Chapter 184: Want to take care of it
1092words
LYNN'S POV
It smelled awful here. Like bleach and stale crackers. Weird concoction. I've never been in jail before. My nerves were shot and nobody was giving me any answers. All I knew was that I had been arrested for aggravated assault and distributing sexual images to a minor. I've done neither of those things, and can't help but wonder who the hell set me up. Two faces come to mind: Brooke and Monique's. I knew in my heart that one or both of them had set me up. There wasn't anyone else, right? Maybe Noah?
I hated being a sitting duck. There was nothing I could do behind bars. Drake must have felt this way when he was locked up, too. I felt helpless and I hated it. I've paced through my cell for the last hour, gnawing on my fingernails, but I've been in here for much longer. I had no way of telling time, but I knew it had been several hours. The sun had set through the tiny window across from my cell not long ago.
A loud buzzing broke me away from my thoughts as I ran to the bars. Two officers came down the hallway, stopping at my cell. Neither of them looked at me as they unlocked my cell. I didn't want to ask what was going on in fear that they might change their minds and lock me back up.
One of them grabbed my arm and pulled me from the cell, roughly pulling me down the hallway in the direction they came from. The door buzzed again and they shoved me through it. I noticed they didn't cuff me when they pulled me out. Does that mean I'm free to go?
"You've been bailed out. Collect your things at the desk."
They weren't nice about any of it. Their expressions were cold and lifeless, as if they've been doing this for too many years. I rubbed my chilled arms and stepped up to the desk.
"Lynn Tuffin," the woman behind the desk said coolly. "These are the things you came in with. Sign if you agree." She listed off my items, setting them down one by one on the desk.
I signed the paper when everything was accounted for. My gaze moved around the jail lobby, hoping to find Drake standing there, but he wasn't. Another door buzzed to let me out and I nearly ran for the exit doors. I had no idea who bailed me out, but I wasn't sticking around to find out. I wanted to get home to Drake.
As soon as I stepped outside, flashing cameras and a crowd of paparazzi swarmed me like angry hornets. My eyes burned as I held my hand up to stop all the camera flashes. Why the hell are they here?!
"Lynn! Is it true you sent a seventeen-year-old boy provocative photos of yourself?" One shouted.
"What's the beef between you and Brooke Saddle, lynn?!" Another asked.
Question after question screamed at me. My head is spinning and I feel trapped. They're still swarming me, taking a million photos. Tears well up in my eyes as I try to push through them, but they're relentless.
"Get the fuck out of the way!"
I heard Drake's deep authoritative voice boom over the crowd and I'm immediately relieved. He appeared after pushing several photographers out of the way, tearing his jacket off to cover my head. I burrow into his jacket and side as he pushes us through. He cursed them out and shoved them from our path. His familiar Audi came into view and I jumped in the passenger seat.
The paparazzi swarmed the car, still taking photos and yelling questions. I was thankful that his windows were nearly blacked out so they couldn't see me, but I kept my head low anyway.
Drake jumped in the driver's seat and tore away from the curb, not giving a damn that he nearly ran two photographers over in the process. My chest heaved as tears streamed down my face.
"What's going on? Why were they here? One of them asked me about a seventeen-year-old boy, Drake!" My hands shook in my lap as my stomach knotted up. He didn't answer right away, looking pissed as hell. The worst part was thinking he might have believed it all. "Drake," I whispered.
He reached over and took my hand, bringing my knuckles to his mouth. "I know you didn't do that, lynn. Your camera has gone missing, right?"
The blood drained from my face. "Yeah," I whispered. "Who would do something like that?! It's sick!"
"Brooke," he growled. "She stole your camera somehow and created a fake online profile for you, using your photos to bait and lure in minors. Then she got the security camera footage from the parking lot where you two fought. She's pressing full charges against you for assault."
I think I might get sick. My free hand covers my mouth as tears stream down my face. The bitch clearly hated my guts. I understand the assault charges, but the photos sent to a minor are too much. She's going down for this. If she thinks she's got a one up on me, that bitch has another thing coming.
My call with Aunt Rose comes back to me. She called to warn me that something bad was coming. She told me to run; to get as far away from Miami as I could, but it was too late for that.
"What do we do, Drake?"
He glanced over at me. "I'm taking care of it."
"What does that mean?"
"Exactly what you think. I'm taking care of it. Don't worry."
"Drake, I-"
"Lynn!" He shouted, making every muscle in my body tighten with a jolt. He was angry, but why?
I looked down at my lap, swallowing back the knot in my throat. He said he was taking care of it, but I want to know how. This involved me too, damn it!
"No," I hissed, whipping my glare in his direction. "That bitch came after me. I want to know everything. I want to be the one to take care of it," I demand.
The car zooms off the freeway, taking the exit to our neighborhood. He doesn't say a word until we're parked safely in the garage.
"I don't have all the details yet, but I've got my guy Piper working on it. I've told him that I want to know everything about her. Where she works, lives, shops... everything.
