Page 94 of Wicked Nightmare

I leaned back, conceding a little. This was new territory for us, playing nice, nurturing our little stray. Rose slowly came out of her shell, and I really sort of liked it. I was doing something positive. It was oddly soothing to whatever soul I had left.

Cam's thumb traced circles on my leg, his focus never leaving Rose. Whatever game we were playing now, it was far from over.

And honestly? I couldn't fucking wait to see how it all played out.

Rose's gaze bounced between me and Cam. There was something new there too. A growing sense of belonging. The shift was almost imperceptible, but it was there. The room felt different somehow… less hostile fear and more open wonderment.

I cocked my head, studying her. "You know, Rosie, you're safe here. No one's gonna hurt you." I flashed her a smile. "Well, not unless you want them to."

Cam's fingers dug into my thigh. I bit back a moan.

Rose's brow furrowed, like she was trying to solve a particularly tricky puzzle. Her lips parted, then closed again, words dying before they could escape. Poor thing looked like she wanted to participate in the conversation, but didn't know how, or what to even say.

I leaned in. "You don't gotta talk if you don't want to, but if you stick around, I promise we'll show you a whole new world of fun. You see... we're exacting revenge on the fuckers who did this to you. To us, too, if I'm being honest."

As I spoke, I watched her eyes. They were suddenly filled with hope. Now we were speaking her language. She wanted revenge. That was useful.

I glanced at Cam, saw my excitement mirrored in his gaze. Whatever this fragile thing brewing between us was, it was far from over. And honestly? I couldn't wait to see how our little Rose would bloom.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Cam

A blood-curdling scream tore through the darkness, jolting me awake. My heart slammed against my ribs as I shot upright, disoriented. What the fuck?

Lakey was already moving, her lithe form a blur as she rushed to Rose's side. The kid was thrashing around on the couch like she was being attacked by invisible demons, her nails raking angry red lines down her own arms.

"Shit," I said, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. This was gonna be a long night.

Lakey's voice cut through Rose's panicked gasps. "Shh, sweetie. You're safe. No one's gonna hurt you here."

I snorted. That was rich, coming from Lakey "Murder Angel" Aldrich. But I kept my mouth shut, watching as she tried to calm the hysterical girl.

Rose's eyes were wild, unseeing. She continued to claw at her skin, leaving blood dripping down her arms, like she was trying to tear it off. "Get them off me! Get them off!"

"There's nothing on you, Rose," Lakey soothed, trying to grab her hands to stop her scratching. "It's just a bad dream."

But Rose was beyond reason, her breaths coming in ragged bursts. I wondered idly if she'd pass out soon. Might be easier to deal with her unconscious.

Lakey shot me a look, those icy blue eyes silently commanding me to do something. I sighed. Always gotta be the hero, don't you, babe? Well, anti-hero.

"Hey, kid," I called out, not moving from my spot. "You're okay. Just breathe."

Fat lot of good that did. Rose just screamed louder, her voice cracking with the force of it. Christ, my ears were gonna be ringing for days.

Lakey's patience was wearing thin. I could see it in the tightening of her jaw, the slight twitch of her eye. Any second now, she was gonna snap and...

"Rose!" Lakey's voice cracked like a whip. "Look at me. Right now."

Well, that shut her up. Rose's screams cut off abruptly, her gaze locking onto Lakey's face. I couldn't help but smirk. My girl always did have a way with people.

"That's better," Lakey cooed, stroking her hair. "Now, let's take some nice, deep breaths together, okay?"

She guided Rose through breathing, marveling at how easily she slipped between ruthless killer and nurturing caretaker. It was almost beautiful, in a twisted sort of way.

As Rose's panic slowly subsided, I found myself wondering what kind of shit she'd been through to leave her this fucked up. Maybe we should've left her in that facility after all. Less hassle that way.

But then Lakey glanced back at me, fierce protectiveness blazing on her face, and we were in this for the long haul. Whatever Rose's damage was, it was ours to deal with now.

Lucky us.