray had looked into Gwen since they’d made the connection of her moving from Gino’s to Nathan’s. 

Mason pointed toward the office. “The safe’s in there. Are you going to shoot me if I start walking?”

“No,” Gwen answered even though she wasn’t the one holding the gun. The man didn’t seem inclined to do anything without her telling him to.

Mason walked slowly, hoping to hear a siren, longing for Jack and Gray to ride to the rescue. He was surprisingly calm as he pulled his keychain from his pocket and opened the cabinet that held the safe. He debated pretending to have forgotten the combination, but he doubted Gwen would buy it. Co-operation still seemed like the best strategy.

He turned the knob slowly, hoping Gwen’s friend would get distracted, but he kept his gun trained on Mason, hardly even blinking.

“I guess you’re really pleased with yourself, fooling Elizabeth and the rest of us,” Mason said.

Gwen laughed. “It’s amazing how gullible people are. This is the third bar or restaurant I’ve worked at in this neighborhood and still no hint that anyone suspects me.”

Mason snorted. “I must say I’m shocked to find out you’ve got the brains to pull this off.”

She crowded up behind him. “There are a few ways this night could end for you. Keep talking like that, and I’ll pick the one that makes you suffer most.”

“Just leave him alone so he can get the safe open.” The man sounded agitated. Mason wondered if he could get him stirred up enough to make him bolt.

Mason made the last turn on the dial and heard the click that signaled the lock was open. He tugged and the door swung out, revealing the week’s cash. Gwen had done her homework. Elizabeth always made a deposit on Monday. She’d waited until the best moment to make her play, but still the money was nothing compared to what they could get robbing a bank. “Why restaurants and small businesses? Don’t you want to go for a bigger mark?”

Gwen just laughed. “What we want is to not get caught. These places have next to no security, as you can see, and we’ve easily taken a quite a pile.”

“Easily? You killed a cop.” Mason responded.

“The fool that did that has been taken care of.”

Great. More evidence that they weren’t afraid to kill.

“Take it out and put it in here.” She handed Mason a duffle bag.

He did as she asked, working slowly, but not so slowly that she had a reason to complain. Ferret Boy had lowered his gun, but he still had it in his hand, and he was watching Mason carefully. Mason wasn’t sure if Gwen was armed or not. His odds were not good, but what were they if he did nothing?

Suddenly Gwen looked up from zipping the bag that now contained all the money from the safe. “What was that?”

Mason frowned. “What was what?”

“I heard something, like someone moving around outside.” She looked up at Mason. “Is anyone else here?”

He shrugged. “I didn’t even know you were here. As far as I knew I was alone.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Were your cops coming to meet you after work?”

“They’re not my cops, and no.”

“I’ve seen how you look at them. There’s something going on there.”

Mason didn’t respond.

“I’m going to check it out,” she said. “Keep an eye on him.”

Gwen stepped out of the windowless office, heading toward the kitchen. Mason wanted to get them out of the confined space. He needed more room for a fight. “There’s more money in the till. I hadn’t cleared it yet.” He started out of the room, waiting for the man to try and stop him.

“Why are you being so helpful?” Ferret Boy asked.

“Gwen’s going to ask for it eventually. We might as well get it while she’s chasing noises.”

He considered what Mason had said for a moment, then finally nodded. “Fine, let’s get moving.”

Mason did. When they reached the main room, he prepared himself to make a move. He needed to do something now, before Gwen came back. 

He walked slowly toward the bar so the man would think he was going to empty the till like he’d said. When he glanced over his shoulder, the man gestured toward the bar, encouraging him to keep moving. His gun was in his hand, but it wasn’t pointed at Mason. 

This was it. Mason steeled himself to attack.

Then the door burst open. “Police. Drop your weapons and put your hands up.”

Jack.

Ferret Boy brought his gun up, pointing it straight at Jack.

Mason whirled and kicked his arm. The gun went off as it flew from his hand, and a roar echoed in the room.

Before Mason could register what was happening, Gray was on top of Gwen’s partner, pummeling him. He smashed his fist into the man’s face again and again.

Mason tugged on his arm. “Gray! Gray!”

A detective Mason vaguely recognized as an occasional customer whistled loudly, and Gray froze. He blinked then looked Mason up and down. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

Ferret Boy stared up at Gray, looking terrified, blood running freely from his nose.

Gray looked back at Mason, and Mason knew he needed to get Gray up and out of there.

He tugged on his arm again, and Gray stood. Then Jack was there, reading Ferret Boy his rights.

“Gwen was working with him,” Mason blurted out. “She went toward the back to investigate a noise.”

“We got her,” the detective said.

Mason looked at him, keeping a hand on Gray’s arm.

“I’m Detective Marsh.” He held his hand out to Mason.

It seemed a strangely civilized gesture after what had just happened. But after a few seconds of paralyzed uncertainty, Mason shook his hand. “Mason Shields.”

“Are you all right?” Marsh asked.

Mason nodded. “Yeah, they just had me empty the safe, and Gwen took the money in a duffle.”

“We have it.”

Now that things were going to be okay, Mason started to shake, no longer able to hold himself together. Gray pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around Mason’s shoulders. “Are you sure he didn’t hurt you?”

“Yeah. He wanted to run, but Gwen wouldn’t let him. She was the one in charge.”

Mason glanced toward Ferret Boy. Jack had him cuffed and was in the process of pulling him to his feet. “Come on,” Jack said to Gray. “We’ve got to get him to the station.”

“Tell Anderson and Blaine to take the woman back, too,” Detective Marsh said. “I’m going to get Mr. Shields’s statement and finish looking around here.”

“I’m staying too,” Gray said. 

The detective shook his head. “No, you’re not. After that display, you’ll be lucky not to be facing suspension.”

Gray looked at Mason. “Will you be okay if we leave?”

Mason nodded. He desperately wanted Gray and Jack to stay with him, but he knew they had to do things by the book. Gray had already stepped over the line by attacking Ferret Boy after he was disarmed, and he was dangerously close to outing himself with the tender looks he was giving Mason. Mason had no intention of making him lose his job.

“I’m fine. Go do what you need to do.”

Gray studied him for a few seconds then nodded. “Okay, but…”

“I’ll take good care of him,” Detective Marsh said.

Gray looked at him. “You better.”

Marsh shook his head as Gray and Jack walked out the door. Did he realize what was going on between the three of them? Mason wouldn’t doubt he did. Jack and Gray’s secret might not be a secret much longer.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Mason lay curled under a blanket on the couch, unable to stop shivering. Detective Marsh had dropped him off at home after taking his statement. He hadn’t heard from Jack or Gray yet, and he wasn’t sure when he would. They might be working until morning, especially if Gwen or Ferret Boy gave them the names of others they were working with or confessed to “taking care of” the cop killer. If he hadn’t heard from them by dawn, he was calling them. He wasn’t going to let anything stop him from begging them to take him back.

He was exhausted, but every time he closed his eyes, his mind started to replay the worse scenes from his night. And he was sure if he did fall asleep, nightmares would come, ones in which he was shot, or Jack was, or Gray. Shivering, he pulled the blanket tighter around him and stared out into the night. There was no one there to see the tears rolling down his cheeks, but he sat in the dark anyway. Light seemed wrong for the mood he was in.

His eyes drifted closed. Maybe he fell asleep for a second or two, but he jerked awake when he heard a buzz. When he realized what had startled him, he reached for his phone with a shaky hand. 

A text from Jack.
Come home.

Joy coursed through him. Jack was right. When he was with them, he was home. 

He fumbled through his reply.
On my way.

Mason had stripped off his clothes when he got home, thinking he might burn them since they’d always remind him of being at gunpoint and of seeing Ferret Boy take aim at Jack. He’d pulled on a pair of ancient, faded sweats and a threadbare Duke University t-shirt, and he didn’t bother to change. He needed to get to Jack and Gray as fast as he could. Once he had shoes on, he ran for the door. Halfway there, he realized he didn’t have his keys, and he scrambled around looking for them, cursing every second that he wasn’t on the way to his lovers. Finally, he found them on the floor by the bedroom door. They must have fallen out of his pants as he’d kicked them off.

He’d gotten his car fully repaired after he’d broken up with Jack and Gray, thinking he couldn’t rely on them to worry about him anymore. And he was very thankful now, because even though they didn’t live far from him, biking would have taken far too long. He tried to focus on the road as he drove, but his mind was whirling. Jack and Gray wanted him; they wanted him home with them. Having their arms around him, kissing them, touching them, that’s what he needed to feel whole. He’d been so stupid to push them away.

As soon as he put his car in park in their driveway, he jumped out and ran for the door. Jack opened it before Mason could knock. He grabbed Mason and pulled him into his arms. Then Gray was there too, wrapping himself around Mason from behind.

“I’ve missed you,” Mason said against Jack’s neck. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“Missed you too.” They both squeezed him until he could hardly breathe.

He didn’t care, he needed to be held, and he needed to taste them. He kissed the soft flesh of Jack’s neck, growing slowly more aggressive until he was biting and sucking and Jack was moaning.

Gray slid his hands under Mason’s shirt, caressing him then tweaking his nipples. Mason groaned and sank his teeth into Jack’s collarbone.

Jack yelped and Mason grinned as he leaned back against Gray and shifted his attention to Jack’s mouth. They kissed, pouring their grief, fear, and desperate need into each other while Gray petted them both. “So sorry,” Mason murmured against Jack’s lips.

Jack pulled back and cupped his face. “It’s okay. I’m sorry too.”

“But you—”

“Could have made it clear how I felt, how we both felt.”

Gray gripped Mason’s shoulders then and turned him around. “You’re ours, but we let you walk out the door. We gave up.”

Mason shook his head. “No. I ran, and then I refused to admit how fucking scared I was. Today, when I thought….” Mason closed his eyes, fighting back tears.

Jack caressed Mason’s cheek with his thumb. “It’s okay. We’re all okay.”

Gray shifted so he could kiss Mason. He licked carefully at the seam of Mason’s mouth, and then he brushed his lips against Mason’s. Gray’s aching tenderness filled Mason with longing for everything he’d thought he’d have to give up. He closed his eyes and savored the sweet contact. And then Jack was there, and they were all three kissing. It was messy and awkward and so fucking perfect.

When they finally stopped to catch their breath, Mason took one of Gray’s hands and squeezed it. “I love you.” The words came out in a whisper.

Gray’s eyes widened. “You do?”

Mason nodded. He reached for Jack, taking one of his hands too. “I love you, too.”

Gray smoothed Mason’s hair back. “We’ve loved you for a long time, but we didn’t think you….”

“I want this. I’ve never wanted anything more, but I’m scared. I don’t want to come between the two of you.”