Chapter 43 You're Safe Now

• Dominic's POV
• The door creaked open, and the room seemed to shrink around me as I stepped inside. The air was thick, suffocating, filled with the scent of stale perfume and something darker—something rotten. My pulse pounded in my ears, each beat a drum of dread as I locked eyes with Natalie. She stood by the bed, her smile as twisted as her mind, the kind of smile that made your skin crawl.
• Before I could say a word, she lunged at me, shoving me back with a force that sent me sprawling onto the bed. The mattress groaned under the impact, and so did I, my body stiffening as she climbed on top of me, her hands scrabbling at the buttons of my shirt. Her breath was hot, fast, a sickly sweet stench that made my stomach churn.