Page 19 of Bake the Town Red

Hang in there, ladies. One more day and you’re home free.

“Wonderful.” I gesture to the fifty-dollar bill, signaling for him to take it back.

I’m not touching his germ-infected money. In broad daylight, I’m as clean as can be. As clean as Tyler once was.

It’s the nights of October when I’m covered in filth up to my eyeballs.

And loving every minute of it.

The last of the customers left fifteen minutes ago.

Since then, I’ve been organizing the back-back room. My secret room.

I’ve covered the floor in black tarps. Swiped the inside of my freeze dryers clean. Sharpened my butcher knives. Filled up two piping bags with Gunner’s favoriteHappy DeathDayvanilla frosting.

One container of the black, orange, and purple sprinkles, ready to be used.

Everything’s set, and all it took was fifteen minutes of work. I’m quick as I am diligent. A master in the art of slaughtering bastards.

With fifteen minutes to spare until my soon-to-expire customer turns up, I flip the sign on the door toClosed, leaving the door unlocked. Next, I move around the front, wiping the display window clean. I won’t be needing my cash register today, so I count the money and lock the bills and credit card receipts in the safe beneath my counter.

Gunner’s money doesn’t interest me.

His life does.

Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” comes up on the speakers, and I giggle. No song could be a better soundtrack for this evening.

Humming along the lines, I grab a cloth and turn to the tile walls behind the counter. I squirt the cleaner spray on the black and white tiles, then swipe at them. Squirt and dry, squirt and—

Ding.

The bell above the front door announces a visitor.

Every muscle in my body tenses. I graze my sharp canines along my bottom lip. The scent of blood wafts into my nose, even though not a drop has been spilled.

Yet.

The anticipation has me smelling copper. The hunger for vengeance. For healing.

Probably why I miss the real scent of the person that’s walked in.

My eyes see my mistake the moment I turn around. My heart takes notice too, coming to a painful screech.

And my soul—that shriveled little thing—doesn’t know what to do with itself. This man…Myman. He’s here.

Tyler Price and I face each other from either side of the counter. I’m frozen. He moves closer until he casts a shadow over me.

Tall and broad and menacing in his black hoodie and a gaze that could kill. His dark eyebrows are drawn together. When he studies me like that, I don’t feel like a murderer. I feel small. So small.

Over the time we spent apart, I’ve always had the upper hand when sneaking into his place. He’s been sleeping and I was the one stealing orgasms from him. I was the one who decided when to come and when to do it. The one who broke into his computer.

Even when he broke into my place, I sort of had the power. I knew something he didn’t.

The ruler, the queen, the motherfucking emperor.

Me.

Not anymore. Not in Tyler’s presence. I forget about being a killer. Forget Gunner will march into the shop soon. Very soon.

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