Page 77 of They All Own Me

"You're not fucking getting it!" I strain against the ropes. "I'm already working with?—"

A backhand across my face cuts off my words. My head snaps to the side, copper flooding my mouth.

"Save your breath," Scarface growls. "We've heard every trick before."

"Not a trick." I work my jaw, tasting blood. "Thomas's enemies are my enemies. Trust me, I want him taken down more than?—"

Another strike, this time to my ribs. The chair rocks but doesn't topple.

"Enough games." Cufflinks pulls out his phone, snapping a photo of my bloodied face. "Someone will come looking for you since you're such a hot commodity. And when they do, they'll pay. Handsomely."

I laugh, the sound harsh and bitter. "You really think Thomas gives a damn about me? I'm just a trophy he bought from my father."

"Not Thomas we're counting on." Scarface grabs my chin roughly. "Those three thugs you've been shacking up with? They'll come running."

My stomach drops. They know about Dom, Connor, and Isaac.

"How did you?—"

"We've been watching longer than you think, Mrs. Cope." Cufflinks straightens his tie. "The question is, how much are you worth to them?"

"They won't pay." I lift my chin despite the grip on my face. "They're smarter than that."

"We'll see." He turns to leave, his lackeys following. "Better hope you're wrong. Or this gets much worse for you."

The door slams shut, leaving me alone in the dim basement. My face throbs, ribs aching with each breath. I close my eyes, praying the guys are smart enough to see through this trap.

But a small part of me hopes they're just stupid enough to try saving me anyway.

The basement door creaks again, and my heart leaps into my throat. Through my matted hair, I strain to see who's entering. I actually hope it's Dom, Connor, and Isaac coming to rescue me, not Thomas trying to play hero. If it is Thomas, I might just try my luck at being these assholes hostage for a while.

The sudden realization stuns me. When did that happen? When did three dangerous criminals become the ones I trust most?

My mind drifts to Connor's shy smiles over morning coffee, the way Isaac's eyes crinkle when he laughs at my attempts to be stealthy, how Dom's touch makes me feel more alive than I've felt in years.

"Please be them," I whisper, tasting blood on my split lip.

The thought of Thomas bursting in here, preening for cameras and playing concerned husband, makes my stomach turn. He'd milk this for political points, spin it into some sob story about reuniting with his beloved wife. The perfect campaign ad.

But the guys... they'd come in guns blazing, efficient and lethal. No pretense, no bullshit. Just to get me out. Because somehow, against all logic, I've become important to them. And they've become everything to me.

"Shit." I let my head fall back, ignoring the ache in my neck. "I'm in love with three mob enforcers."

A hysterical laugh bubbles up. Of all the ways I imagined escaping my loveless marriage, falling for a trio of criminals wasn't on the list. But here I am, praying they find me before Thomas does.

Because I don't want to be rescued just to go back to that empty life. I want to stay with them - all of them. Their dangerous world feels more like home than my pristine house ever did.

Footsteps echo down the hall again. I hold my breath, hoping against hope to hear Dom's commanding voice, or Connor's quiet intensity, or Isaac's Irish lilt.

Chapter 40

Connor

I slammy fist into Thomas's ridiculously chiseled jawline again, watching his head snap back. Blood trickles from his split lip onto his thousand-dollar suit. The basement echoes with the sound of the impact.

"Where is she?" I growl, grabbing his collar. "You took her, didn't you?"

Thomas spits blood onto the concrete floor. "How would I have taken her? She's been fucking missing."

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