20. Chapter Twenty Lakey #2
Some guy in a suit was sitting right in front, staring at me with that look I knew all too well.
They saw my tiny body and figured I'd be an easy lay, a quick catch.
That I wouldn't turn them down, and if I did, they'd be able to overpower me.
I flashed him an extra bright smile, hoping he'd try something once my set was done.
Janine hadn't panned out, but maybe he'd give me a reason to allow my demons to feast today.
As I gyrated to the pounding rhythm, I caught Cam's smirk. He knew exactly what I was thinking, the twisted fantasies playing out in my head. It was why he let me go. If he didn't, I'd have probably killed someone I didn't need to, and that would have led to problems.
The music faded and the roar of applause hit me. I stepped off the stage, my body buzzing. Fuck, I needed that. For a moment, I forgot about Janine, the girl, all of it. I was just Lakey, queen of this neon-lit shithole.
"Helluva show, sugar," suit guy called out.
I flashed him a sweet smile that didn't reach my heart.
These idiots had no idea what I was capable of.
If they did, they'd run screaming. He made a move to follow me as I walked by but stopped short when he saw where I was heading.
More accurately, to whom I was heading towards.
I sauntered over to the bar where Cam was perched, his eyes following my every move before pinning the man in the suit in place with his gaze. God, he looked good enough to eat.
Leaning down, I squeezed my small tits together, teasing him before sliding onto the stool next to him.
Cam's lips quirked up in that half-smile. "Hi, killer. I gotta say, I was about ready to gut that fucker in the front row."
I laughed. "Aw, you know I can handle myself. Besides—” I traced a finger down his chest, “—you're the only one who gets to touch the merchandise."
"Damn straight," he pulled me closer. If he wasn't so damn traditional, I'd splay my legs and sink onto his cock right here, but Cam would never. He wasn't into the whole voyeur thing as much as I was.
"So," I said, flagging down the bartender, "you wanna tell me what's got that big brain of yours all twisted up? You've had that 'I'm planning something' look all night."
"Just thinking about our little problem. Got some ideas on how to deal with Janine, if you're interested."
"Mmmm, do tell."
"I think I can get into Skeeter's laptop and find out where she is.
If that house is abandoned, it means they've moved the girl somewhere else.
Obviously not the lab, since they torched it, but Skeets said there's more.
Maybe we can find out where that is. I have this thought I can't shake.
I think Skeets was important to this whole thing, I just haven't quite figured out how important, but whatever he knows will be on his laptop. "
I downed my drink, the burn in my throat matching the heat in my chest. "Mmmmk, yeah that makes sense."
Cam smiled. "What a birthday present. Here I am thinking we'd kill some people, and everything would be sunshine and rainbows, but now we're dick deep in some weird cult shit. Makes me feel like a detective."
I snorted. "Yeah, if detectives murdered people and got off on it after. Sure, you're the best detective that ever lived, Cam."
"Whatever, you know what I'm saying, you don't have to be a dick about it."
"Awwww, did I hurt your feelings? Did you wanna be a copper when you grew up, baby? I'm sorry. If you squint real hard, we could pass for cops." Wiggling my ass, I sat on his lap, snaking my arms around his neck.
He puffed out a huge blow of air. "Yeah, it's whatever. This is our life and I'm happy with it, Lakes. Sometimes I just wish there was more stability."
Stability. Coming from the man who'd just carved a cross into someone's chest in our bathroom and fucked me on the bed while the body cooled ten feet away. Stability. Like we were normal people who could want normal things and get them.
"Yeah. Well." I leaned in to kiss him. "Not like I can have fucking kids now, can I, Cameron? Stability doesn't matter when it's just two psychopathic killers doing whatever the fuck they want with no sperm pets to care for."
The words came out harder than I meant them to, because the truth was, I did want stability.
I wanted a version of it that didn't exist anywhere in the real world.
I wanted this man, this apartment, this life, plus a baby with his dark eyes and my blonde hair who would never, ever know what a spiked prayer rug felt like.
Who would never know what it meant to count in the dark.
Who would grow up in a house where the bedroom door locked from the inside and the people on the other side of it would kill for her. Literally.
But they'd taken that from me, while I slept, and now the wish I'd made over that lopsided birthday cake was just a word in the dark, going nowhere.
"Hey, hey, keep your voice down, baby. For all we know there are actual cops here."
"Let's blow this joint. I'm tired of this conversation. It is what it is and that should be enough," I said, sliding off the barstool. My legs were still a bit wobbly from the dancing and the booze, and now I was fucking pissed.
"Baby... hey, baby, slow down. I love our life. Don't think whatever the fuck you're thinking. I just had some of my own dreams when I was small, okay? That's all. I wouldn't give this up even if I was offered a redo. It's you and me. That's fucking it."
I stopped walking and turned around to look at him.
He meant it. I could see it in his face, the way his hands hung at his sides, the way his eyes held mine without flinching. Cam didn't say things he didn't mean. He didn't have the capacity for empty comfort. If he said this was enough, it was enough. If he said he wouldn't trade it, he wouldn't.
The anger drained out of me the way it always did with him, replaced by something softer that I didn't have a name for and didn't want one.
Cam's massive hand found the small of my back as we weaved through the crowd. The cool night air hit us as we stumbled out of the club. I took a deep breath, letting it clear my head. We had work to do.
"I believe you. I'm just fucking pissed at how you said it." I sighed. "In any case, I want to keep going down this rabbit hole. I wanna see how far it goes." Just like that, my anger dissipated. The Yin to my Yang.
"You sure about this, darlin'?" Cam asked, his eyes searching mine. "Once we start, there's no going back."
“When have I ever backed down from a challenge? If we can find Janine, we're one step closer."
"That's my girl."
The satisfaction from dancing was fading, replaced by that itch under my skin. The need to hurt, to destroy. I inhaled deeply. It was always such a temporary fix.
"You know," I mused, swinging my leg over my motorcycle, "I almost feel bad for that thundercunt, for what I plan to do to her once I get my hands on her. Almost."
Cam snorted. "Save your pity, babe. She made her bed."
I revved my engine, and the vibrations settled into my bones. "I mean I feel bad that she is going to experience us. Yes, she made her bed. And now we get to bury her in it."
If we found what we were looking for, we'd be that much closer to burning it all to the ground.
And maybe, somewhere in the ashes, I'd find the girl with the pink curtains.
And maybe she'd be okay.
And maybe that would be enough to fill the space where the baby was supposed to go.
Maybe.