After the third week, Officer Wright is gone but continues to send me letters from Idaho. I’m grateful for his help. I’ve stopped sleeping as much and started reading books instead. I find comfort in them, one of the few things I still can. Right now I’m reading The Count of Monte Cristo. Somewhat fitting given my current circumstances. I want something lengthy to keep me occupied.
In some weird twist of fate, I’ve just read the part where the guards have heaved Dante into the sea when a shadow passes over my door. It’s one of the guards, looking a little too cheerful for my liking. He slides open the door, replacing the keys on his belt.
“C’mon.” He gestures me forward. “It’s time to go.”
My suspicion takes the form of snarkiness as I quirk my eyebrow at him in question. Time to go… where?
“What do you mean?”
“You are officially free to go,” he says, apparently unfazed by my bitter tone. “All charges dropped. Your boyfriend is waiting outside for you, and he’s brought you a fresh change of clothes to go home in.”
I can’t move. At first I think I might be delusional, imagining things. I set down my book and take a step like the floor is made of lava. Like someone’s about to jump out and tell me it’s all some big joke, and I’m the butt of it.
The way the guard’s looking at me tells me this probably isn’t at all unusual. I force both my feet to cooperate as I walk down the long corridors, looking over my shoulder every chance I get. The guard takes me to a small room where a female guard gives me some clothing to wear. It’s a thin summer skirt and blouse with matching sandals. No doubt Gabriel picked them out because I notice they’re all designer tags. The thought that I’m walking out of prison in designer clothing is a little ridiculous.
After I change, I’m given a bag full of the contents I had with me when I arrived. Which, after my clothing had been taken as evidence, turns out to be only a small bracelet I was wearing that day, as well as a few coins from my pocket. The detectives are there to greet me. They explain that their investigation is complete, and all charges against me have been dropped.
Overwhelming emotion takes the form of dizziness as they lead me towards freedom. Outside the gates, a black car is waiting, with Gabriel leaning casually against it. I come to a dead halt as he strides across the lot and scoops me up into his arms, kissing me softly.
His warmth, his touch, his scent… they all wash over me like a balm to my battered spirit. This is really happening. Gabriel pulls away, holding me at arm’s length while he studies me for a few moments.
“Jesus, baby,” he whispers. “You’re skin and bones. What did they do to you in there?”
“It’s nice to see you too,” I say through the rush of tears.
He furrows his brow and pulls me back into his arms, burying his face in my hair. “I’ve missed you so much.”
He ushers me to the waiting car and Paul opens the door for us, greeting me with a bigger smile than I’m used to. As I glance over my shoulders, I see the detectives smiling back at me.
Once inside the confines of the car, Gabriel already has the privacy screen up. He sets me down on the seat before sliding in next to me. His expression has changed from one of pure elation to one of uncertainty as he speaks.
“Victoria,” he begins. “Are we okay? Do we need to talk about what happened?”
I cut him off by climbing astride him and wrapping my hands around his neck, holding his head in place as I lean in and kiss him. A heart wrenchingly sweet kiss. His lips feel so good on mine I never want to leave them. Gabriel groans beneath me and clutches me like his very life depends on it.
“I need you,” I whisper against him.
It’s all I have to say. His hands set to removing as much of my clothing as he has the patience for. When he reaches my panties, he simply pulls them aside while I unzip his pants. He’s hard as steel in my palm when I grasp him, and I wonder if he can feel the crazy amount of tension between us too. The buildup of our time spent away from each other, and everything that we’ve been though together. This is what I need, to feel him inside of me, connected to me. I don’t hesitate for a moment as I lower myself onto him.