QUOTE : I’m her slave, he imagined. Her toy. She owns me, completely. Again, like the bottle. Both Merry and the gin had proven harsh mistresses, but where Rob had once hid in the false comforts of his addiction, Merry’s indulgence drew him out—made him feel wildly, vibrantly conscious, when alcohol had only deadened. The bottle had been a blanket to cower beneath. This . . . This was exposure, pure and sharp.