HARPER
The bottle of brandy was yanked from my hand.
Too late. I had already had too much.
A sharp gasp tore from my throat as I bent over the desk, my chest burning. My throat felt scorched, my tongue dry, every inch of me heating up all at once.
It was unbearable.
Like I had been thrown into a furnace, the temperature cranked far beyond what I could endure.
"Harper," Dominic's voice broke through, rough and strained.
It sounded distant. Too distant. His hand came down on my shoulder, pulling me upright.
The room tilted violently. My knees gave out beneath me, but his grip held me steady. Not that it helped much.
My head spun harder, the world blurring at the edges. I clutched onto him, my fingers tightening instinctively as my body leaned into his.
I was slipping. Darkness crept into my vision, slow and steady, swallowing everything.
I tried to fight it.
I wasn't safe here. Not even with him. Not after everything. But my strength was gone. Completely.
