29. Twenty-Nine Cam
Twenty-Nine: Cam
A blood-curdling scream tore through the darkness, jolting me awake. My heart pounded as I shot upright, disoriented. What the fuck?
Lakey was already moving, her lithe form a blur as she rushed to Rose's side. The kid was thrashing around on the couch like she was being attacked by invisible demons, her nails raking angry red lines down her own arms.
"Shit," I muttered, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. This was gonna be a long night.
Lakey's voice cut through Rose's panicked gasps. "Shh, sweetie. You're safe. No one's gonna hurt you here."
I snorted. That was rich, coming from Lakey "Murder Angel" Aldrich. But I kept my mouth shut, watching as she tried to calm the hysterical girl.
Rose's eyes were wild, unseeing. She continued to claw at her skin, leaving blood dripping down her arms, like she was trying to tear it off. "Get them off me! Get them off!"
"There's nothing on you, Rose," Lakey soothed, trying to grab her hands to stop her scratching. "It's just a bad dream."
But Rose was beyond reason, her breaths coming in ragged bursts. I wondered idly if she'd pass out soon. Might be easier to deal with her unconscious.
Lakey shot me a look, those icy blue eyes of hers silently commanding me to do something. I sighed. Always gotta be the hero, don't you, babe? Well, anti-hero.
"Hey, kid," I called out, not moving from my spot. "You're okay. Just breathe."
Fat lot of good that did. Rose just screamed louder, her voice cracking with the force of it. Christ, my ears were gonna be ringing for days.
Lakey's patience was wearing thin. I could see it in the tightening of her jaw, the slight twitch of her eye. Any second now, she was gonna snap and—
"Rose!" Lakey's voice cracked like a whip. "Look at me. Right now."
Well, that shut her up. Rose's screams cut off abruptly, her wide eyes locking onto Lakey's face. I couldn't help but smirk. My girl always did have a way with people.
"That's better," Lakey cooed, stroking her hair. "Now, let's take some nice, deep breaths together, okay?"
I watched as she guided Rose through breathing, marveling at how easily she slipped between ruthless killer and nurturing caretaker. It was almost beautiful, in a twisted sort of way.
As Rose's panic slowly subsided, I found myself wondering what kind of shit she'd been through to leave her this fucked up. Maybe we should've left her in that facility after all. Less hassle that way.
But then Lakey glanced back at me, a fierce protectiveness blazing in her eyes, and I knew we were in this for the long haul. Whatever Rose's damage was, it was ours to deal with now.
Lucky us.
I hesitated, feeling like a fish outta water. This touchy-feely shit wasn't my forte. Give me a knife and a target, and I'm your man. But comforting a traumatized girl? Not exactly in my wheelhouse. Look what I did to Lakes. I allowed that trauma to roam the earth, spilling blood whenever it saw fit. That was my comfort. That was my safety. But all this… weird emotional shit was for the therapists. This chick needed a psychologist and a side of Prozac. Probably the whole bottle.
Still, seeing Rose shaking like a leaf, her eyes darting around, seeing, but not really seeing, something inside me twisted. Fuck it . I couldn't just stand there like a useless lump.
I awkwardly lowered myself next to her, trying not to tower over her. "Hey, kid," I said, keeping my voice low and steady. "You're safe here. No one's gonna hurt you."
The words felt foreign on my tongue. I wasn't used to being the comforting type. But as Rose's eyes locked onto mine, I saw her soul try to reach out, to connect. Or maybe it was just desperation for any kind of lifeline.
"That's right," I continued, surprising myself. "We've got you. Me and Lakey, we're not gonna let anything bad happen to you. You hear me?"
Christ, what was I doing? Playing the protective big brother? That wasn't me.
But as Rose's breathing started to even out, I felt a weird sense of... satisfaction. It was unsettling, this urge to actually help someone instead of manipulating them. Or use them.
I caught Lakey's eye over Rose's head. She looked as shocked as I felt, but there was the same look in her eyes mirrored back at me. Comfort. Connection.
Fuck. What had we gotten ourselves into? This just got way out of my control.
Rose's trembling eased, her chest rising and falling in a calm, predictable pattern. As she uncurled from her fetal position, my eyes caught something on her skin that made my blood run cold.
"Holy shit," I muttered, leaning in for a closer look.
There, etched into Rose's pale flesh like some sick cattle brand, were the numbers "101011". The same ones on her wrist band. The skin around it was raised and angry, a permanent reminder of what she was. Just another number.
Lakey's fingers traced the scarred numbers, her touch gentle but her eyes blazing with a fury I knew all too well. "They branded her number on her, Cam," she spat, her voice a low, dangerous growl.
I felt my jaw clench. "Fucking animals," I hissed, surprised by the venom in my own voice.
Rose cleared her throat, the sound small and raw. When she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper, but it cut through the room like a knife. “They... they wanted to see how much we could take," she rasped, her eyes unfocused, lost in some hellish memory. "Pain... so much pain. Every day, new tests. New ways to break us."
My stomach churned. I'd seen some of that shit in the lab testing folders but hearing it… that hit different.
"Mental trials," Rose continued, her words tumbling out faster now. "Isolation. Sensory deprivation. Pushing us until we... until we shattered."
I glanced at Lakey, whose lips were a thin line. She looked at me and it was as if we were there. Perhaps we had been, long ago. Memories were sparse in returning, but the ones that swirled in my head were ones of a darker kind. Me inflicting pain, violence. Death by my own hands. More tests. Trials. Challenges. But Lakes… she’d been through something like Rose had and that made me pause. If Lakey weren’t Lakey, she’d be a helluva lot like Rose. Outwardly damaged.
"Jesus," I breathed, running a hand through my hair. "Rose, I... fuck, I don't even know what to say."
Part of me wanted to bolt, to get as far away from this mess as possible. But something kept me there. This discomfort felt like razors crawling into my skin, splicing me from the inside out. Maybe it was the way Rose looked at us - like we were her only lifeline in a world gone mad.
I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of Rose's words settle on us like a fuckin' anvil. This chick was damaged goods, no doubt about it. My mind raced with all the ways this could blow up in our faces. My feet moved of their own volitation, pacing me around the room until I sighed.
Leaning back against the far wall, I watched Lakey fuss over Rose like a mother hen. It was fucking surreal, seeing my psycho partner-in-crime playing nursemaid.
"You okay there, Rose?" I asked. "Need a band-aid for those boo-boos?"
Lakey shot me a look that could've peeled paint. "Play nice, Cam. Or I'll have to punish you later."
I grinned, a wolfish thing that made Rose flinch. "Promise?"
"Why?" Rose's tiny voice cut through my thoughts. "Why did you save me?"
Lakey's face softened. "Because you're one of us, sweetie. A broken toy in a world of perfect dolls."
I snorted. "Poetic, babe. Really tugs at the heartstrings."
But Rose wasn't done. "Can you... can you sing me to sleep?"
Fuck me sideways. This was getting too weird, even for us. I opened my mouth to object, but Lakey was already nodding.
"Of course," she said, and then, to my utter disbelief, started singing a song I didn’t recognize in that haunting voice of hers. She was pretty good; I had to admit. All those years practicing in the shower paid off.
As I watched this fucked-up situation unfold, I got lost in my own thoughts. What kind of twisted family were we becoming? Did Lakes really believe we were some kind of parents to a whole adult? What the actual fuck was this?
More importantly, are we going to have to sing her to sleep every night?
I locked eyes with Lakey as she finished her creepy-ass song. Rose was out cold, curled up like a kicked puppy at her feet on the floor. The silence hung thick, heavy with all the shit we weren't saying.
"Well, ain't this just a Hallmark moment," I smirked. "Should we tuck her in and leave milk and cookies?"
Lakey's lips quirked, that dangerous little smirk that always made my pulse quicken. "Jealous, baby? Don't worry, I've still got plenty of lullabies for you."
I snorted, but there was an edge to it. "Yeah, 'cause that's what gets me hot. Nursery rhymes and charity cases."
"She's not a charity case," Lakey hissed, her eyes flashing. "She's... an investment."
"In what? A one-way ticket to Fuckedville?" I ran a hand through my hair, frustration building. "This complicates things, Lakes. Big time. I was all good with this until…" I gestured wildly.
She stood, careful not to disturb Rose, and slinked over to me. Her fingers traced my jaw, deceptively gentle. "Since when do you shy away from complications, Cam? I thought you liked it messy."
I caught her wrist, squeezing just shy of too hard. "Messy's one thing. This? This can fucking destroy everything we’re doing. If she does something, could be anything, to draw attention to us, we’re fucked. Do you understand the implications of her screaming at all hours of the night? What would happen if the fucking cops came and saw us with her? What the hell would they think? Huh? What about that, Lakey."
We stared at each other, a silent battle of wills. I saw the steel in her gaze, the brutal dedication that made her so fucking deadly. And I knew, deep in my twisted soul, that I'd follow her straight into the Grim Reaper’s arms if she asked.
"Fine," I growled, releasing her. "But when this blows up in our faces — and it will — don't say I didn't warn you."
Lakey's smile was all teeth. "Wouldn't dream of it. Now… how’s about that punishment?"
I shook my head, but I was already hardening. "You're a goddamn sadist, you know that?"
"And you love it," she purred, leading me back to our room. "Every fucking second."
She shut the door ever so quietly and pushed me slowly backwards until I hit our bed. I fell backwards, sprawled out as she climbed on top of me.
She snaked a hand down my boxers, her warm breath tickling my throbbing cock through the thin fabric.
"Take it easy," I warned her. "I don't wanna—"
But then she took off my boxers, tossing them to the side with a soft laugh. My cock sprung free, slapping against me as it bounced. Lakey's eyes gleamed like twin moons as she leaned down and engulfed me in her hot, wet mouth.
Fuuuuuck . Her tongue danced along my shaft; tracing patterns that made my hips buck up off the bed. She worked expertly as she deep throated me, taking as much of my length as she could without gagging. I clenched my hands into fists in the sheets above my head, trying to resist pushing her head further down. It felt so good – too good – and I wanted more.
Her hair spilled around us, tickling my skin as she moved up and down. The air grew thick with desire and sweat, which made me even harder than before.
She pulled back slowly, licking her lips provocatively before straddling me waist-down so that our hips aligned perfectly. Pulling my t-shirt up ever so slightly, she positioned herself above my cock. Without another word, only a sultry look plastered on her face, she guided me inside her tight pussy with practiced ease until I bottomed out. I groaned loudly as she started riding me in long smooth strokes that sent shockwaves throughout my body.
Around us echoed the sound of flesh slapping against flesh accompanied by soft grunts, Lakey picked up speed as she rode me; her nails digging into my shoulders drawing rivulets of blood. Our bodies communicated with the words that our mouths couldn't say: this was dangerous, but we needed each other’s chaos to survive this cruel world.
Her small tits swayed hypnotically in front of me, inviting me to take a taste – which I gladly took when she leaned forward offering her nipple. I sucked on it greedily as she rode me harder, causing the mattress to creak underneath us.
Her breath hitched, and she cried out in pleasure as her climax washed over her. It echoed off the walls around us, reverberating in my bones, her pussy clenching around my cock.
“Fuck,” I moaned as I came inside her, gripping her hips tightly. “I was gonna say I don’t wanna come fast, why the fuck would you ride me like a goddamn devil?”
Lakey collapsed on top of me wrapping her delicate frame around mine, her soft skin molding into every hard angle of my body. “Because I can.” She giggled.
I lay there, allowing the tension to bleed from my body, slowly realizing how exhausted I was before I pulled the blankets over us and closed my eyes. “Night, baby girl.”
Her breath evened, her tousled hair everywhere, covering half her face, leaving only one eye open and glaring at me.
“I know you're awake,” she mumbled sleepily yet managed to sound coherent enough.
“I wasn't even thinking about you,” I lied, probably badly judging by the way she laughed.
“Yeah right, I can feel your heartbeat beating out your chest, liar. I’m gonna sleep now, k?” she giggled again before closing her eyes, leaving me alone with my thoughts as her soft even breathing lull me into a dreamless slumber and cum dripping down her legs.