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“You couldn't buy two?”

“I thought chocolate was best for sharing.”

Giggling, I pressed the chocolate bar to my chest and pouted my lips. “The rest is mine, so don't ask for any.”

For the past six months, I spent my time readjusting to a new world. One without permanent walls, without meaningless punishments, without orders and forced interactions. A world where the sky was the ceiling and the walls were where your vision reached the horizon and you couldn't see any farther.

There were plenty of sleepless nights, nights were I'd wake up in a cold sweat, expecting to be back in that room. But when my eyes opened and Salt was beside me, all my worries and fears would melt away.

Bentley had done nothing but support me through the transition from prisoner to freedom. He was there if I needed to cry, letting me shed the weight of all the years I held inside. He was there to calm me down when I thought I had seen one of Virgo's men following us or thought I heard someone outside the door.

But he kept pushing me, forcing me to take small steps outside my comfort zone so I could enjoy what I had been missing.

I had already tasted every different type of food I could my hands on. Salt would take me to a different restaurant every week. He'd have me close my eyes and he'd feed me something blindly.

We were slowly building a life together. A life that neither of us had ever had, one that was normal, one that didn't have dark secrets. We didn't have to hide anymore. . . I loved that part the most.

He wasn't worried about the men that got away. According him, the heat was too hot for them to do anything, he said they were laying someplace, avoiding the public. It made sense, and I trusted him, so I refused to let those assholes keep me stagnant.

“So, what else do you have in that bag?” Popping a square of chocolate into my mouth, I left it on my tongue so it could melt a little before I started chewing.

Chocolate was my new addiction.

“Nothing special; a bottle of a soda, a book for you to read—”

“A book? I hope it's not a novel, I'm not that good at reading yet.”

“But you will be. You've been working really hard on it, I can already tell you're better than you give yourself credit for. Besides, we have a long flight in front of us, so it's the perfect time to practice.” Smiling, he pulled an envelope out from his jacket pocket and waved it back and forth.

“You mean—”

“Yup, I got them today. We are officially Mr. and Mrs. Jericho D'Angelo. We have everything we need; birth certificates, social security cards, passports—everything.”

“Oh my God, you really got them?” Dropping the chocolate bar, I jumped up off the couch and ran to his side. Salt was shaking the envelope above my head, just out of my reach, his eyes glinting playfully. “Can I see mine? What's my name?”

Technically, we weren't actually married, we didn't run off and tie the knot on a whim. But we did get new identities from one of Salt's connections. We could finally go home without raising any eyebrows or suspicion.

“Uh uh, first I want a kiss.” Puckering his lips, he closed his eyes and leaned in. Pecking him quickly, I snatched the envelope from his hand and darted away laughing. “Hey!” he called out, chuckling as he took off after me.

Running around the bed in our hotel room, I could see the Eiffel Tower out our big picture window from the eighteenth floor. The sun was setting in the background, the sky was this shade of orange with jagged purple and blue streaks, as if someone had hand painted the colors in the sky.

I never thought in a million years that I'd ever have the chance to see the Eiffel Tower. My eyes were fixed on the incredible image Mother Nature had created, taken back by just how beautiful it was.

There was this sense of appreciation I had for everything. Every tiny detail, every lingering aroma and flavor, every pock mark and scar, every shade of color and season. All of it was amazing, reminding me that I was still alive.

I really made it. I'm finally free.

My knees buckled as Salt tackled me from behind, his thick body pinning me to the bed as he tried to snag the documents from my hand.

“Hey!” I yelled, tucking the envelope under my stomach and out of his reach. “This isn't how you get your way, Mr. Jericho D'Angelo!”

The hard tips of his fingers dug into my ribs as he tickled me, making it hard for me to say anything because I was laughing uncontrollably.

“Come on!” Giggling, my body was rolling and bucking. “This isn't fair! You're not playing fair!”

“We never set rules for this game, so anything goes.” Quicker and with more precision, he tickled his way down my body and grabbed the most ticklish spot. His large palm wrapped my knee as his fingers pressed into the outside muscle.

I couldn't stop laughing as my body tingled and shivered, shaking like I was being electrocuted. “Stop! I'm going to pee myself! Stop!” Between crazy laughs and heavy breathing, I tried desperately to wriggle out from underneath him.