Page 24 of Bake the Town Red

I had a mission, and nothing as minor as scents could deter me.

This girl needed a shower. It was the only thing I could think of to get her out of her head.

“Stay away, Tyler,” she threatened even though she couldn’t see me. “He could wake up. He’ll go for Ian. He’ll kill my brother. I need to be here to kill him again. I’m not moving. Not moving.”

While she blabbered, I pushed her back to a sitting position to hide her naked parts from me. She was too lost in her anger to notice. The duct tape came next.

One tear and—

“Gotta protect Ian. Gotta protect Ian.”

“You’ll protect him. You already are.”

Slam!and the duct tape covered her mouth. I hauled her kicking and screaming off the floor and strode into the bathroom. I didn’t let go, gripping her close despite the punches she launched at me. Ignoring her terrified look.

“You’ll be there for Ian by pulling out of this.”

We were inside the bathroom, and I turned on the hot water. Thank fuck I switched the boiler yesterday from my phone for goodtwo hours. I’d bought her a new one and connected it to my app that terrible Halloween night. I’d had one in my apartment in case ours broke down. It came in really handy.

“You’ll be there for him when you keep your shit together.” That wasn’t the nicest thing to say. But I freaked out. I needed her to be okay, and Dahlia didn’t seem to have any idea she wasn’t. “I’ll help you, Dahl. I’m here.”

She screamednothrough the tape as her fingers tore into my scalp. Her fists beat at my chest when I put her down on the cheap tile floor of her shower. She even tried to run outside past me.

She had to be cleaned. She had to come back to the real world.

You didn’t leave your little sister out there to die or lose her mind. You just didn’t.

I pushed her to the wall of the shower, turned on the water. In seconds, hot water rained down on both our bodies. Soaking our hair, making it cling to our faces.

My hoodie and jeans were drenched. Dahlia’s T-shirt stuck to her skin.

I was being protective. Overly so. And stubborn Dahlia refused to be protected.

Raged against it.

“For fuck’s sake.” I held her shoulders while she pushed against me, her eyes never leaving the bathroom door. “Let me have this. Let me take care of you.”

She needed to be washed. She needed to sleep in a clean bed.

Most of all, she needed her mind cleared. Al wasn’t waking up.

The cops had to be called in. He’d be their problem then. They’d be the ones who’d take him out of here for good.

Dahlia, full of rage and jacked up on crazy, had her hand near the edge of the duct tape. Ready to rip it off.

Hell no.

My fingers closed around her wrist. They acted as shackles when I slammed her arm over her head.

Drop after drop poured into our eyes. Her lashes were heavy with it.

“I’ll remove the tape if you promise not to scream.”

Her free hand punched me. She wasn’t about to be quiet.

“Nod if you understand.” My attention never wandered off her eyes. I could tell it made her feel safe. That I was safe. I was. “Come back to me, and I’ll make everything right for you. No one will hurt you or Ian again. You have my word.”

My breaths were heaved with the effort of restraining her. Her nostrils flared trying to suck in air.

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