“Hello,” she called. “Mr. Flinch? Could you come to the door?”
Sure enough, she could make out the shifting of feet, and a few moments later Zach Flinch appeared in the doorway wearing an old polo and a pair of jeans. Both were a size too big, making it look like he’d withered since putting them on. Over his shoulder she could see the coffee table littered with empty cans, the takeout boxes stacked on the floor beside it.
“Who are you?” he asked, dark rings beneath his eyes. There was a gruff tremor in his voice.
Serena clutched his dossier to her chest. “A friend. I just have a few questions.”
Flinch grunted, but didn’t shut the door in her face. She held his gaze so he wouldn’t see Eli standing a couple feet to his right, still wearing his black hero’s mask.
“Is your name Zachary Flinch?” she asked.
He nodded.
“Is it true you were involved in a mining accident last year? A tunnel collapse?”
He nodded.
She could feel Eli getting impatient, but she wasn’t done. She wanted to know.
“In the wake of your accident, did anything change? Did you change?”
Flinch’s eyes widened in surprise, but even as they did, he answered with a nod, his face caught between confusion and complacence. Serena smiled softly. “I see.”
“How did you find me? Who are you?”
“Like I said, I’m a friend.”
Flinch took a step forward, over the threshold. His shoes tangled in the stray greenish brown weeds that were trying to reclaim the porch. “I didn’t want to die alone,” he muttered. “That’s all. Down there in the dark, I didn’t want to die alone, but I didn’t want this. Can you make them stop?”
“Make what stop, Mr. Flinch?”
“Please make them go away. Dru couldn’t see them either till I showed her but they’re everywhere. I just didn’t want to die alone. But I can’t take it. I don’t want to see them. I don’t want to hear them. Please make them stop.”
Serena held out her hand. “Why don’t you show me wha—”
The rest of the word was cut off by the gun as Eli swung it up to Zach Flinch’s temple and pulled the trigger. Blood streaked across the siding of the house, flecking Serena’s hair and dotting her face like freckles. Eli lowered the weapon and crossed himself.
“Why did you do that?” She spat, livid.
“He wanted to make them stop,” said Eli.
“But I wasn’t done—”
“I was merciful. He was sick. Besides, he confirmed he was an EO,” said Eli, already turning toward the car. “A demonstration was no longer necessary.”
“You have such a complex,” she snapped. “You always have to be in control.”
Eli gave a low, mocking laugh. “Says the siren.”
“I just wanted to help.”
“No,” he said. “You wanted to play.” He stormed away.
“Eli Ever, stop.”
His shoe caught in the gravel, and stuck. The gun was still in his hand. For the briefest moment, Serena’s temper got the best of her and she had to bite her tongue to stop herself from making him put the weapon to his own temple. The urge eased, and she stepped over Flinch’s body and descended the stairs, coming up behind Eli. She wrapped her arms around Eli’s waist and kissed the back of his neck.
“You know I don’t want this kind of control,” she whispered. “Now put the gun away.” Eli’s hand slid the weapon back into its holster. “You’re not going to kill me today.”
He turned to face her, wrapped his hands, now empty, around her back, and pulled her close, his lips brushing her ear.
“One of these days, Serena,” he whispered, “you’re going to forget to say that.”
She tensed in his grip, and knew that he could feel it, but when she answered, her voice was even, light.
“Not today.”
His hands fell away as he turned toward the car and held the door open for her.
“Are you coming with me?” he asked as they pulled out of the gravel drive. “To find Dominic?”
Serena chewed her lip, and shook her head. “No. Have your fun. I’m going back to the hotel to wash the blood out of my hair before it stains. Drop me off on your way.”
Eli nodded, the relief written across his face as he gunned the engine, leaving Flinch on the porch, one lifeless hand trailing in the weeds.
XX
FOUR HOURS UNTIL MIDNIGHT
DOWNTOWN MERIT