Sinner Reborn Read online

  Sinner Reborn

  By Morgan Kelley

  Copyright © 2015 Morgan Kelley LLC

  All rights reserved. Without limiting rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, introduced into a retrieval system, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including without limitation photocopying, recording, or other electronic or technical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  The scanning, uploading, and/or distribution of this document via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and is punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrightable materials. For permission requests, email [email protected]

  Content Advisory: This book is intended for mature audiences and contains graphic violence, explicit sexual activity and disturbing imagery

  ©Copyright 2017 cover design Celeste Abraham

  Dear Reader,

  Since my books crossover a great deal, I recommend reading them as they are written. I tend to mention characters in books they don’t generally occur in, and later in the series, there are full crossovers.

  Some readers have contacted me for this list, and I figured I’d pass it on to the rest of you.

  While you can read the books by series only, it only enhances the reading experience if you go in order of how I wrote them. I tend to give away secrets…

  I’m sneaky like that.

  On the next page, I’ve given you the list.

  MK

  Here is the reading book order:

  The Killing Times (FBI)

  Sacred Burial Grounds (FBI)

  True Love Lost (FBI)

  Deep Dark Mire (FBI)

  Fire Burns Hot (FBI)

  Celestia is Falling (Croft & Croft)

  Darkness of Truth (FBI)

  Vegas is Dying (Croft)

  Devil hath Come (FBI)

  Christmas is Killing (Croft)

  Blood Red Rage (Littlemoon)

  Consumed by Wrath (FBI)

  Sinner Repent (Carter trilogy 1)

  Love is Bleeding (Croft)

  Lost & Broken (Littlemoon)

  Illegal Fantasies (Anthology 1)

  Redemption is Here (FBI)

  Sinner Realized.(Carter trilogy 2)

  Romance Under Arrest (Anthology 2)

  Heaven is Weeping (Croft)

  Unthinkable Games (Littlemoon)

  Dead Shall Speak (FBI)

  Sinner Reborn (Carter trilogy 3)

  Pledging to Die (FBI)

  Hell is Burning (Croft)

  Truth is Found (Littlemoon)

  Slay Bells Ring (FBI)

  Holiday Reinforcements (Trilogy 3)

  Oracle Rising (Oracle)

  Past will Haunt (FBI Flashback 1)

  Choices will Destroy (FBI)

  Justice is Dead (Final croft book)

  Haven of Nightmares (Littlemoon)

  Blood Shall Run (FBI)

  Oracle Seeing (Oracle)

  Dark Justice (New Croft Series)

  Forbidden Secrets (Littlemoon)

  Act of Blood (FBI)

  Oracle Saving (Oracle)

  Stalked by the Past (FBI flashback 2 )

  Dying to Love (FBI)

  Lost Justice (Croft)

  Kiss of Souls ( Littlemoon) (FBI/Littlemoon crossover)

  Oracle Haunting (Oracle)

  Revenge has Come (FBI)

  Paid Justice (Croft)

  Lost Souls (Littlemoon)

  Discarded by Fate (FBI)October 2017

  Atonement (Hunter Trilogy 1) November 2017

  It’s Good to be the Boss (Romance Anthology 1) November 2017

  Harcourte books do not cross over and can be read anytime.

  Dangerous Revelations

  Dangerous Choices

  Dangerous Misery

  Dangerous Retaliation

  Dangerous Influence

  Dangerous Sacrifice

  Dangerous Destruction Dec 2017

  ~~~~ About the Author ~~~~

  Morgan Kelley lives in the beautiful Pocono Mountains with her husband and two children. After attending college at Penn State University and studying Criminal Justice, Morgan knew her only true passion in life would be murder and books. She put them both together and began her career as a writer. Other than books and writing, you can find Morgan hanging out in her garden and digging in the dirt.

  Her other works include: The Junction, Serial Sins, The Blood Betrayal, The Killing Times (1), Sacred Burial Grounds (2), True Love Lost (3), Deep Dark Mire (4), Fire Burns Hot (5), Darkness of Truth (6), Devil Hath Come (7), Consumed by Wrath (8), Redemption is Here (9), Dead Shall Speak (10), Pledging to Die (11), Blood Red Rage (1) Lost & Broken (2), Unthinkable Games (3)Celestia is Falling (1), Vegas is Dying (2), Christmas is Killing (3), Love is Bleeding (4), Heaven is Weeping (5), Dangerous Revelations (1), Dangerous Choices (2), Dangerous Misery (3), Sinner Repent (1), Sinner Realized (2), Sinner Reborn (3), Illegal Fantasies (Anthology 1), Romance Under Arrest (Anthology 2)

  Please feel free to visit Morgan at her website: www.morgankelley.com, email her [email protected], or visit her blog at www.morgankelley.blogspot.com.

  There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God.

  Deuteronomy 18:10-13

  So begins my story.

  I’m Director Nathaniel Carter…

  prologue

  S he was an abomination. Yet, that was only one of the reasons that she had to die. The list was too vast to name them all. It didn't matter that she had feelings, a soul, or people who loved her.

  To him, all of that was inconsequential. She should never have been born into this world. While it was full of sin, she was the epitome.

  She was a mistake, and one that needed to be rectified.

  No matter how long, the cost, or what the outcome, someone needed to step in and handle the situation.

  It all came down to the fact that Avalon Miller was vile and disgusting, and if he couldn’t have her, no one would.

  Yes, he hated and loved her at the same time.

  It drove him crazy that he couldn’t pick a side. His brain wanted to take her and destroy what she was, but his heart wanted to love her, and use Avalon Miller to build his empire.

  He was torn.

  So, he opted to find her.

  Then he’d make his final decision.

  The line was drawn in the sand. If she rebuked him, well…she’d have to die. He was leaving it up to fate, praying that she wouldn’t choose poorly.

  If she wouldn’t help him build his empire, her sins would sentence her to death. From the minute she was born, there was no doubt that she was a mistake.

  One he never knew about.

  Somehow, that made it so much worse. She was that horrible secret that waited for you, and when you least expected it, there it was.

  Waiting.

  Lurking.

  Hurting you.

  Now that had to be rectified, and he was the man to do it. If not him, then who could possibly do it?

  Even if it took the rest of his life, he’d find a way to make it happen. If he had to walk over hot shards of jagged glass, laced with poison, he’d mak
e the sacrifice.

  Why?

  There was no choice because it was his duty.

  Everything began that one fateful night, and it would come down to her destruction. Secretly, he wanted to whisk her away, hiding the petite blonde angel where no one could find her. She was something so surreptitious, that he cringed at the idea that the truth would come out.

  He’d built his empire.

  He’d paid his dues.

  Now, he didn't want to lose it all, and Avalon Miller was close to destroying all he’d carefully built.

  He understood her purpose, and that didn't matter. When it came down to it, he needed to handle the situation. As far as the world would be concerned, if the truth came out, she’d be seen as nothing more than a scandal.

  He couldn’t let that happen.

  Not to him.

  Not to her.

  While they’d never met, he didn't want to see her hurt. That’s why he was stepping in.

  Sins had a punishment and in his world, if you didn't have a use, you were expendable.

  That’s why he was working so hard to find a way to end her life. His wicked claws were in every pot, stirring it to get her to float to the surface. He had feelers out, and behind them heavily armed men, ready to do his bidding.

  Money spoke volumes, and he was rich enough to get exactly what he wanted.

  Avalon Miller.

  Now was the time to move on her. In the past few years, there had never been a good opportunity—until now.

  The military wouldn’t touch her.

  The FBI was worried.

  Soon, they’d cast her out, when the cost became too high, and he’d scoop her up.

  Gladly.

  Willingly.

  Joyously.

  Then, when she was right in front of him, he’d weigh the options, let his heart and mind do battle, and make the final decision. If she understood the gravity of the situation, and was willing to go with him to a new life, then maybe he could let her live.

  Unfortunately, the odds of that happening were slim. Once the truth was out there, if she didn't already know it, she wouldn’t want to see him.

  He wasn’t stupid. If anything, he knew her better than she knew herself.

  So, he had to force her hand, and that was fine by him. Instead of giving her mercy, if she fought him, he’d do what he’d promised so many years ago when he found out the truth.

  He’d end her life.

  It pained him, but in the end, there was no other choice. Too much was in the balance—his life, hers, and all the nasty hidden secrets that swirled around his past. It was those things that needed to stay hidden.

  That meant one thing.

  Now, it was time.

  He’d carefully planned this, and the opportunity was there. From this day out, he’d start tearing apart the safety net surrounding Avalon Miller. In the end, she’d fall right into his hands.

  It was perfect.

  The screams from the next room grabbed his attention. For now, he had other things to worry about.

  There were pressing things that demanded his utmost attention. The game was beginning, and he had to be present and accounted for in order to win.

  Moving from the sparse room in the backwoods town, he came to stand in front of the next person in his dwindling list of people who would know where she was. Avalon had to have spoken to someone. No one fell off the radar completely.

  This haggard old soul might spill the beans. Who was he kidding? He’d make her talk and for so many other reasons.

  First, he offered money.

  She declined.

  Then, he offered to spare her life.

  Still, she played dumb.

  Now, there was no choice. She was obviously protecting her, and he had no choice but to end her life. One by one, he’d eradicate them until he found his way to her. For her, he’d kill them all.

  After all, they deserved it.

  They thought they were safe, but secrets were secrets, and someone had to pay. Slowly, he would whittle away at them all. In the end, it would come down to him and Avalon.

  Alone.

  Face to face.

  For the final chapter in their little game of cat and mouse.

  Oh, they kept her hidden for all these years, but now… it was time to purge the world of her wickedness.

  “Where is she?” he asked, pulling up a chair to sit in front of the elderly woman. When he ran his hand through his gray and blonde hair, he didn't miss that his team watched his every move.

  They should.

  He was like a rattlesnake, only he didn't give a warning before he struck.

  “Who are you?” she asked through a garbled voice, thick with her own blood.

  He smiled at his men.

  They’d made sure that she couldn’t see. It was to protect him, and protect…well, him. When he was gone, he didn't want anyone to remember his face. In fact, the men who worked for him would rue the day that they were hired by him.

  He wasn’t above burning down a whole town for his anonymity. After all, he mattered more than all of the people in this sick little hell hole.

  “You don’t need to know my name. All you need to do is tell me where to find Avalon Miller.”

  The woman shook her head. “I can’t. I haven’t seen her since she left for the university. She just disappeared.”

  He didn't believe her.

  He knew it was a lie.

  See, he had his inside sources, and they had told him everything. There was no university, no happiness, and no escape from the confinement of her own personal hell.

  That’s another reason why he was there.

  Besides, someone had to know where she was. The woman didn't just disappear without any contact. After all, this was her family.

  It wasn’t possible.

  He of all people knew that.

  There was always a trail.

  It was only a matter of how big, and obvious, you made it.

  “Liar,” he said, pulling off his leather glove. With the back of his hand, he struck her. Not hard enough to kill her, but enough to show that he meant business. He was done screwing around. If she was going to lie, then he was going to break her.

  God!

  He loved breaking women. It didn't matter that she was as old as the day was long.

  At his strike to her face, she slumped, whimpering in the chair.

  “Now, let’s try this once again. Where is Avalon? I want her. You know where she is, and that’s going to be the only thing that saves you.”

  It was all lies. The second she told him her location, she was going to meet her maker. He could judge her then. He was pretty sure when they all died, there would be plenty of justice being doled out.

  To her.

  To him.

  To Avalon.

  The woman didn't speak as the blood dribbled down her chin to drip in thick rivulets onto her sunny polyester pants.

  “You have ten seconds, and then I start hurting you. What you’ve lived through now has been nothing. I can promise you that the pain that’s on the horizon will make you beg.”

  “If I knew, I’d tell you,” she whispered. “Please. I hurt. I haven’t seen her in so very long. She left us.”

  That had his attention.

  Apparently, she was close to her breaking point. That pleased him on some deep, sick level. Everyone had a limit, and she was barely at a three on the pain scale. It had to be because of her advancing age.

  How disappointing.

  Honestly, he assumed she would put up more of a fight. He’d hoped for it—longed for it.

  Yet, there was no sympathy for the backwoods hick. She was getting everything she deserved.

  And then some…

  “Then who would know her location? It’s the only way I’ll keep you alive. Tell me who will have the information I seek.”

  There was a pause, and then she whispered a name. “He might know. Please, let me be. I’m old.”

>   He laughed.

  Yes, she was, but there would be no rest for the wicked, and he knew it better than most.

  He pointed at his two helpers. “Take her out back. Make it painful, and then dump the body in the bathtub. We’ll let the local law find her. They’ll never tie it to us.”

  They grabbed the old woman and pulled her from the room. Her battered and broken body couldn’t even muster a fight. It was like she’d given up.

  She must have known that the end was near.

  Pulling out his phone, he made a call.

  “Why are you calling me?” came the voice. “You know how risky this is. I’m under scrutiny.”

  “I need some information, that’s all. I’m looking for all the details on Frank Miller. I need to know everything you have on him, so I can break him.”

  There was a pause.

  “The last time you called, I told you that I was done helping you. It was one thing to slip you some secrets, but now you’re getting greedy. This is getting out of hand.”

  He laughed at the anger. “You have no choice, and you know it. We’re well beyond a few tidbits, my friend. We’re in the big leagues now. I want Avalon Miller, and you know where to find her.”

  The non-reply said it all.

  “I suggest that you hurry. If you keep me waiting, who knows what will happen. You don’t want to make me mad, do you?”

  “I’ll text you from my safe phone when I get home.”

  Then the call was disconnected.

  There were some screams of pain, and then nothing from the back yard. It was probably a good thing that this woman lived in the middle of nowhere, or the neighbors would have heard her wails.

  Hell! The devil could hear her begging to die.

  That pleased him.

  Maybe it was sick, but justice was served. He only wished he was closer to finding the woman.

  As time passed, her sin grew. It was like a stain on his conscience. It was always there reminding him what evil really lived in the world.

  He found it…distasteful.

  He pulled on his gloves and headed over to the wall of pictures. On it, he found a picture. It made him angry, so he pulled it from the frame. Behind it, there was one of a blonde haired angel. Her vacant stare seemed to look right through him.