Page 62 of They All Own Me

Dom leans closer to our surveillance equipment, adjusting dials while I process what we've just witnessed. Her own parents, here with Thomas while their daughter is supposedly missing. The pieces click into place, painting an even uglier picture than we'd imagined.

"What the fuck is going on, Issac?" Tatum's voice trembles through the phone.

My jaw clenches as I watch her parents schmoozing with Thomas through my binoculars. "Your parents are here. Meeting with Thomas."

The line goes so quiet I check to make sure the call hasn't dropped. The silence stretches, heavy with unspoken pain.

"They're..." Her voice cracks. "They're there? With him?"

"Yes." I resist the urge to soften the blow. She deserves the truth, as brutal as it is.

"I have to go." Her words come out barely above a whisper.

"Tatum, wait?—"

The line goes dead. "Fuck!" I slam my hand against the balcony railing.

My chest tightens with an unfamiliar ache. The urge to jump in the car and drive straight back hits me hard. She shouldn't be alone right now. Not after learning her own parents are complicit in this charade.

But watching Thomas laugh with her father, clinking glasses like they don't have a care in the world, reminds me why we're here. The best thing I can do for her isn't offering hollow comfort – it's making sure these bastards pay.

I turn back to our surveillance equipment, channeling my anger into focus. "Alright you privileged pricks, let's see what other secrets you're hiding."

Dom raises an eyebrow at my sudden intensity. I ignore him, adjusting dials with renewed purpose. The sooner we gather enough evidence to bury Thomas, the sooner Tatum gets her freedom. That's worth more than any temporary comfort I could provide.

Chapter 32

Tatum

I paceacross the living room, my fingers grip my phone so tight I'm surprised it hasn't shattered. "Those manipulative, money-hungry vultures!"

The realization hits me like a slap. Not one call. Not one tear-filled interview. Not even a cameo at the press conference from my supposedly devastated parents about their missing daughter. I've been so blinded by Thomas lack of fucking concern I didn't even consider the two people who share my DNA.

"I really was just another business transaction to them." My voice cracks. "First they sold me to Thomas, and now they're probably helping him with whatever shady deals he's cooking up."

Connor appears in the doorway, his dark hair falling across his forehead. "Tatum-"

"Don't." I hold up my hand. "Don't try to rationalize this. My own parents haven't even pretended to care that I'm missing. What kind of people do that?"

"The kind that care more about power than people." Connor crosses the room, his presence steady and grounding. "We'll figure out what they're involved in."

"Oh, I'm sure they're neck-deep in whatever Thomas is doing." I laugh, but it comes out hollow. "They probably orchestrated the whole thing."

"Hey." Connor catches my arm as I make another circuit of the room. "Stop for a second."

"I can't stop. If I stop, I'll start thinking about all the years I tried to make them proud, all the times I smiled and played my part-"

"Then we'll make them regret it." His voice carries an edge of steel. "We'll expose whatever they're planning too."

I meet his eyes, finding a reflection of my own anger there. "Promise me something?"

"What?"

"When this all comes crashing down, I want to be there to see their faces."

A dangerous smile crosses his lips. "You got it."

Connor's phone buzzes - it's Isaac.

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