Page 90 of Wicked Nightmare

Lakey ignored me, her face breaking into a radiant smile. "That's it! We'll call you Rose. Do you like that, little one?"

The newly christened 'Rose' blinked, her expression a mixture of confusion and tentative hope. I couldn't help but chuckle. Leave it to Lakey to try and slap a pretty name on our potential time bomb.

"Rose it is," I said, shaking my head. "Let's just hope our little flower here doesn't have too many thorns."

I leaned against the wall, watching Lakey fuss over Rose like she was an abused puppy instead of a potentially dangerous escapee. My mind raced, trying to piece together the clusterfuck we'd just landed ourselves in. If she was anything like Lakey, it was just a matter of time before she fucked us over or worse, killed us in our sleep.

"You realize we're basically harboring a fugitive, right?" I said, running a hand through my hair. "Christ, Lakey, we don't even know what she's capable of."

She turned on me. "Oh, please. Like we're ones to talk about capabilities."

She had a point, but I wasn't about to admit it. "Yeah, well, at least we know our own brand of crazy. This girl? She could be a serial killer."

I glanced at Rose, who was now watching us both with a mixture of fear and something else. Curiosity, maybe? Or was that a glimmer of hope?

"Look at how she's watching us," I said, lowering my voice. "It's like she's never seen two people just... exist together before."

Lakey's face softened as she followed my gaze. "Poor thing probably hasn't. God knows what kind of hell she's been through. If it's anything like the files... it was bad."

Rose's brow furrowed in concentration as she looked between us. It was like she was trying to decode some complex puzzle, and we were the pieces.

"Hey, you think she understands what normal even looks like?" I asked, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. "Because if she's looking to us for that, she's in for one hell of a disappointment."

Lakey's jaw tightened with that stubborn determination I knew all too well. "Normal's overrated, baby. We're gonna give her something better."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? And what's that?"

"Freedom," she said, her voice dripping with conviction. She turned to Rose, softening. "You hear that, little Rose? You're free now. And we're gonna make sure it stays that way."

I couldn't help but snort. "Free to do what, exactly? Become psychos like us?"

Lakey elbowed me hard in the ribs. "Don't be an ass, Cam. She deserves a chance at... whatever she wants. A normal life, if that's her thing."

I rubbed my side, grumbling. "And how exactly are we supposed to give her that?"

"We'll figure it out," she insisted.

I sighed, feeling the fight drain out of me. If I was being honest, the idea of helping this girl, this broken, haunted creature, had a certain appeal. Maybe it was the challenge, or maybe it was just Lakey's infectious enthusiasm.

"Fine," I conceded. "But if this goes south, we bolt. No hesitation."

Her face broke into that unhinged grin I loved and feared in equal measure. "Deal."

I slumped onto the armchair across from the couch, watching Lakey and our new... what? Ward? Prisoner? Fuck if I knew. Rose was curled up in a ball, her eyes wide and wary. Lakey sat beside her, all soft smiles and gentle touches. My gut had been right. She really would have made a fantastic mother. A weird feeling settled in my chest. Uncomfortable and tight as I thought about what a dick I'd been about the kid. It didn't really matter if the girl was mine, did it? I loved Lakey and by extension, loved everything to do with her. I sighed heavily, leaning back and closing my eyes for a moment.

"So," I said, breaking the tense silence. "What's the plan, babe? We gonna enroll her in high school? Get her a part-time job at the mall?"

Lakey shot me a withering glare. "Don't be a dick, Cam. We'll figure it out as we go."

I snorted. "Yeah, 'cause that always works out so well for us."

Rose just watched us.

"Look, kid," I said, leaning forward. "I don't know what kind of life you had before, but—"

"Cam," Lakey warned, her voice low.

I held up my hands. "Relax, I'm not gonna scare her. Just being honest." I turned back to Rose. "Thing is, we're not exactly model citizens. But Lakey here seems to think we can help you. So... here we are."