The steady beep… beep… beep of a monitor pulled Desiree slowly out of the darkness she’d been in

Her lashes fluttered, and when her eyes finally opened, a sharp burst of white light pierced through her vision. She sucked in a breath and shut them immediately, her hand flying up to shield her face.

“Why the hell is the light so bright?” she croaked.Her throat was burning, dry and raw, as if she hadn’t spoken in years. Even that short sentence felt like it scraped its way out of her ...