Page 13 of Sinner
Flint frowned. “You want to give me a promotion, but you don’t know what I do?”
Aw shit. He needed to get out of here right now.
Gloria cocked her head, watching Flint with curiosity. She stilled for a moment, thinking, and then said, “The truth is, that you’re here because of your relationship with Mary.”
“What?”
Was it that obvious? Did everyone know how he felt about Mary? Heat prickled his skin. His beard got itchy and he scratched. Shit.
“We need someone we can trust, and Mary trusts you,” Gloria added. “But if you could continue answering the question, please?”
“Ah. Okay. I have a double degree in mechanical engineering and computer science. I started with the company as Tech Support and now I’m in Research and Development.” He lifted his spherical gadget from his pocket. “I make anything from weapons, to… things like this. It’s a disruption device. Set it off and it will shut down anything electrical within a thirty foot radius. That’s about three levels high.” Flint realized he was about to launch into a tech-nerd explanation of the device and stopped himself. Both Gloria and the sister watched him patiently.
When it was clear he wasn’t going to elaborate, Gloria continued. “How much do you know about the Project, Flint?”
“Um. I know as much as anyone else with level five clearance. We were told it’s a humanitarian initiative. That we’re building tools to help make the world a safer place. That’s why I applied. I want to be part of something good.” He wanted to do something right after failing so hard when he was younger. He never wanted to feel that guilt wrenching his heart in two. He wanted to be part of the cure, not the disease.
Mary’s lips curled up and a light entered her eyes. Call him hopeful, but it looked like pride. A warm feeling spread from his center, washing out his nerves. How did she do it? Every damn time. A smile from her was like a warm hug on a cold day. He wanted more.
Frowning, Gloria gave a soft grunt of discomfort and rubbed her belly. “Apologies, he’s kicking. Feisty little one.”
“He likes the sound of Flint’s voice,” Mary said, shifting her smile downward to Gloria’s belly.
Gloria’s lips quirked on one side. “Or he just wakes up when I’m still.”
“No, I think the deep rumble is soothing,” Mary added. “Enticing even. Not something he’d normally hear around here.”
Flint shifted in his seat. They were discussing timbre of his voice like he wasn’t there.
Gloria flicked a glance his way, proving he was wrong. “And what of your future plans?”
“My future?”
“Yes, where do you see yourself in five years? Even two?”
“I… ah… I’m just trying to save enough money to put someone through college.” It slipped out before he could stop it.
Gloria looked up sharply, catching his eyes.
Behind her, Mary flinched. “You have a child?” she asked.
“No, but I…” He scrubbed his face. He didn’t want to confess his worst sin, but he couldn’t lie.
“Mr. Fydler,” Gloria said in a clipped voice. “This job will be handsomely rewarded. If it’s money you’re looking for, we can help with that. But if you have other family commitments, I’m not sure this is for you.”
Flint could feel the weight of the Mary’s stare on his heated face. He swallowed. “I have no family commitments. This is something else, righting a wrong I made a long time ago.” He had no idea why he confessed. He didn’t think he wanted the job if it had something to do with weapons and children. But when neither woman spoke, Flint begrudgingly continued. “I could have stopped an accident years ago. Because I didn’t, a young girl lost her parents. I send her money every month to help with living expenses.”
Gloria put her pencil down, and said, “I don’t understand. How could you have stopped it?”
“I knew the driver was getting into his car drunk, and I didn’t stop him.”
“You didn’t tell him to stop?”
“Worse. I thought about it, but said nothing.” There. There it was. They knew the worst about him now. Flint studied his gadget, turning the metal sphere in his hands, waiting for the hate.
A soft sigh came from Mary, and he knew there would be pity in her eyes if he looked up. But it was Gloria who spoke in her blunt way. “We all make mistakes. What is important is that we learn from them. I don’t believe spending a lifetime sending her money teaches the right lesson, do you?”
Was she belittling his actions? “But I had a responsibility to prevent the tragedy, and I didn’t.”
