Hey, y'all! Quick announcement! READ ME DON'T JUST GO DOWN TO THE CHAPTER AND READ IT INSTEAD, I'M IMPORTANT TOO!

(Ahem) Anyway, I'll be starting college again on January 7th and since this is my senior year, I know I'll be bogged down with work, work, work like I was this past semester. I'm going to be doing an internship as part of my education not to mention normal work as well. With that in mind, I may not be able to write or update as often as I'd like, but don't worry! I'll update sporadically if I have to, I just won't make any promises on how often that'll be or whatnot.

Happy New Years!

~Delyth

Chapter Thirteen

Trust

"I see," Enyd said, his emotionless eyes watching her face with an intensity that sent chills down her spine. The black spot over his right eye did little to ease the cold black stare that tried to devour her soul. The husky's left eye was an icy pale blue, which was such a startling contrast to its black twin, but it did little to ease the churning in her stomach.

She'd just finished filling him in on everything that happened in the past month and a half—nearly two months now. There wouldn't be a point of trying to hide anything from him, Enyd had a way to make the strongest of mammals spill their guts to him with his stare alone. With his arms crossed, he'd taken his signature pose for making her squirm in her seat. If it wasn't for the fact he was a dangerous assassin-for-hire and her long-time friend and mentor, Jazlyn would've considered him the older brother she'd never had, but considering his narcissism and sociopathic tendencies, her relationship with him has strictly been teacher and student. Though, if anyone asked Enyd, she was considered his sister, and many have tried to convince Jazlyn to cut ties with the husky, but it was damn near impossible at this point.

All three members of the Cooper gang sat at her back in her room to listen in and provide some emotional support. She'd already warned them that Enyd was testy and moody not to mention very paranoid with a strong killing instinct. One wrong move or word from them and Enyd would make it his personal mission to hunt them down and murder them the worst way possible. Jazlyn advised them not to say a single thing during her conversation and wait until Enyd either gave them the all clear or spoke directly to them. Murray was twitching in his chair, clearly nervous and frightened of the male who could quite literally track them down with little effort. She felt sorry for making them worried and stressed, but they needed to be aware of just how dangerous Enyd was despite his boyish looks.

Bentley adjusted his glasses on his nose and twiddled his thumbs, anything to keep his mind busy while they waited for Enyd to say something. Beside him and sitting straight on the bed, Sly watched the screen with a serious, unflinching stare as the canine rubbed his chin in thought.

Jazlyn cleared her throat, losing her careful composure as she was bound to do with Enyd's heavy silences. "I apologize for not informing you sooner, Enyd. Recovering and building my strength up—"

"I'd rather you have told me immediately about Slicer than your status with the Cooper gang's skirmish with the Klaww Gang, Ravana Jazlyn Alvah-Snowe," Enyd said, monotone and face a perfect blank mask.

She didn't bother to hide her wince as he said her complete full name. No matter how cold he appeared, she knew full well that he was angry with her, but there was still relief at him focusing a majority of that rage on Slicer and not the Cooper gang. Out the corner of her eye, she could see the three boys blinking in surprise at how much the husky knew about her when she'd barely shared much about her past. She hadn't even given them her full name—not that she gave Enyd her real name when they first met either, but he was smart and had done his research in the years he mentored her. Besides, trying to keep secrets from Enyd was like trying to keep two rival gangs from killing each other on sight.

"Well," Jazlyn said, trying to keep the sarcasm from her tone, "I was in a medically-induced coma for a few days and I know better than to call you when you're busy. You taught me better than that."

"Yes, I also taught you to keep your true name to yourself unless you trust them completely with it."

She nodded, "I know. I told them my name after they saved me from Slicer."

"Are they holding this life debt above your head in order to complete their own task?" His eyes sharpened as he shot the Cooper gang a hard look that promised death.

The snow leopardess could hear all three of their hearts racing at not only the look, but the fury in his gaze as he sized them up. Jazlyn kept her panic and fear under control as she replied, calmly, "No. I chose to stay because I plan to make Slicer regret he ever came across me."

His attention returned to her at her words and she could hear his thoughts whirring in his head as he tried to find any lies in her statement. He wouldn't find any—Jazlyn meant what she said, she was going to make Slicer pay for not only trying to assassinate her but destroy the mammal she'd become. The panther had robbed her of her confidence, her identity, and her courage to face obstacles head-on. Nothing would stop her from making him regret burning her to ash because not only would she rise from the ashes, but she would be reborn into someone stronger, vicious, and better than before.

"You intend to take him down by yourself?"

"I intend to take advantage of the resources I've been given thanks to him."

Enyd nodded, uncrossing his arms and clasping his hands in front of him. On both arms, scars ranged from shoulder to fingers, a clear show of how many times mammals have tried to kill him only to die at his own hands. "You want to know more about him, don't you."

Jazlyn held his stare. "I've asked Duska, Reinhart, and Lugia and they all have told me the same thing: Don't try to fight him. Don't try to find out more about him."

The husky's eyebrows furrowed, and his gaze narrowed at the mention of her other friends. "Did you not wish to speak with me, Ravana?"

"Regardless of what they told me, I was going to talk to you, Enyd. It was about time I gave you a status report, anyway."

"You understand I would gladly tear anyone who harmed you limb from limb, correct?" At her hummed 'yes,' he continued, "Do not assume I will scold you for interrupting me on a job, clear?"

"Yes, sir," Jazlyn said, her shoulders drooping in relief. All the posturing and mind games were a part of their normal greeting routine—it was his way to make sure she was still sharp, but the exercise only made her more stressed and emotionally spent at the end. "I wanted to call you sooner, honest, but your…" she paused, unsure if she should mention it, but Enyd waved her to continue, clearly unbothered, "…assassination job in Iran was very high-risk and I didn't want to distract you."

He snorted. "As much as you are considered as my student and sister to the Underworld, I would have completed the job without much difficulty."

Sly shared a wry look with the turtle who shook his head sternly. Enyd caught the exchange and arched an eyebrow. "Have I caused amusement to you, Cooper?"

Jazlyn turned her chair until she could see Sly more easily without causing a crick in her neck and still keep an eye on Enyd's mood. The raccoon didn't flinch at the husky's searing stare as the two officially sized each other up. She worried her lip as Enyd took his time in eying Sly's form, his mannerisms, and everything that made the raccoon tick. It was one of the reasons why the husky was so lethal—he could deduce a mammal's weakness with one look or conversation, and it was one of the first lessons he taught Jazlyn.

"You just said something that reminded me of me," Sly said with a shrug, clearly indifferent about the entire situation but keeping his sole focus on the male watching him from Jazlyn's laptop.

"Sly acts cocky on a job and likes to make jokes when on a risky mission," she supplied when the husky glanced her way briefly for clarification.

She worried that he might take offense to that since he hated to be compared with anyone, but the snow leopardess nearly gawked as Enyd's lip quirked into a half-smile. A rare occurrence that she'd only seen every other blue moon and yet Sly Cooper had managed it. In awe, Jazlyn waited with bated breath as Enyd looked at the two other members of the Cooper gang. Apparently, they passed his inspection as he told his student, "I have information on Slicer—his true name is Darius Sinclair and he hails from a small Russian town that has long since fallen abandoned. He is known in the Blood Circle as an enforcer and experienced hunter that tends to leave his victims in sliced pieces."

Her heart pounded in her chest so fiercely that Jazlyn had to grasp the edge of the table at the news. She knew his true name—even if Enyd didn't share anything else, that would be more than enough to find information about the civilian life he led. Behind her, she knew without having to look that the boys were just as floored by the info as she was. They'd found so many dead ends trying to track Slicer through newspaper clippings and stories and rumors from the mafia grape vine about a panther who'd left his victims slashed until they were unrecognizable.

"You sly dog," Jazlyn breathed, unable to say much else.

Enyd preened under the praise like the show-pony he was. "I will send you what I have gathered, but I assume you wish to know more than just his background in order to defeat him."

He always knew when she had another vendetta no matter how hard she tried to hide it. The snow leopardess sighed, unsure on how to phrase the sentence except to blurt it out altogether. "This Darius hinted that our clans were tied together somehow. Maybe he was trying to throw me off my game, but he seems to know about my parents' business dealings."

"What does your gut tell you?" Enyd leaned forward in his chair, his ears perked in her direction, and his stare drilling holes into her face.

After a moment of thought, Jazlyn answered with surety, "He knows more than what he's telling—I can't prove that he is somehow related to my parents' legacy to me yet, but he does know about my clan's business."

"You understand that you may not like what you find out about them."

Determination coursed through her as she straightened and held the black and blue stare of her mentor. "I want answers, Enyd. Even if it may bring more hardship or cause me to question everything again, I won't live in my ignorance any longer."

"I always did hate your refusal for the truth," the husky mused, his chuckle deep and devious. "It is about time you learn about your clan's legacy."

Jazlyn had an inkling that her mentor also knew more than he let on, but even if she asked him to help her find out about her clan's longstanding business, he would've refused. She knew without a doubt in her mind that he had learned far more about her history, and Jazlyn had not once asked him to reveal what he'd learned in the years she trained under him. Besides, he wanted her do the grunt work and find out herself rather than go the easy route.

"You and me both," she muttered bitterly.

"I plan to hold off on jobs for a while," he announced with little grandeur and she blinked, shocked. Enyd never wasted time on relaxing—he always worked and considered laziness a disease that he'd gladly wipe out if he could. "You will keep me in the know about Slicer."

An order, not a request by any means. She didn't bother to argue as she agreed.

Her teacher then addressed the Cooper gang with a firm and threatening tone that made her spine stiffen. Still in their respective seats, the boys froze and didn't twitch as Enyd said, his voice rumbling with a growl that promised violence, "I expect each of you to protect my pet from harm; otherwise, there will be a death warrant with each of your names on it. You especially, Sly Cooper."

With that note, Enyd abruptly ended the call as her laptop's fan whirred to life in the dead silence of the room. Jazlyn stared and stared at the screen as Enyd sent a list of files that had Slicer's personal info. She couldn't believe that the husky had actually approved of not only the Cooper gang but her dating the leader of said gang. Even when she met and introduced Lugia, Reinhart, and Duska to Enyd, he'd never given them the same amount of respect or approval to be close to her until many months later. Her entire world tilted on its axis as she twirled around in the desk chair to give the three boys, who were all just as stunned by the entire interaction, a bemused glance.

Finally, Bentley—dripping with intelligence Bentley—uttered, brilliantly, "What just happened?"

Murray scratched his cheek, just as befuddled as the rest of them were. "Uh, did he like us?"

"Well, Spots?" Jazlyn turned her attention from the turtle and hippo to her boyfriend, whose face was a mixture of surprise and relief, with blank eyes. "Did we pass the Big Bad Wolf's inspection?"

Wordlessly, she nodded.

Murray hollered with joy and Bentley's entire body slumped back until he was lying on the bed. Jazlyn felt like she was going to pass out and run around the length of the room she was so elated that Enyd had given his blessing. Of course, he was still upset at her for not calling him the minute she was awake in the hospital, but honestly, when would she possibly have free time to tell him what happened when she was being watched like a hawk? Either way, she'd preferred him getting furious over that and her negligence than the Cooper gang.

"This calls for some pizza!" Murray jumped up from his chair and headed into his and Bentley's room to order some.

Bentley was still as dazed as she was, but he had enough sense to ask, "So, you weren't going to give us your full name?"

Jazlyn rubbed her face and glanced at the clock on the nightstand: 7:30 p.m. She started the call with Enyd around five o'clock and it took her almost two hours to give a thorough report about her current status. Her stomach gurgled in complaint and realized that the last time she ate was last night because she was too nervous about her call with Enyd to eat today.

"Honestly, my real name is Jazlyn Snowe, but my clan has this tradition of naming their children uniquely followed by a more modern and common name. Normally," she elaborated when Bentley and Sly continued to give her slightly confused looks, "a child is given their name after they've reached their first year, and our surname comes from a combination of our grandmother's name and our clan's name."

Curious, Sly pulled one leg up to rest his elbow on and propped his chin in his palm. "Does Ravana have a meaning?"

She smiled, her eyes still a little distant. "It means 'roaring or squealing.' Mom used to tell me that I was so loud and demanded attention when I was infant. According to her, it's derived from a word in Sanskrit that means 'a roar, yell, or cry.'" Laughing softly, Jazlyn continued, "Dad said it was either that or Ashanti, which means 'aggressive or warlike.' He said I used to pick fights with anything and everything—furniture, the wall, my brother Kae—just for the sake of hearing myself talk."

Her eyes began to water at the memories of her parents, and Jazlyn shoved it away, clearing her throat and finally coming back to Earth. Blinking back her tears, she said, "Anyway, by all instances and purposes, my name is Jazlyn Snowe, but my clan name is Ravana Jazlyn Alvah-Snowe."

"Beautiful," Sly murmured, his gaze fully on her like she was some goddess come to visit the mortals.

Bentley slowly pulled himself upright and made his way toward the door to his room. "Murray and I will come get you when the pizza is here. Also," he said, pausing in the doorframe and looking back over his shoulder at them. "I haven't found where Rajan is yet, but Reinhart and I were able to discover that he, indeed, has another Clockwerk part: the heart. I'm sure we'll learn more about its location soon, but it may take another day or two."

The raccoon nodded, "Don't overwork yourself, pal. Tell Reinhart I said thank you for giving us a hand."

With that, the turtle assured Sly that he'd pass along the message and it was only Jazlyn and the raccoon once more. The only thing that separated them from their friends were walls and a door.

Sly stood from the bed and meandered to her, nudging her legs apart with his knee, and brushed his lips against her forehead. Without her conscious consent, her body leaned against him and she sighed, the tension slowly rushing away. She breathed him in and closed her eyes as his arms wrapped around her, embracing her until Jazlyn wasn't sure where she began and he ended.

"You respect him a lot," he murmured into her hair and she nuzzled closer.

They would've been far more comfortable if they'd returned to the bed instead of Sly almost kneeling on the desk chair and her pressing her upper body against his. To her, it didn't matter because her body was finally relaxing after having a restless night trying to sleep then worrying about Enyd's numerous and possible reactions when she explained what she'd been doing for the better half of two months.

"Considering how he pretty much took me under his wing when he honestly could've killed me instead," she told him wryly, "I do. He gave me a chance to rebuild myself and become stronger."

He hummed thoughtfully, resting his chin atop her head between her twitching ears. "What would you have done if he didn't approve and placed us on his hitlist?"

As much as the thought hurt and she hated to think about all the ways to safely diffuse the situation or, in the worst case scenario, kill Enyd. "I already had plans set in case it went downhill. Enyd, despite his quirks and the fact that he doesn't really understand things like love or affection, he became very important to me in the years he trained me. If it ever came down between you, Bentley, Murray, and him, I would pick you. All of you over him. And the only way to keep you safe would be to kill Enyd."

"Could you do it?" Sly asked softly, rubbing her back when her shoulders stiffened. "Kill him, I mean."

She clenched her hands around his waist tighter and squeezed her eyes shut. "If I had to protect those I care for, then yeah, I'd do it without hesitation."

Despite the heavy subject, she could hear the raccoon's smile as he said, "Who would've thought almost two months ago that you'd be willing to protect us from your mentor."

Laughing softly, Jazlyn shifted a little in her seat. "I must be losing my touch or something."

Sly snorted and pulled away long enough to show her his twinkling mischievous eyes before he picked her up. Yelping in surprise, Jazlyn instinctively latched her arms around his neck to keep her steady as he adjusted his grip under her knees and headed for the bed. He placed her gently onto the covers, her arms still around his neck as he smirked at her still bewildered eyes. Chuckling, he lowered himself to the bed, his hands on either side of her head and his left knee having found its favorite place between her legs. She pulled him closer to her and he didn't put up much of a fight as their lips brushed softly against each other. Their kisses began to last longer and become more heated with each passing second, and Jazlyn gasped for air, her lips tingled and felt slightly numb from his nipping.

"You know how to make a girl forget her woes, eh, Cooper?" She grinned and rolled until he was forced to fall onto his side beside her.

"It's a gift."

"I've noticed." She wiggled towards her favorite nook between his chin and neck and curled into his chest with a sigh. Her tail wrapped around his right ankle, rubbing almost teasingly, as her body seemed to float away toward Dream Land. Closing her eyes, Jazlyn breathed in his cinnamon scent and informed him, "I'm going to nap—didn't sleep hardly at all last night."

Her head vibrated from his laughter as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Holding me hostage, are you?"

"Uh-huh, and there's no escape either."

"I'm known for twisting my way out of tight spots."

"Well, you won't succeed this time, ringtail." Her voice faded in and out as sleep was a breath away from taking her under. She didn't care that she sounded like a drunk with the amount of times her syllables slurred together.

Sly kissed the bridge of her hair and settled down more comfortably himself. "Don't think I'll mind too much this time, Ravana."

Even as her mind drifted off, her toes curled and a delicious shiver wracked her spine at his voice caressing her personal name that only family had ever called her.

~o~

Stretching with a yawn and several cracks of vertebrae, Jazlyn rolled out of bed and not at all surprised to find the space where Sly had laid was empty. In fact, she could hear their shower running and had the very naughty thought of if the raccoon had to take a cold shower to deal with his hard on. Her face flushed all the way to her ears at the image of him completely bare for her eyes to see and—

Oh no! No! Stop that! Jazlyn shook her head furiously and headed for her bag to dig out some fresh clothes. She berated herself for her mind going straight to the gutter as soon as she woke up and tried to keep her hands busy instead.

Just as she began to pull her shirt over her head, the door to Bentley and Murray's room slammed open and startled her into freezing with her arms above her and bra and torso bare. Bentley was already spouting out some longwinded explanation that she couldn't even begin to follow, and she released a sigh of relief when the turtle was so engrossed in whatever he was saying that he hadn't noticed her in the middle of changing. She pulled her shirt back over her head and sat in the nearest chair and pretended to understand the monologue.

"Wait, wait!" She held up her hands, finally unable to listen anymore. The turtle snapped his mouth shut with a click and flushed. "Can you slow down a little, Bentley? I just woke up and my brain isn't really working right now."

"Oh," he cleared his throat awkwardly, "I know where Rajan is hiding."

She raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Lemme guess, he's deeper in the tropical forest."

"Yes, in the ruins of an ancient temple."

Jazlyn prevented herself from groaning at the humidity and heat of the forest and asked, "When're we leaving?"

"Well, I want to get a head start tomorrow morning since it's pretty far from Mumbai. There's also a high probability that we'll have to travel on foot to reach the temple."

She already knew this trip was going to suck for obvious reasons but having to carry heavy equipment for God only knew how far was gonna be a huge pain in the ass. Jazlyn sighed, "Alright, I'll pass it along to Sly. Did Murray save any pizza?"

As it turned out, the hippo did, indeed, save them some pizza—in fact, they had an entire box for themselves. Her stomach grumbled as she grabbed a few plates they'd bought from a nearby convenience store and placed several slices on it before popping it into the microwave for a few seconds. She hated eating cold pizza—or anything for that matter unless it was yogurt and ice cream. Humming, Jazlyn tapped the countertop to their kitchenette while she waited.

Her ears swiveled toward the sound of light footsteps whispering along the hardwood, and she grinned. When she sensed his breath hovering near the back of her neck, she turned on her heel and pounced on him.

Laughing, Sly braced for impact and grunted slightly as her weight fell full force on him. Jazlyn's smirk widened as she pinned his arms above his head and growled playfully as she leaned down to nuzzle his damp cheek. His upper torso was bare for her eyes to explore hungrily as she took in every ounce of fur and defined muscle she could see. What she hadn't noticed was his towel tied at his hips and the only thing separating her from his twitching member as she wiggled slightly. Her lips twisted into a seductive grin as he hissed at the pressure and his arms quivered with the need to take control of the situation, but to his credit, he let her do what she wanted.

She pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth and caressed his pectorals with definite slowness, enjoying the way he panted underneath her and his body arching to her touch. Sly's eyes were shut and she could see him concentrating to prevent himself from rolling her over and asserting his dominance over the snow leopardess. Jazlyn only loved him more for that as she kissed his pulsing jugular and licked away some of the dripping water from the thick fur separating her canines from his carotid artery. Her hands wandered lower as they explored the ridges in his fur from his abs and with her other hand, she circled his left nipple teasingly. She watched him strain for self-control as his jaw clenched and Jazlyn felt her core flood with warmth at the sexy display.

Jazlyn licked her lips and finally, paid attention to his mouth and Sly attacked her with such ferocity that she completely lost herself to it. She couldn't think coherently anymore as he gave in to his passion and rolled them until she was again under him with his arms supporting himself on either side of her head. She wanted him closer—she didn't want any space between them as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down. His bare torso brushed against her shirt, the fabric quickly becoming wet, and she groaned into his mouth as his tongue caressed an eyetooth. Once more, her hands wandered until they were dangerously close to his towel, and they both tensed, bracing for whatever her hands decided because Jazlyn didn't have the conscious strength to direct them anymore.

"Careful, Ravana," Sly grounded out between clenched teeth, his voice hoarse and filled with sexual seduction that her body shuddered. "I won't be able to stop myself and I promised to go slow."

Oh, she hadn't forgotten what she'd told Sly. Yes, she wanted to go slower because Lord knows where this relationship was going to go, but Jazlyn wasn't going to twiddle her thumbs and wait for him to instigate. She wanted an equal partnership—someone who would see her as an equal, not submissive or dominant.

Even her clan name sounded blissfully different as her back arched and pulled him closer. He didn't resist as he shifted them around until they were both on their sides on the floor. Neither raccoon nor snow leopardess cared as Jazlyn nuzzled her face into his chest, breathing deeply as his arms wrapped around her. His hands rubbed her back until she was nothing but a purring mess of pudding and his raspy chuckles weren't helping as they whispered by her ears.

"I know we just had a very…heated moment," she began but stopped when Sly hit a particular spot and she moaned. God help her, but she couldn't think straight with him touching her like that. His laugh made her ears twitch, and she tried to calm her racing heart and the pure yearning she felt for him right then. "Bentley came while you were in the shower still."

"Hmmm?" He hummed, his knuckles kneading gently between her shoulder blades.

She gasped, her body writhing and going limp at the same time. "He…ah…found Rajan."

"That was fast," Sly said, his teeth latched onto her ear and she shivered as his teeth teased her. "I figured we'd at least have another day or two before he and Reinhart found anything."

Her tail wrapped tightly around his ankle, acting as an anchor as she tried to keep her head from overflowing with fog. So far, she was failing miserably. "Leaving tomorrow. Rajan's holed up in ancient temple ruins in the deep jungle."

The raccoon only pulled lightly on the tip of her ear in response and Jazlyn tilted her head up to bite his shoulder. He didn't flinch at the light nip as his hands traveled from her shoulders to the hem of her shirt. The snow leopardess writhed against him as he released her ear only to focus on the other one as he lifted her shirt. With little care, she moved away from him to pull the damp material over her head before returning to her mark and nursing it gently. Her lips upturned at his shudder and she echoed him as his fingers brushed the strap of her bra.

"What were you doing before deciding to pounce me?" Sly breathed into her ear and Jazlyn bit back a guttural purr as his fingers rubbed her back in small circles.

She swallowed thickly, her mouth suddenly dry as she canted her head back to meet his fiery gaze. "Reheating pizza. Murray actually saved us a whole box full for us."

He smiled and kissed her forehead. "Well, we shouldn't waste it. I hope you don't mind sharing a chair," he nodded toward the large desk chair.

Jazlyn was proud of herself for not blushing at his suggestion. "Only if you put on some boxers. Wouldn't want to tempt you further."

Chuckling, he sat up and pulled her along with him to their feet. While he headed to his bag to dig for some boxers, Jazlyn stumbled toward the small kitchenette with the plates of pizza. Even as she pulled out the first plate of reheated pizza from the microwave, her legs felt like jelly and her body felt buzzed from the adrenaline and pleasure. God, he just made her want to throw in the towel and just have it out right on that floor—screw the consequences.

She shook her head to clear it as she stuck the second plate of pizza into the microwave for Sly and tried to keep herself from listening to fabric sliding over fur as Sly rustled behind her.

"So, we're leaving tomorrow for these ruins Rajan is using as a fortress?" Sly asked behind her. The only sign that he was just as affected by their momentary passion was the rasp in his voice.

There was so much arousal flowing throughout their room that Jazlyn had to clear her throat twice before answering. "Yeah, he said Rajan has the Clockwerk heart, but didn't go into too much detail about the ruins' significance other than a secondary stronghold."

"How long?"

"At least two full days—and it depends how long it takes us to trek through the forest. We won't be able to take the van all the way there." Jazlyn didn't bother to hide her despair over the fact they'd have to walk through the hot, humid jungle while carrying heavy equipment.

Sly wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head atop hers. She could hear the grin in his tone as he said, "I'm sure it won't be too far."

"Somehow, I doubt your optimism."

"Bentley could always create a new gadget that'll help with the load."

Jazlyn rolled her eyes and reached up to thump the raccoon on the forehead. "As much of a genius he is, I highly doubt he could make something tonight that'll work within the next few days without testing it first. Not to mention, the poor turtle will need to sleep at some point. He's not a robot, Sly."

She felt him move one hand to rub at the sting and said, "I know that, but knowing him, he definitely has a plan."

In the end, she only shrugged in response. Sly's ability to put the utmost faith and trust in his friends was one of the many reasons she liked him. He may have been arrogant and full of charm, but underneath it all, he was loyal and he loved his friends as if they were his family. Jazlyn, on the other hand, was still coming to terms with working together with them all, but she didn't hate it. In fact, she enjoyed every second of it and even though she was still learning to trust them in the field, she did know that Bentley was more than capable with making plans and backup plans to his backup plans.

Trust was earned, and all three members of the Cooper gang had wormed their way in through different cracks in her armor.

As the microwave beeped, Jazlyn pushed the cuddly raccoon with a quiet giggle as she opened the door and pulled the pizza out. She breathed deeply as melted cheese, marinara, and sausage wafted into her nostrils. Oh, she was definitely going to fall into a food coma by the time she finished this.

Good thing she could sleep on the way once they were packed and loaded. Now, all she had to do was prepare herself for the agonizing hike through the humid and hot jungle.