28. Chapter Twenty-Eight Lakey #2
Cam rolled his eyes and started moving towards the bedroom. It was going to be a wonderful day indeed.
"Okay you two, I'm starving." My eyes burned from pouring over more notes, more timelines, more locations.
Cam had been non-stop all day and it was grinding my gears.
Rose was just sitting quietly in the corner of the living room, watching some stupid show on TV about unsolved murders.
"I'll get started on the cooking. Hope you like your meat rare, Rosie.
It's the only way to eat it, if you ask me. "
I twirled around the kitchen like a ballerina, grabbing pots and pans.
I was truly an awful cook, but I spent enough time trying that one day I'd get the hang of it.
Cam always told me just to follow the damn recipe, but where was the fun in that?
One clove of garlic? Pfft, try 37 and get back to me.
Instant improvement. The knife gleamed as I chopped veggies, my mind drifting to other, more entertaining uses for the blade.
But no, not tonight. We had a guest to impress.
"Cam," I sing-songed, "be a dear and set the table, would you?"
He appeared behind me in a flash. His hand brushed my hip as he reached for the plates, grabbing three before he leaned down and stared at me.
"What's your angle here, Lakes?" he said.
I turned, pressing myself against him. "Can't a girl just want a nice family dinner?"
His eyes searched mine, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "You've never wanted anything 'nice' in your life."
I giggled, trailing a finger down his chest. "True. But I do want to crack open our little Rose and see what makes her tick. Don't you?"
"Always."
We moved around each other easily, grabbing this, salting that. Making sure everything was as good as it was gonna get.
Finally, we settled at the table, Rose perched across from us.
The silence was thick enough to choke on, broken only by the clink of forks against plates.
Rose pushed her food around, not eating a bite.
Rude, considering all my hard work. I mean, I'm not the best cook, but at least there's something to eat, which honestly, is a vast improvement on the starvation diet the nuns probably had her on.
"So, Rosie," I chirped, unable to bear the quiet any longer. "Ever hear the one about the nun, the serial killer, and the pyromaniac who walked into a bar?"
Rose's fork clattered to the plate. Cam choked on his wine, shooting me a look that was exasperation and amusement.
I grinned. "No? Well, I guess you had to be there."
Cam rolled his eyes at me. "Lakes, that doesn't even make sense."
"It's not supposed to." I scoffed. I wasn't exactly queen bee of comedy, but you know what? I tried. Which is more than what I could say for his conversational skills at the moment.
I watched Rose carefully, waiting for her to bolt or burst into tears. But something unexpected happened. The tension in her shoulders eased, just a fraction. Her lips twitched upward in some weird version of a smile.
Rose didn't speak, no surprise there, but she picked up her fork again. She took a tentative bite, then another. My chest swelled with a weird sense of pride. Who knew playing house could be so damn satisfying?
I caught Cam's eye across the table. His gaze was fixed on Rose, that calculating focus softened by something I couldn't quite place. This whole family thing was kinda working out.
"You like it, Rose?" I asked, leaning forward. "Bet it beats whatever slop they fed you at that orphanage."
Rose's eyes flicked up, a flash of anger in her gaze. Curious. Before I could parse it out, Cam's hand found my thigh under the table, squeezing hard enough to bruise.
"Easy, babe, Jesus," he said. "Let's not scare off our guest just yet. Give her a minute."
I leaned back, conceding a little. This was new territory for us, playing nice, nurturing our little stray. Rose slowly came out of her shell, and I really sort of liked it. I was doing something positive. It was oddly soothing to whatever soul I had left.
Cam's thumb traced circles on my leg, his focus never leaving Rose. Whatever game we were playing now, it was far from over.
And honestly? I couldn't fucking wait to see how it all played out.
Rose's gaze bounced between me and Cam. There was something new there too. A growing sense of belonging. The shift was almost imperceptible, but it was there. The room felt different somehow… less hostile fear and more open wonderment.
I cocked my head, studying her. "You know, Rosie, you're safe here. No one's gonna hurt you." I flashed her a smile. "Well, not unless you want them to."
Cam's fingers dug into my thigh. I bit back a moan.
Rose's brow furrowed, like she was trying to solve a particularly tricky puzzle. Her lips parted, then closed again, words dying before they could escape. Poor thing looked like she wanted to participate in the conversation, but didn't know how, or what to even say.
I leaned in. "You don't gotta talk if you don't want to, but if you stick around, I promise we'll show you a whole new world of fun. You see... we're exacting revenge on the fuckers who did this to you. To us, too, if I'm being honest."
As I spoke, I watched her eyes. They were suddenly filled with hope. Now we were speaking her language. She wanted revenge. That was useful.
I glanced at Cam, saw my excitement mirrored in his gaze. Whatever this fragile thing brewing between us was, it was far from over. And honestly? I couldn't wait to see how our little Rose would bloom.