Den of Thieves (BL)

Lanet remained completely still, the cold metal pressed against his stomach making his pulse race. The woman holding the gun didn't seem like the type to bluff. One wrong move, and it could all be over.

"Teddy, take Star to his room," she commanded. She didn't even glance back as she issued the order.

Lanet heard hurried footsteps retreating deeper into the house, and his mind scrambled to piece together the situation. She's not alone?

"If it weren't for my brother," the woman growled, her finger hovering too close to the trigger, "I'd blow your guts out."

Despite the imminent threat, Lanet's sharp gaze caught the similarities between her and Langley. Their eyes, their strong features—it was unmistakable. "I don't want trouble," he said carefully. "I just… is he here?"

Her lips curled into a sneer as she stepped behind him, jabbing the gun against his spine. The fear in Lanet's chest coiled tighter, squeezing the air out of his lungs.

"You're going to stay nice and quiet," she hissed, shoving him forward.

She forced him inside the modest house. She gestured to a worn couch in the small living room. "Sit."

Lanet obeyed without protest, sinking into the couch as she kept the weapon trained on him. The minutes stretched into hours, the room heavy with tense silence. Lanet's relief at not being tied up or worse barely outweighed the anxiety of what might come next.

A door creaked open, and a bulky man walked in, his sheer size making the small space feel even tighter. His expression was unreadable as he addressed the woman. "Ariel, he said he'll be home in a few minutes."

"Thanks, Teddy." Her tone softened slightly before she added, "Please get our guest some water."

Lanet's nerves were shot, but as he sat there under the watchful eye of Ariel and her gun, a strange realization crept in—these people didn't seem like killers. Even Teddy, who looked like he could flatten him with one punch, had an air of gentleness about him. He was a big bulky guy, everything about him was intimidating, except for the gentleness in his eyes.

The faint creak of the door opening pulled Lanet's attention, and a familiar voice broke the silence.

"Sorry about all this trouble, sis."

Lanet turned his head slightly, catching sight of Beau entering the room. Ariel's narrowed eyes followed him as he stepped in.

"Where were you?" she demanded.

"I took a long walk," Beau replied casually, but he looked tense.

"It wasn't a walk," Lanet interjected, unable to stop himself. "He ran into the woods."

Beau shot him a look, but instead of arguing, he sighed. "Look, I don't have the money right now, okay? I can't pay you back until my next job."

Lanet's lips pressed into a thin line. His next job? It didn't take much imagination to figure out what that meant. There was no way his salary from the clinic was enough to cover the cost of the Graff Pink diamond.

Beau glanced at Ariel and then back at Lanet. "Just leave my family out of this. I'll pay you back, like the decent person that I am."

"Beau, you don't have to do anything. I can help," Ariel cut in with a heavy sigh, though the way she gestured with the gun made Lanet's throat tighten. "But it'd be easier to… you know."

The gun shifted slightly in Lanet's direction, and his heart leapt into his throat. What the hell was I thinking coming here alone? Did I really like him that much to take this risk?

"What? No, no!" Beau's voice rose in alarm, his eyes wide with panic. "That's not happening!"

Ariel shrugged but didn't lower the weapon.

"Look, there's a way you can pay me back," Lanet said, his voice surprisingly steady despite the fear twisting in his stomach.

All three of them turned to him at once, curious and suspicious.

"I'm listening," Beau said.

"Remember the heirloom I told you about?" Lanet began. "There are two more pieces missing. Each piece is worth hundreds of millions…"

Before Lanet could finish, Beau burst into a mocking laughter. "Wait, let me guess—you want me to steal them?"

"Yes," Lanet replied without hesitation. "I want you to steal both of them."

Beau's laughter abruptly stopped. He gave Lanet a look of disbelief. "What do you think this is? You have money. Go buy them back like you did the others."

"I can't," Lanet said flatly, his eyes briefly flicking to the gun still in Ariel's hand. "They're not for sale."

That made Beau laugh harder, his shoulders shaking as he leaned against the wall. Lanet could practically see the wheels turning in his head, the defiance brewing behind his mocking grin.

"You steal both pieces," Lanet pressed, "and take the other one for yourself." He paused to let the offer sink in. "It's a win-win, Beau. You get your payback, and I get my heirloom."

For a moment, silence hung in the room.

"Yes," Ariel and Teddy said at the same time.

But Beau wasn't convinced. "I think the fuck not," he hissed.

"Beau, you can finally keep some money for yourself," Ariel urged, her voice softer now, almost pleading.

"I said no!" Beau snapped, glaring at her before turning his anger back to Lanet. "I'd rather you sent me to jail for stealing, Mr. Hines. I do not work for people like you."

The last word left his mouth like venom, and he didn't wait for a response. Instead, he spun on his heel and stomped up the stairs, leaving Lanet to stew.

"I mean, I don't care if you're using us, as long as you keep your word and we get the other piece, but…" Ariel's words trailed off, but Lanet wasn't really paying attention. His mind was stuck on something she'd said earlier.

He couldn't help himself. "What did you mean he can keep some money for himself? Does he owe someone?"

"What, no!" Ariel huffed, blowing out a frustrated breath.

Before she could say more, the big guy, Teddy, stepped in. "While we keep most of our shares, Beau donates most of his. Pretty much all of it."

"Donates it to what?" Lanet asked, frowning. This wasn't making sense to him.

"The clinic, the school, the soup kitchen—basically every problem this community has," Teddy replied. His arms crossed over his massive chest, giving him a protective, no-nonsense vibe. "He tries to fix them all."

"But why?" Lanet couldn't hide the confusion in his voice. Even the rich guys he knew wouldn't go that far. "Even rich people can't solve everything."

Ariel scoffed, rolling her eyes like he was clueless. "Try living here for a week, and you'll figure it out."

Lanet didn't get a chance to reply because a small voice piped up from the stairs. "Mama, Uncle Beau promised to help me with the design for my next project. I heard him come home. Did he leave again?"

Lanet looked up to see a little boy standing at the top of the staircase. He was in his pyjamas, clutching a book and pencil.

Ariel's tough demeanour softened immediately. "Maybe I or Teddy can help, honey," she said, quickly tucking the gun behind her back.

The boy pouted, shaking his head. "No, you won't understand. We were going to make something for the playground so all the kids can play together."

Lanet stared, caught off guard. Back when he was a kid, parks had everything—swings, slides, and see-saws. But this boy? He had to design his own playground equipment just so the other kids in the neighbourhood would have somewhere to play.

"Hey, bud, Uncle Beau is just tired. Can you wait till tomorrow?" Teddy said softly. Despite his intimidating size, the way he spoke explained why they called him Teddy. He might look like someone who could crush skulls for a living, but Lanet thought to himself, if the siblings decided to end him, Teddy would be the man he begged and he was sure he'd have mercy.

Before the boy could respond, Beau appeared behind him. "There's my engineer," he said with a smile that didn't quite reach his tired eyes. The dark circles under them were proof enough of how exhausted he was. Teddy hadn't been exaggerating when he said Beau was running on fumes.

The boy giggled as Beau scooped him up and carried him downstairs. "I thought you forgot about me!" he said, his laughter echoing through the room as Beau tickled him.

"I could never forget about my favourite boy," Beau replied, his voice warm despite the weariness on his face.

"Can I help?" Lanet blurted out, the words escaping before he even thought them through. He wasn't sure why he said it—maybe to stall or maybe because he wanted to know more about these people, especially Beau.

The boy turned to him, his big eyes blinking in surprise before lighting up. "Wait, I know you! You're the guy from the tech magazine!" he shouted. "You made the first arti kidney!"

Lanet blinked, startled. He wasn't expecting that. The kid not only recognized him but even knew about his work.

"Yes, dear, we all know who he is," Ariel said as she folded her arms. Still, there was a hint of pride in her voice that she didn't bother to hide.

"Uncle Beau, can he help too, please?" Star was excited as he pointed toward Lanet.

Beau's gaze flickered to Lanet, his eyes narrowing slightly. It wasn't a warm look—more like a warning. "Uh, sure, he can help," Beau said, though his tone made it clear he wasn't thrilled about the idea.

Star didn't seem to notice. He beamed and grabbed Lanet's hand, tugging him toward another room. "My name is Star! When I grow up, I'm going to be an engineer!" he declared proudly.

Lanet couldn't help but smile. "Oh yeah? What kind of engineer?" he asked, allowing the enthusiastic boy to lead him.

"I don't know yet, I'm still exploring," Star replied confidently as they entered what looked like a study room. The space was cluttered with papers scattered across the table and floor, each one filled with sketches and drawings. "Uncle Beau says I have plenty of time to decide," Star added, his small hand gesturing at the chaotic workspace like it was a treasure trove.

Lanet opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say a word, a strong grip wrapped around his arm. Beau's hand tightened, his nails pressing into Lanet's skin with enough force to make his intent clear.

When Lanet turned his head slowly, he immediately felt the sting of a sharp cold metal pressing against the side of his neck. Beau moved fast—too fast for him to react in time. Of course, he would. A thief like him was bound to be this skilled. 

Beau didn't say a word. He didn't need to. The look in his eyes was enough—a silent, cutting threat that spoke louder than any warning.