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“Court Case #358765”
Three men sat behind a table, a manila folder lay open on it as they passed the sheets of paper that made up his file between themselves. They seemed to be taking their sweet ass time, reading thoroughly through each of the pages as if he were not sitting there, waiting for his life to change based on their decision.Part of him wanted to huff in impatience, but he knew he shouldn’t. He had to be on his best behavior, as he’d been all this time. If this didn’t come through, it would be a long while before he got another chance at this. He’d endured so much without losing his temper, he just needed to hold on a little bit more. Just a little more and he’d be out of this godawful place and back to where he needed to be.“Mr. Jones, this meeting is to determine whether or not you’re likely to break the law again if you’re released on parole. While we have your records of good behavior here and note this is your first convicted offense, your records indicate that there is reason to believe you’ve taken part in other fraud schemes. What do you have to say for yourself?”His lips curved in a smug smirk. “I would say that allegedly I’ve taken part in other schemes. There has been no proof or conviction, darli- ma’am”. He caught himself at the very last moment and forced himself to lose the smirk and put on a sheepish smile. He needed these people on his side. He needed them to believe him.He cleared his throat, lowering his head a little before he faced the panel again, a self-deprecating smile coming to his face. “I know you’re wondering why I did the things I got convicted for. I trusted the wrong people. I thought I was walking into an honest deal and I found myself in the middle of a crime I hadn’t meant and didn’t want to commit. Everything spiraled downhill from there - my wife left me, I had ended up in a dark place. The first few weeks in prison were not easy. But I’m doing better now and I want to redeem myself. I want to do better, get my life back on track, see my brother.”He paused for a moment, letting the words sink in, trying very hard to build a momentum. “I - I want-” his voice faltered and he cleared his throat, tilting his head to the side in a lopsided smile. “I want to do the right thing.” He delivered the words with solemnity, as if he were taking a vow for a life commitment… he could only hope they’d buy it.
They did.
A few hours later, he stood in front of a mirror, tugging his cuffs and adjusting his shoulders. He felt as if the suit was bringing him back to the man he once was. The small gold band sitting in his jacket pocket felt inordinately heavy though, and he took a beat to look at his reflection in the mirror. His chin was now covered in scruff that he’d taken to grooming only every few days, and his brown hair seemed darker now and was clearly in need of a trim as it curled at the ends. But his money-making smile was still there, and his blue eyes still were able to pull the earnest puppy stare that had brought him so many good moments in his life.With a deep breath, he pulled the ring out of his pocket and slid it on his finger, where it belonged. It has always belonged there, and he had every intention of keeping it that way. Turning around, he knocked on the wall and then slipped his hands into his pockets.A guard came down and escorted him to the exit, his steps dragging next to him. He faced him before opening the final door between him and freedom.“Ready for your new life, Mr. Jones?”“I’m ready.”Stepping out of the minimum security correctional facility, he vowed to himself that he’d never come back. They caught him once, shame on the ones that had betrayed him. If they caught him twice, it would be a shame on him. And he’d make damn sure that would never happen. He had plans for his life, and they didn’t involve another stint in jail.Liam Jones was going to get back what belonged to him.
And a few other things that didn’t.
/-/There was always comfort in the little details. Standing in the middle of one of the many casino’s main floor in the city, he took a moment to close his eyes, take a deep breath, and let it all sink in. The buzz of hundreds of whispered conversations, the clang of the coins pouring from the slot machines, the roll of the dice against felt, the distinct sound of the ball skipping along the roulette wheel. They each came together in a perfect cacophony. Combine them with the smell of liquor, cheap perfume, sweat, and cigarette smoke that not even smoking restriction laws had been able to completely eradicate, it produced an ambience that Liam loved like the second home it was to him.Opening his eyes, Liam scanned the room trying to find what he was looking for. He couldn’t find it, but it was ok… he could kill some time at one of the tables and let the story unravel itself. He was sure that if he didn’t find her, she will find him.He sat at one of the tables, reaching into his pocket to pull a couple of crumpled hundred-dollar bills. He had beaten a poor fool at pool in one of the pit stops on his journey to Atlantic City, getting himself a few hundred bills that he now needed to put to work if he wanted to have some sort of steady petty cash to support him for the next few weeks.His fingers traced a pattern on the felt and the feel of the soft texture under his fingertips send shivers down his spine. He was home. Or as closer to home as he’d ever been. He tilted his head, letting a lazy smile coming to his lips as he looked at the croupier calling for the bets. He tossed a few chips and waited.The croupier smiled to the table - that flirty I’m on your side half hidden smile that had naives fooled - and she started to deal the hand.Liam’s mind woke up, sharpening with each whir of cards shuffling and being dealt on the felt. His eyes zeroed in on the table, his brain analyzing every bit of information about the game, every possibility and most likely outcomes. Like breathing, his mind drifted over different tactics and he made his move.Nineteen. The house pulled eighteen.  Win.Fourteen. The house ran over.  Win.He put all his wins on the next bet. Black Jack.
Bloody hell, it was good to be back.
It wasn’t long until a second dealer showed up, a pit boss circling nearby like a vulture waiting for its prey. The new dealer smiled, arranging her hair to the side and showing up her cufflinks to the table before speaking. There was only a hint of nerves on her voice, but Liam could feel it. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Tina and I’ll be dealing for you.” Her eyes darted quickly in Liam’s direction, a warning hint passing fleetingly before she was back to her professional self.Liam played with the chips, dropping them one by one on the felt as everyone else on the table made their bets. It was only him left.“Sir, in or out?” Tina called, an eyebrow rising slightly at him.Liam tilted his head and made tsk sound with the corner of his mouth. “Out. The table is cold anyway.” He flipped a chip with his thumb and the croupier caught it, a smile gracing her lips.“You might want to try the lounge at the Olympus. I heard it gets interesting around one.”Liam smiled as he stood up and buttoned his suit jacket. “I’ll be sure to check it out, thank you for the tip.”At precisely one clock, he was nursing his glass of straight Macallan when he felt someone sitting next to him.He smiled and tilted his head as he took a sip of his whiskey. “Fancy meeting you here, Tina.”The woman next to him gave him a feline smile, her hand signaling to the bartender. “Ursula Mount couldn’t pass a gaming board. Tina Matthews definitely can.” She nodded to the bartender that placed her drink in front of her and took a sip before her eyes focused on him. “When did you get out?”“This morning.”“I see that you’ve come out a new man and all that,” Ursula offered sarcastically, her eyes drifting to the drink in Liam’s hand and his whereabouts.Liam shrugged nonchalantly and tapped a finger on the newspaper that laid open next to him. “Just having one drink and catching up with current events.”“I can save you some time on that: Gold tore down the Nautilus.” There was a hint of regret and sadness in Ursula’s voice, her eyes also dimming as she spoke the words.Liam’s own eyes reflected that sadness, his head lowering down and he ran a hand through his hair. “How’s Nemo doing?”“As bad as expected, an even a little worse. Dad called him, tried to get him to come here for a few weeks, but it was a futile attempt. I wouldn’t blame the man, as Dad is going through his own set of past-midlife crisis.”“Is he?” Liam asked concerned. Things were not looking up for him with this news.“He retired.” Ursula shivered as if the words were harming her. “Spends most of his time at the horse’s race, eating walnuts and claiming he’s going to buy a condo in Boca next year.”Liam pondered her words. “That’s bad.”“That’s beneath him… but he doesn’t seem to care anymore.” Ursula gulped down the rest of her drink and order another. “But I don't’ blame him. The business has changed for us. Too much technology at the ready, too many variables to control. Tangible assets are hard to find unless you want to start embezzling regular people out of their hidden savings.”Liam shivered in disgust. “That’s just plain bad form.”“I know… but banks are highly protected and even if you can get there, it’s all electronics any way. Other than the Federal Reserve… what’s left?”“Casinos.”Liam waited for two beats before he locked his eyes to Ursula’s. Her eyes had widened in surprise before she gave him a mischievous smile. “What are you up to, Liam Jones?”He feigned offense. “Me? Nothing. I’m just a man who’s been given a second chance and intends to be a law-abiding citizen.” He cocked an eyebrow at her and Ursula, catching his meaning, quickly nodded.
Good. One done, more to go.
“All I care about at this moment is to reunite with my beloved family.” Liam played with the edge of his glass. “Do you know where he is?”“Last I heard, he was down in L.A., teaching celebrities how to play cards.”“You’re bloody kidding me,” Liam blurted out without being able to hide his contempt.Ursula sighed and her eyes dimmed again. “He all but disappeared, and has made himself hard to keep track of. After Tuscany, he seemed to have lost his edge. And then you got caught and it seems he only went downhill from there. Without you, he’s been lost, Liam.”It seems everyone - his friends, his mentor, his own brother -  and everything had fallen apart while he was sporting orange suits and mopping floors.“Well, good luck I’m finally here to make you all find yourselves again.” He placed a few notes on the counter and stood. “I better get to work then.”“Heading to L.A.?”Liam nodded. “Right after I call my parole officer and promise not to leave the state.”Ursula shook her head, a smile coming to her lips. “I’ll see you again, soon.”Liam took her hand and kissed it. “I’ll send word.”He turned around and left the bar.
Hang on, little brother. I’m on my way.
/-/
This could not be his life.
That was the mantra Killian Jones kept repeating to himself, his fingers working over the knots and numbness licking across the scar that wound along his left wrist and forearm. He massaged along the lines of the tattoo that covered the worst of it, but there was still some scarring visible.Sweat slicked down his skin, pooling at his throat and along his brow. The heat and the humidity here were going to kill him. That was not an exaggeration, no matter what Liam might have said about him having a penchant towards the dramatic. His shirt was sticking to his skin, causing an itch to ghost at his neck and the small of his back. It was enough to make him want to book the first plane out of town. It didn’t exactly matter where, as long as it led to a chillier location where at least a thick sweater and a leather jacket would be needed to be near the ocean.But he reminded himself that none of that mattered now.Taking a deep breath that probably qualified as more of a sigh, he crossed the posh bar - with its dim lights, black lacquered furniture and chromed steeled decoration -, making his way into the back VIP room. He stretched his head to the side, straining the muscles of his neck as he took a seat at the round table. Five up-and-coming Hollywood celebrities sat around it, each of them smiling as they waited eagerly for his lessons on how to play poker magnificently.Killian would be lucky if they remembered to deal to the correct side and how many cards made a hand by the end of the night.“Alright lads and lasses, let the game begin.” He smirked at the table, his eyes scanning each of them as he dealt the first hand. One of the women - Katie? Zoey? They all look the same to him these days and none of them seemed worth the effort - batted her eyelashes at him.  She played coyly with her hair, curling a strand around her fingers as she leaned towards him, her eyes hooded and her voice laced with intent as she bent over the table and asks for the tenth time that night if he felt himself lucky.
Not a chance, lass.
For the next forty minutes, Killian tried - and failed - to teach any of these bloody buffoons the basics of poker. It was as if they couldn’t retain even the simplest of information or even attempt the most basic calculations. It was a miracle their agents hadn’t embezzled any of what they’ve made, and Killian was seriously considering a massive scheme of his own on them when they collectively decided it was time for a break and ordered a round of martinis.

Kale Martinis.

What hell had he entered when he agreed to this?
Unable to get away fast enough, he made his way to the bar on the main floor where he ordered a glass of rum with two ice cubes, swallowed it back in one gulp, and asked the bartender to refill the glass with a wave of his hand. He took a moment to hold the drink to his temple, willing it to soothe away the pounding headache that was forming above his right eye. He really needed to walk away from this dreadful existence. He lifted his eyes to the stage across the room, but not even the sight of the dancers, their sculpted legs, tight abs, and bright smiles, made him feel anything at all. He was numb. Everything in his life staking up as one dull moment after another, all blurring together with the flashing lights of the endless row of nightclubs and the stale smell of private poker games.He needed out. He just didn’t know how.The walk back to the VIP room felt like walking towards the gallows, his feet leaden, each step a monumental effort to take. His head hurt, his scars itched under his tattoo, and he simply didn’t want to be there. The voices within drifted through the open door, and he realized he must have been more tired than he thought because he was clearly hearing things. There was no possible way someone else would have joined the table. But when he finally entered the room, the sight before him made him freeze in place.
Liam.
It couldn’t be. Killian blinked - slowly, deliberately - just to be sure. But Liam was still sitting there when he finished, perched on a chair he’d pulled up to the end of the table, the smirk resting on his lips in only the way his older brother could do.
Bloody fucking hell.
Taking a moment to compose himself, Killian swaggered to the table. “I see we have company.”“Oh, yes.” Tyler pointed to the ‘stranger,’ showing his cards to the table in the process. Killian shook his head in defeat.“I hope you don’t mind,” Liam drawled. “I was told it was ok if I joined.”His brother was up to something, and it only took Killian a second to catch up. “Not at all.” He reached for the deck of cards and leaned back, cutting and shuffling it with one hand in one swift move. He cocked an eyebrow at Liam. “It’d be good to have some competition.”He dealt the cards and took a quick look at his hand. Two beats later, Liam made his initial bet of five hundred.“Now, lads, remember rule number one of poker.” He looked around at the table, only to find all of his students looking blankly at him.
Oh, for fuck’s sake. He was done with this shit.
“Leave emotion at the door. The game should never be personal.”“Your teacher here has a point.” Liam countered, tilting his head and giving the table his trademark smirk. He could see Katie/Zoey and Lili instinctively leaning closer to him, causing Killian to have to reign in the laugh that threatened to burst past his lips. “Neither should be pulling a job for the wrong reasons.”He had him there, and Killian could only nod in turn. “Now… if I were to read this table at the moment, I would tell you that our friend here is diverting the attention. He made a big bet and now is sitting there waiting for you to call it. The question is… is he bluffing? A bet this strong in the beginning makes me think he is.”“Maybe you should call it and see.” Liam’s soft voice carried a challenge that could not be denied.
Oh, his brother had always been good.
Killian called and the rest went in turn, some of them following his lead but a couple took the bait and raised the bet. At one point, Liam had to make KJ fold -  even they couldn’t let someone who needed to change out four cards continue betting, there was such a thing as good form after all - and then raised the bet one more time. Heavily.“Now,” Killian continued, “he could have a very good hand. Or he could be trying to buy his way out of his initial bluff.” He cupped his cards and tapped the bottom of them against the table. “I’m not going to tell you what to do, but let me tell you something my older brother once told me: A man not willing to fight for what he wants, deserves what he gets.”Liam raised an eyebrow at him. “Your brother is a wise man.”“More like a self-righteous wanker,” Killian retorted. “But he’s family.”He didn’t miss the way Liam’s eyes flashed before the action at the table broke the moment. Soon the pot was in the tens of thousands and everyone showed their cards.Liam was the last. He seemed to fidget for a second before fanning his hand out across the table.Four nines and an ace.Killian grinned. Damn, brother, it’s good to have you back.The game ended, the budding celebrity dilettantes exiting quickly out of the VIP room to take selfies, update their Instagram status, and work their social media footprint. Killian’s glare was enough to put off any requests for him to join in the pictures they wanted to post. After a few more handshakes and a promise that he’d let them know when the next game would take place, Killian finally left the club via the back exit. He didn’t want any more attention on himself. Craning his neck to the side and letting the tension lift from his shoulders, he searched the surrounding area until he found what he was looking for.Liam was standing a few yards away, his hands in his pockets, artfully leaning against the stucco wall of the building across the way. Killian slipped over to stand beside him. Without even a sideways glance, Liam took his hand out of his pocket and handed him a stack of bills. His cut for tonight’s job.“Teaching poker to celebrities? Really, little brother? How low have you fallen…” The humor in Liam’s voice almost brought tears to Killian’s eyes. He’d missed him so much, and it had been hell to stay away while he was in the joint. Liam had been adamant, though, that he didn’t want visitors. Not even Killian.“I’m bored, Liam,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair.“I know you are and I have just the thing to snap you out of your funk.” Liam clasped his hand on his shoulder. “Let’s get out of here and I’ll buy you a drink.”“Coffee,” Killian amended and chuckled at his brother’s raised eyebrow. “I assume I’ll want all my wits about me for whatever it is you’re about to tell me.”“Probably.”/-/Killian sat across from his brother, the two of them occupying a hidden booth in the corner of a deserted dinner while he waited as patiently as he could for Liam to tell him the plan. But after a few minutes, it seemed his brother was still pondering how to start.“Just bloody tell me, Liam.”Liam sighed and ran his hand through his hair and Killian smiled at just how much he had missed watching that trademark Jones move. “It’s tricky and it would require a large crew that I need your help gathering together.”“Of course you do.” Killian shrugged, as he leaned back and played with his saucer, rotating it on the plate with one finger. “I’m the charmer.”“And I’m the brains.”“I wouldn’t do that far, but let’s say you’re a tiny bit better than me at planning the big picture.” He held up his hand, holding his thumb and forefinger together. But only just a tad.” He wasn’t cowered by Liam’s glare. His brother could take the hit. “What’s the target?”“Been to Vegas lately?”Killian’s smile dropped. Surely Liam didn’t mean…. “You want to hit a casino.”Liam shook his head, taking a sip of his coffee. “Not one. Three.”Killian choked. “Are you out of your mind? We can’t take on three casinos.”“Yes, we can, little brother. And we will.”Liam pulled a folded-up piece of paper from his jacket and spread it open on the table. Killian leaned over to take a look. It was a floorplan. Killian studied it with the keen eye he was known for in the business.“If I’m reading this right - and you know I am - this is the least accessible vault I’ve ever seen.” Killian’s fingers traced the floorplan, his mind scanning all the possible ways to bypass the security measures. “And this is only one casino.”Liam pointed out two main ways in on the blueprint. “These two feed into the cages of The Gold and The Dagger. Every single dollar ends up in this vault. The vault of The Baelfire.” “The Baelfire, The Gold and The Dagger.” Realization dawned on Killian. Bloody hell. “Liam these are Gold’s casinos.” Leave it to his brother to go this route.“It’s about time we hit him, don’t you think?”Yes, beyond time as far as Killian was concerned, but he wasn’t convinced it was the best idea at this juncture. But a part of him couldn’t help himself, already jumping into planning mode and seeing the picture unfold in front of his eyes.“How many people do you think we need? Seven or eight?”“Hell, no. We need at least ten. And we need a variety of things happening at the same time.”Liam crossed his arms over his chest.  “A Boesky.”Killian mirrored his brother’s stance and tilted his head as he saw it all play in front of him. “A Jim Brown, two Jethros.”Liam seemed to be envisioning the same picture he was. “A Miss Daisy and a Leon Spinks.”“And the biggest Ella Fitzgerald in the bloody history of cons.” Killian sighed. “Unless you tell me you met a rich widow via letter while in jail, we don’t have the start-up capital to back this.”“We don’t… but you and I know someone who would love to help us fuck Gold over.” There was something somber in Liam’s voice and Killian knew he had to address that eventually, but his mind was already going to the same place Liam was trying to steer him to.“Nemo.”It made sense that their former mentor would want to be part of this. Gold had managed to get Nemo out of the business, and tore down his beloved casino, The Nautilus, once he had. Nemo had spiraled down into depression ever since and not even Killian’s outrageous tales of the teen celebrities he was teaching were able to bring a smile to the man’s face. Maybe this was a step in the right direction.But Killian still needed more. Something was not adding up. “I need a reason, Liam.”His brother shrugged. “Eight figures each. That should be reason enough.”No, it wasn’t. Not if they were going to risk so much. “Come on, Liam. Don’t tell me this is about the money. You and I can play safer schemes and make decent money. Probably not eight figures, but enough to grant us a good life.” His eyes bored into his brother’s. “Tell me why.”Something dark flickered in Liam’s eyes and Killian had a keen sense of the man his brother had to become while surviving in jail. “Because I walked out of prison after losing two years of my life. Because you’ve gone adrift and it has gotten so bad that you’re teaching the latest TMZ headliners how to play cards. And you’re not even succeeding. Because it’s time we make Gold pay… and we hit him where it will hurt.” He paused. “Because no one messes with the Brothers Jones.”Silence. One beat, two, and then three.“Did I rush it?” Liam asked, his voice hesitant.“No, it was a good speech. You were always good at motivational speeches.”“What do you say, Killian? Shall we do this?”Killian smirked. “Let’s go talk to Nemo.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It was warm and sunny in Las Vegas. Or at least, that was how the radio host described it as the sound blasted in the taxi as they cruised through the outskirts of town, on their way to Nemo’s mansion. Killian would have put it differently: blazing hot with the chance of bursting into flames when one came into direct contact with sunlight.More than two decades out of the Motherland and he still wasn’t used to this much sunlight. To cope, he followed Liam’s lead and uncuffed his pristine white shirt and rolled his sleeves up over his forearms.Arriving at Nemo’s, they were quickly shown into an interior patio. The place was impeccable, as always - not a piece of furniture or decoration out of place, fresh cut flowers in each room they passed, no speck of dirt or mote of dust to be seen. And yet, all of it seemed off, the house too quiet by half, and a sense of sorrow seemed to pervade the air. When Nemo finally joined them, Killian’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of their old friend - their mentor. While dressed in a well-tailored navy suit, still sporting his jacket despite the midday heat, Nemo looked like a shell of the man he’d once been. His voice might still be booming and his presence almost overwhelming, but he seemed smaller, his eyes dimmer. It was as if his image had been blurred at the edges, his presence quietly fading away. It was painful to see, and Killian darted his eyes to Liam, finding his feelings mirrored in the way Liam’s jaw clenched before he composed his features into a warm smile. However, it only took them hinting at their idea over a magnificent lunch for Nemo to rise into his full former glory."You can't take on a casino in Vegas, you dimwits."“Of course we can.” Liam took a sip of his wine. “It would be a nice challenge.”“It cannot be done.” Nemo pointed his fork at each of them, his eyes flaring with that familiar hint of annoyance they seem to bring out in him. “I should know, lads. I all but invented security in casinos.”“It hasn’t been tried.” Killian shrugged, leaning back in his chair and waiting for the fireworks. They shouldn’t be goading Nemo like this, they both owed this man more than they could ever repay him for. He’d rescued them from the streets, put clothes on their backs and food in their stomachs. This man had sent them to get educations while teaching them a few extra things on the side. For all intents and purposes, Nemo had been the only father they’d ever known.Which is why it was up to them to shake him from the funk he’d been in since the Nautilus was torn down.The vein in Nemo’s neck twitched and he had started to rub his fingers along his temple. The man who prided himself on his utter calm and poise was losing it in front of them. It was just as he used to do when Killian and Liam were teenagers and he had once again been called to the principal’s office.It was glorious.“It hasn’t been tried?” He put his fork down, crossed his arms over his chest, and recounted for both of them, in painstaking detail, the accounts of each of the most successful robbery attempts in Vegas’ history. None of which had been successful in the slightest, and one or two of them had Nemo playing his part to prevent them. No one tried to rob Nemo and lived to tell the tale.Or maybe they lived, but certainly not unscathed.Once he was done with his tirade, Nemo sat in silence for a moment, his eyes boring into both Liam and Killian until they both started fidgeting.Finally he leaned in, his fork once again in hand and waving it between them. “You think I don’t know what you’re trying to do? You think I’m not aware of the fact that you’re trying to rile me up? Do you think I am just going to cave and indulge whatever little scheme it is you’ve concocted that you think is the most brilliant heist and the solution to all of the problems you’ve been happily sweeping under the rug for years? How gullible do you think I am?”He pointed at Liam. “You just got out,” then at Killian. “You’ve been moping around since Tuscany, trying to find your mojo again and failing miserably.” He sighed and Killian felt the weight of the world in that sigh. “Maybe it’s time to call it quits, lads. You had a good run, I’ve had a good run. We’ve met each other, we became family. You’re welcome to stay here and let us live the rest of our lives feasting and enjoying the sunny weather.”Liam’s face was a blank mask as he stared back at Nemo. “I can’t do that, Nemo, and you know it. I can’t be a coward who crawls back into a hole. I won’t.”Nemo’s eyebrows twitched, the only outward sign that the punch thrown by Liam had landed. “Which casino did you pick?” he asked after a few minutes.Liam shrugged, taking a beat to build momentum as he exchanged a look with Killian. “The Gold, the Baelfire, and the Dagger.”The man in front of them froze, his eyes widening. “Gold’s casinos…”“Are they?” Killian waved his hand in that nonchalant motion Nemo had mastered years before him. “I hadn’t realized.”"Gold. You want to take on Gold?" Nemo reached for his wine and took a large gulp. He studied both them in turn, as he’d done so many times before, something hard edging into his eyes.  “Revenge is a dangerous path, Liam.”It was, and both Killian and Liam knew it.Liam leaned in, his frank stare warning Nemo that he wasn’t going to back down. Not this time.  “But it’s one that pays handsomely, if you know what you’re doing. And we know what we’re doing. You’ve taught us well, Nemo.”There was affection infused into that last sentence, and Nemo’s face softened at the sound of it, understanding their plea. It was the plea of the child who still needed his father to guide them, help them not to completely fuck it all up. It wasn’t just Nemo’s resources they’d need, they needed the man himself, needed his guidance and mentorship. A role he had played for them so many times before.They knew it. Nemo knew it. He sighed, running a hand over his bald head before giving in. “If you want to do this, you - we - will need more people.”Liam smirked, his hand clasping Killian’s shoulder. “I’ve already talked to Ursula - she’s in. Killian’s on the rest.”Both men turned to him, and Killian knew this was his moment. This was what he always did best - pick the crew that will fall under Liam’s command and execute. It was his talent and, gods, had he missed doing it.“We need several things: electronics, drivers, and a whole lot of old friends coming back to work. But we probably should start with what we have at hand. Munitions.”“Blackbeard?” Nemo asked but Killian shook his hand with a sad smile on his face.“Lung cancer. He’s not fit for travel. Sends his regards and wishes us luck.” He let the news sink as he cleared his throat. “Milah is in town.”Liam cocked an eyebrow in surprise but Nemo didn’t even flinch. It was clear the older man knew a lot more of what was happening in the city than he originally let on.“Are you guys...?” Liam, always the one hinting at things instead of asking the point blank question.Killian shook his head. “No, not anymore… but it ended amicably and if there is someone who would simply love to pull a heist on Gold, it’s his ex-wife.”/-/Killian watched from the shadows as two officers cuffed Milah and pushed her towards one of the waiting patrol cars.It was a bloody shame. Milah was way too talented for the tossers she’d associated with for this job. He didn’t have to tail her to know that most likely her part of the work had been spot on, and from the sound blaring the building, her idiot partners had done a terrible job disconnecting the alarm, resulting in an entire bust.Oh well, their loss was clearly his gain.Taking a drag off his cigarette, he made his way to where one of the officers was interrogating her next to the car. “Officer, I’m Smith, from ATF.” He quickly showed a fake badge he and Liam has manufactured years ago. “Have you checked her for weapons?”The officer nodded and from the corner of his eye, Killian saw Milah’s furtive smile. Game on.“What about booby traps on her body?” He didn’t give the officer time to answer, instead he tossed the cigarette and started barking orders. “You incompetent idiot, go find Riggs and tell him I need him.” He took a step forward, moving the officer out of the way and pushing Milah against the car.“Should I get a female officer?”“Get me Riggs. NOW!” His booming order did the trick and the officer took off. He slid his hands down Milah’s sides, pretending to check for weapons.“This brings back memories.” She delivered the words in a low purr, fun and flirty much like Milah herself had always been.Killian smiled as he quickly uncuffed her and put something in her hands. "It's not that kind of visit.""Oh. Still pining for the blonde, are you?" There wasn’t any anger in her voice, or even regret. She knew where they stood and she’d always been ok with it."Always," he sighed, pushing the memories of that blonde beauty back into his mind and focusing on the job. “Can you work with what I gave you?”She turned around and gave him a wide smile. “It’s done. But we need to get out of here… now.”He mimed pushing her forward by the cuffs that were no longer binding her, and they made haste towards the corner.“So, if this is not a social visit, then please tell me you have something better for me than this.” She gestured back towards the building. “I beg of thee, save me again from my misery.”Killian chuckled and nodded. “Indeed we do.”“We? Is Liam around?” She all but beamed. “This is even getting better. It’d be nice to work with proper and competent professionals again.”He bowed his head at the compliment. “Thank you, milady.”The sound of a minor explosion threw everyone around them into chaos and gave them the opportunity to quickly disappear.“What do you have in mind?” Milah asked as they made their way towards the diner where Liam was waiting for them.“Something you’re going to adore, love.” Killian ran his hand through his hair, sighing deeply. Now that the rescue was over and the adrenaline had rushed off, Milah’s comment had triggered his memories of Tuscany back in full force. Blonde hair that shone under the sunlight, freckled skin he’d kissed over and over again, lust words whispered in the middle of the night. Was it possible that he’d never be over what happened in Tuscany? Will he ever be over her?“Killian…” Milah had her hand on his arm, her eyes searching his with friendly concern. “Are you ok?”“Aye, all good. Just ghosts from the time past, that is all.”She gave him a reassuring smile and a squeeze of her hand on his arm. “Let’s go meet Liam and you boys can tell me all about the mischief you have planned.”/-/With Milah in the minute they uttered the word Gold, Liam and Killian started to put together the list of other associates they would need to pull this job off. For transportation, Ariel and Eric would do. While the two of them might bicker constantly, and more than once had taken their costumes and disguises into the bedroom, they were an invincible combination who could pull off any escape when teamed together. And given that it had been a few months since their last job, Killian knew they would be getting restless and in the mood for a new distraction. With a few texts shot back and forth, they organized a meeting for later in the week.“But for now, brother,” Killian said as he got into one of Nemo’s cars and drove them to the airport, “we have a show to catch in Maine.”“Maine? What the bloody fuck is in Maine?”“Our greaseman.”Storybrooke, Maine. A quaint little town with a lovely seacoast and enchanting shops that garnished Main Street. The diner served a divine hot chocolate that was the perfect recipe against the chilly weather.In the outskirts of the town, a big tent structure with big bold letters announced what they’d traveled for. Charming Circus.It was a small acrobatics company, devoted to their craft and filled with warm, kind people. In that context, it was clear that one of their attractions didn’t quite belong. His hair wasn’t the same shade of brown as the rest of them and he seemed to carry that look in his eyes. One that both Liam and Killian knew very well.“Henry Mills, claims to be 18 but that is not what my sources tell me.” Killian fidgeted with his program as they watched the show.“Older?” Liam asked, his eyes following every move of the lad on the stage.“Younger. He’s an orphan, got adopted and then pulled back into the system because of a nasty situation. He never got adopted again and bounced from foster home to group home back and again.”“Lovely childhood, I imagine.” Liam didn’t need to imagine it, and neither did Killian. They had gone through enough of that in a short phase in their lives and vowed to never go back to it. If it hadn’t been for Nemo, who knew how they would have ended up.“Started picking pockets at ten here and there, nothing major. Then he discovered he had a knack for acrobatics and used it to his benefit. Got emancipated at fourteen and has been working with this company for a few months.” Killian lingered as he watched Henry execute a series of jumps and hoops with precision. The boy was good and it would be more than enough for what they’d need.“I sense there is a but coming to this story.”“The company doesn’t make that much money. He isn’t able to support himself or try anything out on his own on his portion of the cut. He’s bound to them, even if he doesn’t want to be owned by anyone at this point. He’s willing to do anything not to go back to the system, or not to end up stuck here.”“He could do worse, they do seem like nice people.”“Liam.”His brother sighed. “And you can vouch for him? That he won’t sell us to the cops?”“Aye, I’ve known a few people who’ve worked with him on the side. He’s good, quiet, and really can pull this off.”“Fine. If you say we can trust him, I do.” Liam stood up and stretched his muscles. “Can we please get out of here now? I cannot understand how people even live here.”“I don’t know… it has its charms.”Liam stared at him. “You like it here? Why? We haven’t even seen one attractive woman since we got here.”“That is not what I meant and you know it.” Killian reached their rental car and opened the door, deciding to finally address the fact both he and Liam had been studiously ignoring.”We need Poseidon.”Liam sighed as he got into the car. “I know we do, but from what Ursula told me, it’s going to be hard to convince him to join us. He seemed to have lost the will to live.”“Maybe he just needs a little push. It worked with Nemo.”“Nemo was never going to let us walk into this on our own and you know it, Killian.”“I know, but think about it… after Nemo, Poseidon is the closest person we’ve had to a mentor or a father of sorts. He still taught us even after he caught you and Ursula snogging on that alley.”“We were kids!”“I’m not judging, Liam. I’m just saying that if there is one way to get him back on track, might as well be one where his daughter and the two closest things he has to sons are involved.”Liam stared at Killian for a long moment. Long enough for him to feel the hairs on his skin rise with apprehension. “What?”Liam shook his head. “You always have to be the charmer, don’t you?”Killian smirked. “I have my moments.” He started the car and put it in gear. “I tell you what, you go talk to Ariel and Eric. I’ll get to Poseidon.”/-/Fucking Tampa, Florida of all places.Only here did the sun shine more brightly and the heat blast higher than in Nevada. Killian played with the open collar of his shirt, and considered undoing two more buttons. He’d already discarded his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt before entering the horse races and he was still on the verge of sweating like a pig. He needed to get out of the sun, pronto. He adjusted his sunglasses as he followed Poseidon’s movements through the paddock.When the other man finished his bet and finally took a seat, Killian made his move. But he was at least fifteen paces away from him when Poseidon started speaking without turning his head.“You’re losing your touch, Killian.” He turned around. He looked tired, the bags around his eyes dark and his skin ashen, but there was still that tiny spark in his eyes that Killian had been counting on.  “I spotted you following me about ten minutes back, huffing at the heat and probably cursing your luck for agreeing to be the one to come and try to convince me.”“And you haven’t lost yours.” Killian tilted his head towards the upper level boxes, where the promise of blessed shade and proper bloody drinks lay. Anything had to be better than the terrible coffee that was served down here. “Come on, I got us a box seat. Nemo’s treat.”“You got Nemo into this? Color me shocked.” Poseidon stood up and followed Killian, his steps still carrying that majestic quality and calm tempo of someone used to commanding the attention of a room. If Killian made it to his sixties with half the presence Nemo and Poseidon had, he’d consider himself a lucky bastard.He pointed Poseidon in the direction of their seats and waited for him to sit before taking the spot next to him, motioning to the nearby waiter to get them a drink. “Your daughter is in too.”Poseidon smirked, his eyes following the horses as the race started. “She always did have a soft spot for your brother. Even if they both have moved on, she still will jump on a job if Liam asks.”“Milah is part of the crew as well.”That made Poseidon give him a sardonic smile. “What is this? ‘Bring your ex to the heist day’?”Killian shrugged. “More like a reunion of good friends who happen to be highly skilled professionals. We only like to deal with the best.”Poseidon sighed. His eyes still followed the race, but the clear twitch in his jaw gave away his frustration. “I’ve changed, Killian.”“People like us don’t change, Poseidon. We get beaten up a little, lose a few opportunities here and there, miscalculate a few risks, and come back from all of that with our skills refined. You can try to lie to your daughter, to Nemo, to yourself as much as you want. You can claim all you want in life is a condo in Boca and betting on horses that are never going to win.” He took a sip of his drink and pointed his finger at the race that had just ended. “You can pretend that the thrill of a few minutes of race is all the edge you’re going to need from now on, but you and I know that it won’t be enough. A month, six months, a year from now that thrill won’t be enough and you’ll end up losing the condo on a misplaced bet all because you’re bored out of your mind.”Poseidon raised an eyebrow but didn’t look at Killian. “And what you guys are planning is not a high-risk bet?”Killian smiled to himself. There was the defiance he needed, the edge on the forced smile of the other man’s mouth, the fisted hand that made him know that he got him.“Of course it is, but with a much better pay off and the added insurance of good friends who will have your back.” He got closer to whisper in Poseidon’s ear. “We’re taking down the vault of 3 casinos on the busiest night of the year. We’ll each walk away with millions each.”Killian pulled back to watch the surprise spread across Poseidon's face before continuing. “Your family, the one who loves you above all, needs one last job from you. After that, by all means, buy as many condos as you want in this rotten place and fry yourself under the sun until the day you die.”He finished his drink, stood up, and slid a plane ticket to him. “First class, of course.” He gave Poseidon a final look. “People don’t change, Poseidon. And you - you were a god. We need you to pull this off.”Without waiting for the man’s reply, he took off. He needed to get the fuck out of this State and back to a nice shaded corner of Nemo’s patio, pretending he was back at Tuscany. Back before his entire life got fucked up.He couldn’t wait to pull this off so he could disappear from the map for a long season, and maybe - just maybe - search for the woman he hadn’t dare to track in the past few years. /-/A couple of days later, tucked into that shaded corner of Nemo’s patio and enjoying a good draft beer, Killian and Liam went through the crew they’d assembled.“I’ve called Smee, he’s in.”Liam snorted. “He’s always in. The guy worships you as if you were his master.”  He leaned back, scanning his eyes across the patio and the pool.Killian smirked. He’d met Smee on one of his first solo jobs, the ones where he’d first dared to break out from under Nemo and Liam’s tutelage. It had been a frightening moment, followed by the overwhelmingly liberating feeling of knowing he could stand on his two feet. That he could pull something off without their help. Smee had been nothing but a mousy young man then, afraid even of his own shadow and hesitant of speaking out loud. He had a nervous disposition and tended to fidget relentlessly with whatever knitted cap he was wearing, but he was the best at electronics Killian had ever found. It had been great to have him as first mate in that job and to team up with him ever since. The guy might be rough around the edges, and he should definitely be checked out for a few quirks, but Killian trusted him. And that counted for a lot in this business. If you couldn’t trust the people you were working with, then you were not safe in this job. That fact had cost Liam two years of his life and if this job went wrong, it would cost them all more than just a couple of years in prison. Gold was known for retaliating. They needed to be untraceable.“He just knows which one of us is the best Jones, that is all,” Killian ran a hand through his hair. “Ariel and Eric?”“Thrilled to be back on the game. Their honeymoon was all nice and exciting, but I think they were starting to get bored with one another. Plus you know those two enjoy the roleplaying aspect of the missions a little too much.”Killian scrunched his face before ticking off the names with his fingers. Ariel, Eric, Ursula, Poseidon, Nemo, Henry, Smee, Milah, Liam and him. “Ten, we have ten.”“Ten should do it, right?” Liam asked as he mentally reviewed the list as well. “We have transport and recon, electronics, munitions, an insider, a greaseman, an antagonizer, and the best impersonator alive.”It should do. And yet…. Killian kept silent, his mind going over the crew again and again. Plans like this were a puzzle, and this one felt like it was missing a piece. There definitely was one, he could feel it in his bones. There was something that should be here and it wasn’t. Something - someone - that should be part of this.“You think we need more, right? One more?” Liam was reading Killian’s thoughts with uncanny accuracy, his mind probably going to the same place Killian’s had gone to.“We need one more, Liam. We need him.” Killian sighed, fidgeting with the scars underneath his tattoo. “Junior.”When Liam’s eyes didn’t widen in surprise, Killian knew he was right and that his brother had already thought about it too.“Are you sure?”It was a bold move, and Killian wasn’t sure if there’d even be a pay off. But if the rumors he’s heard through the mill for the past few years were true, then they were ready.“It’s time, Liam. Let’s get him.”/-/Chicago’s weather was more like it. Wind, rain, cold, snow. Killian took a deep, satisfactory breath as he let the cold air invade his lungs, feeling himself alive in the red of his cheeks and the chill in his fingers that made them feel sharper here than in the hot weather. He shoved his hands in his coat pocket, following his brother as they both boarded the train. Their mark was a few paces ahead of them in the car, and Killian watched as the lad picked several pockets with deadly accuracy. His demeanor was absolutely fucking perfect as he did it - sharp, precise in his movements, his clothing downright ordinary, and he wore a cap that hid his face from the cameras. He looked like any other twenty-something student with a backpack.It was brilliant. He was brilliant.It made Killian want to shed a bloody tear or two right in the middle of the car.As if Liam could read his mind, his brother turned over and made a silent motion, urging him to maintain his bloody composure. Now was not the time to get all emotional over their half-brother being so bloody good at the family business.Because that was exactly what they were looking at - Liam Oliver Jones Thompson, also known as Junior. He was the result of their father’s flagrant affair with a high society girl he had been conning, right after the bastard had abandoned both Liam and Killian to fend for themselves. True to form, he had taken off once he’d stripped the heiress of a hefty sum and left her disowned by her family, with a small baby, little means to support herself, and a penchant for cheap gin.Life had not been kind for Junior, who pretty much had taken any chance he had to show off his skills and impress a father who was more content seducing his next prey than paying his son any attention. The old man had finally kicked the bucket a couple of years ago, right around the time Liam had gone to jail and just after Killian’s fallout in Tuscany. As a result, all chances to look up the kid had been put on hold as the brothers dealt with their own personal bullshit.But now it was finally time to set things to straight.Killian watched as Liam bumped slightly into Junior, letting the kid take his decoy wallet while he slid a card on the lad’s inner jacket pocket. The bastard was the smoothest son of a bitch he ever met when it came to picking pockets, and watching both brothers in action at the same time was more than Killian could take on such an emotional day. He turned around and quickly dried the tear that has escaped his eyes, hoping Liam hadn’t noticed.Liam clasped his shoulder as the train stopped and the doors slide open. “You’re such a softie, Killian. Let’s get the hell out of this cold and go get a warm cup of coffee.”“I know just the place.”/-/Killian felt the warmth of the mug transfer into his numb fingers and sighed with pleasure. No one made coffee as good as Intelligentsia's in Las Vegas, plus he’d sorely missed the type of weather that was perfect for sitting down inside with a cup of coffee as the snow fell outside. It soothed his nerves.Liam, on the other hand, was fidgeting as if all his limbs were covered in ants.“You think he knows the place?” he asked for the third time.Killian chose to ignore his questions, instead taking a sip of his coffee and letting the flavor roll over his tongue. After another minute of Liam rattling their table with his knee, Killian finally lost his patience. “You need to cool it. Fidgeting around like a virgin debutante on their wedding night is not the first impression you want to make.”His brother laughed and shook his head. “I know, I know it’s just-” Liam sighed and lifted his head. Whatever he was going to say was interrupted as Junior finally walked in.He went directly to their table and tossed Liam’s card on the table. “What is the meaning of this?”Liam seemed to finally pull himself together. “Do you know who I am?”“I do now,” their brother spat. His resentment was clear in his tone and Killian could feel down to his bones all the anger and regret of someone who had been left behind and had to fend for himself. “Though I knew before. The two of you are hard to miss in this business.”Liam smirked. “Junior.”Junior’s glare was enough to silence Liam. “Don’t call me that.”“What should I call you?”“My name is Liam. But I guess that one is taken, isn’t it?” If the blush in Liam’s cheeks was any indication, the barb was cutting deep.“It doesn’t have to be.” There was a softness to Liam’s voice, an understanding that was passing between the two brothers. One that for the first time in his life was leaving Killian on the outside. He wasn't jealous, per se, as he could only imagine what was going through the heads of two people who were coming to terms to the fact that their father hadn’t cared enough to even name them differently. It was a punch in the gut for the young as much as it was for the old.Junior sighed, running his hand through his hair in an unmistakably Jones trademark move before taking a seat at the table. “You can call me LJ, I guess.”“LJ it is.” Liam slid a plane ticket across the table to him. “In or out, brother?”“I’m not your brother.”It was a defensive move. Killian could recognize all the signs in his clenched jaw and downcast eyes.“Yes, you are,” Killian said with a conviction he hadn’t realized he had until he heard the denial tumble out of his younger half-brother’s mouth. “And this here? This is the opportunity of a lifetime.”The words did their job as LJ’s curiosity was obviously peaked as he quickly rearranged himself on the seat and glanced over them thoroughly. “What’s the plan?”“We can’t tell you here.” Killian noticed LJ’s skepticism and lifted a finger, pointing at him. “But what I can tell you is that if we do this, it will be major. It will be our names - your name - surpassing any other bullshit Brennan might have done. This is it, brother. And in order to pull it off, I need the best and most nimble fingers in the business. There’s only two people in the world that are that good. And you’re one of them.”“Who’s the other one?”Liam saluted. “Guilty as charged. But I’m not as nimble as you are. Plus, two years in prison have left me rusty and recognizable.”“So you need a replacement? Is that it?”It was like advancing one step and backtracking five where LJ was concerned. They were treading in muddy waters with a brother who was desperate to be part of the business but still wasn’t sure he wanted to be part of the family.“No, it’s not like that,” Liam amended, trying to find the right words.LJ swallowed, his finger tracing a pattern over the surface of the table. “Do you know if there are more of...  of us?”Liam looked taken aback and exchanged a quick look with Killian.Killian sighed, fidgeting with his mug before meeting his brother’s eyes. “Two more, both girls. Ages fourteen and twelve. Their mothers were welcomed back into their families and the girls are being raised away from this all. We tried to contact them, but we were politely asked to back away.” It hadn’t been polite at all, but that was neither here nor there.“Lucky for them,” LJ mumbled. There was a remorse in his eyes that all but broke Killian’s heart.“Liam,” he said, stressing his brother’s name. “Come to Vegas with us. Be a part of something. It’s time for you to join the family business.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

What a bunch of misfits.
That was the first thought in Liam’s head as he contemplated the people gathering on Nemo’s patio, filling themselves with appetizers and passing drinks between each other.Some of them traveled with style: Poseidon had arrived in a rented and sober black car, his suit impeccable and his face unreadable. He first hugged his daughter and was now catching up with Nemo, the two of them commanding all the attention of the patio with their poise.Milah had arrived dressed in leather pants and a silk shirt, her legs looking long and graceful as she exited her vintage red Porsche. She and Ursula sat together at a table on the side talking, and from the way they were stealing not so subtle looks in his and Killian’s direction, Liam was quite sure what the topic was about. Milah winked at him as he glanced over at them for the third time, blowing him a kiss from afar as she did.Most of the rest of the group had arrived together in a minivan from the airport, all of them sharing laughs and old stories as they caught up. Ariel and Eric remained glued to each other, the passion still strong between them, forcing Liam to make a mental note to remind them about being alert on the job. It wouldn’t be the first time they got carried away by the throes of passion during recon. And while it wasn’t a big deal on smaller jobs, the one in front of them required absolute and careful attention.Smee and Henry were talking to Killian, both of them looking at his little brother as if he were the most amazing thing in the world. It wasn’t news when it came to Smee, the man truly worshipped his brother, but Henry was a new addition as far as Liam was concerned. He wondered how exactly Killian had come to know about Henry, and what had since passed between them. But it would be a mystery that he’d have to solve later.For now he had old friends, good food, even better alcohol, and everyone was having a good time.That was everyone except LJ, who’d arrived alone and on foot, with a scowl on his face and nothing more than a backpack and small rolling suitcase. He was still sporting a frown as he stood in the corner, all by himself, shoulder against the wall, looking at the entire thing as if he didn’t belong.And he didn't. Not just yet. But Liam was going to make sure he did by the end of it all. Family was family and if there was something he’d learned the past two years in jail, it was that you needed to be with the ones who were yours. No matter the cost.He sighed… it was his time to steal the spotlight and start in the plan in motion. Killian may have assembled the group, had charmed his way into getting all of them to come and join them - Liam still didn’t know how he was able to get Poseidon to agree - but now it was his turn. This was his moment.Showtime.He cleared his throat, commanding the attention of the room. “Ladies, gentlemen, what a wonderful moment it is to see you all again. Some of you know one another and some we’re just welcoming into the family, but I hope you’ve all have enjoyed the food and drinks that Nemo has laid out for us.” Pausing for effect, he took a moment to seek out his brother, holding his focus once Killian’s eyes met his. “The mission we’re about to embark on is highly dangerous, but if successful it will be highly lucrative, both monetarily and personally for some of us. Now, none of you are locked into this yet. If you feel that you simply don’t want to take part, now’s the time to walk. Feel free to grab another drink and head on your way. No questions. No hard feelings.” He tilted his head and raised his glass as he turned his attention to their host. “Though, not you, Poseidon, you’re not allowed to leave,” he teased, drawing laughter from those gathered and lifting the mood, all while reeling them in for what would come next.“Gentlemen,” Killian drawled as he stepped forward, his most charming smile in place, “and you lovely ladies, if you’ll join us inside.”Everyone grabbed their drinks and followed in his wake. Everyone, that is, but the one person they were desperate to have on board.LJ remained on the patio, his eyes scanning the place while steadfastly not meeting their eyes. Killian took a step in his direction but quickly stopped as they both watched Nemo make his way towards him instead.“LJ, is it?” he asked, an affable expression in place and using his most amicable tone of voice.Liam instantly recognized that expression. It was the same Nemo had used on him and Killian each time he met them while they were lads surviving on the streets. Tears threatened to escape his eyes as he watched LJ shake Nemo’s hand.“I - we - are so glad you were able to join us. I’ve been following your career for a while now, and I’ve been impressed with your talent.”LJ shrugged off the compliment, backing away slightly as he crossed his arms,  clearly uncomfortable with the praise.  “It’s nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing that lives up to the standards of the Brothers Jones, I’m sure,” he said,  pronouncing their name with a quiet reverence laced with just enough regret and bitterness that it broke Liam’s heart. Perhaps if they had known about him sooner, maybe they would have found a way to bring him here with them, perhaps…Nemo’s booming laugh interrupted his thoughts. The older man was smirking, patting LJ’s back.“Do you really think these two were perfect all the time?” He stole a quick glance in Liam and Killian’s direction.  “Pleaaaase, the first time Liam tried to roll loaded dice, he almost got beaten up to a pulp. I had to jump in and get them out of that situation really quick.”He motioned for LJ to approach him. "Come here, m'boy. Join us and let me tell you all about it."LJ smiled, the first real smile he’d given all evening, and let Nemo steer him inside the house.Liam released the breath he’d been holding.Everyone was in. All was well.For now./-/The projector screen flashed an image of their target. From the corner of his eyes, Liam watched as Milah momentarily squirmed in her seat before Ursula laid a comforting hand on hers. He gave Milah a quick smile before he pointed to the screen. “I assume everyone in here is familiar with the Gold, the Baelfire and the Dagger.”Everyone in the room nodded along and Liam continued, “They all have a thing in common.”“They belong to the same scumbag?” Milah interrupted, drawing some laughter from the room.“That and they all feed into one vault, and one vault only. The vault of the Baelfire is located below the Strip, underneath 200 feet of solid earth.” He gave another pause for effect. “And that is our target.”“So a quick in-and-out, huh?” LJ interjected, his dry humor proving once again that he more than belonged to this family.“Just a tad more complicated than that,” Killian replied from where he’d spent most of Liam’s introduction perched on a stool.Liam pushed a button and the screen changed to display an animation of the vault access. “This is courtesy of the casino’s new dealer, Tina Smith.” He pointed to Ursula, who tipped her head in a small salute.“Your mother always loved Tina,” Poseidon said with affection as he squeezed hidaughter'ser hand.“And we have Mr. Smee to thank for the simulation he created based on the information Ursula has gotten us,” Killian pointed out and Smee gave the room a sheepish smile while Ariel and Eric slow clapped at him.“As you can see, this place has a very tight security system,” Liam continued as if he hadn’t been interrupted. “It won’t be easy to break. We’ll have to get into the cages -”“Here, here, and here,” Killian pointed out, ever so helpfully.Liam resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Which all of you know takes more than my smile and my brother’s combined.” The simulation continued, and Liam pointed out the next difficulty. “Next come the doors, each of which require a different six-digit code that is changed every twelve hours. Once we’re past those then comes the tricky part: the elevator won't move without a scan of authorized fingerprints -”“Which we can’t forge,” Killian explained. He’d ditched the stool and was now standing next to LJ, feigning nonchalance.“And vocal confirmations from both the security center within the Baelfire and the vault below -”“Which we won’t get.”Liam buried the scowl he wanted to give and instead leveled his most dashingly threatening smile at Killian, but after three decades his idiot brother seemed immune to it. Killian was on a roll today, a burst of sunshine intent on deadpanning all the roadblocks. Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair before continuing.“Which brings us to the elevator -”“The shaft of which has motion detectors,” Milah offered with a sigh. “If you - we - were to attempt to manually override the lift, it will lock the exits and we’ll be trapped.”Everyone turned to focus on her, and she just shrugged nonchalantly. “What? You’re not the only ones who can show off, gentlemen.”Liam bent his head to hide his smile. “Good news is, after that, is a walk in the park - two guards, some Uzis, and the most complicated vault door conceived of by men.”“Actually, it was a woman who designed it, but carry on,” Milah corrected and circled her fingers for Liam to continue.“Questions?” Killian asked brightly cutting off Liam again.“Tunnels?” Henry asked, rolling a keychain back and forth over his knuckles.Liam’s eyes darted between Milah and Killian. “Which one of you two show-offs want to take this one?”“Ladies first,” Killian bowed towards Milah with a salacious smile.She grinned. “With you, Jones, alwa,ys” she said, causing a communal chuckle before she looked at Henry with a big, genuine smile. “Gold has scales monitoring any movement in the ground for at least a hundred yards in every direction of the vault. Anything more than simple drilling on the street and he’ll be on to us and at our throats.”Henry nodded and stared gloomily at the screen. His expression was pretty much echoed by the rest of the group.It was Ariel, though, who finally broke the mood in the room. “Please tell me there is a good reason you flew us here, Liam. Not that I don’t enjoy the chance to get married again by Elvis followed by a night in a Vegas suite as much as the next girl, but there’s gotta be some good news here somewhere.”Liam smirked, taking a few steps from the wall with the screen and into the middle of the room. “The Gaming Commission rules are clear - the casino has to be able to cover, in cash, every single chip they have on the floor. So in this case, that means that this vault needs to cover all three casinos. On any given night, that is 60 to 70 million. Weekends? 80 to 90. But on a special night, as in a boxing match like the one in two weeks or a concert? There would be at least 150 million dollars in there.”He stopped and let that number sink in.Killian stepped in, owning the moment much better than Liam ever could. “Now, there are 11 of us in this room, and we will all have an equal share. I’ll let each of you do the math.”Their faces transformed as the sheer amount of money sank into each one of their brains. Eight figures each, it would be the heist of a lifetime. Liam chanced a glance towards LJ and found his brother looking at him with awe.
We promised, baby brother.
It was Poseidon who was the one to break the awed silence, giving both Liam and Killian a skeptical look. “Ok, hot shots, let’s run this one more time. Say we get into the cage, past the doors we don’t have codes for, into the elevator we cannot move unless one of us has untraceable magic, past the overeager guards with nuclear guns and into the female designed vault we cannot open unless we sell our souls to the devil. Then what? We will simply walk away with 150 million dollars in cash? Just like that?”Killian smirked. “Just like that. With all the poise you’re known for, Poseidon.”“Thank you, Killian,” Poseidon said with narrowed eyes. “I wasn’t sure how we were going to pull off that minor detail. The rest of the operation seems easy enough though.”Liam knew the sarcastic barb was just that. If Poseidon had wanted to walk away, he would have done it by now. But like everyone else, he knew what they had here was the opportunity of a lifetime.“Alright, let’s get this show on the road.” Killian clasped his hands together, taking over from Liam and falling into the role he was so bloody good at. “Reconnaissance. We need to know these places like the back of our hands: from rotations to dealers and personnel to escape routes. They build these bloody things like mazes to keep people from leaving. We need to know how to quickly get out. At all times. Ursula, you keep working those ears as you work the rooms. Ariel, Eric, get into those costumes you love so much and get on with it, mates.”“Sure, sure!” Ariel clapped excitedly while Eric gave him a salute with two fingers on his forehead.“Surveillance. We need to know what they know, if not before they know it, at least as they know it.” He turned around and faced his friend. “Start digging, Smee. We need to tap those systems.”“I’m on it, Killian, but it won’t be easy. I need a few more days for me and Milah to look into the systems and how to break them. Also, if this night is as big as you claim, he’ll likely get additional highly trained security for the night.”“Then we need to know who that person is and how to break them.”/-/Emma Swan stood in the massive library, her eyes scanning the nearly overwhelming number of wooden shelves and leather-bound books. She’d never seen such a treat in a casino before in her life, though that might also be due to the fact that she wasn’t a frequent flyer of high-end casinos. The usual perps she’d chase preferred seedier establishments with illegal poker games played on worn tables. Not the gold-covered details of places like the Baelfire.“Amazing, isn’t it?” asked the petite brunette who stood next to her, her high heels putting her almost at Emma’s height. She wore a pleated black leather skirt and a cream crêpe shirt. Her hair fell in artfully crafted waves to her shoulders and a pair of gold earrings graced her earlobes. She looked exquisite, the picture of simple elegance that Emma, in her skinny jeans, low-heeled boots, and red leather jacket, would never be. Emma wanted to dislike her, but she had nothing but a warm smile and a friendly disposition as she spoke reverently about the books that surrounded them. In any other situation, she might actually like her. “That is how Robert and I met. He’d asked me to come help catalogue and expand his book collection.”“It’s an impressive one, for sure,” Emma agreed.“Belle, don’t distract Miss Swan. She has a job she’s required to do,” Robert Gold interrupted, his tone clipped as he stepped forward, his floor manager by his side. “She needs to focus on securing the place, not in admiring the dusty books that are in it. We wouldn’t want any distractions.”His words managed to chastise both women and Belle excused herself with a smile and left the room, leaving Emma with the weight of Gold’s assessing look focused on her. She knew the distraction barb wasn’t gratuitous. She’d been in this business long enough to know there was more to Gold than the casino owner and legitimate business owner facades he showed the world. She’d heard the rumors, the ones whispered into the night by lowlifes on the run, people who didn’t want to be found. People Emma used to succeed in finding, her absolute perfect record an untarnished proof that she was the best in the business, the one who could always deliver. She cleared her throat and focused on the task at hand.“You’ll want this room to be secured and monitored as well the night of the match?”“My security is tight, but I don’t want to leave anything to chance. After the vault, this place is the most important to secure in this casino.”Not for the first time, Emma wondered what this room hosted besides the collection of dusty old books that only Belle French  - Gold’s friend - seemed to care about.Gold tilted his head as if he’d been reading her thoughts. He took a few steps towards her, lowering his voice. “I can count on you, right Miss Swan? I know that your exit from your last agency wasn’t as ‘mutual agreed upon’ as you and your employer both like to suggest.” He made a tsking sound as he waved a hand in the air in a dramatic gesture, his smile turning into somewhat sardonic and deeply unreadable. “I’m no fool. If you want my help with the information you seek, then you’ll be sure to ensure no one gets near anything that I hold dear in any of my casinos that night.”Emma cleared her throat. “You will not be disappointed, Mr. Gold.”“Good,” was all he said before he turned around and left her without a further glance, moving onto the next item in his busy day.Emma’s shoulders slumped as she leaned into one of the shelves for support. This job was too important. She had this one chance to rebuild her name after the Italian fiasco she had a few years ago. She was not letting anything get between her and a job now… not after paying for the consequences that time.
She’d blame it on that little Tuscan town and its sleepy early afternoons where she met him. She’d finally taken some time for herself, choosing the Italian scenery for some peace and sun, eager to simply vanish from the world for a few days until the details of her new assignment came through. All she knew was the mark was somewhere in Europe and that they were trying to track his latest alias - Hook - back to his name and get a proper description.

In the meantime, Emma was happy to simply wait under the sun on a Tuscan hillside, letting herself go completely. When she first saw him - black hair, intense blue eyes, faded jeans and blue t-shirt - he seemed to be a vision conjured from her most hidden fantasies. All the way up to and including his lilting accent.

But he wasn't. He was flesh and muscles. A heated mouth that warmed her skin with searing kisses the first night she met him. Strong arms that held her as he thrust deep into her, sending her body and mind into earth-shattering orgasms. Lips that trailed kisses against her neck as they spent the day touring the vineyards and the nights tearing each other’s clothes and making love time and again. It was then, under the moonlight that her walls came down and she’d shared her daily life and deepest secrets with him.

It was there where he broke her heart. And her trust.

When the information came in confirming a name and photograph to id her mark, she’d been out getting a pizza for them to share back in bed. Coming back all she found was a half empty hotel room, his stuff all gone, the seal on the manila envelope that had been delivered broken. She reached for it with shaking fingers, only to find his eyes staring back at her from the photograph within.

The bastard hadn’t even bothered to hide his name, and it would be forever branded in her mind as a symbol of shame.

Killian Jones.
Sighing, she took one more look around the room, fighting against the chills that slipped down her spine, reminding her that this was not a good idea. Working for Gold was the worst idea. She was making a deal with the devil, and she knew it. But she knew she had no other choice, she needed this. Losing that last position with the PI agency was bad, but losing the connections that job would have given her was even worse. Her only alternative, if she wanted any chance of finding the information she’d spent years looking for, was to make this deal with Gold.  That and hope the man delivered on his end of the bargain.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

With the team assembled and ready to do the job, there was nothing to do but to start working at it, each of them tackling the specific tasks Killian had planned out for them.Surveillance had proven to be as difficult as Smee had predicted that first day. The need to tap into the Baelfire’s systems had them pulling the first of several mini-operations it would take to pull off the job. Thanks to Ursula’s eyes and ears, Killian had been able to pilfer an access card from one of the technicians while he was visiting a lap dancer. Ariel and Eric had put together a diversion to cover Smee while he used the card to sneak into the server room and tapped their systems, as Milah, Liam, and Killian monitored the scene from Nemo’s house. There had been a moment there where it had looked like Smee would fail - a flash of hesitation at one coded failsafe too many, but in the end the man had pulled through and they finally had eyes into Gold’s system.Power was an important piece of the puzzle. On the night of the fight, part of their success relied on being able to shut down power to the entire city. Milah gave them a cheerful smile when Liam brought it up.“Do you want something broken, blown, or total and utter chaos?”“What do you think?” Liam raised his eyebrows playfully and Milah erupted in laughter.“You’ll get it.”She took off into the city, ready to work her magic.“Should I be worried?” Liam asked as he and Killian watched her slide into one of Nemo’s cars.“Not yet.”Construction was the most fun, at least as far as Liam was concerned. Their need for a practice run, or something approaching one, had them renting a couple of isolated warehouses and bringing in all sorts of materials to build out an exact replica of the Baelfire’s vault. The physical exertion of hauling lumber and paint cans, the hours spent putting together shelves and tiling the floors, all of it helped Liam sharpen his mind and focus on how to tackle the next task.Intelligence. A task that Liam would have loved to take onto himself, but couldn’t. And neither could Killian, which left only one possible candidate.“You want me to do what?” LJ didn’t sound pleased and shoved a couple of boxes onto the transportation belt with a little more force than was necessary, almost hitting Henry with one of them. The kid gave LJ the finger as he spat a string of expletives, and it all looked poised to about to come to blows before Killian quickly pulled Henry aside, whispering something in his ear before coming back to his brothers.Liam arched an eyebrow as he consulted the list he and Killian had put together, but Killian’s only response was a tight, barely there shake of his head. Liam turned back to his youngest brother. “We need those codes, LJ. And there is only one person who has them all.”LJ clenched his jaw, his eyes going from Liam to Killian. “All you want me to do is watch Gold? That is the part I get to play in all of this?” His tone carried more than a hint of annoyance as his eyes narrowed.“You have to learn the ropes, baby brother,” Liam tried to explain, but clearly his words were not what LJ was expecting to hear and they only seemed to anger his brother more. He didn’t understand, Killian had never been bothered by his teasing.“For now,” Killian interjected, reaching a hand out to clasp his shoulder. “There’s a lot more that you’ll do, but none of that will matter if we don’t get those codes. You’re invisible, unremarkable.”LJ grimaced. “A no one, you mean.”Killian just shook his head. “I didn’t mean it that way and you know it. You are going use this to your advantage in the same way you picked pockets on the Chicago L. You know you can do this. We need you to do this… Gold would recognize either me or Liam tailing him. But not you.”“What is it with the two of you and Gold?” LJ crossed his arms, his eyes darting back and forth between them, cocking an eyebrow and waiting for an explanation.“A tale for another day, perhaps,” Liam interrupted. “Trust me, the less you know, the better for you.”LJ didn’t seem convinced, picking a fleck of lint from his jacket and scowling for a few minutes. But eventually, he took off to the casino in plain jeans, a grey t-shirt and a battered hoodie, a baseball cap on his back pocket.Transport was possibly the easiest of them all. All it took was the combination of Nemo’s and Poseidon’s charm and threatening looks for them to secure several vans at an incredibly reasonable price. After that, it was time to suit up Poseidon for his role. Since he and Nemo were used to doing things with a fair bit of style, they opted out of a trip to the department store. Instead, they had a tailor come to Nemo’s house to fit Poseidon for his new wardrobe.From the back of the room, Killian and Liam watched as the tailor fitted Poseidon for a navy-blue suit, while Nemo stepped in to request several details for the lapels and vents and reviewed the available cufflink options.Killian ran a hand over the tattoo covering his scars, a sign that he was clearly nervous. “Do you think he’s ready?”“Only one way to find out,” Liam took a deep breath and made his way to where Nemo and Poseidon were still discussing fabrics.“Poseidon,” he called, his face devoid of any emotion. He loved the man, he really did, but this was business and he needed to know. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”Poseidon stilled, his eyes moving from Nemo to Killian to Liam, before he plucked a fleck of lint from his suit. “Listen to me, William, because I will only say this once. I didn’t do anything when I found you with my daughter under my own roof when the two of you were barely seventeen, but question me again and you will not live to see another day.”“Seriously, Liam, is this how you treat our guests? Our esteemed friend?” Nemo asked, his face the picture of disappointment. “I’ve taught both of you better than this. Now go keep an eye on your younger brother and leave us to work in peace. We don’t need you as our babysitters.”Well, it seemed the man was as ready as he’ll ever be, and Nemo was back to his old self. From the corner of his eye, he watched Killian cover a laugh before they both took off.Forty-eight hours later, Isaiah Hamid made his entrance into the Baelfire, walking in as if he owned the place, his bodyguard and personal assistant in tow. The latter’s green pencil skirt and black blouse projected the image of professionalism, as she brandished a clipboard while her stilettos tapped out a staccato beat against the floor. From behind a pillar, Liam and Killian watched as Ariel manhandled and bossed everyone around until she got Poseidon checked into one of the best suites of the hotel and caused enough noise to stir the attention of the floor manager.Gold would soon know that a new high roller had entered his casino.Liam relaxed his shoulders and released some of the tension he’d been holding onto from the moment he found Killian and started to set this plan in motion. They’ve now rolled the dice, the cards had been dealt, and the ball was rolling on the roulette wheel. The game had started.He could now focus on the real task at hand./-/He met Ursula at one of the few corners on the floor they knew the cameras didn’t cover. The casino was right in the middle of guard rotations, and her eyes darted back and forth as she paid careful attention to their movements.“I can’t stay long, otherwise it will raise suspicions.” She leaned into him. “Room A2345. It’s one of the penthouses. You’ll need this to activate the elevator.” She slid an access card into his jacket pocket. “Little to no security after that.”Liam pocketed the card and flashed her a smile. “Thank you.”“They’ve already dined. He’s working the floors and the high rollers, and she’s already retired to her room. He won’t join her tonight. It’s a Tuesday; he stays up late reviewing the books and sleeps in his own penthouse.”He had been counting on that, it would give him the time he needed. “I better get going. The guards will be back any minute.”She squeezed his arm, her concern clear in her eyes. “Liam, you’re playing with fire.”“I know, but this is something I have to do.”She smiled ruefully. “I know, just be careful.”He nodded before making his way to the elevator, feigning nonchalance while he carefully monitored the activity around him. It was only when he was finally alone on the elevator that he began to relax again. But the feeling was fleeting, the tension creeping back into his shoulders as he stepped out onto the foyer. The space screamed luxury, with the black lacquered floors partially covered by geometrical themed rugs and a black and white side table that hosted a green vase with fresh white calla lilies. With his heart beating frantically in his chest, Liam took two steps towards the glass paneled door that would lead him into the actual penthouse. It didn’t have a lock and it served more as a decoration than anything else. With a final deep breath, he simply pulled into the door and entered the room.It took him a moment to find her, but when he did -standing by the long windows that showed an amazing view of the city he called his home -, she looked as beautiful as he’d remembered her. Her dark hair was down and falling in soft waves around her shoulders and she wore flannel shorts and a white shirt.He knew that shirt.He smiled as he closed the door, making sure to not turn the handle so that the soft click was audible.  Belle turned at the sound, and her eyes widened in surprise.“Liam?” Belle all but choked as she took two steps in his direction before she stopped. “What are you doing here?”“Did you miss me?” He shrugged, curling his mouth up into the smirk he knew used to drive her right into his arms.Only it didn’t this time. She crossed her arms across her chest. “Get out before I call security.”“It would land me back in jail for violation of parole. You wouldn’t do that to me.”She averted her eyes, turning her head to the side. “Don’t be so sure…” she mumbled the words, her lips twisting to the side in a way he’d always found endearing. She was pissed off at him, and reasonably so.“Belle.” He took a few steps her way, his fingers aching to touch her. “I came for you.”She scoffed, backing up and twisting her elbow to the side to avoid his touch, her arms resting to her side. “You came for money. You’re probably already planning something with Killian, if you’ve been able to pull him away from his self-imposed misery in L.A., that is.”“You’ve kept tabs on my brother?” Liam paused. Killian hadn’t mentioned Belle since they met up again, and he hadn’t wanted to tip his brother off that he knew about her whereabouts.“Someone had to make sure he wasn’t going to fall apart,” she crossed her arms against her chest, leveling down her eyes at him, a hint of accusation in her voice that struck deep in him. “He doesn’t know. Nobody knows.”Liam swallowed. “Thank you.”“I didn’t do it for you,” she started and he cocked an eyebrow at her. “Well, not just for you.” She sighed fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. “Liam, it’s late and you being here is highly inappropriate. Whatever it is that you’re here for, you and I both know it’s more about the thrill of the heist than anything to do with me.”He fought against the ache her words provoked, masking his wince. “That’s not true and you know it. You wouldn’t be wearing my shirt if not.”“Fine. You want your shirt back?” She slipped her arms through the sleeves, and tugged at the hem and pulled the shift over her head, tossing it at him when she was done. “It’s all yours.”The shirt hit him square in the face and landed on the floor, because it was all he could do to not drop his jaw at the sight in front of him - her blue lace bra, the miles of ivory skin he’d missed so much, the start of a smile that quirked at the corner of her mouth. His blood heated and before he knew what he was doing, he’d reached for her hand, interlacing his fingers with her.“You deserve better than Gold, Belle. He’s not a good man.”She took a step towards him, her eyes flashing with defiance. “And you are?”He lifted his free hand to trace along her cheek. “You’re right. I’m a con man, a thief and a liar… but I love you.”Her eyes filled with tears and he wanted to dry every single one of them with his lips. “Damn you, Liam.” She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him to her, crashing her lips into his.Time stopped. His brain lost all ability think about anything but how her mouth moved against his, her lips parting and her tongue darting out to lick his lip. He was a goner. Same as he’d been from the first time she’d let him kiss her, he was done for. His hands rested possessively on her hips and he pulled her to him, dragging their bodies flush against one another from chest to knees. She still fit against him perfectly, her curves molding to his hard edges, her hips falling into place as she slowly ground against him.Groaning, he moved his hands towards her ass, his fingers toying with the elastic band of her shorts and moving underneath the flannel to caress her. Belle moaned against his mouth, trailing kisses down his jaw, threading her fingers in his hair, and hooking her leg around his hip. He felt the painstakingly beautiful ache of rutting against her core, the fabric adding some extra friction that made him feel like they were twenty-two again, stealing kisses and groping one another in the backseat of his car.Without hesitation, he scooped her into his arms and carried her into the suite’s bedroom. A massive, king-size bed sat in the middle of the room, the moonlight reflecting along the sheets. Carefully, he placed Belle on the bed, moving himself to hover over her, kissing her fiercely and reaching to unclasp her bra as she unbuttoned his shirt.Yes, Liam was going to fuck his own wife in Gold’s hotel room, over the man’s expensive sheets and designer bed frames. He couldn’t begin to give a bloody damn about it. He’d been dreaming about this, aching to be with her again. It’d been two long years in a jail cell with nothing but his hand and the memory of her scent.He finally removed her shorts and underwear and reached to place a lingering kiss on her inner thigh. The familiar sounds she made felt like being home again, when it was just the two of them, recently married and locked in their bedroom for an entire rainy weekend. Desperate to hear her moan again, he reached to lick her, his fingers stroking her the way he knew she liked. She arched her back and her hips met his movements, gasping, her thighs squeezing his head as she came against his mouth.She reached for him, fisting his hair and pulling him up for a kiss. In a haze of lust, she’d unzipped his pants and removed his cock from his briefs, stroking and positioning him against her entrance. He slid in with a swift thrust, groaning at her tight heat. He wasn’t going to last long and he knew it, not after this long apart. He moved slowly, savoring each moment until it became too much and he set to increase the pace, reaching to stroke her so she’d fall with him.Spent, sated, and still almost fully dressed, he rested his forehead against hers, careful not to crush her under his weight.“I’ve missed you, doll.”"I'm still angry at you Liam." Her voice quivered and he pulled away to level his eyes with hers."You have a fun way of showing it."She pulled away, reaching for her clothes. “This… this was a goodbye. Closure.”“Belle, please, give me a chance to explain.”“It’s too late. I’m with someone else now.” She stood at the edge of the bed, her eyes not meeting his. “You should leave.”He put his clothes in order and ran a hand through his hair, fighting the urge to reach for her again. “I will, for now. But it’s not over between you and me. And you know it.”He couldn’t stand her not meeting his eyes. It cut him to his core and his heart was in shambles as he quickly made to exit her room. He shook his head as he pulled the door to her suite closed. This was not how things would end between them. No matter what it took, he was going to win Belle back./-/“I don’t need a babysitter, you know?” LJ all but spat the words, speaking out of the corner of his mouth. He was lurking in the casino’s ground floor, and for the third consecutive day, Killian had shown up to stand by his side.Killian sighed as he played with his cufflinks. “Would you believe me if I told you that I’m only here for the air conditioning? I swear, the heat out there is unbearable.”LJ shot him a look. “Nemo has better AC than this place. Plus a pool with a shaded patio.”He smirked and avoided his brother’s eyes. What could he say? He wasn’t keeping tabs on the kid, not in the strictest sense. It wasn’t like he didn’t think LJ could do the job, he knew he could. He’d been superb at it. It was just… Killian liked his younger brother. A lot. He simply wanted to know more about LJ’s life. For instance, if there were any special girls he needed counsel about. Or what about if he was considering investing his money in any endeavors and perhaps Killian could point out a few places, something safe that wouldn’t ask too many questions.Killian simply wanted to be part of his brother’s life. He just didn’t know how to tell him that, blurting it out before he could think better of it.“Would you believe that I want to spend time with you?” Gods, the vulnerability in his own voice made him cringe but there it was now, all out on the table, no chance to take the words back. Surprised at his own nervousness, he met his brother’s widened eyes and held his stare.Finally, LJ swallowed and gave Killian a hint of a smile. “I’ve been talking to Nemo. He has some interesting stories about you and Liam.”There it was, the tiniest of offerings, and Killian was going to take it. “I can only imagine what tales he’s been weaving. Don’t believe a word of what he said.”“So he didn’t take you in off the streets?” LJ cocked an eyebrow at him, his eyes flashing daringly.Killian swallowed, running a hand across the back of his neck in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. “That he did. When he found us, we were nothing but two street rats, surviving off of petty thefts and food scraps. He caught us trying to play a con on him - I was supposed to be distracting him in order to give Liam the opportunity to pilfer his wallet. He took one look at us and I thought ‘this is it, this is where we end up caught and put in the system. This is where we end up separated.’ But he only motioned for us to follow him. He bought dinner and rented a hotel room for us. Then he gave us some cash, telling us to get some clothes and get out arses to school.” The memories of those days were painful, the dread and fear of having the police find them, the hesitation about whether or not they could trust Nemo. He seemed like a good man, but Liam and Killian had seen a lot in their short lifespan and knew enough to know that you should always beware of nice strangers. “It took a lot of coaxing on his part to get us to trust him, and when we finally did, when Liam let his guard down and let Nemo take us to his home, it was as if we’d been given a second chance.”“Or a first.”There was such sadness in LJ’s voice that it broke Killian’s heart.“We didn’t know about you, LJ. If we had, believe me, we would have come for you.”“You think Nemo would have taken me in?” The tinge of hope in his voice all but made Killian want to pull him into a hug in the middle of that casino, promising his brother that he’d never be alone again. But they were not lads, they were men on a mission, and he knew LJ wouldn’t appreciate his cover being blown by an overeager half-brother.“In a heartbeat.” Killian’s eyes scanned the casino, giving him and LJ some time to check themselves. People came and went around them, their emotions clear on their faces and in their movements as they passed - some had won, some had lost, some of them were drunkenly making out, while others were clearly partaking in illicit affairs. Las Vegas had it all, and for such a long time he had watched things like this and more take place on the floor of another casino floor, one that had been the closest he’d had to a home.Until Gold had taken it all away from the man who Killian would give his life for.“I have to thank you,” Killian said, his eyes coming back to LJ’s.His brother furrowed his brows. “Thank me? For what? I haven’t done much to help anyone around here.”“Nemo is fond of you. Somehow having you around and having the chance to relive stories of the past have lifted his spirits. He’s been more himself than he has been in the past eight months.”“Since Gold tore down his casino.”“Aye.”“Is that why you’re going after Gold?”Killian knew that Liam didn’t want LJ to know the truth, but he could at least tell the lad pieces of it. “Part of it, aye. The Nautilus was Nemo’s pride and joy and the way Gold tricked, lied, and plotted to strip it from him… it was bad form.”“Agreed.” The throaty hitch in his brother’s voice hinted at a fierce need of revenge all its own. Killian almost had to wonder about that. “But you guys picked one hell of a target. He’s smart, ruthless, cunning, and most of all, vengeful. If he finds out about this, he’ll go after you and everyone you know. No one will be safe.”Killian winced, playing his fingers along the scars on his left arm, his memories haunting him. LJ’s eyes widened, and Killian knew he was putting two and two together.“But you already know this, don’t you? Nemo is…”“Nemo is the last in a long list of very well-devised revenge plots that Gold has executed, yes.” Killian lifted his hand before LJ could ask. “And I don’t want to talk more about it, little brother. At least not right now.”For a moment, he thought LJ would argue and demand to know all the painful details that Killian didn’t want to relive. But to his surprise, he dropped the subject and refocused himself to the task at hand.“Then we need to be smarter than he is. It won’t be easy, the guy doesn't miss a step. He’s always where he’s supposed to be, never lets his guard down. There is nothing that happens in this casino that he doesn’t know about. Getting him out of his very well-crafted and well-worn loop is going to be hard.”LJ paused as he turned his attention to the floor once again and a small smile came to his lips. “But maybe I just I found the loophole Smee was looking for.”Killian tilted his head and gave his brother a proud smile. “I’m listening.”“There is extra security planned for the match night, but Gold has kept the details very much under wraps. Word is that he is bringing in someone unknown, someone who is cutting a deal with him not just for money, but for a favor. This person seems to be desperate for something only Gold can give, and willing to do anything to get it.” LJ craned his neck to the side, nodding his head imperceptibly towards the other side of the floor. “It took me a while, but I was able to finally track her down. She’s almost invisible, a shadow, which is funny because she’s so beautiful that it is a miracle she goes unnoticed.”“A woman?” Killian turned his eyes into the direction LJ had indicated and scanned the room.“10 o’clock. Blonde hair, red leather jacket-”LJ kept talking, but Killian had stopped listening, his heart skipping two beats and his blood running cold. Everything around him froze and the room went silent. All he could see was the woman who had plagued his dreams for the last few years. The one woman who had once had him considering spending more than just a few nights and days with. The woman he had had to screw over and leave alone in the middle of the night in order to save himself from a jail sentence.The woman who had forever changed - forever ruined - Tuscany for him.LJ’s voice played in his ear like a muffled dream. “Her name is-”“Emma Swan,” he whispered. And it like her name falling from his lips called her to him, because in that moment she started to turn her head towards him. Quickly, Killian pivoted on his heels and stepped behind a column.“You know her?” LJ asked.“Aye.”“Can we use her?”“Not if I want to make it out of this with all my appendages intact.” Clearing his throat, he risked a glance Emma’s way. She was gone. Killian sighed in relief and met LJ’s inquisitive eyes. “Listen, do not tell anyone about this. Not yet. I need some time to think.”LJ hesitated, and Killian pressed on desperately, “Please, brother.”“Fine.” LJ sighed. “But I’m giving you just two days. After that, I’m telling the others.”/-/He shouldn’t be here. He knew it. LJ knew it. Pretty much everyone else would have said the same if they knew where he was. But alas, Killian Jones was a sucker for punishment.The moment he found out about Emma’s involvement with Gold he couldn’t help but become her second shadow. Something his little brother was all too eager to point out each time he found Killian lounging inconspicuously in the casino lobby.“You know, you keep claiming that she’d gut you alive if she finds you, and yet here you are, watching her every move.”“She’s a key player in the casino’s security, we need to know her every move.” Killian ran a hand across the back of his neck, feeling the slick sweat that had gathered there on his walk over to the casino. The day had been particularly humid, and he hated it. While the casino’s artificial lights and smoke-filled air might be overbearing, at least it had a killer refrigeration. He’d take comfort in that minor detail.“I thought that was why I was here, withering under these terrible lights and lack of fresh air,” LJ pointed out, his eyes scanning the casino as if it were a dungeon.Well, LJ clearly had the Jones flair for dramatics. Killian ignored him, once again turning his attention back to the floor, searching for any sign of Emma. She’d been by the casino each of the last two days, locked up in one of Gold’s private rooms doing gods-knew-what. He needed to know what she was doing. What was she in charge of securing? What secrets was Gold looking to protect?“Are you going to tell me what your deal is with her?” LJ kept his tone professional, but there was no mistaking the clench of his jaw or the way he studiously avoided Killian’s eyes. Killian knew he needed to tell him, that it was important that his brother understood he belonged here and that Killian trusted him.“Have you heard anything about my Tuscany - er - situation?”“You mean when you hooked up with the bounty hunter who was sent after you, and you had to escape your room while half naked in the middle of the night?”He winced, closing his eyes for a brief moment. Of course people would have felt the need to embellish the tale a little. He would have done the same after all. “I wasn’t half naked and it was not in the middle of the night, but yes, that might be a decent summary.”LJ’s eyes widened as he finally put two and two together. “No way! Emma Swan was that bounty hunter?”He finally spotted her and he shifted so she wouldn’t catch a glimpse of him, but he continued to track her every moment. She’d swapped the red leather jacket for a grey sweater, her hair in a high ponytail that left a few tendrils falling along her cheeks. Her jeans molded to her legs, reminding him of how well acquainted he’d once been with each of their curves. He moved instinctively towards her, almost blowing his cover before LJ darted out a hand to stop him.“Are you fucking suicidal, Killian?”Killian frowned. “Only when it comes to her.”
He didn’t know what he was thinking. He’d come here to lay low, let his latest hiccup blow over and he then could come out of hiding and be left in peace. Not for the first time, he’d wondered about his streak of bad luck.

He couldn’t fool himself anymore about whether or not someone was out to get him. He scratched along his scars absentmindedly. The tattoos he’d just gotten were a good cover for the worst of the scarring, and he was glad that he’d gotten them. Granted, they now meant he had a traceable mark about him, but he’d learn to work around that.

Killian finished off his beer in two gulps and ordered another one, his mind still retracing each step from his last heist, focused on figuring out what exactly went wrong. Nothing stood out, which only left one possibility - he’d been sold out.

And he knew exactly who had enough money, power, and interest in seeing him brought down.

Suddenly, though, all his worries faded as his attention was pulled to the woman who had. walked into the little trattoria. She was breathtaking, all blonde hair and green eyes. And her legs, miles of them packed in tight jeans that caused his fingers to itch in want. But it was the no-nonsense attitude in her movements that had his skin warming and his body reminding him he was flesh - heated flesh - after all.

He wanted her.

Knowing he probably shouldn’t, he approached her anyway. She didn’t buy half of his lines - and he liked her all the more for it - but finally he won her over. Better said, she conquered him, making him fall head over heels in lust - and then something more - with her. The nights they had together had been passionate, the meeting of their heated bodies reaching one mindblowing orgasm after another, but it was their days that he’d treasure in his memory forever. The Tuscan sun shining on her hair, bringing a delicious tan to her skin, her straw hat failing to prevent a million freckles from showing up across her cheeks. Their lazy afternoons under the shade of a tree, eating cheese, fruits, and cured meats washed down with wine. It was as if they were the leads of a romantic movie in which there was no conflict, and no worries. He’d been so unguarded with her. He hadn’t felt the need to lie about his name. His trade had remained a secret, he’d left it at a vague claim of being businessman and though she eyed him suspiciously, she’d been vague about her job as well.

It all suited him just fine, because as much as he wanted more with her, it clearly couldn’t be at the moment, not when he still had to deal with the aftermath of his failed heist and the bounty hunters he knew they were sending his way. He wouldn’t drag her into it, or worse, make a target out of her.

He knew their time was limited, and he set out to make the best of it, living each moment to the fullest and giving himself to her as much as he could. He was the body she took pleasure in, the shoulder she’d cried on about her difficult life, and the chest into which she whispered her need to uncover a secret from her past.

What he didn’t know, not until that damn envelope arrived at the room, was that for all that he’d been looking to cover his back, he hadn’t seen what was right in front of him.

His picture, his profile, his name were in that envelope. She was the bounty hunter and he was her prey.

As he quickly gathered his belongings and prepared himself to run, he still had wished he could stay. But even if he turned himself in, he knew she’d never believed he didn’t know who she was from the start. She would never believe that he hadn’t been taking her for a fool…

So Killian Jones walked away, leaving his heart behind with her in that hotel room.
He’d been so caught up in his memories - the same ones he used to relive every night and now was reliving every minute - that he hadn’t realized that he lost sight of her.“Bloody hell.” Ignoring LJ’s objections, Killian quickly made his way towards the last place he’d seen Emma, his eyes scanning everywhere for her.Out of the corner of his eye he could see Ursula’s confused look before she quickly masked her features. He could also see Ariel and Eric together, tracking down exit routes and calculating time.Everyone was where they needed to be, doing what they needed to be doing. Everyone, that was, but him. He should be back in the warehouse building that blasted vault copy, and yet here he was looking for her.Killian knew he had to walk away, that blowing his cover and having Emma spot him would have terrible consequences, and yet he still was looking for her. Desperate, he made his way to the back of the lobby, heading towards the exit that connected most closely to the back alley.That’s when he felt a hand grabbing his shirt and pulled him towards a narrow corridor hidden at the very end of the building. His head hit the wall, his eyes closing at the impact and he felt the cold edge of a blade slide along his throat.“Looking for me, Jones?” He opened his eyes to find Emma Swan’s green eyes glaring back at him.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

In all the times he’d fantasized about meeting Emma Swan again, this was nowhere near any of the scenarios he’d conjured up in those late night dreams. Oh, there had certainly been the two of them pressed up against one other. Ditto on the heat of their bodies making it hard to breathe and the grind of her core against the front of his pants drawing out some definite arousal.What none of those fantasies had factored in was the nice, cold blade resting against his throat. It was like the water turning cold in the middle of a hot and steamy bath. Unexpected and shrieking.Alas, he’d always known his dreams were too good to come true.“Swan, fancy meeting you here.” The words came out broken, though only part of it was due to that blade’s edge sitting dangerously close to his skin.“What are you doing here?” She pressed the knife further and he felt the beginnings of a small prick.“Careful there, love, you’re going to draw blood.” He winced when she leaned in, her face moving to inches from his own. It would have been arousing, if it weren’t for her knuckles cutting off his air supply.“Answer the damn question.”He managed to eke out the barest of answers between shallow breaths. “Just having - myself - a - nice - vacation.”Emma noticed his predicament and eased the pressure a little, allowing air to rush back into his lungs and to his brain. “Go on.”“Do you mind removing the knife?” He quirked a half smile. “This conversation would go a lot more smoothly if you did.”“I haven't decided against using it yet.”Her eyes flashed with an unexpected mix of hurt and resentment, and Killian swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. She had so many reasons to slice him open. Or, at the very least, punch him in the face. The fact that all of his appendages were still intact was a testament to the woman’s self-restraint. More than a small part of him wanted to tell her that. Hell, he was tempted to drop to his knees and beg for her forgiveness. There was also an insane part of him that was seriously willing to turn himself in if it meant she could get her old job back and stop working for Gold.But alas, Killian was also more than well-aware that there was no turning back time to the start of that ill-fated night in Tuscany and making it all better. There was no jeopardizing the current heist. Not when his brothers, his mentors, and his closest friends were all depending on him. He would shove down his feelings, along with every hope and dream tied up with Emma Swan, and deal with them when he was alone with a bottle of rum - or five.In the meantime, he needed to find a way to walk from this encounter unscathed.“If you’d wanted to, you would have already sliced at my throat.” He smirked, knowing he was playing with fire by calling her bluff.Emma rolled her eyes but finally took a step away from him, pocketing her knife as she did. A part of Killian mourned the loss of her warmth, but he knew he couldn’t have it all. Crossing her arms over her chest, she slowly studied him from head to toe. He knew what she was doing. It was a common enough tactic, letting the silence stretch to make a suspect nervous, see if he’d slip and spill the beans.But he was Killian Jones and Nemo had taught him better than that. He leaned back against the wall, crossing one ankle over the other before stretching to rearrange the folds of the rolled up sleeve of his shirt, his eyes only lingering on her for a second or two before moving to arrange the other sleeve.She caved first, and a tiny part of him wanted to crow but he kept silent as she tilted her head to the side and said, “You’re up to something.”“I’m not.” Even as the lie rolled off his tongue it felt heavy on his lips, but he had no other choice. As much as he wanted to be selfish, he couldn’t think only of himself. The die had already been cast on this gamble they were taking. He had to see it through.Emma was right back in front of him in a heartbeat, a whirlwind of fury faster than his reflexes as her finger pointed at his face. “Don’t lie to me.”He opened his mouth to contradict her, but the words died in his lips when he noticed the sadness that flared beneath the anger in her eyes. “Swan…”She cut him off, shaking her head to push away her unshed tears. “You lied to me, used me, and then left me. Don’t try and rewrite that history. Was it fun, Killian? Seducing the woman in charge of bringing you in? Fuck with her - in every sense of the word - and then leave her to pick up the pieces?” Her outstretched finger jabbed him in the shoulder. “You cost me my career.”Her words cut him deep, the guilt creeping over him. “I honestly didn’t know who you were when I met you, Emma. I didn’t. All of that happened, every last hour of it. None of that was a ruse for me. I –“ His words faltered. He didn’t know what else to say to make it right. He knew he couldn’t make it right.“You expect me to believe that? Really?” She rolled her eyes. “If it was all real, why did you run?”“Because I know you. And the moment you found out who I was, you never would have believed me otherwise.”That was the realization he’d come to as soon as he’d opened that manila envelope. She’d shared enough of her life with him on those nights while they sat wrapped up in hotel sheets and one another between rounds. They had both let their guards down. He knew she’d been burned before and while the details had been fuzzy, he learned enough to know she’d never believed that it was all some cosmically horrible coincidence.He lowered his head. “You wouldn’t have believed me… Would you?” He wanted to kick himself for tacking on that question, for that shred of hope contained in it that maybe, just maybe… But it was quickly squashed by the cold hardness in her eyes.“You’re right. I wouldn’t have. You’re nothing but a crook, and a liar.” She averted her gaze and shoved her hands in the back pockets of her jeans as she delivered her next words.“You cost me so much more than my career, Killian.”He looked up, trying desperately to decipher her words, to figure out what she meant by them. But she still hadn’t turned back to face him, and what he could see of her expression seemed closed off, studiously devoid of any emotion other than cold, hard anger.“I don’t know what you are doing here, but I know you must be planning something.” She squared her shoulders and reached out, jabbing a finger in front of his face. “And this time I will not be played for a fool. Whatever is that you’re up to, I will figure it out.”Killian sighed. He couldn't let his guard down, not now. Not this time. With a shrug, he smiled and said, “You’re welcome to try, Swan. But I assure you, I’m not doing anything wrong.”He wasn’t. Illegal, most definitely. But wrong? Not really. Gold had it coming, for more reasons than Killian was willing to linger on at the moment, not when he needed to play his part in front of Emma. “Now,” he said, adjusting his rolled up sleeves. “Considering you have no reason to call the police on me, I’m going to simply continue to mind my own business and walk away.”He grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm, a wicked smile playing in his lips when she pulled away hastily. “Have a pleasant evening, love.”It was only when his back was turned, and she could no longer see him that he let the smile drop from his face./-/Emma watched as Killian’s shoulders slouched slightly as he made his way back into the casino lobby. She forced herself to turn away and willed her hands to stop shaking. The spot where he’d kissed her palm still tingled.
Damn it!
Of all the people who might be planning something against Gold while she was on watch, it had to be him - the one person who had worked his way past her defenses. The one person who probably still could. She sighed and slumped against the wall, her eyes roaming over the dark hallway she’d pushed him into. It had been the first place she’d thought of when she saw him. The one place with no cameras, the only blind spot in Gold’s casino. She’d discovered it the day before and already had given orders to have it fixed. A camera was set to be installed the next day.Today, though, that blind spot had come in handy.She didn’t know why she was so relieved that she could keep their meeting a secret. Fuck. She balled her hand into a fist and knocked it against the wall. She knew exactly why. She wasn’t ready for Gold to know that Killian Jones was lurking in his casino. Gold would have him hunted down and dealt with in the blink of an eye. And Emma, well, she wasn’t ready for that to happen.Color her shocked, the bastard still was able to stir up her emotions. She might want him out of the casino and behind bars, if he was guilty of something. But she preferred that he not be beaten to a pulp or taken out in a dark alley in the process. As much as he’d ruined her career, she wasn’t about to put him at the mercy of someone like Gold.Taking a deep breath, she made her way back into the casino. Killian Jones was up to something, and while she wasn’t going to involve Gold or the police just yet, she was going to find out exactly what he was after.And this time, she was going to stop him.He may have gotten in the way of her getting what she wanted once, but this time she’d make fucking sure he wouldn’t do it again.In the meantime though, she just needed to lay low and not cause any waves. These people dealt in subtlety, and she could be subtle too.Well, at least she could try./-/LJ was waiting for him, exactly as he was supposed to be. He appeared calm, but his eyes moved frantically back and forth, continuing to assess for any possible break in their covers.“Did someone notice?” he asked quietly as he approached.LJ shook his head. “Luckily no, but I don’t think you’ll be that lucky the next time.”Killian shook his head, shame and regret washing over him. All the effort they were putting on this, and he’d blown his cover to Gold’s the extra security. He knew Emma, and she wouldn’t rest until she figured out what he was up to.“Killian -”He waved away his brother’s words. He didn’t want to hear about his shortcomings at the moment. “Don’t say anything, little brother.”LJ scowled. “I’m sorry, but someone has to. I’ve kept my mouth shut for two days because you asked me to, but this needs to stop. You’re distracted. You’re following her every move rather than what you should be doing. And now you’ve blown your cover. With her. This is going to backfire on all of us, and you know it.” LJ took a deep breath, tilting his head to the side and scanning the room again. When he was assured that no one was paying attention to them, he looked at Killian again. “You came to find me, Killian. You lured me in with tales of family and friends. You and Liam spewed tales about us making the biggest casino heist in Vegas’ history, how we were going to get as rich as Croesus, how our names would be immortalized in the business…”Killian swallowed hard, the heat crawling up the back of his neck. “And we will, LJ. Nothing has changed.”“Everything has changed.” LJ fisted his hand and held it against his side and Killian couldn’t blame him for his frustration. “You know, you and Liam really made me fall for all of it. With your good looks and impeccable suits, your story of us finally being together and me joining you in the family business. You had Nemo talking to me as if I were the long lost child you’d just gotten back. You made me feel like you wanted me here, wanted me to belong to this, not just because of what I could do, but because we would be a family.” His eyes hardened. “And you were lying.”“We weren’t,” he whispered.LJ scoffed. “Please, Killian. You couldn’t stay away from that blonde even if our entire operation was at stake. You just had to pursue her, putting her before everything - everyone - else.”“I know. I’ve made a terrible mistake, LJ, but please-” Killian’s voice broke. He didn’t want LJ to think that this was a ruse, that what Liam and he had said to him wasn’t true. He wanted to kick himself over his stupidity. He’d been so blinded by his own needs and desires when it came to Emma that he’d forgotten all the people that were counting on him. He’d forgotten about his family.He took a deep breath and met his brother’s eyes, hoping that LJ could see the honesty in them. “Listen, LJ, we meant what we said when we were in Chicago.  We don’t just need you here, we want you here. You’re our family and we would go to the ends of the world for you, brother.”Something caught his brother’s attention in the main lobby and his lips twitched. “I don’t know about that, brother. From where I’m standing, it seems that you and Liam are too involved in your skirt problems to even care about anything else at this point.”That threw Killian off, his eyes narrowing. “Skirt problems? Liam?” What was LJ talking about? Liam had just gotten out of jail and the only woman he’d ever loved - He shook his head. “What are you talking about?”LJ nodded surreptitiously and Killian’s slowly turned, his eyes following the same direction. When he finally found what he was looking for, a buzz started to come to his ears. There was no mistaking the woman hanging on Gold’s arm.
Bloody fucking hell.
LJ’s voice brought him out of his racing thoughts. “Our older brother can’t get his eyes - and if I’m not mistaken by the late night sneaking around - his hands off of her.”
Blimey, Liam.
“Belle…” Killian whispered, shaking his head at the mess they now found themselves in.“Do you know her?!?”He turned around and met LJ’s eyes. “Baby brother, that’s our sister in law.”LJ’s livid expression said it all. “I’ll be fucked. You two are worse than dad about keeping it in your pants.”/-/LJ wasn’t pleased when Killian asked him - yet again - to keep his mouth shut about the latest female development in their adventure. With a sideway glance, he took off from the casino, mumbling about the Jones’ inability to keep their heads level when a pair of legs was involved and claiming he needed much more alcohol in his system to deal with all of them.Killian couldn’t blame him. They had promised his brother a once-in-lifetime opportunity, dazzled him with the tales of family and friendship, and it was all going down the drain. He sighed and abandoned the casino as well, giving a small nod to Ariel and Eric as he departed.The ride back to Nemo’s place left him replaying his encounter with Emma. Repeatedly. The feel of her body pressed to his, the anger in her eyes, the hurt in her voice, the way she’d threatened to uncover his secrets. Craning his neck to the side, he made his way into Nemo’s house, relishing in the silent air conditioning that kept the room at a perfect temperature. Heading towards the sidebar, he poured himself a tumbler of rum and downed it in one gulp.Deciding to chalk it up as just one of those nights, he grabbed the bottle and the glass and made his way to his old room. While he and Liam had rented rooms in a complex near the warehouse for the entire team, including themselves, Nemo still kept their old rooms ready for them in the house. Tonight, he wasn’t up for spending time with his crew. Running into Emma had left him frazzled and seeing Belle had pushed him over the edge. Stripping down to his boxers, he poured himself another glass. He was going to need his old bed and a heavy dose of rum to find sleep tonight.It still refused to come for hours. And as he laid there, staring at the moonlight filtering through his window, the same question rolled around his brain, over and over again.
Why had Liam lied to him?
The fact that his brother hadn’t trusted him enough to tell him about Belle had hurt. It hurt badly. Killian knew Liam had hardened in the past few years. He knew he had no other option but to shove his feelings down if he wanted to survive in prison, but he’d always thought -He always thought he was the exception to that rule.By the time the first rays of sun filtered through the window, Killian had given up on sleep. Sighing deeply, he got out of bed, stretching his muscles and feeling the ache from the lack of rest. Jumping into the shower, he spent the next fifteen minutes craning his neck and letting the stream of water fall against his shoulders. His thoughts wandered as he stood there, meandering in a direction that he hadn’t allowed in a long while, reminiscing of shared showers in that tiny bathroom in Tuscany. He willed certain parts of his body to calm down. Taking himself in hand with thoughts of Emma after she’d literally pressed a blade to his neck felt wrong. He wanted her - gods, he’d never stopped wanting her - but now everything was so fucked up that Killian couldn’t close his eyes and entertain himself with the fantasy.Besides, he thought as he got out of the shower and toweled himself off, he had bigger problems at the moment.After pouring a cup of coffee into a travel mug, Killian jumped into his old Chevelle - the one he’d had Nemo keep for him all these years - and made his way to the warehouse. The sun hadn’t yet heated the streets and there was a chill breeze in the air, making the temperature perfect for him. Taking another sip of his coffee, he hoped he could spend a few hours in studying the vault’s blueprints and going over their strategy. Their success depended on careful execution, and it was Killian’s job to ensure everything went exactly as planned. Considering the events that led him to seek refuge in Tuscany, Killian was determined to be extra diligent this time. Or at least that had been his plan until Emma Swan waltzed right back into his life and took up residence in his mind.Pushing thoughts of her aside to that place he’d planned to revisit when all this was over, he parked his car and made his way towards the warehouse entrance. All hopes of a calm morning, though, flew out the window as he watched Liam exiting his own car.He was sporting day-old scruff, wrinkled clothes, and a particular smile Killian knew too well. Bastard. Killian had hoped against hope that somehow LJ was wrong, or that perhaps it was only a one-time thing, a goodbye shag of sorts. Couples did that sometimes, didn’t they? He wouldn’t say no to one more time with Emma for old times’ sake and all that jazz. But it seemed that his older brother was actually not having a goodbye shag with his ex-wife but was actually looking to two-time Gold and steal Belle right from under his nose.And while Killian could understand that - and in any other circumstance he would have willingly helped - he also knew a few things. One, you didn’t go after Gold’s women and left the situation unscathed. And two, there were nine other people now in the mix. If this backfired, Gold wouldn’t go just after Liam - and Killian - he would go after all the people that had put their faith in them. His thoughts wandered to LJ and Henry, the two lads that he personally asked to trust him, the two he had promised a better life.He took a deep breath and walked towards Liam, his grip firm on his coffee cup. “We need to talk.”Liam, seemingly oblivious to the tempered anger in Killian’s voice, eyed the cup with a longing face. “Is that coffee?” He reached for Killian’s cup and took a sip, closing his eyes blissfully. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and looked at him. Finally reading Killian’s distress, he asked, “What has your boxers in a twist?”“Please tell me this isn’t about her.”He waited for Liam’s reply, but it didn’t come. His brother looked away and clenched his jaw. Killian resisted the urge to shove him and simply grabbed Liam’s arm, forcing him to meet his eyes. “Tell me this isn’t about her. Tell me that, or I’m walking away from this job and taking all of our friends with me.”“Killian…”“Tell me this isn’t about screwing the guy that’s screwing the love of your life.”Liam shook his head, a sad smile coming to his lips. “I can’t do that.”“Bloody hell, Liam.” Killian ran a hand through his hair, frustration pouring over him with each slow exhale.“It’s not just about her.” Liam bent his head, his feet shuffling before he looked at him again. “When we started in this business, we had three rules. We pledged this was going to be all about good form. Nobody was going to get hurt, we didn’t rob people that didn’t have it coming, and we would play like we had nothing to lose.” He sighed and Killian felt the last few years of his brother’s pain in that sigh. “But I lost something, Killian. I lost her.”That his loss was partly Killian’s fault was left unsaid. Liam had more tact than that and Killian knew he’d never throw that in his face, but that didn’t assuage his guilt. He knew the risks when he set to free Milah from Gold’s yoke, and he hadn’t cared at that time.And they’ve all paid the price. Liam had paid the price.Killian took one moment to avert his gaze, looking at the warehouse’s entrance. “But we have a problem now. We’re stealing two things: we’re attempting the riskiest casino heist in history while you’re trying to pilfer your wife back from the guy we’re trying to rob. Things get tricky when you deal with two objectives and two marks. We have nine other people in there working to pull this with us - friends and family - that are putting themselves at risk. If something goes wrong and the balls we’re juggling start to go astray: what is it going to be, Liam? The money or the girl?”Liam opened his mouth to answer but Killian had one more thing to say. “Remember, we can’t split Belle into eleven equal shares. Besides, I’m not into brunettes these days.”“No, it’s all about blondes these days, isn’t it?”There was an edge to his brother’s voice, but Killian chose to ignore it from the moment. This was not the time to talk about his own problems with the opposite sex. “I just need to know, if things got tricky, where are you going to stand?”“If all goes well, Killian, I won’t have to choose.” Liam reached for his arm, his eyes never leaving his. “And with you leading this, I have every confidence that we will succeed. What reason is there to doubt?”A tall, blonde, green-eyed beautiful reason that was determined to bust Killian’s balls. But Killian didn’t say that out loud. He simply forced a smile at his brother and followed him inside the warehouse.

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The hours turned long and they’d hit the somewhat duller stages of planning. The initial excitement for the heist had given way to long hours of detailing, building the vault replica, and going over the execution. It required a level of focus and concentration that brought out frayed nerves in everyone.Well, almost everyone.Nemo had always been good at keeping his composure, and Poseidon had a knack for coming in and out of the character he was playing without wearing himself out. But the rest of them were starting to show signs of distress.Ariel and Eric bantered constantly, but their rapport had taken on a sniping quality, even about the most petty items, right down to their Netflix queue. The uptick in Smee’s fidgeting with his cap, as well as his obsessive need to re-review the footage of the casinos and note every single detail, was leaving an ache in Killian’s jaw from all the clenching.LJ, meanwhile, was giving Killian and Liam the silent treatment, as he kept his headphones glued to his ears and his nose buried in a seemingly endless stream of books.Milah had taken to disappearing for hours at a time, keeping whatever - or whomever - she was doing under wraps. All of which suited Killian just fine, as the last thing they needed was to alert Gold that she was in town. Besides he knew Milah and trusted her. He knew she could be stealthy when she wanted, so he kept his mouth shut.Ursula spent most of her time shadowing her co-workers at the casino, and only dropping by to feed them new information and get orders from Liam. The two of them would retreat into a corner, all bent heads and whispered words. They didn’t fool Killian at all. He knew Ursula was updating Liam on all of Belle’s movement and a part of him wanted to call his brother on wasting effort by splitting their focus. But Liam had promised, as did he, so he knew he owed his brother this chance.As for Henry, Killian knew he still felt like an outsider. Luckily, the kid had thick skin and when he was done bonding with LJ over music and comics, he’d retreat to his own corner, plugging in his headphones and writing in his journal. His quiet edge was one Killian easily recognized as the product of spending too much time on his own in foster and group homes, and he couldn’t help but feel drawn to the kid because of it.  When he was not shadowing LJ, Killian had been working with Henry, going over what he needed to do and rehearsing and timing his performance. The lad was good - more than good - and Killian couldn’t help the pride he felt as time and again Henry delivered on what he was asked to do.Which was why when he found out that Henry wasn’t an expert on poker - or any card game - Killian took the kid under his wing and vowed to teach him everything he knew. Unlike his celebrity students, Henry was sharp as a knife, picking up on what the game was about and executing bluffs with such mastery that it brought tears to Killian’s eyes. He was getting fairly good at blackjack too. He couldn’t count cards with Liam’s speed, but he was good at making quick decisions in the heat of the game and landing on his feet.After the first couple of nights, LJ asked to join the game, and Killian got a glimpse at another side of his little brother. When he was at ease - and he seemed most at ease with Smee and Henry - he could be quite charming. His permanent scowl gave way to an easy smile and a dry wit, his hands moving fast as he dealt cards, his eyes not giving away a single thing as he called bets. He proved to be as good as Killian at bluffing, and even better than Liam at reading a table. It was enough to make Killian weep, again, which resulted in LJ throwing his cards at him, calling him a softie.Clearing his throat, Killian looked at the three of them. “We need a night out.”“To do what?” Henry asked“Get some drinks, play some cards, bet some money,” he replied with a wave of his hand.“So basically the same thing we’re doing right here,” LJ retorted, clearly not impressed with him. Killian, though, knew by now it was a tactic his brother played. If you don’t get your hopes too high, the fall doesn’t hurt that much.“Not exactly the same… we’re lacking a certain ambiance here.”Henry gave them a wry grin. “I’m underage… I won’t be allowed anywhere.”“There is so much you need to learn about this town, lads.” Killian turned around to his most loyal companion. “What do you say, Smee? Should we show these two what the City of Sin has to offer?”/-/He had to give it to both of them, Henry and LJ cleaned up well for their night out. Black slacks, button down shirts, nice shoes, the whole nine yards. Which was slightly funny considering that they ended up in one of the seediest joints Vegas had to offer. But the drinks were good, the tables were humming with activity, and no one even thought to card them with Killian by their side. They joined a poker game in one of the private rooms for a few hours before they took onto the blackjack tables. Henry held his own in both while also holding down his liquor. LJ, true to form, simply took everything by storm, including charming the brunette dealer who kept leaning closer to him with each new hand she dealt. When she announced the end of her shift and threw a coy glance at LJ, Killian knew the night was coming to an end.  At least for some of them.Smee and Henry moved to cash in their winnings, while he and LJ finished their drinks.“You know you’ve had a tail for the past few hours, don’t you?” LJ said as he placed his glass on the table.“Aye, I’m aware.” Killian’s fingers moved along the rim of the glass, resisting the urge to look behind him. “She’s been shadowing us all night.”“You shadow her, she shadows you… is this some kind of kinky foreplay I want to know nothing about?”Killian laughed. “I wish.” He ran a hand through his hair, forcing himself to focus on the matter at hand. “Will this be a problem for you?”LJ shrugged. “Nah, I don’t think so. She might be good with faces, but I’m good at being a no one. It’s going to come in handy this time. But I should take off before she makes it any closer. Perhaps seek refuge in a different bed for the time being.” His eyes glinted with mischief.He rolled his eyes. “I’m sure that’s a sacrifice you’re willing to bear, and I’m sure that lovely croupier would be more than happy to assist you.”“I’ll get Henry and Smee to leave without coming back here, just in case. I figure you can run interference for us?”Killian raised his glass at him. “I can do that. It’s me she’s after anyway.”LJ squeezed his arm. “Killian, be careful, aye?” The concern and fondness in his words made Killian swallow.“Aye, I will.”He watched as LJ retreated, playing with the chips on the table and downing his drink. He ordered another as the new dealer showed up. As she set up the table, Killian counted out his heartbeats - one, two, three, four…On five, Emma sat down beside him, cashing in a hundred dollar bill.“I’d have thought you’d have privileges for playing in Gold’s casinos, Swan.”“Fancy places are not my thing. And I could say the same to you. Nemo’s protegee should be able to access better places than this.”He tilted his head, studying her profile. He wasn’t surprised by the words. It was only natural that she’d set to go after him, looking under every rock for every single piece of information she could gather on him.There just the two of them on the table and the dealer opened up the bets. He placed a chip on the felt and waited for his cards. “What can I say, this place has its benefits…”She didn’t pay that much attention to her cards. “What were you doing here tonight?”Shifting a little, he doubled his bet. “Just passing the time.”She passed on her bet and Killian winced. She should have doubled with the cards she’d been dealt. “Really? And who were your friends?”A small smirk came to his lips. “Just some acquaintances I hadn’t had the chance to catch up with in a long time.”The house went over. He won a good sum. Emma won the bare minimum.“Funny you should say that, because when I looked into you, I couldn’t find a single associate. Or friend. Or acquaintance.”Aye. He’d anticipated that, which is why he’d made sure Smee erased all traces of his known associates, along with his family and friends. Only Nemo remained, as it gave him a valid connection to be in the city. If push came to shove, he could claim that he was here to be with his friend.He examined his cards and shrugged a shoulder. “What can I say, I’m a lone wolf.”“Bullshit, Killian.” She raised her hand to double her bet and his hand moved of its own accord to stop her.“The house has too many chances to take this one, let it pass.”The way she cocked an eyebrow at him stirred something in him, but he reigned it in and slowly removed his hand. Emma stared down at her cards for a long moment before passing on raising her bet. He wouldn’t count that as a sign of anything, that way would only lead to heartache in the end. They continued to play in silence for a few hands, Killian earning a nice pile of chips while Emma fell behind. Resisting the urge to give her more pointers, Killian leaned back and drummed his fingers on the table.“How's working for Gold?”The corner of her lips lifted in the hint of a smile. “Please, as if you were interested in my work.”“You wound me, Swan.”“Drop the act. I know you’re up to something and I know you’re trying to weasel information out of me. But I’m not the girl that I was. I’m not falling for your charming lies this time.” She gathered her chips, leaving one behind for a tip, and walked away.He shouldn’t go after her, he knew he shouldn’t. And yet the temptation was stronger than his will. Picking up his own chips and sliding them in his pocket, he flipped one to the dealer and followed Emma out.He caught up with her almost at the exit and pulled her into a corner of the room. Resisting the urge to give in and press his body to hers, he focused instead on his words.“You don't want to do this. You don’t want to be spying for Gold, Emma.”“You don’t get to tell me what to do, especially since you’re the reason I need to find this type of employment.” While there was bitterness in her words, her eyes also seemed focused to his lips. Killian felt the same pull and he moved closer to her, his fingers itching to trace along the soft skin of her arms. Before he could, Emma shook her head and pressed her hand on his chest, stopping him.“Your charm no longer works on me, Jones. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…”“I’m not trying to fool you.” He sighed, resisting the urge to drag her out of here and bring her to the warehouse, to tell her everything. If this was his con alone, he’d do it in a heartbeat. But too much was a stake here, too many of his friends were depending on him. They were already on shaky ground considering Liam’s focus on Belle, Killian couldn't add more complications to the mix.Still, he couldn’t leave without letting her know the type of man she was dealing with. “I know Gold. He’s dangerous. He doesn’t play fair.”She snorted, tilting her head to the side as she glared at him. “And you do?”The barb hurt and he swallowed around the lump in his throat. “I have a code, believe it or not.”“I don’t need a code. I need answers,” she whispered and her confession shook them both. Emma’s eyes widened and she tried to move away from him, but Killian grabbed her elbow and pulled her to him.“What is it that you're after?” His eyes bored into her, studying her face for any hint of what was really going on. “It can be just the job, not really. Gold pays well, but nothing that you cannot make elsewhere.”“I don't have that many options left with my reputation ruined, remember?”“Bullshit. You’ve been highly rewarded for your work.” He regretted the words as soon as he said them. He should learn to keep his own damn mouth shut.“Keeping tabs on me, huh?”He ignored her question, his mind focused on one thing and one thing only. It was clear that when he walked out of that room on her, there had been more than her job at stake.“What was it? What did I cost you, Emma?”Her face was a blank mask, her eyes avoiding his. “Wouldn't you like to know”He reached out, caressing his thumb along her cheek. He kept his next words quiet, the desperate plea in them clear. “Please, love, tell me… I need to know.”She gave him one last assessing look before she pulled away. “Goodbye, Killian.”He took a breath and let her walk away. When she was finally out of his line of sight, he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the wall, his heart beating frantically in his chest.Whatever it was that Emma Swan was looking, whatever it was that made striking a deal with Gold worth it, he was going to find out.And he was going to do everything he could to deliver it to her./-/After another night spent with rum and restless dreams, Killian stood at the entrance of the warehouse, willing the pounding in his head to pass. He closed his eyes and sank against the exterior wall as he pressed a bottle of cold water against his temple.The sound of car tires on gravel had him open one eye and face the glaring morning sunlight again. He turned just as a taxi pulled around the curve and LJ got out. His leather jacket was draped over one arm and he carried a cardboard tray with a few paper cups on his free hand. His hair damp and disheveled, shirt wrinkled, and that spring in his step could only mean one thing.“You look like you had a good time,” Killian said as LJ handed him one of the cups. The welcome scent of steaming coffee filled his senses and Killian discarded the water bottle, taking a long, slow sip of the warm beverage. It tasted burnt and bitter, making him regret all his life choices - especially this one - while he pondered how his brother could even drink this.LJ left the rest of the tray on a nearby bench and took a sip of his coffee, his wicked smile and glinting eyes a silent answer to Killian’s comment. “You still look to be in one piece…” He twitched one side of his mouth, making a show of checking for wounds. “I thought I was going to get a call in the middle of the night and have to go pick you up at the police station.”“I would have never dared to interrupt your much needed getting laid-time, little brother. I would have called Smee.” Killian lifted one shoulder as he ventured one more sip of the coffee. Yup, still terrible. “Besides, she doesn’t have anything on me.”“She has you by the balls, but please, by all means, keep deluding yourself.”Killian chuckled, tossing the poor excuse for a coffee in the trash bin. “Next time, unless it’s done by a proper barista with freshly ground coffee beans and a espresso machine, bring me tea, LJ.”“Like you wouldn’t find a fault in any poorly steeped tea too, brother.”Touché. Killian placed two fingers over his heart, a part of him grateful that LJ had gotten to know that side of him.“Come on,” LJ called as he picked up the tray and tilted his head towards the front door. “Henry's cocoa is getting cold and the poor lad needs his sugar to function properly.”He smirked as he passed LJ and opened the door and held it for him. “You two seem to be getting along well.”LJ shrugged. “He's cool and honestly, I feel a lot more comfortable around him than some of the others. He hasn't been in the business much…”The meaning behind the words was clear. “So anything related to the Jones name doesn't mean much to him.”LJ gave him a shy smile. “Yeah, that's a perk.”Killian placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “It's good to make friends, good friends, early in your career. People you can trust.” He looked at him and a wave of sympathy flooded him. He wanted to be that for his brother so desperately, as Liam had been for him. And yet, he understood more than anyone the need to shine for yourself, outside your family name. “You don't have to do everything alone.”“I know… is that Smee for you?”“Aye.”Henry made his way towards them, his eyes almost rolling at the back of his head. “Finally, man.” He reached for the cup that LJ handed to him and took a long sip. His eyes closed, he sighed in contentment. “You even remember the cinnamon”.Killian cocked an eyebrow, some memory poking at the back of his mind that he couldn’t place. “Cinnamon?”LJ lifted a shoulder carelessly as he finished his coffee and tossed the cup in a nearby trash bin. “Yeah, the kid has weird taste.”Henry gave him a challenging look. “Who are you calling weird, you nimble fingered freak?”LJ gave him a cheesy smile, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at Henry. “Careful with the whipped cream there, Henry.  We don't want you to put on weight and miss your acrobatic stunt mark over there. A lot is a stake here, maybe I should switch you to skim milk.”Henry tossed his finished drink, puffing out his chest in his best in his best impression of a face-off. “Please, that'll never happen.” He opened his arms with an arrogant smile. “I'm too good for this.”LJ grabbed his wallet from his back pocket and took out a bill. “Prove it, fly boy. I have a twenty that says you can’t make that jump.”“You’re on.”/-/It took less than thirty minutes to set up the recreation of what would happen in the vault in a few days. Henry gave LJ a self-satisfied smile as he climbed into the cash cart.Everyone gathered around and Killian figured it was as good a time as any to do a run-down of the operation. The rest of them might as well benefit from the bet Henry and LJ had going on.“Alright, here’s the rundown. On the night of the fight, Poseidon’s package will arrive at the casino at 7:15. From there, LJ needs to work his magic, get the codes we need to access the elevator. At 7:30, Ariel and Eric will work their own magic and get the cart delivered, with Henry inside, into the vault. At that point we’re all in.” He paused and glanced around the room. “All-in. We can’t back up, we can’t screw up, we can’t delay. Once the vault is closed, we have thirty minutes before he suffocates.”“Gee, you better not fuck it up, guys, or I swear I’ll haunt you from the underworld.” Henry waved as they closed the lid and Ariel and Eric rolled the cart into the vault replica.From the corner of his eye, Killian watched as Liam entered the warehouse, his hair in the same state of dishevel as LJ’s had been, the same spring in his step. Bloody arse. Liam stood next to him and watched intently as the action unfolded.“When the power goes down, it means that all entries to the vault and the elevator are on lock down for two minutes. And that is when we strike.”The lights in the vault dimmed and Henry pushed the false top of the cart open, slowly removing himself from his confines. “It is going to feel like I spent days in there,” he said as he positioned himself on top of the cart.“Alright, flyboy,” LJ teased, “we’ve left you in the middle of the room, far away from everything. There are sensors on the floor, and you need to get from where you are to the door without activating any of them. What are you going to do, hotshot? I have twenty saying you can’t make it.”“I have ten saying you can!” Smee called.“You can do it, Henry! I have faith in you!” Ariel cheered, clapping her hands in excitement.Liam’s mouth twisted into a grimace, making him look nauseated. “We should all maintain some professionalism in here, this is a serious operation.”“They are young, Liam.” Killian shrugged, pointing at Henry with a twenty to show his support. “Especially Henry and LJ. Let them live a little.” He turned to face his brother and gave him a once over from head to toe. “Speaking of living a little, did you have a nice night?”The tips of Liam’s ears turned pink and he shuffled his feet. “It’s not what you think.”Killian gritted his teeth. “Please Liam, don’t insult my intelligence.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “As long as you promise me that you can handle it.”“I can handle it,” Liam said quickly and Killian really wanted to believe his brother, but he wasn’t sure anymore.Their conversation in a stale point, they both turned their attention at the scene in front of them. Henry closed his eyes, took a deep breath and positioned himself in a dead squat. From there he leaped, gracefully and hands first, from the cart to a ledge in one of the walls of the vault. Sitting there, he turned around and flipped off LJ. “Drinks on you tonight, loverboy.”The rest of the crew clapped and boomed, with Nemo congratulating them all on a job well done.“This is all well and good, but I’m sorry to say that we are fucked.”Everyone turned to find Milah standing there, hair a mess, her blouse misbuttoned, and mascara running down her cheeks. There was decidedly no spring in her step and her face made it clear that whomever she picked up for the night hadn’t gotten the job done.As if to confirm Killian’s assumption, she cocked an eyebrow. “And not in a good way.” She walked towards the nearest table, her high-heeled boots clicking against the tile floor and poured herself a drink. Tossing her head back, she finished off the drink in one go and poured herself another.“Wow, Milah, slow down, it’s not even 10 am,” Killian cautioned, moving slowly towards her. He had a few choice barbs on the tip of his tongue, but though they had parted amicably and they were friendly with one another, there were certain lines a gentleman didn’t cross with someone he’d known in the biblical sense. This was one of those lines. He’d never made a comment on Milah’s hookups and he wasn’t going to start now, unless it meant problems for their operation. Taking one last step in her direction, he took the glass from her hand. “What are you talking about?”She started to pace, speaking a mile a minute. “These idiots. It’s a universal truth that you can count on electricity companies to be the most inefficient people ever, but no… we had to hit the jackpot of the only capable ones! Who would have thought that they would do a fucking routine inspection and took notice of the fact that you can blow up their grid lines one by one like dominoes?”There was silence as she continued to move back and forth across the room, until Nemo shot Smee a questioning look. “Do you understand what she’s talking about?”“Some, it seems that we will be having troubles with the planned power blow up.”“Exactly right, my friend,” Milah agreed, jabbing her finger at Smee, the open, loose sleeve of her chiffon blouse billowing around her elbow in added emphasis. “They figured out their weakness and now they are fixing it. As I said, we’re fucked.”Liam scrunched his face in confusion. “Wait, how do you know all of this?”She spun and raised an eyebrow at Liam, leaving Killian feeling oddly grateful to not have that level of fury directed at him. “Where exactly do you think I was last night? Or any of the other nights?”Liam’s cheeks flushed. “I just thought...”She groaned in frustration. “Oh, for crying out loud! Just because you’re all terrible horn dogs doesn’t mean I am. I’ve been trailing some of the electricity engineers and technical operators. And yes, last night I actually had to sleep with one of them so I could hack into their work orders. Which is how I know about this entire thing.”Every last person in the room had the grace to look sheepish, but none of them dared to speak up. It was Nemo who finally ventured to break the silence. “Milah, we-”Milah waved him off. “Yeah, you can all apologize to me later, after we figure out what the hell we’re going to do if we still want to pull this job.”Eric turned to look at Liam. “What about-”But Ariel interrupted him, patting his hand and shaking her head. “Not enough time.”And that was the crux of it. There was not enough time to do a bloody thing. Coming this close to the job, being able to taste it and feel it brush against their fingertips, only to have it ripped away at the very last minute. Killian wanted to smash the entire fake vault, anything to break the sense that it was standing there mocking him.“Unless it’s a pinch.”All eyes turned back to Milah, who was now perched over the edge of the table, nursing a third drink.“A what now?” Henry asked.Milah took a sip of her drink. “It’s like a heart attack for any broadband electrical circuitry.”Killian glanced around the room, wondering if that made any bloody sense to anyone else. Given their blank expressions, he was going with nope. Sighing deeply, Milah looked at Smee. “Can you take this one? I’m knackered and I don’t have it in me.”Smee smiled and cleared his throat. “A pinch is an electromagnetic pulse that can shut down any power source in its vicinity. Bombs do it, but it usually goes unnoticed because of the amount of destruction that usually follows.”“So this pinch,” Nemo asked, taking charge of the scene in a way he only knew, “could take out the power of Vegas?” Milah nodded. “For how long?”“About thirty seconds.”Nemo’s face twisted. “That’ll do.”“There. Is. Only. One. Little. Tiny. Problem,” Milah punctuated each word by swaying her glass back and forth before swallowing the remainder in one gulp. “There is only one pinch in the world big enough to do this, and it sure as shit ain’t here in Vegas.”Cold sweat ran down Killian’s neck. “Please tell me it’s in a place that is currently going through a cold wave with snow storms and high winds.”Milah gave him an apologetic smile. “California.”Oh for fuck’s sake. “I’m not going.”“Killian-” Liam started but Killian was not having it.Pulling Liam to the side, he met his brother’s eyes. “Nope. Take LJ and Henry with you. Those two are going to be better at this than me. I’m going to stay here. Smee and I have to work on the final details of the plan anyway.” He left it unsaid that he was going to have Smee look into Emma’s past and figure out what it was she was looking for. But his brother didn’t need to know that. Not now. They were already working on two fronts, he didn’t need for anyone to know he was adding a third. He could handle this. Besides, it would be good for LJ and Liam to bond a little.“You sure about LJ? He seems green,” Liam asked, his eyes shifting to where their brother was talking with Nemo and Henry.If you spent more time talking with him than seducing your ex-wife, maybe you wouldn’t think that.  Killian shook his head as he let the thought pass. “Liam, I trust him, and you should too. We brought him here to be part of the family, didn’t we? Then let him take part in it.”“You’re right.” Liam stepped away and moved to gather Milah, LJ, Henry, Ariel and Eric, readying them to plan their next moves and set them into motion.With their attention focused elsewhere, Killian knew it was the perfect time to put his own plan into motion. “Smee,” he called over his friend, “I need you to look into something for me.” He pulled his phone and showed Smee a picture of Emma and Gold.Smee’s face turned pale and before he could say anything, Killian cut him off. “Aye, it’s her and she’s here working for Gold. She’s looking for something and I need to know what that is.”  He tried to hide the desperation in his voice but failed in the end, his voice cracking.“I’ll look into it,” Smee vowed solemnly and Killian felt a lump form in his throat at his friend’s loyalty.“Thank you, mate.”Smee moved towards his data room, ready to work his magic and Killian turned around to assess the room. Liam and LJ were having a conversation and Killian left them, for once, to work their own relationship out. If nothing else came out of this, at least they could all be a family in the end. He spotted Henry at the side of the room, still assessing the vault and doing a slow-motion rehearsal of his moves.“Henry! Listen, take care of yourself out there.” Killian placed his hand on Henry’s shoulder. “And take care of the others. You’ll be trapped between an obnoxious couple and a family feud, sorry about that. Just keep your head in the game. Someone other than Milah has to.”Henry chuckled. “I will, Killian, you don’t need to worry about me. I’m not a kid.”Killian’s heart grew two sizes in his chest. “Yes, you are. You can lie to those goody two shoes that had you at the circus, and you can even lie to yourself if you want, but you can’t lie to me, boy.” He gave the lad a reassuring smile. “The reasons for your secrets are your own and I’ll respect that, but you’re a part of us now, just as much as LJ is. We take care of our own.”From the way Henry swallowed and how his eyes locked with Killian’s for a brief minute, his want to believe read clearly on his face. But as quickly as it came, his face shifted back to neutral, his hard armor sliding back into place. “I’m tougher than I look. I won’t break.” Yet again Killian cursed every single foster parent that had beaten the sense of love and family out of this kid. But, he reminded himself, one thing at the time.“I know.” He patted Henry’s cheek. “Still, be careful, lad.”He watched Henry leave and decided he’d had enough emotions for the day. It wasn’t even noon. He needed a drink. He was pouring himself a healthy dose of rum when he heard Milah’s voice call from behind him.“Killian Jones, the overprotective brother. I thought that was Liam’s role.”He took a sip of his drink, enjoying the slide of the liquid fire down his throat. “It seems I’ve taken a page from his book.”He passed the drink to her and she took a sip. “Do I get the “you’re family to me” speech too?”Killian’s eyes softened, his muscles sore from too many nights with little sleep. “You know you are. You wouldn’t be here with us if we didn’t feel like family to you too.” He reached for her hand. “Take care of them, Milah. Don’t let them do anything foolish.”She gave him a small smile. “I’ll try. But with two Joneses in the mix, I can’t make any promises.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

For not the first time since he’d been recruited by his estranged brothers on that cold Chicago afternoon, Liam Oliver Jones Thompson wondered why the hell he’d said yes.He was clearly way out of his league. This heist was above his pay grade and the petty jobs he was comfortable pulling. He was good at tailing people and being invisible, yes, but he wasn’t at the level required to hit a major casino and walk away clean.  Everyone in the room was at the top of their field.
He wasn’t.
He was only here because of the last name he carried and his half-brothers’ misplaced sense of guilt. As if they were responsible for the mess that LJ’s childhood had been, with an absentee father and an alcoholic mother who couldn’t hold onto any job she’d had. With the parade of boyfriends that never quite stayed long enough to make a difference in LJ’s life. None of that was the fault of the two men who came looking for him, carrying promises of a family bond and forging a name of his own.A promise that only Killian had delivered on so far. Because here he was, sidelined again by his namesake. Liam had taken off with Henry and Milah, sparing him a brief side glance as he commanded LJ to stay put in the van. And as he listened to Ariel and Eric’s flirty banter move from cute to slightly TMI, there was one thing Liam Oliver Jones Thompson knew above anything else.He simply couldn’t stay in that van any longer.Taking a deep breath, he cursed Liam for not trusting in him. He cursed Killian for his hopeful speeches that made him believe he could be a part of something. And, moreover, he cursed himself for still caring what a blasted Jones thought of him. First it had been Brennan and now it was Liam.Fuck them all to hell, he thought as he got out of the van and reached to make sure his lockpick set was still tucked in his back pocket. He was going to show his older brother exactly what he was capable of. /-/It was too good to be true.Of bloody course it was. For the past few years, nothing in his life had gone according to plan, so why would he think he’d ever get a fucking break in this?“What do you mean you don’t know where he is?!?” Liam sighed, running his hand through his hair. Henry, Milah and him had pulled a crisp, tight burglary, in and out from the building in the blink of an eye with that ridiculous pinch. They had loaded it at the back of the van and were ready to go.But they couldn’t, because his fucking baby brother was missing.“He was just there!!!” Eric waved his hand at the empty space that was the backseat of the van, as if LJ would materialize out of thin air at any moment.“Clearly, he is not anymore.” Liam pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting the headache that was threatening to overtake him. He should have gotten an honest job.Yeah, right.“Hey… now, listen-” Eric started but Ariel cut him off.“Maybe if you would have let him be part of the job he wouldn’t have run away.”“What?”She crossed her arms over her chest, clearly unimpressed by his attempt at a booming voice. Not that he could blame her, he wasn’t Nemo. No matter how many year’s Liam spent with the man, he hadn’t yet managed to pull that one off.“Oh please Liam, don’t play dumb. You’ve been sidelining him from day one, assigning him nothing but tedious lookout jobs and invisible tailing. You’ve been ghosting him every step of the plan.”“You two do tedious lookout and don’t feel ghosted.”“That’s because that is what we’re here for, remember? That,” Ariel paused and swept her finger between herself and Eric, “is what we do. But him, he’s a pickpocket with a very sharp mind and you’re wasting his talent.” She shook her head as if Liam were a lost cause. “Well, if you all would excuse me, I am going to find that poor kid before he gets himself arrested.” She stalked off and Eric followed close behind, but she shooed him away. “Wait here and have the van running!”Eric returned, plopping himself in the driver’s seat and turning on the ignition. Henry whistled, adjusting his baseball cap over his eyes as he took a seat in the back and closed his eyes. Liam just stood there, watching Ariel’s as she entered the building.“You know, she is right. You’re not giving LJ a chance to do anything.” Milah picked at a piece of lint on her blouse and flicked it to the floor before meeting his eyes. “He’s not going to mess up.”He cocked an eyebrow at her, pointing at the building behind him. “He just did.”Milah shook his head, her lips in a tight line. “No, you messed up. He reacted because you haven’t allowed him to do anything approaching interesting since he’s gotten to Vegas. I’ve talked to the kid, he’s quite smart.”As if Liam didn’t know how smart LJ was. Or how good that little fucking charmer could be at this. Better than him, for sure, and almost as good as Killian. “I know that.” He sighed, the weight of this entire ordeal pressing on his shoulders. “Look is not that I don't’ trust him-” Liam paused not sure if he wanted to give voice to his deepest fears.But Milah obviously wasn’t going to let him get away with it. “Then what is it?”“I don’t want him to take the hit for this. If this somehow backfires…”Milah’s eyes widened. “You don’t want Gold to find out about him and retaliate,” she whispered, her fingers moving back and forth across her throat, her eyes shining with regret. “Much like he did with Killian and you.”Oh, fuck.He tried to backtrack. “Milah, that is not-”“My fault?” she snorted, tilting her head to the side. “Really, Liam? Killian can pretend he doesn’t care or that I am to be waived from all responsibility.” Her fingers shook as she trailed them through her hair. “But you’re better than that. You and I both know it is my fault - his scarred hand, the failed heist, the trip to Tuscany, your stint in jail, all of it. I’m not oblivious, Liam. I know what price you both - and Nemo - paid for helping me.”There was such pain and regret laced in her voice that Liam couldn’t help but reach out and squeeze her arm. “We would never hold that against you. You wanted out and you needed help.” He put as much conviction into his words as he could, because for all the mess they made, he would never hold it against Killian for helping her escape Gold.“Thank you.” Her eyes filled with tears, but she blinked quickly and shoved them away with her palm. “Maybe things would go better if you told LJ why you’re pushing him away from the action.”She had a point, as usual. And Liam knew it was a conversation the two of them needed to have. He spotted two figures quickly making their way down the stairs and he signaled Milah to get into the van. “I will. After I wring his neck over his stupidity.”Three hours and one visit to the ER later, they were finally on their way back to Vegas. The good news was that they got the pinch. The bad news was that Ariel had gotten injured while helping LJ escape, which had triggered Eric’s protective streak. Liam had to literally restrain him as he made a beeline to punch LJ, all while Henry tried to talk everyone into calming down.No one calmed down, not until Milah had threatened to shoot them all if they didn’t bloody get their fucking macho male egos in check.Needless to say, it wasn’t a fun ride back to Vegas. /-/Killian perched himself over Nemo’s side table, his foot tapping against the tiled floor. Nemo himself was pacing back and forth, running a hand over his bald head.“Would the two of you please stop fidgeting?” Ursula asked from the sofa, rolling her eyes when both turned to glare at her. “They are fine. They got the pinch. They’ll be back any minute now.”“Fine might be a little optimistic, darling,” Poseidon said, not lifting his eyes from the paper he was perusing. “They are in one piece - mostly.”“Daddy, you’re not helping,” Ursula chided. She opened her mouth to say something else but her words were cut off by the sound of the front door opening.Liam stormed in, his forceful steps echoing across the room. Eric and Ariel trailed behind him. She had a bandage wrapped around her forearm and Eric held his arm protectively across her shoulders, guiding her steps. She leaned into him, murmuring something in his ear, and a soft smile played at his lips. Milah and Henry followed after them, both sporting expressions that said they’d rather be anywhere but here at the moment.And finally, complete with head hung low, shoulders slouched, and hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans, walked LJ. He was the picture of shame personified and Killian’s heart ached at the sight. Making his way towards the group, he first gave Ariel’s good arm a squeeze before he reached LJ.“Hey, bro, you ok?” he asked, lowering his head to meet his brother’s eyes.“Never better, hadn’t you heard? I’m an all-star.” LJ opened his arms, a fake smile on his lips, his eyes betraying the nonchalant pose he was trying to pull off. Killian knew that look, it was almost like looking at himself in the mirror fifteen years ago. It was the same look he wore every time he’d messed up and had to deal with Liam’s soft sighs and disappointed stares. He turned around, expecting to see the same look in his older brother’s eyes, but all he saw was pure rage. It took him aback, and almost made him stumble at the ferocity in Liam’s glare.“I’m going to say this one time, Junior.” LJ flinched next to him and in that moment he despised his older brother for it. “You have to stop pulling shit like this. You got Ariel hurt. Eric almost killed you for getting her hurt. And we almost didn’t make it out of there. You pull another stunt like this one and you’re out.” Liam took two long strides towards them, getting dangerously close to LJ’s face. “When are you going to get it through your thick skull that you have nothing to prove?"It was too much for Killian to take. He ran a hand through his hair as he tried to break the mood. "For the love of God, Liam, he's as stubborn as you and I are... let the kid be.”His words were like fuel further igniting Liam’s rage. “Killian, stop it with the cool brother act. He almost fucked up this entire operation and coddling him isn’t doing him any favors!”And that, for Killian, was the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back. “Please, do not go all holier than thou and pretend as if you haven’t risked everything too by sneaking off to fuck Belle! Repeatedly.”There was a collective gasp, followed by the sort of silence where you could hear a pin drop across the parking lot. Liam’s eyes widened before he stuttered. “I, I-”LJ crossed his arms over his chest. “What did you think would happen when you demoted me to lounging around potted plants time and again, big brother? Did you think I wouldn’t pick up on the fact that you were getting it on with Gold’s girlfriend?”Ariel was the first one to ask. “Belle? She’s here?”Milah followed on her words. “Gold’s girlfriend?”Liam sighed, turning around and facing each one of his friends. “Aye. On both counts.”Poseidon clenched his jaw, his eyes finding Ursula’s. “You’ve worked there for weeks. Surely you knew about this. You lied to us? To me?”Ursula looked chagrined, her lower lip twitching as if she were fighting tears. “Yes, I knew. But you have to understand, this is Belle we’re talking about. I like Belle.” She motioned around the room with her hand. “We all like Belle. She’s nice and friendly, she’s always treated all of us with kindness and respect. For crying out loud, she’s kept tabs on Killian all this time.”That caught Killian by surprise. “She did?” His eyes found Liam’s and his brother swallowed before he nodded.Ursula’s eyes scanned the room, daring someone to speak. “So yes, she’s my friend and I miss her. I don't want to see her wrapped up in Gold’s schemes, so I decided to help Liam talk to her. And I’m not sorry. This is not affecting our heist.”LJ laughed, his voice carrying loudly from the other side of the room. “Oh, but it is. He’s juggling pulling off a con while also sleeping with our mark’s girlfriend. Even a stupidly green amateur like me knows you don’t mix a pair of legs with the job.” He gave Killian a side glance. “And he’s not the only one.”“What is he talking about?” Henry asked.Another dreadfully long silence followed as everyone looked at each other, trying to figure out who was sleeping with whom. Ursula cocked an eyebrow at her father.“Don’t look at me,” Poseidon gritted his teeth. “Hooking up with scantily clad women is not part of Isaiah’s MO.”LJ stole another glance at him and Killian knew that all the progress he’d made with him was going to backtrack if he didn’t own to his mistakes right now.He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “He’s talking about me. Emma is here.”There was another collective gasp, but the silence that followed it lasted less time than the last.“Emma?” Ariel asked, her eyes wide as saucers. “As in yousleptwithmeandleftmestrandedinTuscanywhenIwassupposedtoarrestyou Emma?”Well, that was one way to put it. Killian ignored the ache in his chest and pushed the words past his lips. “She’s the one Gold hired as special security for tomorrow night. She needs something, I don’t know what is, and she made a deal with Gold to get it.”“Has she seen you?” Liam asked, and Killian could see him already calculating all the possible outcomes of this.“She had a knife to his throat a week ago, and then tailed after him on our night out.”At that moment, Killian would have given anything for the ability to obliterate LJ with his eyes.His little brother shrugged. “What? I thought it was finally family sharing time.”“Oh for fuck’s sake.” Milah made her way to the side table and grabbed the drink that Nemo held out for her, shaking her head as she took a sip. “I need to know, and I need to know it now. Are we in this for the money, or are the both of you after Gold for getting your women on his side?” She downed the drink and motioned for Nemo to pour her another one. “Because I’m fine either way, but I’d just like to know what it is I’m walking into. And why. The rest of this crew,” she stopped and gestured around the room, “they might feel differently though.”Nemo stepped forward and the entire room fell quiet. He pointed at the two of them. “Whatever family or skirt problems you have, they end now. Either all of you get your priorities straight, or I‘ll pull the plug on this.”“Nemo,” Liam started but the other man wasn’t having it.“It’s not like you to lose your head in a job over a woman. Neither of you.” He stared down at Liam, a sad smile forming at the corner of his mouth. “Liam, I knew she was here and I wasn’t naive enough to think she wasn't part of the reason you were going after Gold, but this is bigger than you.” He pointed towards the people scattered around the room. “You’ve asked everyone here to follow you and they have. Now you need to lead, my boy.” His eyes moved to Killian. “You both do.”The air thickened for a brief moment as Liam looked around the room. “Aye, you’re right. We have a job to do.” He finally met LJ’s eyes. “I’m sorry.”LJ nodded. And just like that, the air was clear. Everyone jumped back into their tasks and Killian took a deep breath, heading to the door. He needed some time on his own, he needed to think things through.Smee cleared his throat and Killian turned to find that his friend had followed him towards the door. “Maybe it’s not the best time for this,” he said quietly, “but I think I found something about Emma.”He should let this go. He knew it. Smee knew it, and yet… Killian tried to convince himself he had to know only because he needed to have the upper hand for the job, but he was grasping at straws and he knew it. “Tell me, Smee.”Smee pulled a tablet out and started flipping through information. “She’s an orphan. Found abandoned by the highway, grew up in the foster system-”“Aye aye, I know that, move forward.” He didn’t need to relive the confessions Emma had made in the middle of the night.“She ran away at 16, joined up with a few bad companies and ended up in juvie.” Smee swallowed, sadness clear in his eyes. “She - she was pregnant Killian.”Bloody hell. He tried to imagine it: a young Emma, alone and scared, carrying a child behind bars. His heart broke for her. “How long was her stint?”“Eleven months.”That didn’t sound like a happy ending for Emma Swan. “And the baby?”Smee pointed to the screen. “A boy, given up for adoption. Sealed records.”Killian did the quick mental math. “He’d be around sixteen now.”“Do you think she’s looking for him?” Smee asked, powering off his tablet. “That this is the favor she wants from Gold?”Killian shook his head. At this point, he wasn’t sure of anything, but he had to try to figure it out. At least it was a lead. “I don’t know, but it might well be.  Smee, can you-?” he trailed off, not sure if he could ask for the favor with a steady voice.“I’m on it, Killian.”“Thank you, mate.”/-/Emma Swan had never been a big fan of the outdoors. Camping trips, bonfires, and hiking were not her thing. It could be the lack of a family growing up who could have taken her on said trips, or it could be that she simply preferred her outings to entail warm water, indoor plumbing, and comfortable mattresses. Whatever it was, she’d never been one who craved nature and fresh air.Until now.Because right now she’d give almost everything she had - and a few things that she didn’t - to get out of this hotel. The Baelfire might be the hottest casino in town, with all its gold detailing and Baroque decoration, but for Emma it felt like a prison. The air felt suffocating, the lights were giving her headaches, and she’d kill for fifteen minutes of silence instead of the constant chin-chin-chin noise of the slot machines.Luckily, most of her time here had been spent shadowing Belle in the silence of the library. Though Emma might have appreciated it a lot more if she didn’t feel like she was always on the verge of accidentally knocking into something and ruining a first edition of an obscure and valuable early Renaissance text in the process.Oh, what she wouldn’t give right now for some fresh air and verdant green views, blue skies, a cool breeze. A picnic under the shadow of a tree, under the Tuscan sun. No, not Tuscany, never again Tuscany. Emma tried to shake the images out of her mind, but it was a fruitless attempt. No matter what she did, the memories came back again and again, and in full force, ever since she’d run into Killian again. They haunted her every dream, waking her up with shudders, her body tingling. She could still feel his lips trailing kisses along the column of her neck, his hands grasping her hips, pulling her towards him as he teased along her entrance, making her moan, making her beg for him.She fisted her hand at her side against the assault the images made on her senses. It wouldn’t do her any bit of good to continue remembering Killian in that way. It was in the past and she needed to leave it there. The man was probably up to something against her current employer, and Emma had to focus her entire attention in preventing that from happening.That, she reminded herself, was what she was here for. And the price she would have to pay if she failed was one she couldn't afford.“You know, you don’t have to babysit me all the time.” Emma turned to find Belle smiling at her, pouring tea into a delicate china set. She handed Emma one of the cups, and she closed the distance between them to take it. The tea smelled wonderful and Emma closed her eyes as she took her first sip.“I’m not babysitting you, Belle,” she said softly, not meeting the other woman’s eyes.“Please, I know he doesn’t need extra security for this library.”That he didn’t. Or at least not for the parts of the library that Belle was aware of. Emma had her doubts about what else might be hidden in these shelves that had nothing to do with books, but it wasn’t her place to look into it. She was hired to secure, not to find out.“Fine, you got me.” Emma sighed and ran her fingers through her hair as she sat in one of the leather chairs. “I’m supposed to keep you safe the night of the event.”Belle snorted. “Safe from what?”Who knows. Whomever is out to get Gold. An image of Killian came to Emma’s mind. Could Killian be related to any of this? Could he really be the reason why Gold was so keen on having extra security?Emma shrugged. “I don’t know, Belle. Do you think there would be something or someone that could be a threat to you? An ex-boyfriend perhaps?”Belle stiffened for a second, which made Emma sit straighter on the couch, her attention now completely focused on the woman across from her. Belle didn’t speak, averting her eyes and looking towards the window, and the silence fell heavy between them. Emma let the silence hang in the hair, hoping Belle might rush to fill it when it became too uncomfortable, but instead she seemed to drift off into the distance.“Someone on your mind?” Emma asked softly.Belle’s lips curved into the hint of a smile that seemed to carry a history behind it. “There was someone, once, long ago.”“Do you think he could be dangerous?”That seemed to shake Belle. “Liam? Good gracious, no. Not in that way. He would never hurt me.” Her tone was firm and collected, the conviction evident in her words. It seemed that she still held that man in high-esteem and not for the first time, Emma wondered what the fuck a woman like Belle was doing with a guy like Gold. She shouldn’t pry - she wasn’t paid to meddle in these affairs - but she still couldn’t ignore the nagging sensation that something was happening. Something that she was missing, and it was right under her nose. Emma knew it - she could feel it - but she still hadn’t managed to fit all the puzzle pieces together.She placed her teacup on the saucer Belle had left on the table, and stood up, pacing back and forth.“Emma?” Belle asked, concern palpable in her voice.  “Are you ok?”Emma shouldn’t say anything, especially to a client - or the girlfriend of the client - but there was something about Belle’s disposition that made you want to confide in her.“Do you ever feel like you're missing something that is right under your nose?”Belle took a sip of her tea, a smile coming to her lips. “Not usually.” She placed her cup on its saucer and arranged the pleats in her skirt. “Don’t get me wrong, I know people see me as naive and, in the past, I have been. But if I am missing something, it usually doesn’t affect me the way it does you, Emma. Probably because I don’t make a living out of it” She shrugged and turned back towards the window.Emma tilted her head, Belle’s words ringing in her ears. “But you have missed something in the past. Something big.”Belle sighed, playing with her skirt again. “Let’s just say I did miss something that was right under my nose.”“It was him, right? Liam?” Belle nodded, and Emma could feel her melancholy. “Do you love him still?”Belle paused and contemplated the question. “A part of me will always love him. I just don’t know if I can trust him, or if I can get past what happened.”“I know the feeling.” She toyed with her swan necklace, her constant reminder to never trust anyone again, not after doing so when she was just a kid. She had paid that price. After getting her heart broken, she’d vowed not to let anyone in again. And she hadn’t. Not until Killian had walked into that trattoria and undid her with a lazy smile and a few heated kisses.And she’d paid the price again.“But here’s the thing, Emma.” Belle met her eyes with such sadness and guilt. “I can’t let him completely go either. Yes, he hid part of himself from me and I got my heart broken as a result, but there was this other side of him. The one he showed me each day - the devoted brother, the caring friend, the doting husband. I know that was real too, and it makes it really hard to stop loving that part of him.”“Then don’t,” Emma said, not sure why she was giving any sort of relationship advice. She should keep her mouth shut. She most definitely shouldn’t encourage this woman to continue thinking of someone who clearly wasn’t Emma’s current employer.And yet… Emma would never forgive herself if she didn’t warn Belle about the current man in her life.“Belle,” she started before hesitating, trying to find the right words. “Gold, he’s not what it seems.” She sighed, her eyes scanning the room before looking at Belle again. “I know I work for him, but you have to know that not all of his businesses are necessarily on the right side of the law.”Belle’s eyes widened for a brief moment. She bit her lip and nodded. “Thank you, Emma.”Emma nodded and stood, hastily exiting the library and heading for her room. Something about Belle’s story was nagging at her and Emma needed to follow that hunch before it faded into the recesses of her mind.Two hours later, she sat in front of her computer, a half-drunk beer in her hand, watching the pieces fall into place. The names, the photographs, the different threads here and there that only led to one man. She reached for her phone, quickly typing out a text, her heart beating frantically in her chest.
Damn you, Killian Jones.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“This? This is the place you came up with?”Killian pulled away from the window and the breathtaking view of the city that it offered and turned to take in an even more breathtaking Emma Swan. Her text asking him to meet her had taken him off guard. Killian wanted to say that he heeded all the warnings from Nemo and his friends, and that he’d hesitated about meeting Emma.But he hadn't.Without hesitation, he booked the best suite in one of the small, boutique hotels just outside the city and sent her directions. He’d arranged with his contacts at the front lobby to have her meet him directly - and discreetly - in the room.“You were the one who wanted to meet, Swan.” He took a few steps towards hers. “I simply took the liberty of finding a suitable location. I felt we needed some privacy. Casinos have too many prying eyes, wouldn’t you say?”Emma cocked an infuriatingly sexy eyebrow at him. “As opposed to lux hotels with state of the art security systems and camera feeds?”“No one will spy on us here, if that is what you’re worried about. This is not one of Gold’s casinos.” Feeling more hesitant than he’d had in a long time, he slipped his hand along the back of his neck, his fingers scratching at the ends of his hair. “You asked to see me, Emma.” He held his breath while he waited for Emma’s next move, though he wasn’t sure what exactly he wanted or expected that to be. Maybe a miracle where Emma would forgive him and then jump into his arms, ready to give them a chance. But he was fooling himself with those musings, and he knew it. She’d never forgive him. Not after what he’d cost her.Emma seemed to move past her initial apprehension at their meeting location, moving towards the en-suite bar and pouring them both a drink. She held a glass out to him as she took a sip of her own rum. Killian took a slow step towards her, deliberately brushing his fingers along hers as he reached for the glass. If she felt the same sizzling in her skin as he did in his, she didn’t let it show. Her expression gave no hint of her reaction to his touch. She didn’t linger either, taking no opportunity to prolong the moment, giving Killian no sense as to whether or not she too craved contact between them.No, Emma Swan simply took another sip of her drink and proceeded as if nothing had rocked her world.“I have some interesting news to share.” She swirled the remains of the amber liquid in her glass. “Gold’s girlfriend. I looked into her a little bit. Her name’s Belle French, but turns out she had another name not that long ago: Belle Jones.” She lifted her eyes, studying him with inquisitive eyes. “Married to one Liam Jones, a con man recently out on parole who bears an uncanny family resemblance to you.”So, she finally dug it out. Killian had known that whatever failsafes Smee had put in place weren’t going to survive any deep and thorough research. He knew Emma was eventually going to ferret out the truth about him, and his family, just as soon as she felt motivated enough to know more and look into it further. It was almost a test of sorts, if he were being honest to himself, to see if she really cared to know about him.Or maybe he didn’t want to hide anything from her anymore.“So you’ve heard of my brother.” He took a sip of his own drink. “And his ex-wife.”“Wife.” She cocked an eyebrow at him. “They are not divorced.”Killian choked, thanking the stars that he’d already swallowed his drink. That tidbit of information was a punch to his gut. Wife?“I take it you didn’t know that?” He could hear the satisfaction in the slightly high and cheery tone of her voice. If she were anyone else, he’d be annoyed with her and angry that someone had gotten the upper hand. But once again, when it came to Emma Swan, Killian Jones was a weak man.“I didn’t.”“Why are you guys here, Killian?” Emma walked towards him, her steps sure, her body at ease. Each deliberate movement she made pulled him in and drew him to her. “Because let me tell you something very interesting.” She leaned into him, her lips brushing just shy of his cheek, each puff of her breath teasing along his skin, setting every cell in his body aflame. “A known associate of Liam and Killian Jones managed to slip away from an active crime scene, evading arrest in a very confusing situation. Goes by the name of Milah Bash, also formerly known as Milah Gold.”He swallowed, resisting the urge to drop his hand to her waist, closing the remaining distance between them and kissing her again.Oh, how he wanted to kiss her again.“I can explain…”“What the hell is going on here?” Her words might have been harsh, but the whispered way she said them made them sound more like a plea.He didn’t have to tell her anything, he could simply shrug and feign ignorance, flirt his way out of this with a touch of swagger coupled with some well-placed self-deprecation.Just like he always did.But he was so tired of being that guy. So tired of being the one left to pick up the pieces and fit them all together. Not while his brother was out there fucking his apparently-still-married-to-him-wife, his mentor continued to mope across the city, his ex drowned herself in guilt, and his half-brother insisted upon finding himself one reckless mistake away from landing himself in jail.He was over all of it.There’s only one thing Killian Jones wanted to do in this moment and that was to share all his feelings with the woman standing there in front of him. All the ugly truths. All the gritty details of his life. She was right there, waiting for him to talk. So he took a deep breath as he took one step back, bracing himself for whatever the truth might mean.  “Gold and us… well, we don’t have the best history.” He returned to the bar, refilling his drink as a means to keep his hands occupied, and reaching out for her glass to do the same. “Years ago, I helped Milah escape her marriage to him.” He took one long drink, savoring the burn of the liquor on his tongue and down the back of his throat before he continued. “We had a dalliance for a while after that, though we eventually parted ways romantically and remained on amicable terms. Gold didn’t take it graciously when she left him. He went after me, and then Liam. And then it seems he went after Liam’s wife.”He paused, placing his glass on the side table and unbuttoning the cuff of his shirt, rolling up the sleeve. “You’ve seen these before.” He remembered it clearly. There wasn’t an inch of his skin she had left untouched during those wonderful few days and nights. The scars itched under the ink, but he knew it wasn’t real, it was the memories of everything that had gone awry after he’d decided to put himself in Gold’s path. “Remember Tuscany?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper.“I do.” Her voice carried the musical hint of memories, as if she were transported back to the same memories he’d been revisiting over and over since he saw her again.“Did you ever wonder why I was there?”“You were laying low after a heist gone wrong.”“Right. A heist that should have had no chance to go wrong. It was perfectly planned and carefully executed. There was only one way that could have been wrong. Someone talked. Someone was forced to rat us out.”Realization dawned in her eyes. “Gold.”Killian nodded, picking up his glass again. “Aye, Gold. He blackmailed someone on my crew. He then sent your agency after me. He sent you after me.” That had been the most painful part of that night. Knowing that, ultimately, it had been Gold who’d put Emma in his path, only to strip her away from him.“I- I didn’t know,” Emma said, her eyes catching his and shining with a fierce intensity. “You have to believe me, I didn’t know it was Gold who’d hired me.”“I know.” He tried to reassure her, because yes, he did know, but also, it didn’t matter. She’d been a victim in all this, another innocent caught in Gold’s crossfire. “Gold, he did the same with Liam’s heist. He wasn’t so lucky and landed himself in jail as a result. Two years. Four murder attempts.” Gods, his chest ached to say that out loud. His beloved brother’s entire life ruined because he didn’t think all of it through. “It was Gold. And it was because of me.”“If you had known then, would you have done it differently?”That was a loaded question if there ever was one. Would he have walked away from Milah? No, he wouldn’t have had it in him. He’d cared for her back in the day - still did in a different way - and even without the romantic entanglement, he would have helped her anyway. She was frightened, weary to the core, and wanted out. He had had the means to make that happen.He finished off the remainder of his drink and closed his eyes. “No. I still would have helped her.”Her touch, when it came, felt like a balm against his cheek. He leaned into her hand, savoring it for a long moment before he opened his eyes again. She was close, so close, her eyes that crystal clear shade of green that was imprinted on his memory. She was studying him, trying to figure him out, as if it were the first time she was seeing him.“Is that why you’re going after the man? I know you’re planning something. What is it?” She didn’t take her hand from his cheek and he desperately wanted to tell her everything. But he couldn’t. He knew it. He’d already cost his family everything because of a woman. He couldn’t do it again, not even for her.“I can’t tell you, Emma. And you can’t stop it.” He wrapped his hand around hers and removed her hand from his cheek before taking a step back, bracing himself for her reaction. “It’s in motion and there’s too much at stake. This isn’t just about me.”“I’ll stop you…” Her words sounded like an empty threat and for once, he didn’t hide. He didn’t want to charm his way out of any complications with words. He didn’t want to convince her with the pieces of her past he’d found out. Killian just wanted it to be over. If it meant that Emma would turn him in, then so be it. He’d taken measures in case that happened. The job would go on without him.Taking a deep breath, he opened his arms in surrender. “You can bloody well try, Swan. I’m right here… take me in, love.”The air thickened around them as the seconds ticked by and Killian waited for Emma to make her choice.Whatever came next, it had to be her choice.A number of emotions passed through her eyes: anger, pain, frustration, and then something Killian hadn’t expected to see from her again.Closing the distance between them, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him the last few inches towards her. “Damn you, Killian,” she whispered before crashing her lips against his.His body caught on faster than his brain, his hand finding a home in her hair, his tongue darting to meet hers. His arm circled her waist and pressed her against him exactly where he wanted her. Emma moaned in his mouth and Killian tightened his hold on her.All caution and objections were thrown to the wind, and muscle memory took over. Being reacquainted with the shape of her, her scent, the feel of her skin as he trailed kisses down her neck, it was all Killian cared about. Lifting his head for a moment, he met her eyes. “Emma…”She shook her head and started to unbutton his shirt. “Whatever it is, I don’t care… I don’t care. I need you.” She found his lips in a slow kiss that spoke not just of lust, but ache and longing. “I just need you.”Carefully, he swept her off her feet, carrying her to the bed. Their clothes were quickly discarded between frantic kisses and wandering hands. Killian hovered over her, reaching to kiss every patch of skin he could. “I’ve missed you so much.”His fingers trailed down her navel and he stroked her, his mouth closing on a pert nipple. He relished in her moans and the way she arched her back to meet each movement of his hand. The sound of her scream as she came was everything, and left him feeling like he was where he belonged. That he was in a place he never should have left. It was his turn to moan when she reached to grab him, stroking his cock until he felt he was going to spend himself like a bloody teenager. Reaching for the bedside table, she grabbed a condom, tearing it from the wrapper and rolling it down his length. Positioned at her entrance, he thrust all the way in a swift move, his forehead resting against her as he tried to catch his breath.Slowly, very slowly, he rocked inside her, savoring each moment as if it were to be the last. He would treat this like it were the last night she’d give him. Tomorrow things would be the same. She’d still work for Gold and he’d still be robbing three casinos.But tonight, none of it mattered. Tonight, there was only him and Emma.Reaching for her one more time, he guided them both over the edge./-/Dawn was breaking the window when Emma finally drifted awake, her muscles aching from a night well spent.  Reaching out, she found the side of the bed next to her cold and empty.A note laid on the pillow.
I’m sorry, Swan. I have to do this. I hope that one day you can forgive me. K.
Her fingers traced the words. “Damn you, Killian.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Hey, Killian, you ok?”Killian lifted his head and met Henry’s concerned eyes. He must be quite the sight, with his wrinkled shirt, bloodshot eyes, and a day’s worth of scruff covering his jaw. He’d left the hotel’s bed - with Emma Swan in it - at some point before dawn.He’d wandered around the streets of Vegas for a couple of hours as the sun rose, the familiarity of them pulling him in like a magnet. He was raised on these streets, picking pockets and avoiding run-ins with the police all while Liam and he looked for shelter each night. Later, after Nemo had taken them in, he’d still walked these streets, watching and studying people. It was the same today. He could pinpoint the easy marks, the ones who had left the casino with money in their pockets, ripe for the taking. He could see the drawn faces of others, people for whom Lady Luck seemed to have turned away from that night, making them regret all the money thrown at the tables. The regret wouldn’t last. They’d be back again the next night, gambling it all for the chance to win big.Killian wasn’t a gambler. Never had been. Yes, he enjoyed the thrill of a job like no other, and there was always an element of chance in any one of them, but it wasn’t the same as throwing money blindly at the tables.“Killian?” Henry’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts. The kid looked even more worried than he had a few minutes ago.Killian sighed, patting him on his arm and trying to muster a smile. “Just a long night, lad. That’s all.”Henry tilted his head, narrowing his eyes and screwing up only one side of his mouth in a half-smile that was far too considering. The gesture was familiar, but Killian couldn’t pinpoint who it reminded him of. “It doesn’t seem like she was that much fun.”Killian cocked an eyebrow at Henry’s comment. The kid could not be more than sixteen and yes, Killian knew a lot about girls and fun at sixteen, but that was because he’d had Liam and Nemo to talk about it. Had someone talked to Henry? Did he need to have the talk with the lad? Perhaps he should have LJ do it?Shaking those thoughts from his head - and filing them away for when the heist was done and he could broach the subject - he squeezed Henry’s shoulder, choosing to say the bare minimum. “It isn’t always about just fun.”“Was she- that woman they’ve mentioned?”Great. Just what he needed, one more set of prying eyes analyzing his every move. But he couldn’t blame Henry for the question. He was betting his future on them and he had every reason to ask. Killian looked away, hoping that would be answer enough.“The way they talked, it seemed like… were you in love with her?”The question took him off guard. Had he been? He’d been well on his way of falling for her, before it all went to hell between them. Yesterday, he would have said no, that what he felt was a mix of guilt, regret, and the sting of missed chances.After last night though? Killian wasn’t so sure anymore.Smee called them both over, saving Killian from having to answer that loaded question. He was shuffling back and forth on his feet, but once he had the attention of everyone in the room he cleared his throat.“Liam has been red flagged at Gold’s casinos.”“What?”“How?”The room descended into an explosion of questions and then, just as quickly fell silent. Everyone in the room ping-ponged their heads between Smee and Liam as they waited for someone to explain just how everything managed to go so spectacularly wrong.Liam had gone pale and his eyes widened slightly, his jaw clenching in frustration and his hand fisting at his side as he worked to absorb the news. No words came through, he stood there silent as if challenging the room. Finally, Milah braved breaking the standoff. She shrugged her shoulders and rolled up her sleeves. “Well, it seems that your sexcapades finally cost us something.”Liam’s stunned expression morphed into a glare, but Milah ignored him, turning to Killian instead. “Can we work around this?”Not in the timeframe they were working with, not with the match set to start in a few hours. It would risk the integrity of the job and land all of them not just in jail, but at the mercy of Gold. Which only meant there was one option left to them. Killian looked at Liam, looking for both reassurance and confirmation that he agreed.Killian nodded slightly. “We can try one thing.”Glancing around the room, Liam said, “Killian will need to take my place up front.” Not waiting for anyone’s agreement, he turned to Killian. “You know the drill, run interference. Provide distraction.”Right. Walk into Gold’s front lobby, no cover, no subtlety. Stand there out in the open for all the cameras and the man who despised Killian so much that he’d gone after his entire family. No problem. He owed his family at least that much. His eyes landed on Milah and he held the look as he tried to convey as much reassurance as he could. He knew she’d fret over this and it wasn’t necessary. “Take one for the team, basically.”“But if Killian does that, then who’s going to help you detonate the vault?” Ariel interrupted, looking from him to Liam while moving her hands frantically, her voice sounding slightly high. “You can’t do it alone. I mean, you could, but with all the work Milah has put into this, we’re better off being safe than sorry.”Killian knew exactly who that one should be, but before he could suggest it, Liam had already taken a step forward.“LJ.”LJ’s eyebrows shot to his forehead. “Me?”“Yes, you.” Liam took a few more steps towards his brother. “I’ve been trying to protect you from Gold and his vendettas and rage since all of this started, hoping to keep you under wraps so that you could walk away unscathed if things went wrong, but I don’t have that luxury anymore. You’re the best person to do this and we should do this as a family. What do you say? Want to ride shotgun with me, brother?”By the way LJ’s eyes looked almost shiny with tears, Killian knew things were going to be ok between them. Leave it to Liam to win LJ back in one thirty-second speech. With that settled, Killian could only do what he did best. While his brother had rallied the troops, he now needed to see this thing home. “Alright, everyone, curtain goes up at seven sharp. Everyone get ready.”He stepped out of the room and reached for his phone. He had a call to make to put everything in order for his part tonight. When he heard footsteps behind him, he turned, expecting either Liam or LJ, only to find Smee looking at him nervously.“Killian, we need to talk. It’s about, you know, that thing you asked me.”Pinching the bridge of his nose, Killian exhaled. He hadn’t expected Smee to find anything so soon, and delving into it right now would be the worst sort of timing. His entire family was going to walk into the lion’s den in less than ten hours. He needed to focus on the job currently in front of him. Thoughts of Emma would have to wait.“Can it wait?” He gave Smee an apologetic smile. “I know I asked you to look into Emma and I’m thankful that you did, but we need to focus on the job at hand. After we’re done, we can see how we can get the information to her.”He tried to sidestep Smee, but the other man put himself in front of him, pulling a stack of folded papers from his back pocket. “Killian you need to see this.”The urgent tone brought goosebumps to Killian’s arms. Putting his phone back in his pocket, he reached for the papers. He unfolded it and scanned the birth certificate with an unknown name on top. He flipped to the next page - a case log with numbers identifying the baby for adoption. He moved onto the final page, the case number and the adoption papers, finally with a traceable name.Killian read the name. He blinked. He read the name again and his heart sank in his chest. It couldn’t be true. He lifted his head, finding Smee’s eyes focused intently on him.“Are you sure, Smee? Absolutely sure?”Smee nodded, his eyes darting briefly to the other room. “I am. When I saw the name, I called in a few favors from some old friends who have contacts in different agencies. It checks out, Killian. That’s why I wanted you to see it. I felt you should know before… just in case.”Killian’s eyes scanned the room until finally landing on the brown-haired boy with the now familiar smile. The kid who he had convinced to put himself at risk in a major casino heist against the most vengeful man Killian knew.The kid whose name was on those adoptions papers, his case number tracing back to a birth certificate with Emma Swan’s name on it.Henry Mills was Emma’s son.
Bloody fucking hell.

/-/
 Ten am was too early in the day to use rum as the solution to his problems, but Killian was sure as hell tempted to. He eyed the bottle from across the room, his hand twitching to reach the bottle and down one drink after another, but there were several reasons why he couldn’t.For starters, he was still recovering from the ones he had before getting reacquainted with Emma Swan in the biblical sense less than twelve hours ago.Then, he was less than nine hours out from trying to pull off the biggest heist of his career and he needed all of his wits about him. While one drink to fortify his strength around six pm would probably be ok, finding himself trashed wasn’t.Finally, it wasn’t going to solve any of his problems. Count that as one for personal growth.For the umpteenth time since he’d read the papers Smee handed him, Killian's eyes drifted to Henry. The boy was simply hanging out, killing time before playing his part. He seemed so relaxed - sitting on the couch and scrolling on his phone, his earbuds firmly in his ears - but Killian could see the staccato beat his feet were tapping on the floor. It wasn’t timed to the music he was listening to; his shoulders were too tense, and his right hand would curl into a fist from time to time.A keen sense of guilt washed over him. He shouldn’t be dragging Henry to this. He was her son. He was Emma’s son. And Killian was putting him in the line of fire. If he had one more day, twelve more hours even, he could find a way out. Find an alternate plan, a loophole, something - anything- that would leave Henry out of this.But they were out of time.Calling the thing off was not an option. Not without revealing secrets that were not his to reveal, and were ones he had no place in knowing in the first place. The bets were already placed and all that remained was rolling the dice and hoping that luck was on their side.He still could do one thing though.Killian walked towards the couch and sat next to Henry, tapping his shoulder. Henry took out his earbuds.“Henry,” he started but had to fight the dryness in his throat. “Be careful, ok?”Henry rolled his eyes in the most teenage fashioned Killian had seen him perform since the day he’d met him. It was like another stab to his chest.“This again? I’ll be fine Killian. You do not need to worry about me.”He ran his hand through his hair. “Just bear with me ok? I - if you feel like this is too much, if at any point you feel you can’t do this, you tell me. We will pull the plug.”Henry shook his head. “We can’t pull the plug Killian, we’re in it now. No backtracking.”Killian rest his hand on Henrys’ shoulder, squeezing slightly. “Henry, I will stop this entire thing if you’re at risk, ok? Trust me.”“Why are you so nervous?” Henry’s eyes widened with disappointment. “You think I’m going to fail, don’t you?”“What?” He shook his head. “No, kid. I just - I don’t want to fail you.” Killian sighed. He was making a hash out of this and he needed to grab a hold of himself. “I know I’m not making any sense right now, but I’ll tell you everything afterwards, I promise.”“Killian?” Henry swallowed slowly, not taking his eyes off Killian’s. “You’re scaring the shit out of me.”That was the understatement of the year. “I know, lad. I just…” Killian hugged him fiercely, not able to help himself. “Don’t do anything stupid.”Henry returned his hug and patted Killian’s shoulder. “Maybe you should tell that to the other two clowns who will be there with me. They have more opportunity to blow this whole thing than I do.”He should talk to Liam. He wasn’t going to tell him all the details, but if something happened, Killian needed to ensure Henry’s safety was paramount. He needed to ensure Henry survived this and that Emma got the information.“Aye, I will.”/-/He found Liam in his brother’s old room. He was already dressed in all black, and he was checking a few items that were laid out on his bed.“Don’t forget the extra batteries.”Liam lifted his head and smiled. “I think I’m going to play a prank on LJ with that one, make him think we got that far and that we cannot make out it because he forgot to check the batteries.”“You wouldn’t be so mean.”Liam cocked an eyebrow, mischief in his eyes. “I did that to you, remember?”Killian shook his head. “Aye, I do.” The memories put a smile on his face, but he quickly sobered. “Take care of them, Liam. If I-”“Hey.” Liam crossed the room, holding his hands out and reaching for Killian’s arms. “Don’t think like that. We’ve thought this through time and again. You’ll be fine. We’ll be fine.”“But if something goes wrong…”“I’ll get LJ out, Killian. I’m not going to leave our little brother at the mercy of Gold.”“Aye, I know… but I need you to promise me that you’ll look out for Henry as well, not just LJ.”Liam’s brow furrowed. “Do you honestly think I’d leave a sixteen-year-old kid behind? Especially one we promised a better life?”Killian ran his hand through his hair. “No, I know you wouldn’t leave any of our friends behind. It’s just…” he trailed off and paced the room.Liam crossed his arms over his chest. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”His brother knew him too well. He’d raised him after all. And while Killian wanted to tell him everything, he couldn’t. Not now. Liam needed a fresh head to pull his part off, and that meant Killian needed to keep his mouth shut. He just had to give his brother as little as possible to make his point.“Yes, and I can’t tell you.” He lifted his hands at Liam’s attempt to speak. “This is not me being difficult. I can’t. But I need you to trust me, brother. If something happens to me, or if the plan fails, just get them to safety and have Smee tell you everything. You’ll know what to do afterwards.”Liam clenched his jaw. Killian knew it was killing him not to say something, but he held himself back. Several minutes passed and Killian waited, giving his brother the space to work things out on his own.After a few more minutes, Liam looked directly at him with those eyes that Killian remember so well from his teenage years. “You’re coming back, Killian.”His tone brooked no argument and it made Killian smile with fondness. “I sure hope so, brother. But if it comes down to it being a choice of me or them, I trust you’ll make the right one.”“I will.”/-/Killian poured himself a measure of rum at exactly six-thirty pm. Liam and LJ had reviewed what LJ needed to do, at least twice, and Poseidon, Ariel, and Eric were dressed and ready.Henry, Smee, Ursula, Nemo, Milah, everyone was where they were supposed to be and there was nothing left to do.He adjusted his cufflinks and straightened the lapels of his jacket then downed his drink in one gulp before walking out of his room.
Showtime.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The night was on fire.To be fair, every night in Vegas was on fire, but a fight night was something different altogether. The thrill of the sport, and the promise of violence and blood, made people feel invincible. Killian could feel it around him as people inserted coin after coin into the slots, all while sloshing drinks and talking loudly. Cheers erupted from different sections of the casino floor - roulette, blackjack, craps. Everyone was winning one minute and commiserating the next.Casino night at its best. Killian sat there, alternately inserting a coin from time to time into the machine in front of him, toying with his drink, and simply waiting. Right on time, he watched as Poseidon walked in with Gold beside him, Eric and Ariel trailing a discreet distance behind. At the appropriate time, Poseidon directed Gold’s attention towards the slot machine and Killian met the man’s eyes straight on for a brief moment before looking away. From the corner of his eye, he saw Gold’s eyes squint and a flash of his hand as he reached out to speak to his floor manager.He’d been spotted and he’d soon be dealt with. The first part of the mission had been accomplished.The comm in his ear blasted with the sound of Smee’s voice. “Poseidon has entered the nest. Ariel and Eric are on their way to Henry. Liam is in position.”Killian stood up, using the excuse of craning his neck from side to side to scan his surroundings and identify the people that would be assigned to go after him. Soon enough, he spotted two goons headed his way. Hiding a smirk, he moved towards the blackjack tables. Keeping his voice low, he spoke into his comm. “LJ, you’re up.”The reply came almost instantly. “On it.”Several things were required to happen at the same time. While Killian would love to be sitting next to Smee in the control room, watching them all unfold, he had a part to play in the action. The part Liam should have played but couldn’t, and all because of the striking blonde he finally spotted near the roulette tables.She was dressed for the occasion - crisp black slacks, red halter top, and black jacket. It was the perfect combination of elegant mystique and simple practicality that a security liaison should have.An ache of longing spread through Killian’s chest. He desperately wanted to sweep her from the room and find the nearest place where they could be alone, this heist and her job be damned.But the show must go on.Sighing, he purposely crossed the distance between him and Emma. A quick glance to the side confirmed that LJ had engaged Gold, thus keeping the man unaware of Killian’s movements. In that precise moment, the two of them reached Ursula at her table, and the woman’s frustrated act was a sight to behold. She was truly her father’s daughter. With a final squeak, she moved towards LJ in a clear attack attempt, thus creating a world of confusion between her, LJ, Gold, and his floor section manager.Well, confusing for the rest, but Killian saw it clearly.Neatly and flawlessly, his little brother had pilfered the codes from Gold’s inside pocket.All that was needed now was a diversion to bring everyone’s attention some place else and let LJ off the hook.And lucky for all of them, he thought as he reached Emma’s side, Killian Jones was the perfect man to deliver it.“Emma.”Her eyes widened and she pursed her lips. “Killian, don’t do this. Whatever this is.” Her voice was half a plea and half an order, and, if he could, he would have granted her wish.“You can’t stop it.” He reached to tuck an errant strand of her hair behind her ear but stopped himself before doing it. She’d probably knee him if he dared to touch her.“I red-flagged your brother. I’ve been able to identify at least four of your known associates and I can easily scan the premises for their presence.” She fisted her hand at her side, her eyes pleading. “You can’t pull this off. You need to get out of here before Gold sees you.” That final sentence undid him. A part of her still cared, and whatever the outcome tonight, he’d carry that memory with him for the rest of his life.He gave her a lopsided smirk, allowing himself to trace his finger on her cheek. “It’s too late, darling.”Her eyes widened a moment before she narrowed them, finally reading his intention. “You - you did this on purpose.”In for a penny, in for a pound. He leaned in, careful to time the moment his lips brushed her cheek with him sliding a burner phone into her jacket pocket. He felt her shiver and closed his eyes, lingering a second longer on her skin.He pulled away. “Take care, Emma. And be careful with Gold.”Turning around, he faced the two goons who had finally decided to make a move on him. “Gentleman, I believe you were expecting me.”Without risking a glance behind him - just in case he decided to throw everything away and simply run away with her - Killian walked between the two men towards the back of the casino floor. Loud voices made them momentarily turn their attention to one of the guarded doors. Killian followed their stares and had to hide a smile at the ruckus Ariel and Eric - dressed as casino employees and pushing a cart - were causing. They got louder and louder, and in order to avoid more disruptions on the floor, the other guard took the cart and pushed it through the door.Bingo. Henry was on his way to the vault.And Killian? Well, Killian was shown into a holding room that suspiciously had no cameras in it, his two escorts standing silently in front of him. Stretching the muscles between his shoulder blades, Killian perched himself on the corner of the table and adjusted his cufflinks, a sly smirk playing on his lips.“He’s not coming, is he?” He shook his head. “I knew the coward wouldn’t face me.” A loud bang on the door brought a smile to one of the thugs’ faces. “Oh, he’s not coming.” They opened the door to reveal a man who was bulkier than the both of them combined. “But Anton is.”The two men stepped outside and closed the door. From his comm, Smee’s voice sounded loud and clear. “Henry made it to the vault and so did Poseidon’s package. We’re good to go.”Killian stood up, adjusting the lapels of his suit jacket and sliding his hands into on the pocket of his pants. “Hello, Anton. It’s been a long time.”All he got in reply was a straight punch to his face./-/Tears clung to the corners of his eyes from the pain. Killian reached to touch the bridge of his nose, begging to not find it broken. He was quite fond of his nose; it was one of his favorite features.“Anton! Not until later.” His voice came out laced with pain.The other man looked baffled at him, lowering his voice to a whisper. “I’m sorry, Killian. I thought it would be a good way to start the ruse off. I promise I held back.”If that was holding back, Killian was grateful Anton was on their side and not Gold’s. If anything, cutting him into the take was the best decision they had made so far.“Nevermind. I’m sure you had the best of intentions, but next time, aim for the gut, not the face. I work with this one.”Anton nodded and Killian glanced around the room, quickly locating the air vent. Pressing on his comm piece, he reached for one of the chairs and positioned it below it.“Alright, let’s get this show on the road. Liam, you ready?”His older brother’s voice came through loud and clear. “I’m right above you, brother.”Killian removed the grate and looked above to find Liam grinning down at him. In a swift move, Liam helped him up and they both moved along the vent carefully until they reached the elevator, where LJ had been waiting for them, using the codes to get them through.Thanks to a very timely distraction in the form of Poseidon fainting in the media room, Smee switched the elevator camera’s live feed to a recorded video loop. LJ climbed up the vent and joined Liam, while Killian dropped down into the elevator.  He was counting on Smee’s feed to provide him cover to exit onto the main casino floor, where he’d make himself invisible between the crowd. Lifting his head, he smiled at his two brothers.“You two take care, ok?”Both Liam and LJ gave him matching grins before he moved to close the elevator panel. Nemo’s voice came across the comm as Killian made his way out of the elevator, carefully looking around. “All clear here at the fight. Gold is here with Belle. She looks lovely, Liam.”Liam’s reply came instantly. “Thanks, old friend. Keep an eye on her for me.”Once out on the casino floor, Killian made his way to one of the corners where LJ had spent his hours surveilling that place away from prying eyes.“I’m in position, team. What’s the status?”Smee’s voice sounded slightly more nervous than before, which was a good sign. The more nervous he got, the better he was at his job. “Ariel and Eric just removed Poseidon from the media room. We’re good.”“Liam, status?”“We’re set here,” his brother confirmed.Killian smirked, running a hand through his hair. “Smee, we’re ready to rock and roll.”The nerves in Smee’s bumped up a notch. “Milah?”Milah needed to ready the pinch to activate on Smee’s go. When everything's was in place - like now - she was to turn it on in time with the bell ringing at the start the boxing match, thereby cutting power to the entire city.Her frustration came through loud and clear on the intercom. “Just a minute, boys. This thing is being temperamental.” There were definite sounds of what was probably a wrench hitting something on her end. “COME ON YOU PIECE OF SHIT!”Killian winced, adjusting his voice to a bare whisper. “Milah, try not to it blow up, please.”The bell rang. Killian counted in his head.5 seconds,10 seconds,15 seconds… and then
Darkness.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Mayhem. Total and complete mayhem.The darkness surrounded Emma and her hand went directly to the taser she carried at her lower back. She positioned herself closer to Belle and one thought repeated through her mind as the seconds ticked by.
How the fuck had Killian pulled this one off?
The lights came back on suddenly, their brightness blinding for a brief moment. She reached for Belle, ensuring she was still standing next to her.And then chaos erupted.In the ring, the two boxers were fighting, their people trying to pull them apart as tempers ran high. The violence spread to the audience and Emma could only imagine what the casino floor would be like. The lights out, all those chips within reach, everyone blind and no one to put a stop to it. It would be too big a temptation for most people.She was sure it wasn’t pretty on the floor.Moving into action, she instructed Belle to grab her coat and stood next to her as they exited the arena with Gold. The man’s face was twisted into a grimace, his eyes flashing bright and his posture rigid. A man like him didn’t like losing control and that was exactly what was happening, and on a night that required him to take extra precaution. If Killian had wanted to put the man on edge, he sure picked the exact thing to do just that.Emma’s hand twitched at her side as she remembered that Killian was currently being held somewhere in this building, at the mercy of Gold and the thugs that made up his ‘security’ team. But before she could follow those thoughts to their natural conclusion, her jacket pocket vibrated and an unknown ringtone blared through the air around them. Shaking her head in confusion, she reached inside her pocket as Gold and Belle halted.She looked down to find a burner phone, the display flashing with an incoming call from an unknown number.“Are you going to answer, Miss Swan?” Gold’s voice was flat and curt, a man obviously annoyed by another interruption to his already hectic evening.“This isn’t mine,” Emma stated before she swiped the screen and answered the call. “Hello?”“Can I speak with Mr. Gold, please.” The voice on the other side was distorted, and not by static. Something was masking the voice to make it unrecognizable.The hairs on the nape of her neck rose in an instant, but she tamped it down. Panicking right now would solve nothing. Keeping her voice calm and even, she handed the phone over to Gold. “They are requesting to speak with you.”With a huff, Gold grabbed the phone from her hand and put it in his ear. “Who is this?”The reply came loud and clear through the speaker. “The man who’s robbing you.”Emma turned around, her eyes scanning the place as she reached for her taser. There were multiple incidents going on around them, but nothing security wasn’t already handling. Gold seemed to have done the same, because his reply came back a second later.“I don’t see anything going on in my casino that my team is not already taking care of.”“You might want to take a closer look, Mr. Gold.” /-/The trek to the security room was a short one, and while neither of them ran, they sure put some speed in their steps. Muting the phone, Gold entered the room, his eyes scanning the monitors.“Is there something out of order on any of the floors? The vault? The library?!?”The security guards sat with their backs straight, all of them leaning in to study their monitors. “Everything looks fine, sir. We had a couple of incidents on the floor, but nothing that our team doesn’t now have under control.”Just as they finished speaking, a few of the monitors blinked, their images suddenly changing. Emma’s eyes widened as she walked towards the monitors, what she saw on them making her gasp out loud despite herself. Three masked men were in the vault, tossing stacks of cash onto bags that laid on the floor. The three guards charged to protect the vault were lying bound and unconscious in the corridor, their submachine guns pushed well out of reach.Gold was being robbed. And she knew exactly by whom.Emma turned to find Gold clenching his jaw, and the hand that wasn’t holding the phone morphed into a fist at his side. “Find out how much money we have in there tonight.”The room erupted into a buzz of activity, the noise making hard for Emma to concentrate on anything other than the masked figures moving around unhindered the best-guarded vault in Las Vegas.The ice in Gold’s voice broke her from her thoughts. “Alright, dearie. You've broken into my vault. Congratulations, you're a dead man.”“There’s no need for threats, Robert.”Gold looked like he wanted to punch something. Or someone. “Here’s a non-threat for you: good luck trying to exit my vault - or my casino for that matter - unscathed. You’re trapped down there.”“Mhmmm. Perhaps. Perhaps I’ll simply have you carry the money out of the vault for me. By now your records have told you that you have a little over 160 million in that vault, you know, with it being fight night and all. Now, take a closer look.”Everyone in the room - Gold, Emma, Belle, the security personnel - leaned closer to the monitors. Next to the bags being packed sat a stack of money in the middle of the floor, carefully bound with a few packs resting on top
“Are you watching? That there is half of your money, being held hostage and booby-trapped.”
Gold closed his eyes and punched the console next to the video feed. Time seemed to stretch for an eternity, but it had to have been no more than a minute or two. When he opened his eyes, he stared directly at Emma. “Miss Swan, please escort Belle to her suite and keep her safe.”“But Robert, I -” Belle started, but Gold waived his hand in dismissal.“I need to deal with this, Belle.”He turned his back on them without another word, completely focused on talking to his security people. Belle’s face crumpled for a second, the hint of a few tears coming to her eyes. Before Emma could reach out to offer support, she shook her head, turned around, and stormed out of the room. Emma hurried after her, trying to keep up with Belle’s furious steps.“Belle, wait!” she called after her.Without warning, Belle came to a halt and Emma almost ran into her. As she took a step back, she looked over Belle’s shoulder to see what had caused her to freeze in her tracks.A familiar back dressed in a white shirt.A familiar head of black hair.And a very familiar voice speaking over the phone.“You let half of the money go, and you get to keep your eighty. That's the deal. You try to stop
us, we'll blow everything up. You’ll lose it all.”He slowly turned around, Emma was faced with a smirking Killian Jones giving both her and Belle a once over. Biting his lower lip, he tilted his head and spoke again. “Gold, you can choose to secretly lose eighty million dollars tonight or you can lose a hundred sixty million publicly. It's
your decision. I’ll even give you five minutes to think about it, but at the end of that time, I’ll need to know... Do we have a deal?”Putting the phone on mute, he lifted his chin towards them. “Hello, love. Did you miss me?”/-/ “Killian how did you-?”“Escape?” The bastard cut her off, a smug grin sliding across his face. “It cost me a few million, but nothing I can’t afford if this goes through. Which it will.”The ass had the nerve to wink at her with that last one.If Killian thought Gold would fold that easily, he was deluding himself. “Gold is not going to fall for this trick, Killian.” She wasn’t sure why she was saying anything at all, she should be calling Gold’s security and having Killian escorted to one of their holding rooms. Again.She should. Gold had hired her. She worked for the man and needed this night to go smoothly so she could finally have the answers she’d been looking for.As if reading her mind, Killian smug smile faded, his eyes filling with concern. “Gold was never going to help you. He’ll find a loophole in the deal and back out. Or he’ll find some way to string you along, promises of just one more job before he delivers on what he’s promised. Deep inside, you know it. You know I’m right.” He caressed her cheek, and she wanted nothing more than to lean into it and forget the world outside of them existed. He moved his arm, holding the phone back as he leaned in, his forehead almost touching hers. “I have the answers you seek, Emma.”His confession took the air from her lungs. He couldn’t know, could he? Emma searched his eyes looking for the lie, for any hint that his words were just an attempt to con her. But there was nothing but truth swimming in the blue of his eyes and the broken way he whispered fervently. “Come with me. Your career is in shambles. You know he was behind several bad deals gone wrong. You know none of his promises matter. Come with me, love."She hesitated, her heart beating frantically against her chest, her thoughts racing through her head. She wanted two seconds, just two seconds to breathe and think this through.Belle’s voice brought both of them back from their own little world. “Wait a minute…” She looked between the two of them. Realization dawned in her eyes. “This is her? She’s the one from Tuscany?” She swatted at Killian’s arm. “I can’t believe you, Killian Jones.”Chuckling, he pulled away from Emma. “You can’t believe what? The lengths we would go to get the girl?” His eyes glinted with mischief. “Think again, Belle, and while you’re at it, think about where your husband might be right now.”Belle stomped her foot on the floor. “That idiot!” Turning around, she quickly darted down the hallway with a stream of expletives flying from her mouth.Emma started to go after her. “Belle…”Killian, though, caught her arm and brought her back to him. “Let her go, Swan. This was not their first fight and it won’t be their last.” Bringing his attention back to the phone, he motioned for her to remain silent. “I’m glad we see eye to eye, Mr. Gold. This is how this is going to work. Ten minutes from now, the men in the vault are going to deposit six bags in the vault elevator. I’ll wait until you find someone to write this down.”Cupping the phone again, his eyes searched hers. “Looks like Gold just bit the bait and I really need to get going. So I need to know: are you in or are you out, Swan?”It was a decision she needed to make in a split second. Though, she wasn’t sure she really needed even that. She knew she shouldn’t, she really shouldn’t, but crashing her lips to his, Emma decided to take a leap of faith. When she finally broke the kiss, they were both breathless. “You better deliver, Jones.”He smiled and reached out to seal his lips over hers one more time. “You know I will. Now wait for me. Pretend like you still care about the security of this place or something, and keep Belle safe. Please.”Killian returned to giving directions over the phone while Emma turned and chased after Belle. She wasn’t sure that she’d made the right call, but it was too late to back out now.

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Killian had kept his voice clear and his instructions concise as he laid them out for Gold. He couldn’t risk any part of this falling apart and, at the same time, he could only trust that Gold and his men would follow the instructions as he set up his own crew for the next phase. 
Ten minutes from now, the men in the vault are going to deposit six bags in the vault elevator. One minute after that, the elevator will rise to your cages. Six of your guards should pick up the bags and carry them out into the casino. If there is any indication that they’ve switched the bags, or if they take more than thirty seconds in reaching the casino floor, we'll blow the money in the bags along with what’s in the vault.
From the hotel suite, Smee monitored as the elevator arrived at its destination with a ding and Gold’s security guards grabbed the bags. After quickly changing into his gear, Killian paced back and forth across the room. So far, so good. There had been a minute there, when he had been giving his instructions, that he’d heard Gold whisper to his men that he could hear the casino’s slots noise on the other side of the line. The other man still thought he could locate them. Killian had smirked, his voice smug as he continued talking on the phone. “Of course I’m in the casino… and I have to say, your service is awful and your drinks overpriced. I wonder who you had to bribe to get those Five Diamond awards.”Satisfied with the knowledge that Gold was festering on the other side of the line, Killian had continued with his instructions.As soon as your guards hit the casino floor, a white, unmarked van is going to pull up to your valet station. Your guards will load the bags into the van's rear. If anyone so much as approaches the driver's door, we’ll blow everything.True to form, Smee and Killian monitored the van’s cameras to see the guards putting the money in the rear, none of them making any suspicious movements. That only left the final leg. Killian and Smee quickly exited the room and made their way to one of the emergency exits, where the crew was waiting for them.
When I get word that the van hasn't been followed, and that the money is secure, my men will exit the building, and once their safety is confirmed, you'll get your vault - and your 80 million -  back.
The van had left the hotel, Milah confirming that all was going according to plan. Killian pressed the dial button one last time. Gold answered the call on the first ring.“I’ve complied with all of your requests.”“Good boy, Mr. Gold,” Killian said, adjusting the final piece on his SWAT gear.“Now, listen...” Gold started, but Killian was not interested in hearing what he was sure was going to be a very inventive threat. Tossing the phone on the street, he gave Eric the go sign.The line remained open, the threat coming out of the phone speaker with no one there to listen to it. “Run and hide, dearie. Run and hide. If you get picked up next week buying an expensive sports car in a traceable location, I'll be supremely disappointed. Because I want my people to find you. And rest assured, when they do, they won't hand you over to the police. You’ll wish the police had found you first. So run and hide, dearie.”/-/Getting inside the casino security was a walk in the park once you were sporting SWAT gear and you were there answering the call from the owner about his vault being robbed. Killian let Eric run the show, keeping to the middle of the group and making sure the casino personnel couldn’t identify any of them. Eric was his charming self, his mouth - the only feature his helmet left on display to the guards. - all easy smiles and uttering soft tones as they readied themselves.Once inside, they quickly made their way towards the entrance to the elevator. Their gear in place, they ran rope down the elevator shaft and made their way down, making their best effort to remain as professional as possible while they did so. They had practiced over and over for this, and despite Poseidon’s complaints that he was too old and too refined for this shit, the man had been the first to reach the bottom and held his hand out to assist both Ariel and Ursula in their descent. Show-off.
Night goggles on. Prepare to cut power.
At that point, Eric instructed Gold’s team to cut the power, promising them that he’d update them constantly via radio. Killian bent his head to hide the smile that was coming to his lips. So close. So bloody close. Just a few more carefully executed moves and they will have pulled this off.Milah’s voice came across their intercomms. The van is on its way to McCarran airport. All according to plan, ladies and gents.There was an added note of glee to her words that brought another smile to Killian’s lips. She was enjoying this on a deep, personal level - the same way he was.
Cutting power now.
Killian ran his hand along his scars for a brief moment, taking a deep breath. Craning his neck to the side, he gave Eric the go signal.“Alright, opening the elevator doors now.” Eric’s voice was loud and clear as they quickly opened the doors. “There are three guards, bound, unconscious.” So far, so good -everything lining up with the truth. But the guards lying on the floor was where the truth ended and the ruse began. Removing his helmet, Killian nodded his head at his two brothers and Henry, who sat comfortably on the piles of money. Quickly and without making a sound, the rest of the team moved to pack the money in the SWAT equipment bags, removing the sets of flyers they’d brought with them. Making sure he wasn’t heard, Killian made his way towards LJ, Henry, and Liam.“It’s good to see you all in one piece.” His voice broke, but he immediately masked it by clearing his throat. He wasn’t fast enough, though, considering the smirk LJ shot him.“Don’t go soft on us now, Killian. We don’t have time to hug it out at the moment.”Rolling his eyes at them, Liam turned around and supervised the scene, making sure all bags were properly loaded. They were almost ready to go. All was needed was for Liam and Henry to quickly get dressed into SWAT gear. Once they had, Liam gave the final signal.Everyone got into position.Ariel got ahold of the silver cane, her eyes glimmering with mischief. LJ opened his arms, a smug smirk on his face. “Guys! Someone is here, someone is here!!” He yelled at the top of his lungs.“Take them down, NOW!” Eric shouted while playfully shoving Henry’s helmet down.“I got him, I got him!” Smee yelled as he fired a couple rounds of rubber bullets for effect.On cue, Ariel threw the gas can into the vault and a small explosion blasted the air. Shielding his eyes from the light, Killian stripped off his helmet and part of his gear, tossing it to LJ for his little brother to take his place. Reaching out to Henry, he whispered a few words to the lad, then turned to give both his brothers a hug. He couldn’t talk, not now, as he needed to make his way back to where he was needed. He could only hope everything else continued to run as smoothly as it had so far. It was all out of his hands.As he climbed back into the ventilation shaft, he heard Eric asking for the lights to be turned back on. “It appears a device has been detonated, sir. We will search for survivors and clues. Please have your personnel stand by until we’re done collecting evidence.”
Damn, Eric was good at this.
Even if he couldn’t hear it, Killian could imagine Gold screaming orders to go after the van. And right on cue, Milah’s voice came through the comm as Killian was crawling through his last leg in the ventilation shaft.“Oh, look at them, they are yelling orders to get out of the van. Idiots.”From the other side of his comm, he could hear Gold conversing with Eric. He had stormed out of the security room and down into the vault, yelling at Eric and asking them to clear the place.Jackpot.Killian smirked as he reached the entrance of the room where he had been detained earlier that night and knocked twice for Anton to let him in.“They shot the tires. They are approaching the van.” Milah kept narrating for him, her amusement gaining with each piece of information she relayed. There was a faint sound of tires screeching and a chuckle before Nemo’s voice boomed on the comm.“Enough fooling around, Milah. Blow it up, already.”“My favorite words.”The blast that came seconds later was music to Killian’s ears. So close, they were so bloody close he could smell it, feel it. Killian put on his suit jacket and ran a hand down the lapels, brushing out the wrinkles that had gathered. Only one last leg now, just a few loose ends to tie up, a couple of surprises for his beloved family, and - hopefully - a happy ending for him.With a smile plastered on his face, he motioned Anton to punch him. “Just not the face, mate. I have plans for later.” /-/Gold stood in the middle of his vault, bearing witness the wreckage left behind. He balled his free hand into a fist as brought put his phone to his ear. “What happened to the van?”“There was no one in the van, sir. It was remotely controlled. And they - “there was a long pause.  “They blew up the bags, sir.”He gritted his teeth. “What?”“Sir, it doesn't look like there was any money in the bags. We’re looking and they appear to have been filled with flyers. Of hookers and fairytale strip shows.”Flyers. Hookers. Fairytale strip shows. The world had clearly been put under a curse and he was living in an alternate reality where people actually robbed him. He paced around his destroyed vault, trying to find a way to anchor himself and find the next step. There has got to be something, one minor, minuscule clue that would lead him to who should be blamed for this. Anything to lay clear the path of revenge in front of him. His eyes scanned the floor and landed on the vault logo. Something shifted into place in his mind.“Walsh,” he barked into the phone. “Pull the tape from the robbery and tell me if you see the logo on the vault’s floor.”“I’m on it, Mr. Gold.”Gold closed his eyes, breathing deeply as he waited for the reply. “There is no logo.”
Fuck them.
“It was staged. The entire bloody thing was staged.”Blind rage coursed through him. He couldn’t think straight and moved through the halls of his casino on instinct only. Something dark and poisonous was whispering inside him, telling him to check all the marks, to make sure all the players were accounted for.Standing in front of the holding room, he took a few deep breaths. The sound of fists hitting flesh and grunts of pain was a calming balm to his soul. Tilting his head, he pressed the call button on his phone.“You’ve failed me, Miss Swan. You’re fired. You have thirty minutes to vacate the premises or I’ll have you dragged out.”Without waiting for a reply, he disconnected the call. One deal finished. One more loose end to deal with. It was time he and Killian Jones met again.

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I did something stupid back in the day, lad… and while trying to fix it, I might have uncovered something that I’m not sure if you wanted to know.

Now, we don’t have time and I know everyone thinks I’ll make it. But just in case… if you want to know who you are, Henry… talk to Smee, lad. Tell him to show you what we found out.
Anton’s punch to his gut pulled Killian from his thoughts. Taking a deep breath, he grunted and slammed his fist against the floor, holding onto the pain. His face had remained almost unscathed, nothing but a small bruise along his left cheekbone and another on his jaw. As much as he wanted to preserve it completely, he knew Gold wouldn’t buy it if his face was unscathed.The door opened while he lay on the floor, and Killian closed his eyes for a brief second, playing the part of a beaten-up rival. His hand moved to hold onto his ribs, grunting in pain.“Get him up,” Gold ordered, and his two goons moved to follow orders, pulling Killian up without any consideration to his possible wounds. Once again, Killian mustered all his energy to play his part. Lifting his head, he met Gold’s eyes. His suit jacket was askew, his shirt untucked, and a couple of buttons were missing. His pants had dust marks all over them. Tilting his head to the side, Killian smiled at Gold, wincing at the very last minute to show pain.“Gold, I didn’t think you’d grace me with your presence. Not when you had such a wonderful host tending to my every need.” He spat on the floor - a mix of saliva and blood. Anton had been gentle, but the man was a still a half-giant with a steel punch. “Tell me, how is the other fight going? It is as fixed as this one?”“Did you have a hand in this?” Gold scrutinized his face, his eyes drilling a hole on Killian’s forehead.“A hand in what?” Killian moved his eyes around room, working to appear as if he were assessing the space. “Your wife? You know I did.”The punch came from his left, one of Gold’s goons hitting his cheekbone and making Killian see stars. He moved his jaw left and right. He deserved that one, but he couldn’t help himself. He’d say it again if the opportunity arise.“I’m going to ask you one more time, dearie.” Gold leaned on his cane, his mouth twisting in a grimace. “Did you have a hand in this?”“Gold, I have no bloody clue what you’re talking about.” Killian spat the words, ensuring he was delivering them with the appropriately frustrated tone. “I’ve been locked up in here, a room with no view I might add, my body getting closely acquainted with the fists of your roughneck.”Silence stretched between them, feeling the room with a thick air of anticipation as Killian waited and waited some more, his face devoid of any emotion except confusion, pain, and tiredness. He was pulling out all the stops on this one. It would make Nemo proud if he could see him. But alas, no cameras in this room.Finally, Gold tilted his head, his face contorting into a condescending smile. “Fine. You’re free to go, Mr. Jones.” He moved to address his man. “Show him out. We have work to do.”Killian made a show of buttoning his shirt back up and tugging at the lapels of his jacket before he made to follow the men out of the room. One more step down, only a few more to go.He needed to give the delivery of his lifetime and he needed to do it at the appropriate time in the appropriate place.After all, it was all about the setting./-/“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?” Emma asked the question for what felt like the eleventh time, although it truthfully was only the third or fourth. A duffel bag laid open on the bed and a suitcase already stood by the entrance. Her packing was almost done. She hadn’t brought much - part of always being on the road or on the run meant you got used to living with only carrying the essentials - and she was finishing arranging her toiletries in her bag.She’d been in Belle’s suite when she’d received the call from Gold. It hadn’t taken her by surprise. The moment the power went out, Emma knew her chances with Gold were gone. And if she were honest with herself, Emma knew the moment she didn’t inform Gold that she’d spotted Killian Jones lurking around his casino, she’d made her choice. And now she had to live with it. Belle had gone with her to Emma’s room and was currently pacing back and forth.“I don’t want you to get into trouble.” She pulled the sides of her cardigan sweater tight over her frame, averting her eyes.“I don’t care about being in trouble, Belle.”“I’m sorry, Emma” Belle was on the verge of tears. “Robert, he sometimes-”Emma closed the distance between them and laid a comforting hand on Belle’s arm. “Hey, hey. You’re not responsible for what Gold does. Or Liam, or any of them for that matter.” She smiled, an idea coming to her. “Belle why don't’ you come with me? What are you going to do here anyway?” She didn’t want to leave Belle alone - or at the mercy of Gold if he figured out who was behind the robbery. It wasn’t just that she’d promised Killian, it was that Belle didn’t deserve to be caught in the crossfire.Belle shook her head, pursing her lips. “I can’t… not yet. I just I need time to think.”Emma kept her voice gentle. “Think about what?”“Whether or not I can trust him again.”Emma didn’t ask which him Belle meant, because by the frazzled look in her eyes, she wasn’t sure even Belle herself knew. She only knew she couldn’t leave her here in this state.“How about a cup of tea before I go?” Before Belle had time to protest, Emma shrugged her shoulder. “Look if Gold wants to time my exit and remove me forcefully, so be it. I’m a big girl, I can take it.”Belle pondered her words for a moment before she gave Emma a small smile. “Let me get the Keurig settled.” She stepped out of the bedroom and moved into the living room. Emma quickly shut her duffel bag and grabbed it. She was about to leave the room when her phone rang. The screen read Unknown Number. Her heart beating frantically on her chest, Emma took the call.“Hello?”The voice that spoke sounded tiny, like it was far, far away. “Turn to channel 88. Make sure Belle is watching.”Reaching for the remote, and fearing the worst, Emma turned on the TV. The image on the screen and the little piece of sound she was able to catch had Emma quickly raising her voice as she called for Belle.“Belle, come here! You might want to ditch the tea and bring some alcohol instead.”
/-/

We’re all set.
Those words were exactly what Killian had been waiting for as he slowly walked down the hallway, dragging his feet a little in an effort to show he’d been beaten to a pulp by Anton.He lifted his head and spoke into the emptiness ahead of him. “What happened tonight? Did you get robbed or something?”Gold’s reply from the other side of the hall came almost immediately. “Stop.”Stopping in his tracks, Killian bent his head as he turned around, hiding his smirk. When he finally looked up, Gold was in his face.“I am going to give you one more time to come forward, dearie. Where is my money?”“Are you willing to make a deal for it, Gold?” Killian waited for two seconds, letting the words sink in and peak Gold’s interest. “What if I tell you that you can get your money back if you give up Belle?”Gold raised his eyebrows and twisted his lips in a grimace. “Belle, huh?”Killian shrugged. “What can I say? My brother still loves her. They were happy together.” Meeting his eyes directly, Killian dropped the affable mask. “You and I both know the only reason you went after her was because you knew it’d bring my brother pain. And therefore, it would bring me pain.”Gold didn’t even flinch, his smile turning into something evil and maniac. “Oh yes, I intended to make you suffer. I still do.”“Careful there. You need me if you want to get your money back. So why don’t we try that again?”Gold hesitated and Killian knew he was weighing in on his options. Was his hatred for Killian and his family so deep that he’d risk never seeing his hundreds of millions again? Killian wasn’t going to give the man too much time to make a decision. “Do we have a deal, Gold?”“Fine.” Gold huffed and Killian allowed himself a tiny smile. It would be out of character if he didn’t at least show some satisfaction about one-upping his nemesis.“I know some people. I made a few new contacts while teaching celebrities to play poker in L.A. Give me a few days, I’ll find out who has your money.”Gold wasn’t impressed, not in the least. He clenched his jaw and Killian had to bite his tongue to keep the smile off from his face. “I will hunt you down, dearie. This is not over. I can still make you suffer.”Killian adjusted the lapels of his suit. “That threat got old a few years ago, and you’ve burnt more than your fair share of bridges since then. Especially with the people you’d hired to hunt me down last time. Such a tricky thing, not paying your debts.” Killian paused and shot him a small grin. “And let’s face it, anyone else you can think of hiring to hurt me and my brother like us more than they like you. So unless you’re willing to get your own hands dirty, which we know you aren’t, you’re left with no other choice."Gold’s eye twitched and for a moment there, Killian thought he was going to punch him. But in the end, he simply gave Killian a dark look before turning to one of his security guards. “Call the police. Alert them of Liam Jones possibly breaking his parole, as I’m sure he’s nearby, and turn Mr. Jones here into their custody. He was acting suspiciously on casino grounds.”Well, that was nothing that a little charm and some bail money couldn’t fix. And Killian had both in spades now. He let the guard walk him to the casino lobby. As he was being escorted, the ding of the elevator made him turn his head just in time to see Emma and Belle quickly making their way out of the hotel, carrying a suitcase and travel bag between them. They were close to the entrance when Ursula approached them.As he waited for the police to show up, Killian couldn’t hide his smile. Belle and Emma clearly had gotten the message.All was well.Almost.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It was done. It was bloody done.And they had succeeded.Liam took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the crisp night’s air. The money was secured back in the warehouse, they’d discarded their SWAT gear and were heading to the rendezvous point. He reached for LJ and clasped his little brother’s shoulder.“You did well, kid,” he said, his heart bursting with pride. He looked at Henry, who was walking along beside LJ. “You both, did.”LJ’s smile was brief and small, but it was a start. Leaving the two of them to enjoy the high of their first big heist, Liam fell behind with Nemo and Poseidon.“Well done, boy.”Liam smiled. “Admit it, Poseidon. You didn’t think we would pull it off.”Poseidon shook his head. “I had my doubts, but they had nothing to do with the job, Liam. I simply wondered if you’d forgotten the things that truly matter in life.”An image of Belle rushed through his head and Liam held Poseidon’s stare with solemnity. “I hadn’t.” They’ve reached the fountain near the Baelfire, the place where they were supposed to meet. Liam ran a hand through his hair, his nerves finally kicking in. “I just have to hope she hasn’t either.”Nemo reached for him, engulfing him in a fatherly hug that Liam hadn’t realized he needed until he sank into it. Liam held on, finally letting every bad moment of the past few years go. He was ready to start a new life.“I’m still mad at you, Liam Jones.” Belle’s voice pulled him from his thoughts and he stepped out of Nemo’s embrace. Turning around, he found her standing next to Ursula, only a few feet away from him.She was still dressed elegantly, a blue halter neck dress that went above her knees, four-inch black heels and a caramel coat. The flash in her eyes confirmed her anger was real, but there was also a hint of a smile curving her lips. When he glanced back up her eyes were sparkling with mischief and that was when he noticed there was a small travel bag sitting at her feet. One could only hope… and Liam Jones really wanted to hope.He opened his arms and gave her that smile he knew would melt her. “Think about it this way - I have a lifetime ahead of me to make it up to you.”She ran into his arms, crashing her lips against his. Liam caught her, lifting her from the ground as he let himself go, kissing her with everything he had. From behind them there were sounds of throat clearing, wolf-whistling and a few ‘get a room’ comments - the last of which sounded suspiciously like Milah - but Liam didn’t let go. He couldn’t even if he wanted to, as Belle was holding onto him as much as he was.When they finally broke their kiss, he gently lowered her down to the ground and rested his forehead against hers. He took a moment to simply breathe her in.“Liam...” Belle started, her voice laced with concern. “You know he probably called the cops, don’t you?”“Aye… I’ve already called my parole officer. I need to go back and face the music for a while, and Nemo has arranged for some legal advice.” He pulled her closer to him, reaching to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “But he understands…”“Understands what?”He kissed her again.“That I had to get you back”. /-/Killian adjusted the cuffs of his shirt and ran a hand along the lapels of his suit jacket. His shirt was wrinkled and his suit was covered in dust. The beginning of a bruise was visible on his cheek and his ribs were sore. He ran a hand through his hair, wincing slightly at the pain as he tried to put himself to sorts. He was going to have to accept that he wasn’t going to be more polished than this tonight. It would have to do. He stepped out of the police station with his hands in his pocket and a small spring to his step. They had foreseen this - there was little they hadn’t predicted with this job, with the exception of Emma Swan - and Nemo had already placed a couple of calls while Killian was being taken into the police station. There was nothing on him - nor would there be. Plus it didn’t hurt that Nemo was more well-liked than Gold by pretty much everyone in this town, including the police.Killian closed his eyes and took a deep breath. While the night was still too warm for his taste, there was a soft breeze that brought a chilled edge with it. It felt wonderful to fill his lungs with it, as if a new life was starting. When he opened his eyes, it seemed that new life had conjured before him, because Emma Swan was walking towards him. Her blonde hair loose and down, its wavy curls resting on her shoulders. She wore no makeup, tight jeans, a battered t-shirt, and a red leather jacket.She was a vision… and he could only hope she was real.He let a soft smile come to his lips as she approached him and he could confirm that she was, in fact, very real.“Swan…” he couldn’t help the cheeky tone or the wistful smile. “What brings you to this fine establishment on this of all evenings?”She tilted her head, her lips twisting in what he thought was an adorable way. “I was coming to bail you out.”“Would you do that for me? Really?” The questions left his lips without prompting, and he bit his lower lip to refrain for making more of an embarrassment of himself. But oh well, in for a penny, in for a dozen million dollars. “While I appreciate the gesture, as you can see, love, I had everything under control.”She took a step towards him, and stood just a hairbreadth’s away from him. “Do you, Jones?”He lowered his eyes to her lips. “I’d like to think I do.”Her lips brushed his, soft and warm, and with one single movement, she’d upended his world again. Without hesitation, he brought her flush against him, his hands cradling her face and angling her head so he could kiss her with abandon.A minute, an hour, a decade later, he finally pulled away, reaching to put a strand of hair behind her ear and tucking Emma at his side. Killian knew the moment had come and he couldn’t hold back the truth from her anymore.Besides, he didn’t want to.Taking a deep breath for courage, he started walking, his eyes on the street. “You know, pulling a job like this one is not easy. It requires a lot of planning, careful execution, and selecting the perfect associates.”“Are you trying to get into my pants by impressing me with your knowledge of criminal activity?” She cocked an eyebrow at him, her lips twitching. “I have to say, I’m not impressed.”“Of course not, but hush. I’m trying to make a point.” He cleared his throat as he picked his words carefully. “We had a lot of friends coming to help with this, but we were still missing a greaseman. Lucky for us, I found one.”“You did?”“I did. Wonderful kid: smart, fast, talented. He’s a bloody marvel.” He stopped, turning to face her. “His name is Henry Mills, he’s sixteen years old and he ran away from the foster system a few years ago. He’s been pulling jobs here and there while performing in a circus.” From the inside pocket of his suit jacket, he pulled the stack of paper he’d been carrying with him all night. He handed them to her with shaking hands. “He has a past that I think you’ll find interesting.”She shot him a puzzled expression as she took the papers, her eyes scanning the first one. Killian swallowed, shuffling his feet as he waited for Emma to read them all. She did. Three times. She scanned one page and then another, and then back to the first, over and over again. It was killing him, but he didn’t want to push her.When she finally lifted her head, her eyes had a haunted expression and her voice was barely above a whisper. “Are you sure - absolutely sure?”Killian nodded. “One hundred percent, Emma. I wouldn’t be showing you those if I wasn’t. I had Smee looking into it. You haven’t met him, but he can get his hands on anything, and he always gets it right.”There was a moment of silence between them as he watched the information finally sink in.And then she punched him in the stomach.The breath went out of him, the pain of his already sore ribs spiking back up. He coughed and winced as he bent over in pain, holding onto his ribs. “Careful, darling. I’ve already taken a beating tonight.”Emma punched him on the shoulder without missing a beat. “You turned my son into a criminal!”She had a point here. Almost. Straightening to full height, he caught her next punch with his hand. “He already was one, Swan. I just made sure he pulled a job where he was protected by people who would treat him like family, and got enough money to retire…”That seemed to bring Emma out of her violent streak and into a different state. Her hands started to shake and her eyes filled with tears, the sight of it breaking his heart. Reaching for her, he pulled her into a tight hug, and let her sob into his shirt. “It’s alright, love. It’s alright.”“Was he- was he there that night? The night I tailed you?”“Yes, he was… he’s surprisingly not bad at blackjack, considering you’re so terrible at it.” She smiled against his chest and he placed a soft kiss on her head. “He’s a wonderful lad, Emma. I can’t wait for you to meet him.”“Does he know?”“Smee is probably breaking the news to him right now. Since I wasn’t sure I would make it out in one piece tonight, I took precautions.” She pulled away to meet his eyes and he wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb. “If I didn’t make it, Liam would have found you.”She pressed into him, her kiss both sweet and furious at the same time. “Damn you, Killian Jones,” she whispered against his lips.“Come, Emma, let’s go meet your son. He’s waiting for you.”/-/The Vegas Strip was still bustling with activity at this time of the night, but, much like New York, it was a city that never slept. Emma fidgeted next to Killian as he pulled his car into a fancy driveway, her heart beating a mile a minute. He reached to squeeze her hand. “He’s going to love you, Swan.”She waited for him to open the car door before stepping out and leaning into him. “You don’t know that.” It was the first time she’d ever voiced that fear out loud. Tonight was the first time she’d ever mentioned the son she’d given up to any living soul. She’d come close to confessing her deepest secret once upon a time, and it was to the same man she was now pressed against as they walked into the entrance of the house. In the end, it all began and ended with Killian Jones and her quest to find her son.  Funny how those two people were now intertwined with each other in a way Emma was only beginning to comprehend.“I know he will.” Killian stopped and turned to face her, his eyes scanning her face. “After all, what’s not to love?”His words cause a catch in her throat, leaving her speechless. Killian gave her a soft smile before he grabbed her hand, lacing her fingers with his and pulling her towards the house and into the patio inside. A few people were scattered around in groups, making small talk and drinking glasses of champagne. In the corner she saw Belle standing next to Liam. Belle caught her eye and gave her a small wave.Emma was about to wave back but her hand stopped mid-way at the sight of the brown-haired boy who was talking with Liam. He was flanked by a young man who looked slightly familiar, and Nemo.Emma stopped breathing. “Is that him?”“Aye, right next to LJ, my half-brother,” Killian confirmed, his hand anchoring her to the moment.She didn’t know what to say, or what to do. Should she just go to him and introduce herself? Her heart beat a staccato rhythm against her chest as she stood there frozen. But at that moment, Henry looked in their direction. His eyes widened and he hastily made his way towards them. His lips curved in a tentative smile and Emma held her breath.“Mom?” he asked tentatively as he reached her, and Emma lost the battle against the tears that were coming to her eyes.“Hey, kid.” Her voice sounded as small and tentative as his. She only barely noticed Killian letting go of her hand and stepping away to give them privacy, because she couldn't take her eyes away from the boy standing in front of her, looking at her with awe.Suddenly, he was speaking a mile a minute. “I wanted to find you... but when I ran away before turning eighteen, I couldn’t get my hands on my files. I tried to hack the system a couple of times, but I’m not that good.” He averted his eyes for a moment, but he soon was looking at her again, as if he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Emma could understand the feeling. “I was - I was waiting to get more into this crew to ask Smee to do it for me… but-”Emma’s hand rested on his arm, the move slow and hesitant. “It’s ok, kid. You don't’ need to explain anything. I- I should be the one explaining things to you. I’m sure you have so many questions…”Henry rested his hand on top of hers and he gave her a beautiful smile, bright as Vegas’ neon lights, before throwing himself into her arms.“You found me, mom.”Emma hugged him tightly, fiercely, letting the tears pour down her cheeks. “Killian found you - for me.”/-/He ached to go to her. Letting go of her hand and stepping away had been one of the hardest things he’d ever done, and yet Killian knew this wasn’t his moment to intrude. This moment belonged only to Emma and Henry. Still, he hovered nearby, at a polite enough distance, but not really able to walk away completely.LJ came up beside him, his hands crammed into his pockets. “Well, they really let you out quickly.” Killian shrugged. “They had nothing on me, and Nemo was gracious enough to make a couple of phone calls.” His eyes darted once again to Emma and Henry, now standing closely, heads bent, whispering to each other.LJ followed Killian’s stare. "So... the kid is the lost son of the woman you’re desperately in love with. And she was working with Gold - against you - for a chance to have his records. The records she couldn’t get her hands on the last time because you ruined it for her in Tuscany."The amusement in his little brother’s voice was hard to miss. Killian smirked as he reached to clasp his brother’s shoulder. “I think that is a good summary, yes.”“Oh boy, there’s never a dull moment in this family, is it?”“I’m afraid not,” Liam called behind them and they both turned to find him, Belle, and Nemo standing there. “But I do foresee some quiet times in our near future. Gods know we need them.” He pulled Belle even closer to him, and his eyes met Killian’s. “What I’m dying to know is… how come she didn’t maim you when she found out you got her son into the business?”“She did,” Emma answered, her voice carrying a clear hint of mischief. She and Henry had made their way towards them. Killian turned to meet her eyes and held out his hand.She took it and he pulled her closer to him. “Everyone, this is Emma Swan, the one from Tuscany.”Liam and LJ nodded their heads and Belle beamed at them. LJ, sensing the mood and Killian’s need for a quiet moment with Emma, broke the moment by nudging Henry with his shoulder.“Come, Henry. Now that we’re practically family, I’m going to play nice and teach how to bluff at poker.”Henry didn’t rise to the bait. Instead he picked an invisible fleck from his jacket. “Thank you for the offer, but the best brother Jones - that is Killian - already taught me.”LJ snorted. “Oh, burn. You’re going to pay for that one, circus kid.” He started walking towards the inside of the house. “Come, I’ll bet you a million that you cannot beat me.”Henry trailed behind him. “You’re on, nimble fingers.”“Wait a minute! I want in.” Liam said, following them inside and pulling Belle with him by their joined hands. “I’ll show you all who the best Jones is.”“And me,” Nemo walked leisurely towards the inside, his confidence clear in every slow, sure step. “I’m going to show you all how this is done.”Killian shook his head with fondness. “As you can see, Emma, nothing excites this family more than a poker game…”Emma was studying him, her lips curved in a soft smile. “So… now what?”He brought her into his embrace, his arms circling on her waist as he swayed on his feet. “Well, there is this Tuscan town I’ve been meaning to go back to. After you and Henry get acquainted, are you interested in taking a trip with me?”“What kind of trip?” Her voice had risen an octave. “Those people were amazing to me as I got drunk and cried my eyes out over you.  Please don’t tell me this is a recon to pull another job because I swear to god…. “She was endearing, and infuriating, and was totally missing his point. He placed a finger on her lips and stopped her tirade.“A honeymoon, Swan. “