Den of Thieves (BL)

Beau seemed to be in a trance, his eyes fixed on the pink diamond as it glimmered under the auction lights, it was a rare beauty indeed.

"Wow, I've been out-charmed by a 24.78-carat pink diamond," Lanet said, his soft laughter breaking through the hum of bids. "Who would've thought?"

"I'm a man who loves his diamonds, Lanet," Beau replied with a sly smirk.

Lanet tilted his head, a spark of curiosity in his eyes. "Is this the item you came for?"

"Maybe," Beau said casually, his focus on the auction.

Around them, the bidding began to climb.

"Forty-five million!" a woman shouted from across the room.

"Forty-eight million!" Lanet's sudden burst of energy made Beau blink as he jumped from his seat, confidently shouting his bid to the auctioneer.

Beau stifled a laugh, shaking his head. It's really going to suck stealing this from him if he wins.

"Forty-eight million—going once—"

"Fifty million!" The lady shot up from her seat, she gave Lanet a look Beau imagined was how rich people looked when they fought over toys.

"Fifty-five million!" Lanet countered, glaring at the woman as though they were arguing over pocket change.

The room fell into a hush as the auctioneer slammed his gavel down.

"Fifty-five million—going once, going twice, and sold! To the gentleman in seat number sixteen!"

Beau turned to Lanet, an eyebrow raised as he sat back down. "So, that's the item you were after?"

Lanet grinned. "Nope. There was another item that caught my attention during the preview."

"Which is?"

"The Hope Diamond," Lanet replied, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather. "A 45.52-carat blue stone."

Beau blinked, stunned. "And how much does that cost?"

Lanet's grin didn't falter. "About five times more than the Graff Pink. But it's not about the cost."

Not about the cost? Beau nearly scoffed out loud. "You're telling me that spending five times more isn't a big deal? That's over 250 million!"

A high-pitched squeal shot through his hidden earpiece, nearly deafening him. "Two hundred and fifty million?! Fucking hell, Beau! Do you know what we could do with that money?" Ariel's voice rang out.

Beau resisted the urge to sigh, subtly pressing his thumb against his ear to dull the noise. His sister's dramatic outbursts were not helping him focus.

Turning back to Lanet, he frowned. "But if you're after the Hope Diamond, why bid on the Graff Pink? What's the point?"

Lanet shrugged nonchalantly, a devilish glint in his eyes. "You seemed to like it," he said, voice smooth as silk. "But for some reason, you didn't bid on it. So, I bought it. Maybe one day I'll look at it and remember you."

Beau froze, his muscles going stiff. His eye twitched.

What the hell?

Did this man just admit he bought a fifty-five million dollar diamond… because he thought he liked it?

Who does that?

Beau sat there, utterly baffled.

Lanet, on the other hand, looked pleased with himself, as if spending millions for the sake of a passing whim was completely normal.

Beau's fingers itched. If Lanet thought his wallet could solve everything, he had another thing coming. 

The auction carried on a little longer, and Beau found himself sipping on expensive wine while chatting with Lanet. Maybe it was the alcohol working its magic, but the conversations had taken an unexpectedly interesting turn.

It turned out Lanet wasn't just a pretty face with a fat wallet. Between sips, he learned the man spent most of his time volunteering at orphanages when he wasn't working or lounging at home.

Beau tilted his head, curiosity finally getting the better of him, he leaned in close to Lanet. "Be honest, though. Why did you want the Hope Diamond?"

Lanet swirled his glass. "It's a family heirloom that was stolen back in 1792. What you saw tonight? That's just a piece of it."

A stolen family heirloom? Rich people and their dramas—it was always something. That was centuries ago. Did they just pass the story down like bedtime tales? 'Someday, son, you'll find that stolen rock.' Beau shook off the thought before it made him laugh out loud.

When the auction finally ended, the guests poured back into the ballroom, where music played and couples spun gracefully across the dance floor. It was the usual display of wealth and refinement, none of which interested him.

Beau slipped through the crowd and onto the balcony, breathing in the cool night air. The noise of the party faded behind him, replaced by the soft rustle of the evening breeze. Leaning against the guardrail, he stared out at the vast gardens below, feeling an odd twinge of... something.

It was nice talking to Lanet, he thought begrudgingly. Not that he'd admit it out loud. He let out a sigh. "I just wish someone else had bought that damn diamond."

Before Beau could dwell any further on the thought, footsteps sounded behind him.

"There you are."

He jerked slightly, turning around to see Lanet standing at the threshold of the balcony doors.

"Didn't mean to startle you," Lanet added, raising his hands as if in surrender.

Beau narrowed his eyes, brows pinching together. "Are you following me around now?"

Lanet smirked, his presence irritatingly calm. "I just wanted to see you before I left."

A questioning look crossed Beau's face. 

"I enjoyed our conversation tonight," Lanet said, holding out his phone. "I was wondering if maybe we could exchange contact details?"

Beau looked down at the device in Lanet's hand and frowned. "Lanet, I…"

"Please." Lanet's tone softened. "I just want to get to know you."

For a moment, Beau hesitated, his fingers twitching. Then, with a silent sigh, he took the phone and entered his contact details under Mysterious. Before handing it back, he called his own number to save Lanet's.

"So…" Lanet smiled. "I guess I won't be getting your name tonight?"

Beau shook his head, lips curving faintly. "Not tonight."

Lanet chuckled, slipping the phone back into his pocket. "Fair enough. I'm leaving now, but I hope we'll see each other again soon."

Don't count on it. He kept that thought to himself. Instead, he offered a small nod. "Have a good night, Lanet."

He gave Lanet a light punch on the shoulder—friendly but dismissive and slipping a little something—before watching him disappear through the balcony doors and back into the crowded ballroom.

The quiet of the night settled again, but not for long. A few minutes later, Ariel appeared at Beau's side, grinning like a fox who'd caught a juicy secret.

"I thought he'd stick to you like glue," she teased, nudging him with her elbow.

Beau feigned a tired sigh. "That's the longest I've ever socialized with an Elite."

"An Elite who made you blush so much." Ariel's grin widened as Beau shot her a glare.

"Shut up," he muttered, pouting. But the corner of his mouth betrayed him, twitching into a smile. The two burst into childish giggles, laughter ringing softly into the night air.

It had been a while—too long, in fact—since Beau had felt remotely interested in anyone. Not that it mattered. That wasn't why he was here tonight.

"Teddy, I dropped the tracker into his jacket. All good?" Beau tapped his earpiece. Teddy was a not only the tech and security guy of the team, he was also a dear friend to Beau and Ariel, the closest to the two siblings.

A crackle of static came through, followed by Teddy's calm voice. "All good. Signal's strong. Nice work, Beau."

"Alright, everyone, let's regroup at the hotel. We'll discuss our next move there."

________________________

An hour later, Beau's team gathered in the living room of his hotel suite. Laptops were open, papers scattered across the coffee table, and a whiteboard leaned against the wall, ready to map out their heist.

"Alright, guys and girls, let's put our brains to work," Beau said, leaning forward with hands clasped.

Teddy adjusted his headset and glanced up from his screen. "I tracked him to Hotel Mirina. Followed him there, but couldn't go any further."

Ariel frowned, arms crossed as she stood by the window. "The building has what—sixty floors? How do we know which one he's on?"

Teddy pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "He took the private elevator. Leads straight to the penthouse. And surprise, surprise, it requires a keycard."

"So breaking in won't exactly be a walk in the park." Ariel's shoulders deflated, clearly irritated. She hated difficult jobs.

Beau's gaze shifted to Teddy. "We need to know when he'll be out of the penthouse, how long he'll be gone, and the security detail of the building. Can you get that?"

Before Teddy could respond, Nova—calm, efficient, and already two steps ahead—clicked away at her laptop. "I'm on it. Actually…" She paused, her expression smug as her fingers flew across the keys. "I'm looking at his schedule now."

Teddy's jaw dropped. "Wait, you already hacked into his accounts?"

Nova shot him a glare over her screen. "Would you not interrupt me?"

"Of course. Sorry."

Nova huffed and focused back on her screen. "Two days from now, he'll be at a masquerade ball. It's at least three hours out of town. The event starts at 8 p.m., and given its exclusivity, he'll be occupied for hours. That's our window."

Beau nodded, a slow smile forming. "Perfect. Tonight and the next two days, we'll gather intel on the building's security. Teddy, you focus on their systems. Nova, I need details on the surveillance layout and weak spots. Ariel, work on the floor plans and access points."

His team dispersed quickly, each member sinking into their respective tasks. Ariel and Nova huddled over blueprints of the hotel, debating routes and risks, while Teddy muttered to himself as he sifted through encrypted files.

Beau stayed behind, slumping into a chair by the corner of the room. The low hum of keyboards and clicking filled the space, but his thoughts drifted elsewhere—back to Lanet Hines.

His fingers tapped idly against the armrest, jaw tightening.

"Am I really going to do this to him?"

Lanet's face flashed through his mind: that charming smirk, the genuine warmth in his voice when he'd asked for his contact details, the unexpected kindness that didn't seem to fit the stereotype of an Elite.

For a fleeting moment, Beau let the doubt creep in.