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Real food. Real delicious food.

I wanted to savor every last crumb of that muffin. Bringing it to my nose, I smelled the blueberries, tasting them as the aroma entered my lungs. My mouth was watering as I brought it to my lips, and I had to hold myself back from just stuffing it all in at once.

Peeling a strip off the top, I popped it into my mouth. “Mm,” I moaned, unable to contain myself. “This is amazing.”

“Told you it was good,” he said with his mouth full.

“I don't think you understand, I don't get stuff like this usually. This is so good, it's almost as good as an orgasm.”

“Almost.” Winking, he took another bite of his breakfast and smirked. “But not really.”

Laughing, I swallowed my food, choking it down. “Yeah, you're right, not really.” Watching him eat, I asked,” Can I ask you something?”

Shrugging his shoulder, he took another bite. “Sure.”

“Why do people call you Salt?”

“It's nothing special really, just a nickname. My last name is Saltiana. But my father used to say that when I was little, I was really good at making my mother feel bad when she tried to punish me. He would say I poured salt on her wound and made her give in.”

“Makes sense.” Sitting at the small table, I picked at my muffin. “You look too young to be this bad-ass assassin. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it.”

“I was raised to be this. It's a family business, it runs in my veins.” Taking a sip of water, he swallowed hard. “Sometimes, we don't get to decide who we become.”

“So we're not that different.”

“I guess not.” Giving me a sad smile, he looked down at the floor. “Can I ask you something?” Nodding at him, I ate some more of my breakfast. “What's your last name?”

“Parson, Berlin Parson.” Salt stopped, his eyes growing wide. “What? What is it?” I asked, crinkling my brows.

The look I had seen vanished as he shook his head and glanced down at his food. “Nothing, it's nothing. I thought the name sounded familiar for a second, but I was wrong.” Giving me an uneasy smirk, he checked the clock. Salt's smile slowly faded into a frown. “It's almost time for me to bring you back.”

“I know,” I said, finishing my breakfast and throwing the small paper wrapper into the trash. “I'm trying not to think about it.”

Stepping to my side, he curled a finger under my chin and tipped my head up. “I'm sorry I can't do more.”

“Why can't you? You could buy me from him. I'll pay off whatever the debt is for me, I'll do anything you want, just don't take me back there.”

“Berlin, it's not that simple.”

“Why not? It could work, we could make it work. I'm a quick learner, I can help you somehow—” Shaking my head, I pursed my lips. “I don't know how, but I can. We could leave all this behind.”

“No, we can't. We'd never be able to fully leave this. You and I both know that.”

He's right. You know he is.

I didn't want to admit it, but Salt wasn't wrong. If we ran, we'd never stop running. I'd be living in the same prison, only it would be built off fear of being found. We'd have to hide, we'd never be able to stay in the same place long.

That wasn't how I wanted to live, I didn't want to spend my freedom constantly afraid that someone was waiting to get me, ready to kill him and drag me back.

Virgo would never stop searching for me.

My eyes met his as his thumb stroked my bottom lip. “I wish we met in another life, not this one.”

Lowering his face to mine, he kissed me softly. “Me too.”