Page 145 of Bake the Town Red

She lifts the flour bag, and I balance Rita by her shoulders. Our target remains still as Dahlia goes to open the back-back room’s door.

Placing two fingers to Rita’s pulse point, I announce, “Alive.”

“Of course she is.” Dahlia’s bottom lip juts out. Indignance has always looked precious to her. “I’ve been doing this for a while, Ty. I know when to stop.”

I shrug, then poke this volatile, sexy bear. “If you’re so good at it, you would’ve realized someone’s been watching you.”

“Not true. I knew you were there.” Her pout morphs into a scowl. Her eyes lower to where I’m holding Rita, and now her fangs are out. She snatches Rita from me, dragging her to the back-back room. “I read your blog.”

The distance between us dissolves in a second. I pry her fingers off Rita, my hands threading into Dahlia’s hair.

“Ty, what are you—”

Letting her finish the sentence would’ve been the gentlemanly thing to do.

I am no gentleman.

Our lips crush and I groan into her mouth. We listen to Rita’s body goingthunkas she hits the floor. Dahlia moans with every lick of my tongue, with every bite. We kiss like that for longer than appropriate.

Rita won’t be knocked out forever.

“Go on.” Breaking our kiss hurts.

It’ll hurt worse if Rita wakes up and takes advantage of us while we’re fucking.

“Go on, what?” Dahlia’s breathless. Lips swollen. Lipstick ruined.

She’s forgotten why we’re even here.

“Go on.” I kiss her nose. “Fuck her up.”

“Right.” Her eyes are a little unfocused. “Right.”

Gotta take care of that. I slide my hands until I fist her hair in my palms and yank on it. Hard.

“Focus.” With a jerk of my chin, I motion toward Rita’s body, then tug on Dahlia’s hair so she’s looking at her.

Rita’s elbows and knees are bent at weird angles. Her head is twisted to the side.

“And have fun.” I lick Dahlia from the corner of her mouth up to her ear. “You’re a violent little thing and it turns me right the fuck on. I’ll never stop you. I support you. I always will. Do you understand?”

Flames crackle in her blue eyes.

She would’ve done it with or without my support, they tell me. But she likes having it anyway.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Dahlia

Tyler’s support is unparalleled.

He’s one hundred percent on board with what I’m doing. With how I am.

Even though Rita isn’t technically a bad guy. Even though she doesn’t really deserve to die. He supports me.

My man does more than that. He helps by locking the door to the back-back room behind us.

“Thank you.” I blow him a kiss with my free hand. The other I use to drag Rita to the chair by the collar of her sweater.

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