Page 7 of Catching Flynn

Holy fuck. Flynn had never thought of that. Some creep could clock his habits any day of the week. He seriously needed to get a life to become less predictable. Or…or what? Hide like an actual shut-in? As afraid as Flynn was, no psycho was going to take over his life. Work was the one thing that kept him sane.

And after learning his family history, his sanity was more important than ever. Flynn was highly allergic to metal bars and jumpsuits. So not fashionable, especially on his skinny frame. He’d look like a deflated orange.

“I never thought about it like that. Just seemed like normal life stuff.” Flynn was going to be sick.

“It is normal,” Zack interjected. “Most people have routines. You can’t blame yourself for living your life.”

“I don’t blame myself,” Flynn said, hand on hip. “I’m not actually a slut. That was…anyway.” He frowned, forgetting what he was saying. Oh yeah. “I’ve done nothing to warrant a creep targeting me, unless ‘routine’ is some kind of kink for them.” Now he wished he would’ve joined a pottery club. He could’ve had gloppy art around his house instead of some weirdo’s obsession.

“Any recent changes?” Colton asked. “New people in your life? Breakups? Job changes? Anything that might have triggered someone’s attention?”

“Not really.” Flynn’s life was depressingly stable or used to be. “I’ve worked here for three years. Haven’t dated anyone in over a year. Don’t really have friends, just acquaintances. The most interesting thing that’s happened recently is finding out I have a half-brother.”

He gestured at Zack, like Colton needed visual conformation of who Flynn was referring to.

Guess the self-help lady isn’t bringing any wine. Flynn would’ve chugged the bottle like he was at a frat party.

“What about enemies?” Colton pressed. “Anyone who might have a grudge against you?”

“Who would have a grudge against me? I’m the least threatening person alive.” Flynn spread his arms. “I work at a bookstore and kill houseplants. Not exactly villain origin story material.”

“You’d be surprised what sets people off.” Colton’s tone suggested he’d seen plenty of evidence to support that statement. “Ex-boyfriends? Former friends? Anyone you had a falling out with?”

Flynn thought back through his social life, which was more like a pitstop than a journey. “My last boyfriend, Mario, ended things on friendly terms. We just weren’t compatible. That was fourteen months ago, and I haven’t heard from him since. Before that, there was Andrew, but he got a job offer in a different state, conveniently forgetting I existed.”

“Show me the notes.” Colton was still tapping his phone screen. Flynn was dying to peak, to see whether he was really taking notes or scrolling through social media. Colton looked like the type to leave life-lesson comments, even with those videos of women throwing hands. Flynn was weirdly obsessed with them.

“I don’t have them with me.” Why would Flynn carry them around? A reminder someone was finally paying attention to him? He wasn’t that desperate. Yet. “They’re at my apartment. Filed under ‘evidence the police ignore.’”

“What’s your home address?” Colton asked before Flynn had finished talking, making him wonder if the guy was this no-nonsense in every aspect of his life.

Flynn’s gaze slid toward Zack before quickly darting away. That’s none of your business, perv.

Mortified at his thoughts, Flynn rattled it off before thinking how dumb that probably was. Giving his address to some muscly guy he’d just met felt like the opening scene of a murder documentary his future self would regret.

Stop being so dramatic.

Colton finally tucked his phone into his pocket. “I’m sending Malik to do a sweep of your place, check for entry points in your apartment. Zavier will be by in the morning.”

Everything was happening so fast, making Flynn dizzy. “Who are Malik and Zavier and why is one of them sweeping my house?” He needed protection, not cleaning a services.

“Malik lives with us,” Zack said, as if that explained anything. “I have no idea who Zavier is.”

“A former employee.” Colton explained, focusing his full attention on Flynn. “Your new bodyguard.”

A bodyguard made the danger real.

No more downplaying.

No more “maybe I’m overreacting.”

No more pretending this was a mild inconvenience.

* * * *

“Keys. Wallet. Phone. Sanity.” Flynn was ready to head to work. The morning sunlight was bright as shit through his living room window. Flynn grabbed his sunglasses off the kitchen counter and slid them on. “Now I’m ready to slay, bitches,” he said to his wilting houseplants. “You guys just need fresh air. I’ll set ya’ll in the window when I get home.”

Just as Flynn locked his door and pocketed his keys, Garrett appeared in the hallway and headed toward him. They’d been neighbors for three months, occasionally hanging out. Flynn didn’t have the bandwidth for Garrett this early in the morning. Yet there he was, materializing in the hallway like a handsome inconvenience.