✓ 𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐑, 𝘫. 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘬 ¹

✓ TWENTY FIVE.

chapter twenty five
"but no one did"

trigger warning: there will be abuse in this chapter. if you don't feel comfortable, go ahead and skip the chapter <3

"YOU KNOW, EVELYNN, I'M HOPING you don't look as dumb as your partner in crime here."

Lynn glanced from staring off mindlessly at the brown desk in front of her, to Sheriff Peterkin, who had just walked through the door of the office. Not a word escaped her lips, and just watched the Sheriff as she slid into a seat in front of her. Her expression was void of any emotion — if her father had taught her one thing about cops, it was to keep her damn lips shut.

"Running from DCS? Never a good thing, and now we get to add felony destruction of property to the list," Sheriff Peterkin stated, and Lynn only kept the eye contact — keeping any type of surprise or anger off her face. Secretly though, her palms had clasped together at her side and she was digging her fingertips into her skin. "Silent treatment isn't going to work, sweetheart, you're facing serious charges here."

Lynn shrugged her shoulders, leaning back in her chair — her expression twisted every so slightly as she winced softly, because of yet another bruise that would be on her ribs. Her face was riddled with bruises, one on her cheek, and another under her eye, and a busted lip. She originally had marks from where Rafe had gripped tightly onto her wrists, pinning them against the ground, but they had faded overnight.

"Your friend, JJ Maybank, left with his father."

Lynn switched from staring back on the ground with no interest, to glance at Peterkin, seeing if she was telling the truth. When she saw how dead serious she was, a light panic spread in her eyes as gazed out the window in hopes of possibly seeing the boy in the station. There it was, concern, anxiety, all bubbling in her veins to replace her previous stone-like state.

"Y-You can't," Lynn finally spoke, glancing to the Sheriff with pleading eyes. "He hurts him, please, you can't let him go with his dad."

"Looks like that got you talking," Peterkin narrowed her eyes at the blonde. JJ would always be her weakness. "He's gone already, but I can notify DCS."

"That's not gonna fucking work," Lynn snapped through gritted teeth, Peterkin hadn't quite expected the sudden outburst from the blonde — but she was getting somewhere. Lynn jerked from her chair, placing both of her palms on the wooden desk with anger. "You think pullin' kids from families and dropping them with random people works?"

"And you believe that kids should be living on their own?" Peterkin replied curiously, motioning for Lynn to take the same spot on the tiny couch. She had genuinely raised an eyebrow towards the girl while awaiting her answer.