Page 75 of Wicked Little Nightmare

Lakey turned back to the girl, her expression a mix of determination and something softer, almost maternal. It wasa look I'd never seen on her before, one I assumed had a connection to the way she so badly wanted to be a mother. Only this wasn’t a child, it was a full-grown woman. Malnourished, sure, but a woman none-the-less.

"What have we gotten ourselves into, darlin'?" I asked, more to myself than to her.

Lakey's answer was quiet, but it echoed in the stillness of our apartment. "Something big, Cam. Something that's gonna change everything."

And as I watched her tend to our unexpected guest, I couldn't shake the feeling that she was right. For better or worse, our little family of two had just become a family of three.

I took a step back, crossing my arms as I eyed the scrawny little thing on our couch. She was all skin and bones, pale as a ghost with a mess of dark hair that looked like it hadn't seen a brush in years.

"You sure about this, babe?" I drawled, my voice low and skeptical. "We ain't exactly equipped to handle a stray, especially one that looks like she's been through hell and back. I mean, look at us for Christ’s sake. We can barely take care of ourselves and now we’ve brought her in. Like what the fuck? Are we going to be her parents? Is that what you want to happen here?"

Lakey shot me a look that could've melted steel. "We can't just leave her, Cam. You saw what they were doing to her. Besides, she’s probably twenty or something. Even if I wanted to be her mom, that would be ridiculous." She snorted as if she told the worlds funniest joke, but I knew it was just a deflection for the pain she was hiding about her supposed daughter.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Yeah, I know. But—"

My words were cut off by a sudden scream that nearly made me jump out of my skin. The girl's eyes had flown open, wild andterrified. She thrashed on the couch, her skinny limbs flailing as she tried to escape some invisible threat.

"Shit!" I hissed, taking a step back. The girl's screams echoed off the walls of our apartment, making my ears ring.

"Easy there, sweetheart," I tried, putting on my most charming smile. But the girl wasn't having any of it. She scrambled off the couch, backing herself into a corner like a frightened animal. The way she looked at me made me feel greasy. Like she could see exactly what I was.

I glanced at Lakey, raising an eyebrow. "Any bright ideas, darlin'? 'Cause I'm starting to think we might be in over our heads here. If she doesn’t stop screaming, we’re bound to have the 5-0 called and we don’t need that, do we babe?"

Lakey stepped forward, her hands raised in a placating gesture. Her voice was as smooth as honey when she spoke, but I could hear the underlying steel.

"Hey there, little one. It's okay. You're safe now," she cooed, her blue eyes wide and innocent. It was the same look she'd give right before slitting someone's throat. "No one's gonna hurt you here. Promise."

I watched, fascinated, as Lakey worked her magic. The girl's screams died down to whimpers, her eyes darting between us like a cornered rabbit. Huh. Who knew someone besides me would find peace in Lakey’s presence? Normal people sensed something was off about her the minute they tried to engage with her. They always stayed, just a bit longer, which usually led to their downfall. However, for those few minutes before, the ray of her light was so intense, so beautiful, it made it all worth the pain.

"That's it," Lakey continued, her tone gentle but firm. "Just breathe. In and out. Nice and slow."

The girl's chest heaved as she struggled to follow instructions. I couldn't help but admire her technique. She could charm thepants off a priest one minute and gut him the next. The thought of her doing that to the Father made me hard and I had to turn and adjust my pants to refocus on what the fuck we were doing.

"We're not like the others," Lakey assured, taking a slow step closer. "We got you out of that hellhole. Do you remember anything about that?”

The girl's eyes widened at that, shaking her head profusely.Well, she was unconscious, so that tracks.She slumped against the wall, all the fight draining out of her. The silence that followed was deafening.

I studied her, taking in her haunted expression. Those eyes had seen some serious shit, no doubt about it. Maybe she wouldn’t remember anymore than we did. Part of me wondered if we'd bitten off more than we could chew. But hell, when had that ever stopped us before?

I figured it was time to make my introductions. Stepping forward, I flashed my most disarming smile. "Name's Cam. And this lovely lady here is Lakey." I gestured to my partner in crime, who was still crouched by the girl like some demented guardian angel.

The girl's eyes locked onto mine, a mixture of fear and curiosity swirling in their depths. I could practically see the gears turning in her head, trying to figure out if we were friend or foe.Smart kid.I dunno why the word ‘kid’ fit for her, but it just did. Maybe because she looked so small and innocent.

"We're the good guys in this story," I said, laying on the charm thick. "Well, as good as it gets in this fucked-up world, anyway." I winked, hoping to coax a smile out of her.

Lakes shot me a look that screamed 'tone it down,' but I ignored her. This was my moment to shine.

"So," Lakey interjected, her voice soft but eager, "what's your name, honey?"

The girl's lips parted, and for a second, I thought she might actually speak. But then she clamped her mouth shut, shaking her head vigorously, gripping her arms around her knees and hugging them to her chest.

Silence stretched between us, heavy and uncomfortable. I could almost hear the unasked questions bouncing around the room. Who was she? Where did she come from? And more importantly, what was going to happen now that she was here?

I glanced at Lakey, seeing my own uncertainty reflected in her eyes. We were in deep now, no turning back. As I watched the girl curl in on herself, I knew we'd just adopted one hell of a stray.

I leaned in closer, my eyes drawn to a flash of white on the girl's wrist. "Well, shit," I muttered, reaching out to gently turn her arm. She flinched but didn't pull away.

"Patient 101011," I read aloud, my voice low. The plastic wristband was like a neon sign screaming trouble. "Looks like we've got ourselves a patient, Lakey."

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