Chapter 1

Inside the precinct's mediation room, my last passenger looked like a total wreck. Her hair was a bird's nest, and her blouse was half-unbuttoned.

She wailed to the officer, "Officer, it was him! This driver tried to force himself on me. He was going to assault me!"

"You can't let people like this walk free. It's a sin! I'm demanding compensation for my emotional trauma!"

After her little performance, she threw herself onto the floor. She started kicking and screaming like a spoiled toddler.

I've never met someone so shameless in my entire life. All I did was tell her she couldn't smoke in my car, and now she was accusing me of assault.

The catch? I'm a woman too. I just happen to dress in a masculine, neutral style. How exactly was I supposed to assault her?

1.

I sat on a cold, hard metal chair, watching the circus unfold. The woman, Lyra Vance, was crying enough tears to fill a river.

She pointed a shaking finger right at my nose.

"It was him! I saw the way he looked at me in the rearview mirror. He had those predator eyes, and then he reached over to grab my thigh!"

The young officer taking notes looked at me with a deep scowl. There was pure disgust in his eyes.

To him, I probably looked like some creep. I had a buzz cut, wore baggy cargo pants, and my skin was tanned dark from driving all day.

I opened my mouth to speak. "Officer, I'm actually―"

"Shut up!" Lyra shrieked, cutting me off.

"You're a predator! How dare you even speak? If I hadn't fought for my life, you would've ruined me!"

She started wailing even louder. Her screams filled every corner of the tiny room.

The officer slammed his fist on the table. "Quiet! This is a police station!"

He turned his glare back to me. "You, keep your mouth shut. Where's your ID?"

I reached into my pocket to grab my wallet.

Lyra suddenly lunged at me, pinning my hand down against my leg.

"Don't move! Officer, he has a knife! He threatened me with a knife in the car!"

I finally snapped and shoved her hand away.

"Are you insane? I'm getting my license!"

"Help! He's hitting me! The predator is attacking me!"

Lyra used the momentum to collapse onto the floor. She clutched her stomach and started rolling around in fake agony.

It was a seamless performance. She really missed her calling as an actress.

The officer stood up instantly, his hand hovering over his holster. "Hey! Sit down and stay still!"

Two deputies rushed in and shoved me back into the chair. They pinned my arms down with enough force to bruise.

I felt like my shoulders were going to snap.

"I didn't hit her, and I don't have a knife. I was trying to show you my ID to prove my innocence."

I spoke through gritted teeth, trying to keep my temper under control.

Lyra lay on the floor, peeking through her fingers while she moaned.

"I don't want to live anymore. Being bullied by trash like this... I'd rather be dead!"

She wasn't here to report a crime. She was here to shake me down.

I've been a rideshare driver for three years and I've seen plenty of weirdos. But this woman was pure evil.