Thieves Never Prosper

Author's Note: I've really been in the mood to write threesomes lately. I hope you enjoy Leon and Bonnie getting in hot water with local mob boss, Sean MacBride, and he isn't going to forgive and forget their little theft.

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"I want you to marry me, Bonnie!"

Bonnie ceased her swinging and cocked her head to the side, her blonde pigtails swinging past her ears. Her friends all giggled and Leon's freckled cheeks were red as they could get, but he presented the cherry ring pop to the prettiest girl in the whole world, even dropping down to one knee.

With a pop of her lips, Bonnie leaped off the swing and took the ring pop. "Why do you want to marry me, Leon?"

The eight year old grinned ear to ear, rubbing the back of his neck. "Cuz... you're awesome? And I love you?" He said.

Bonnie slipped the ring on one of her fingers before she nodded. "Yeah, I'll marry you someday. When we're not kids. And you gotta get me a grown up's ring, with a diamond bigger than this one!" She said, pointing to the ring pop.

Leon leaped up and wrapped his arms around Bonnie, squeezing her tight as he could. "I'll get you the biggest, prettiest ring in the whole wide world!" He promised. Didn't matter if his daddy hated Bonnie's daddy, Leon knew even at that age he was in love with Bonnie.

~*~

Twelve Years later...

"Christ, are you kidding me with these prices?"

The saleswoman seemed mildly sympathetic as she put the case of rings back into the glass box. "I'm sorry, we do have some cheaper options-"

"No."

Leon shook his head, pushing his dark red hair out of his eyes. He'd not quite grown out of being a scraggly teenager, still skinny and a few inches shy of six feet, and those freckles his mom had said he'd 'age out of' had made themselves perfectly at home across his face and even some on his ears. He leaned across the glass and lowered his voice. "Listen, the girl I want this for? She deserves something nice. That ring there," He jabbed his finger at the one made of white gold, studded all over the band with deep blue sapphires and little diamonds and set with a nice diamond as the main show, "That's gotta be the one."

The woman sighed and shook her head. "Unfortunately, that particular ring is ten thousand dollars, and it will not be going on sale any time soon. We could offer a payment plan, but if you can't make the payments, we'll have to repossess the ring."

Groaning, Leon tilted back on his heels and looked around for any sign that money would start raining from the sky. "I'll... I'll figure it out. Shit, sorry for wasting your time, ma'am, I just wanted a better look at it," He said.

"My advice?" She glanced at the simpler rings. "If she's really as good as you say she is, she'll take the smaller diamond and be just as happy."

"She's even better than I can describe," Leon said, shaking his head before walking away.

Leon strode out of the jeweler's and plopped down on the nearest bench. Fucking hell. He didn't even have five hundred dollars in his savings account, let alone ten thousand. It'd been hard, running from home, making due with quick cons and the occasional snitch of a wallet, but it was all he really knew what to do. Didn't help that Bonnie just got fired from her serving job because she was caught adding a zero or two to some tips.

God, he just wanted to get her a nice ring. Was that too much to ask?

Taking a deep breath, Leon was about to get back up when his eyes landed on the wallet. Right away he could tell this was one nice wallet, and after glancing around to make sure it didn't have someone obviously looking for it nearby, Leon picked it up and flipped it open.

Oh, wow this really was a nice wallet. Buttery smooth leather, a few hundred dollar bills in the fold, if a guy spent this much on a wallet and was casually walking around with this much dough on him, he had to be loaded.

Again, Leon looked around, making sure he didn't see any sign of anyone looking around before he slipped out the cash and into his pocket. As a second thought, he also pocketed one of the credit cards before he tossed the wallet under the bench and strode back into the jeweler's. As another sign that this was meant to be, the women helping him earlier was nowhere in sight and someone else was just stepping into her place.

Leon smiled and pointed to that special ring.

"Hey, can I get a better look at that one?"

~*~

At first Leon was only going to buy the ring. But then he passed a tux place, and then Bonnie texted him about a really cute dress she'd spotted while out shopping, and before Leon knew it he'd been sliding this stranger's credit card with a smile and making reservations at the fanciest place he knew.

Bonnie had grown up from that pigtailed girl he'd proposed to on the swings with a ring pop. Blonde pigtails were exchanged for neon blue waves that went just below her ears, glittering hazel eyes always lined with dollar store eyeliner and ears always pierced with pearls.

Tonight she was looking her best, she'd picked out the most dazzling dark blue dress, sparkly and floor length with off the shoulders sleeves and accessorized with even more pearls- real ones, roped around her neck and on both wrists.

She was breathtaking. God Leon was so in love with her.

"I just can't believe you managed to stash away so much cash, Leon! I thought you said we weren't even going to make rent this month," Bonnie laughed. "And here we are, at Jean's, sipping champagne and ordering steak... can we order steak?"

Leon winked and gave her a thumbs up. That tie was strangling him, he knew he didn't put it on right and that stink eye the host gave them when Leon slid him the credit card let him know he didn't fit in here, but he didn't care. He had the money, they didn't care past that. They'd even sat him in a private part of the restaurant, shielded off by walls and screens so they were all alone. You couldn't get it more perfect.

"We are totally having steak, and we'll order dessert too." Leon patted that card in his pocket. "We're treating ourselves. These people think they're better than us, they just got lucky their daddies fed them with silver spoons. Tonight, we're the same, and I'm glad I'm with you."

Bonnie sighed as she stared lovingly at Leon. "You're too good for this world, baby. Too good for me, too," She said.

"Nonono, you're the one who's too good." Ah, what the hell. Leon pulled the ring box from his pocket. "You ran away with me when your dad chased me out of town, you've stuck with me through shitty apartments and hungry nights. You're the best, Bonnie... and I wanted to make tonight perfect."

Bonnie cocked her head to the side quizzically. Leon took a deep breath before setting the black velvet box on the table. "Bonnie Day, I love you with all my heart and soul," He opened the box and judging by how wide her eyes popped he'd made the right choice, "Will you stay by my side and become Bonnie Read?"

Her eyes shining with tears, she looked up and her lips parted. Leon's breath caught. Will she say yes?

"Oh, pardon me, didn't mean to step in during a time like this."

Aaaand moment ruined. Leon huffed and glared up at the man who'd just barged into their little slice of heaven. "Kinda killing the mood here, buddy. Could you maybe go?" He snapped.

The man chuckled, readjusting his own tie (that was no doubt properly on) before shaking his head. "Afraid I can't. After all, this table is reserved for Sean MacBride, and I am him," He replied, an Irish accent thick in his low voice.

Bonnie gasped and Leon didn't need to turn to know what look she was shooting at him. The 'oh my god what did you do Leon' look. Leon swallowed before getting to his feet, Bonnie mirroring the motion and trying to subtly kick off her heels so she could run. "Listen, I think there's been some kind of mistake here," Leon said, his eyes darting towards the way out... The way out quickly closed off by two very intimidating men, one opening his jacket to reveal the gun at his hip. Meanwhile, the real Sean MacBride walked up to the table and finished off Leon's champagne in a single gulp. The man was tall, broad shouldered and that well fitted suit only accented how strong he was. His dark hair was graying at the temples and slicked back, and this close Leon could smell his cologne.

Leon's impulsive decision of earlier that day was starting to feel worse and worse.

"Ah, don't really care for champagne, I'll have the wait staff bring out a bottle of the good wine. After all, tonight you should be celebrating! Take your seats, Leon, Bonnie."

Fuck. Leon glanced over at Bonnie, who nodded before sitting back down. Doing his best to at least look calm, Leon sat down as one of Sean's goons pulled up a chair for the man. Sean sat down, folding his hands on the table, his sleeve pulling up just enough to show he had some ink on his skin but Leon couldn't tell what it was.

Sean picked up the ring box and whistled as he took a look of the ring inside. "I'll be damned. That's a fine ring you picked out for your girl, Leon. You have good taste. Expensive, considering you dropped ten grand of my cash on it, but good taste."

Bonnie choked and blurted out, "I thought they were fakes!"

"I'd never get you a fake diamond," Leon rubbed the back of his neck, knowing with how hot his face felt it was probably close in shade to his hair. "How did you figure out my name, Mr. MacBride?"

"Oh, no need to be so formal," Sean laughed quietly, the sound sending ice down Leon's spine, "Call me Sean. We're both men here. As for how I found out your name... well, you have quite the record. It wasn't hard to find your name once I had your face. I have a few friends amongst the force."

Leon's mouth went dry as the host came by with a bottle of wine, filling all three glasses and smirking at Leon as he passed by. The kind of smirk that came with 'you're in trouble now, boy' and usually led to his dad bringing out the belt. Somehow Leon got an inkling this was more than just a beating with a belt he was going to get

"Well, Bonnie?" Sean turned his predatory stare on Bonnie, who shifted in her chair and stared at the carpet. "What are you going to say? Yes or no?"

Bonnie swallowed before she shakily nodded. "I... yes. I want to marry you, Leon," She said.

Sean nodded before slowly clapping for the couple. God, Leon wanted to sink into the floor and die. "Isn't young love sweet? Lucky boy, Leon. Even if the minute you leave this restaurant you'll get some handcuffs slapped on you, at least the girl loves you," He said.

"I'm sorry!" Leon couldn't do this. Nope. "I'm sorry, I found your wallet on the street, I just wanted to pop the question to Bonnie and have it be perfect. She deserves so much, please don't hurt her-"

Sean moved so fast Leon blinked and suddenly his head was slammed into the table, Sean pinning him down by his neck. He leaned down and growled in Leon's ear, "Leon, let me spell something out for you, since you seem thick as the concrete shoes I'm gonna have you try on. You know who runs this town? The MacBrides. You have your mayor and your cops, but they belong to the MacBrides. They belong. To me. The boss. You saw my wallet, you saw my ID, and instead of turning it in you chose to rob me of almost thirteen grand, most of it going to that lovely ring for your girlfriend there. You are lucky I like this restaurant enough that I didn't just have one of my men throw a molotov cocktail through the window during the dessert course."

Leon tried to squirm free and all Sean did was apply more pressure. God, it was getting a little too hard to breathe in here, any more and Leon was going to be choked to death. "It's because I like this restaurant that the host recognized my card and gave me a call, making sure I didn't loan it out to a little ginger bastard and the bluehaired tart he had on his arm."

"Fuck you!"

The pressure suddenly lifted all at once and Leon managed to roll out of the way as Bonnie pitched her wine glass right at Sean's head. Sean managed to avoid it, the glass smashing against the wall and leaving a splatter of red wine in its wake. Coughing and gasping for air, Leon crawled away and was helped to his feet by Bonnie, who was shaking like a leaf but now putting herself in between Leon and the mob boss. Sean's bodyguards both had guns trained on Bonnie's head.

"No one..." Bonnie gulped as Sean's ice cold glower focused on her at the girl but held firm, "No one calls me a tart, or Leon a bastard. We can pay you back, you can take the ring back," She slipped off her bracelets and threw them away, "Take the jewelry, the clothes, and anything else we bought. If it can't be returned, we'll work for you! We're good at what we do!"

Sean scoffed quietly before gesturing for his men to lower their weapons. "Right, I've read both your records. Just a pair of pickpockets and con artists, and not very productive cons at that. There's nothing you inept..." He trailed off as those violent eyes flicked over the pair again, Sean feeling distinctly uncomfortable with how the crime boss was looking at them now. "Second thought, let's run through that again. There might be something you can do."

Chuckling, Sean gestured over to one of his bodyguards and whispered something in his ear. The man seemed a bit surprised but he nodded and took off. "Right, we got two choices now," Sean readjusted his jacket, "Either you two take off into the arms of the cops waiting right outside that'll slap cuffs on the pair of you, and the moment you're alone in jail I'll have someone arrange for you to be buried together... or you come with me, no questions asked, no struggle put up, and I'll start you on working off your debt. What's your pick?"

Leon looked at Bonnie, waited for her quiet nod before they stepped forward. "Let's head out then," Leon said, glancing at the ring.

Sean now had the most vicious grin on his face as he clapped a hand on both Bonnie's and Leon's shoulders. "Right choice. I'll make sure we take the bottle with us... and Bonnie, love? Don't forget your ring. You're a spoken for woman now, after all," He said.

Bonnie picked it up and they headed out to the restaurant. Leon felt like a kid again, being scolded by his father after misbehaving. Bonnie slipped her hand into his, the cold of that brand new ring feeling like it was burning a brand into his skin.

The pair of thieves were escorted back into a car, Sean rattling something off in Irish to the driver before taking the passenger seat, Leon sitting in the back seat with Bonnie.

They rode in silence for a few minutes before Bonnie went through her purse. "... I still have it, you know," She pulled out a piece of plastic that took Leon a second to recognize as the base of a ring pop, "After I finished it off I knew I should just throw it away, since it was garbage, but... I don't know. I rather liked it."

Leon choked back a sob. "I'm sorry, Bonnie. I thought it was just some rich bastard I could take for a ride, I didn't mean to get you in on this," He whispered.

Bonnie squeezed his hand before slipping that plastic ring right onto his left ring finger. "You're my Leon. We've both fucked up before. And I'm still standing with you, aren't I?" She said.

He didn't deserve the best girl in the world. Leon leaned his head against her shoulder, taking a deep breath. "No matter what jobs he makes us do, just do it, okay? We can get through this."

Bonnie nodded just as they pulled up to one of the fanciest apartment buildings in the city. "Right, to the penthouse. Come along. And stop looking so glum, you just got a new lease on life," Sean said before getting out of the car.

God, Leon wanted to punch his face, but they were in deep enough shit without Leon assaulting one of the biggest faces of crime in the city. So he got out of the car, slipping the plastic ring off his finger and giving it back to Bonnie. "Once we're out of this, you can give it to me again, all right?" He said quietly.

Bonnie nodded and the pair followed Sean into the building. The elevator ride was the worst part, Leon running through a million things that Sean would want them to do.

Steal? Hell, Leon's been doing that since he was old enough to count. That wouldn't be so bad.

Run a con? Again, right in his comfort zone, and Bonnie was a great planner.

Rough someone up? Not his style, but if it helped out Bonnie, he could do it.

Kill? God, what if Sean wanted him to kill someone? Well, if it was down to either some stranger or Bonnie getting axed, Leon guessed he'd have to do it.

His mind was still running a million miles an hour as he stepped into Sean's apartment, unprepared for what was going to happen next.

Sean glanced at the pair again, as if reassessing his decision before he gestured them on. "Follow me."

Leon was somehow more intimidated by the fact he and Bonnie were alone with Sean than when he had some bodyguards around.

"What I'm going to ask you to do, you probably won't like. Not at first, at least," Sean smirked, "But if you do what you're told, you'll probably work off your debt after a year, maybe two. That's nothing compared to what I'd typically do to someone who pulled the stunt you did." He opened a door and gestured them through. "Get in there. You're just lucky you got spunk and have... well, your faces aren't too shabby to look at."

Now getting confused, Leon took three steps into Sean's bedroom and heard the door close behind them before it clicked what this bastard wanted Bonnie to do for him.

"Oh, hell no," He whipped around, immediately putting himself between Bonnie and Sean, who had shed his suit jacket and was now in the process of loosening his tie. "You keep your hands off my future wife or I swear to god-"

Leon was cut off by Sean grabbing his shirt. "What was that? You'd like to taste lead, Leon? Or maybe I'll just send your 'future wife' out to work the streets. Can't guarantee what things might happen to her out there, what diseases she'll end up passing back to you."

"You're sick!" Leon saw red and swung for Sean's head, a clumsy blow that only grazed the man's hair. Sean chuckled before he hauled Leon off the floor by his collar. Leon kicked out fruitlessly as Sean kept on chuckling, glancing over at Bonnie, who's face had gone white as a sheet as she inched into the corner, repeatedly shaking her head no.

"What's the manner, Bonnie? Starting to have second thoughts? Think your Leon," Sean gave him a good shake, "Would prefer life in prison? You know, technically he kidnapped you when you two made your dash up to the city. You were a week out from eighteen, sure, but he already was. Prisoners don't like hearing that the new guy prefers teenage girls-"

"Stop it!" Bonnie swallowed before she held up her hands. "I'll do whatever you want. Please put him down."

Leon was dropped to the floor, the redhead rubbing his neck as Sean gestured to the side table. "If Taisho did his job, there's two pairs of handcuffs to the bed. Get your lover up on the mattress, handcuff him to the headboard, then lay down next to him," He ordered.

Bonnie nodded and helped Leon to his feet, getting him to the bed and clicking the silver handcuffs around one of the wooden rungs of the headboard. "Just close your eyes, baby, okay? Just close your eyes," She whispered.

"Just run for it, Bonnie, please," Leon whispered, shaking his head. If she bolted, left him there, maybe she'd get away. He'd take the bullet.

Bonnie just ran her fingers through his hair before she crawled onto the bed and curled up next to Leon. "He's handcuffed," She said.