Page 49 of Wicked Little Nightmare

Lakey giggled, the sound sending chills down my spine. She was on the verge of fucking losing it. "Oh honey," she cooed. "You have no idea what we've seen."

I watched her face as the gears turned in that beautiful, twisted mind of hers. Her eyes widened suddenly, that innocent look masking the vicious thoughts I knew were brewing.

"Wait a sec," she chirped, tapping a finger to her chin. "Didn't this dipshit mention something about Janine Almine having a foster kid?"

My ears perked up. Lakey's hunches were rarely wrong. "Yeah, he did. What're you thinking, babe?"

She sauntered over, her hips swaying in that hypnotic way that always made my pulse quicken. "Well," she drawled, tracing a finger down my chest, "what if it's not just any old foster situation? What if little Janine's playing mommy to some poor kid caught up in this Chimera bullshit? Considering I got shipped off to the nunnery, and you ended up in prison, is that so far fetched? I don’t think so."

I felt my jaw clench. Human trafficking was one of the few things that could still get under my skin. Memories of our own fucked-up childhoods flashed through my mind.

"You think it's a trafficking ring?" I asked.

Her eyes glittered with excitement. "It would explain a lot, wouldn't it? The secrecy, the big money involved. I mean that lab was worth hundreds of thousands, and they just abandoned it without a care in the fucking world. Not to mention keeping that place a secret. Come on, Cam. Put the pieces together."

I nodded slowly, absorbing what she was putting out. "Fuck," I muttered. "If you're right, we're in deeper shit than we thought."

Skeeter laughed, but when I side eyed him, he stopped short and had a coughing fit.Asshole.I walked over and drove my fist into his face, hearing the crunch of his nose. Feeling satisfied, I stepped back, watching as blood poured from his nose.

Lakey giggled, clapping her hands like a kid on Christmas morning. "Ooh, doesn't that just make you all tingly inside? The danger, the intrigue..."

I couldn't help but crack a smile. Only Lakey could find joy finding out we were involved in something to do with Chimera. Most people would run for the fucking hills. If the whispers about it were right, we were in for one fucking wild ride. If we survived, that is.

"You're one sick puppy, you know that?" I said, pulling her close.

She nipped at my earlobe. "Takes one to know one, handsome."

I was about to respond when another choked laugh caught our attention. We both turned to look at Skeeter. His face was a mess of bruises and blood, but that didn't stop a twisted grin from spreading across his mug.

"Everything is connected," he wheezed out between bursts of laughter.

The sound grated on my nerves, setting my teeth on edge. I felt Lakey tense beside me, her earlier playfulness evaporating like mist in the sun.

"Care to elaborate on that, chucklefuck?" she asked, her voice light. It was the tone she used right before she got real nasty. I'd seen it reduce grown men to blubbering messes.

Skeeter just kept cackling, like he'd heard the world's funniest joke, and we weren't in on it.

Lakey's eyes narrowed, and I could practically feel the frustration radiating off her in waves. She slinked towards Skeeter.

"Listen here, you sniveling little shit," she hissed, leaning in close. "I've got a whole bag of tricks that'll make you sing like a fucking canary. So why don't you save us both the trouble and spill?"

I watched, my cock straining at my pants.That's my girl - a goddamn force of nature wrapped in a cute package.And right now, she was ready to unleash hell on this poor bastard. I knew he was a disgusting fuck from day one, but I hadn’t pieced it all together. It was looking a lot like he was some integral fucking part of this whole thing. Ironic since he was so nondescript. Just a little granny fucker. Honestly, I was kicking myself for not figuring it out sooner. I would have picked someone who would blend in if I ran some secret, underground cult.

Skeeter's laughter intensified, his eyes wild and unhinged. "Oh, you kids think you're so clever, don't you?" he taunted, spittle flying from his bloodied lips. "But you don't know shit. You're just pawns in a game much bigger than your little murder spree. You’re so fucking stupid. Playing house while they watch. They’re always watching. You think they just let you go? Think again. You were released."

I could see Lakey's patience fraying at the edges. Her fingers twitched, itching to wrap around Skeeter's throat.

"Babe," I murmured, "let me handle this."

Lakey shot me a look that could've melted steel, but she stepped back. I sauntered forward, towering over our captive. The room felt smaller, tighter, like all the air was being sucked out.

I leaned in close, my voice barely above a whisper, "Listen here, you worthless sack of shit. Your time's running out fast. You've got two options: tell us how Chimera works, or I'll let my girl here get real creative with that rusty spoon she's so fond of."

Skeeter's laughter faltered for a split second, and I saw a flicker of fear in his eyes. Good. The fucker was starting to realize just how deep in shit he was.

"Tick tock, asshole," I growled. "I’m growing tired of your fucking games."

Skeeter's bravado crumbled like a house of cards. His eyes darted between me and Lakey, panic setting in as he realized we weren't bluffing. And that we didn’t give a fuck about Chimera or his role in it. Not beyond getting what we needed and then shoving his body in the garbage bin.

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