Chapter 106: Following the plan
1005words
When the doors finally opened and we stepped into the lobby, I felt all the weight lift from around us. Being in that elevator was suffocating. Luis was still in his own little world until he looked up and saw all the squads parked out front.
"Is that for us?" Luis gawked.
Micky slapped him on the shoulder again and I wondered if he did that because Luis was gay and had flirted with him. Was he trying to show his manly, dominant side? Chill, Micky, Luis is the least of your worries right now.
"It is. I called them in and gave them the scoop while lynn and him got changed."
Him? Seriously? What is Micky's angle here? I mean, I totally understand that he had this huge crush on me back in high school, but that was years ago! Doesn't he know by now that he and I would never be together?
"That's a lot of officers," I rasped. There had to be at least ten squad cars and in the middle of them was a white cube van with advertising for an internet company on the side of it. Must be their cover.
"I'm always prepared for the worst," Micky replied as he pushed through Drake and me, breaking our held hands apart.
What the fuck?
Drake and I exchanged glances before we followed after Luis and Micky toward the commotion out front. Seeing all these squad cars made it feel more real and my hands began to shake. I'd never done anything like this in my life and knowing that my parents weren't actually my parents, made me want to seek the truth today.
"Luis and I will be in the van parked right out front of your parent's place. You guys take your rental car there so they don't expect anything. We'll all be right behind you." Micky and Luis headed for the van as Luis winked over his shoulder at me.
Drake and I headed toward the parking garage beneath the hotel and got in our rental vehicle. I hadn't said a peep in several long minutes and couldn't stop thinking about all the scenarios going through my head. What if they already know? Are they sitting at home expecting us to show up?
Are we in danger doing this?
He reached over and grabbed my hand, making me whip my head over and glare at him. I hadn't realized how heavy my breathing was until just now. Relax, lynn.
"Hey," Drake whispered before he brought my hand up and kissed it, "I've got you. I will never let harm come to you. I know you're probably freaking out right now, but know that I'm here. There are also a dozen officers on standby in case anything goes wrong. We'll be fine."
I vigorously nodded and tried to take a deep breath. I knew he was right, but it didn't make the uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach go away. Drake pulled out of the parking garage and what felt like seconds later, we were pulling into my parent's driveway. Now my heart was really pounding and I swear I was about to have a panic attack.
"I- I don't know if I can do this..." I stuttered out as Drake turned to me and grabbed both of my hands.
"You can. You're the strongest woman I've ever met in my life, lynn. If you can get through years of marriage with that fucking monster, you can get through this. I have faith in you."
Tears blurred my vision as I tried to stare into his eyes. His words touched a deep soft spot inside of me as I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. "You're right. I can do this."
I jumped out of the car and looked over my shoulder to see the white cube van park alongside the curb across the street. None of the squad cars were visible from the front, but I knew they were there. Drake had jumped out and joined me before we ascended the steps to the front door. I still couldn't get past the idea that my parents knew something was going on. I'd know the moment they answered the door, though.
After knocking, I stepped back by Drake and held my breath. This is it. There's no turning back now. Get in, grab the journal and box, and then get the hell out of here.
The door opened and Mom's confused expression greeted us before her eyes lit up.
"Lynn! Drake!" She held the screen door open for us. "We were wondering if you two were going to stop by today. We were just finishing up with brunch, but I can surely heat you some up if you're hungry."
I let out the breath I was holding in my chest and smiled at her. She was either really good at masking herself or she truly didn't have a clue what was going on.
"No, we're good, Mom. We had breakfast at the hotel. We just wanted to come by and check on you guys."
"Oh, we're fine, sweetie," she said over her shoulder as we followed her into the kitchen. "We were worried about you two. Have you heard anything from lawyer? Melissa called last night and said they were still pressing charges. We tried to talk her out of it, but you know how your sister can be."
I gritted my teeth and tried so hard not to snap.
