*~* Sang Sorenson's POV *~*

The slight chill of the leather seat cools the back of my neck as I lean back to watch the trees pass in a blur of green from the front windshield over to the side windows.

Flashes of orange and yellow appear every few seconds, and I hold back a sigh of annoyance seeing the clear signs of Autumn fully taking over.

My mind cycles through the projects that need to get done and items we need to get before Winter begins. I swear the list keeps growing every few days as something else is brought up, and it goes to show just how privileged our lives used to be.

This time last year most of my worries were dealing with my stepmother or trying to unearth the problems at that dread school.

I had thought those were life-changing hardships, something that could break me, but they’re child's play compared to what's happening now.

I would much rather be handling my stepmother's mental decline or a money-laundering scheme than people constantly trying to eat me.

With those problems, I could run to the woods or one of my boys' homes to escape.

But there's no escaping this new existence.

Just a continuous fight for survival.

The blur of trees dissipates as the Jeep takes a turn to the right and my poor tired eyes are overwhelmed by a stream of bright morning light.

Groaning, I rub my palms into my eyes to alleviate the sting from the unexpected change of light before burying my face in the shoulder to the left of me.

The subtle smell of berries and moss sneaks out from under the bulletproof vest dominating most of his shoulder and it instantly puts a smile on my face.

"You know," Victor whispers down at me, "you wouldn't feel so tired if you didn't stay up all night."

I huff at the comment and roll my head back on his shoulder to look up at him, "it's not my fault."

"Sure, Peanut," Nathan speaks up from the front passenger seat, "I heard you were the one making everyone watch Lilo and Stitch at like two in the morning."

"Only because Karen made us watch that creepy movie about the homicidal sewer clown.” Just thinking about the movie has a shiver slithering down my spine.

“Ooo,” Nathan excitedly looks over the headrest, “did you watch the original from 1990 or the remake?”

“There's two of them?” I ask in horror, unable to fathom why people want to make clowns eerier than they already are. “Karen’s banned from picking movies. There's no way I’m watching all that over again.”

The large hand that's been propped on my right knee, slides up to my upper thigh. I glance down as he tucks his fingers on the inside of my jean-clad leg but leaves his thumb on top to glide it back and forth.

It's meant to be soothing but it also creates waves of warmth that flows across my lower stomach.

I fight off the blush that's trying to crawl up my neck as I remember a conversation I had with Karen about this reaction not too long ago. I wanted to understand more about intimacy as my knowledge of it was very basic, and she didn't sugarcoat anything.

I’m starting to think I made the wrong decision in finding out because now all I can think about is that I'm getting turned on at the most inopportune time, as I follow the arm up to Silas’ large frame sitting next to me.

There's this spark inside his dark brown eyes before a slight smile pulls up his full lips. My blush quickly heats my face as I wonder if he realizes what his touch is doing when he gently squeezes my leg.

“Tin epómeni forá aplá éla na vreis énan apó emás an fovásai.” The Greek lithe mixed with the deep rumble of his morning voice sends more heat through my blood, and I try my best to ignore them as I work to translate the words in my head.

Next time just come find one of us if you're scared.

I take a subtle breath, hoping to calm my racing heart as I shift in my seat. The movement does nothing about the flutters building in my lower stomach but it does thankfully cause Silas to move his hand back to safe territory.

“Jess threatened bodily harm to anyone that left her sleepover, remember?” I remind him, knowing Jess made her threat known to the whole house when she came to kidnap me with the other girls.

I smile thinking about it, knowing she mostly had the sleepover last night as a way to make up for missing my birthday a few days back. I didn't mind since I also forgot about it with the day being masked by my boys coming home.

Best birthday ever in my opinion.

“Besides,” I add as I link my left hand with Victor’s and place the other on top of Silas’, “it's not like one or more of you weren't outside her door all night anyways.”

They all laugh at my observation, but none deny it as Owen slows the Jeep down until he has it parked on the side of the road outside our destination.

“We did tell you that one of us will always be within reach.” He turns in his seat to fully face me, and I have to fight off a smile when that tiny piece of black hair falls across his forehead. I must not do a great job as one of his perfect eyebrows raises above his glasses in warning. “Behave, Miss Sorenson.”

“I am the epitome of good behavior, Mr. Blackbourne,” I tease as I slide to the edge of my seat and carefully smooth the piece of hair back in place. His beautiful gray eyes melt into molten silver as he trails them down my face slowly, and I know he can see the blush started by Silas.

Though I’m getting braver about showing my feelings, they can still render me speechless with an innocent touch or with just a look.

Owen reaches up and gently glides his knuckles across one of my heated cheeks before he curls his elegant fingers down under my chin to hold my face in place. “Whatever you say, Darling.”

I watch the corner of his lips tilt in that tiny smirk that’s slowly driving me insane. A spark of bravery has me closing the small gap between us as I place a light kiss on the edge of his lips where that smirk is.

Pulling back, I look up at him with a wicked smile lighting up my face. “It’s good to see you know who's really in charge.”

Both of his eyebrows lift in surprise for just a moment before his silver eyes darken in a way I've never seen them before. My breath hitches in my throat as he cocks his head to the side, contemplating something as those hauntingly beautiful eyes burn a path slowly down to my lips and then on down to my throat.

“I’d be careful with that attitude Miss Sorenson,” he says, his voice a full octave lower than normal. “We both know you’re not ready for what I want to do, but know I’m keeping tabs for when you are.”

Heat scorches a path up my neck as my blush deepens, and my eyes widen in shock once it clicks that he's hinting at something intimate.

Oh boy.

Owen's millimeter smile grows just enough to be classified as a smirk as he brings his eyes back up to mine. I take a shaky breath in, building my courage enough to squeak out. “What does that mean? What do you want to do?”

He doesn't answer. Just leans forward to place a soft kiss on my lips before pulling away and stepping out of the Jeep. That satisfying smirk is still in place as he joins the others who were in the truck behind us.

I swing my attention over to Nathan sitting in the passenger seat and find him covering his mouth with his hand in a poor attempt to keep from laughing.

“What the hell was that?” My panic tone breaks him, and he finally lets the laughter out which then sets off Victor and Silas behind me. “Come on, what did he mean by doing something I'm not ready for?”

Nathan tries smothering his laughter again with his hand, but when he turns to look at me his blue eyes are shining twice as bright with his amusement.

Some of my panic shifts to irritation as I wait for him to get himself under control, but there’s still a stray chuckle or two that escapes when he removes his hand.

“Sorry Peanut,” he manages to get out, “Owen is a mysterious man so there’s no telling what he’s thinking.” He flashes me a large smile before quickly popping open his door and jumping out of the Jeep.

My mouth drops in shock, “did he just…” The question fades as I glance over my shoulder to Victor but am met with an empty seat. Jerking my head to my right, I catch Silas in mid-escape with half his body outside the Jeep with a knowing smirk.

I glared at his large back as I slid over the seat to the door he left open for me and followed him over to the group waiting for us.

I angrily fix my bulletproof vest and gun holster that rode up on the ride here as I stomp to the opposite side of the gravel entrance from Owen, Nathan, Victor, and Silas. I glare at the four of them as I squeeze myself between Luke and Meanie.

“What’s up with all the glaring, Trouble?” Meanie throws his arm over my shoulder to pull me directly into his side before placing a kiss on my right temple.

“Owen made some kind of suggestive comment and the others wimped out in explaining it to me.” My glare has the three wimps in question avoiding looking my way as they talk with Axel and Brandon, but Owen just holds eye contact when I point my glare at him.

“That could explain the weird smile Mr. B has going on,” Luke comments, then steps in front of me and uses one finger to bop the tip of my nose. The irritation melts away as I look up at him and giggle when he makes his eyebrows do this wiggle move as he asks, “So what did he say, hmm?”

“Promise you won't run away like the others?” I joked, or at least partially. I know if I can’t get the answers from them then there’s always Karen.

Luke is quick to make a cross over his heart with one hand while holding the other up with the first three fingers standing up, “Scouts honor, Cupcake.”

“You were never a fucking boy scout so that shit doesn’t count."

“It counts if I want it too,” Luke grumbles back before sticking his tongue out at Meanie. I gently elbow Meanie, not wanting them to dissolve into an agreement, and smile up at Luke.

Just as I go to say something, Axel calls over to us to pull our attention over to him before going over the mission with us one more time.

“Alright, from here we’ll break up into three teams. Sang and Owen’s team will be looking for the things on our list while Nathan, Brandon, and myself will see if there are any RVs that can be used. Stay with your teammates at all times. There are a lot of places to hide so double-check everything before moving ahead. If you run into trouble use the whistle signal."

As one, we all confirm his order with the Academy oath, “I am willing and will obey.”

As I go to step forward, Meanie's arm that's been holding me to his side doesn't fall away. I have to tap his arm to silently tell him to let go, and I make note when it takes him a few moments to drop his arms.

Granted I love Gabriel holding me, but I’ve picked up on his frantic need to always be near me.

Like he’s afraid I’ll disappear if he loses sight of me.

After everything we’ve been through, I can fully understand why he might feel this way but instead of that feeling being alleviated over time it seems to be getting worse with him.

I think it’s time to bring it up with Owen and Sean.

With that plan in mind, I push my worries aside and take in the large campground sprawled out in front of me. Jay mentioned this place in our last meeting when limited living space was brought up. He said he came here with his Grandparents every summer but said people tend to come here year-round with their RVs.

I follow the gravel path as it splits off to the right and left, and from what Jay said it's a circle path that is about a mile deep in the woods.

Other than us moving over the gravel, it’s eerily quiet here.

No birds singing or chirping insects.

It sends a chill up my spine knowing that's never a good sign.