Page 150 of Wicked Nightmare

So I plastered on my best ditzy smile and sauntered into the kitchen. "Hey guys, got any cookies left? I'm absolutely famished."

I grabbed a cookie from the baking sheet on the counter, my movements fluid and casual despite the chaos in my head. Cam's eyes met mine, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Everything alright, babe?" he asked, his tone light but eyes sharp.

I bit into the cookie, savoring the sweetness as I contemplated my next move. "Sure, babe, we will talk later though," I chirped, swallowing the bite before taking another and hopping onto the counter, swinging my legs like a carefree child. Inside, my mind was a whirlwind of fragmented memories and burning questions.

"So, what's the plan for dinner?" Rose piped up, breaking the tension. "I was thinking maybe I could make chicken and potatoes?"

I laughed, the sound hollow to my own ears. "Sounds perfect. I'm absolutely starving. Growing a conscience really works up an appetite."

Cam's eyes narrowed at that, catching the barb hidden beneath the joke. We were going to have a long talk after dinner, and I was excited for it. He was going to be thrilled to find out that I hadn't been raped, and that she had been his all along.

As the others changed the subject, I retreated into my thoughts. The truth was a weapon now, and I needed to wield it carefully. One wrong move and everything could come crashing down. I had the sense I could trust Kyle and Sarah, but I didn't want them to know about her. Not yet. It felt so fresh, so new that I wanted to savor it, to keep it to myself. And Cam of course.

But I'd tell them. When the time was right.

Because one thing was crystal clear: Chimera had taken something from me. I was going to get her back.

And I'd need their help to do it.

Chapter Forty-Five: Cam

I leaned back in my chair, a smirk playing on my lips as Lakey demolished her third helping of chicken. The girl could eat, I'll give her that.

"Slow down, babe. You're gonna choke," I teased, reaching over to wipe a smear of sauce from her chin.

Lakey's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Aw, you worried about little old me, Cam? How sweet."

I snorted. "Nah, just don't want to deal with your corpse. Too much work."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "You two are disgusting, you know that?"

"That's our charm," I winked at her, earning a groan from Kyle.

The banter flowed easily, a strange sense of normalcy settling over us despite the shit storm brewing outside. It was almost nice, if you ignored the whole "running from a secret organization" thing. Rose was telling some story about a cat she'd had as a kid, and Lakey was laughing, actually laughing, with sauce on her chin and her legs tucked under her on the chair. She looked small like that. Young. It hit me in a weird place, somewhere between my ribs, and I looked away before anyone noticed.

Suddenly, a dull thud echoed through the room, cutting off Rose mid-sentence. We all froze, eyes darting to the door.

"What the hell was that?" Rose whispered, tension radiating off her in waves.

My muscles tensed. "Dunno, but I'm not liking the sound of it."

Lakey's hand found mine under the table, her grip tight. To anyone else, she looked perfectly calm, but I could feel the slight tremor in her fingers. She was itching to kill someone.

"Should we... check it out?" Sarah's voice wavered as she grabbed a knife off the table. I resisted the urge to scoff. The fuck is a butter knife gonna do?

"I'll go," Kyle announced, pushing back from the table. "You all stay put."

I followed him to the door, wondering how the fuck we got made. Everyone's eyes were on my back as Kyle approached the door. My heart pounded in my ears, adrenaline coursing through my veins. Whatever was waiting on the other side, I had a feeling our little dinner party was about to get a whole lot more interesting.

"See anything?" I said, breaking the suffocating silence.

Kyle's eye pressed against the peephole. "Nothing. No one's there."

Lakey shifted beside me, her fingertips grazing my arm. I hadn't even heard her come up behind me. Her fingers dug into my skin. She was ready to pounce at a moment's notice.

"Well, don't keep us in suspense, big guy," I goaded Kyle. "Open it up."