[PROLOGUE]

"I have a proposition for you."

"Oh?" Len answered, his smirk wide and his eyebrow cocked high as he propped his feet up on the steel table-top, hands folded behind his head. He looked so smug Charlie wanted to punch him. "I knew you'd come around eventually."

From the seat beside Len's came a groan of disapproval while Mike hid his forehead behind his palm, shaking his head in disappointment; likewise, Charlie pursed her lips in disgust and crossed her arms over her chest. "I only used to let you get away with comments like that because I thought you were gay."

Mike snorted with laughter. Len, on the other hand, was not so amused, sitting up with a start. "You thought I was gay?"

"You're a well-groomed man with no body hair and shapely eyebrows, why are you surprised?"

"Okay, okay," Mike interrupted, wiping away a tear and looking seriously up at Charlie from where she stood at the opposite end of the steel table, "What exactly is your proposition?"

Charlie breathed out a sigh, sincerely questioning her decision now that she was here. "They say the best way to catch a thief is to hire a thief," she began, watching the pair very closely for their reactions, "So here's my offer: you and your team help me catch my perp, I give you your freedom."

"Done," Len said without a second thought, only to be cut off by Mike's firm 'no way.' The brunet gaped at his partner-in-crime, eyes wide with disbelief. "Wait, what?"

"She can't be trusted," Mike answered blankly, staring Charlie down, "We have to protect the guys, Len. We gave ourselves up so our team wouldn't wind up behind bars, if we just let her join us like it's nothing all that'll be in vain. She'll have them all arrested as soon as we're done. Tell me I'm wrong, Constable."

"You're wrong," she replied flatly, matching Mike's challenging expression, "You pull this off, you and your team walk. That's the offer on the table."

Len shot Mike a pleading look, eyes big and bright blue. "Fine," the blond conceded, glaring at his weaker-willed best friend out of the corner of his eye. The other knew damn well he was powerless against that stupid puppy-dog pout and just loved to take advantage of it. "Deal."

Charlie unlocked the steel shackles around their wrists. "Deal."

"Thank God," Len sighed, rubbing the already tender skin around his wrists, "Orange is so not my color."

"Really? And you're surprised I thought you were gay?"