For my July AU a Day Challenge
(um, sort of? I feel like I cheated, but this is what came to mind)
If the world was different and life could be more like a comic book, Len might have preferred to wear a dramatic costume and flaunt his face whenever he committed a crime, but seeing as this was the real world, masks were paramount, worn by him, Mick, his sister, and their entire crew as they stormed into the office building exactly on time for the evening’s event.
It was just before closing, when people were tired and had their guards down. Len and the others had used service elevators to reach the high-rise offices of Merlyn Holdings, a very lucrative accounting and investment firm.
Len planned to rob them and their clients blind.
“Somebody better call 911!” he shouted as they burst into the lobby and scattered to wrangle everyone still in the office, locking down the doors and elevators immediately. Masks firmly in place and very well armed, they had everyone terrified and dropping to the floor within moments.
Aside from one woman who reached for the phone on her desk.
“Figure of speech, dear.” Len pointed his gun at her. “On the ground.”
She obeyed, and a few minutes later, they had the place secured, with Mick leading Malcolm Merlyn himself forward, along with a lithe young secretary that drew Len’s attention. He was gorgeous, even in a stiff button-down and tie; maybe more so because of that.
“What is the meaning of this?” Merlyn tried to act tough. “You won’t get away with—”
“You suits always say the same thing,” Len interrupted, eyes unable to stop straying to the young man.
“P-Please,” he stammered, realizing Len was staring, “I just started Monday…”
“Green huh? Fresh outta college too? You could almost make a guy rethink his profession.” Len made no effort to hide how he was sizing the kid up.
A woman scoffed, drawing Len’s attention, which made her promptly clam up but still look feisty.
“You’re disgusting,” she spat, the same woman who’d tried to reach for her phone, he realized.
“Laurel,” somebody hissed at her to behave.
Len nodded to one of his men to keep an eye on her. He didn’t need heroes.
“Now, shall we get to business,” Len returned to Merlyn. “Our intel tells us that the only way to access the accounts you currently have temporary power of attorney over is by using the computer in your office. So while my people and your people keep each other company, we’re gonna take a walk. You too, handsome.” Len winked at the secretary.
“I need insurance. Merlyn’s pragmatic. You’re for the view. Now move.”
Mick kept his gun on Merlyn’s back, Len on the kid’s as they moved through the floor to Merlyn’s impressive private office. No glass windows to the rest of the floor, private bathroom. Perfect.
“Just stay calm, Barry,” Merlyn whispered. “We’ll get out of this.”
“Barry, is it?” Len grinned beneath his mask. “Nice name, kid. I’d tell you mine so I could hear you scream it someday, but I’m not as stupid as Merlyn here.”
Barry looked thoroughly scandalized by the comment—and maybe by Merlyn having given up his name to the bad guys.
“What do you want?” Merlyn growled. “We can make a deal.”
“I already told you what I want. Every account you have temporary power of attorney over. Now.” That would allow them to have Merlyn transfer the funds to another account—Len’s. “And before you try to be smart and undersell yourself, I know you currently have power of attorney over no less than thirteen accounts. So get moving.”
Mick nudged Merlyn toward his computer.
“Please. Some of those accounts are my oldest clients. You’ll bankrupt the whole company.”
“What if I told you about other accounts!” Merlyn raised his hands higher when Mick squared his gun on him. “Even more worthwhile.”
“Nice try. I know everything on your books right now.”
“These are off the books.”
“Illegal, you mean?” Len tilted his head.
“Sir?” Barry asked in confusion—green indeed.
“I give you those instead, worth more than the others, I promise, and you let me keep my legit clients to save the company.”
“What’s to stop me from demanding everything?” Len said. “I might need additional incentive. You understand. It’s just business, after all. So what else can you offer if you expect to walk away with your funds intact?”
Merlyn floundered for barely ten seconds before the raise of both Mick and Len’s guns made him sputter, “You can have him!” with a nod at Barry.
“Didn’t realize you were in the sex trade,” Len said.
“Only if you’re interested,” Merlyn said more calmly, unrepentant of what he was offering, “but I think you are.”
“He caught your eye. Take him. Nothing I could do, so tragic,” Merlyn feigned remorse the way he would act for the papers.
“I’ll tell everyone—” Barry tried.
“Preferably I’d expect you to take him with you after so there isn’t a witness,” Merlyn spoke over him. “Or however else you want to get rid of him.”
Oh, he was cold, which was part of why Len had chosen this firm.
“You swear you leave everything else behind, and I’ll give all the illegal accounts to your friend here.”
“Deal,” Len said, scanning his eyes down Barry’s body again.
“No…” his green eyes widened as he looked around and realized he had nowhere to retreat to. “Y-you can’t…”
“And we have time to kill, handsome.” Len backed Barry toward the bathroom and glanced at Mick. “Get what we need, make sure it’s real and that everything transfers. I’ll be…occupied for a bit.”
The bathroom door was ajar, so it opened when Barry backed into it and kept scrambling away, knowing he was trapped but still moving nonetheless, looking absolutely terrified.
Len followed and shut the door, taking in that frightened expression—that instantly shifted into a wicked grin.
“You really laid it on thick today,” Barry said as he grabbed Len by the collar, tore the mask from his face, and kissed him heatedly.
“What can I say,” Len said when they pulled apart, “you make one hot secretary.” He grinned as they backed to the sofa—seriously a sofa in the bathroom?—and set his gun down on the vanity. “How was your day, dear?”
They kept their voices hushed but Barry still chuckled. “Boring as hell til you arrived. Do I really have to do nearly a full week like this before we hit a place?”
“If we do the job your first day, people will suspect. This way you just seem unlucky.” Len’s hands drifted down to squeeze Barry’s ass. He really did look adorable in business casual. “Got anything extra for me?”
Barry pulled a keycard from his pocket. “This opens the safe hidden behind the mirror over there.”
“You’re even hotter with sticky fingers.” Len nearly groaned. “What about Merlyn?”
“A sexual harassment case waiting to happen. He’s probably getting off on this, trying to hold back his hard-on in front of Mick.”
“Want me to take care of him?”
“Nah, I asked around. He’s never actually made advances or touched anyone, just dirty with money. We can let him off with a bruised bank account.”
“He was willing to sell you,” Len countered. “I don’t know if I can let him slide with mild bruising.”
“Well…” Barry bit his lip like he’d expected Len to say that and pulled a cell phone from his pocket that was not his. “He’s also sleeping with the mayor. This has their text messages and voicemails.”
“The married with children mayor who’s all about traditional family values?”
“The same. So…ruin Merlyn’s career and personal life as a final fuck you?” Barry put the card and phone away so he could wrap his arms around Len’s neck.
“But you know…” Len gently pushed Barry onto the sofa, coaxing him to lie back and then climbing on top of him, “for Merlyn to buy this, we really need to sell it. You’re gonna have to look thoroughly fucked when we leave this room.”
Barry loosened his tie with an impish grin. “However will we manage?”
