36. Chapter Thirty-Six Lakey
Chapter Thirty-Six: Lakey
An hour later, there was a knock at the door. Cam's eyes met mine as my grip tightened around my knife. If this guy made one wrong move, I'd jump his bones like a banshee, and not in the fun way.
I crept to the peephole, my breath caught as I took in the hulking figure on the other side.
Jesus, this guy was built like a brick shithouse.
Tattoos snaked up his neck, disappearing into a close-cropped hairline.
Next to him stood Sarah. She looked up at him with so much love on her face it made me want to puke.
"Pizza delivery," the guy rumbled.
I glanced back at Cam, who gave a barely perceptible nod. Showtime.
I plastered on my sweetest smile and swung the door open. "Come on in."
Kyle shouldered his way inside, his presence filling the cramped apartment. My skin prickled as he sized up Cam. Two predators eyeing each other across the room, calculating, measuring, deciding whether the other was prey or competition.
Sarah smiled. "We intercepted the delivery guy on the way up. Nice young fellow. Gave him a tip, too."
I rolled my eyes at her, watching as they walked into the kitchen.
"Nice place," Kyle grunted, his gaze sweeping over the peeling wallpaper and water-stained ceiling.
I bristled. This dump might be a shithole, but it was our shithole.
Cam lounged against the wall, all casual menace. "Glad you approve. Don't worry about your muddy-ass shoes or anything. Just go ahead and make yourself at home."
Kyle stepped further into the room. I edged closer to Cam, my fingers twitching around my knife. One wrong move from this motherfucker...
Sarah broke the standoff, her voice bright. "So! Who's hungry?"
She set the pizza down, noting how her eyes kept darting to Rose. There was something off about her eagerness, a desperation that set my teeth on edge. What was her angle with Rose?
"Quite the little Chimera family reunion we've got going on here," Cam drawled. "Care to fill us in on why you've crashed our little party? We were just getting used to Sarah."
Kyle's massive arms folded across his chest. "I've got intel on Chimera. Thought you might be interested."
"Intel, huh?" I kept my voice casual. "That's what Sarah said, but we were doing just fine without you."
Sarah stepped forward, her eyes locked on mine. "Lakey, you said you'd give Kyle a chance, so just... please. Give him a chance. If he disappoints, feel free to kill him with that knife." She looked pointedly at the blade in my palm.
Cam tensed beside me, his fingers brushing against mine. I sighed and sheathed my blade.
"Let's hear what he has to say," I murmured to Cam. "Doesn't mean we have to trust it."
He gave a small nod, his eyes never leaving Kyle. "Alright then," Cam said, clapping his hands together as he walked towards the couch. "Let's chat."
The smell of greasy pepperoni filled the room as we gathered around the coffee table, the cardboard pizza box a flimsy barrier between us and our unexpected guests. Sarah grabbed a slice before wrinkling her nose. Guess Cam hadn't bothered ordering a half and half.
"So," Cam said, taking a massive bite. "You mentioned intel?"
Kyle nodded. "We've got locations, security details, the works, but first, let's just eat. Talk. Get to know each other a bit."
I snorted. "What is this, a fucking playdate?"
Sarah shot me a look that was half amusement, half exasperation. "More like a ceasefire. We're all on edge. Might as well try to relax a little."
As much as I hated to admit it, she had a point. I took a bite of pizza, studying our new "allies." Kyle sat stiff, his fingers drumming against his thigh, the only sign that he wasn't as calm as he looked. But Sarah was steady. Too steady. It was unsettling.
"So, Sarah," I said. "What's your deal? What have you been up to all these years?"
She met my gaze. "Little bit of this, little bit of that."
I smiled. A real one. "Right, how are we supposed to get to know you," I air-quoted, "if you won't be a bit more specific?"
As we ate, the conversation loosened. Sarah shared stories of their recent escapades, each one more ridiculous than the last. Something about heading into a small outpost and barely escaping, but as they ran, her sweater got caught on an edge, causing it to unravel the further she walked.
I found myself laughing despite my reservations.
But as the pizza dwindled, I noticed Sarah's attention shifting to Rose. Our newest addition had been quiet throughout the meal, her shoulders hunching inward, trying to make herself as small as possible.
"Rose," Sarah said softly, setting down her plate. "I was hoping we could talk a bit. About what you've been through."
Rose stiffened, her knuckles turning white around her slice. "I... I don't know if I can."
A surge of protectiveness hit me, surprising myself. "Hey, lay off her, alright? She's been through enough. She doesn't know you well enough to trust you with that shit."
Sarah held up her hands. "I understand, but I might be able to help. I've developed a technique for processing trauma. It's helped me, and others like us."
I narrowed my eyes. "What kind of technique?"
"A form of guided meditation and cognitive restructuring," Sarah explained. "It helps reframe traumatic memories, makes them easier to manage."
Rose looked up. "Does... does it really work?"
Sarah nodded. "It's not a magic fix, but it can make things more bearable. Would you like to try?"
I watched Rose closely, ready to step in, but to my surprise, she gave a small nod.
"Okay," she whispered. "I'll try."
As Sarah began to guide Rose through the process, her voice low and soothing, I found myself caught between suspicion and something I didn't want to name.
Maybe we'd found allies worth keeping around.
Or maybe they were gonna activate some hidden words in Rose and turn her into a psychotic killing machine.
It was a toss-up, so all we could do was sit and wait.
Kyle moved silently, positioning himself behind Sarah. His presence was protective, solid. I couldn't help but notice the way he operated. All business, no bullshit. He reminded me of a more polished Cam, actually. Bigger, if that was possible.
Rose's eyes darted between Sarah and Kyle. But as Kyle gave her a subtle nod, something shifted in her expression. The fear didn't vanish, but it loosened.
"It's okay, Rose," Sarah murmured. "Kyle's here to make sure you're safe. We all are."
I snorted internally. Safe? We'd proven ourselves to her, but they hadn't. I kept my mouth shut. Curiosity winning out.
Rose took a shaky breath. "I... I don't know where to start," she whispered.
"Just close your eyes," Sarah instructed. "Take a deep breath. We're going to create a safe space in your mind."
Rose's eyes fluttered shut. Her breathing steadied, each one a little calmer than the last.
This is bullshit. No way some new-age crap is gonna fix what those Chimera fuckers did.
As Sarah's words washed over us, Rose's face changed. The tension smoothed out, replaced by something that looked almost peaceful. I glanced at Cam, but his eyes were fixed on Rose, his expression unreadable.
"Now," Sarah continued, "I want you to picture a place where you feel completely safe. Somewhere no one can hurt you."
Rose's lips parted slightly, and I swear she smiled. "I'm... I'm in a garden," she whispered. "My grandmother's garden. The roses are blooming."
Anger twisted in my chest. She'd had a grandmother.
She wasn't born into it. I'd never had a safe place like that.
Never even knew what it was supposed to feel like.
I thought I had glimmers of memories involving a mother, but they were vague.
Almost as if they weren't mine but something put inside me. A fake.
"Good," Sarah encouraged. "Now, I want you to remember that this place is always inside you. No matter what happens, you can come back here."
Rose nodded, her body relaxing further, her shoulders dropping as she sank deeper into her garden.
I couldn't tear my eyes away from Sarah.
There was something about her that pulled at me.
She had this softness, but not the weak kind.
The kind that could wrap around you and hold the sharp edges at bay.
It brought back a wave of memories. The first time Cam and I sat in her office, I was barely six and Cam was turning eight.
Sarah had given us each a fuzzy blanket and hot chocolate while she talked to someone in the background.
Who was she talking to? Why can't I see their face?
I glanced at Cam. He was watching Kyle. Sizing him up. Playing out scenarios in his head, just in case he needed to put this mountain of a man down.
No one said anything until Sarah sighed and looked up at me.
"We've been through some shit," she said simply.
"Figured out how to survive it. Now we help others do the same.
Kyle, I told them what you used to do and how you've been decommissioned but still have access to things that could help them.
I also let them know about untraining your mind and unlocking it. "
Kyle nodded before stepping around and leaning against a wall, watching us with a hard scowl.
Grudging respect bloomed in my chest. These two weren't just do-gooders stumbling into our mess. They had become adaptable.
"And how exactly did you stumble onto Sarah's radar?" Cam asked, his tone casual but his eyes sharp.
Kyle's hand twitched before he shoved it in his pocket. "Let's just say we had chemistry and the rest is history."
Not much of an answer, now, was it?
As we watched each other, Sarah refocused on Rose. Rose was answering questions about what they'd done to her, but it was like she wasn't fully present. She was inside her head. Maybe reliving it, maybe just remembering it. But she wasn't in pain or terror. She was just eerily calm.
Sarah gently coaxed Rose back to the present, and when Rose opened her eyes, they were different.