Page 62 of Wicked Little Nightmare

I remembered the rage that flooded through me, the way my vision went red. Next thing I knew, I was on top of him, my fists connecting with his face over and over. It took three guards to pull me off. After that some big fucker named Spider took me under his wing. Kept me protected for the remainder of my two-year sentence. I swear to God that him and his shady ass friend, Cloak, weren’t under 18, but somehow, they were in the clink with me, feeding me, having my back in the showers, knocking down anyone who tried to step up.

The only time they failed me was…

"Fuck," I muttered, shaking my head to clear the memory.No. I can’t go there. The one place that was locked and buried.Shame burned through me at the thought of what happened. Lakey didn’t even know, but the guy paid the price seven-fold for what he did. Meanwhile, all this torture shit was happening to my girl. The guilt crashed over me in waves. While I'd been locked up, playing tough guy, Lakey had been out there alone, vulnerable. I'd failed her. I was the one who broke her because I wasn’t there to protect her.

"Cam?" Lakey's voice snapped me back to the present. "You okay? You looked like you were a million miles away."

I swallowed hard, my resolve hardening like concrete. "I'm good, baby. Just thinking about how we're gonna make these fuckers pay."

Her hands started working my thighs, kneading out the tension. "Mmm, I like the sound of that," she purred, planting a kiss on my neck.

I put my hands on hers, squeezing before letting go so she could keep working on a knot in my quad. "We're gonna send the lot back to hell. And then when we arrive at those flaming gates, we’ll track them down all over again."

She stood, flexing her fingers before sitting down to face me, straddling my lap, her eyes gleaming with that dangerous light I loved. "You always did know how to sweet talk a girl, Axley."

I grinned, pulling her close. "And don't you forget it, sweetheart. Now, how about you tell me what ideas that pretty little psycho brain of yours is cooking up?"

I gazed into Lakey's eyes, seeing that familiar mix of mischief and mayhem. But beneath it all, I could sense her exhaustion. The Steven situation had taken more out of her than she'd admit. Time to switch gears.

"Actually, you know what? Fuck the planning for tonight," I said, gently lifting her off my lap. "I've got a better idea."

I sauntered over to our beat-up liquor cabinet, fishing out a dusty bottle of peach schnapps and putting it on the counter. Lakey's eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.

"No fucking way," she breathed. "Is that...?"

"The same shit we stole from Mrs. Hannigan's cellar when I was fifteen? You bet your sweet ass it is," I grinned, grabbing two mismatched glasses. "And that's not all."

I reached behind the TV, pulling out a worn VHS tape. Lakey's jaw dropped.

"'The Goonies'? Cam, you sentimental asshole," she laughed, but I could see the emotion in her eyes.

"What can I say? I'm a sucker for the classics," I shrugged, popping the tape into our ancient VCR. "Now get your cute little dimpled ass over here."

Lakey flopped onto the couch, accepting the glass of schnapps with a smirk. "You trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me, Axley?"

I settled in beside her, draping an arm around her shoulders. "Please, like I'd need to get you drunk for that."

As the movie started, I felt her relax against me, the tension melting from her body. She sipped her drink, a soft smile playing on her lips.

"Remember when we used to dream about finding pirate treasure?" she murmured, her eyes fixed on the screen.

I chuckled, running my fingers through her hair. "Yeah, and now we're chasing down psycho cult leaders instead. Funny how life works out, huh?"

Lakey snuggled closer, her voice taking on that rare, vulnerable tone I only ever got to hear. "I wouldn't want it any other way, Cam. You and me against the world, remember?"

I pressed a kiss to the top of her head, my chest tightening with an emotion I couldn't quite name. "Always, baby. Always."

As the movie played on, I found myself watching my girl more than the screen. The way her eyes lit up at certain scenes, the little snort she'd let out at the cheesy one-liners— it was fucking adorable.

"You know," I said, tracing lazy circles on her shoulder, "if we ever did find buried treasure, I bet you'd make one hell of a pirate queen."

Lakey looked up at me, a wicked glint in her eye. "Oh yeah? And what would that make you? My loyal first mate?"

I grinned, leaning in close. "Nah, baby. I'd be the rival captain who steals you away."

"Mmm," she purred, her lips brushing against mine. "I'd like to see you try."

The kiss started slow; a gentle exploration that quickly turned hungry. I tangled my hand in her hair, pulling her closer as she climbed into my lap.

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