Den of Thieves (BL)

Beau's pulse hammered in his ears as the wheels in his head started turning, trying to find a way out of this.

He grabbed Stanz's arm without warning and vaulted over the railing, both of them crashing onto the floor below. Stanz let out a strangled yelp, but they hit the ground running, tearing down the hallway. Behind them, the muffled shouts of guards echoed through the stairwell.

Nova stood at the doorway of room 532, holding it open just enough for them to slip through. The second they were inside, she slammed it shut and locked the door with a sharp click.

"Next time you decide to jump over things, give me a damn heads-up," Stanz was pissed off, clutching her side and glaring daggers at Beau.

Nova didn't even look up. "Both of you, shut it and hide." Her voice was sharp, her expression deadly serious as she pointed around the room with quick, frustrated gestures.

Beau's ears were ringing. The pounding of his heart was so loud that the guards' boots sounded like a toddler's steps.

The guards were already knocking on doors, shouting, interrogating anyone unlucky enough to answer.

Think, think, think. For the first time in his life, Beau's mind hit a wall. Ideas? Gone. It wasn't like him. Is this karma? A bitter thought slithered through his mind. Is this because I stole from a man who was actually nice to me?

Nova spun toward them, arms flailing in annoyance. "Can you two just fucking hide before we all end up in cuffs?"

Stanz shot her a cheeky grin, flipping open the window like it was her personal escape hatch. Without hesitation, she swung one leg over and slipped outside, perching on the narrow ledge like a goddamn adrenaline junkie.

"Are you crazy?" Beau whispered harshly, staring at her in disbelief.

Nova turned her gaze to him. "Well?"

Beau shook his head. "Yeah, no. I'm not hanging outside a fifty-three-story window. I actually value my life."

"You're fucking stupid," Nova hissed under her breath, glaring at him like she couldn't decide if she wanted to strangle him or hide him herself.

Nova didn't waste a second. She tore off her clothes and grabbed at Beau's. "Get under the sheets," she commanded.

Beau didn't argue—there was no time for questions. He slid under the covers as Nova climbed in after him, straddling his lap. Her face was so close that he could feel her breath, their lips just an inch apart.

"I swear," Beau whispered angrily, his voice tight with disgust, "I'd rather get over my fear of heights than ever be in a position like this again."

Nova's glare was sharp enough to cut glass. "Shut up and play along."

The heavy thud of boots grew louder, inching closer and closer. And then—bang—the door burst open, slamming against the wall.

"Aaah!" Nova shrieked in perfect outrage, grabbing the sheet and pulling it up to cover herself dramatically. In a flash, she leaned forward, blocking Beau's face completely as she clutched the sheet to her chest. "What the fuck is wrong with you guys!?" she screamed, her voice dripping with scandalized fury. "Can we not have any privacy here!?"

The guards froze mid-step, looking uncomfortable. "Uh, sorry ma'am," one of them stammered. "We're looking for—"

"I don't care what you're looking for," Nova cut him off sharply, her tone pure elite snobbery. "Get the hell out! I'll be sure to leave the most scathing one-star review for this godforsaken hotel. Do you understand me? I'll ruin you!"

The guards practically stumbled over themselves as they backed toward the door, murmuring hurried apologies. Then, a voice crackled over their radios:

"Team A, come in. We just spotted a car speeding away from the building. Looks like it could be them."

"Team A will be down shortly," one of the guards replied. Without another word, they shuffled out and slammed the door behind them.

Silence filled the room.

Nova climbed off Beau with a huff, grabbing her clothes and pulling them back on like nothing had happened. "If I had a dollar for every time I saved your sorry ass," she smirked, lacing up her boots.

Beau rolled out of the bed and shot her a glare as he tugged his shirt over his head. "You'd have just that—a dollar."

"Yeah, whatever," Nova's smirk was pure smug satisfaction. "I still saved your ass. Here, put these on. I'll go find Stanz before she kills herself."

She went to the window, leaving Beau to slip into the clothes she'd brought for them. Beau smirked as he adjusted the collar of the expensive suit. No one would suspect a thief in a suit like this, he thought, his hands smoothing down the fabric.

"Damn, my palms hurt," Stanz cried, rubbing her hands as she climbed back through the window.

"Sorry, love, but you're the one who insists on taking the most extreme route," Nova gave her a 'those are the consequences now deal with them' look as she tossed a dress and a wig in Stanz's direction.

"I'm not wearing this," Stanz groaned, holding the wig between her thumb and forefinger like it was contaminated. Her face twisted in distaste. "Do I have to wear this?"

Stanz had been bald as long as Beau had known her. She refused to grow her hair or wear anything that might make her look even remotely normal. The wig was a huge compromise, and from the way she was looking at it, there was no love lost between the two of them.

"That depends," Nova said tossing a fedora hat at Beau. "Do you want to get caught?"

Beau caught the hat but didn't put it on just yet. 

Stanz finally groaned and slipped into the shimmering dress with the wig. "This is way too much," she grumbled, adjusting the dress awkwardly.

"You look great," Beau said with a grin, grabbing her hand and securing the diamond in her purse with his other hand. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"Remember, act all over each other. People get uncomfortable looking at stuff like that," Nova instructed before they headed out the door.

Stanz slipped effortlessly into her role as Beau's lovestruck girlfriend. He pulled her closer by the waist, smiling. "You're a natural."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get out of here first so I can get rid of this itchy crap on my head," She grumbled, tugging at the wig.

They took the elevator down, pressing the lobby button. Both of them felt tense, not knowing what to expect once they reached the lobby, but Beau's mind was focused.

"Ariel's got most of the guards on a wild goose chase, and the police are already on their way. I'm almost there too," Teddy's voice crackled through their earpieces. Beau let out a relieved sigh.

"Thanks, Teddy. we'll meet you outside in a minute."

As soon as the elevator doors opened, chaos greeted them. Sirens wailed in the distance, growing louder and closer with every passing second. Beau's stomach twisted with worry, mostly for his sister, what if she can't escape? His thoughts were racing. This wasn't going to be a walk in the park, not that all their jobs were easy, but most had been carried out smoothly, without any attachments.

He'd never been this nervous before. Especially since he had purposefully aligned events in such a way that would challenge Lanet. Every step, every move had been calculated to test the man's limits so they could play a little game—yet now, as sirens blared and the heat of the moment wrapped around him, doubt crept in. Had he underestimated something? Was it the rush of excitement, or had he truly miscalculated this time.

It was one thing to put himself in the line of fire, risking it at a chance to see Lanet again, but what about his teammates—his friends and family?