Page 41 of Wicked Nightmare

"—are gonna pay," I finished for her, gripping her shoulders. "But we need proof. Evidence. You want to make sure they suffer, right?"

She nodded, her breath coming in short gasps. I could feel her trembling under my hands, and fuck if it didn't make me want to pull her close and never let go.

"Then let's do this smart," I said, jerking my head towards a door in the corner. "Look. Office. Bet you anything those sick fucks kept records. Let’s take pictures and record everything we can. All these jars have names. We can find the girls and help them, somehow. I don’t know. Give them money or something."

I paused, looking at the shattered ones on the floor. Something slimy had fallen out and it looked a hell of a lot like an eyeball. “Well, not those girls, cuz I ain’t touching that shit to get to the label. But the rest.”

Lakey's eyes followed mine, and clarity returned. She took a deep breath, steadying herself.

"You're right," she sighed. "God, I hate when you're right."

I smirked, unable to help myself. "That's why you keep me around, sweetheart. Now, ready to go dig up some dirt?"

She nodded and turned to enter the office.

She was so damn strong. Broken, dangerous, and utterly fucking perfect. Now, we unleash her on the world. Show them what she’s made of. What they made her into.

You know, lesser men would want to take the spotlight. To be the hero. But nah, I’m content riding sidekick to my beautiful angel. Besides, I had my own demons to catch, and I know she’d do the same for me.

I reached for the doorknob, half-expecting it to be locked, but it turned easily under my hand. The door creaked open, revealing a cramped space that stunk almost as badly as the room out there.

"Jesus," I muttered, taking in the chaos. "Looks like a tornado hit a paper factory in here."

Lakey squeezed past me, her eyes scanning the room. "Or like someone tried to hide evidence in a hurry," she said. She moved towards a busted shredder in the corner, pointing to the half-shredded records sticking out haphazardly. “Hopefully that shit wasn’t important. More than enough left here to comb over, anyway.”

She moved towards the cluttered desk. Even covered in dust and God-knows-what from the jars she'd smashed, she was fucking irresistible. She bent over and her bubble butt was within reach. My pants grew tight. Maybe I would have to fuck her in here after all, bubonic plague be damned.

"See anything good?" I asked, starting to rifle through a stack of files on a nearby shelf.

She didn't answer right away, her nimble fingers already sorting through the mess on the desk. I could practically see the wheels turning in that brilliant mind of hers.

"Cam," she said finally, her voice tight. "These... these are medical records."

I moved closer, peering over her shoulder. "What kind of medical records?"

"The kind that make me want to kill these bastards, then resurrect them just so I can kill them again," she spat.

A chill ran down my spine from the ice in her voice. This was Lakey at her most dangerous. The cold calculation. When she was angry, she was unpredictable, but when she was ready to cleanse the earth, she became someone else entirely. A being of perfect calm, someone who was laser focussed. Who could make a decision in a split second and know it was the right one.

"Show me," I said, my hand settling on the small of her back.

She passed me a file, her fingers brushing mine as she stared up at me. I opened the file and started reading, feeling my anger rising with each word.

"Fuck," I breathed. "Lakey, this is—"

"I know," she cut me off abruptly. "Keep looking. There has to be more. I need to find Lydia… and me."

We fell into silence then, the only sound the rustle of paper as we dug deeper into the horrors documented so neatly in black and white. I kept sneaking glances at Lakey, watching the play of emotions across her face.

This was why I loved her. Not despite the darkness inside her, but because of it. She could stare into the abyss and not only come out the other side but drag the monsters into the light to burn alongside her.

"Hey," I reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "We're gonna make this right."

She looked up at me, her blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears and barely contained rage. "Promise?"

I nodded, cupping her face in my hands. "Cross my black little heart, sweetheart. No one's ever gonna hurt you again without answering to me."

A smirk flickered across her face. "My big, bad wolf," she murmured, leaning into my touch.