Page 82 of They All Own Me

"If I get out of here..." My voice cracks. "No, when I get out of here, I'm done playing it safe."

The chain rattles as I straighten up, ignoring the protest in my shoulders.

"I'm going to tell them everything. How Dom makes me feel fearless. How Connor sees the real me beneath all the bullshit. How Isaac's quiet strength gives me permission to be vulnerable."

A laugh bubbles up, slightly hysterical. "Hell, I'll even tell them I don't care if society thinks it's wrong to want all three of them. That those few days of freedom meant more than five years of marriage."

The door creaks somewhere above. I take a deep breath, squaring my shoulders despite the pain.

"Time to woman up, Tatum," I mutter. "You survived Thomas Cope's emotional abuse for ten years. You can survive whatever these losers dish out long enough for your guys to find you."

Because they will find me. And when they do, I'm not wasting another second pretending I don't love them all.

"Holy shit… I love them all…" I find myself saying out loud.

The revelation jars me. "I love…"

Gunfire suddenly erupts, making me jump in my chair. The chains rattle as my heart pounds against my ribs. Multiple shots, professional-sounding - not the panicked spray of someone who ran by the pawn shop and learned about guns from action movies.

"What the fuck?" Gold Tooth rushes in and goes straight to the window. More shots ring out, closer now.

"Check the perimeter!" The other guy barks, drawing his weapon. "No one gets in-"

The gunfire intensifies, and my heart races. Please, please let it be my boys. Not another rival gang here to claim me as their prize in Thomas's twisted game of mob musical chairs.

"Get her up!" Gold Tooth shouts. "We need to move-"

"Like hell you're moving me anywhere," I spit, twisting in my chains. "I'd rather take my chances with whoever's out there."

"Shut your mouth," the other goon hisses, grabbing my arm roughly. "You're our insurance policy."

"Insurance?" I laugh, the sound bordering on hysterical. "Against what? Thomas's remarkable ability to fuck up every business deal he touches? Good luck with that."

An explosion rocks the building, and I smell smoke. The men curse, arguing about their escape route. I strain my ears, desperately hoping to hear a familiar voice among the chaos.

"If that's who I think it is," I say, making both men turn, "you really should run while you can."

Chapter 43

Dominic

Another body dropsas my bullet finds its mark. The warehouse echoes with gunfire and shouting, the air thick with cordite and desperation. These fuckers aren't giving up easy.

"This is better than the range," Isaac calls out from behind a stack of crates, his accent thicker with adrenaline. "Moving targets and everything."

I duck as return fire peppers the wall above me. "Keep those shots tight. We're burning through ammo faster than I planned."

"Aye, they're putting up quite the fight for a bunch of second-rate thugs." Isaac pops up, squeezes off two rounds. Two thuds follow. "Though their aim's shite."

"Money makes people stupid brave." I advance, stepping over a body, my boots leaving red prints on the concrete. "Connor, how's your count?"

"Four down on my end," Connor reports from somewhere to my left. "But I got eyes on at least six more."

A burst of gunfire forces me back behind a support beam. The steel vibrates as bullets strike the other side. "These assholes must be desperate for whatever Thomas owes them."

"Speaking of that prick," Isaac says between shots, "you'll have to stop me from putting a hole in him when we're done here."

"Get in line." I lean out, spot movement, squeeze the trigger. Another body hits the floor. "But first we need to find Tatum."

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