The Rebirth of Sin (Wicked Trinity Book 2)

by Courtney Lane

  Archie had known me since I was a small child. He, at one point, was good friends with my father. He shielded me when I needed him, and in return, my parents had him ostracized from the church. I later discovered they had more than one reason. When Archie decided to come to terms with his sexuality, he had no other choice but remain away from the compound. Crimes against the bible created by The Birth of a Prosperous Nation were punishable by death. It was a stark contradiction. The community welcomed wanted criminals with open arms as long as they held the potential of becoming productive members.

  When my parents died, all their assets and holdings were transferred to me. It was expected that I’d become everything my father had once been. I had very little wherewithal on how to handle it. Archie remained at my side, preventing me from depleting the entirety of my inheritance. For reasons I was unaware of at the time, he kept himself hidden from Noah in the rare opportunity my brother would seek me out.

  My father had a lucrative property business with many wealth sustaining properties all over the globe. He’d purchase land in up and coming areas and charge an exorbitant rate over what he paid for it to investors to buy and build. He also held large holdings in a small media business that produced a newsletter for the community I grew up in and other communities like it across the nation.

  I gave Archie the role of CEO for the media conglomerate. He changed the scope and turned it into one of the biggest media conglomerates in the country. Many of the news stations and online magazines were known as the authority on truthful details concerning the secrets of celebrities and politicians. The advertising revenue was ridiculously lucrative. Archie was kind enough to make sure I remained a shareholder, despite my inability and lack of knowledge pertaining to the daily duties of running a company. He took care of me when I had no one. I loved the man more than I had ever grown to love either of my parents.

  His warnings to distrust my brother were persistent. He was the first and only person to advise me against starting Rebirth with Noah.

  “It can wait,” Dr. Moore directed Archie.

  “As I recall,” I stated, my throat dry and rough, “you are not my guardian, Dr. Moore. You’re under my employ.”

  “I’ll leave you to it…Mr. Michaels.” The door latched behind the doctor’s exit.

  I attempted to sit upright, but my weak limbs wouldn’t operate correctly. “Why…” I rubbed the bridge of my nose and found it covered in a splint. “Why does he keep calling me by that name?”

  With swift movements, Archie stood to his feet. “Because Shiloh Oliver died at a compound in North Dakota. He was burned beyond recognition. His remains were found in close proximity to”—he looked down at his tablet—“Jayme Winton who perished in the blaze. He was shot, but ultimately, it was the bullet wound that made him perish. It should be noted that none of the information was made public.” Darting out his hand to me, he grinned. “Therefore, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Braedan Michaels, philanthropist and well-made man who came from nothing and became…something.”

  “I can’t say I care for the name,” I muttered, thinking about Jayme and how she might’ve saved my life. All wasn’t lost in the fire after all. She died to give me my life back, but she didn’t deserve to leave the earth that way.

  I took my role seriously and played my part at all times, only letting my guard down for those who knew the truth about me: Nadine and my brother. In an instant, I regretted never allowing Keaton to fully acquaint herself with the man behind the character. “Do I want to know what you’ve done to my face?”

  “Just a few minor adjustments here and there. I’m sure you’ll be pleased when everything heals.”

  “Any more bad news?”

  “It’s been a couple of months since the fire and…your brother has sold the real estate company.”

  I almost stood up, but the fuzziness in my brain and lack of control over the functioning of my limbs ensured I sat right back down. “What?!” My shout jounced off the walls, returning to me and hurting my ears.

  Archie barely flinched. “Don’t worry. The media conglomerate is still mine and yours. I made sure all ties were severed from the Oliver name before he was able to put his grabby hands on a company I made infamous. I made…provisions once I figured out what he was going to do. He only received the money from the real estate company, but he assumed you squandered the inheritance because he couldn’t find it.”

  I grinned at him. “Is it right to assume you had something to do with him thinking that?”

  He batted his eyelashes at me. “I may have hid money in another account for you when you started drinking immoderately. I also may have continued to hide the money in several different bank accounts under a different name the instant Sander called me and warned me that your brother had something planned for you. I also sold the properties your parents owned on your behalf. The name? Braedan Michaels. Sky is the limit, Mr. Michaels. When you are ready to return, you will have every means at your disposal to do so.”

  “Sander was planted there by you? Then…you’re the reason I’m alive?”

  “If by making Sander save you, get you en route to me, and have him take your place in dying makes you think I saved your life, then yes. I sent him there for a reason and he was there to protect you with his life when needed and to keep up the charade to your brother while making certain that you nor your brother were aware that he was sent there by me. Had Sander revealed all, I think Noah would’ve caught on and Sander wouldn’t have had a chance to do what I directed him to do. You may have trusted your brother, I never did. Noah received a confirmation on your death. Rest assured, it was all faked—but he won’t be aware of that until you are prepared to tell him.”

  I slowly grinned. “Remind me to give you a fairly big increase in pay.”

  “You couldn’t afford my pay raise, Mr. Michaels.” His face turned grim as he sat on the edge of the bed. “Do you remember what happened inside the compound? You were in a horrible state when I received you.”

  I bobbed my head. “Noah completely lost his sanity. The things he said to me—I can’t comprehend how he could believe some of the things he said.”

  “Which were?”

  “That I had everything. That I was a scapegrace who was unappreciative of my privilege. I’m unsure of what past he remembers.”

  “You have to understand, he wasn’t there often enough. All he saw was attention given in front of and behind closed doors.”

  “He didn’t see that our parents’ lack of resolute attention was a blessing. They allowed him a pass with many sins against the community while they remained harsh with me. They gave him more than they had ever given me…a chance to be free.”

  “I’m not certain if a catholic military school could be categorized as free.”

  “You’ve been out in the world more inclusively and longer than I have, do you really think the community was better?”

  He inclined his head and shook it. “It doesn’t matter what Noah did or didn’t see. I want to know your plans when you fully heal and get out of this bed to retake your life.”

  “It was asinine to think I could get closer to my brother,” I said. “Ill-planned to go along with him, thinking he truly wanted to change the world. He orchestrated many outcomes—enticed me into becoming something I wasn’t so I could take the fall and he could take what he never deserved. You were right. I should’ve turned him down. I was his pawn, doing what he scripted me to do; to behave like a king of dastardly criminals. You should’ve seen me, Archie.” I smiled at the memory, reminded of the better experiences. Be it a false sense of power, it was still a pilot to the ultimate altitude. “I was stellar in my role.”

  “I’m sure you channeled a great deal of Magnus Oliver. It’s highly likely you would’ve scared me if I encountered you in that role. You know how much I loathed the man. He was a tyrant who ruled by fear and throwing around his wealth.” Sighing, he put his tablet down on the bed and curved his spine. “Sande
r filled me in regularly on the goings on, but due to his untimely death, I haven’t the slightest idea how things went on his final day. What exactly happened at the compound?”

  “Betrayal. A profusion of betrayal from several directions,” was all I said.

  “Cryptic. I take it you have plans for retribution? Because that’s what I’ve planned for you to do.”

  “I plan to become stronger. Take back what never belonged to him. What he never truly wanted in the first place but stole from me. He thought wrongly about me and the worst of me: That I was weak. That I had everything and didn’t appreciate it. He thought he could take it all away from me. When I’m healed, he’s going to discover the full extent of my capabilities.”

  Grinning broadly, he placed a file beside me on my bed.

  “What’s that?”

  “Your new home and your new identity. All that is left for you to do is to custom fit the basement with whatever you desire. I heard there were…survivors. I think there is plenty of room for two harpies, a torpid man, and a plethora of other fun toys.”

  I grinned as much as I was allowed. “On second thought, I’m tripling your pay.”

  “You can’t afford it,” he reminded me. He put his hands on his hips and sighed. “I have my work cut out for me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “By the time I’m done with you, you are going to be a charming, upstanding gentleman who will make many a women—and some men—weak with a few words.”

  “I only want one.”

  He chastised me with a shake of his head. “Braedan, if you’re going to get revenge on your brother, you’re going to need to charm the ones who matter and instill fear in the ones who don’t; that includes more than her. I will help you hone both skills. I’m going to transform you into a truly pernicious man. Now, about your minor facial adjustments…”

  “It’s important you know this story… It’s a story I’ve told no one. You…are special.”

  -THE SECT

  The chateau was located twenty miles west of Mc Lean. It was exactly what I needed—modern, isolated on a hundred thirty-three acres of land, and spacious.

  I took a few minutes to appreciate the sights and smells of the dank basement encompassing the entire square footage of the house. I fingered the antique torture devices, all polished and prepared for use. Select items were familiar devices I’d seen used in the community I spent my youth in. Many times, I’d watched them in use or had the displeasure of having them used on me. My only limitations were my imagination. Wired cells lined up three in a row along the east corner. Each cell contained adjoining doors to the adjacent cell and was floored in metal. The contents of the cell included: a metal cot and two buckets. One with water, one for…other things.

  The most crucial piece was what was on the other side. A glass wall split one side from the other. Beyond the glass stood a replica of one of the preferable bedrooms in the house of Rebirth, complete with a private bathroom and polished marble shower. It was a veritable paradise encased in glass.

  “The keypad here”—Archie pointed to the white panel against the supporting wall of the archway leading upstairs—“will meet all your needs. It controls the cameras in the house, the false door in case the unexpected happens, a sprinkler system, and if need be…” He pressed a series of specific buttons on the metallic keypad.

  A brief blue spark emitted from the base of the cells. He dangled his stylus in the air and threw it at the gates. The pen collided with the wire cage, emitting a zapping sound, sending the pen rocketing back with white waves of smoke pluming from the halfway melted plastic. With a big grin, he turned it off.

  I stepped closer to the cells, inquisitive over the construction details. In the floors, shallow designs were drilled into the concrete, exactly as I had specified. “It’s perfect.”

  “Takes a bit of the breath away, doesn’t it? It only needs inhabitants.”

  “After what they attempted to do to Keaton, I need them here as soon as possible. Every one of them. I’d like to see how powerless Noah will become without his trusted allies.”

  “As always, I am at your service.” After conducting a series of finger strokes on his tablet, he handed it to me. “Do you think you can take three in one night on your own?”

  “After I pick up the most difficult one, I doubt it.”

  “Should I have someone pick up the third? I…know a few people who can take her quietly and quickly.”

  “She won’t be a problem,” I said, “but this one”—I tapped his tablet and handed it to him—“is very special. I want to see the fear drape her pretty little face when she recognizes me. I owe her that and much more.”

  THE MALL STRIP WAS nearly vacant. The scent of aspen heavily filled the air and the winter chill cut into my skin through the simple outfit I wore, specifically to blend with the night and remain inconspicuous; the slim fit but flexible jeans with boots and a skull cap pulled down to my eyebrows. In all black, I remained unseen, fading against the dark night and the poorly lit parking lot, a few yards away from her car.

  She argued with her husband, bringing back to memory the bitch I knew her to be. In some respects, her talents helped me. I could only thank her for one aspect of my life. Nadine had broken my virginity, and taught me how to make a woman’s body mine by bringing her untold pleasure. Her brain threw her strongly into lust and tricked her into thinking it was love. I never believed what she taught me would work, but it succeeded with Jayme and many others before Jayme who I invited into my bed. The practice I gained made my ways in the bedroom influence anyone who spread their legs to me. As long I was able to finish the act, I never again had an unsatisfied bedmate. It was solidified in every moment I spent wrapped inside Keaton. The sex I provided was one piece of the lure…but I had many others. Despite her anger earlier in the day after she ascertained my true identity, I knew I had her. She was mine, completely…finally.

  Turning back to the car, I watched Nadine and her husband argue. At one point, he was slapped hard enough to emit an echo, a hollow click. Crying, he dropped to his knees to beg for her forgiveness.

  I chuckled quietly to myself and shook my head. Many things never change. Adam was the most amenable man Nadine had ever broken. One day in solitude and one evening spent under Nadine’s brutality, and he became irrevocably broken—a man who would do anything Nadine and Noah demanded of him—including fulfilling the demands of a man who succeeded in filling Keaton’s head with misrepresentations of the truth, and ordering the murder of a woman with child in cold blood.

  They were both imbecilic for remaining in town after they were caught attempting to kidnap Keaton and murdered one of her closest friends. Nadine was always overshadowed by her large mouth and lessened by her lack of common sense and high intelligence. She would’ve remained a high-priced escort had Noah never taken her under his blackened and poisonous wings.

  As she sauntered into the nail salon, I strode toward the car. Ducking down and using the darkness and the scarce amount of parked cars as my cover, I approached the driver’s side, making sure I couldn’t be seen by the driver. I reached up and gently lifted the handle and carefully began to pry the door open.

  “What the…?” He looked down at me. “You?” he asked as though I was an imposter. He recognized me as the man who broke numerous bones in his face when he took the life of two innocents. Clearly, he hadn’t the slightest idea of my true identity.

  I stuck the needle cover in my mouth and unsheathed the tranquilizer. His lips moved and he seemed stuck in awe. It was remarkably easy to inject the needle into his leg before he could scream. It hit him quickly and he sank forward. I put my hand across his chest to stop him from leaning on the horn. Grabbing the back of his head, I pulled him down to slide onto the gravel beside the car. Reaching around the floor panel I found the trunk release button.

  I looked around, making sure no one was around to notice me. I quickly dragged him into the trunk of the car, grabbed t
he baseball cap he had worn and closed the trunk.

  Shortly after settling into the driver’s seat, I pulled the car into reverse. I parked in the blind spot of the parking lot, facing a quiet residential street, and waited.

  I kept my eye on the rear view, waiting an eternity for her return. She looked at the vacant spot where the car used to be and threw up her hands. I retrieved another syringe from my pocket. Multi-tasking, I removed the needle cover and laid on the horn until she found me. As she began to walk over, I switched my knit cap for the baseball cap and put my head down, ensuring the brim sat low enough to cast a shadow over my face.

  “You fucking idiot,” she snarled, sliding into the passenger seat and slamming the door behind her entry. “Why the hell did you move when I told you to stay and wait for me?” She wrestled with her bag and placed it in her lap. “Can you hear me dip-shit? I’m talking to you.”

  I slowly lifted my chin and the look on her face was worth every agonizing fucking moment of waiting for her to get her nails done.

  I assumed many wouldn’t recognize me, even with the return to my normal eye-color. But of all the people I could fool, I knew Nadine would place me. “You! You’re supposed to be dead…and why do you look…”

  Pressing my hand over her mouth, I subdued her need to scream. She drew her claws intending to fight back. I immediately shoved the tip into her neck and pushed the plunger. Her arms began to flail lifelessly around her. As time passed, she had less and less control over her limbs and eventually fell into a deep slumber.

  Glancing at Nadine, I smiled a little broader. Soon, I would lay the foundation of what the short time leading to the end of their lives, would encompass.

  Impatience wasn’t usually an issue, but my guests were taking far too long and possibly impeding on my ability to arrive at Mrs. Mara’s dinner within the specified timeframe. I looked at the time, noting I had exactly three hours to get to Mr. and Mrs. Mara home to have dinner with them and Keaton. I could make it if I called Archie’s assistant to get me something I had to give to Keaton.