Nomad 101 (Completed)

Chapter 115

And with this, we have 10 chapters left! Ugh, writing endings are scary.

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**| Sang's POV |**

I was in Owen's BMW, wedged between Brandon and Axel. Raven wanted to ride with us, but Corey distracted him and North managed to herd them to his jeep. I pulled Sprinkles closer to me. He let out a little squeak before settling back down. Gabriel had shoved him in my arms before getting into another car with Kota. He probably should have been put in a cage so he didn't get loose in a moving vehicle, but I didn't care. I needed him right now.

I pet Sprinkles for a few moments before looking over at Brandon. He was relaxed, his arm resting along the back of the seat. His gaze was currently on the outside world flashing by. There wasn't much to see with the darkness all around. All I could make out were shadowed trees and a moonlight all too happy to be shining after it rained for most of the day.

We'd been driving for a while now and I was growing antsy, still not sure what was going on. I just knew something was because of the tension in the car and when North's headlights lit up the interior car when he drove too close, the grim expressions all around verified it for me.

I sighed and Axel glanced at me.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"What are you guys not telling? I think now is a good time to tell me before you guys use the excuse of unpacking and settling in to delay this conversation."

Sean snorted, trying to hold in his laughter. He glanced at Owen. "She figured it out."

"She's smart," Owen replied.

"And now you're stalling," I pointed out.

"When you were taken, we took in your father," Axel finally answered. "Everything is going to move fast now and we just want to get to safety. Once the net falls, Vulcan is going to lash out and we want to make sure you aren't collateral damage."

I frowned. "You got my dad arrested?" I asked, needing verification as different emotions swirled inside of me.

"We had to," Owen spoke up, his words clipped. "They had taken you and we had no leads. He knew."

"And he told you?" I asked.

"Yes."

I looked at the side view of Owen, taking in the tightness in his jaw.

"He's with the police now and working with them to gather everything they need to take Vulcan down. Your dad is a key witness since he worked closely with Vulcan," Axel explained. "Things are going to move quickly."

"We're going into hiding?" I asked.

"Corey has eyes on Vulcan's men. They're in full force looking for you. We need to keep you hidden until they've been apprehended," Axel said.

I shifted so my shoulders brushed his. "And you think my dad will be enough?"

"Yes," Axel said and nudged my shoulder with his. "He's already talking."

"Why? I don't get it. Why would he help?"

"Can't he have a change of heart and want to protect you?" Axel asked.

I looked up at him, at his dark eyes gazing down at me and the seriousness in his expression.

"No," I said, knowing my answer to be the truth. "He practically sold me to them. Sold my status to them so he could living in comfort." I snorted. "A father he said. He wanted to be a father again."

The truth of it shouldn't have hurt so much, but it did. He had placed the tiniest seed inside of me when he came to me. I thought I had my blinders off, but it still hurt so much to know he only wanted to find me so he could use me. Because I was useful to him now, being eighteen and without an identity.

Axel's expression softened and he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me into his side.

"You're too good for him, anyways," he said, flashing a smile, showing off his white teeth.

I grinned back at him, pushing back the small ache that had formed from thinking about my father. I had a feeling he would be a sore subject for a long time for me. I needed time. "Oh, I know," I said.

Axel chuckled, the sound deep and reverberating through his body and into me. For a second, I swore I felt him to the core. The atmosphere in the dark car made his laugh intimate. I pushed myself into his side, still petting Sprinkles.

Sprinkles grumbled, before managing to wedge his face into my armpit. I giggled.

"He likes you," Axel said.

"It's hard not to," Brandon said and I looked over at him. He was still staring out the window, but it still felt like all his attention was on me. He was trying so hard to be nonchalant, and I wanted to ruin that for him.

I switched hands so I could hold Sprinkles to me and then reached over, resting my hand on his thigh. He jumped slightly and something daring in me rose. I wanted to make him react to me even more.

"So you like me too?" I asked.

He finally looked at me, his expression blank. "If you ever thought that I didn't like you, then you need to get that thought out of that pretty little head of yours, Little Bird. I stand by what I said. It's hard to not like you. When you'd faced everything you had straight on, called us on our bullshit, stood up for yourself despite being scared, it's impossible to not like you. You have us all tripping over ourselves just to make you like us." With that, he turned his focus back on the window to stare out of it while I gaped at him.

Axel chuckled and his body shook with it. I went to move my hand from Brandon's thigh, but Brandon had other thoughts. He placed his hand on mine and kept it there, not letting me move. He squeezed my hand as my cheeks burned.

He so easily turned me inside out with those words. I didn't know how to respond or take them.

"Don't over think it, Sang," Axel said, lowering his arm to rest along my shoulders now. "You're part of our family."

"Darn right, she is," Sean grumbled from the front seat.

"You guys hardly know me. You might regret having me part of your family."

"Stressful situations tell a lot about a person," Owen said. "Since meeting you, there's been plenty of situations to tell us exactly what kind of character you have. You're an inherently good person, Miss Sang. I don't even think you know how to not be nice. You consider everyone before yourself. Let us be your family so we can take care of you when you don't."

"We're your chosen family," Sean said. "By choosing, we prove to you every day that we care for you and we always will, and that this isn't out of some sense of obligation. You're a part of us now. Get over it. Now shush, close your eyes, and take a nap. You're exhausted."

I was exhausted, but sleep wasn't going to come yet. They wanted me to be part of their family. Their family. Their proclamation stayed with me all the way to our new temporary home.