Den of Thieves (BL)

Beau had never felt this hesitant about a job before. He always found a wicked satisfaction in stealing from the rich—poetic revenge for what they did to people like him, to his district. But this? This job felt different.

No—he felt different.

"Damn it," Beau muttered under his breath, fists clenching at his sides.

He couldn't ruin this for his team. They'd poured too much effort into the plan already. Ariel, Teddy, Nova—all of them counted on him to stay focused, to finish what they started.

Determined to silence the doubts clawing at his mind, Beau leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He could cast it all out.

But then—

Bzzzt. Bzzzt.

His phone buzzed loudly on the table.

Beau frowned and grabbed it, heart skipping a beat when he saw the name on the screen: Lanet Hines.

Him.

For a moment, Beau just stared at the message notification, thumb hovering over the screen. He could block the number. He should block the number. Yet somehow, he found himself unlocking the phone and opening the message instead.

"Hey, it's Lanet. Are you sleeping already?"

A groan slipped out of Beau's mouth as he dropped the phone face-down onto the table. "What does he even want?" 

He left the message on read and stood up, pacing the room like a restless animal.

What am I doing? Beau ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He'd been through countless jobs, always staying sharp, always one step ahead. But for the first time, his focus was a mess. A damn mess.

"I'll just sleep it off. Tomorrow, he'll lose interest and it'll be like last night never happened."

That's what he hoped as he sank into bed. 

The next day came faster than Beau wanted.

Needing to clear his mind, he threw on his hoodie and headed to a nearby park. It was quieter than usual—a few kids playing in the distance, couples strolling with coffee cups in hand. The fresh morning air filled his lungs, but it did little to ease him.

Beau slowed his steps, shoving his hands into his pockets. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about Lanet.

Lanet hadn't bragged about his wealth like the others. He didn't drone on about himself. He'd been interested in Beau, in a way that felt disarmingly... real.

And that made it so much harder.

Beau kicked a stray pebble across the path, his jaw tightening.

"I shouldn't care. He's just like the rest of them. He has to be," he muttered to himself, as if saying it aloud would make it true.

But deep down, Beau knew that wasn't entirely fair. Lanet was different.

Bzzt. Bzzt.

The loud buzz of his phone jolted him back to reality.

Beau froze mid-step, heart leaping into his throat as he glanced down at the blinking screen.

Incoming Call: Lanet Hines.

His feet rooted to the ground, fingers gripping the phone a little too tightly.

Why is he calling me?

Beau bit the inside of his cheek, wrestling with the urge to just ignore the call. He knew he should block him, but something held him back. If he didn't want to talk, he would've already done it, right?

With a resigned sigh, he answered the call. Instantly, Lanet's husky voice filtered through the speaker. "Wow, I didn't think you'd answer."

"Well, I didn't think I would either, but here I am," Beau replied, a little too cocky, as if that would shield him from whatever this conversation would bring. The silence on the other end stretched longer than he expected.

"How have you been?" Lanet asked.

"Fine." Beau kept his response short, hoping the lack of enthusiasm would kill the conversation quickly. He really didn't want to indulge in small talk, especially with him.

"I'm sorry, I can't chat for long," Lanet continued, as if not noticing the cool tone. "But I was wondering... would you like to have lunch with me? Two hours from now? I know it's sudden, but I'd love to see you again soon."

Beau's mouth went dry. He had expected Lanet to eventually lose interest, but this? This was different. Beau had dealt with plenty of rich people, but none of them had ever tried this hard to get his attention.

"Uh..." He fumbled for an excuse. "I'm busy right now and—"

"I won't take too much of your time," Lanet interrupted, sounding sincere, or was it charm? Either way, Beau could hear the pleading undertone.

And despite everything inside him screaming no, something else, some unexplainable pull, made his mouth open before he could stop it.

"Yes, let's have lunch."

Lanet's voice brightened immediately. "Great! I'll pick you up. Send me your address."

Before Beau could even think of a response, the call ended. 

'I'm going to regret this.' Beau thought as he typed out the address of the hotel and hit send. He then quickly moved to freshen up, though his mind was still tangled in a web of uncertainty.

What do people even wear on dates? He glanced at his small wardrobe, realizing with a sense of dread that his choices were limited. He couldn't very well show up looking like a thief in a worn-out jacket and jeans.

Exactly two hours later, his phone buzzed with a text from Lanet: "I'm outside."

Beau's stomach churned with nerves. I know my team won't be happy about this. Dates with the target are a bad idea. But here he was, about to head out.

He took a deep breath and left his room. He was hoping for a quiet exit, no one around to ask questions.

He stepped carefully across the floor, trying to make as little noise as possible. But the moment he reached the door, a voice stopped him.

"Are you practicing stealth, bro?"

Beau froze and turned around to find Ariel with her arms folded over her chest. Nova stood beside her, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips.

"Looks like sneaking out to me," Nova said, her eyes scanning him from head to toe, no doubt noting that he'd changed clothes twice today.

Beau cursed under his breath, realizing his plan to slip out unnoticed had failed.

Ariel's narrowed gaze locked onto him as she studied his face. Don't ask, don't ask, Beau thought, but Ariel wasn't one to let things slide.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

Shit. 

"Out for lunch," Beau said, keeping his voice steady, though he couldn't mask the unease completely.

Ariel turned to Nova with a small smile. "Nova, can you grab my phone from the bedroom?" 

As Nova left to fetch her phone, Ariel's eyes never left Beau. Her scrutiny was unwavering.

She didn't wait long before speaking again. "We've always been diligent in our work. Please tell me you're not going to see him."

Beau flinched slightly. How did she know? But there was no point in trying to hide it now. He didn't have the strength to lie to her.

When he stayed silent, Ariel's expression hardened. Her brows furrowed, and her lips pressed into a thin line. "Bro, come on. If this goes sideways…"

"I know, I know. I've already thought about that," Beau muttered.

Ariel didn't relent. "You've never considered relationships before—not even a simple date. Why now? What's different?"

Beau shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know. He... I don't know how to explain it."

His young sister let out a heavy sigh. "Well, as long as you've thought about it, and you're aware of the consequences if things go south…" She shook her head, exhaling through her nose. "Please be careful, okay?"

Beau met her eyes, his heart heavy and nodded, trying to reassure her, though a small part of him was still unsure.

"Thank you for understanding. I'll see you later. This doesn't change our plans, alright?"

She nodded as she wrapped her arms around him, giving him a warm hug.

Beau stepped outside, his eyes immediately landing on Lanet, who was casually leaning against his car. A wide smile spread across Lanet's face as he straightened up.

"Hey there," he greeted, pulling Beau into a friendly hug. "You look great."

Beau's heart skipped a beat at the compliment. He returned the smile, a little less confident than usual. "Hey, thank you."

"And thank you for agreeing to this," Lanet added, moving around the car to open the door for him.

The small gesture, one he never expected from anyone, made his legs go a little weak. No man had ever opened a door for him before. He's too smooth, Beau thought, trying to keep his cool.

"Aren't you a gentleman?" He attempted to sound casual as he slid into the car. 

Lanet slid into the driver's seat, his gaze lingering on Beau as he started the car. He wore the softest, most captivating smile Beau had ever seen.

"So, where are we going?" Beau asked, feeling a little self-conscious under his gaze. Don't let him charm you. Don't let him charm you.

Lanet pulled out his phone and started tapping through it. "I made a last-minute reservation at a restaurant. Just need to make sure it went through."

A few seconds passed, and then Lanet's eyes lit up as he glanced at the screen. "Looks like it's approved. Alright, let's do this." He flashed Beau a goofy grin, pulling out of the hotel parking lot.

"So, what do I have to do to earn the privilege of knowing your name?" Lanet asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

Beau smirked, looking over at him. "How about you just call me whatever you want?"

"Oh, Prince Charming, then?" 

Beau nearly choked on a laugh. "What?!"

Lanet side-eyed him, holding back a grin, but it didn't last. A loud burst of laughter spilled out of him, and before Beau could even try to hold it together, he was laughing too. 

Wiping a tear from his eye, Beau finally calmed down. "Okay, okay, I'll tell you one true thing about me instead of my name."

Lanet raised an eyebrow. "Alright, sounds like a fair trade."

"I'm middle-class." Beau's words hung in the air for a moment.

Lanet glanced over at him, his brows furrowing, then quickly turned his attention back to the road.

"Middle-class?" His voice was different now, quieter, almost cold. It didn't match the warmth from just moments ago. He let out a soft, incredulous laugh, like he hadn't fully understood what Beau was saying. "You're serious?"

Lanet's reaction reminded Beau of everything he'd learned about the elites growing up, the way they saw themselves as better than everyone else. 

The elites, the powerful, the ones with wealth beyond imagining, were a breed apart. They didn't date the likes of him. They didn't even consider someone from his background as a potential partner, no matter how charming or attractive they seemed. To them, it's taboo. It's an affront to their bloodlines, to their image, to their superiority.