Page 101 of Wicked Little Nightmare

As Sarah launched into a detailed explanation of Chimera's tracking tech, I found myself leaning in, hanging on every word. Part of me still screamed caution, but a bigger part made the decision that life really couldn’t get much worse.

Maybe this Kyle guy was our ticket to ending all this. And if he turned out to be playing us? Well, Lakey and I had plenty of experience dealing with traitors. One way or another, things were about to get real interesting.

But I couldn't shake the nagging question that had been buzzing in my brain like an annoying fly. "Hold up, Sarah," I interrupted, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees. "Something's not adding up here. You didn’t really answer Lakey’s question. How the hell did you find us? We've been ghosts for years."

Sarah's lips quirked into a knowing smile. "You think you're the only ones who've been keeping tabs, Cam? I've had eyes on you two since the day you escaped."

I felt Lakey tense beside me, her fingers twitching like she was itching to wrap them around Sarah's throat. Unease crept over me. If she had managed to stay in the dark, who else had beenwatching us? Who else noticed us coming and going while we were fucking around?

"Bullshit," I said, forcing a casual tone. "We would've noticed."

Sarah's laugh was sharp enough to cut glass. "Please. You think you got this apartment based on your stellar credit? No, Cam, I set this place up for you. I’ve been making sure Chimera doesn’t come close. I fucked up last night. I didn’t realize you had Rose. I should have been paying better attention because then Kyle could have taken him out before he got up here. I apologize for that."

My mind reeled, reassessing years of near-misses and lucky breaks. Fuck me sideways, had we really been that blind?

"Why?" Lakey demanded. "Why help us?"

Sarah's expression softened, just a fraction. "Because I saw myself in you two. The potential to break free, to fight back. I couldn't save myself then, but I could give you a fighting chance."

I exchanged a long look with Lakey. The tension in her shoulders eased slightly, and I felt my own suspicion start to crack.

"Alright," I said slowly, "let's say we buy this. You, Kyle, all of it. What's our next move?"

Sarah's grin was positively feral. "We hit them where it hurts. Their central data hub in Chicago. Kyle can get us in, and with your... particular skill sets, we can bring the whole system crashing down."

Lakey's eyes lit up with that beautiful, terrifying gleam I loved so much. "Ooh, Cam," she purred, "think of all the chaos we could cause."

I couldn't help but grin back. "It would be one hell of a party, babe."

We turned back to Sarah, and I saw the moment she realized she had us. Hook, line, and sinker.

"Fine," I said, trying to sound grudging despite the adrenaline already pumping through my veins. "We're in. But if this goes sideways..."

Sarah nodded, deadly serious. "You'll kill us both. Trust me, I wouldn't expect anything less. There is a spot we have to hit before we get to the hub, but we will go over all of that once you’re comfortable with Kyle."

As we began to hash out the details, I felt a familiar, intoxicating thrill building. Chimera had no idea what was coming for them. And honestly? Neither did we. But with Lakey by my side and the promise of sweet, chaotic vengeance on the horizon, I couldn't fucking wait to find out.

As Sarah finished laying out the broad strokes of our potential assault on Chimera, her eyes shifted to Rose. The kid was huddled in the corner, eyes darting between us like a spooked animal.

"There's something else we need to address," Sarah said, her voice softening. "Rose's conditioning. I can help her, if you'll let me."

I felt my jaw clench. Rose was ours — mine and Lakey's. The idea of someone else messing with her head set my teeth on edge.

"And why the fuck would we trust you with that?" I snarled, my earlier camaraderie evaporating.

Sarah met my gaze unflinchingly. "Because I've done it before. With Kyle. I can help her heal, Cam. Give her a chance at something resembling normal. I can actually help you both as well."

I barked out a laugh. "Normal? After what we’ve been through? What the fuck makes you think we want to be anything close to resembling normal? Maybe Rose doesn’t want to benormaleither."

"As normal as she can be, if she wants it," Sarah amended. "Look, I'm not promising miracles. But I can help ease the trauma, give her tools to cope. It's a start."

I glanced at Lakey, seeing my own conflicted emotions mirrored in her eyes. Rose deserved better than the shit hand life had dealt her. But letting Sarah in... it felt dangerous.

"We'll think about it," I growled, not committing to anything.

The tension in the room was thick enough to choke on. I needed a distraction, something mundane to cut through the heaviness.

"Fuck it," I declared, pulling out my phone. "I'm ordering pizza."

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