Breakaway

For as long as I can remember, I’ve never had a place to call home. I spent my childhood gallivanting around the country, forced to tag along on whatever adventure piqued my parents’ interest. I never knew what one day to the next had in store for me, so I learned early on that forming attachments would only end in heartache–to people and places, but especially to the idea of permanency. For years they touted that our vagabond lifestyle was freedom in the purest sense, but that means very little when you have no say in where you go or how often you fall asleep in one city, only to wake up in another.

So it should come as no surprise that when presented with the possibility of settling down, I all but leapt at the opportunity. The day our family was approached by a charismatic man who spoke so passionately about a place free of worldly constraints, it felt like kismet. It was the embodiment of the simple existence I’d always longed for, so I was thrilled when we packed our meager belongings and ventured across the country to join their cause.

I’d thought we’d hit the jackpot, but beneath their pretty veneer was a darkness so impenetrable it leeched the hope from my soul before I could even understand the depth of what was happening. The sanctuary we were promised was nothing more than a prison, and the very people I should’ve been able to trust with my life had entrenched us in something that felt more inescapable with every day that passed.

Betrayal after betrayal, it becomes increasingly clear that my only means of escape is by doing the unthinkable: seeking outside help. It takes months of reconnaissance before I’m able to muster up the courage to actually act on the plan I’ve put into place, but my patience pays off, and the day finally comes when I’m freed from the cage I’ve been confined to for the better part of a decade. Unfortunately, my newfound freedom is short-lived. The shackles of my past are tighter than ever, and the only thing keeping me sane is the men who’ve come to mean so much to me…

Raiden–the detective who leads the charge when my captor’s day of reckoning finally comes.

Dayton–the veritable wall of muscle who sparks my anger for no other reason than to let me vent my frustrations.

Colsen–the calm and steady presence I desperately need in the midst of the storms raging around me.

Briggs–the man I never saw coming, but whose darkness matches mine in ways I can’t quite explain.

When simply getting out of bed becomes a test of mental strength, it’s them I turn to. After everything I’ve endured, I’d lost faith that good men still exist, but they’re constantly proving me wrong. Through every setback and roadblock, their loyalty never wavers, reminding me that I no longer have to face my demons alone.

As the case against my captors grows more precarious by the day, I take comfort in the life we’re building outside of the media frenzy that’s taking place. And though my future is unrecognizable from the one I had spent many sleepless nights envisioning, it’s far more than I could have ever hoped for. Regardless of how we came together, the bonds we’ve forged are unbreakable, and I’m certain we can withstand anything that comes our way.

This is a standalone, why-choose romance (mfmmm). This content is intended for readers 18+. A full list of trigger warnings is available on the copyright page.