Page 103 of Wicked Little Nightmare

Cam lounged against the wall, all casual menace. "Glad you approve. Don’t worry about your muddy ass shoes or anything. Just go ahead and make yourself at home."

The air crackled with tension as Kyle stepped further into the room. I edged closer to Cam, my hands twitching with the urge to stab a knife straight into his throat. One wrong move from this motherfucker...

Sarah broke the standoff, her voice artificially bright. "So! Who's hungry?"

I watched her carefully as she set the pizza down, noting how her eyes kept darting to Rose. There was something off about her eagerness, a desperation that set my teeth on edge. What was her angle?

"Quite the little Chimera family reunion we've got going on here," Cam drawled, his tone deceptively light. "Care to fill us in on why you've crashed our little party? We were just getting used to Sarah."

Kyle's massive arms folded across his chest. "I've got intel on Chimera. Thought you might be interested."

"Intel, huh?" I kept my voice casual, but my mind wouldn’t quiet. "That’s what Sarah said. But we were doing just fine without you."

Sarah stepped forward; her eyes locked on mine. "Lakey, you said you’d give Kyle a chance, so just… please. Give him a chance. If he disappoints, feel free to kill him with that knife." She looked pointedly at the knife in my palm.

I felt Cam tense beside me, his fingers brushing against mine and I sighed, sheathing my blade.

"Let's hear what he has to say," I murmured to Cam, my voice low. "Doesn't mean we have to trust it."

He gave a small nod, his eyes never leaving Kyle. "Alright then," Cam said, his hands clapping together as he walked, body angled, towards the couch. "Let's chat."

The smell of greasy pepperoni filled the air as we gathered around the coffee table, the cardboard pizza box a flimsy barrier between us and our unexpected guests. I watched Sarah carefully grabbed a slice before wrinkling her nose. Guess Cam hadn’t bothered ordering a half and half. There was something about her that set my teeth on edge — a kindness that seemed too genuine to be real.

"So," Cam drawled, taking a massive bite of pizza. "You mentioned intel?"

Kyle nodded, his eyes darting between us. "We've got locations, security details, the works. But first, let's just... eat. Talk. Get to know each other a bit."

I snorted, unable to help myself. "What is this, a fucking playdate?"

Sarah shot me a look that was half amusement, half exasperation. "More like a cease-fire. We're all on edge here. Might as well try to relax a little."

As much as I hated to admit it, she had a point. The tension in the room was thick enough to choke on. I took a bite of pizza, theflavors barely registering as I studied our new "allies." Kyle was unmoving apart from his fingers drumming against his thigh. But Sarah... she was calm. Too calm. It was fucking creepy.

"So, Sarah," I said. "What's your deal? What have you been up to all these years?"

She met my gaze steadily. "Little bit of this, little bit of that."

I felt my lips curl into a genuine smile. Maybe there was more to her than I'd thought. “Right, how are we supposed toget to know you”, I air quoted before continuing, “If you won’t be a bit more specific.”

As we ate, the conversation flowed more freely. Sarah shared stories of their recent escapades, each one more outlandish than the last. Something about heading into a small outpost and barely escaping, but as they ran, her sweater got caught on an edge, causing it to unravel the further she walked. I found myself laughing despite my reservations, caught up in the camaraderie.

But as the pizza dwindled, I noticed Sarah's attention shifting to Rose. Our newest addition had been quiet throughout the meal, her shoulders hunching inward, trying to make herself appear as small as possible, so as to escape notice.

"Rose," Sarah said softly, setting down her plate. "I was hoping we could talk a bit. About what you've been through."

Rose stiffened, her knuckles turning white as she gripped her slice of pizza. "I... I don't know if I can."

I felt a surge of protectiveness, surprising myself. "Hey, lay off her, alright? She's been through enough. She doesn’t know you well enough to even start trusting you with the shit she went through."

Sarah held up her hands placatingly. "I understand. But I might be able to help. I've developed a technique for processing trauma. It's helped me, and others like us."

I narrowed my eyes, suspicion creeping back in. "What kind of technique?"

"It's a form of guided meditation and cognitive restructuring," Sarah explained. "It helps reframe traumatic memories, makes them easier to manage."

Rose looked up, a flicker of interest in her eyes. "Does... does it really work?"

Sarah nodded, her expression gentle. "It's not a magic fix, but it can make things more bearable. Would you like to try?"

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