Page 76 of Wicked Little Nightmare

Lakey's eyes widened, a mix of horror and intrigue dancing across her face. "Oh, you poor thing. I was hoping that you were some kind of new recruit when we found you down there. But looks like they’ve gotten to you before. Crying shame," she cooed, trying to raise her hand to pet her head, only to drop it when the girl winced. "They've reduced you to a number, haven't they? We… we were patients too."

I watched as Lakey's gaze roamed over the girl, probably cataloging every bruise and scar. Her eyes lit up suddenly, and I knew that look. It was the same one she got right before suggesting we adopt a three-legged cat or toast marshmallows over a burning body.

"Look, Cam!" she exclaimed, pointing to a faded tattoo on the girl's arm. "It's a rose. Isn't it beautiful?"

I squinted at the blurry ink. "If you say so, babe. Looks more like a blob to me."

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

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 muttered, running a hand through my hair. "Christ, Lakey, we don't even know what she's capable of."

She shot me a look that could've melted steel. "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 eyeing 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 eyes darted between us; her brow furrowed in concentration. 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 eyes flashed with that dangerous glint 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, her tone softening. "You hear that, sweetheart? 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 again, 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, locking eyes with her. "But if this goes south, we bolt. No hesitation."

Her face lit up with that manic grin I loved and feared in equal measure. "Deal."

I slumped onto the armchair across from the couch, my eyes darting between my girl and our new... what? Ward? Prisoner? Fuck if I knew. Rose was curled up in a ball, her eyes wide and wary, like a spooked animal. Lakey sat beside her, all soft smilesand 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 her daughter. It didn’t really matter if she was mine, did it? I loved Lakey and by extension, loved everything to do with her. Random daughter and all. I sighed heavily, leaning back and closing my eyes for a moment.

"So," I drawled, 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."

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