Read Mortal Sin for Free Online Page A

because of her. Because she loved him.
    The call from Rico summoning her to Olivet couldn’t have come at a better time. Leave Anthony, Rafe, and everyone else here—she’d take the target off their backs and take it with her to Canada.
    Maybe she wouldn’t return. That might be the only way to protect the people she cared about.
    The people she loved.

 
     

CHAPTER THREE
     
    Rafe cleaned Moira’s wounds, controlling his anger. She’d risked her life, again. Always, she risked her life and it pained him. He couldn’t ask her to stop, but when she hurt, he hurt.
    “I’m fine ,” she insisted with a glance toward Anthony. “Just a couple of scrapes and bruises.”
    “And a nasty cut on your forehead.”
    Rafe kissed her lightly on the lips. “Humor me.” He kissed her as much for Moira as for Anthony. He wasn’t going to tolerate his life-long friend’s animosity toward the woman he loved. Anthony had to put the past where it belonged, because if he thought Rafe was going to chose Anthony’s friendship over Moira, he was very, very wrong.
    They were gathered at the mission in one of the two finished rooms that hadn’t been destroyed by the fire six months ago. Anthony’s books and research were spread across the table, but not all of it. When Rafe walked in with Moira and Lily ten minutes ago, Anthony had taken two small books and put them in a cabinet. Rafe pretended not to notice, but he was growing suspicious. Anthony had been acting even more secretive than normal.
    “There were three witches,” Moira said. “Well, at least one of them was a witch, but I suspect they’re a triad. They had that… chemistry. And the spell was powerful.”
    “You mean they were working together to cast the spell?” Rafe asked.
    “Exactly—they’re stronger together. If they’re a true triad, they have no real magic when they’re separated. Brianne Graves. Write it down, Anthony.”
    Anthony frowned, but took out his notepad and wrote it down.
    “Brianne was the brunette,” Lily said, speaking up for the first time since they’d arrived. She was sitting in the corner, her arms around her knees, watching them with wide eyes.
    “My gut tells me that Brianne was the leader,” Moira said.
    “Your gut is usually right,” Rafe said, then kissed her again. He could see that she was truly fine, but he wanted that connection with her, to remind her that he was here for her.
    “This is a serious situation,” Anthony said.
    “I’m not treating it as anything but,” Moira snapped.
    “Who are the other two?” Anthony asked Lily.
    “Um, Kimberly Halverson and Laura Corrigan,” Lily said. “They all graduated last year.”
    “If they’re a triad, they’re dangerous—especially with what I witnessed today,” Moira said. “But they’re not the important thing. We have two other big problems. The first is Bertrand. Does Skye have any suspects? Any leads?”
    “Not that she shared,” Anthony said. “I told her I spoke to him yesterday.”
    “Good. It’s better to be upfront because she’s going to hear about it sooner or later. When did he die?”
    “The autopsy isn’t complete. Sometime after he left the hospital yesterday.”
    “Fortunately,” Rafe said, catching Moira’s eye, “we were all together working at the mission.”
    Moira opened her mouth, then closed it. Good. She had to be on the same page. He didn’t believe Anthony had killed Bertrand, especially when they needed him alive to learn what he’d done to Rafe during his ten-week coma. But they’d parted ways with Anthony at the hospital, and Rafe had been with Moira all night. He hadn’t seen Anthony until this morning.
    “I am not lying to Skye,” Anthony said. “I didn’t kill the man.”
    “We have to,” Rafe said, “considering Skye’s election and what that might mean to any of the unsolved murders.” Not to mention that Anthony hadn’t made it a secret that he disliked Bertrand. Rafe couldn’t help but wonder