A Thief's Honor [Book 2]

Ch.35 The Moment of Truth

After Rae had finally calmed down, she, for the most part, cleaned her face off before the two took their canes and paraglided over to the vault. They slowly approached the door, sharing a glance, before reaching up and placing their canes in the slots. After hearing an unlocking sound, they took a few steps back, watching as the door finally opened all the way up this time. Now, with the vault opened up to them, they shared another glance and approached the opening, but suddenly paused.

"Rae, wait..." Sly then said.

"Huh?" Rae lifted her head. "Hey, what's the matter? Don't you wanna go inside?"

"Yeah, I do, it's just..." Rae stared at Sly's face for a long moment, but the expression he gave told her exactly what he was thinking.

"Oh, I see... Bentley and Murray, right?"

He nodded. "I...want them to come inside with us. Does that make me sound a little selfish?"

Rae shook her head, walking up to the raccoon. She then lifted a hand, raising his chin so their eyes could meet before placing her hand against his cheek. "They're like your brothers, Sly, and you have such a close bond with them, so wanting them to join you in this, after working so hard to get this far, it's not selfish at all. If anything, I think it's the most selfless thing you could do for them."

Sly grinned, gripping Rae's hand, which was still against his face. "You always know just what to say, don't you?"

She smiled. "Only because I learned from the best."

Sly nodded, kissing her hand before tapping on his earpiece. "Hey, Bentley, you there?"

"Yeah, pal."

"Rae and I are about to head inside the vault, and...I--we...want you and Murray to come with us. We're a team, a family. We should all do this together, right?"

"Okay, be right up...brother."

Sly paused for a moment. As soon as Bentley said that, it almost felt like someone had just tugged at his heartstrings. Suddenly, tears slid down his face, not even realizing he had begun to cry, until he felt a pair of slender arms wrap around his waist from behind as heat was pressed up against his back. Sly returned to reality, quickly glancing back only to see Rae behind him, but she was smiling.

"You see? Those two, even if the gang was named after you, they still have your back, all because of the bond you three share with one another, one I wish I could've been apart of..."

More tears filled Sly's eyes, quickly turning around, only to then throw his arms around Rae in a crushing embrace, which took her by surprise. "You are! You are apart of it! You are apart of our family, Rae! I couldn't imagine things without you here, and you know that!" He cried. "You're apart of this family too, Rae, and you always will be. I love you, Rae, with all that I am, and the guys... They can't live without you here either because you've become apart of us. You're apart of this family, even if we grew up apart, but you're here now, and I wouldn't have it any other way..."

Rae listened to Sly's words as he cried against her shoulder. Soon enough, she too could feel the tears begin to form in her eyes again, wrapping her arms around Sly tightly. "I wouldn't have it any other way either... I love being apart of this gang -- this family -- with all of you. I couldn't imagine things differently, nor would I want such a thing..."

The two drew back from one another, gazing into each other's eyes, before finally coming together in a passion-filled, tender kiss between two lovers. Sly and Rae both poured their hearts and souls into this one single act, trying to show their love for each other and just how deep it ran. They truly loved one another, and nothing seemed to tear these two apart.