Sinner Reborn

by Morgan Kelley

  “All we’re at liberty to say is that it revolves around Avalon Miller,” Callie offered.

  The man thought about it. “This whole thing smells rotten to me. Not the FBI’s involvement, but that two people had to be killed so brutally. It was like they were worked over by some mob boss for information.”

  Callie had been thinking the same thing. Yes, there were killers out there who tortured for the fun of it, but most times they had a victim abused like this, it was to get something out of them.

  “Is there any way we can take a walk down to the morgue and see Frank Miller’s body?” she asked.

  “Are you sure you want to do that, ma’am? Autopsy is a rough place.”

  While she appreciated his concern, Callie was quite accustomed to being in a morgue. When you profiled, you saw a lot of cruelty done to humans.

  “Yes, Sheriff. I’ll be fine.”

  Quinn stood, offering his wife his hand. When she took it, he felt a little better. He was still all riled up inside. This entire case was making him edgy.

  As they headed downstairs, the sheriff kept babbling, but Callie wasn’t paying any attention. She was too busy thinking about what was going on in Fredricksville. She only hoped that Jagger was having a better time at the funeral. Maybe he’d locate a big chunk of the puzzle while snooping around.

  Well, she could always hope, even if the odds were slim to none.

  Once in the morgue, they found the ME working on some papers. After introductions were made, Callie dove right in with the questions. She didn't hold back.

  Doctor Sabetti was more than happy to share all the details with the two investigators. Once he found out the FBI was involved, he wasn’t going to play any games.

  “Can you tell me what the majority of his injuries are?” Callie asked.

  “The official cause of death is going to be exsanguination, but before our friend here bled out, he was physically abused.”

  Quinn stared down at his body. He could see the bruising radiating from below the sheet at his waist. “I’m going to guess it’s all in his groin area.”

  The doctor nodded. “If you want to get a man to talk, work him over down there.”

  The sheriff cringed.

  “If they were going for maximum pain, they knew right where to head,” Callie stated. When she peeked below the sheet, she whistled. “That’s horrifying and I’m a girl.”

  The doctor agreed. “It gave me the willies when I had to do the autopsy. I’ll never use the phrase ‘bust his balls’ again.”

  Quinn didn't want to think about it, and he wasn’t going to look. He wanted to sleep at night. “Any other injuries besides some cracked nuts?”

  “He has some facial bruising and a lump on the back of his head. I could postulate that he was jumped from behind and put up a fight. That could explain the head and facial injuries. I can’t imagine he’d willingly stick around while someone beat his balls blue, can you?”

  They shook their heads.

  “Anything found on him?” Callie asked. “Like trace?”

  He picked up a bag. “It’s all in here and ready to head off to processing.”

  “We’re going to call the FBI and have someone from a satellite office pick that up,” Callie stated. “We need a rush on it. I hope you don’t mind.”

  He laughed. “If the Feds want to foot the bill, so be it.”

  “Thank you, Doctor,” she said, shaking his hand.

  When they were outside the morgue and heading back up to the office, the sheriff spoke, “I want in. Give me something to do.”

  They couldn’t, but they would let the man think he was helping as much as possible.

  “How about we discuss what you called weird out at that crime scene?” asked Callie. “We really need to know everything you have on them.”

  “I can fill you in. For the most part, they’re really nice people. Everyone here in Fredricksville thought highly of them. They went to church, they did their share to keep our town nice, and they were community leaders. Once the old man died, they went downhill. It’s like they’re cursed.”

  Neither Callie nor Quinn believed in such bullshit. In their world, you made your own mess.

  In the bullpen, Quinn looked around. “Any problems lately with the Millers? Was someone bothering them?”

  He motioned to the deputy who had been at Mary Louise’s house with him. Immediately, he came over. “You hear anything about the Millers that sounded off, son?”

  Deputy Mario Pasquale shook his head. “Nothing odd, sir. Mary Louise was just at the local bake sale last month to sell her pecan pies.”

  Yeah, that sounded normal.

  “I went to school with a few of them, ma’am,” Deputy Pasquale stated. “They were well-liked, calm, polite kids then and now. I can’t imagine who would want to do anything to them, especially what happened to Mary Louise and Frank. It’s scary.”

  Callie was going to take a chance. “How old are you?” she asked.

  “I’m twenty eight, ma’am.”

  “Do you remember Avalon Miller? She’s blonde and has pale blue eyes.”

  He thought about it. “Yeah, I do recall her. She was real quiet, and they kept her under wraps.”

  Quinn didn't understand. “Care to explain?”

  “Here’s part of the weird,” Sheriff Lawrence interjected. “Go on, son.”

  “Well, we all went to school together, but she didn't. Her granny schooled her at home. I know when she was about fifteen she got some fancy scholarship to a school far away. I heard Mary Louise right after she was gone. The woman was tellin’ everyone that Avalon was super smart and special.”

  Oh, they had no idea.

  “She was kept isolated?” Quinn asked.

  “Yeah, we’d play or go swimming, and she’d never be able to come. You’d only see her on Sundays at church, and if you went over to Mary Louise’s house. Then it was more her peeking out a window. She was kind of uppity, if you ask me.”

  “She was blind,” Callie stated, staring at the man. When she read about the woman’s life in the file, it pissed her off. She hated that Avalon was treated like she was a leper all her life. That had to be a very hard road for a small child.

  As a mother, it broke her heart.

  “I didn’t know,” he stated.

  “Me either,” said the sheriff. “They kept that a secret.”

  Yeah, well the Millers kept a lot secret.

  Unfortunately, at some point, all secrets were destined to come out—whether you liked it or not.

  “Is there anything else that comes to mind?” Quinn asked. “We could use anything at this point.”

  The men shook their heads.

  “You should ask around,” stated Adam Lawrence. “Just don’t go sneaking into people’s houses. Even the FBI has its limits.”

  Yeah, well, they wouldn’t be sneaking into the next house. This whole experience was one hell of a lesson to learn.

  Instead, they’d send Jagger.

  “Thank you for all your help, Sheriff,” Callie said, shaking his hand. “We’re going back to our place go over everything.”

  “Where are you staying?” he asked.

  Quinn told him.

  “Well, if you need anything else, come on down, and we’ll be happy to help you.”

  With that, they headed out. On their way to the vehicle, Quinn was grinning like the Cheshire cat.

  “What are you thinking?”

  “He told us not to wander around in anyone’s house, but we have a phantom. So, technically, we don’t have to break the law or listen to him.”

  Callie laughed as they hopped up into the Denali. All of a sudden, she gasped, caught completely off guard.

  Quinn pulled his gun.

  “Christ! Jagger! You can’t do shit like that!” Quinn stated. “You’re going to get yourself shot.”

  The man shrugged. “What? I was just waiting for a ride back to the cottage. I returned the vehicle I ‘borrowed’.
”

  “To the owner?” she asked.

  “Uh, yeah, sure.”

  She shook her head.

  “Don’t sweat it,” he began. “We have bigger issues to worry about.”

  Quinn didn't like the sound of that. “What happened?”

  He told him about the funeral, the goon at the graveside, and finally, the big, black Escalade.

  “We’ve been made,” he stated.

  “Well shit,” muttered Quinn. “This is going to throw one hell of a wrench into our plans. If we’re wandering around this town, and they’re wandering around too, chances are we’re going to cross paths.”

  Jagger shrugged. “They saw me. They didn't see you. I’m just going to have to lay low for the rest of our time here. When I headed here, I made sure I took the roughest terrain to find you. They couldn’t have followed me.”

  For some reason, that didn't exactly make Quinn feel any better.

  “Oh, and one more thing.”

  They turned to stare at him.

  “What?”

  “They’re not just hired thugs. They’re ex-military. The one scoping out the gravesite was a Navy Seal. You could tell by his watch and boots.”

  Now, Quinn wanted to be downright sick.

  “We better call Elizabeth,” Callie stated. “This just got messier.”

  No one disagreed with that.

  CHAPTER Seven

  Tuesday Afternoon

  N athaniel Carter was many things in life, but he never considered himself a pervert. That being said, while Avalon frolicked in the tub, he was having a very difficult time thinking about anything else but her.

  The long legs.

  The cascade of blonde hair.

  The beads of water running across her naked flesh.

  It all called to him on some deep level, and he was failing when it came to fighting it. What he wanted to do was check on her, and by that he meant open the door, stare inside, and then jump into the tub with her.

  Sue him.

  He was a man.

  It took a slew of convincing not to knock on the door. The most potent was that she was the job. Avalon was an assignment, and not someone he could get entangled with. Over and over, he reminded himself that she deserved better, and if he was pulled from this assignment, they’d never see each other again.

  Then he thought about getting all that blonde hair wrapped around him. It erased everything he’d talked himself out of.

  Nate knew that he had to think about something else. So, he went with the fact that she was barely twenty five, and he was almost forty. He had no business thinking about sex with a woman that young. Maybe ten years ago.

  Okay, maybe five years ago.

  Shit!

  He was rationalizing it.

  What was wrong with him?

  Oh, yeah. He knew. He was falling for a woman he was supposed to protect, and he was a fool.

  When he heard the click of the door, he stared over at her. Luckily for him, she was blind. Nate was pretty sure that the look on his face said it all.

  There stood Avalon wrapped in a motel towel. Her hair was piled on top of her head in some tousled knot, and he wanted to run his fingers through it.

  Jesus!

  He should have let Maura stay.

  At least until she was done in the tub.

  “Nathaniel?” she called.

  “Yeah, Avalon?” he replied, hoping his voice didn't give him away. Screw that! He prayed his aura wasn’t screaming in all the colors that told the tale.

  He wanted her.

  God damn it!

  He wanted Avalon Miller in the worst way.

  “I didn't bring any of my clothes into the bathroom. Can you help me find them? I’m not acclimated with the surroundings yet.”

  He grew a set and crossed to her. “Sure thing, Avalon.”

  When he dug around in the bag they’d taken, he prayed for control. What was worse than seeing a towel wrapped Avalon?

  He now knew. Getting up close and personal with her underthings was pure hell. They were a girly pink and so very innocent, and that made him crazier. Nate began counting in his head as he brought them to her. “Here,” he said gruffly.

  “Thank you.”

  He needed to change the subject. “What would you like for dinner?”

  She thought about it, blinking blindly at the man in front of her. His aura was running hot, and he was agitated. So, she took a chance, moving toward him.

  “How about burgers?” she offered.

  He tracked her like she was an innocent bunny in the woods, and he was the wolf ready to pounce. He needed to get away from her.

  Nate knew that he was seconds from kissing her. His fingers were itching, his body was on fire, and he wanted her. Once he crossed that line, there would be no going back. He could see himself devouring her in greedy bites.

  “That’s great. I’ll order them for us,” he offered.

  “Thank you.” Avalon wanted to laugh. The man before her was a truly decent guy. He was fighting to stay in control. She could hear it in his voice. Gone was the peaceful tone, and in its place was stress.

  He watched her, trying not to think impure thoughts, but he could see the crest of her breasts just hidden behind the towel. How he longed to run his lips over each pale mound. “You should get dressed now.”

  Her smile flickered away. “Yes, you’re right. I should.”

  Then it hit him.

  He was an idiot.

  She was offering herself up, and he didn't realize it until he opened his big mouth. The sweet and gentle Avalon had come out in a towel for a reason, and he just shoved it away.

  Oh, he was an idiot.

  When she turned, he wanted to say something to stop her, but he couldn’t. His words were stolen with what he saw.

  On the back of Avalon’s neck was a tattoo.

  That one single inking in black was like a slap. She was carrying a tattoo similar to his own. Inadvertently, his hand went to his chest over the symbol hidden under his shirt.

  “Alpha and omega,” he whispered. “Oh, Jesus! Alpha and freaking omega.”

  She turned at the door, hearing his comment. Instead of pretending she didn't know what he was saying, Avalon went with it. “It’s the beginning of the end, Nathaniel Carter. It begins…now.”

  With that, she closed the door. He wanted her to dress, so she would do just that. It would give him time to regroup. She knew what was coming.

  Now, Avalon had to wait and see what he’d do.

  Nate couldn’t breathe.

  His heart was thundering in his chest.

  What had just happened?

  Like the wave of a tsunami, it all started coming back to him—the flashes of dreams, and the blonde woman standing in a field of flowers with him.

  She was there.

  In his sleep, Avalon Miller had been the one comforting him for all those months. She’d intimately touched him, and he’d done the same. She’d dream walked with him.

  Shit!

  The overwhelming need to run filled him, and he needed to get away. If he didn't put some space between them, he was going to be sick.

  So, he did what his gut told him. Heading out, he locked the door behind him. When he knocked on Luke and Maura’s door, his partner slowly opened it. It was obvious what he’d just interrupted.

  Luke’s hair was standing up in spikes, and his shirt was open.

  “I’m going to get dinner. Can one of you watch Avalon?” he asked.

  Maura peeked around the door. “Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?” she asked, tucking her black shirt back into her cargo pants. “Did something happen?”

  “I’ve been Oracled. I need a few minutes away, okay?”

  She got it. Avalon could be a lot to take in. She tended to say things that freaked the strongest of people out. Apparently, Nathaniel Carter was just taken out at the knees.

  “I’ll go,” Maura offered.

  When she too
k the key from him, there was anger and concern in her eyes. He saw it and knew she wanted to tell him ‘I told you so’. Could he blame her? It was nothing short of miraculous that Maura didn't.

  “What do you want to eat?” he asked, trying to pretend he didn't feel like he was trapped in some odd dream.

  “Whatever,” she replied, heading to the room.

  Before he could leave, Luke grabbed him by the arm. “Hey, we need to talk.”

  Nate wasn’t sure that was a good idea. He was freaked out and slipping fast. In fact, he was one step away from a meltdown, and considering his life, that was saying a hell of a lot. While life was always out of control, everything else made this look like a drop in the bucket.

  “What’s happening?”

  He didn't know where to start. “Nothing.”

  “You’re a shitty liar. That’s why Elizabeth Blackhawk rides your ass. Now, spill it. I’m like your brother. If you can’t tell me, who can you tell?”

  He dropped down on the hideous couch. “I’ve been having dreams the last few months.”

  Luke listened as the man told him about the horrors he found in them. It wasn’t uncommon. In their jobs, you tended to burn out, and fast. It sounded like Nate was on his way there.

  “Okay.”

  “They’ve been eating away at me. It’s why I took this assignment. I figured if I went down, it was no big deal.”

  “I happen to disagree with that statement, and later we’re going to revisit it. I may just punch you in the face for even putting that out there.”

  “Luke.”

  “Just get it off your chest.”

  “In them, there’s been this one force that saves me each and every time. When I wake up, I feel better. I feel like something sucked away all the bad and is keeping me safe. My batteries are recharged, and I can fight another day.”

  “Okay, and what is it?”

  “Her.”

  “What?”

  “I could never remember any of my dreams. I wake up, know that I dreamt, but I have no clue about what. It’s like coming face to face with a wall. I couldn’t get around it until now. The wall has just fallen, and I can see what’s behind it.”

  “You’re making no sense, Nate.”

  “In the dreams, I saw this tattoo on her body. I never remembered it until I saw it just now. It’s on her neck.” Nate told him about the towel, how she was offering herself up, and then the surprise when she turned around.